Emmett: 1 month!

This month:

♥ Emmett weighs 7 lbs 6 oz {below the 5th percentile}
♥ he is wearing newborn and preemie clothes.
♥ he is wearing newborn disposables- we have a way to go before he will fit in cloth
♥ he is exclusively breastfed, and eats about every hour. In fact, if he had it his way, he would be on the boob 24/7! It took us awhile to get to this point, and after failing with Elliot, I am so happy to be able to breastfeed this baby!
♥ he really, REALLY likes to be held
♥ he is not sleeping very well/much at night. Mommy is super tired!
♥ we are cosleeping, and I LOVE it.
♥ he is MUCH more vocal than his brother was at this age. Maybe he will be an early talker?
♥ the only times he cries are if he's super hungry {he will root and whine/grunt for quite awhile first}, and when we wipe his bum {those wipes are cold!}




Dear baby Emmett,
Today, you are one month old. A whole month! Want to know the funny part? You actually aren't even supposed to be here yet. You weren't due until June 8th. You said, heck with that, and decided to make your grand entrance into this world five weeks early. You're already impatient, like your Daddy and brother. Oh boy. We'll have to work on that.
I can't imagine life without you. Yes, you've thrown a loop into our little family. We've had to change routines that have been in place for months now. Your big brother, Elliot, has had to adjust to not being the only little boy in this family. But he loves you, just as much as we do.
We've had our struggles, so far, this month. But what did you expect, when you came busting into this world a month early? You have already grown and changed so much in your first month here, and I can't wait to watch you grow.
I love you,
Mommy

Elliot: 15 months!

FIFTEEN MONTHS?! I can't believe it. It's mind boggling, really. It truly blows my mind that my sweet baby boy is already fifteen months old.

This Month:
♥ Elliot weighs 22 lbs and is 31.4"
♥ he's wearing mostly 12 month clothing, with the occasional 9 month bottoms
♥ he still isn't walking on his own, but getting better at walking while holding only one of our hands
♥ he also loves to literally RUN back and forth through the house behind his push walker
♥ loves to "organize" and sort things- like our pots and pans, toys, etc.
♥ he wants to spend ALL of his time outside
♥ he will crawl upstairs and wait by the tub if you tell him it's "tubbie time"
♥ recently, out of the blue, he has become attached to one of his blankets. He always wants to rock in his rocking chair with it after he wakes up and brings it downstairs with him in the morning. I leave it on the couch usually and he will crawl over and lay on/cuddle with it every once in awhile.
♥ he REALLY loves to brush his teeth and we have to try to avoid the bathroom at all costs because if he sees the toothbrushes he flips out haha
♥ his only real word is still "baba". He starts asking for it whenever he is tired, and now also when he is thirsty, even though we don't give him bottles during the day and call his sippy either his sippy or his water
♥ he understands almost everything we say, though. If we ask him to get something, or tell him to do something, he will. He's really quite a sharp little cookie!
♥ he is still so darn sweet- loves to give kisses and hugs to anyone and everything
♥ he is very impatient and stubborn, and will SCREECH if he needs help/wants something. Usually, if you tell him to ask nicely, he will, though. It goes from "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!" to a nice soft, "ahhh?" PS: "ahh" is how he asks for something, usually while pointing at or banging on whatever it is he needs help with.
♥ he loves putting his shoes and socks on and if he sees you with them, will sit down and stick a foot out for you :)
♥ he also LOVES to "clean" by pushing the vacuum, mop, or swiffer across the floor. He knows which closet they are in and will bang on the door and ask me to open it until he gets what he wants.


Just a visual- isn't it amazing how much they change in so little time?

Elliot's extremely belated 14 month post...

I've been seriously slacking on the blogging front lately. I started writing up Elliot's 14 month post weeks ago but never got around to posting it. So, instead of doing it the way I usually do, I'm switching things up. I'm just going to bombard you with pictures of Elliot and fun facts about him at this {very fun} age.


- He has SIXTEEN teeth.


- His hair is getting longer and blonder!


- Anytime we walk by the candle section in a store, we have to stop and let Elliot smell every.single.candle.


