Thursday, March 31, 2011
Big Day!
We had a big, exciting day today. Many milestones reached.
First, we headed up to Redondo Beach to see my bestie Judy receive an award from the Wyland Foundation for being one of thirty Southern California teachers recognized for their commitment to environmental education, and for being great teachers. It was such a fun event! They had bagpipers, they had students and public figures, and Wyland was on hand to reveal his updated mural on a local power plant. Judy is an amazing teacher who is committed to getting her kids to love science, explore the outdoors and learn about the world, and Ellie and I are super proud of her, and were happy we could make it up to see her accept her award. We also brought the camera and shot pictures in a rapid fire style that allows Judy to basically make a flip book of her walk up to the stage. It's how we do.
Then we went out for celebratory lunch and a little relaxing in the shade! I'd managed to keep Elizabeth covered for most of the afternoon, and of course she was wearing her fabulous little bee hat.
Here I am, giving her a whale tale mustache
And here is the fabulous Judy with her award!
After we left Redondo Beach, we drove down to mom and dad's to make sure that Ellie got to say goodbye to Great Lisa before she flies out tomorrow afternoon. While the other ladies were getting pedis, Gramps and I worked with Ellie on her rolling skills. He'd seen yesterday that when I say she's close to rolling over, I mean she's almost impossibly close. We figured out today that the key is getting her to move her fat head, because she can get her arms and upper leg all the way over, but unless she picks up her head and looks forward, she tips back over the way she came. Today, with Gramps' tutelage, encouragement and coaching, we got her to roll over twice in pursuit of her jangly toy. The first time it was just he and I, and we immediately started yelling and clapping. Of course, the baby then began to cry. Later, we got Elizabeth to replicate her trick for Grams and Sara. She refused to make a liar out of her Gramps. However, she wouldn't do it on tape. Below, is two and a half minutes of NOT rolling over, for your perusal.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Rattling.
Today we had a very fancy day. Seriously, check out her outfit:
Not pictured: her pants have a panda on the butt.
We went out to lunch with our girlfriends (and her little boyfriend Hunter) and she was pretty well behaved. I actually got to eat my meal in good time, and then I put her in the Bjorn, stood up with her and rocked back and forth until she conked out. It's what she does, if you wait long enough! Then, off to help out with the necklace making at knitting.
She took a nap on the car ride to mom and dad's, and actually stayed asleep for a significant period of time when we got into the house, so that was nice. Then we spent a couple of hours just playing around and showing how close she can get to rolling from back to belly. Great Lisa was asking about rattles, and mom went and dug out a rattle from HER childhood. Nothing better than a fifty year old toy. So we made this video, laughing all the way:
And then, dinner with the family.
You'd think those chubby cheeks would be stuffed with solid food, but they're not! They're just full of love. She's full of love from head to foot!
Not pictured: her pants have a panda on the butt.
We went out to lunch with our girlfriends (and her little boyfriend Hunter) and she was pretty well behaved. I actually got to eat my meal in good time, and then I put her in the Bjorn, stood up with her and rocked back and forth until she conked out. It's what she does, if you wait long enough! Then, off to help out with the necklace making at knitting.
She took a nap on the car ride to mom and dad's, and actually stayed asleep for a significant period of time when we got into the house, so that was nice. Then we spent a couple of hours just playing around and showing how close she can get to rolling from back to belly. Great Lisa was asking about rattles, and mom went and dug out a rattle from HER childhood. Nothing better than a fifty year old toy. So we made this video, laughing all the way:
And then, dinner with the family.
You'd think those chubby cheeks would be stuffed with solid food, but they're not! They're just full of love. She's full of love from head to foot!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Inside Voice.
The past few days Ellie has discovered that she has a voice. An outside voice. She likes to use it to yap, squawk and shriek. The shrieking is what gets to me and makes me wonder if they have baby muzzles. Instead, I just remind her that there is no need to yell.
This video does not feature her high powered yelling antics, and for that, you are welcome. It features her doing some work in her laboratory.
This video does not feature her high powered yelling antics, and for that, you are welcome. It features her doing some work in her laboratory.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Dinner Plans.
We had a nice, pretty quiet weekend. Spent some time with Great Lisa, who is in town, got some good naps in, and went to dinner at the homes of two of Tim's coworkers. One couple has a two year old and an eight month old, and the other is expecting a baby on or around October 17, 2011! Ellie was well behaved at both events. It's funny how we went from having only single and a few married friends to suddenly having friends with children. It's nice!
Still no rolling over, and no incredibly humorous stories to post, but here is a cute picture of Elizabeth and the person who she always shoots a smile to:
Sadly though, I could not get a photo that featured both the baby AND Sara looking at the camera.
Still no rolling over, and no incredibly humorous stories to post, but here is a cute picture of Elizabeth and the person who she always shoots a smile to:
Sadly though, I could not get a photo that featured both the baby AND Sara looking at the camera.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ladies Who Lunch.
Today was a big day in Ellie's life - her first fundraising luncheon! Because of it's mid-day time slot, I hoped it would go better than our trip to the Shea Center's fundraiser on Wednesday night. She did an amazing job. Most importantly, she didn't fuss too much in the car either going up or back from Beverly Hills. First, she yapped at her toys for awhile. Then, she just sort of moaned in her sad little "you can't make me sleep" way while chomping on her own hand. Then, she fell asleep with one finger pulling at the side of her mouth.
