Elliott's two bottom front teeth decided to poke through today. Ironically, Elliott was in a really good mood today. We picked him up at lunchtime and he was really babbling and having fun. After an afternoon nap and bottle, when we were playing I noticed that I could see those little teeth peeking through his gums. We got out an icecube for him to suck on and could hear the sharp teeth scraping on the ice. Finally!! Months of drooling and biting and hands in his mouth and we finally have a tooth! It will be interesting to see how the next couple of days turn out for Elliott.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! We are both looking forward to spending time with our families and our little guy.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday November 22
I had to take down Elliott's mobile this week. It was quite a sad moment since this is such a cute decoration and he loves looking at it! However, when he is sitting in the crib I will catch him grabbing the mobile and pulling it down toward his mouth. We also lowered his mattress this week. When he's sitting in the crib he is now pulling himself over to mouth the railing. While this is really cute to see, it's apparent he is getting much stronger and I can only imagine one day soon that he will be pulling himself up completely.
So, we did some baby proofing this week.
Elliott is rolling over a lot now. If he's on his back, within a few minutes he's flipped onto his tummy and he's commando crawling backwards. He's pretty slow at it, but he's definitely mobile now. I think the last thing we have to do to completely baby proof the living space is to put up the drawer/cabinet locks.
Elliott is definitely teething. You can see the swollen little spots on his lower gums. When the teeth will finally cut through is a more uncertain. It seems like he's been teething for months, with the nonstop drooling at least! But this week he's had his hand in his mouth more and today he was downright cranky and nonconsolable, which is not like him at all. We wrapped up an icecube and let him suck on it, which he really liked. He went through two ice cubes before he was distracted enough to play.
He is also eating really well these days. This week, he Elliott ate bananas for the first time. I love seeing him when he tries a food that he likes - he smacks his lips together and then lets out a big approving screech! He also ate beef quite well in the last week, especially if it was followed by a spoonful of peaches or applesauce. Tonight we gave him turkey and pears. He was in hog heaven!
This week is Thanksgiving and we are so thankful for so many things, I can't even begin to list them all, but foremost, we are thankful for our health. We are so fortunate for our good health and for the excellent health insurance that we have through Koch. Next we are thankful for our families. We love seeing our family frequently and wish we could see our Washington family more often. Finally, we are so thankful for each other. Aaron, Elliott, Max and I love spending time with each other every day. There is nothing more important!
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
So, we did some baby proofing this week.
Elliott is rolling over a lot now. If he's on his back, within a few minutes he's flipped onto his tummy and he's commando crawling backwards. He's pretty slow at it, but he's definitely mobile now. I think the last thing we have to do to completely baby proof the living space is to put up the drawer/cabinet locks.
Elliott is definitely teething. You can see the swollen little spots on his lower gums. When the teeth will finally cut through is a more uncertain. It seems like he's been teething for months, with the nonstop drooling at least! But this week he's had his hand in his mouth more and today he was downright cranky and nonconsolable, which is not like him at all. We wrapped up an icecube and let him suck on it, which he really liked. He went through two ice cubes before he was distracted enough to play.
He is also eating really well these days. This week, he Elliott ate bananas for the first time. I love seeing him when he tries a food that he likes - he smacks his lips together and then lets out a big approving screech! He also ate beef quite well in the last week, especially if it was followed by a spoonful of peaches or applesauce. Tonight we gave him turkey and pears. He was in hog heaven!
This week is Thanksgiving and we are so thankful for so many things, I can't even begin to list them all, but foremost, we are thankful for our health. We are so fortunate for our good health and for the excellent health insurance that we have through Koch. Next we are thankful for our families. We love seeing our family frequently and wish we could see our Washington family more often. Finally, we are so thankful for each other. Aaron, Elliott, Max and I love spending time with each other every day. There is nothing more important!
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
November 15
For the last couple of weeks, I've been trying to keep the pacifier out of Elliott's mouth when he's not going to sleep, as he doesn't seem to be 'talking' enough. Interestingly, he's not drooling nearly as much now. But even better, he's starting to babble more. Between the creeping on the floor and the constant 'bah bah bah bah' he's becoming a very entertaining baby!! Grammy was over last night and she thinks Elliott was trying to say 'da da da.' He does seem to be trying out the d, th, and ba sounds.
