Our Manny

This is our nanny manny, a little wind blown and carrying quite a load, but our Manny none-the-less. He's also my youngest brother and the inhabitant of one of our bedrooms, but better known around our house as Uncle E-yi. And let's just say, he's loved by all!

As you may remember, Eli graduated from the University of Georgia this past May. We all think that it was the chaos of his graduation weekend that actually sent me into labor 5 weeks early, but that is neither here nor there! Eli is that guy- 3 degrees, responsible, very hard worker, great heart, good looking, and fun. And yet his post-graduation plans didn't really go as expected- you can read the details on his blog. (If you have time, read his one comment too, it's from my uncle and it's hilarious. Also, you'll note that this is his one and only post, pester him about post #2,  because he's a great writer, full of witty banter and sarcasm that should not be kept to himself.)

So when his life went array, I snatched him up off the streets.  Once his leases ended in Athens, he headed to our house, and his stuff has been parked in our garage since. He spends 3 days a week keeping my boys while I work, and the other days he can usually be found in the ATL, crashing on his buddy's couch, exercising and studying for the LSAT. He has decided to pursue his law degree and with his poly sci undergrad and his exceptional writing and research abilities, it's probably a good fit. And to remind him of his past, my parents have always said he should become an attorney because "he would argue with Jesus" to which he would reply, "No I would not."

But back to our manny: Eli knows more about newborn feedings, pumping, swaddling, diapers, potty training, sleep training, and scheduling than any male would ever plan to know. He also knows more than most first time pregnant women! I doubt he realizes it yet, but he has gained skills in the past few weeks that his wife will be so grateful for one day that she may indeed can him a saint. But for now, he is just our Manny and we LOVE him. We weren't sure how long we'd have him at our disposal but it looks like we will at least make it through Christmas and I couldn't be more excited. When he's home with my boys, I know they are being loved like crazy. I also know that they are being fed and taken care of and played with and hugged. The only downside to it all is that I wish they were a little older so that they could remember this special time. How many people get to spend about 24 hours a week with a fun uncle who loves them like crazy? Not many, that's for sure!

And although Eli isn't really sure about what God is doing in and through his life right now, it's really obvious that God is using him in our lives at a time when our sitters scattered all over. I was pretty sure I was going to have to quit my job and miss my bosses big book launch that I've been working on for year- literally, and now, I can head off to work 3 days a week without once worrying about my sweet boys. And I can't lie, I don't mind getting to spend some extra time with my baby bro, either :)