The drive was actually a nice break for me. I listened to Jerry Jeff Walker in silence and relaxed. The baby was with me (so I didn't have to worry that she was torturing someone else with her crying) but she wasn't fussing at all! Plus, unlike when I take my walks, I wasn't panting and sweating. We got to the Beverly Hills Hotel in good time and were able to say hello to everyone and check out the boutique before it got too packed. She and I snuck away for a meal and then came back to do some shopping and hanging out before lunch. Anja (my former boss, now a member of the Guild fundraising group) had a table and invited me to come and sit with her, which was very nice. Ellie let me sit long enough to eat, and then I stood and rocked her in the Baby Bjorn until she finally, finally let her little head drop into my chest and nap. The good news is that I was able to eat my dessert standing up. The BETTER news is that I ate my dessert standing up and it made the waiters think that I hadn't been served, so I got TWO desserts.
I wasn't able to stay through the whole program (it ran a bit long) and sadly, I did have to miss out on the traditional post-event get together in the Polo Lounge. The staff celebrates a big day of work, and usually the Guild and other volunteers stay as well and buy drinks. Sometimes, we spot a celebrity or two and it's just a nice way to unwind after a busy day. But since I hadn't really had a busy professional day, I guess it's fair that I didn't get the post work drink and decompress session. It was so fun to see my coworkers though, and have a tiny taste of my pre baby life.
Afterwards, we stopped by mom and dad's to see Great Lisa, newly arrived in town. When the ladies went to go pick up Auntie Sara, Ellie snuggled with Gramps on his new chair. Those two are very sweet together!
Tonight as I was nursing Ellie off to sleep, she smiled and then started giggling, all while still asleep. She is such a sweet little girl. I am so very very lucky to be her mommy, and to spend my days exploring the world with her.
The drive was actually a nice break for me. I listened to Jerry Jeff Walker in silence and relaxed. The baby was with me (so I didn't have to worry that she was torturing someone else with her crying) but she wasn't fussing at all! Plus, unlike when I take my walks, I wasn't panting and sweating. We got to the Beverly Hills Hotel in good time and were able to say hello to everyone and check out the boutique before it got too packed. She and I snuck away for a meal and then came back to do some shopping and hanging out before lunch. Anja (my former boss, now a member of the Guild fundraising group) had a table and invited me to come and sit with her, which was very nice. Ellie let me sit long enough to eat, and then I stood and rocked her in the Baby Bjorn until she finally, finally let her little head drop into my chest and nap. The good news is that I was able to eat my dessert standing up. The BETTER news is that I ate my dessert standing up and it made the waiters think that I hadn't been served, so I got TWO desserts.
I wasn't able to stay through the whole program (it ran a bit long) and sadly, I did have to miss out on the traditional post-event get together in the Polo Lounge. The staff celebrates a big day of work, and usually the Guild and other volunteers stay as well and buy drinks. Sometimes, we spot a celebrity or two and it's just a nice way to unwind after a busy day. But since I hadn't really had a busy professional day, I guess it's fair that I didn't get the post work drink and decompress session. It was so fun to see my coworkers though, and have a tiny taste of my pre baby life.
Afterwards, we stopped by mom and dad's to see Great Lisa, newly arrived in town. When the ladies went to go pick up Auntie Sara, Ellie snuggled with Gramps on his new chair. Those two are very sweet together!
Tonight as I was nursing Ellie off to sleep, she smiled and then started giggling, all while still asleep. She is such a sweet little girl. I am so very very lucky to be her mommy, and to spend my days exploring the world with her.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
You Hear That?
...that's the sound of me being well rested. We put the Bean down at 9pm last night, like usual. Tim had to go and settle her again at 9:30 and we went to bed at 10. I figured that I should get some zzz's in before she woke up again wanting to eat. I heard her wail around 1ish and figured I'd have to get up shortly, but it was more of a "oh, I just farted a big fart, but now I'll go back to sleep" cry. The next time I looked at the clock, it was 6:30. Here's what happened - I rolled over, looked at the clock, saw that it said 6:30 and was like, "oh, hooray! She slept through the night!" and then I thought "oh crap, what if something happened?!?!?" and bolted across the hall to check on her. She was out like a light, and sleeping on her side!
They say that the four month sleep regression (which is I think what hit us, albeit a little late) happens because your baby is going from sleeping like an infant, where they drop into deep sleep almost immediately, to sleeping like an adult, where they cycle in and out of deep sleep. So it takes them longer to fall asleep and sometimes have trouble waking up. It's funny because in two weeks, she went from going to sleep swaddled up with her arms at her side like a little fleecy worm, sleeping against the bumpers on her crib to feel hemmed in, to sleeping in a sleep sack with her arms out, square in the middle of her crib. She's also taken a couple of naps in her crib and mom's portable crib, which she NEVER did before. I haven't gotten a good nap in the swing in over a week. She's a'changing and a'growing. I can only hope that she continues to go back to her 9pm-7am sleep patterns. It's good for all those in this house.
It's funny to think though - when she was tiny and Tim and I were doing shifts with her at night, and I was feeding her every 3-4 hours in the pitch blackness, we thought things would never get better. Now we put her down at 9, we have an hour to ourselves, and we go to sleep together in our own bed and are generally only woken up when the cat wants to petted. It's a good life.
And she's a good baby.
