I hate training camp...

Me and my brother BoscoOne of my new birthday toys...
I love my Auntie Roxy!!

Hello to all of you. I am doing well and have established a great schedule once again, hopefully I will maintain it once Daddy finishes training camp and comes back home. We got a little off-track at first with him being gone but I seem to have mom back on track. I have a new bedtime, 7:30, and I have taught mom that if she puts me to bed later I will just get up earlier... It took her awhile to figure it out but I think she gets it now.



Bosco and I have been getting along great and the other day mom caught us actually playing together, like interacting back and forth. I would throw the ball and Bosco would bring it back to me, over and over, and then when we got tired we cuddled together. We kept each other busy for 2 hours while mom weeded in the back yard!



I have an embarrassing confession though. The other day I went to see dad at "Fan Day", and while we were waiting for him to sign some autographs I was playing on the field with some of the other player's kids. Jason Tucker has 3 gorgeous girls and one of then is only 4 months older than me. (10 pounds lighter and 10 less teeth, but OLDER nonetheless). I was playing with her and she decided to tackle me. At first it was fine but then she decided to rub my face in the turf and I started to cry. Mom was laughing and telling me to "man-up" while her mom was apologizing and really worried. They finally got her off of me but only after I was bleeding from a scratch on my face...Man-up!? What the heck is that supposed to mean? Girls scare me...

I'M ONE!!!!

Before the mess...During the mess....
Reading my birthday card...
After the mess...
A new outfit from Auntie Vicki...

Greetings to you all from "big-boy-brown"... That's right, I am the big man now, no more "baby"... Strangely enough though I have had some recent weight loss and apparently I slimmed down like dad in preparation for training camp... I am a svelte 26 pounds, have 14 teeth (that I am willing to let mom see), but perhaps more in the upper back that she hasn't detected yet. I did remarkably well at my shots yesterday, whimpered a little but held it together and no grouchiness afterwards.


I would like to thank all of you who sent birthday wishes and sang on the answering machine, (some good, some, well .... still a blessing) I got to trash my birthday cupcake... Bosco loved the entire event and he helped with clean-up. Dad could only stay home for an hour and I have really noticed his absence this week so I went by practice yesterday to check him out and make sure he is working hard while away from me.


Anyway, today I mowed the lawn with mom, I was on her back in a carrier which really wasn't necessary but the view was great. I love to get my hands on the lawnmower and I plan to grow up like Grandpa John and know how to fix them all... Afterwards I got full of grass stains and ate some dirt and sucked on some landscaping rocks. I think I will stick to birthday cake...


Gotta go.... Luv you all lots!! Pray for my daddy as he is working really hard!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

THE DAY BEFORE MY ARRIVAL... DURING MY ARRIVAL...
MY ARRIVAL!!!!
ONE WEEK LATER... THE DRAMA...
LOOK AT ME NOW... REACHING FOR GRAMPA'S BEER...

YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been telling people for the last month that I am one and it is finally here! No more of this 10 months, 11 months, etc. I am officially in the year range now!

In honor of my birthday the weather has been awesome, I have been playing outside everyday, and I got to trash my first birthday cake on the weekend. (Pictures to follow)

This weekend I got to go to the family picnic and meet my second, third and even fourth cousins, my great and great-great aunties and uncles, and even some other relatives that mom wasn't sure who they were. Dad did an awesome job taking care of me while mom was back at work and now he is busy back at work. Please keep him in your prayers while he sweats his way through training camp, and tries to make it home to see me whenever he can.

Mom promises to post pictures of my birthday as soon as she can. Nothing big happening, dad is just going to try to come home on his break from work and we are going to take some pictures and eat some cake.

Meanwhile, keep me in your prayers, and I will keep you posted on me.

Happy birthday to me!!

Luv ya!

Elijah-one-year-old-not-so-brown-but-getting-browner...