Ladies & Gentlemen, we have a WALKER

Okay ... so Elliot has been "really" walking since last Friday.



For whatever reason, Friday was his day 12/18/09. Sounds good. He's been taking steps here and there since his first on 11/1/09 ... but he hasn't really just "gotten up and walked" until this past Friday. It has been exciting.

He's been cruising for MONTHS now, since 6/25/09 ... so he's been "into everything" since then. His walking hasn't added any additional trauma in that regard.

Walker

My next area of concern centers around door knobs. He's tall enough now to reach them, but not tall enough to try and turn it. Oy! I have a lot of knobs to cover with safety devices. You've seen my hallway of doors!

I try to avoid as many of those safety products as possible ... sometimes I think we make our children's lives "too" safe. But I did break down a couple of weeks ago and buy a thingy that holds the toilet bowl lid down ... and now I fear it's like the safety gadget seal has been broken! In my defense, it was not a frivolous, lazy-parent purchase. Elliot hangs out with me in the mornings, in the bathroom, while I'm getting ready for work. He has free reign of cabinets and drawers and all other sorts of goodies, but I had to draw the line at the toilet. For one, I am a germaphobe (which got 10x worse after childbirth) and for two, it really is dangerous to allow your child carte blanche access to a vessel filled with water if your eyes are not glued to them. Given that part of the "getting ready for work" process always involves me washing my hair, I needed a way to prevent a horrible accident.

I feel 100% justified in my toilet guard purchase, but will door knob safety thingys bring me into the realm of lazy-parent? I guess only I can answer that, as it is a personal issue and typically not something I label other parents with.

Snow in High Point

This past Friday it snowed in High Point!

While those of us in the office who have lived in areas that snow had a good laugh at all the drama ensuing, I was looking forward to putting Elliot in the snow.

Sadly sometime during the dark hours of Saturday morning the snow turned into freezing rain and so there was a hard layer over the actual snow by the time we got Elliot outside.

I honestly thought about not putting him out in the snow because I figured it wouldn't be too much fun with the layer of ice ... but then I realized that I would be pretty ticked off with myself if I let the snow melt without pictures of Elliot in it!

So ... I bundled him up in a sleeper, his lined overalls, and a pair of lined nylon pants ... and on the top his NC State hoodie sweatshirt and his lined nylon jacket over that. I'm sure he was over bundled, but I wasn't sure how long we'd have him out there. Funniest part to me was his Daddy out there with him, with just a short sleeved shirt!

There wasn't much opportunity for real "fun" but we got some cute shots!

Snow in High Point

Scary Santa

Tonight we took Elliot to see the resident Levolor Kirsch Santa Claus.

We did this last year, and he was so chill about it ... but, of course, he was 6 weeks old last year.

This year, at 13.5 months, he was not so chill. He quite enjoyed flirting with every pretty girl he saw ... he didn't even seem too disturbed by the "big man in red" until he got closer, and closer, and closer ... Wow, by the time he was close enough to pull his beard, it was all over! Is it bad that I think my son is freaking adorable when he cries? Just so precious! And all that drama was in the hallway before the "formal" picture took place!



What a difference a year makes!

Given all of that ... I knew I was NOT going to get away with putting Elliot on Santa's lap without me there ... so I had to sit on Santa's lap, while Elliot sat on mine! Poor Ed ... I mean, Santa!

Dec 17, 2009

But, for his troubles Elliot was awarded this pretty cool toy!

Elliot as Santa

Tonight in an effort to come up with a Christmas card photo for 2009 we dressed Elliot up in his Santa suit (a compromise, as the child refuses to wear his Santa hat ... as you'll soon see).

I think you'll enjoy the results. It was a pretty fun and funny photo shoot!

Dec 14, 2009

Christmas Threw Up in My Livingroom

I am not big on Christmas.

Until this year.

Something about having a baby really changes your attitude about the holiday.

I still really don't like the commercialization and all of the pressure to buy people things during a specific time of year, even though you can't find anything that really looks like "them" ... all because it's Christmas.

BUT, I digress ... I have really gotten into decorating for the baby! Last weekend we ran out and bought the "Joys of the Season" cartridge for my Cricut machine. And now it looks like Christmas threw up in my livingroom! But, we're really enjoying it. Mom has even decorated the "Man Cave." You'll notice the difference in the rooms ... that's the Man Cave.

Christmas Decorations

One of my friends laughed at me when I said I was doing it for the baby ... but I really am. Every time he comes into the room he notices something new we've put up. He has really enjoyed all the new sights and he's pointing at the different scenes and makes a sound that we're saying is the word "pretty."