They say that the four month sleep regression (which is I think what hit us, albeit a little late) happens because your baby is going from sleeping like an infant, where they drop into deep sleep almost immediately, to sleeping like an adult, where they cycle in and out of deep sleep. So it takes them longer to fall asleep and sometimes have trouble waking up. It's funny because in two weeks, she went from going to sleep swaddled up with her arms at her side like a little fleecy worm, sleeping against the bumpers on her crib to feel hemmed in, to sleeping in a sleep sack with her arms out, square in the middle of her crib. She's also taken a couple of naps in her crib and mom's portable crib, which she NEVER did before. I haven't gotten a good nap in the swing in over a week. She's a'changing and a'growing. I can only hope that she continues to go back to her 9pm-7am sleep patterns. It's good for all those in this house.
It's funny to think though - when she was tiny and Tim and I were doing shifts with her at night, and I was feeding her every 3-4 hours in the pitch blackness, we thought things would never get better. Now we put her down at 9, we have an hour to ourselves, and we go to sleep together in our own bed and are generally only woken up when the cat wants to petted. It's a good life.
And she's a good baby.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Swinging Cat!
"Mr Penguin, lemme tell you about my day!"
In case you are wondering, we are still up every three hours at night, but holding it together okay during the day. Ellie has slept during my morning walks, which is exactly the sanity break I need. When she cries and demands to be in the baby bjorn after a rough night, it just makes me want to go lay down in a bush on the side of the trail and wait for someone to come and help me, or for a dog to come and eat my face.
We had swim class today and Grandma came along to check out the fun. Ellie was an appropriately swimmy little fish and we all had a good time. Then grandma did me the great favor of hanging out with Ellie for an hour so I could just leave the house and have a break. I always told myself I would be the type of mom who would remember to take time for herself, but it turns out that I am a nervous basketcase. I just worry that Elizabeth will cry the whole time I'm gone, thereby torturing the poor ears of whomever is stuck with her. But I also know that now that she's a little bigger, she doesn't wail as much and will be just fine. And soon we will get the sippy cup down and she won't need me at all!
This is how I found the ladies when I returned home.
Ellie has spent a great deal of the past two days trying to get Lulu to love her. She follows her around the room with her eyes, and squawks when Lulu is allllmost close enough to pet. Lulu for the most part, is very patient about it all. When I sit Ellie in my lap and let her give Lulu pets, Lu just sort of sits there and takes it, and occasionally will deign to sniff and then lick the baby. Today the cat has been very needy of my love, so she's plopped herself down next to the baby several times. It may be true love yet.
Lastly, after Tim got home we went to the park near our house and tried out the swings for the first time. Boring but cute video follows!
In case you are wondering, we are still up every three hours at night, but holding it together okay during the day. Ellie has slept during my morning walks, which is exactly the sanity break I need. When she cries and demands to be in the baby bjorn after a rough night, it just makes me want to go lay down in a bush on the side of the trail and wait for someone to come and help me, or for a dog to come and eat my face.
We had swim class today and Grandma came along to check out the fun. Ellie was an appropriately swimmy little fish and we all had a good time. Then grandma did me the great favor of hanging out with Ellie for an hour so I could just leave the house and have a break. I always told myself I would be the type of mom who would remember to take time for herself, but it turns out that I am a nervous basketcase. I just worry that Elizabeth will cry the whole time I'm gone, thereby torturing the poor ears of whomever is stuck with her. But I also know that now that she's a little bigger, she doesn't wail as much and will be just fine. And soon we will get the sippy cup down and she won't need me at all!
This is how I found the ladies when I returned home.
Ellie has spent a great deal of the past two days trying to get Lulu to love her. She follows her around the room with her eyes, and squawks when Lulu is allllmost close enough to pet. Lulu for the most part, is very patient about it all. When I sit Ellie in my lap and let her give Lulu pets, Lu just sort of sits there and takes it, and occasionally will deign to sniff and then lick the baby. Today the cat has been very needy of my love, so she's plopped herself down next to the baby several times. It may be true love yet.
Lastly, after Tim got home we went to the park near our house and tried out the swings for the first time. Boring but cute video follows!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Gratitude
Three things I am eternally grateful for today:
1. That I can now nurse laying down
2. That we left the queen bed in Ellie's bedroom
3. That she can't roll over yet
She is totally growth spurting. She's been up two to three times a night, and Tim can't settle her down. The only thing she wants is to eat. Thankfully, I can lay down with her, nurse her back to sleep, and then gently extract my arm, make sure she's on her back, and run out of the room to go cocoon myself back in my own bed. I thought about cosleeping with her last night, but she sleeps too loudly, and I like to pull the covers up over my head. Either way, Tim and I got more sleep last night than we had in a couple of days.
So, I guess until we get to the other side of this sleep disruption, I'm going to hope she holds out on learning how to roll over.
The silver lining in all of this is that she's sleeping unswaddled, during the 2-3 hour intervals where she's actually sleeping. We'd tried swaddling her a couple of times to see if that was the problem with her sudden, terrible sleep, and it's not. At least we have one thing solved.
1. That I can now nurse laying down
2. That we left the queen bed in Ellie's bedroom
3. That she can't roll over yet
She is totally growth spurting. She's been up two to three times a night, and Tim can't settle her down. The only thing she wants is to eat. Thankfully, I can lay down with her, nurse her back to sleep, and then gently extract my arm, make sure she's on her back, and run out of the room to go cocoon myself back in my own bed. I thought about cosleeping with her last night, but she sleeps too loudly, and I like to pull the covers up over my head. Either way, Tim and I got more sleep last night than we had in a couple of days.
So, I guess until we get to the other side of this sleep disruption, I'm going to hope she holds out on learning how to roll over.
