Sunday bits

Elijah and I got tired of being cooped up inside, so we ventured out for a bit yesterday afternoon. We headed to a nearby mall that has a play area that kids adore, and Elijah is no exception. He loves the play structures, yes, but mostly he loves watching the other children. He has always gotten a kick out of watching children play and run around. He hasn't really figured out how to be a part of group play yet, but that doesn't seem to bother him. And he definitely seems to be drawn to the less aggressive personalities.

One little boy was literally in Elijah's face, constantly asking what his name was and how old he was, only to get a smile and arm flaps in response. After getting a few finger pokes in the face (it's amazing what some parents will sit and watch their children do without saying anything), Elijah would start crawling in the opposite direction every time he saw this little boy.

There was a sweet little girl who was probably around 18 months old who intrigued Elijah. She had a sweet little spirit and seemed to like to keep to herself. Apparently this is just his type because he kept crawling up to her and saying "Hi!" and flashing his beautiful smile at her. After a few minutes of him (gently) following her around, I decided to try to redirect him so she didn't feel stalked.

He is so gentle and sweet with other kids. I saw him approach a handful of kids and say, "Hi!" and then he would lay down on the ground and smile up at them. Some kids gave him a confused look and some kids got down on his level and started talking to him. It was so fun to watch!

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We have two bottles of Johnson's baby lotion sitting on the little table in our living room. One of them is big and one is a tiny little sample-sized bottle. Yesterday Elijah grabbed both of them and said, "Baby 'shun!" I assumed that he had heard me call it "baby lotion" before, so I nodded at him and smiled. He pointed to the little bottle and said, "baby 'shun!" and then he pointed to the big bottle and said, "Daddy 'shun!" :)

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Elijah still has a congested nose and a little cough, but his energy is back and he seems to be feeling better. The big issue right now is having his sleep interrupted by the congestion. He hasn't had a good night of sleep in a few nights now. We're praying hard that this week brings total healing so we can enjoy our vacation in California as healthy, rested people!