Elliott ate applesauce for the first time yesterday. As expected, he loved it! His eyes got realy wide and after he ate his first bite he screached and smiled and moved his head in toward the spoon for another bite. Aaron couldn't feed him fast enough, as between each bite Elliott was screaching for more. Aaron picked up some peaches and pears to feed him over the next week. That should be fun!
Last night Elliott started to get really fussy. We think he is about to have a couple of teeth poke through. You could practically see them in his mouth, but he doesnt hold still long enough for us to have a good look. He keeps rubbing his tongue on his bottom gums though, and his hand is in his mouth a lot more now. We gave him some tylenol before bedtime and I think this really helped as he slept through the night until almost 630 this morning.
I went in to Elliott this morning and he was laying on his tummy looking around. This is the first time he's flipped over in his crib (that I know of anyway). I don't want to be too comfortable in saying this, but from what I've read if the baby is able to flip over while in the crib then the risk for SIDS is significantly lowered. One less thing to worry about now I guess.
Elliott is now wearing 18 month size pants and sleepers. He was wearing 12 month Gerber sleepers - the ones with the zippers are so easy for diaper changes - but they must shrink because he's already too big for them. Last night he wore an 18 month sleeper. The sleeper was a bit long but it was snug in the torso. All of his pants are 18 month, and he's still able to wear some 9-12 month onesies but they're getting small on him. I can't believe how big he's getting!!
Elliott is sleeping in our bed this morning. We love the weekend mornings where we can snuggle with him and he falls back to sleep between us. When he wakes up we'll give him some more applesauce and it will be playtime!
Elliott ate applesauce for the first time yesterday. As expected, he loved it! His eyes got realy wide and after he ate his first bite he screached and smiled and moved his head in toward the spoon for another bite. Aaron couldn't feed him fast enough, as between each bite Elliott was screaching for more. Aaron picked up some peaches and pears to feed him over the next week. That should be fun!
Last night Elliott started to get really fussy. We think he is about to have a couple of teeth poke through. You could practically see them in his mouth, but he doesnt hold still long enough for us to have a good look. He keeps rubbing his tongue on his bottom gums though, and his hand is in his mouth a lot more now. We gave him some tylenol before bedtime and I think this really helped as he slept through the night until almost 630 this morning.
I went in to Elliott this morning and he was laying on his tummy looking around. This is the first time he's flipped over in his crib (that I know of anyway). I don't want to be too comfortable in saying this, but from what I've read if the baby is able to flip over while in the crib then the risk for SIDS is significantly lowered. One less thing to worry about now I guess.
Elliott is now wearing 18 month size pants and sleepers. He was wearing 12 month Gerber sleepers - the ones with the zippers are so easy for diaper changes - but they must shrink because he's already too big for them. Last night he wore an 18 month sleeper. The sleeper was a bit long but it was snug in the torso. All of his pants are 18 month, and he's still able to wear some 9-12 month onesies but they're getting small on him. I can't believe how big he's getting!!
Elliott is sleeping in our bed this morning. We love the weekend mornings where we can snuggle with him and he falls back to sleep between us. When he wakes up we'll give him some more applesauce and it will be playtime!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
November 12
Elliott is starting to 'creep' on the floor. I first noticed this the other night. He was on his tummy and is raising himself up on his arms, and he's pushing himself backwards. He's moving his legs and his little butt is in the air as he rotates himself around in a circle. I think he was surprised to realize that he was moving himself, although I think he was trying to move forward and instead he moved himself backwards.
He did this again last night too. He creeps right off the blanket and onto the carpet. He stops and thinks about the new textures that he's feeling with his hands, and he seems to think about this a great deal before patting the floor over and over with his hands.
We took Elliott to the doctors office tonight for an H1N1 vaccination. I have no qualms about giving him this vaccine. We know some folks who think the vaccines are the governments way of keeping down the people...those folks are in Lawrence and I guess it's good we moved out of Lawrence - Never-Never-Land. I digress...
Elliott is eating more baby foods now. We gave him sweet potatoes/corn mixture and he gobbled it up. Tonight he really enjoyed the carrot/spinnach mixture. He does NOT like the ground chicken in a jar. Based on the smell, I can't say I blame him. Max sure likes the smell.
Speaking of Max, Elliott is really laughing now when Max comes near him. E holds his hands up to Max and Max licks his hands while Elliott practically collapses in laughter. Those two are going to be good buddies!!
We are so fortunate to have Max as our Little Pup and so fortunate to have Elliott as our Little E.