The silver lining in all of this is that she's sleeping unswaddled, during the 2-3 hour intervals where she's actually sleeping. We'd tried swaddling her a couple of times to see if that was the problem with her sudden, terrible sleep, and it's not. At least we have one thing solved.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Biggest Head.
My mommy group had dinner again tonight, and this time all of the babies were in attendance. Kelly, who hosted the party, has a baby scale, so I took the opportunity to strip Ellie down and weigh her. She clocked in at 16 pounds, 10.5 oz. So she's gained nearly two pounds in the past month. She's a chubbins.
For reference, the only two kids who outweigh her are the two boys on the left, and the little lad second from the right (who is nearly a month younger than her!) She's all about outweighing people. I wish she was all about rolling over (so close!) or sleeping through the night again (so exhausted!)
For reference, the only two kids who outweigh her are the two boys on the left, and the little lad second from the right (who is nearly a month younger than her!) She's all about outweighing people. I wish she was all about rolling over (so close!) or sleeping through the night again (so exhausted!)
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Fiver.
Elizabeth Rosemarie is five months old today! How did that happen! Unfortunately, we are back to her newborn days in terms of sleeping, but what can you do? I'm actually putting my money on growth spurt.
Even though she hasn't rolled over yet, it feels like it's been a big month. She's really taking interest in the world around her and doing more. This month she's started being able to sit up unassisted, and continues to LOVE being held so she can stand. She will turn in her playmat to grab one of her toys and jam it into her mouth. She's done some limited, slow scooting. She has really discovered the cats and is incredibly interested in them. She particularly likes to be stood up in front of them, so she can hoot at them and flap her arms. When given the opportunity to touch them, she'll either rub her open palm on their fur, or reach in and just grip a handful of flab. Thor still refuses to be touched by her, but will sometimes come up and let me pet him while she's sitting in my lap reading a book, or if she's nursing and he can't see her head when he jumps up on the couch. I can't wait to see the look on his face when she starts motoring.
Her favorite toys are her little dolly Cece, whose limbs are perfect to chew on, and Sophie the expensive French giraffe toy, who is great for French kissing and teething practice. We can make her laugh almost every day - she loves when she jams her fingers in my mouth and I pretend to chomp on them, and she thinks it's funny when we stick our faces in hers and make weird noises.
The best part of this month is that she's finally happy to go to people other than Tim and I. Well, not always HAPPY, but at least we can hand her off without the screaming instantly beginning. She still prefers if she keeps one of her parents in her line of sight. She's basically a total mama's girl, but seeing how much time I spend with her, it's only natural.
She's quickly outgrowing her clothes, and I'm going to have to bust out the 6-9 month outfits soon. Her hair has started to grow back in, thicker but lighter than before.
I just love her to death. She's so funny and observant, and WILLFUL. Man, is she willful. At least once a day I realize that I am powerless against her little baby fury, and I just try to make her happy to make sure that everything is okay. She's my love.
Five months!
Sadly, the addiction to sniffing cat tails can run in families.
Even though she hasn't rolled over yet, it feels like it's been a big month. She's really taking interest in the world around her and doing more. This month she's started being able to sit up unassisted, and continues to LOVE being held so she can stand. She will turn in her playmat to grab one of her toys and jam it into her mouth. She's done some limited, slow scooting. She has really discovered the cats and is incredibly interested in them. She particularly likes to be stood up in front of them, so she can hoot at them and flap her arms. When given the opportunity to touch them, she'll either rub her open palm on their fur, or reach in and just grip a handful of flab. Thor still refuses to be touched by her, but will sometimes come up and let me pet him while she's sitting in my lap reading a book, or if she's nursing and he can't see her head when he jumps up on the couch. I can't wait to see the look on his face when she starts motoring.
Her favorite toys are her little dolly Cece, whose limbs are perfect to chew on, and Sophie the expensive French giraffe toy, who is great for French kissing and teething practice. We can make her laugh almost every day - she loves when she jams her fingers in my mouth and I pretend to chomp on them, and she thinks it's funny when we stick our faces in hers and make weird noises.
The best part of this month is that she's finally happy to go to people other than Tim and I. Well, not always HAPPY, but at least we can hand her off without the screaming instantly beginning. She still prefers if she keeps one of her parents in her line of sight. She's basically a total mama's girl, but seeing how much time I spend with her, it's only natural.
She's quickly outgrowing her clothes, and I'm going to have to bust out the 6-9 month outfits soon. Her hair has started to grow back in, thicker but lighter than before.
I just love her to death. She's so funny and observant, and WILLFUL. Man, is she willful. At least once a day I realize that I am powerless against her little baby fury, and I just try to make her happy to make sure that everything is okay. She's my love.
Five months!
Sadly, the addiction to sniffing cat tails can run in families.
Thank You?
PSA - Tim and I have received a couple of cute baby gifts from Amazon.com in the past two days. There's a note in the packing slip with a message, but no name, so I have no idea who sent these cute little toys and books to Ellie, and I don't know who to thank. REVEAL YOURSELF.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Irish Eyes Are Smiling!
Top of the morning to ya! Or rather, evening. I am having a celebratory St. Paddy's day beverage - a traditional rum and Diet Coke (because remember, if you're sober enough to drive, you're sober enough to nurse. Plus the baby is already down for the night.)