"That! Over There!"

Elliot has begun pointing!

I guess it's too early to tell him it's not polite to point. I suppose pointing is pretty useful at this age.

I just think it's pretty darn cute! The pointing started this week while we were at the beach celebrating Thanksgiving.

EVEN MORE CUTE!?!?!?! He's started touching the tips of his index fingers together like he's taking a roadside sobriety test! Or, like he's Evie from "Out of This World" and can freeze time.

Also, along the index finger obsession route, Elliot had endless minutes of fun playing with the plastic tip to the door stop in our bedroom. He took the plastic tip off and put it on his index finger ... then he'd take it off and put it on the OTHER index finger ... then he'd put it back onto the door stop! ;)

He also threw his first real "fit" while at the beach. Thanksgiving day itself, in fact. He was over-tired and Grandma walked out of the room and he just could NOT take that. His fit lasted almost 30 minutes and the length became a little disturbing to me; thankfully he finally fell asleep! :) Did you know that the "terrible 2's" begin at 12 months and typically last through the 36th month? So ... I guess the label "terrible 2's" is more about the DURATION rather than the AGE. Huh! Who knew?

So ... there's the summary of this week's developmental leaps. No, he's not consistently walking yet. ;)

Happy Birthday Baby!

Weight: 23.5 lbs.

Height: 31 1/2" inches

My BABY BOY is a 1 year old today! Here's his 2nd official birthday picture ... I think we have to count the delivery photos as 1st official birthday pictures. :)

What Elliot has accomplished since the last post (in August!)

• (8/26) Got into his puffs container on his own (think melt away cheerios)
• (8/26) Pulled puffs out of a snack trap container for the 1^st time
• (8/28) Started shaking his head “no” when about to get his face wiped.
• (9/2) Elliot rolled off of the changing table for the first time! Luckily I was bent down to look for something in the drawers and “caught” him before he could really fall.
• (9/5) While on vacation at the beach I began training Elliot to sleep in the bed by himself. Rocked him to sleep and then placed him in the bed … he woke up twice, but I was able to quickly sooth him back to sleep both times! This has pretty much been his M.O. since ... unless Daddy is putting him to sleep ... and then he lets Daddy walk him around! Funny, eh?
  
• (9/18) Elliot learned to clap his hands this week!
• (9/25) Elliot started saying “buh” when he sees butterflies and dragonflies.
• (10/3) Had his first official “runny” nose. He’s had 2 other colds, but neither time did they result in a runny nose.
• (10/5) Elliot actually said “buh-bu-fah” at the butterflies in Mom’s room.
• (10/6) Gave Elliot his first ever dose of medication … he just seemed to feel so crappy that I thought it might help. Didn’t seem to do anything … oh well!
• (10/6) Elliot stood unsupported by himself for apx. 10 seconds. He’s doing that more and more, but still doesn’t seem to be interested in walking. He knows he can get wherever he wants by crawling … fast!
• (10/8) Grandma noticed that Elliot’s next 2 bottom teeth are coming through!
• (10/13) Elliot used his little walker and went form the couch to the TV stand.
• (10/16) Elliot rolled off of the bed for the 1^st time! Luckily we’d already taken the bed off the frame and placed foam mats underneath!
• (10/17) Elliot officially no longer wants to be rocked to sleep. I laid with him in the bed while he rolled around for a bit until he settled in a spot to sleep. Took 30 minutes.
• (10/22) Elliot waved back at Grandma today!
• (10/24) Elliot popped out his pacifier when he saw Grumpa and said “Pah!”
• (10/25) Took Elliot on his first “educational” outing … to the Natural Science museum to see the animals (they have a mini zoo and a petting area).
• (10/26) Elliot stood without assistance for the 1^st time.
• (11/1) Elliot took 2 steps toward me, from Grandma.
• (11/3) Elliot climbed out of his high chair. Also climbed out of the restaurant high chair! Oy! We’re going to have to use those dirty germ infested straps to buckle him in now!
  

• (11/4) Elliot turned 1! He made it through his first WHOLE year with only 3 mild colds, no ear infections, no trips to the Dr. (other than well-baby visits), 8 teeth through the surface, taking steps, co-sleeping, and breastfeeding the whole time!

I cannot believe it was only a year ago that my life ended as I knew it! Words cannot express how grateful I am that this little boy came into our lives!

We'll be celebrating this milestone with family, Mexican food, a Cherrybrook Kitchen birthday cake (Thanks Suzanne!) with Cream Cheese frosting and PRESENTS!

More pictures to come!