I started this post last weekend and almost had it done and then ran out of time and haven't had Internet. But now here we are again before Kevin takes the computer back with him to CT tomorrow. Some pictures from the wedding
yesterday Saturday of my two friends Katie and Jesse. I've been friends with Katie since junior high and they dated all through high school. So I was so excited to see them finally get married!
the beautiful bride after getting her hair and makeup done
mommy and Eli at the church ready to go
what a cute little man
the happy couple
at the reception, the group of my old classmates and friends
Katie and me
Kevin and me
Okay, and NOW for the update on how Eli did as ring bearer! We got Eli dressed in his wedding gear to get him in his ring bearer mode and went about 20 minutes early to the rehearsal to practice before people started arriving. The church was empty and gave us perfect time to try to get Eli warmed up to the place because upon arriving he was VERY clingy, did NOT want to get put down on the floor, and didn't even want to go in the sanctuary. But we took it slow and showed him where we were and told him what was going to be happening. I had brought fruit snacks as his treat reward for getting down to the aisle. Since we was being sooo clingy we took it reeeaaaly slow and started with Kevin just holding him and carrying him down the aisle and then he got one fruit snack. He did that a couple times then we put Eli down and he held Kevin's hand down the aisle and got a treat for a couple times. Then he walked on his own and got a treat. THEN he walked his own WITH the pillow and got a treat! Then when it came time for the actual rehearsal with everyone else, he did amazing and strutted his stuff down the aisle, with the two flower girls and was just sooo adorable! Kevin got him started down the aisle and then walked along the side of the church so he could take Eli back out once he got to the front. Eli didn't even take the treat (hidden in my hand) from me before going back out with Kevin. The treats had worked in getting him warmed up to his surroundings and by the end of the rehearsal he was giving everyone high-5s! He did soooo well!
The next day, the wedding day, I had Kevin play him hard at the park so he'd be tired and ready to nap early since the wedding started at 3pm. I decided to forgo pictures for him and just get him napped up. Rest was ESSENTIAL or the day would NOT happen! Well, you know what I mean. haha So he got napped up and arrived at the church dressed and ready to go at 2:15pm. We tried to practice with him again and get him warmed up to the place but with pictures still going on and everyone busy going here and there it was pretty hard getting his focus (really?! cuz he's only TWO) and getting him to relax. But we finally found a more quiet hallway and tried practicing there. And after several tries going through our baby steps, he was warming up to his surroundings. And by wedding time he was actually hanging out with the two flower girls on his own instead of just clinging to Kevin and not wanting to be put down.
BUT come the time of the ceremony... he didn't want to walk down the aisle. You only have a second to decide whether you're going to go or not go; there's no time to try to convince him. And he was back to clinging to Kevin's leg, so we just left it at that and didn't walk up the aisle. No big deal. As we were practicing that day and it just wasn't going well, we let the couple know that it didn't seem likely that he was going to cooperate and they didn't care one bit. He sure did look handsome though!
And as for little Miss Hannah and her feedings. It was a bit complicated, but it worked OK. She was a real trooper and soooo patient! There were a couple times when I only had time enough to feed her just a little. I had told my mom to try her best with cereal and baby food (only bananas and sweet potatoes though since that's all she's had) to try to buy some time, and surprisingly Hannah did okay enough that it helped a little. It was a little crazy of a day trying to juggle the two kids as well as enjoy being matron of honor for my friend Katie, but in the end it all went okay and close to how I had it planned out.
I loved getting to catch up with my friends back home and celebrating the wedding of Katie and Jesse!
mommy and Eli at the church ready to go
what a cute little man
the happy couple
at the reception, the group of my old classmates and friends
Katie and me
Kevin and me
Okay, and NOW for the update on how Eli did as ring bearer! We got Eli dressed in his wedding gear to get him in his ring bearer mode and went about 20 minutes early to the rehearsal to practice before people started arriving. The church was empty and gave us perfect time to try to get Eli warmed up to the place because upon arriving he was VERY clingy, did NOT want to get put down on the floor, and didn't even want to go in the sanctuary. But we took it slow and showed him where we were and told him what was going to be happening. I had brought fruit snacks as his treat reward for getting down to the aisle. Since we was being sooo clingy we took it reeeaaaly slow and started with Kevin just holding him and carrying him down the aisle and then he got one fruit snack. He did that a couple times then we put Eli down and he held Kevin's hand down the aisle and got a treat for a couple times. Then he walked on his own and got a treat. THEN he walked his own WITH the pillow and got a treat! Then when it came time for the actual rehearsal with everyone else, he did amazing and strutted his stuff down the aisle, with the two flower girls and was just sooo adorable! Kevin got him started down the aisle and then walked along the side of the church so he could take Eli back out once he got to the front. Eli didn't even take the treat (hidden in my hand) from me before going back out with Kevin. The treats had worked in getting him warmed up to his surroundings and by the end of the rehearsal he was giving everyone high-5s! He did soooo well!