Isn't it amazing to think that exactly one year ago we heard Wolfie V's heartbeat for the very first time? Who would have thought that I'd have such a cute, fun, giggly baby a year later? Who would have thought Wolfie V would turn out to be a GIRL? I love her to pieces, even if she is apparently having some sort of diabolical growth spurt/sleep regression.
This morning I made her come with me to the endocrinologist, where the nurses fawned all over her. They're lowering my dose of 'roid medication, and will see me again in three months, so that's good news. THEN we got ready to head out to Africa to spend some time and do some shopping with her favorite Irish grandma.
And of course, you better believe we did some fancy dressing. It is the only way to go:
It says "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" and the clover is green sequins.
We also took some fun pictures with Grandma. Ellie was not being all that cooperative about looking at me and/or smiling.
But she still had fun. Here's she's saying "Hey grandma, what is this good stuff? Mind if I slobber on it?"
Sadly, I had to strip her down to her onesie after we went and briefly visited Grandpa at his office. Grandma got to see firsthand how "fun" it is to drive with Ellie when she's crabby. By the time we drove the 5 miles between their house and Don's office, she'd screamed so much that she'd worked herself into a giant, sweaty lather. She did sleep on the way home though, so that's good. And got put down to bed early tonight. Fingers crossed!
Isn't it amazing to think that exactly one year ago we heard Wolfie V's heartbeat for the very first time? Who would have thought that I'd have such a cute, fun, giggly baby a year later? Who would have thought Wolfie V would turn out to be a GIRL? I love her to pieces, even if she is apparently having some sort of diabolical growth spurt/sleep regression.
This morning I made her come with me to the endocrinologist, where the nurses fawned all over her. They're lowering my dose of 'roid medication, and will see me again in three months, so that's good news. THEN we got ready to head out to Africa to spend some time and do some shopping with her favorite Irish grandma.
And of course, you better believe we did some fancy dressing. It is the only way to go:
It says "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" and the clover is green sequins.
We also took some fun pictures with Grandma. Ellie was not being all that cooperative about looking at me and/or smiling.
But she still had fun. Here's she's saying "Hey grandma, what is this good stuff? Mind if I slobber on it?"
Sadly, I had to strip her down to her onesie after we went and briefly visited Grandpa at his office. Grandma got to see firsthand how "fun" it is to drive with Ellie when she's crabby. By the time we drove the 5 miles between their house and Don's office, she'd screamed so much that she'd worked herself into a giant, sweaty lather. She did sleep on the way home though, so that's good. And got put down to bed early tonight. Fingers crossed!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday.
Elizabeth was up at 5am this morning. No real explanation why - she'd done pretty well in her sleep sack over night (6 hours before her first wake up, we are getting better!) but such is life. She's still so small that I know any day could bring on a growth spurt or a sleep regression or a new developmental milestone. Just gotta take it day by day. She did take a long morning nap, and then we went for a walk. I finally found my pedometer, so I'm going to become insufferable, figuring out my mileage every week. This morning we just went on a short walk (because I didn't think she'd sleep in the stroller and so instead had her in the Bjorn) and only went 4.4 miles. Tomorrow Keri is back in town and I'll have an adult to talk to, rather than explaining every boring thing to my baby before she slumps over, asleep.
We had lunch with the babies and mommies today - a big group of seven of us. Towards the end of our meal another big group was sat out by us at the patio - a group of moms with toddlers (and one tiny newborn.) We joked about how we should become friends with them, and then I said "when one of their kids cries, we should make a joke about having that kid pipe down." Well, we did, but none of them laughed or responded. So we immediately turned around and decided not to become friends with them and their grown up kids.
Then it was off to knitting, which was going so well, until Elizabeth pooped while she was eating, and had it squirt straight out of her diaper, all over my leg. Somehow, she didn't get anything on her own dress or (thankfully) on Jan's chair, but it was a disgusting mess. Thank goodness she did it while there were other people around, otherwise I would have been hard pressed to get everything cleaned up without weeping. Afterwards, I looked her straight in the eye and said "Elizabeth, don't try to poop on my leg and tell me it's raining." True story.
She is doing well in her dresses lately. She looks so cute!
Even if sometimes she's a weirdo. Or thinks I'm a weirdo.
Speaking of weirdos.
This is my recent favorite. I call it "Ambassador Double Chin."
We had lunch with the babies and mommies today - a big group of seven of us. Towards the end of our meal another big group was sat out by us at the patio - a group of moms with toddlers (and one tiny newborn.) We joked about how we should become friends with them, and then I said "when one of their kids cries, we should make a joke about having that kid pipe down." Well, we did, but none of them laughed or responded. So we immediately turned around and decided not to become friends with them and their grown up kids.
Then it was off to knitting, which was going so well, until Elizabeth pooped while she was eating, and had it squirt straight out of her diaper, all over my leg. Somehow, she didn't get anything on her own dress or (thankfully) on Jan's chair, but it was a disgusting mess. Thank goodness she did it while there were other people around, otherwise I would have been hard pressed to get everything cleaned up without weeping. Afterwards, I looked her straight in the eye and said "Elizabeth, don't try to poop on my leg and tell me it's raining." True story.
She is doing well in her dresses lately. She looks so cute!
Even if sometimes she's a weirdo. Or thinks I'm a weirdo.
Speaking of weirdos.
This is my recent favorite. I call it "Ambassador Double Chin."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Time Change.