- he LOVES to play with bubbles.


- he loves feeding the ducks, playing tug of war with his puppy Otis, and watching our cat Charlie hunt flies. He also still hugs and kisses our animals every chance he gets.


- he is wearing mostly 12 month shirts, 12 month sleepers, and the only pants that seem to fit him well right now are Old Navy's 6-12 months.


- he REALLY likes looking at fish in pet stores, so we got him a little bubbling fish tank for his room that changes colors. Coolest nightlight ever!!


This train is one of his favorite toys at the moment, along with his mega blocks, his bucket and shovel, and his cookie jar shape sorter.


- he JUST graduated from his whale tub to the big boy tub. We actually could have waited longer, as he was perfectly content sitting in his whale, but I was getting really sick of dragging that thing in and out of the tub every day.


- he started bear crawling in order to avoid scraping his knees on our patio. Apparently, he is now under the impression that he must bear crawl whenever we're outside.


- he really likes putting sunglasses on, brushing his own hair, brushing his teeth, and washing his hands.


- he loves to help mommy "clean" by pushing our compact vacuum, broom, and swiffer along the floor. :)


- he has started taking a few steps on his own every once in awhile, particularly if walking to mommy or daddy. Although he is perfectly capable, he won't stand on his own, unless you distract him. The minute he realizes what he's doing he sits back down. We noticed that his feet point outwards (when he walks, stands, or is even just sitting) and think it may be affecting his balance. He can't seem to lock his knees. Many of Aaron's relatives had to have braces {and Aaron is himself duck-footed, to the point that it has caused chronic knee problems}, so braces may be in Elliot's future.


- he just learned how to point, and his favorite things to point at are birds. He is OBSESSED with them. Anytime he sees one, he will stop dead in his tracks, stick out that adorable little finger, and yell, "Ba!! Baaaa!!!!!". Also, if you ask him where the birdies are, he will climb up onto the couch and look out the window into the tree where the sparrows often perch.

Elliot: 13 months!

Another month has flown by, and Elliot is already 13 months old! I can't believe it. I really can't.

This Month:
♥ Elliot weighs 20 lbs
♥ he is wearing mostly 9 month pants, and just recently started fitting into 12 month onesies and shirts. He still wears a lot of 9 month shirts, though.
♥ he seems to be weaning himself off his naptime bottles, only drinking an ounce or two before falling asleep.
♥ he is still taking two very predictable naps- one around 10am, and between 2-3pm. They last anywhere from 1-3 hours, with about 1 1/2 being the normal.
♥ he is an eating MACHINE! He loves any and all food- he will happily eat a plate full of veggies still, which makes me happy. His favorites lately seem to be grilled cheese sandwiches, a bagel with cream cheese, peas, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, tomatoes, and green beans.
♥ We are completely done with baby food of any kind- homemade or jarred. He basically eats what we eat, minus the meat.
♥ He has been SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT reliably for a couple months now. He normally goes to bed around 7:30pm and sleeps 12-13 hours until 8am! I'm LOVING it!!
♥ He is still choosing to crawl and/or climb everywhere. Every once in awhile, if he is distracted by holding something in both hands, he will stand on his own for a couple seconds. The minute he realizes what he is doing, he sits back down.
♥ Three or four times, he has bravely let go of the table/couch/etc and taken a couple steps independently to me. I really believe he could walk if he wanted to, but he just doesn't want to right now!
♥ He is still the cuddliest baby I know. He offers kisses and hugs all.the.time and will get very offended if you don't notice right away that he's trying to kiss you {aka coming at you with his mouth wide open saying "ahhh"}
♥ He LOVES to "help" me clean and one of his favorite things to do is push our lightweight vacuum around.
♥ He really loves to play patty cake and peekaboo
♥ He starts asking for his "ba" or "baba" when he's tired
♥ He still likes to feed himself, but ever since he started experimenting with his own utensils, he'll let us feed him again, too... which means he gets to enjoy a lot of yummy foods that he couldn't the last month or two {like yogurt!}
♥ he loves loves LOVES reading books... but only ones with a sentence or less per page. He doesn't have the attention span for anything longer.
♥ he is figuring out how to put his mega blocks together by himself, but still prefers to pull apart our creations :)
♥ he loves to play rough with daddy!

