Five Weeks - 30 December

Elliot, 

You're 5 weeks old and we love you so much!

You're filling out more and more each week, which makes sense because you're eating more.  We've shifted from supplementing with 2 ounces to 4 on a regular basis.  Keep up the good work, buddy!  

This week you really started reaching for and swinging at the hanging toys on your play mat!  I don't think it was so much you aiming, but rather, waving your arms around and occasionally hitting the owl, bird, or squirrel.  I'm still proud.      

We started a nighttime routine: bath, bottle, bed.  It's been going well so far and you LOVE bath time!  I hope this means you'll love swimming, and lessons, because you're going to learn to swim.  :)

Sleeping is...ok.  You have a few good nights with 4-hour stretches, and then it's back to every 2 or 3 hours.  I'm thinking about getting you a Rock N Play sleeper; if give you a slight incline and parents love them!  We'll see...

We love you, Small Fry!

Bath, Nap, Play - A Week In Pictures

23 December through 29 December

Elliot and his play mat.  I really thought this was going to be stimulation overkill for the little guy, but he liked it then and still bats at it now.

Looking a little cone-headed.

The faces on this kid!

The Puj tub.  Cool idea but it didn't last long - the fit wasn't right for our kitchen sink.

First nap in his crib.  As you can tell, we were using it to store his stuffed animals (we know - nothing in the crib), but the conditions were right for a crib nap trial.

New tub!  I heart this tub!  And Elliot seems to like it as well; he's loved bath time from the get go.  (Alas, another baby item that the little guy is outgrowing.)

xoxoxo

Four Weeks - 23 December

Elliot,

You are four weeks old!  It's hard to believe that a month has passed since we first laid eyes on you.

Your sleeping patterns haven't changed much - you're awake about every 3 hours.  You've had a few 4-hour stretches that your dad and I get very excited about!  Since your dad went back to work I've been sleeping in your room on the futon after your midnight waking so he can get some solid hours of  sleep.

Your eating habits haven't changed - breast milk and formula.  I still don't have enough supply to stop supplementing but I'm happy you're good at breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

You've filled out a little; you're less frog-like.  :)  Your legs are still skinny but your arms are starting to get little rolls, which I just love.  And you're getting little cheeks!

You continue to make the best facial expressions and are interested in everything around you.  And you smile, smile, smile!

You celebrated your first Christmas this week - your ONE MONTH birthday as well!  While it was wonderful for us to have you, Christmas didn't mean much for you this year.  Next year, I think, will be a different story...  Also, although we don't know her yet, your friend, Marlo Williams, was born on December 20th.

We love you, Small Fry!

Elliot's First Christmas

22 December - 26 December, 2014  

Merry Christmas, Elliot!!

While it would have been wonderful to take Elliot to Minnesota for Christmas to meet family and friends, Devin and I decided months prior that we would stay in California for the holiday.  Not only is Christmas in MN cold as, it's usually pretty hectic and we didn't want to try to navigate multiple family gatherings with a one month old.

Staying in California allowed us the opportunity to spend Christmas in Tahoe with the Harkness family (Jill, Jason & Shal, Shaila, and Navya) and Nancy and Jeff.  Jason and Shal rented a house in Tahoe Donner for the season, so despite being in California, we still had snow and chilly temperatures for Christmas.  All told there were 7 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs at the house!

As usual, Devin and I waited until the last minute to pack.  It's one thing to pack for the 2 of us and Yeti, but this was our first time packing for Elliot.  The amount of "stuff" we decided to bring for 4 days still takes my breath away.  ;)  Clothes, diaper bag, pack n play, boppy, stroller, pump, car seat - unreal.  I like to think we'll get better at this.     

Elliot's first "road trip" was a successful 3 hours to Lake Tahoe.  He did pretty well and slept most of the drive. We pulled over once so three of us could eat, one of us could have his diaper changed, and one of us could pee on a tree.  (Yeti, not Devin.)

The house was great!  It had enough beds for everyone, a nice kitchen, and a cozy living room where Jason and Shal had put up a beautiful Christmas tree - it was a very comfortable place to spend Christmas.

Elliot and great auntie Jill

Best Buds

Shaila started ski lessons this winter (yay!) and we all met her for lunch after a class at Squaw.  It was so much fun to see her in her PINK gear!  Pink ski pants, jacket, helmet, mittens, and boots!  I'm excited for the age when we can get Elliot out on the mountain like that!  (Jason was the only other one to ski - the snow wasn't great but he had a season pass so he'd go out for a few runs while Shaila was in class.)

Navya and Shaila pushing Elliot in the stroller.

Ohhhh, my little peanut!

One of the only times I really used the Moby Wrap.  

I really liked it, but wrapping is a clumsy process.

Watching ice skaters and making s'mores.

(Yes, it looks like his head is on fire.)

***Christmas Eve***

Merry Christmas to the loves of our lives!

Yeti, trying to rid himself of his elf hat/ears.

I can't wait to see these two in action once Elliot can keep up!

Seriously, best buds.

***Christmas Day*** 

Shaila (3.5 yrs), Elliot (1 mo), Navya (1.5 yrs) 

Devin, building a trampoline. 

Jason, building a doll house.

We had such a lovely time in Tahoe - it was a fabulous place to spend our first Christmas with Elliot.  We are so thankful to Jason and Shal for hosting a wonderful Christmas this year!

The best gift

That I ever got

Didn't really weigh a lot

It didn't have a ribbon 'round

And it sometimes made a terrible sound

The best of all it seems to me

It wasn't 'neath the Christmas tree

And yet, I guess I'd have to say

That is made all the other presents twice as gay

The best gift that I've ever known

I'd always wanted most to own

Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice

I never thought it could be so nice

The best gift that I'll ever get

Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet

Was usually pink but oftentimes red

As it lay so innocently in its bed

The best gift of the year to me

The one I hold most dear to me

A gift that simply drove me wild

Was a tiny newborn child...