We're handling the change to daylight savings pretty okay around here. Sunday and Monday she was an hour off in terms of her schedule, but last night we put her to bed at her regular bed time (9) and she slept until her usual wake time (7.) It's funny because last time we changed the clocks she was a newborn and I remember hearing people complain about the darkness/lack of sleep/odd schedule and thinking "eh, doesn't bother me any. My life is three hour cycles of hell that go on day after day." We are having a little trouble with sleeping because this weekend we started transitioning her out of her swaddle blanket. Once a baby can roll over, they need to have their arms free at night. Ellie can't roll yet, but she will soon, so I'd rather start her early and get it going gradually rather than having to cut her off cold turkey. And it's been an adjustment - usually around 3 we give in and reswaddle her so she won't wake up again. But moving to her crib was an adjustment and it eventually went well, so I'm sure this will fix itself in time.
Today we had swim class, which was awesome. We also went on a super long walk. I've met a new mom friend, whose daughter is a month older than Ellie. She lives in my neighborhood and has been walking the trails near our house, and invited me to join her and her friend yesterday. She also showed me a new loop that is basically 20 minutes of walking straight up hill, thus making my butt muscles slightly sorry to have met her. We ran into each other today again, so I did a loop with her and then did half of my regular walk, so I could see my regular trail peeps - the guy with the three fat Labs, the happy dog with the pinecone in his mouth, the lady who I imagine is a nun, the ladies who make me jealous as they effortlessly jog by.
No big plans for the rest of the day here - just hanging out and doing some tummy time, hoping she'll eventually roll. You can do it Elizabeth!
Today we had swim class, which was awesome. We also went on a super long walk. I've met a new mom friend, whose daughter is a month older than Ellie. She lives in my neighborhood and has been walking the trails near our house, and invited me to join her and her friend yesterday. She also showed me a new loop that is basically 20 minutes of walking straight up hill, thus making my butt muscles slightly sorry to have met her. We ran into each other today again, so I did a loop with her and then did half of my regular walk, so I could see my regular trail peeps - the guy with the three fat Labs, the happy dog with the pinecone in his mouth, the lady who I imagine is a nun, the ladies who make me jealous as they effortlessly jog by.
No big plans for the rest of the day here - just hanging out and doing some tummy time, hoping she'll eventually roll. You can do it Elizabeth!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Jumparoo!
After realizing that Ellie really loves the jumparoo at mom and dad's because she can bounce in it, we decided it was time to put together her Johnny Jump Up, so she can do some hopping around our house as well. As you can see, she likes it quite a bit, though she hasn't quite figured out how to get herself really moving.
One thing is for sure - the cats DO NOT approve.
Yesterday we went to Childrens' Orchard to check out their spring dress sale. Holy buckets, that place is going to be bad for this family's bottom line. I bought, I am not kidding, 9 dresses for the baby, and three hats. But in all fairness, some of the outfits were a mere two dollars! And several were new with tags! Now that she's not wearing sleepers all of the time, I have decided that she will wear dresses all the time. I emailed my mommy friends who have girls with a note about the sale, and one of the moms emailed me back and said that she'd stopped by and bought six dresses - would have purchased more, but she got there just as the store was closing.
One thing is for sure - the cats DO NOT approve.
Yesterday we went to Childrens' Orchard to check out their spring dress sale. Holy buckets, that place is going to be bad for this family's bottom line. I bought, I am not kidding, 9 dresses for the baby, and three hats. But in all fairness, some of the outfits were a mere two dollars! And several were new with tags! Now that she's not wearing sleepers all of the time, I have decided that she will wear dresses all the time. I emailed my mommy friends who have girls with a note about the sale, and one of the moms emailed me back and said that she'd stopped by and bought six dresses - would have purchased more, but she got there just as the store was closing.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Hanging with the Wrong Gang.
Mom and Ellie are apparently members of the Bloods.
In other news, today Ellie was going to wear this super cute yellow striped dress I bought her at Target a few weeks ago. It's a six month size, but in the "Just One Year" brand, which tends to run small. It barely pulled over her head and then I realized that the banded arms would probably cut off circulation in her hands if I pulled them onto her fat little biceps. So, that outfit goes into storage having never been worn. The dress she wore today was bought by mom as a baptismal gift. It seemed so huge... until I put it on and it fit like a glove. I guess being almost five months old and in the 75th percentile means I shouldn't be stunned when she fits in six month clothes.
In other news, today Ellie was going to wear this super cute yellow striped dress I bought her at Target a few weeks ago. It's a six month size, but in the "Just One Year" brand, which tends to run small. It barely pulled over her head and then I realized that the banded arms would probably cut off circulation in her hands if I pulled them onto her fat little biceps. So, that outfit goes into storage having never been worn. The dress she wore today was bought by mom as a baptismal gift. It seemed so huge... until I put it on and it fit like a glove. I guess being almost five months old and in the 75th percentile means I shouldn't be stunned when she fits in six month clothes.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Hollywood.
I had a really great lunch today with my group of mommy friends. Elizabeth and I continue to have a rather rough week, and it was such a relief to sit down and bitch with friends who are in the trenches with me, dealing with the same frustrations. It's just hard because as we were discussing, no matter what you do, you feel guilty about it or like you're not doing the right thing. The working moms feel guilty about leaving their children in daycare or with a nanny. I feel guilty that sometimes I want SO BADLY to get a break from the baby and fantasize about my previous life where I had four hours a day of quiet time on the train. The moms who have to supplement with formula feel bad about it. I feel like I did the baby a disservice by not teaching her to use a bottle well enough. The bottom line is, we're all doing the very best we can. And you can read as much as you want, you can listen to as many anecdotal stories from trusted (or sketchy) sources, but in the end, I am learning that I just have to trust that I know best for my little Ellie Bean. Yes, she's a difficult baby. She's willful and impossible and she has now developed an outside voice that makes an hour plus of unadulterated crying make me want to just rip all of my hair out, including eyebrows and nose hair. But through the crying, she will flash me a smile and that makes it all worth it.
