Yes...

I realize it has been a miserably long time since I've posted here - but it occurred to me that this is a great way to keep track of Elliott's milestones.

So - some new things about E: he has a new tooth poking through on top, he can sit unassisted, but still falls over sometimes, he loves the dogs and laughs at them with a big belly laugh, he has learned to lick, he uses the pincer grasp and picks up cheerios and (almost always) gets them in his mouth, he eats pretty much everything we give him, including a wide range of fruits and vegetables (and the occasional yogurt and cheese), he can roll onto his belly from both directions, and can sometimes roll back to his back, he is figuring out how to crawl, and will sometimes be in a totally different place from where you left him, he has become quite a snuggler, and is learning to reach for things and (more excitingly) people that he wants, at night he falls asleep holding a small stuffed hippo.

These are just a few things that my little man can do. He is such an incredible little baby person and we are so happy to have him in our lives!

Chomp.

I can't believe it! Elliott has two tiny little teeth on the bottom! I think they just showed up overnight - and would explain his fussiness last night and why he slept from 10pm-9:30am! Wow!

Ooh...don't eat the duck sauce...

I have what I think is food poisoning. Possibly from some 6 year old duck sauce. It is quite miserable.

At least I don't have a cold anymore.

Sore throat.

I have a sore throat. My nose is running and I'm sneezing. I've been up since 5:30 this morning. It's raining outside too. Tonight is Ele, Will and Finn's chili and beer party. We were all going to go, but I decided it would be better if I go alone, Andy stays home and watches Elliott and I come home when I start feeling too rotten. That way we don't go to all the trouble of packing everyone in the car just for me to decide an hour later that I've had enough.

I'm pretty upset about it though. I really wanted Andy to meet Will because I think they'd get along well. I really wanted to eat some chili, drink a little too much beer and have a fun evening. How is it I stay healthy for over a year and a half and only get sick right before something I've been looking forward to?

Ferberized.

Last night we began our 'Ferberization' of Elliott. I love this baby, and he's so warm and snuggly, but I simply cannot sleep with him in my bed another night!

Things actually went surprisingly well! First off, Andy bought a sound screen for the room, and I think that helped immensely. I put E down at 10:30, and he whimpered and cried for about an hour off and on. With the Ferber method you go in after 3 minutes to let them know you are there, and to also assure yourself that they are okay - but you do not pick them up! You stay in the room for no more than 2 minutes. I stay in there long enough to replace his woobie and pat his hands, but then leave him again after a few sweet words. The next time he starts to fuss you give it 5 minutes before going in the room. After that it's 10 minutes for the rest of the night.

What's hard in the middle of the night is if he wakes up determining if you should start the process over again, or let him have the opportunity to self-soothe. I learned this the hard way - but as long as they're awake it's a good idea to at least peak in on them. At one point Elliott was laying on one end of the crib and was now perpendicular to it. So the alarm on our sensor pad went off. This began a whole series of rolling over and getting fussy about it. The first time I rolled him back over and repositioned him in the center of his crib. The second time I could just tell his cries seemed muffled. Sure enough, he was on his tummy, but this time he was up against the side of the crib with one arm between the bars outside the crib, the other underneath his body and face down. This really freaked me out. Since both of his arms were indisposed he couldn't get the leverage he needed to get off his face. I rolled him over again, gave him his woobie and he promptly relaxed, rolled to his side and fell back asleep. At this point he slept for a solid two hours and woke us all up at 7:15. This is way earlier than we normally wake up, but according to the book when they wake after 6 am it's time to get up. So we did! Elliott woke up happy and smiling. I gave him a bath, he ate and he's taken a couple of cat naps this morning.

I am really excited by this. I will start putting him to bed a little earlier every night until his bedtime is around 9. This will leave me with a couple of hours to have some me time, or for Andy and me to have some us time! The Ferber method isn't nearly as harsh as previously thought, I think it will really work for us. Of course, I'll update you tomorrow!

Mmm..

Today Elliott and I went to the post office at Crabtree Mall. Big mistake. It was so congested with holiday shoppers, and for some reason everyone was going in reverse. I literally got behind THREE different people who backed up in front of me. One person even had the gall to wave their hand out of their window for ME to back up. What the heck? I'm not the one who missed the parking space because I was on my cell phone! (Mom and dad - no comments about how I have road rage!)

Later Elliott and I went to the park where we watched a 4 year old little boy being chased and caught by his mother (against his will) and a 7 year old boy who kept jumping from the swings. All I could think about is how rambunctious the little boys were, and how OH MY GOD I have one of those little things and that's going to be me chasing my son in a couple of years!

Tonight we went to get Chinese food. I had forgotten to eat all day, and Andy only had a muffin so we were both starved. Elliott is SO good when we take him out. I take him places without fear that he's going to freak out and pitch a fit. I let him taste my pineapple, and he made a series of funny faces, none of which looked too disgusted. When we got home Elliott ate an entire bowl of cereal.

My fortune: "It is better to have a hen tomorrow than an egg today." My thoughts exactly.

First trip to the playground.

Yes, I know it's sideways. If anyone (Mom?) can tell me how to turn it around I'd be eternally grateful!

Elliott actually didn't seem to think this was that fun - but he was very relaxed. He did giggle and laugh though when we met a five year old boy named Matthew and when we sat on the big kid swing together and I tickled his belly. It was really nice outside, a balmy 72 degrees and overcast. I can't wait to go again!