Current verdict on Elise's features: Daddy vs. Mommy

Does Elise look more like Daddy...

Daddy at 4 months old

Elise at 4 months old

...or mommy? You decide!

 

Mommy at 4 months

 

Elise again at 4 months

So far, almost all our friends and family think Elise looks like her daddy. I can definitely see the resemblance especially when I compare their baby photos. However, I did recently discover something funny; Elise looks just like mommy when she cries. I compared a photo of Elise and I as babies, both crying, and we look exactly the same. It's practically uncanny. I’m sure as she gets older, I will see more of me in her. But as of now I will have to settle for her looking like me when she cries haha.

Elise Crying

Baby photo of mommy crying

Honestly though, I really think she is the perfect combination of the two of us. She is growing to be such an adorable little girl. She has daddy’s hair, eyes, eyebrows, ears and head shape and mommy’s nose, lips/mouth and a bit of her chubby cheeks (though mine were twice as chubby as hers). She is still very petite, which she must get from Clint as mommy was a very chubby baby! Her hair keeps getting lighter and lighter. The roots are a light blonde and the ends are darker. I can tell that eventually it will turn all blonde. Her eyes are a dark blue color. Everyone always comments on how pretty and blue her eyes are. I think it is hard to say if they will stay blue, but they are definitely much lighter than when she was born so you never know.

Daddy with baby girl

Mommy with baby girl

Celebrating mommy's birthday & looking back on the past year

The three of us in San Francisco

This week was mommy’s birthday. To celebrate, we took Elise on her first road trip to San Francisco! We brought both grandparents to spend the day with us. It was so much fun and little Elise enjoyed being surrounded by her family. She did very well on the trip. She was content for the majority of the day, and happy to experience all the new sights and sounds of the city.

The day after mom’s birthday trip, Elise got to celebrate even more as her mom and dad's favorite red-haired auntie and Starbucks lovin’ uncle (aka. Robin & Greg) came up, from Carlsbad, to visit her. It was a busy and fun filled weekend; complete with great friends and family visitors.


This week also marks a full year since I first found out I was pregnant! This time last year, October 14th to be exact, Clint and I were celebrating the exciting news. We had just got back from my birthday trip, to New York City, when we found out. The photo below, is of the two of us, in October of last year, at the top of the Rockefeller Center Building in NYC. Unbeknownst at the time, I was just a couple weeks pregnant with little Elise! So technically her very first trip was to New York City (haha).

My birthday last year in NYC - 2 wks pregnant!

It is amazing to think of all the changes we have gone through over the past year. I experienced all the highs, and occasional lows of pregnancy, we welcomed our baby daughter into the world, and have since been occupied caring for her and watching her grow. So much has happened; in many respects time has flown by, yet there have also been points where it simply stood still. I can’t even begin to count the number of days I felt as if I would be pregnant forever! Yet, now that Elise is here and developing so quickly I feel like her first nine months will breeze by in relation to those of my pregnancy. Of course the anticipation and uncertainty is what draws out pregnancy.

Ever since Elise’s birthday, I feel like I can’t keep up with everything Elise related in my life. I have tons of photos and videos to organize and upload, and I am doing my best to keep up with her baby book and journal. I feel swamped under this entirely new expanse of my to-do list. All I can say is thank goodness for the video camera. I have been saving time by doing short video updates on all new Elise related developments. She is keeping mom super busy, but of course I enjoy every moment of it.

The best birthday gift;

sharing the day with my two loves

We've cracked the baby code!

Mischievous little smile

Elise has been gradually mastering grabbing and holding her toys. She is now able to: pass toys back and forth between her hands, grab objects dangling above her, grip and maneuver toys, and now successfully direct toys to her mouth. She also enjoys chewing on her hand and sucking on her fingers. I can’t believe the progress she has made in just a matter of weeks. Her movements have become more fluid and precise, and she continues to challenge herself to progress even further.