Plus I have my amazing mom and husband, who give me the breaks here and there that I need. And I realize that someday soon she will be using a sippy cup and eating solids and she won't need me around all the of the time in order to fill her fat little baby belly. The days can seem unbelievably long when she's fussy, but the time is going so very fast. Her chubby legs are so long now, and that little head that once fit in my hands is now a giant old pumpkin. It won't be long until she's crawling, and then walking, and then running away from me.
Today I dressed her fancy in hopes that like her mama, she would feel better and be nicer when wearing a good outfit and fabulous accessories. It sort of worked! She was napping after lunch so I waked her through the mall, and purchased her some awesome sunglasses.
Here she is, maxing and relaxing, feeling very much like the next big Hollywood starlet.
And then of course, like a Hollywood starlet gone bad, she flashed her drawers. (Yes, I did buy her two pairs of sunglasses. They were two for six bucks!)
Then this afternoon I had a haircut, so Elizabeth was babysat by Grams, Gramps and Auntie Sara. An incredible tag team! When I walked into the house afterwards, I was just waiting to hear the baby wailing out of orneriness. However, I walked into the family room and saw THIS:
Those are some fabulous baby sitters!
Plus I have my amazing mom and husband, who give me the breaks here and there that I need. And I realize that someday soon she will be using a sippy cup and eating solids and she won't need me around all the of the time in order to fill her fat little baby belly. The days can seem unbelievably long when she's fussy, but the time is going so very fast. Her chubby legs are so long now, and that little head that once fit in my hands is now a giant old pumpkin. It won't be long until she's crawling, and then walking, and then running away from me.
Today I dressed her fancy in hopes that like her mama, she would feel better and be nicer when wearing a good outfit and fabulous accessories. It sort of worked! She was napping after lunch so I waked her through the mall, and purchased her some awesome sunglasses.
Here she is, maxing and relaxing, feeling very much like the next big Hollywood starlet.
And then of course, like a Hollywood starlet gone bad, she flashed her drawers. (Yes, I did buy her two pairs of sunglasses. They were two for six bucks!)
Then this afternoon I had a haircut, so Elizabeth was babysat by Grams, Gramps and Auntie Sara. An incredible tag team! When I walked into the house afterwards, I was just waiting to hear the baby wailing out of orneriness. However, I walked into the family room and saw THIS:
Those are some fabulous baby sitters!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Cute, but naughty.
She wore this darling outfit yesterday, while torturing me for eating too much garlic for dinner on Sunday night. Ugh. Those are the times that I hate nursing. But the rest of the time, it's a pretty good deal. I just bought her some sippy cups since she won't take a bottle, in hopes that we can get her to go to cups and never look back.
Yesterday was also tough because the rain meant we couldn't for our morning walk. She then ends up taking a shorter nap and spending more time squawking at me. This morning though, we locked and loaded at 8:30 and were out until after 10. She slept, I pushed and panted. A good time was had by all.
We also had swim lessons today! It was a different instructor, who was more aggressive, in a good way. Ellie spent more time putting her face in the water (which involved some sputtering) and working on her back float. She's a good floater. When your entire lower body is composed of fat cells, you're pretty buoyant. I mean, I would know.
In good news, the kitty Prozac has worked wonders for Lulu. Since her first dose, I have not seen or smelled a single carpet pee! She also seems less wary when walking around the house, and spends more time cuddling with me. On Monday, when I thought I might lose my mind during my second straight hour of nursing (minus the three minutes that I spent going to the bathroom in an effort to not wet my pants - the baby screamed the whole time) Lulu curled up next to me and just started purring. She's such a good girl.
Yesterday was also tough because the rain meant we couldn't for our morning walk. She then ends up taking a shorter nap and spending more time squawking at me. This morning though, we locked and loaded at 8:30 and were out until after 10. She slept, I pushed and panted. A good time was had by all.
We also had swim lessons today! It was a different instructor, who was more aggressive, in a good way. Ellie spent more time putting her face in the water (which involved some sputtering) and working on her back float. She's a good floater. When your entire lower body is composed of fat cells, you're pretty buoyant. I mean, I would know.
In good news, the kitty Prozac has worked wonders for Lulu. Since her first dose, I have not seen or smelled a single carpet pee! She also seems less wary when walking around the house, and spends more time cuddling with me. On Monday, when I thought I might lose my mind during my second straight hour of nursing (minus the three minutes that I spent going to the bathroom in an effort to not wet my pants - the baby screamed the whole time) Lulu curled up next to me and just started purring. She's such a good girl.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Fashion Bug Plus!
Ready or not, here come's Ellie's fashion show. Week one of putting her in regular clothes instead of sleep and plays day in and day out has gone well! I did make the executive decision though that I am officially DONE with infant socks. They are stupid, impossible, and forever falling off. I have decided that if it's cold enough to require socks, she'll either have to wear pajamers, or just pants that happen to have attached feeties. It was funny - this week on the babycenter message board I read there was a question as to whether or not you take your kid out in pajamas, and so many women were like, "of course not, we get dressed in the morning because that is the only normal thing to do" (umm, so me wearing comfy pants unless I need to leave the house is abnormal?) and one woman said that she dressed her kid in regular clothes so that her baby would know that "pajamas are only for night time. Jeans and skirts are for daytime." Seriously? Your baby is 4 months old. She doesn't know anything about fabric. Except that it absorbs drool and spit up quite nicely.
