Three Weeks - 16 December

Elliot, 

You're three weeks old!  You've moved into a bit of an awkward stage.  Your poor face has just broken out with baby acne, you have dry skin and you're quite gangly, with long skinny arms and legs.  (You look a little like a frog.  But the cutest frog ever!)  Don't worry son, your face will clear and you'll grow into your limbs.

Your umbilical cord stump fell off, which means we can give you a proper bath but have not done so yet.  I'm excited to see how you like the water.

You're still sleeping in our room in the Pack N Play and we're swaddling you with one arm out.  You wake up about every 2-3 hours at night to eat.  At night I'm able to fill you up with breast feeding alone, but during the day you need supplementation.  You eat a lot!

You are the sweetest little boy.  You love to be held and rocked.  You're very interactive and engaged - you look in the direction of voices and seem to pay attention and track.  (Maybe it's just me but I think you're pretty smart.)  ;)

Dad is going back to work this week, so it's just you and me, kid!  

I love you, Small E.

The week between 2 and 3.

Our first week without family in town was a success; Devin and I managed pretty well.  We mastered things like using our car seat, assembling strollers, cleaning bottles, wiping pee off the wall next to the changing table, taking Yeti out while juggling Elliot, and so on.

Early in the week we decided to utilize our bitchin' UppaBaby stroller.  We plopped El in and walked to have lunch at a cafe with outdoor seating.  It was amazing!  We realized that yes, we can do this!  We can have our baby and drink wine too.  ;)  We really felt quite accomplished.

I also decided it was a good time to try breastfeeding in public, what with Devin around to help.  I just went for it and it wasn't so bad.  I'm not a fan of the cover - it gets in the way and is mostly a pain, but i guess its better than the alternative.  Also, do you like my shades? Yeah, they are Devin's sunglasses.  Apparently I didn't bring mine.

We also took our boys to the beach.  Elliot was in the carrier, I promise.

The best dog in the whole wide world turned 8 on December 12th and enjoyed a steak in celebration. (The pictures are a bit blurry, but you get the idea.)  We love love love you, T!  This year is an adjustment for all of us and you're doing well so far!

Steak coma.

Elliot finally met Kirsten!  She had been with us in the hospital through his birth, but had to leave before she was able to meet him.  This was an emotional introduction for me because Kirsten was such an important figure in Elliot's birth story.

The rest of the week, in pictures...

BTW, I can't read this book to Elliot withs sobbing.

He loves his Sandy Beach picture!

xoxo

Two Weeks - 9 December

Elliot,

You're two weeks old!  You continue to sleep in the Pack N Play in our room, swaddled but with one arm out - you seem to like having your right arm super-manning above your head.

You're breastfeeding and drinking formula, 2 oz at a time.  I try to breastfeed first and follow up with a bottle if you still seem hungry, which you usually do.  We're getting better at breastfeeding but it's still pretty uncomfortable (read: painful) for me.

The diaper rash is still around but at the one week appointment your doctor demonstrated just how much Aquaphor we needed to be using.  We were putting it on thinly, like lip gloss, but we needed to basically frost your bum with the stuff!  (I ordered 2 big tubs from Amazon.)  You also spend about 15 minutes each morning without a diaper, which is helping with diaper rash too.

You make great faces and especially like to form your little mouth into an "o."  You like your changing table and the picture of Sandy Beach, although I don't know that you can focus on it yet.

You do not like tummy time and only tolerate it for a few minutes right now.

It's just you, me, Dad, and Yeti right now!  We're doing well.  Dad and I are tired, but we're managing.  The advice all new parents get, "sleep when the baby sleeps," isn't very realistic.  It's the only time I'm able to get anything done!  Dad still has a few more classes left for the semester, but he'll be done soon.

We love you very much, Small Fry!

Now turn to the right!

On December 4th, Elliot participated in his first professional photo shoot.  Anna Hogan is a photographer and friend via bushiness school, and she is fantastic!  She was at our house for 4 1/2 hours, trying to capture Elliot on "film."  

Not really to our surprise, Devin and I were to be photographed as well.  Did we think that through?  No.  I worn black but the only solid dark shirt Devin had was a size too small, which made for some laughs but not the best pictures.  And from my corner, I failed to do anything with my hair so it looked like I'd just gotten out of the shower, which was true.  (Note to future Emily and Devin: plan ahead, comb hair, wear clothes that fit; try to look nice.)

Elliot did quite well considering he was 9 days old and we were stuffing him in scarves in baskets, etcetera.  I fed him twice during the shoot, he cried for a short while, and he only pooped on Anna's pretty blankets once.  

Some of my favorites.

Oh!  He was so so small and precious!  

We had a lot of fun!  I think we'll give it another go when Elliot is close to 1 year.  And maybe, just maybe, I'll comb my hair.  ;)