He did this again last night too. He creeps right off the blanket and onto the carpet. He stops and thinks about the new textures that he's feeling with his hands, and he seems to think about this a great deal before patting the floor over and over with his hands.
We took Elliott to the doctors office tonight for an H1N1 vaccination. I have no qualms about giving him this vaccine. We know some folks who think the vaccines are the governments way of keeping down the people...those folks are in Lawrence and I guess it's good we moved out of Lawrence - Never-Never-Land. I digress...
Elliott is eating more baby foods now. We gave him sweet potatoes/corn mixture and he gobbled it up. Tonight he really enjoyed the carrot/spinnach mixture. He does NOT like the ground chicken in a jar. Based on the smell, I can't say I blame him. Max sure likes the smell.
Speaking of Max, Elliott is really laughing now when Max comes near him. E holds his hands up to Max and Max licks his hands while Elliott practically collapses in laughter. Those two are going to be good buddies!!
We are so fortunate to have Max as our Little Pup and so fortunate to have Elliott as our Little E.
Monday, November 9, 2009
November 9
Elliott had a lovely weekend. On Saturday he went on a stroller ride with Grammy, Mommy and Max. He took a little nap with the sunshine on his face. On Sunday he spent some time visiting with his Grandma and Grandpa Mullikin. Overall, a nice weekend out and about. We were preparing for a fussy baby weekend after his shots, but for the most part he was in a pretty good mood. He was a bit fussy on Sunday, but that seems to be a pattern that I'm noticing - by the time Sunday rolls around, Elliott is wiped out. Maybe too much playing on Saturday? The departure from his daily routine might be confusing to him.
We are starting to teach E sign language. We started with the word 'eat.' Every time we feed him in the highchair we say the word and the sign. Soon we'll start teaching him 'more' and 'drink.' It will take many months before he understands and starts to use the sign, but it will be so rewarding when he does.
Elliott is starting to cry or screech when he wants something and it is out of reach. When I get him out of the bath at night, he really wants to sit up but he cant sit himself up just yet. He screeches until I help sit him up. And then, he cries and fusses until I give him the travel size bottle of baby lotion. He LOVES to put this little pink bottle of lotion in his mouth. He will practically gag himself with the bottle. And then he gets mad at it and screeches in frustration. I really wonder what is going through his mind when he does this!! It's really funny...he does not want anything else, just this silly little bottle. When he drops it and it's out of reach, look out!! He'll let you know that he's not happy!!
We have an appointment for Elliott to get H1N1 vaccine on Thursday. I've been anxious about E getting the flu so hopefully this will prevent him from contracting H1N1.
Tonight Elliott was able to put himself to sleep again. Put him in his crib almost asleep and he was able to drift off all by himself. We are so lucky!!
We are starting to teach E sign language. We started with the word 'eat.' Every time we feed him in the highchair we say the word and the sign. Soon we'll start teaching him 'more' and 'drink.' It will take many months before he understands and starts to use the sign, but it will be so rewarding when he does.
Elliott is starting to cry or screech when he wants something and it is out of reach. When I get him out of the bath at night, he really wants to sit up but he cant sit himself up just yet. He screeches until I help sit him up. And then, he cries and fusses until I give him the travel size bottle of baby lotion. He LOVES to put this little pink bottle of lotion in his mouth. He will practically gag himself with the bottle. And then he gets mad at it and screeches in frustration. I really wonder what is going through his mind when he does this!! It's really funny...he does not want anything else, just this silly little bottle. When he drops it and it's out of reach, look out!! He'll let you know that he's not happy!!
We have an appointment for Elliott to get H1N1 vaccine on Thursday. I've been anxious about E getting the flu so hopefully this will prevent him from contracting H1N1.
Tonight Elliott was able to put himself to sleep again. Put him in his crib almost asleep and he was able to drift off all by himself. We are so lucky!!
Friday, November 6, 2009
November 6
Elliott got his six month shots today, as well as his first flu shot. He was such a big boy - only cried for a minute, then we distracted him and he was smiling and laughing in no time.
Dr. Chavez has grown a beard. Elliott really studied the doctor when he came in the room, and Dr. Chavez got up close to Elliott and as Elliott studied him, he would gently reach out to try and touch his beard. He hesitated to actually touch his face though, but it was so cute as he really really wanted to!! It was fascinating to watch how Elliott responded to someone new, and someone with a beard! I don't think he's ever seen someone with a beard - it will be fun to see how Elliott responds to his first visit with Santa Claus!!
