Happy Easter

Elise had a wonderful first Easter. My brother was able to visit us from Baltimore. It was wonderful to see him as Kevin hadn't seen Elise since the day after she was born. In fact, when he last saw her, he wasn't allowed to hold her because of all the IVs and her size. I'm sure it was worth the wait. The day before Easter, my parents, Jeff, Kevin and myself decorated Easter eggs. Normally, my eggs are the best (or so I think!) but with Elise strapped to me, they were less than perfect. There is always next year!



On Easter Sunday, both sets of parents and siblings attended church together. Elise got all dressed up in her blue and white corduroy duck dress (the first dress ever!). She also wore a yellow knit jacket that I wore as a baby. She looked so cute! Elise loved all the singing and new environment that she slept through most of the service but woke up for a blessing by the pastor during communion. She looks forward to more Sunday church services.




After church, our families joined us back at our home for Easter brunch. Jeff's uncle, Chris, and my uncle, Rik, joined us as well. Everyone helped by bringing a dish to share. Of course, since the Master's golf tournament was on, we watched it through the afternoon before we had to get Kevin to the Detroit airport for his flight home.















The day must have worn out Elise because she slept like a champ that night....the longest EVER! We put her down around 11pm and she didn't wake until 4:40. If only everyday was Easter Sunday!

Visiting with Daddy

Elise had her first visit to Daddy's office today to spend the lunch hour with him and to meet his staff. We arrived right as the lunch hour had begun at 12:30. It was nice to go for a drive to Bowling Green, which is about 30 minutes from our home. The sun was shining so it was a perfect day for an outing. Daddy was so happy to see us... plus he got to show Elise off. While we ate in his office, his office manager, Nikki, gave Elise a bottle. She wasn't too interested in eating with all the new people and scenery. Before too long, Elise will be spending 'take your daughter to work' days with Jeff at the office. Afterall, she'll be taking over the practice someday!

Nursery and Playtime

Even though Elise is a little over 3 months old, her nursery continues to be a work in progress. Aunt Amy painted some pink and brown canvases (we love them!) to hang over Elise's changing table. They match our circle rug. Elise noticed the addition right away! Jeff and I also ordered her a mobile to hang over her bed as she has discovered interest in brightly colored things. As for drapes or a valence, we haven't gotten that far!

I had never really intended to hang a mobile but she seems to love it! I make it a point to play with her in her crib each and everyday so she makes the association that her crib isn't a 'bad' place to be... plus the thought is that maybe one day she will be able to self-soothe herself back to sleep. While I'd like for her to take all of her naps in her bed, she has yet to approve of the idea. I sometimes give up and let her snooze in her swing (her favorite) or in my arms (but I'm trying to get a way from that!). My goal is to slowly introduce a schedule for napping and bedtime. Jeff and I have established a nighttime routine but that's all so far. Of course, she's still a bit young to have anything set in stone-- maybe by this summer we'll be good to go!

Now that Elise is getting bigger, she's much more active and energetic! Her new favorite activity is to play on her back on her play mat. She kicks and throws her arms around- hitting the musical toys as she goes. All the smiles and cooing shows that it's really a party! Maybe in another month or two, she'll be starting to reach out and grab those toys!

Evenings can still be a bit tiring at our house. Poor Jeff usually arrives home when the meltdowns begin. Elise is just blowing off steam and telling us she's getting tired. A good bath always perks her up (she loves to watch herself in the mirror while we suds her up!) and we follow it with a meal. Afterwards, she starts to get sleepy and ready for bed...at least that's the plan!

Zzzzz........

Without jinxing ourselves, I think Elise is finally down to waking/eating once each night! This is such a nice departure from getting up to feed 2+ more times a night. We are almost starting to feel a bit less sleep deprived! Usually Elise takes a bottle around 10pm- which holds her until 1am or 2am (if we are lucky!). After an hour of eating and sitting upright (to prevent spit up and reflux), we are back to sleep until about 4 or 5am. This means that we are eating every 3-4 hours. Last night was the best night ever! Elise ate at the 3.5 hour mark and then almost 5 hours later. Let's just say this is only the second time that we have gotten up before Elise has woken us! You can't imagine what a treat this can be!