Her smiles, coos, and baby babbling have also become more and more precious every day! Often times when she smiles, she will stick out her tongue and coo. It is so precious that she wants to show mom and dad just how happy we make her. Just the other, day she gave us the cutest little mischievous grin! I was able to capture the moment, hence, the darling photo of the week (pictured above).

Elise can now reach the ground in her jumper! She can tap the ground and push off with her tiptoes. She is starting to enjoy jumper time and bouncing around. It is so cute to watch her. All her energy and excitement makes mom and dad the most proud parents!

The best part of this week, is that Elise is now officially on a regular daily and nightly schedule. She has a morning and afternoon nap, and regular 3 ½ - 4 hour spaced feedings at roughly the same time each day. She has always been good about sleeping through the night. She will usually go to bed around 9:30-10pm and sleep for 8-9 hours, waking up around 6:30-7am. She rarely ever wakes up during the night anymore, which is fabulous news for mom and dad! I am so happy we’ve finally got her on a schedule. It has made a huge difference.

At this point, I think I can safely say that Clint and I are finally in the position where we feel we’re speaking the same language as Elise. We are able to decipher her cries, we feel confident in our abilities to calm her, and overall have gotten into the swing of her routine. She is a good baby. We’ve never dealt with excessive crying or fussiness. She knows that she’s loved and finds ways to show it all the time now!

"This is your cue to pick me up"

On the twelfth week - New discoveries and baby friends!

Elise holding her rattle

Elise is getting noticeably stronger this week. She now holds up her head pretty well for short periods of time. She is also starting to hold up her own weight and stand. She LOVES to stand, and daddy makes sure to work with her every day. Daddy takes her hands and then she pushes upward with her legs to stand. Sometimes she gets upset and voices her frustration through squeals and yells. She has a feisty little personality emerging and I love it!

One thing she’s recently discovered, that I wish she hadn’t, is mommy’s long hair! She has decided it is fun to pull and grab. It also makes a great support rope when she wants to try and pull herself up. I don’t know how many strands of hair I’ve lost at the hands of Elise, but I figure with my thick mane I can afford to lose some here and there.

In just one week’s time, Elise has significantly improved upon her hand eye coordination. I’ve been dangling toys and rattles in front of her each day as encouragement. She now is able to move her hand, somewhat robotically, to maneuver her toys. Once her hand hits the toy, she then slowly grasps it within her palm. Before, it would always fall from her grasp, but she now grips on and holds her toys! I was so thrilled the first time she did this. She then holds the toys and tries her best to get them to her mouth. It is so funny watching her attempts. She holds up her arm, stiff as can be, and jerks it every which way trying to find her mouth. She usually gets frustrated after about six to seven attempts, but every so often she will make it, encouraging her to continue the progression.

Elise also got to visit with her “baby friend” Lillie. Baby Lillie is just three weeks younger than Elise. It is always cute seeing the two of them together, as they are so close in age. We first got them together as newborns, when baby Lillie was 1 week and Elise was 4 weeks old.

Baby Friends - Lillie (2 1/2 mos) & Elise (3 mos)

Newborns - Lillie (1 wk) & Elise (4 wks)

A celebration of all things three!

Daddy, Mommy & Elise - celebrating all things three!

3 months, 3 years and a family of 3

This week, mommy and daddy celebrated their three year wedding anniversary. Three years, a family of three, plus Elise turned three months old this week! We had grandma and Aunt Darcy babysit Elise, while we went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. It was the first time mom and dad got out together sans baby. Dad loved it, and mom couldn’t stop thinking about Elise. We had a great time, but I missed my little girl so much! I never realized leaving her at home, for more than a couple hours, would be so hard.

Our little three month old has now graduated to sleeping in her own room. For the first couple weeks after we brought her home, she slept in her portable baby bed positioned right smack in between mom and dad. I remember being so cautious and worried; I wanted her as close as humanly possible! She then moved on to sleeping in her baby bed, placed inside her playpen, next to mommy’s side of the bed. We’ve taken baby steps (no pun intended ha) in gradually moving her to the crib. It’s been quite difficult to do, as I love hearing her breathe and knowing she is close.

