Elise's Journal

August 31, 2011

You are getting big – with giant pudgy thighs and impossibly chubby cheeks and such wide blue eyes that everyone stops to comment on “such a beautiful baby” when we're in public. You are almost sitting up – still tipping too far forward though. I found a new baby seat called a “bumbo” at the thrift store. It allows you to sit upright but fully supported – kind of fun to have something new for you!

You are getting very grabby. It's hard to hold you on my lap while I read to the other kids because you are always trying to grab the book away. And when we eat you're grabbing at my food. (and WATCHING – I think you really want it. Must be time to start solids soon.) One time you got a fistful of tilapia off of my plate and into your mouth before I caught you! (I got it out of your mouth though.) You're also very interested in toys – working very hard to get whatever is within reach.

You are my best tummy-time baby yet. You don't mind being on your tummy a bit – it's amazing to me how you hold up your arms, legs and head at the same time. It looks like you're flying! You love it when Isaac, Abby or Matthew get down on the floor with you. They all call you Ellie almost exclusively. I alternate between Ellie and Elise. At the doctor's office they keep calling you Elsie.

A month ago we went on vacation: camping in the Tetons followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO. You slept in such a variety of “beds”: a drawer in a motel room, a portable crib, and even a suitcase in the tent. The amazing thing is that you slept so well everywhere! One night camping was especially cold so I had you wrapped up like a mummy (except for your face of course). You slept so soundly that I kept putting my hand on you in the night to make sure you were fine.

You were a great traveler. You were happy in the carseat, though you did get a bit fussy at the end of a full day of driving. Sometimes I held your hand and that would calm you almost immediately. If you were hungry and it wasn't a good stopping-time, I fed you a bottle while you stayed safely strapped in! You were so flexible – just napping in the Moby wrap wherever we went and letting all sorts of people hold you and coo at you.

Now we're starting school and I'm finding that while I love your flexibility, I'm ready to have you on a bit more of a schedule. All of this moving around and traveling this summer haven't been very conducive to that; as a result, you generally take four or five short naps every day instead of two longer ones. I'm very happy with your sleep at night though – you go down around eight, I “dream-feed” you at 10:30, then you usually nurse between 5:30 and 6:30 and go back to sleep until 7:30 or 8am! No complaints!

I love holding you. Sometimes I find you just looking up at me with those big blue eyes while you are in my arms and it just melts my heart.

October 23, 2011

You are loving solid foods – everything I've tried so far you just gobble down! I am still nursing you about four times a day. Surprisingly, you are not quite sitting up yet. Probably because I don't get a lot of opportunity to practice with you. Twice in October you went on adult trips and were good as gold – once to Denver with me, Grammie and your aunties and once on a “get-away” for me and your Daddy just over night at a hotel. You just fell asleep in your carseat at restaurants and chilled in the wrap the rest of the time. Amazing! (Everyone said so, not just me!) I thought that I'd do something different this time and describe your relationships with each person in our family.

Daddy. He loves you. Ever since we discovered (after he was gone so much this summer) that you weren't happy to go to him, he has been working hard to win your heart back. I think he's got it now – you smile and reach for him often, and he coos to you and kisses you just as much.

Me. You are so happy when you are with me. Often all I have to do is hold your hand and you go from crying hard to completely calm. It is so wonderful to know that I can meet your needs. I think it's going to be easy for you to wrap me around your finger.

Isaac. He can really make you laugh with his crazy antics – and he works hard to make you laugh. He also loves to carry you around and talk to you in a very loud and annoying baby babble!

Abby. She helps to take care of you – feeding you baby food, changing diapers, playing with you when I need to set you down for a few minutes. Just tonight she helped you feel comfortable in the bath by showing you how to splash gently.

Matthew. He is very gentle and affectionate with you. He calls you “E-Weese” and you watch his every move.