Dr. Chavez gave Elliott an A+. He is now 93% in weight down from 94%, which pleased Dr. Chavez. Elliott weighed 21 pounds 9 ounces and is 27 3/4 inches. He's 79% in height and 50% in head circumference. Elliott shakes his head a lot these days and I was worrying that this was some sign of autism, but Dr. Chavez quickly put that fear to rest - he said this is common in babies and they do it just because they can. Same with the squealing - Elliott likes to hear his own voice!
After the doctor visit Aaron took Elliott home, and the two fellas took a nap and then played. Elliott was in a fantastic mood this afternoon. He was giggling, smiling, screaching, playing. He was one happy baby. He ate up his dinner, splashed and played in the bath, and then snuggled a bit for his night time prayers. Every night we say our prayer to his guardian angel (thank you Aunt Heather/Godmother for the prayer card) and his Now I Lay Me... prayer. Usually he falls asleep as I rock him, but tonight he was still awake after prayers and lullabyes (Somewhere Over the Rainbow). So, I decided to take him into his room and lay him in his crib. He was able to put himself to sleep! He's done this before, but usually with a bit of fussing. Tonight, no fussing. He quietly laid in his crib before drifting off to sleep. What a good baby!!
We are so fortunate to have a healthy, strong baby. We are truly blessed, and we are so thankful for the support and love we have from our families. Thank you to all of Elliott's grandparents for your love and support, and your presence in his - and our-lives. We love you so much and Elliott loves you too!
Dr. Chavez has grown a beard. Elliott really studied the doctor when he came in the room, and Dr. Chavez got up close to Elliott and as Elliott studied him, he would gently reach out to try and touch his beard. He hesitated to actually touch his face though, but it was so cute as he really really wanted to!! It was fascinating to watch how Elliott responded to someone new, and someone with a beard! I don't think he's ever seen someone with a beard - it will be fun to see how Elliott responds to his first visit with Santa Claus!!
Dr. Chavez gave Elliott an A+. He is now 93% in weight down from 94%, which pleased Dr. Chavez. Elliott weighed 21 pounds 9 ounces and is 27 3/4 inches. He's 79% in height and 50% in head circumference. Elliott shakes his head a lot these days and I was worrying that this was some sign of autism, but Dr. Chavez quickly put that fear to rest - he said this is common in babies and they do it just because they can. Same with the squealing - Elliott likes to hear his own voice!
After the doctor visit Aaron took Elliott home, and the two fellas took a nap and then played. Elliott was in a fantastic mood this afternoon. He was giggling, smiling, screaching, playing. He was one happy baby. He ate up his dinner, splashed and played in the bath, and then snuggled a bit for his night time prayers. Every night we say our prayer to his guardian angel (thank you Aunt Heather/Godmother for the prayer card) and his Now I Lay Me... prayer. Usually he falls asleep as I rock him, but tonight he was still awake after prayers and lullabyes (Somewhere Over the Rainbow). So, I decided to take him into his room and lay him in his crib. He was able to put himself to sleep! He's done this before, but usually with a bit of fussing. Tonight, no fussing. He quietly laid in his crib before drifting off to sleep. What a good baby!!
We are so fortunate to have a healthy, strong baby. We are truly blessed, and we are so thankful for the support and love we have from our families. Thank you to all of Elliott's grandparents for your love and support, and your presence in his - and our-lives. We love you so much and Elliott loves you too!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
November 5
Elliott was unusually tired this evening. He had about 3 one hour naps at day care today, and he had a big appetite, but he was exhausted tonight...which meant he wasnt in a happy baby mood. He loves his sweet potatoes and tonight he even liked eating green beans and barley!
The day wasnt any different really from any other day...Elliott was awake by 630, day care by 745, home at 545, dinner at 6, bath at 640, bottle at 7, asleep by 710. I'm not kidding - this is our routine, Monday - Friday. Elliott comes to expect it, and I think this is why he seems so happy and unstressed, and why he sleeps so good. Most parents i've talked to say how lucky we are that he sleeps almost a full 12 hours, and I agree...we are. But on any given day, we only get to see him awake for about 2 - 3 hours.
It's been difficult for both Aaron and I knowing that Elliott spends his entire day with people other than his family. That's why I encourage his grandparents to visit him while he is at day care. It's so important to us to make sure that E knows that he has family who love him.
