Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Such a Noisy Girl!

Dear Else (as in, whoELSE is there who can steal my heart with a cackle and gurgle but you?).

You are a noisy one, my daughter.  The last three days you've spent much of your waking time cackling at your family, growling and gurgling and making guttural noises, squawking, making the AH noise a doctor asks you to make when you open your mouth, and crying.  (Crying not so much, but more than ever, really).

You have a summer cold and you also are learning about your own volume and voice.

You really love for me (and all of us, really) to give you eye contact, singing, and personal chats.  I think you are trying to engage us in a conversation!

Your brother talks nonstop, almost as his way of narrating his thoughts or what is happening around him, and you are so chatty as a four month old that I anticipate you two will really enjoy yakking it up together.

Here are a slew of photos that I took while you were chatting with me!  It might look like your mouth is closed in the photos, but it was open enough to have some loud noises emerge!
Love
Mama Bethany













Elsa Everday August 31

She's still under the weather, and you can see the summer cold is
tough for her by looking at her little swollen eyes.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

EE for August 30

Its so easy to get Elsa Kate to smile for the camera... all you have
to do is smile at her and say her name! She loves positive attention.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Sickly.

This is your second sickness (ever).
Its such a bummer to hear you cough to watch you sneeze violently, and to watch you be so restless.

DDD and EE for August 29

Bonk.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Elsa Everday August 28

Elsa has been sick with a cold or allergies the last two days, and its
been difficult for her to get good rest with a stuffed nose. She
caught some good ZZZs in her swing this morning, and it was so
precious I needed to take her photo!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Friday, August 26, 2011

Elsa Everyday for August 26

Both the hat and the dress were bargains at a quarter a piece at the
yard sales last weekend!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Another Nutty Bedtime

Elsa didn't go to bed until after 9 again!  There were several attempts around 7 PM, too.  She drank a 4 ounce bottle and nursed for at least an hour.  Maybe she's just hungry?  I'm not sure this is the answer, because she actually giggles when I pick her up while she's throwing a fit in her bed and crying.  Kind of like, "Hey! I got my way! Hurray! I don't have to sleep anymore!".

What a little goof.

I don't blame her wanting more attention though.  Her brother is defineately  winning in parental attention (not parental affection) because he's up to many activities that need parental invention, such as pushing lawn chairs up to the door bell and being very persnickety about meal times.

Elsa loves attention, and I wonder if that's a second child phenomena?


EE August 25

Happy Birthday, Uncle Wes!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Stationery card

Meet Miss Pink Birth Announcement
View the entire collection of cards.

Elsa's Day

Elsa,

You are four months old and four days old.   Here is a little play by play of a typical day for you... if you count today as typical, which is is probably not exactly... but it is a snippet of your life as a young baby anyhow.

6 AM - Your dad brings you to me to eat your breakfast.  You've slept in your crib in your shared nursery with your brother since 8 PM the previous night, with no wake ups that we can tell.  You are asleep when he brings you in to our bed.  We cuddle and you eat for about an hour. I lay down, too.  I leave you sleeping to get breakfast for me and your brother.

7:30 AM - Get you up for a diaper change, since I realize you haven't had one in hours.  Oops.  You are really wet, but your clothes aren't!  We've got night time cloth diapering down so well for you.  I turn on Good Morning America while I get waffles and chocolate milk ready for Daniel and an ice water and waffle for myself.  You are only wearing your diaper and are propped up on Boppy pillow.  You laugh and laugh.  You also fill up another diaper with stools that tell me I must have had some dairy product or you are intolerant of something else besides dairy.  Another diaper change and change of scenery.  You watch us eat from the Bumbo chair and then wait for me to get dressed from your bouncy chair.

8:15 AM - You are dressed and loaded up in the car to go to pediatrician for four month check up.  You ride in a convertible carseat, facing backward, next to your brother, who likes to hold your hand and tell me that you are awake/laughing/happy/crying.  When we arrive, I pack you into a front carry in the sling baby carrier.  You sit in a pike position and look at your barefoot toes.  You wait patiently for the visit.

