Eli is ONE!

We had a fun weekend celebrating Eli's first birthday! It was busy from start to finish and Eli loved every minute of it. I spent most of Friday getting the house decorated and getting the food together. I had a baby shower to attend the afternoon of Eli's party so I knew if I wanted to go I had to have everything all situated ahead of time. I made this sign for Eli last week and thought it turned out cute. Marc helped hang it since he didn't like seeing his pregnant wife standing on her tiptoes on the dining room table attempting to hang it by herself. :)

Eli had been playing with these two blow-up monkeys I ordered for a few weeks and we had been practicing monkey sounds. I think he was really sad when I hung them up so high where he couldn't reach them anymore!

I put together all of Eli's monthly pictures on our bulletin board for everyone to see and it looked really cute. These pictures got really hard in the last couple of months because Eli just wanted to play with the sign! We will have to come up with a different idea for the next one. :)

We were so glad that the weather worked for us to have a cookout as planned, and the guys enjoyed some yards games like ladder ball and washers before dinner. We had lots of yummy food and some delicious cake from Rick's Bakery in Arkansas. I have felt a little nauseated today, and I think part of the issue is all the food I stuffed myself with this weekend (I am typing this as I just finished some leftover banana pudding. Ha!)! Here are some more pictures of our fun. (Eli had a big bruise on his head for all of these pictures. That is probably what his pictures for the next year are going to look like!)

Eli playing with his two granddads.

Eli's cakes

Give me some of that cake mom!

First taste...

Oh, my this is good!

Us with my family

Us with the grandparents

Jamie, Marc, and Eli

The Monkey Munch party favors

At dinner tonight Marc was talking about our weekend and what wonderful families we both have been blessed with. We are so thankful that you all were able to come and be a part of such a special occasion even though you live many miles away. :) There were many memories that we will cherish forever!

Ultrasound and Party Decorations

I had an ultrasound today called Early Screen which is something new they are doing to check for down syndrome and other trisomy disorders. Everything looked completely normal which is always great news to hear. It was so fun seeing the baby move around on the screen! He/she looks so much more like a person from the last time we took a peek. You could see all the facial features and the arms and legs. We got a few great profile pictures to share with our family this weekend. The technician still couldn't find that other baby in there making my belly get big so fast! I actually haven't gained but a pound or two but this belly is showing for sure. People ask me everywhere when I am due and I am only 12 1/2 weeks. Ha! I do love being pregnant though and look forward to the next few months with this belly (especially when the baby starts moving!). :)

I have been getting ready for Eli's party over the past week or two. I cleaned all last weekend only to find that after our new windows were installed this week I would need to re-clean everything because of all the dust. :) I plan on getting the food together on Friday along with the rest of the decorations. We are doing a monkey theme party with teal, yellow, and brown for the colors. My mom found these cute plates in a magazine and I had his invitaiton designed based on them. She also had a cake made at a local bakery in Arkansas that is going to match everything else!

It is going to be great fun having both of our families in town to celebrate with us along with some of our friends. Marc's family is coming from Illinois and Texas and mine are coming up from Arkansas. Eli is one very loved little boy. :) I will put up some pictures after the party. Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Marc!

Marc is 29 years old today (one year away from one of those big birthdays that ends in a zero!) so I thought I would write a post in honor of his birthday. We are planning on going out to eat with some friends (and Eli) from residency tonight at one of his favorite pizza places. Then, I have gotten a babysitter to watch Eli for us this Friday so we can have a date night (without Eli :)) of dinner and a movie.

I am so proud of Marc. I know that I don't tell him that enough so I decided to publicly profess it today. :) He works really hard at his job and still manages to help out around the house and to be a great dad and husband for our family.

A few months ago, I was seeing a patient in clinic who happened to be a social worker at one of the hospitals Marc works at. When I asked if she knew Marc she immediately started telling me about what a nice person he is to work with. Marc has a genuine concern for people, and I think that is what left an impression on her the times she had worked with him and his patients. This is not the first time this has happened to me. Many times when people find out that I am married to Marc they talk to me about how wonderful he is on both a professional and personal level. His attending physicians have told me this, his friends have told me this, and complete strangers who have only met Marc briefly have told me this. This always warms my heart. It is such a sweet reminder to have someone tell me what a great man I am married to, and it makes me appreciate him that much more. Marc is one of the most compassionate and generous people I have ever met and those are two qualities that will always suit him very well in the field he is in. :)

At the end of the day, Marc is still very human (that is tomorrow's post.. ha!.. just kidding), but I see Christ's light shining through his life so much and he inspires me to love people better. Happy birthday Marc! I love you and am praising God today for you.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. "
Matthew: 5:14-16