1. When Eli wakes up in the morning. The proper morning, not 4:00 am foolishness - THAT is not morning. But at 7 or 8, when the little "come get me!" whimpers start over the monitor, and I go in to Eli's crib and his worried face turns into a huge warm smile. It's the best way to start the day, knowing that someone is just that excited to see you, day after day. 

2. Bathtime - just before he goes to bed. We have a little bathtime ritual and no matter how tired and crabby he may be before it starts, this is guaranteed to soothe the savage beast immediately. We put on his Rockabye Baby CD and turn off the big kitchen light, keeping the lights nice and dim (we call it the baby spa, just roll with it.) The entire time he's in the tub Eli stares at whoever's bathing him with huge, round, serious eyes. He doesn't break eye contact and he very rarely smiles in the tub, even though he splashes and appears to be having fun. Bathing is clearly not a laughing matter. He's just too cute with his hair all slicked back and afterward when it's dry and fluffy. After his bath he gets a little massage with his Johnson's lotion and then wrapped up in snuggly pj's, a little bedtime snack, then off to dreamland. I love having this nightly ritual with Eli. It's a great way to wind down after the day's craziness.

3. Our conversations. When this boy starts talking, it's going to be nonstop. Eli is already a huge chatterbox. He talks to his toys and babbles away to us for ages. I don't know what he's trying to say but it seems like it's very important!

The Bumbo is serious business too.