First Christmas (and weeks 31-32)

Last week we celebrated Eleanor's first Christmas. We all had a wonderful time and owe a big "Thank you!" to Eleanor's grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins for all of the cute clothes and fun new toys. She was truly spoiled!

I thought she might be crawling by Christmas, but she doesn't seem to be in any hurry to be more mobile. She enjoys sitting on the floor and playing with her toys, but doesn't seem eager to do much else. She can turn all the way around while sitting and scoot a few inches, and that’s good enough for her. She still hates being on her tummy, and when I try to give her time to practice crawling, she just cries while scooting herself backwards. I think our wood floors make it difficult for her to get any traction. Oh well. I really don't mind if she puts off crawling awhile longer. It means I can put off baby proofing and keep enjoying the freedom to put her down for a second and know she will stay in the same spot.

Here are some photos from Christmas and the last few days:

Sleeping in, 31 weeks

Christmas Eve at Grandma Fox's

Christmas morning with Mommy & Daddy

Babies' First Christmas with Atlas

Back home playing with a few of her new toys

32 Weeks

Funny face!

30 Weeks

Eleanor is 30 weeks old!

Today she and I went to San Francisco for a fun Christmasy afternoon. We went to look at the big tree and the ice skaters at Union Square, to do a bit of shopping, and to visit Santa! I wasn’t planning on getting her photo taken with him, I just wanted her to see him. I was afraid she would be scared, but when we got there she didn’t seem scared at all, and Santa was so adorable, I just couldn’t resist. Plus, the photos were free and there wasn’t a line! Eleanor was so captivated by all of the people in Santa hats shaking jingle bells at her that I don’t think she even noticed she was on Santa’s lap at all. Seeing my sweet baby girl with jolly ol’ Saint Nick gave me so many warm fuzzies, I’m still smiling about it.

Earlier this week Eleanor's Christmas present from Mommy & Daddy arrived, and we couldn't wait to give it to her. Since we'll be spending the holiday in Phoenix we wanted to do something special at home with just us anyway, so we let her open it. Of course she loved the tissue paper and the bag much more than what was inside (a stocking with her name on it).

We'll be back home from the 21st to the 28th, and we're so excited to spend Eleanor's first Christmas with our family!

29 Weeks

Eleanor is 29 weeks old today!

This week she had her first one-on-one time with Daddy. He took her to the park, to get coffee, and to a bookstore while I was at the dentist. They both had a blast. I don't think Eleanor even noticed I was gone, but she had a great big smile for me when we met up again.

I've got a couple of videos to post. The first is just a few minutes of her playing on the floor, and the second is an older one that I forgot to put up here last month.

28 Weeks

Eleanor is 28 weeks old!

We had her six month check up on Friday. She weighs 18 lbs 15 oz and is 29.5 inches long!

This week Daddy surprised us by bringing home a little Christmas tree! We’ve been married 5 years and this is only the second time we’ve got a tree. I’m typically not much for decorating for holidays, but having the baby around was making me want to listen to Christmas music and make some popcorn garlands or something. I didn’t think I would care, but I’m totally getting into this whole “Baby’s First Christmas” thing. While we were decorating our tree, I couldn’t help but think about all of the fun Christmases to come. I always loved Christmas when I was a kid, and I can’t wait to relive all of that magic and excitement through Eleanor.

In other news, our girl has developed something of a silly streak! Up until now she has been a very serious baby. She isn’t the type to smile at strangers or go out of her way to make people laugh or attract attention, but all of a sudden she developed the most hysterical little sort of laugh. It’s like a pre-laugh, just sort of a breathy “h-h-h” pant. She does it all the time, whenever she is pleased or excited or about to burst into a giggle or even when she just seems to want a little attention. It cracks us up! I’m going to try really hard to get it on video. It’s the best.

27 Weeks and 1st Thanksgiving!

Eleanor is 27 weeks old today, and yesterday we celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a family.

We made way too much food and missed all of our extended family back in Phoenix, but it was still a very lovely day. Holidays are so much more special since Eleanor came along. We're all getting so excited for Christmas!

Six Months!

Eleanor is SIX months old! Can you believe it?

Her baby days are half way over. In the blink of an eye she went from a tiny, sleepy newborn, the exact size as my tummy used to be, to a chubby baby who can feed herself (sort of), sit up on her own (for a few minutes), a baby who laughs and babbles and squeals with delight, who reaches out for me with her little hands, who is full of curiosity and vibrancy.