Elliot: 10 & 11 months!

Elliot is 11 months old. That means, people, that he will be ONE WHOLE YEAR OLD in just one little month! Excuse me while I try not to faint...
(Alright, I completely missed last month. I realize that. Yikes! Sooo, I'm just combining this into one big post for both months.)

This Month:
♥ Elliot weighs 17 1/2 lbs. He doesn't seem to be gaining much weight lately.
♥ he is wearing mostly 6 month pants, 9 month shirts (some 6 months) and 12 month sleepers because he's loooooong!
♥ he eats 1-3 8 oz. bottles a day. He always gets one before bed, but lately he's not too sure if he wants one before his naps. Sometimes he'll take one, sometimes he won't.
♥ he knows how to hold his own straw sippy cup, and is OBSESSED with it. We don't give him anything other than water to drink.
♥ he LOVES food. Seriously. We are no longer restricting any "big people" food other than peanut butter and meat. I don't plan to give him meat until he is at least 18 months. His favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, pancakes, and oatmeal... but he likes everything. He has never once turned down anything we've offered him.
♥ I am no longer making baby food for him, he just gets steamed veggies instead at home. He does get jarred baby food sometimes in the car or on the go, though.
♥ He goes to bed around 7:30pm. For the last two months, he was sleeping HORRIBLY (waking up 4-6x a night) but he's just now starting to get better, only waking up once. I'm crossing my fingers it stays this way.
♥ He is still crawling like a mad man and has completely given up trying to stand on his own or walk, because he knows he can crawl or climb to get anything he wants. He can climb up onto the couch and he knows how to duck down to crawl beneath the dining room chairs, which are pub height so they have foot rails.
♥ He absolutely loves to climb up the back of the couch to look out the window and play with the blinds.
♥ Our cat, Charlie, is still his best friend. They follow eachother everywhere and Elliot kisses him every chance he gets.
♥ He loves to blow raspberries on my neck when I'm holding him. He also LOVES giving kisses and usually gives 2 or 3 or more in a row. Love it!
♥ He doesn't mind diaper changes as much now but will still try to roll away if you are taking too long.
♥ He learned how to clap, wave, and blow kisses, and really loves doing all 3 of those because he knows he will be rewarded with a big, enthusiastic "GOOD BOY!"
♥ He will start clapping if he hears anyone saying "yay!"
♥ He will wave if he hears the words "hi" or "bye"
♥ He doesn't cry anymore when he wakes up. He plays and babbles in his crib instead. It's precious.
♥ He is VERY demanding while eating. If food isn't continuously being shoveled into his mouth, he will bang on his tray/the table and yell "BA BA BA BA BAAAAA!" loudly. Ba Ba is his universal word for food.
♥ Favorite toys are: wooden bead maze toy and cookie jar shape sorter. He'll play with those by himself for a LONG time.
♥ it is absolutely impossible to do anything on the computer while he's around. The minute the laptop opens, he crawls right over and starts banging on the keyboard.
♥ He is still obsessed with cords but we got a new entertainment center that hides them, which is good.
♥ The vacuum scares him but likes to "help" me clean by following me around with a spray bottle and/or washcloth.
♥ He gets SUPER excited when Daddy comes home.
♥ At any given time, if you ask him, "Where's Charlie?" he will strain his neck and look everywhere until he finds him, then squeal and crawl over to him.
♥ Cardboard boxes are great fun... until he starts taking bites out of them.
♥ He somehow managed to eat a candy wrapper... and it came out in his poop.
♥ The dishwasher is one of his favorite things. He tries to climb into it whenever it's open.
♥ I have to hide in the kitchen to eat anything or else he demands to "share"... aka eat all my food.
♥ He likes to try to hand me toilet paper when I have morning sickness. Thoughtful, huh?
♥ The toilet is another one of his favorite things so we have to be VERY careful to keep the lids closed if he's in the bathroom with us.
♥ He is still taking tubbies in his little whale tub because he is way too crazy to sit in the bath tub on his own.
♥ He is SUPER TICKLISH!!
♥ He's very sensitive and makes what we call "the boo boo face" if his feelings get hurt.
♥ He really likes to share his food and toys.
♥ My teething machine now has NINE TEETH!
♥ He is, above all, a sweetheart and a snuggler. He loves to be held and carried around, and can't get enough hugs and kisses.

