A whole new world...of food

At Elliot's 4 month well checkup, the Dr suggested that we start introducing solids in her diet to boost her weight and extend her nightime sleeping. We were thrilled, especially Tim! Now Daddy could have a role in feeding! When I was pregnant, we decided when the time came we would make our own baby food. I had read some good articles and blogs about homemade baby food and decided it was for us. Here are the following reasons why(in no particular order):

• It's fun!
• It's way cheaper. 2 bananas made 8 servings which cost 78 cents. Gerber's 2 pk of bananas cost $1.20.
• It's healthier. You control how the food is made so you can make sure the peak nutrients are in each serving. Prepackaged foods are factory made and assembled quickly so some nutrients are lost. Also, prepacked food is made to stay on the shelves and in your home for awhile, which means they are packed with preservatives and unnecessary additives.
  
• It tastes better! Have you ever tried some of those baby foods? Yuck! If it doesn't taste good to me, why would I serve it to her?

There are more reasons why we are making her baby food, but I'll get off my soap box now :) So that night I made rice cereal (rice, water, breast milk) and Tim and I did the age old dance called "getting the food in the baby's mouth." She liked the spoon, but not what was on it. So we skipped rice cereal (there is no nutritional reason to start with it and it made her constipated) and moved onto avocados. These were a hit! Tim and I enjoyed yummy guacamole, while Elliot ate up all her pureed avocado. The next food introduction was bananas. I had a feeling she would love it since it was sweet. Well she didn't disappoint! Elliot became a baby bird dutifully opening her mouth and squealing for more. Here is a picture of when we finished:
I think our next food adventure will be peas. Since she loves the sweeter foods (don't we all), I'll save those for later to make sure she develops a pallet for veggies.

4 Months Old!

Last Friday, Elliot turned 4 months old! She is growing and developing so fast that we can't believe it! But I guess I say that every month :) She is still long and lean at 11 lbs 14 oz and 24.75 in long. Elliot is the tallest 4 month old in the New Moms Group we go to. She is starting to take a regular nap in her swing. Now it's no secret that my child doesn't like to sleep. Since day one she's always been alert and wants to be a part of it all. So this regular nap is a BIG step, and now you can rejoice with me. Elliot entertains herself with her little gym, taggie blanket, and rattles. This preoccupation sometimes extends to the car, which makes trips more bearable! She giggles and smiles at other people now, especially babies. Her favorite baby is the one who lives in the mirror and enjoys talking to her often :) Elliot is still a big wiggle worm and uses that energy on rolling side to side and front to back.

The USB drive that holds my pictures is acting up, so I don't have the outakes of her 4 month pictures. But hopefully I'll have those up soon. In the mean time, here are links to two videos. They are both about 5 minutes long, so I understand if you don't watch the whole thing. They are posted on YouTube, but under a security setting. So copy and paste the link into your browser to access them, if you just search for them it won't work.

Elliot's baptism video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUg6cI5nbLc

Elliot trying rice cereal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxSh7n-KPQY