I would give anything to be able to slow time down, but at the same time I am so excited to watch Eleanor grow and change, to see her personality develop, to learn her likes and dislikes, to hear her first words and see her first steps. I feel so privileged to call myself her mother.

I've fallen behind with my posts, so here are a few photos from the last few weeks to catch up...

24 Weeks

24 Weeks with Atlas and Great Aunt Debbie

25 Weeks

26 Weeks

26 Weeks eating avocado and guacamole

23 Weeks

Eleanor is 23 weeks old today!

This has been another major week. She is officially teething. Eleanor’s two bottom teeth broke through. Luckily she hasn’t seemed bothered by them at all. She hasn’t been cranky or out of sorts even in the least bit. I hope all of her other teeth come in as painlessly.

In addition to having teeth, she can now sit up unassisted. Of course it only lasts for about a minute at a time at the most, but she is starting to develop her sense of balance and can correct herself a little bit.

After hating tummy time with a passion for her entire life, she finally decided that it’s kind of fun after all. She is now able to push all the way up on her hands - the first step to crawling. She can also turn herself around and scoot backwards if she is on the hardwood floor. This means its time we buy some sort of play mat so that she can have the traction of a solid surface but also have a clean and padden area to play on.

She is growing and changing so fast.

So much teething related drool!

Still a happy girl!

Feeling her new teeth

There they are!

5 Months

Eleanor is now 5 months (and 22 weeks) old, if you can believe it!

I can’t believe how quickly this last month past. I think from here on out the months leading up to her first birthday are going to fly by. She doesn't seem like a little baby anymore. Still a baby, of course, but not a little one. She is so animated and bits of her personality are starting to shine through. The only thing that makes the thought of her growing up bearable is knowing what a wonderful little girl she will be.

Last week my parents and sister Grace visited. We took Eleanor on her first trip to the zoo and her first foray into San Francisco for the market at the Ferry Building and a little shopping in Union Square. We didn't do a very good job of taking photos, but here are a couple from the zoo:

21 Weeks

Eleanor is 21 weeks old today!

This week she really found her voice. Her babbles and gurgles have turned into shrieks and squeals. She is full of cute sounds, both little and big!

She also really got the hang of rolling from her tummy to her back. She had done it a few times before, but the skill never seemed to stick. She has it all figured out now though. It’s so fun to watch her gain a little more mobility. It’s almost time to start working on baby proofing.

My 25th birthday was last Saturday, and we went out for a family brunch to celebrate. Andrew gave me a beautiful emerald necklace, which is Eleanor's birth stone. I absolutely love it. I'm a lucky mama!

20 Weeks

Eleanor is 20 weeks old today!

This week she learned to make a kissy sort of noise with her mouth and she does it all the time. So cute! I like to think it’s because she hears the sound of me smooching on her so much.

Here is a video from a few weeks ago of her telling us a very serious story:

19 Weeks

Eleanor is 19 weeks old!

This week my sweet girl started to enjoy reading books. I’m so glad. It makes me want to go out and buy hundreds of dollars worth of new books for her. We cuddle on the bed together and I hold the book up above us so that she can look at my face or the pages, as her fancy strikes her. We’ve been enjoying Little Bear’s Trousers, Chipmunk Song, and Madeline, just to name a few.

Andrew is going out of town for business for another four days this week, but I’m not worried. Last time everything went really well. We’ll miss him, but it’s not so bad with just Eleanor and mama.

I've been thinking a lot about joy lately. Eleanor is so sweet and pure joy to be around. I don't think I ever really experienced joy until she was born. I knew happiness, I knew pleasure, but I didn't know joy. She fills my heart with it every day.

18 Weeks

Eleanor is 18 weeks old!

I delayed this post because she had her four month check up today. She is 15 lbs 03 oz and 24.5 inches long. Her size is average according to the curve, but she gained four pounds since her two month visit. She has now doubled her birth weight and grown 5 inches.

This past week she learned how to…

• Jump in her jumperoo (it’s a big hit, what fun!)

• Reach for an object with both hands (yay coordination!)

• Grab her toes and pull her socks off (utoh…)

• Cry when she sees something she wants that she can’t have (mostly her bath sponge)

• Be distracted from fussing by toys (very helpful during diaper changes, which she hates)

• Like daddy again (so glad that was a super short phase!)

Her motor skills are developing at lightening speed. I watch her use her hands so deliberately and jump around so gleefully and I can hardly believe this active baby is the same one as that sleepy newborn who used to be content to spend entire days cuddled up in the Moby against my chest. I swear she’ll be talking and walking before I know it.