Elliot: 9 months!

Another month has flown by, and Elliot is now nine months old. He is a wild, crazy little man now. He hardly sits still for anything, except to eat. He's too busy exploring and getting into trouble. He's a handful but lots and lots of fun!

This Month:
♥ I'm guessing Elliot weighs around 17 lbs. {Dr's appt next week}
♥ he is wearing all 3-6 months clothing, and just started wearing 6-9 month sleepers because he's so long
♥ he eats four 8 ounce bottles a day: when he first wakes up, before his morning and afternoon naps, and before bed
♥ he can't get enough of "big people" food. Some of his new favorites include pancakes, rice, and scrambled eggs
♥ he is eating 5 oz of homemade babyfood 3x a day, oatmeal in the morning, and he eats some of our dinner every night
♥ my big boy now goes to bed at 8pm and wakes up at 5:30am. He's been waking up around midnight lately, but falls back asleep in just a few minutes
♥ we moved his bedtime up, so he changed his nap schedule. He takes a morning nap around 10 and an afternoon nap around 2, and no longer takes his evening nap, which makes bedtime much easier!
♥ he crawls all over the place and walks along the furniture and walls while barely holding on with one hand
♥ he figured out how to crawl up the stairs and learned to open and rearrange our drawers
♥ if you tell him "NO", he will stop for a minute and then laugh and do it again {little stinker!}
♥ he cries "mum mum mum mum!" while crawling after me if I leave the room {he was calling me mama and now he decided he likes "mum" better}
♥ he will look at Aaron and say "dada!" and he whines and squeals for his "baba" {bottle}
♥ he sits in shopping carts like a big boy now!
♥ he is super ticklish
♥ he is ALWAYS blowing raspberries and sticking his tongue out and spitting if he's happy. It's cute but... messy.
♥ give him a pot and a metal spoon and he's happy as can be
♥ some things I had to fish out of his mouth this month: a cricket leg, a small rock, a candy wrapper, a wadded up sticky note, and the door stopper caps
♥ if you ask him for a kiss or a hug, he'll give you them, and it's so precious!
♥ he really, REALLY hates diaper changes so they usually involve me holding him down with one hand, changing him with the other, and giving him something he's not usually allowed to play with, like my cell phone
♥ he has finally decided that the carseat is not a torture device- as long as I'm in the backseat with him.
♥ he and Charlie are still best friends.

Happy nine months, baby boy!

Elliot: 8 months!

Elliot is eight months old today. I barely batted an eyelash when he turned seven months {after all, it was right after Daddy came home!}. In fact, I was so busy and distracted that I completely forgot to do a seven month post! But don't worry, folks. When Elliot woke up today, he crawled over to me and started smacking me in the face while squealing with delight. It was as if he was saying, "Wake up! I'm EIGHT MONTHS OLD, mama!" What a nice wake up call, right?