She woke up around 2-3 times the first few nights in her crib, though now she sleeps the entire night through. I sleep with the baby monitor adjacent to my ear, and some nights I turn up the volume, a bit more than usual, just to hear her little rhythmic breaths. It is soothing and puts mommy to sleep. I must admit, it’s been hard moving her to sleep in her own room. I thought I would have done this much sooner. I joked to Clint, “our baby is growing up too fast”, while puckering my bottom lip just like Elise. While I miss having her so close, I’m glad she has now adjusted to her crib. She is sleeping there much more comfortably and had completely outgrown her portable baby bed.

Little sleepyhead!

She is also starting to hone in her motor skills and use her little hands and feet. She began to uncurl her hands a few weeks back, but now she is discovering that she is in control of them. It is so thrilling to watch her awkwardly bat at objects, put her hand in her mouth, and begin to hold her toys. I can only imagine how it feels for her; a new world at her fingertips! I look forward to her grabbing and holding her toys. I also keep thinking about how amazing it will feel the first time she reaches up her arms for me to pick her up.

Elise multitasking :)

Ten weeks along...Our little water baby!

Elise loves her baths

Elise just had her two month checkup. She now weights 11 lbs 9 oz and is 23 ½ inches long. She is in the 75th – 90th percentile for her weight and height measurements. Elise’s pediatrician even commented on how alert and healthy she is. We also discussed doing her first vaccinations and ultimately decided to wait until her next checkup. I couldn’t bear to give her the eight shots suggested. She is still so little right now and I figured waiting a few extra months won’t do any harm.

One thing Elise loves is her baths! Clint and I recently took some adorable photos of our little water baby. She smiles, coos, and sometimes even sticks out her tongue to taste the water. It is so funny watching her do this. Bath time has become a fun activity for mom and dad. Even when Elise is cranky and fussy her baths always seem to calm and relax her.

Smiling after her bath

After her baths, I enjoy swaddling her in her hooded pink bath towel. This is the only time she likes to be swaddled. Usually she kicks and pulls off all her blankets. I also love dressing her up and brushing her hair. She gets the cutest little ringlet curls after her bath, but they usually dry out to be straighter. I’ve had fun in my attempts to “style” her hair. After considerable effort, I finally got bows to stay in her hair! I have given her a single ponytail and pig tails. She has had a full head of hair since the day she was born, yet it is just now long enough, and filled in, to pull up in cute little bows.

Nine week old Elise knows she has mom and dad wrapped!

"Don't make me cry!"

Elise is gradually delving into the art of manipulation. I think she may be aware how well trained she has mom and dad, because she now cries for our attention. I’ve learned this in trying to calm her during car rides. At first, I figured she just hated being restrained. Now I’ve learned that if I sit in the back next to her, she is perfectly fine and will not cry. Of course, I refuse to sit in the back with her every car ride as I want her to get accustomed to occasionally separating from us. She’s getting better at self-soothing, but she still loves to reward mom and dad with a smile when she gets her way!

We finally got Elise trained that the pacifier = sleep. I was completely against it in the beginning, but to be honest it has been a very helpful tool. She now has a tendency to lose her pacifier while she sleeps. Of course, she doesn’t realize it and continues sucking away in her sleep. It is so cute to watch her little puckered lips and mouth go with no pacifier in sight. Sometimes, I will sit over her bed and just watch her sleep. She looks like a perfect little angel, so peaceful and content. When she is fast asleep virtually no noise will wake her. Mom and dad wish they slept that well!

Elise has also been spoiled in having both grandma and nana come to watch her on weekdays. It has been extremely helpful for mom and dad as we’re able to get more work done. We feel so fortunate to have both sets of grandparents living so close, and we're beyond thankful for all their help!