Anyhow. Moving on.
Wednesday, in the time out chair. Last day of dratted baby socks.
Thursday in an outfit that makes her look like Cindy Lou Who.
Friday in an outfit from my friend Bianca. Tim is holding her up so you can see how fabulous her little bell bottoms are.
Saturday in a cute little gray and pink number, out smelling the flowers Grams planted in our flower box.
Sunday, at Grandma and Grandpa's house, where we stopped by for an impromptu visit. This one is a camera phone picture - the outfit looked even cuter than you can see. I mean, who doesn't love corduroy! And it has actual pockets in the back. For her keys and cell phone.
And if you think this is good, just WAIT until you see what I bought her today.
Anyhow. Moving on.
Wednesday, in the time out chair. Last day of dratted baby socks.
Thursday in an outfit that makes her look like Cindy Lou Who.
Friday in an outfit from my friend Bianca. Tim is holding her up so you can see how fabulous her little bell bottoms are.
Saturday in a cute little gray and pink number, out smelling the flowers Grams planted in our flower box.
Sunday, at Grandma and Grandpa's house, where we stopped by for an impromptu visit. This one is a camera phone picture - the outfit looked even cuter than you can see. I mean, who doesn't love corduroy! And it has actual pockets in the back. For her keys and cell phone.
And if you think this is good, just WAIT until you see what I bought her today.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Outfits.
When I found out I was having a girl, I was over the moon. Mostly because I didn't think my son would appreciate all of my good jewelry, and also because girls clothes are so much cuter. I'm sorry, they just are.
Little did I know that I would end up being the laziest mom ever when it comes to dressing the baby. She lives in her footed sleepers from the clearance rack at Target - if she was grown up, she'd be Hugh Hefner, wandering around in her pajamas day in and day out. It's just easier - she's warm, she's happy, her feet are covered. Because if there's anything I truly hate, it's baby socks. They are impossible and mostly useless. Socks that never stay on do not keep little tooties warm.
But now that she's moving out of the really lumpy newborn stage, she has all of these great outfits in her dresser that she was given as gifts, and if I don't get her into them soon, she'll never wear them. So my mission, beginning yesterday, was to jam her into every one of her little outfits at least once, even if it means pulling out baby socks, and even if she cries when I change her clothes. Which, she does.
Maybe I will start a fashion blog for her when all of this is done!
Little did I know that I would end up being the laziest mom ever when it comes to dressing the baby. She lives in her footed sleepers from the clearance rack at Target - if she was grown up, she'd be Hugh Hefner, wandering around in her pajamas day in and day out. It's just easier - she's warm, she's happy, her feet are covered. Because if there's anything I truly hate, it's baby socks. They are impossible and mostly useless. Socks that never stay on do not keep little tooties warm.
But now that she's moving out of the really lumpy newborn stage, she has all of these great outfits in her dresser that she was given as gifts, and if I don't get her into them soon, she'll never wear them. So my mission, beginning yesterday, was to jam her into every one of her little outfits at least once, even if it means pulling out baby socks, and even if she cries when I change her clothes. Which, she does.
Maybe I will start a fashion blog for her when all of this is done!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Couple of Videos
From the past few weeks:
We had a fun day today! Lunch with our mommy and baby friends, and then a trip to knitting to hang out with our ladies and look at beads. And then she took a long nap for me when we got home, which is the happiest, quietest part of my day. Plus a quick trip back to mom and dad's to eat mom's mac and cheese, which is THE BEST on the entire planet. Couldn't be happier.
We had a fun day today! Lunch with our mommy and baby friends, and then a trip to knitting to hang out with our ladies and look at beads. And then she took a long nap for me when we got home, which is the happiest, quietest part of my day. Plus a quick trip back to mom and dad's to eat mom's mac and cheese, which is THE BEST on the entire planet. Couldn't be happier.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Swimmy Fish!
We had another great swim lessons today. Tim was able to meet us on his lunch break and so he took some pictures. By some, I mean over 100 during a 20 minute class. He did agree that seeing Ellie kick around in the pool is just about the cutest thing ever. I don't often brag or compare my baby to other babies (because usually she loses, considering that she can't roll over and fusses constantly) but my baby is the only one who really seems to kick her legs when put on her belly. She's basically the next Michael Phelps.
PLUS I had a more successful day dressing her and getting her ready for class - it's a lot of work! Swim diaper, plastic pants, bathing suit, robe! And none of them items have snaps, so it's basically a race against her little legs (always kicking!) And I didn't get lost trying to find the venue. Basically, a total win of a day.
Kick kick kicking! The baby to her left is Elizabeth's pal Elizabeth.
Look here Buster, where do you think you're taking me?
Fat legs for extra buoyancy!
PLUS I had a more successful day dressing her and getting her ready for class - it's a lot of work! Swim diaper, plastic pants, bathing suit, robe! And none of them items have snaps, so it's basically a race against her little legs (always kicking!) And I didn't get lost trying to find the venue. Basically, a total win of a day.
Kick kick kicking! The baby to her left is Elizabeth's pal Elizabeth.
Look here Buster, where do you think you're taking me?
Fat legs for extra buoyancy!
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