Happy Birthday! Your first birthday is here already. The theme for your first birthday party was Doggies, after your current favorite book by Sandra Boyton. We had Clifford balloons and a cake with three big frosting dogs on it. Aunt Allison and her friend sent this amazing dress and hat that makes you look like Audrey Hepburn in baby form. I was calling you Gucci baby. It is red with white stripes and bows horizontal across the front. Unfortunately, you wouldn't keep the hat on.

Grandpa, Aunt Allison, Nana, Papa,Gigi, and Great Grandma Worman were there. You had a huge pile of presents that you weren't quite sure what to do with. Mama and Dada got you a Cozy Coupe and everyone took turns taking you for rides around the driveway. I think that was your favorite part.
When the time for cake came, I was hoping for some really good cake smashing pictures, but you seemed wary of the whole thing. You sat in your high chair and pinched the cake until Mom took your hands and smashed them into the cake for you. Then you screamed bloody murder until we washed your hands off.

After most of the people cleared out, we stripped you down to your diaper and let you go crazy with the presents. Well, I should say boxes and wrapping paper. Aunt Allison is staying with us, and you had a ball playing with her. Great Grandma Worman is also here, and I'm so glad she got to see you and vice versa. She is almost 90 years old and she was on the ground trying to show you how to crawl! I wanted to say, "Look Elise! If she can do, so can you." Still you are content to be immobile and let everyone else cart you around.

I can't wait to watch you grow up Shuggie Bear. There are so many things yet to come. I hope you know how much Mama and Daddy love you. As excited as I am for you to grow, I am going to missing the sweet baby things, like rocking you and coming and getting you out of your crib as you stand there with your arms outstretched. The sweet baby roundness of your face. I love you.

May 2, 2004

Let's start with what you're up to. Just the other day you pulled up to standing on one of your toys. You seemed to be quite proud of yourself. Your schedule looks something like this.

• 7:30 - Wake-up, nurse
• 8:45 - Breakfast
• 10:00-12:00 - Naptime, nurse
• 12:15 - Lunch
• 2:00 - Bottle
• 3:00-4:30 - Naptime, nurse
• 5:00 - Dinner
• 7:00 - Bottle
• 7:30 - Bedtime routine
• 8:00 - Bedtime (most nights you get up once)

You eat baby cereal, veggies, fruit, meat dinners (like Vegetable Turkey dinner), and yogurt. You eat some big people food like cheerios, and mac & cheese too.

April 18, 2004

Today we visited Nana for a little family get together. She wanted to have Gary take a family picture. It's funny because I always seem to like the candid shots of family so much better than the posed. This first picture you see is the one she ended up liking the best. This will be the one you see framed on the wall. At the bottom is my favorite, however, you're difficult to see. I don't think that matters much because you're really not into having your picture taken anyway. To be honest, I think you look a bit like a baby troll with your one elfin ear pointing out and your wispy hair going everywhere, not to mention your grumpy expression. In the one at the bottom, Shai has decided that this seems to be the perfect time to play frisbee, since we're all just standing around in the yard anyway.
She came over and dropped her frisbee right in front of me, and you can see how everyone's expression changed. They went from their "smile and get it over with" expressions to genuine smiles. That I love! It is especially hard to coax those smiles out of Nana and Papa who seem to prefer not to show their teeth most of the time. This is your real family! Not those stiff people in the other picture!

April 10, 2004

Well my fuzzy headed friend. You got your first haircut today. I just couldn't stand it being in your eyes all the time. We went to Contempo Salon in Caledonia because they have a little kids room, including a little chair that looks like a car. You were too little for the car, so you sat on my lap. You behaved very well, and the only problem the hair stylist had in cutting your hair was that you kept hearing things going on behind you and whipping your head around to see what was going on. After you were all done, you got a sucker and got to sit in the car chair. You looked so funny, like you really thought you were driving. The salon put a lock of hair in a little plastic bag and gave you a first haircut certificate. I tucked it in your baby book. We took pictures before and after the haircut for comparison purposes.

Reading has become part of our bedtime routine and you genuinely seem to enjoy it. Some of our favorites are Goodnight Moon, Doggies, Goodnight Baby Blue, and The Going to Bed Book. Some of the time you try to eat the book, so I'm glad we have mostly board books. This is such a sweet time, snuggling with you on my lap. You smell all clean from the bath and have on some warm terry cloth PJ's. I hope when you get older, that you will enjoy reading as much as I do.