Pondering her next move

Harnessing the power of the baby grin

Elise, out and about at eight weeks

Elise in Candyland - CA State Fair 8/27/09

This week, we took Elise on her first big excursion to the California State Fair. We had a fabulous time, just the three of us! We packed a couple bottles and were able to stay for about five hours. It was so much fun, mainly because it was our first big family outing together. We saw The Fab Four (a great Beatles tribute band) and took Elise to see the exhibits and animals (though she didn’t pay much attention). It was more fun for mom and dad to get to spend some quality time with baby girl. She was great the entire time and didn't fuss once. The best part is that we got some great photos. There was an entire exhibit devoted to candy. It was decorated with a fun candyland theme and made the perfect backdrop for Elise’s photos.

While it is a great thing that Elise loves to go on outings with us, she absolutely HATES her car seat and car rides. She screams and cries almost every time we are in the car. Everybody has always told me car rides are great for getting babies to sleep...well not for her. She detests being strapped down and squirms, kicks and yells. As soon as we get out of the car and unstrap her she is fine again. I’m sure this is just a passing phase and I would much prefer that she cry on the way somewhere rather than once we arrive.

Daddy has also been making sure to hog all the baby time to himself lately! Anytime we take Elise out, he insists on leaving the stroller in the car so he can hold her everywhere we go. He has gotten so much attention from women ogling over Elise. I think he likes parading the “daddy factor” as I affectionately refer to it. Most women become trapped under the spell haha. But seriously, he just loves holding her close. Whenever I ask to hold her he replies, “She’s my baby”, and pulls her close! I find it so cute and sweet.

Elise as "Mona Lisa"

Jellybean Marilyn Portrait!

Baby GAS...the painful reality!

Ok, so here's the deal, in the past month baby gas has taken over and made the half hour after eating pretty miserable for little Elise. After her feedings, she tightens her body, pulls her legs up to her torso and cries in pain. It's awful to see her so uncomfortable and also so helpless in attaining relief. We burp her, pump her legs, pat her back and often even give her mylecon drops and while this all helps a bit it is still ever-present. I have changed my diet multiple times, to see if I can make things better for Elise, but all to no avail. We've accepted that her body will need to gradually adjust, but in the meantime GAS has temporarily become a four letter word!

The awkward truth about our seven week old

Little Elise - Seven Weeks

Ok, so I’ve pretty much decided that we have the squirmiest baby known to man! Trying to put on her diaper has become a real struggle. In fact, just holding her still is a struggle. She squirms all over place and is very strong! She loves to test her limits and push off my body with her legs. There have been quite a few occasions where I’ve had to quickly grab her so she didn't springboard off of me. I have been giving Elise more play mat activity time so she is able to get her energy out. When I put her on the play mat, she kicks out her legs and feet like she is peddling a 10 speed! She is so vivacious and spirited. It is an absolute joy to watch so much liveliness emanating from such a tiny little body!

She is getting cuter by the day, but she still has her endearing little awkward moments. I went to take a video of her, as she was looking so precious and cute, and all of a sudden her eyes went cross, her mouth went sideways, she let out the biggest yawn and then gave her signature yell. Clint and I couldn’t stop laughing.

Parents are always quick to divulge all their cute baby stories, but you rarely ever hear the awkward truth about newborns until you experience it firsthand as a parent. Babies are the funniest little beings. Sometimes when Elise poops, she goes cross eyed and balls her hands into fists ready to let loose. She burps and farts like a sailor. What’s even funnier is that mom and dad are now proud and praise her each time she gets out a fart or burp. I mean, we have to be for our own personal sanity, because if she isn’t able to get them out, she will be screaming and crying until she does.

One very cute thing Elise has started this week, is experimenting with her little voice box. Now when she smiles she lets out a coo every so often. It is so thrilling to hear her little voice emerge. Right now she makes sounds only occasionally, but each time she does it makes me so excited to hear more. I love her tiny little voice and sweet noises.