10 AM - Appointment is over, and we know now that you've gained two pounds and two inches in two months. You are in 95 percentile for height, 51 for weight, and 81 for head size.  You are growing.  Several other doctors take a listen to your heart, learning from you about what a large ASD sounds like.  You don't seem to notice a bit. You play and kick on the exam table.  When we are all done, you are squished back into the sling carrier.  We head to the park, where you rest in the carrier and nap for a bit until you are too hot and need to nurse again because you are just so thirsty.  You are okay eating on the go like this.

11 AM - Trip to grocery store means another ride in sling.  You fall asleep within the first two minutes of the half hour trip.  People comment on how adorable you look, and you really do look so sweet snuggled up!  You cry when you have to get into your carseat.  We come home, you play on playmat while your brother naps, then you eat for half an hour.  You and I lay down together and look at each other and smile at 1 PM, and then you fall fast asleep.

4:30 PM- Wake up!  Smile with dad and brother, then eat for half an hour while I watch Oprah in reruns.  You play with dad and then in the Bumbo while we eat our supper.  Halfway through our dinner, you get tired and sit on Daddy's lap for the rest of our meal.  Then he bathes you, and I lotion and dress you in a one piece footed sleeper that is pink. You notice that the feet have hot pink embellishments that look like shoes and you laugh.

7 PM - Nursing and reading book time. Daniel wants to read, too, so we cuddle together to read Old MacDonald and Sammy the Seal.  You get too distracted to nurse and want to listen and look.  We pray together, listen to Daddy sing a song to Daniel in bed, and then you finish nursing (or so I think).  You go into bed at 7:30.

7:45-8:45 - Both you and Daniel are awake and annoying each other.  Both of you are overtired and cranky.  Finally we get him to sleep, but you are awake and alert at 9 PM.  You laugh and wiggle and try rolling over.  We enjoy your company and marvel at how silly you are.  You giggle and gurgle and try to roll over on the bed.

9 PM - I realize you might be still hungry or need to nurse to settle down, since you are trying to eat your fist, your blanket, the bed, and your dad.  You eat and instantly relax.  He puts you down in your own bed, lightly swaddled, and turns on your fish aquarium crib soother as a night light and for music to help you fall asleep at 9:30 PM.

What a day!

Elsa Everday August 24

She reaches and grabs and gets!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Monday, August 22, 2011

Grandmotherly Affection

Grandma Becky Haid loves you, Elsa Kate.  
Here's some proof of that!







You know the word KISS and respond to the word by opening your mouth up so large.  Its like you want to fit the world in your mouth when you are so excited.


PS: You are wearing my favorite dress! I also love to have you wear hair bows, too.  


Tractors: Not Your Thing?

Daniel was so excited to play in the shop with Poppy's new blue tractor and scoop (those are the words he used over and over again on our recent visit to STJ).  He really wanted you to sit up on the tractor, too.  You seemed a little less excited about all of this than he was.  It was at least 95 degrees in the shop, so perhaps you were just hot instead of unenthusiastic about the tractor.







Sunday, August 21, 2011

More Swimming Suit Photos!

She's modeling her swimming suits, which are a bit large now, but probably won't fit her at 12 months like the tag suggests!  I hope we can use these for her this winter and go to the ARC swimming often.
















Note: Elsa, I don't expect you to wear suits as modest as these your entire life, but keep them as classy and classic looking as these, okay?  A simple tank in navy is a great look.  Also, you'll probably look good in a halter strap style, because I do.  These styles emphasize a pretty neck and face and detract from less pretty hips or knees.  I would also discourage you from posing for pictures in your bathing suits, too, from now on. Okay? I'm not cool with you becoming a swimsuit model cover girl.  I don't think your dad is either!!!

Talk To Me, Baby

Elsa is really making her voice heard lately.  She's spend the last two weeks growling and grunting, but lately we've heard squeals, giggles, cackles, and screeches.  When she is very excited or happy, the noises seem to catch in her throat and then leap out as a squeal.  Its great!

She's squealing and laughing in all these photos.







PS, I bought her that suit on a whim because I thought she'd look cute in it next year.  Nope... she looks cute in it THIS year!