This month:
♥ Elliot weighs 16.95 lbs and is 28" long- that puts him at the 5th percentile.
♥ he is wearing all 3-6 month clothing
♥ he is eating 7 ounces every 3-4 hours during the day and I'm happy to announce that he now goes SEVEN HOURS without a bottle at night! He has a bottle before bed {between 9 and 10pm}, and I don't offer him another, even if he wakes up in between, until his 4-5am wakeup
♥ we're working on sleep training Dr. Sears style. Thanks to that, he USUALLY sleeps 5 1/2 hours before waking up at 4-5am, when he comes to bed with us. He usually wakes up again around 6am and gets up for the day between 8 and 8:30.
♥ he eats 4-5 ounces of homemade fruit or veggie purees 3x a day. His favorites are sweet potato and peas.
♥ he loves to eat fruits and veggies in his mesh feeder
♥ he fell into a very reliable schedule and almost always naps at 10, 2, and 5.
♥ he has SIX TEETH!
♥ he has mastered sitting up on his own, crawling on all fours, RUNNING in his walker, pulling up to stand, and cruising along furniture
♥ he loves to "swim" and splash in the pool
♥ he has started throwing tantrums by arching his back and flinging himself backwards in your arms or throwing himself on the floor. He hates to be told "NO."
♥ he still LOVES to go outside and gets very cranky if he's cooped up inside
♥ he is fascinated with a number of things which he isn't supposed to touch/ play with: the door stoppers, which make a fun "BOING!" sound, wires and cords, and blinds
♥ our new apartment complex has a duck pond and he loves to feed the ducks!
♥ he always tries to crawl away during diaper changes
♥ he often cries when I leave the room {even if he is happily playing with Daddy}
♥ he is VERY talkative. He's always babbling away, loves to blow raspberries, and squeals when he's excited

and now, since I haven't said it yet {you knew it was coming}
Holy cow! My baby boy is EIGHT MONTHS old!

Elliot: 6 months!

Elliot is six months old today. 6 months: 182 days, 24 weeks, half of a year. This one trumps all the other month birthdays so far- by a long shot. I remember reading other blogs when Elliot was only one or two months old and thinking, six month old babies are so big. They're more like toddlers and less like little babies. Suddenly, Elliot is six months old, too. He's one of those babies that I always marveled out. Holy cow, how did that happen?!

This month:
♥ Elliot weighs 16 lbs {according to my scale at home}
♥ he is wearing mostly 3-6 month onesies and rompers, and 0-3 pants and shorts
♥ he is eating 6 ounces every 2-4 hours during the day and 2-4 ounces every 2-3 hours at night
♥ he sleeps in his crib half the night and my bed the other half. I call us part-time cosleepers :) I love this arrangement!
♥ it can be very tricky to get him to go to sleep these days... bedtime usually involves rocking, walking, singing, or cuddling... or a combination of all 4
♥ he is taking one long nap in the morning, one long nap in the afternoon, and a short nap in the evening. He goes to bed between 9:00 and 10:30pm
♥ he got his first two teeth and they are HUGE now and very sharp
♥ he rolled over for the first time!
♥ he can sit unassisted in laps, on the beach, or sometimes outside on the grass, but he can't sit up on his own on carpeted or hard wood floors yet
♥ his favorite toys are still Sophie the Giraffe and his plastic keys
♥ he can walk all over the place in his walker... but only going backwards. He hasn't figured out how to go forwards yet.
♥ He likes to stick his fingers in people's mouth and nose
♥ He gives kisses and sometimes "hugs" on command
♥ We found out that he really, really likes dogs!
♥ We took him to the beach for the first time and he has become quite the beach baby
♥ Anytime he is crying, if you take him outside he will stop almost immediately
♥ He loves going for walks in the stroller and also loves grocery shopping
♥ He's still not shy AT ALL and will go to ANYONE. He has no fear of strangers whatsoever. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing!
♥ He loves to be thrown up above your head
♥ He's full of laughter and fun.

Happy half birthday, Elliot Reid. Mama loves you!

Elliot: 5 months!

Elliot is 5 months old today!
I'll skip the part where I talk about how fast time is passing- but seriously, it's ridiculous! I absolutely can't get enough of this little boy lately, which is good, because he is REALLY keeping me busy lately! Elliot is a little wild man. I'm not exaggerating. He spends about 90% of his time screeching like a wild man and demanding attention.