Getting over to visit E over lunch is often very challenging for Aaron and I. We used to work 10 hours every day before having a baby, and neither of us intend on staying until 6 or later every night anymore, especially since Elliott is asleep by 7 - so we both work through lunch instead and often work at home after E goes to sleep.
So I guess this is a 'wordy' way of saying Thank You to his grandparents for visiting him during the day. It gives me a sense of comfort knowing that you are there for him, and for us. And the truly lucky one is Elliott: he is so blessed to get to know you!
Tomorrow Elliott gets his 6 month shots at 2PM. Aaron and I both are going to the doctor with him. Elliott will also get a flu shot, and if it's available, an H1N1 shot. He's about 90% over his cold, so hopefully he can still get his shots tomorrow. Since he's been sick, we keep his room really warm with the humidifier and have been using Vicks on his chest at night, and I think this has really helped.
I cant believe he's 6 1/2 months old already! Before we know it, he'll be 1!! I think this is the last round of shots until he turns 1, thankfully.
The day wasnt any different really from any other day...Elliott was awake by 630, day care by 745, home at 545, dinner at 6, bath at 640, bottle at 7, asleep by 710. I'm not kidding - this is our routine, Monday - Friday. Elliott comes to expect it, and I think this is why he seems so happy and unstressed, and why he sleeps so good. Most parents i've talked to say how lucky we are that he sleeps almost a full 12 hours, and I agree...we are. But on any given day, we only get to see him awake for about 2 - 3 hours.
It's been difficult for both Aaron and I knowing that Elliott spends his entire day with people other than his family. That's why I encourage his grandparents to visit him while he is at day care. It's so important to us to make sure that E knows that he has family who love him.
Getting over to visit E over lunch is often very challenging for Aaron and I. We used to work 10 hours every day before having a baby, and neither of us intend on staying until 6 or later every night anymore, especially since Elliott is asleep by 7 - so we both work through lunch instead and often work at home after E goes to sleep.
So I guess this is a 'wordy' way of saying Thank You to his grandparents for visiting him during the day. It gives me a sense of comfort knowing that you are there for him, and for us. And the truly lucky one is Elliott: he is so blessed to get to know you!
Tomorrow Elliott gets his 6 month shots at 2PM. Aaron and I both are going to the doctor with him. Elliott will also get a flu shot, and if it's available, an H1N1 shot. He's about 90% over his cold, so hopefully he can still get his shots tomorrow. Since he's been sick, we keep his room really warm with the humidifier and have been using Vicks on his chest at night, and I think this has really helped.
I cant believe he's 6 1/2 months old already! Before we know it, he'll be 1!! I think this is the last round of shots until he turns 1, thankfully.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
November 4
Elliott is feeling much better. He slept all the way through the night last night and woke up in a great mood this morning. He has his appetite back and is smiling and squealing again.
Yesterday I picked him up at day care and he was sitting on the floor next to one of the teachers and another baby. The other baby was trying to get Elliotts pacifier (it was attached to his bib). I guess he didnt like that so he started yanking on her bib. It was so funny!
We've been putting him on the floor at home in the evenings, and he's rolling onto is back from his tummy and his tummy from his back now. Tonight we opened up a present from Grandpa & Grandma Mansfield - handheld 'instruments'! One of the instruments plays music and lights up and he was so excited with this new toy! He would bang his hands on it to make it play, and he was smiling and squealing!
Tonight when we were getting him ready for his bath he made another discovery...he seems to have found that there are interesting body parts usually hidden by his diaper - he's busy exploring and everything is interesting to him these days!
We took some great video of tonight with the new toys. As soon as I figure out how to upload and edit I'll post the videos.
Yesterday I picked him up at day care and he was sitting on the floor next to one of the teachers and another baby. The other baby was trying to get Elliotts pacifier (it was attached to his bib). I guess he didnt like that so he started yanking on her bib. It was so funny!
We've been putting him on the floor at home in the evenings, and he's rolling onto is back from his tummy and his tummy from his back now. Tonight we opened up a present from Grandpa & Grandma Mansfield - handheld 'instruments'! One of the instruments plays music and lights up and he was so excited with this new toy! He would bang his hands on it to make it play, and he was smiling and squealing!
Tonight when we were getting him ready for his bath he made another discovery...he seems to have found that there are interesting body parts usually hidden by his diaper - he's busy exploring and everything is interesting to him these days!
We took some great video of tonight with the new toys. As soon as I figure out how to upload and edit I'll post the videos.
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