Florida: part 2

Saturday morning, Tim and I treated ourselves to the hotel's amazing breakfast buffet and then headed to my parent's house. Elliot was bright eyed and greeted us with big smiles! She slept an 8 hour stretch that night! So she was ready for pool time in the backyard. Tim relaxed on a raft while Elliot and I hung out in the shaded side. Later, Kim came over to hang out poolside. After a couple mosquito bites, we decided to head inside. Tim and I were hanging up wet towels when we heard Kim say "Um, I think she's peeing on me!" Way to make a good first impression baby girl ;)That night my mom, Tim, Elliot, and I went over to Jessica's gorgeous new house. It is right on the river and the bottom level houses the boat! After catching up with some friends from high school, we went to church for Marlee's baptism. Marlee is the granddaughter of Elmer, my childhood pastor who married us, and the niece of my good friend Leah. It was nice to see some families from the church that I've known forever. Then we picked up some Dakine Diegos, the best burritos ever, and settled down for a quiet night. Little did we know how quiet! After I put Elliot down for the night, we had one of our famous storms (Brevard is one of the lightning capitals). Then we promptly lost power. While my parents dutifully got out the candles, flashlights, and battery powered fans, Tim and I ventured to the grocery store for Sunday's lunch menu and beer. Tim, my mom, and I weathered out the brief storm with a couple of beers and good conversation.
Sunday morning was Elliot's big day! It was the day of her baptism and meeting lots of family and friends. Elmer, as mentioned above, performed Elliot's baptism at the beginning of the service. Elliot was great! She only whimpered a little when the water was sprinkled on her head. Tim and I are so excited and proud to be chosen as the parents for the precious baby girl! Sometimes when I really think about it, it still takes my breath away. After the service, my mom put together a casual reception with breakfast foods. Tim and I were so touched by how many people came by to meet Elliot! Our family is truly loved by so many amazing people!After the whirlwind of the baptism, we retired to my parent's house with my grandfather and his wife, my uncle and his fiance, and my parents. Tim and I provided lunch for the group and enjoyed catching up with family. After lunch and saying goodbye to family, the four of us and Elliot celebrated Father's Day! Elliot got my dad a frame with his favorite picture of her, and she got Tim 3 different kinds of genuine beef jerky and 2 bars of bacon dark chocolate (if you haven't had it, it's amazing). The guys also humored us by opening several cards and remarking on how "cute" each one was. Tim and I ended our vacation with one last walk with Elliot to the beach and then went to bed early.
It was a wonderful vacation! And it actually felt like a vacation this time! Usually when we visit family it isn't relaxing and we feel like we're pulled in all directions. This time Tim and I got to enjoy our family and friends without sticking to a schedule :) I look forward to our visit next summer!

Florida: part 1

On Wednesday, Tim and I took Elliot down to Florida! I of course was my anal self about traveling, and had everyone packed the night before. We had a car seat, stroller, diaper bag, purse, backpack, and 2 checked bags. This was difficult for Tim and I because we haven't checked bags in over 2 years! We usually travel light and pack well, but with Little Miss that wasn't going to happen. So that morning our dear friend Diana drove us and all our stuff to the airport. Elliot was AMAZING at the airport! Of course I wanted to get there really early for a number of reasons, and she slept until we got to the gate. Then she charmed everyone on the plane until take off when I started to nurse her. She didn't seem bothered by her ears popping and went right back to sleep.My dad greeted us and his new granddaughter at the airport and drove us home. This was the first time he met Elliot, minus the Skype dates. My mom basically jumped out of her skin when we arrived and quickly took over her grandmother duties by showing her off to her friends and neighbors. Then she showed Elliot her Disney toys. I mean, she had to have some Disney toys since we were in Florida! Winnie the Pooh, who sings, was a big hit and was smuggled back to VA.On Thursday, we made the much anticipated visit to MY grandmother's assisted living center. I call her Abuelita ("dearest grandmother" in Spanish). She is pushing 100, and seeing Elliot has been her goal to live toward since last year...seriously. Abuelita could not take her eyes off of Elliot and even noted that "Elliot is adorable. Deanna wasn't that adorable when she was a baby!" Swarms of nurses, staff, and residents came to see the Prodigal Great Grand baby as my Abuelita beamed and held her gently. She made sure that everyone agreed that Elliot was the cutest baby ever :)
Thursday night, my parents watched Elliot while Tim and I had a date night and stayed at a beachfront hotel. It was the same hotel we, and many of our guests, stayed at during our wedding. We were so thankful to have that time, especially since Elliot gave my parents a hard time that night. Apparently she was gassy and didn't go to bed until 10:30 and the proceeded to wake up every 2 hours!!

Friday morning, I greeted the tired grandparents and baby, and drove my mom to work. That day, Tim and I hung out at the hotel with Elliot. We took a walk on the beach and played in the pool. I bought Elliot a sun proof body suit that is supposed to protect her like 50+ sunscreen. She also dorned her sunhat and sunglasses for extra protection and cuteness. Elliot was a little unsure about the pool and made sure to have a close eye on mom and dad. After a much needed nap by all, my parents met us on the deck for pick-me-up happy hour.
That night after putting Elliot to sleep at my parent's house, Tim and I joined some of my girlfriends for dinner. Jessica, Alexis, and Kim then took us bar hopping around downtown. We had so much fun catching up and reminiscing. Tim was a wonderful husband and friend the whole night :)
More to come...