{There should be a picture here... but I accidentally left my camera in my mother in law's car yesterday. I'll be getting it back later and I'll take and add his 5 month diaper picture}

This Month:
♥ Elliot weighs 14 lbs 5 oz- between the 5th and 10th percentile
♥ He is slowly starting to transition out of some of his 0-3 month clothes and into 3-6.
♥ He is eating 4 ounces every 2-3 hours during the day {same as last month} and 4 ounces every 3 hours at night {getting a little better!}
♥ He usually wakes up 3-5 times a night
♥ He sleeps in his crib and/or pack & play for all naps and all night until he wakes up around 6am, when I take him to bed with me for his last "sleep" of the night. This has worked out well because I get my cuddle fix in :) I'm still really missing cosleeping, though.
♥ He is FINALLY healthy!!!
♥ He is still teething really badly- but his new amber teething necklace really seems to help. We can see and feel several tooth buds in there and I'm afraid that he'll be losing that adorable gummy smile soon.
♥ We switched to the "big bottles" {8 oz} because the 4 oz ones always seemed to leak when all the way full.
♥ He has really mastered grabbing toys and bringing them to his mouth. He also really likes to shake rattles or jingly toys
♥ He has a newfound love for his little blue blanky- I forgot what those things are called, but we received FOUR of them at my baby shower so I finally gave one to him. It's satin and fleece with a little teddy bear head at the top. HE LOVES IT!
♥ He is now almost completely bald, and all of the new hair that is growing in is really light.
♥ He's still working on rolling over and sitting up- he hasn't done either yet.
♥ He actually LOVES diaper changes now, because he knows that he gets to be "nakie" for awhile. :)
♥ He is really, really, REALLY interested in food and always gets excited whenever someone is eating. He will also try to grab your food/plate/spoon if you're not careful. I can't wait to start solids next month!
♥ We are no longer using the swing, but he still loves his bouncy seat and his walker
♥ He gets startled really easily these days and will jump at loud noises- but he never cries and gets over it really quickly
♥ He has forgotten all about his "inside voice" and likes to squeal and screech. I often call him my "little screech owl"
♥ He still LOVES LOVES LOVES to stand up, and really likes pulling himself up by holding onto our fingers. He's got some strong little legs!!
♥ He very rarely cries- mostly he just demands things by yelling.
♥ He is obsessed with my iPad and touches the screen constantly if I'm trying to use it while holding him.

{See Elliot at 4 months, 3 months, & 2 months}

Elliot: 4 months!

Elliot is 4 months old today!
I know I always say this, but I really can't believe how quickly time is flying by. Every day, Elliot becomes more animated, intelligent, curious, and {I'll admit it} FUN. But this also means that he is becoming more and more independant and leaving those days as a tiny, helpless newborn far behind.

This Month:
♥ Elliot weighs 12 lbs 12 oz and is 26.2" long- 10th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height!
♥ He is wearing all 0-3 month clothes, but the rompers and sleepers are getting too short.
♥ He is eating 4 ounces every 3 hours during the day and 3 ounces every 2-3 hours at night.
♥ He usually wakes up 4-6 times a night
♥ He sleeps in his crib and/or pack & play all night and most naps
♥ We now sleep with a night light instead of the lamp, and he sleeps with music playing
♥ He has been sick almost the entire month- with a cold, then a stomach/GI virus, and now with another cold.
♥ He can now grab certain hanging toys, and still loves to bat at them, too.
♥ He still hasn't rolled over
♥ We tried the Bumbo, but his head and neck aren't quite strong enough for it yet.
♥ He is teething like a MAD MAN, and EVERYTHING goes directly into his mouth
♥ He stopped crying during most diaper changes! WOO HOO!
♥ He likes to stand up in my lap
♥ He always has to be clutching some part of me {my shirt, arm, finger, etc} while being held
♥ He finds the TV fascinating and will stare at it for several minutes before getting distracted
♥ He likes to play with the wipey box during diaper changes
♥ He HATES the booger-sucker and tissues
♥ He still absolutely LOVES bathtime and could care less if water or baby wash gets in his eyes {or mouth, or ears...}
♥ He has a temper and is very inpatient
♥ He loves to cuddle and read books together, and a lot of the time he'll "talk" to the pictures
♥ He usually chooses to yell rather then cry when he wants/needs something
♥ He adores playing patty-cake and will ALWAYS squeal and grin during the "roll it, roll it, and mark it with a B" part
♥ He entertains himself in his bouncy seat for an hour every morning while I shower/get ready and every evening during dinner
♥ He loves going for walks outside in his stroller
♥ He HATES his carseat and car rides
♥ He LOVES to watch me vacuum and blow dry my hair
♥ He is incredibly friendly/outgoing and LOVES meeting new people
♥ He really likes tummy time, especially in the boppy or with a pillow
♥ He barely fits stretched out on my lap anymore, and thinks it's hilarious to kick my boobs
♥ He is a really heavy sleeper and can sleep through almost ANYTHING


{See Elliot at 3 months & 2 months}

Elliot: 3 Months!