Today, I brought you over to my Grandparents house for a Christmas party. Have you ever seen two prouder people. I just makes me so happy to see them with you. I just wish you were a little more understanding of other people holding you. This cute picture didn't last long, and soon you were wailing for your Mommy. Grandpa wanted to know all about your health and how well you are growing. He was a general practioner back in Caro before he retired. That was about 15 years ago, and I know he struggles to recall all his infant growth and development knowledge, so he can apply it to you. I hope they will have many more years to watch you grow. They were very important people to me growing up.

I can't believe it! Two teeth already! I haven't even noticed that you were unusually cranky or anything. Maybe a little drooly, but that's not unusual. I was just sitting in the computer room with you and thought I saw something, so I felt in your mouth with my finger and there they were. I just hope you don't decide to use me as a chew toy, that thought makes me cringe. Well, there's another milestone, and something to write in your baby book.

November 30, 2003

It was love at first sight! With you and your feet that is. Daddy likes to call this your overhead storage pose. You love to lay on the floor now and just play with your feet. You are quite flexible I might add. You get frustrated sometimes when I cover them with socks or footy sleepers because then you can't taste them.

November 29, 2003

You have finally really discovered the joy of toys. Your favorite? It is an odd yellow ball that looks more like a cat toy than a baby toy. It is a little larger than a grapefruit and has a bunch of 1/2 inch slits in it, so that you can see 3 golf ball sized balls that are inside of it. The 3 golf balls have bells inside of them. One of your favorite activities is sitting in your feeding seat in the kitchen and playing with this ball. You grab it and hit it against the tray. You yell at it, sing to it, and talk to it. You also love to taste it, sticking your tongue through the slits. It's really very funny to watch. It's like you have a love-hate relationship with it. Sometimes you seem very angry at it, yelling at it, whipping it back and forth, and bashing it against the tray. Other times you sing and coo to it lovingly while you stare at it and lick it with your tongue.

November 24, 2003

Another big milestone tonight. Your first solid food. On the menu, rice cereal mixed with formula. Yum! Yum! Mommy and Daddy even went out and purchased a video camera just so we could film this event. What an event it was too. You seemed quite interested in the spoon, but whenever a bite of cereal actually made it back to your throat you gagged and gagged. I guess you are not ready after all. They talk about the tongue thrust reflex, and you definitely still have that. Most of the cereal was instantaneously pushed out of your mouth along with the spoon. What a mess! I guess we'll just have to try again later.

November 21, 2003

Yesterday was your 4 month check up. You weighed in at 13 pounds 3 ounces and 25 inches long. You big girl you. Unfortunately, it was time for more shots. Luckily, you didn't seem to remember from last time. You were all smiles for Dr. Vanzee.

I don't know if it's the shots or something you picked up from daycare, but today you seem sick. You have a cough and a stuffy nose. It doesn't seem to have affected your mood, although it did shorten your nap, which is never good. Mommy needs that alone time. ;)

Here's a picture of the sicky in the swing.

October 29, 2003

Big Milestone!! You rolled over! You rolled from your tummy to your back...twice! Once for me, and once for Daddy to see. I guess I'm going to have to watch where I set you down now. I think it was your big ole noggin that gave you the momentum. Your head measures in the 90th percentile and your body weight and height, 50th.

You have also started drooling like a blood hound. Maybe you have teeth coming in, but I haven't noticed any change in behavior, and I don't really feel anything in your mouth.

October 19, 2003

Everyday you get stronger and stronger. Now when you are lying on your belly you can lift your head 90 degrees. I got some great pictures of you doing it. The outfit you are wearing is pretty much your uniform. I love putting you in onesies and sweat pants. It's so snuggly and easy too. I love the facial expressions you make. When you lift your head up it's like you are concentrating so hard!! I'm really glad too, that you are gaining more head control. It is so hard to carry you sometimes because your head wants to flop, so I have to use two hands, and can't get much done that way. Especially since you want to be held so much. I think you are the happiest when I have you in the front carrier, facing out, while I vacuum. You could stay like that all day. The other day you even fell asleep like that. Daddy and I made a CD of the vacuum cleaner, hoping that would help you sleep longer, but it just doesn't have the same effect. We are going to burn out the motor on this thing I think. Psss... colic is supposed to go away by 3 months, maybe you didn't get the memo.

October 15, 2003

Lights! Camera! Action! Today was your first professional pictures. You wore a lovely soft pink pant suit with a cross over front embroidered with bunnies. I was really happy with the photographer. He let us have all the time we needed, and tried lots of different things. We took some pics of you peeking over a pillow, but you just kind of drooled a lot and stuck out your tongue. So then we sat you in a little chair with white satin draped over it, and got some good pictures that way. We also took your picture naked laying on a big sheepskin. Very risque!

I added the pic Nana and I finally decided on. I love your chubby pink cheeks, bright eyes, and kissable toes!