Just a little busy

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile! I think about it daily, but for some reason life gets in the way. Funny how that always seems to happen...

Things are getting busy as the end of the school year approaches and we get ready for summer. Elliot and I have swung by school a couple times to help out with the end-of-the-year preparations; however Tim has to remind me that I am on "leave without pay"and I shouldn't do too much.

One task that I've been dreading for months now is finding a daycare for Elliot in the fall. I return back to work at the end of August, and since good daycares are a hot commodity, I knew I needed to get on the ball. So after a tearful start, I called 10 daycare facilities and Elliot and I visited 4. My favorite one was the gorgeous facility that had everything a nervous new mom could want, but it was just a tad expensive. If you call $2030 a month a TAD expensive!! I mean what could they possibly be doing to cost that much?! Are they going to have Mother Teresa's ghost watch my child? Needless to say we did not pick that center. Instead we signed Elliot up for an in-home daycare only 2 minutes from my school! It came highly recommended and was within our budget. I feel like a giant weight has been lifted that I found a wonderful place for my baby girl.

So now we get ready for Florida! We leave Wednesday and return Monday. We have a lot of things planned, including Elliot's baptism and reception, but are also leaving room for relaxation. Tim and I are going to stay 2 nights at a beachfront hotel so we can have a mini vacation and be adults. When we return I will have loads of pictures to share :)
To all my Florida friends: I am going to try my best to see a lot of you!

See you again in a week!!

3 Months Old And Loving It

As mentioned before, Elliot turned 3 months old on Tuesday. It is amazing how the third month really marks a baby! She coos and smiles all day long, well except for when she's hungry, then she screams like a banshee. Elliot is so incredibly sweet when she wakes up in the morning. What could be better than a big smile and little giggle to say "good morning" ?! Elliot is learning to enjoy the world beyond Mommy's arms. She enjoys her little gym in the afternoons and the bouncy seat in the bathroom while I take a shower. However, held by Mommy while being entertained by Daddy is how she would prefer to spend her days. Tim has a special way of lighting her up with joy and scareing the crap out of her. We recently discovered that she is not ready for Tim's extreme facial expressions during peek-a-boo.

At 3 months, Elliot is even more long and lean. I took her to the dr today because I was concerned about her weight gain. She gets only breast milk, unless I've had wine with dinner then she gets one bottle of formula. We discovered that she is 24 in long (80th percentile) and 10.4 lbs (10th percentile). Of course being on two extremes concerned me, but our wonderful pediatrician put me at ease. She said that Elliot is healthy and strong in every way, and this month she just devoted all her growing to her length. She also said that it is better and healthier for babies to be long and lean rather than too fat. So with a great sigh of relief, I let go of my worries to make room for the new ones I'm sure will arise soon :)

A big milestone for Elliot is her sleeping. Our good girl is now sleeping...drum role please...7 hours straight at night! Getting my first good night of sleep was like drinking the first glass of good wine after being pregnant, I didn't know how much I missed it! Her sleep schedule is not solid yet, but hey we're working on it. I feed her, rock her, and put her down around 8-8:30 pm. Then Tim and I get the sacred adult time until 10:30-11pm when we go to sleep. Baby girl usually wakes back up for a feed around 3:30 am and then 6:30 am. So we're down to one feed during the night, which I have a feeling might phase out as soon as she gains more weight.

Thank you for reading my long blog entree this week, here's your reward:

While you wait...

Elliot turned 3 months yesterday! We go to the dr tomorrow to get her stats. So hopefully I'll have her 3 month pics up afterward. While you wait for those, here are some recent pictures of our precious baby girl.

Tim and Elliot enjoy discussing their days and current events.

Elliot loves to "talk"to Tim and I. She's a good girl and doesn't talk to strangers...or family friends. She's a little shy. Here she is saying her standard "Ah-goo."
She had enough talking and wanted her paci.