This journal is a week by week account of what is going on in Elizabeth's life. As this is going to be made into a book, and bound for her first birthday, it is written to her.
Enjoy!
You had your first cold this week. You had been sniffling for a few days, but by Monday evening you were fully congested. It was sad hearing you breathing a little raspy. Other than sneezing occasionally you didn’t seem to mind all that much; however, you did not like it when you dad and I used the aspirator. It made us feel better though because your breathing sounded so much better after we cleared your nose.
On Tuesday around lunch time we went shopping. After awhile, I wanted a snack and so I went to Paradise Bakery. It was there that I met four other moms and their babies…all of which were born in January of this year. It was so much fun spending time with other moms. All the babies were well behaved and oh so cute. I must say, you were by far the sweetest and cutest baby…not that I am biased or anything.
I never knew how sweet the sound of laughter was until I heard you laugh for the first time. Your dad was playing with you while you were lying on your back. He was blowing raspberries on your hands and feet, making funny noises, and tickling you. You were smiling and making all sorts of cute sounds when all of a sudden you laughed. It was so sweet and afterwards you smiled like you knew you had just done something special. We tried to get you to do it again for the camera, you didn’t cooperate, but we did get some more big smiles.
On Monday evening you officially rolled over. Why do I say officially? Well that is because your dad and I had found you rolled over in your crib many times, only we hadn’t seen it yet. We were still unsure if you were doing it all by yourself, or if you needed to push off the side of the crib. Well, all doubts were lifted away when you, while playing with your blocks on the ground, rolled over all by yourself. I was so excited! I clapped my hands and praised you and made a big fuss…and do you know what I did next? I put you back on your belly and ran for the video camera. I wanted to catch this amazing event on video. So after you rolled over a few more times (for the camera,) I called your dad. After I told him the news he joked, “Did she roll, or did you push her over?” I was shocked that he would say that and I quickly laughed back, “I am not Juan! Besides, I got it on tape!” Then we both laughed and your dad mentioned he couldn’t wait to see it for himself. (I feel that I must say that I was referring you your cousin Ramona’s dad. You see, the jury is still out on whether or not he “helped” Ramona roll over for the first time. You can ask your aunt Linda for specific details.)
This week we took a comparative picture. Of course we knew that you had grown, but we wanted to see just how much. So…I remembered that when we had first brought you home, we swaddled you and propped you up in my nursing pillow. We have since started using that pillow for tummy time. Once we put the pictures side by side, it was hard to remember you ever being so small. What a difference from two days old to three and a half months old.
Grampa Bob, Gramma Kathy, and Aunt Sarah came to town this weekend. On Friday everyone had dinner, Uncle Greg and Aunt Kelsey were there too. We were celebrating Greg’s birthday.
Sunday, Mother’s Day, was a quiet day. We went out to breakfast. We took some pictures and then all our guests went home. The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home.
I had always wanted to try cloth diapers. While your dad and I were expecting your arrival, we had quite a few discussions on whether or not to use cloth diapers. I did some research but was a little overwhelmed with the amount of information I found. We decided to use disposables. Well, after visiting your cousin Ramona (who was in cloth diapers) I realized how simple it was so I ordered cloth diapers and we made the switch. I must say that I am happy we did. I learned several ways to fold your diaper and the fold that worked best for you was called the jelly-roll fold. I still needed to perfect it, but it worked wonderfully!
Your dad and I discovered that you had cradle cap. Cradle cap looks like yellow, flakey skin on your scalp. Many babies get it and it usually doesn’t bother babies, but if it becomes a more severe case, it may itch. One morning we noticed a few dry flakes in your hair and you were pulling your hair and seemed to be trying to itch your head. Once we examined it further we realized that you had a fairly bad case; it covered the entire top of your head. We felt bad that we had not caught this sooner. We bought a cradle cap cream, gave you a few extra shampoos this week and it cleared right up. At least you didn’t hate your baths anymore, and besides you looked really cute in your in hooded towel…
Your night time sleep pattern had become quite erratic. It seemed as if you were awake more than you were asleep. When you were awake, you were tired and not happy. Your dad and I just knew that if you went to sleep you would be a much happier baby. I called your pediatrician and asked what I should do. He told me to try the Cry it Out method. He said we should let you cry for a little while to see what you would do. He said we just might be picking you up too quickly. Your dad and I agreed to give this method a chance…but we were nervous about it.
We had to decide on a bed time and a routine to follow each evening. So we put you in your sleeper and I nursed you just before bed. You were definitely drowsy, but your eyes were still open when I put you down. (You see, I couldn’t put you to bed asleep anymore.) I left the room and you didn't fuss at all! That was at 9:00 pm.
You woke up at midnight. I looked at the clock and let you fuss; you started to cry very hard after two minutes and just as I was getting up, you stopped. After eight minutes of crying you were asleep! We repeated this at 2:30. When you woke up at 4:30 I changed your diaper and fed you. I figured 7 1/2 hours was a long time. After your feeding, I put you to bed drowsy and just like the beginning of the night you didn’t fuss! You slept until 7:15.
That evening you slept from 9:oopm until 7:15am with only about a half of an hour of awake time. Your dad and I were excited to have had some sleep again. When you woke up you gave us big smiles. We think you were just as happy after a good night sleep.
Also this week, it was such fun watching you play with your hands. You are using them more and more each day. Now, instead of just batting at toys, you seem to really play with them. I loved watching you play with your horse. At one point it was falling and you caught it.
You also began to talk a lot more this week. It was fun watching you coo and gurgle to your toys. So sweet.
On Sunday, Uncle Greg and Aunt Kelsey watched you for the day while your dad and I went to a wedding. You had so much fun with them. You smiled and played. It was nice to have a date with your dad. I must say though, halfway through the day, your dad and I ready to be with you again.
This week we did quite a bit of resting during the day. We had to get our energy back and settle into a routine now that we were back at home. I wish I could say we slept more at night though. Your night time sleep patterns were a bit sporadic this week…from sleeping five hours at a time to one hour at a time. I think you were going through a growth spurt. However, it is also said that as babies reach new milestones they tend to wake more during the night for a few nights. This might have been the case because we found you rolled over in your crib again this week and you were getting very close to rolling during your activity times during the day.
I also noticed that you had not only discovered your hands, but that you could manipulate them as well. You were batting at things, grabbing my hair and my shirt. It was rather exciting. So, you had more tummy time this week than in previous weeks. You seemed to like it; especially when your dad and I put blocks in front of you to reach out and touch. You seemed to change and grow a little more every day.
This week you really noticed the dogs for the first time. In the beginning, they stayed away from you. I don’t think they knew what to think of you…you see, they hadn’t been around a baby before. They had been coming up and sniffing you for a month or so, but this week you noticed them. You would look up when you heard them go through the dog door. You would follow them with your eyes as they walked through the room. You even reached out at them. Molly was most interested in you.
wanted a snack and so I went to Paradise Bakery. It was there that I met four other moms and their babies…all of which were born in January of this year. It was so much fun spending time with other moms. All the babies were well behaved and oh so cute. I must say, you were by far the sweetest and cutest baby…not that I am biased or anything.