We also got little Elise together with her cousin Tyler (who is just over a year and half). It was the cutest sight ever! Elise made the funniest little face, as she was a bit unsure about all the new people. It was absolutely priceless. She raised her eyebrows, widened her eyes, and dropped her mouth wide with a look of pure uncertainty. After a while, she finally mellowed out and we took a few photos. Tyler was so sweet and gentle with her. He got excited each time she made a noise. We look forward to watching them both grow up together!

Little Cousins - Elise and Tyler!

Her unsure expression!

Warming up

Finally a smile!

Six weeks along and the slow transformation is upon us

Elise alert at six weeks

Clint and I keep saying that Elise is now slowly transforming into a baby. The first 4-5 weeks, she was more like a little machine; eat, sleep, cry, burp, dirty diapers…on repeat, and not necessarily in that order. She now exhibits all the signs of a baby in the making. She’s finally able to stare up into our eyes and really recognize us. She smiles more frequently now and is constantly alert and attentive. Each day a little something new emerges. Daddy and mommy are greatly enjoying this transformation. It has made us appreciate each fleeting moment with her, as we are quickly realizing how fast the "newborn stage" passes by. It's funny because even at a few weeks old, we keep saying she was growing too fast. But now that her growth is coupled with noticeably new development it has become exciting!

Another thing, that has been cracking me up this week, is her constant arm flailing in her sleep. Almost any sound has the potential to trigger her reflexive arm flailing. Sometimes she just does it out of nowhere. It is so funny and cute. Daddy and I get a kick out it.

Daddy has also been having some fun with baby girl by making her “dance”. He holds her upright in his arms and essentially puppeteers her to dance to different songs. It is an absolute laugh riot, and I have taken a couple baby dance videos starring little Elise. Yes, her parents have gone zany on her and I’m sure it won’t be the last time.

Her new hairline

Elise’s hair is another new topic. Her head has started to outgrow her original hairline, so now she has short lighter hair coming in on the front of her head while the back is all dark. Poor baby has what resembles a balding mans hairline. Of course this is just temporary, but it is quite funny! She has also been having her funny little "baby monkey" moments. I had to post the photo below for evidence.

Elise sleeping like a baby monkey :)

Daddy also found a bit of time this week to put together Elise’s baby jumper. Although she can’t hold her head up yet, daddy found a way to modify it so she could test it out. He put blankets behind her head and back to hold her upright, and books on the ground so she could have something to push off with her feet. It is so adorable seeing her in the jumper! She is so tiny and has a long way to go before she can touch the ground with her feet. After daddy made the necessary modifications, she was able to start pushing with her feet a tiny bit. It was thrilling for us to watch. Pretty soon, she will be bouncing around like crazy.

Testing out her new jumper

Our thoughts at one month

Daddy & Mommy with one month old Elise

Well, I’m happy to report that we survived the first month of new parenthood! Elise has grown so much over the past few weeks. Clint and I can’t even believe how much bigger she is now compared with when we first brought her home. We've especially noticed that Elise is growing upward rather than outward. She is a tall and slender little girl!

She has become more alert and interactive each day, we’ve experienced her first smile and we are both starting to get the hang of the whole parenting thing. I would be lying if I said I felt completely confident in everything yet. We still have a lot to learn and experience before we reach that point. However, what I do know is that each day is getting easier, and once we start her on a more routine schedule it should be relatively smooth sailing.

Looking back on how much she has grown and developed, just over this past month, makes us very excited for the future. We now look forward to all the milestones and new experiences she will bring in the new few months. When we think about her holding her head up, laughing, crawling, walking and talking, it overwhelms us with excitement. While we do cherish this fleeting baby stage, we also love knowing that her little personality will soon unfold before our eyes. We can’t wait to see the person she becomes. We both know she will be an incredible little girl.