October 3, 2003

You got to visit Mama's work today! I had to go in and write down my schedule. Of course, all the ladies were so excited to see you. The feeling was not mutual, however. You did not want anyone to hold you or even look at you. Andrea was there and held you while I wrote down my schedule. She was the only one who got to hold you for any length of time. She has a young baby too, so she's familiar with the bouncy walk you love so well. I weighed you on the baby scale and you were 12 pounds. I hope during your next visit you are willing to be more social.

September 29, 2003

This past weekend, Daddy and I had our first time away from you. We wanted to get away once before I have to go back to work. Nana came up to the house to stay with you. At first, I was very hesistant to leave you, because you are still so fussy. It seems you cry about 80% of your waking hours. But then I realized, it probably doesn't make much difference if you cry for me or for someone else. I don't think there's anything special that I do that makes you content. Nana promised it would be fine. I had been saving up lots of pumped breastmilk for the occasion.

When we got back Nana said you were "an angel", although I find that kind of hard to believe. Not to mention, I would be devastated if I thought you only cried like that for me. I think she just wanted to butter me up, so I'll leave you with her more often.

Dada and I had a good time, although it was hard to think of what to do when we didn't have to worry about you. We spent the weekend at our favorite bed and breakfast. I felt kind of attached to my breastpump for the weekend, but if I didn't do it, I would be very uncomfortable! I didn't get to sleep through the night, because I had to pump too, but I only had to get up once, which was nice.

Anyway, I'm just happy to be back, and see that you could manage without me for a little while. It makes me feel a little better about going back to work, although I'm still not looking forward to it exactly. It will be nice to get out of the house and be around adults for a while though.

September 22, 2003

Today was your 2 month check up. You weighed in at 11 lbs 3 oz and were 23.5 inches long. Holy mackeral! You looked nice and healthy, but had to have 4 shots today. At first you looked up at the nurse and me like we were playing some game. Then the first shot came and your little face melted into a scream. I was surprised at how quickly you recovered though. I nursed you right after and by the time we left the office, you were over it. You have little bright colorful circular bandaids all over your chubby little thighs. Poor thing!

September 20, 2003

You are smiling so much! Your new favorite pasttime is sucking on your hands, which makes them smell like sour milk a lot of the time. Pew! The Zantac seems to be helping during the day, but you are still a screaming mess come 5:00, which makes dinner unpleasant for Mommy and Daddy. We usually have to take turns with you, so that the other can get something to eat. Other times, I eat with you in the bouncie seat under the table. I'll be vigorously bouncing you with my feet, while I'm simultaneously tryting to shove food in my mouth.

I wish Daddy got to see more of your smiley times. I think he thinks I make it up, because he's only home in the evenings when you are so fussy. Our only respite in the evenings is our evening walk. I have to walk with your back against my stomach, so you can look out at everything. You love to watch the trees. I live for those walks, it's so nice to get outside. I feel so trapped inside the house lately.

September 4, 2003

Oh my sweet baby. Mommy doesn't know what to do with you. You cry all the time it seems. The only thing that stops the crying is nursing, swinging, and the vacuum cleaner. Sometimes, those things don't even work. I feel so bad for you. I'm guessing it's just colic, but today I started worrying that all this time I thought you had colic, but maybe there's something wrong. I called the pediatrician's office and it was all I could do to not cry on the phone. The secretary could tell I was upset. She asked if that was you crying in the background and I said, "Yes" **sniff, sniff**. They she said, "Do you want to bring her in today?" And I said, "Yes...." and almost broke down.

Dr. VanZee said you might have "silent reflux" since you never spit up. So we're going to try you on Zantac and see if that helps. Oh, I hope it does. I feel like such a terrible Mom. I've tried everything, but still you seem miserable.

September 1, 2003

Elly Belly you are getting so big! I'm honestly worried that you might end up being 6 feet. Madelyn who is 5 months old was over yesterday and you two are the same height. It's been a rough few weeks. You want to nurse all the time and sleep very little. You have also been very fussy. Daddy and I have different levels of crying named for you; Defcon 1, 2, 3, and 4. Defcon 4 involves clenched fists, red face, and a scream you can hear anywhere. Shai is very concerned when you are upset and gives me a look like "Why are you hurting my baby?". Despite all that, I can't believe how much I love you. I love to kiss your chubby face all over!! When you are upset, I just tell you that you are safe and everything is all right. You are sleeping swaddled in your crib right now, but as with most nights lately, you'll probably end up in bed with Mommy and Daddy. You are a very noisey sleeper, but oh so cuddly!

Kisses,

Mommy