Warmer weather

It's wonderful that we are beginning to see the end of winter! We've been housebound (except doctor's appointments) for so long that we are going stir crazy. Fortunately, the weather was warm enough this past Monday and Tuesday (Happy St. Patrick's Day!) to take a nice walk around our neighborhood. Jeff and I loaded up Elise in stroller for her first maiden voyage. We even had to pull out the instruction booklet to learn how to connect the car seat to the stroller! It was a bit comical! The dogs were super happy to finally get to stretch their legs. Hopefully we'll be getting out more often now that the start of spring is tomorrow.

Over the past weekend, we tried putting a Vermont Teddy Bear's jacket onto Elise. Apparently, she and her stuffed animal are the same size! Jeff has scheduled some patients for her starting next week. Hey, if the jacket fits......!

We have also discovered a way to calm Elise when she starts her daily (6-9pm) fussing- the vacuum cleaner. Our house is now extra clean. But, in case of an emergency, our friends have given us their 'For Crying Out Loud' cd. It's a lifesaver! The cd has 9 tracks which range from hairdryers to vacuum cleaners to windshield wipers on a car. We thought the idea of such a cd sounded hilarious until we learned it can calm a screaming baby in 2 seconds!

But, when we aren't fussy or crying, Elise loves to spend time relaxing and kicking her legs on the floor. She's practicing her future crawling and walking skills. Today, during some tummy time, she rolled herself from her stomach to her back- a total accident! I had positioned her legs and arms under her- in addition to a small pillow under her chest- so she did become a bit 'top heavy' when she lifted her head. Regardless, it's a sign of things to come.

Sending smiles your way

Finally! Elise is starting to smile! Up until now, Jeff and I wrote off any hint of a smile due to a gassy belly, but now she is starting to smile when she is looking at us. Granted, this doesn't happen every time she looks at us, but it is definitely getting more and more frequent. It is so rewarding to see the glimmer of happiness in her eyes. Elise is now interacting with us in her own small way. This has been worth the wait!!!

Vaccines

Yesterday we had a very big day... we had our first round of vaccines at the pediatrician's office. Jeff met us after work for the big appointment. Elise is now 9lbs and 21.5 inches long- which would make her in the 50th percentile if we adjusted her age back the 5.5 weeks. So, we are doing marvelous in the growth department. We did have a concern with her belly button which has always been on the large size. Dr. Kennedy assured us that the umbilical hernia (not just an 'outtie' anymore!) would more than likely fix itself over the course of 4-5 years- otherwise it will be surgically corrected at the time she would begin school. No bikinis yet!

Elise got 3 shots and 1 oral vaccine. She was vaccinated for Rotavirus, DTP, Hep B, Polio, Steptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae. Needless to say, Elise wasn't very happy but a little meal afterwards almost made her forget about the trauma! We headed home and premedicated with some Tylenol. She was a little fussy in the evening (but usually is!) but seemed to do fine otherwise. She took her vaccinations like a champ-- and will do round 2 in another two months.

Overall, Elise is developmentally doing well. She is starting to smile (at least I think so) but isn't consistently doing it. She loves to hold up her head-- even though it bobs around and she needs to rest her neck frequently. As we knew, and Dr. Kennedy reiterated, Elise does some things like a 2 month old (we are currently 9 weeks 2 days old) but some things like a 1 month old. Hopefully by our next doctor's appointment, we'll be cooing and smiling more often and may even begin reaching for things. Jeff and I look forward to these little developmental milestones so we can see she's doing well. Plus, it's exciting watching her study and tune into her environment and, of course, us!