Elliot is 3 months old today!
This means that he is "officially" an infant now and is no longer a newborn. Where does the time go?! He is changing so quickly these days- just a few days ago, he figured out how to touch/bat at the toys on his bouncy seat, and today he just discovered his feet. It seems like he does something new every day!



This month:
♥ Elliot weighs about 10 1/2 lbs
♥ He is wearing 0-3 month sleepers, mostly 0-3 month onesies, newborn tops/hoodies, and newborn pants
♥ He is eating 3 ounces every 2 hours during the day and 2 ounces every 1-3 hours at night
♥ He is still waking up 5-8 times a night
♥ He is starting to be a little more independent and enjoys sitting/playing in his bouncy seat
♥ He naps by himself during the day, as opposed to only sleeping while being held
♥ He discovered his feet- and likes to watch them move
♥ He is EXTREMELY drooly and always has his hands in his mouth
♥ He LOVES loud music and the bathroom fan
♥ He smiles all the time and will smile in response to things {funny noises, playing paddycake, kisses, etc}
♥ He looks for me when I leave the room
♥ He knows that running water = bottle and will stop crying because he knows what's coming- or sometimes, when it's not even close to feeding time, if he hears water running, he'll demand a bottle even if he's not very hungry
♥ He recognizes and loves his Uncle Matthew
♥ We are still cosleeping and cloth diapering, and we love it

{See Elliot at 2 Months}

Elliot: 2 months!

Elliot is two months old today.
Holy moly. Where does time go? I can't believe that it's already been two whole months since little Elliot came into this world. He has changed my life in so many ways- and speaking of change, he's doing a lot of changing lately, too.



This month:
♥ Elliot weighs around 9 lbs {I'll find out his exact weight at his doctor's appointment tomorrow}
♥ Elliot is still wearing mostly newborn clothes, and a select few 0-3 month sleepers. He has a whole closet full of adorable outfits that I can't wait to put him in... but he's still swimming in them!
♥ He is wearing cloth diapers full time. I LOVE them- no leaks or blowouts so far!
♥ He is eating formula exclusively and eats 2 ounces about every two hours.
♥ His favorite times of day is the morning, when he gets a bath, "dances" on the bed to music, and we read a few books together.
♥ He has been doing a lot of cooing and babbling lately.
♥ He just started to smile! :)

We ♥ votes!

ONE MONTH!!?

Elliot is one month old today.
I can't believe it. Sometimes, I still wake up in the middle of the night in a panic because I don't feel him kicking. Every detail and moment is still crystal clear. It was the happiest day of my life. I will never forget hearing him cry for the first time, just before the doctor plopped him on my lap. I remember looking at him in awe and being afraid to touch him. A few hours later, when they wheeled me down to the NICU, he grasped my finger with his tiny hand and I was instantly in love. I still remember feeling heartbroken when they made me leave- I bawled all the way back to my room. In fact, I still feel that heaviness every time we leave the NICU for the day.
It feels like just yesterday we were still getting lost in the hospital and forgetting all of the NICU policies. And now, here we are. We know all the nurses by name. We can maneuver all of his cords and wires with ease. We know what all of the different alarms mean. We can gavage him all by ourselves. We're NICU pros.
Elliot is perfect. Every time I look at him, I can't believe we created something so beautiful. He is my cuddle bug, my little piggy, my little man, my everything. I love this little boy so incredibly much... and he's already a WHOLE MONTH old! It's hard to believe AND handle... I'm not ready for him to grow up.
Happy One Month, Elliot Reid. Mommy loves you so much! ♥


My nurse styled my hair for my birthday! :)




It's my party, I'll sleep if I want to...