Pots and Pans

For my birthday this year, Jeff surprised me with a new lens for my camera. This is right before we went to dinner at Taverna playing with the new lens, Elliott playing with his favorite toys  and me tickling those sweet cheeks. 

Eleven Months Old

E-

This month I am finally seeing you as a little person - not just a baby. You are starting to mimic us and understand what we are saying. With that, I'm also seeing how you want your own way and don't understand when the world you see doesn't revolve around your desires and demands. We have begun to discipline you, hoping that the momentary pain now will bring forth a joy in obedience one day. I'm in full anticipation of the day where you will be obedient to Christ as he calls you to himself. I'm hoping that teaching you this now, will allow you to trust, wholeheartedly, the goodness of our Savior. Praying that over you today sweet baby. 

all my love, 

mama

What we did together this month

-Celebrated Daddy's Birthday 
-Went to Cabela's with Daddy
-Enjoyed our one month of fall (temps are already cold!)

At eleven months old, Elliott

-Typically take 2 1-2 hour naps  (still sometimes throws that third cat nap in there...holla!)
-Nurses about 5 times a day
-Goes to bed about 7 p.m. and wakes up about 6:30 
-Wears  6-9 mo clothes and 9-12 mo clothes 
-Wears Size 3 diapers; medium setting in cloth
-Is WALKING!! (Still crawls more than walks but has taken about 10 steps so far)
-Will give us "sugars" (aka kisses) on command

At eleven months old, Elliott loves

-"Driving" his car around the house
-Playing in the toilet
-Clapping his hands and saying "yayaya"
-Being outside

At eleven months old, Elliott dislikes

-being told "no"

Ten Months Old

Booger-

We think you might respond to this name better than your own. Whoops. This month it's been so fun to see your little personality emerge. We always knew you were active and adventurous, but as you are becoming more mobile we see it even more. You are always laughing and smiling and ALWAYS up for an adventure. Mommy and Daddy pray that this adventurous spirit would lead you to a lifetime of following where God would lead you - places and people that others might be too scared to go. 

Love always - 

Your Mama

What we did together this month

-Elliott was dedicated at church
-Went camping at Possum Kingdom Lake with the Bertrams 
-SLEPT! Elliott finally is (mostly) sleeping through the night. And all of the angles let out a hallelujah chorus!

At ten months old, Elliott

-Typically take 2 1.5-2 hour naps  
-Nurses about 5-6 times a day
-Goes to bed between 7-8 p.m. and wakes up between 5-6 a.m. (up 1-2x to eat)
-Solids 3x each day
-Wears  6-9 mo clothes and 9-12 mo clothes (if they are slim fit)
-Wears Size 2 diapers; medium setting in cloth
-Standing (for a couple of seconds) on his own
-Scrunches his nose (this is something that I do (and Jeff says my brother does as well) so it's funny to see Elliott inherit this "trait")

At ten months old, Elliott loves

-Playing with Daddy
-Playing in the kitchen (loves his wooden spoon and the box of tupperware)
-Being outside (loves his swing)

-Getting into EVERYTHING

-Cruising around the furniture in the living room
-Tackling his friends (he "hugs" them around the waist and then tackles them down to the ground...it's pretty hilarious to watch)
-Throwing and catching his ball 

At ten months old, Elliott dislikes

-getting his diaper or clothes changed 
-getting his face wiped
-when mommy leaves the
-being told "no"

Elliott's Dedication

This past Sunday we dedicated Elliott at our church. We do dedications once a year, so Elliott was by far one of the oldest one to get dedicated. While all of the other babies were looking precious, he tried to take the microphone away from Jeff and did the worm in my arms. Not the teary-eyed moment I pictured. 

My handsome guys

"Father God, we thank you for this amazing and joyful gift you have given us in our son, Elliott William Green. We thank you for our new family, our families and this family at The Paradox Church that have all been amazing gifts from you. We are excited and completely overwhelmed about being parents but we have the perfect encouragement of having you as our Father, the perfect Father who has showed us perfect love. 

We ask for you to continue to show us yourself and show us how you parent as Elliott continues to grow. We ask for you to guide us so that our parenting is not about do's and don'ts but about your will for our lives, our home and our children. Above everything else we ask that Elliott know you and your love for him. We ask that he may come to know you as quickly as possible in his life and that he may lead and live a life of courage because of your love for him and that he may glorify your name and enjoy you forever. 

Please give Bailey and myself grace as we will fail you and Elliott but let us remember the most important gift you have given us in your son Jesus Christ; his life and his death and his new life that you have given us."

Nine Months Old

sweet boy, 

I'm beginning to see your independence more and more these days and I'm trying to remember every little of you as my baby. Your daddy and I will still just sit and stare at you while you sleep - in awe that God gave us you to care for, to love, and to one day to let go. I'm trying to memorize the way you laugh when your daddy tickles you, when you smile at me when I go to get you in the morning, or the way that your mama makes you feel so secure. 

The days seem so long, but I know the years won't be enough. 

all my love, 

mama

What we did together this month

-His Nanny (Aunt Heather) left to go back to school. We are going to miss that lady!
-Spent Labor Day in Arkansas (and watched his first Razorback game)
-Went to the dentist for the first time to see Dr. Gold 

At nine months old, Elliott

-17lbs, 1 oz (15%) and 28 inch (30%)
-Typically take 2 1.5-2 hour naps  
-Nurses about 6-7 times a day (this includes overnight)
-Goes to bed around 8:30 (not strict) and wakes up at about 5/6 am (up 2x to eat)
-Solids 3x each day
-Wears  6-9 mo clothes. 
-Wears Size 2 diapers; medium setting in cloth
-Has the front 4 teeth now {top two came in much easier}

At nine months old, Elliott loves

-Jabbering

-When daddy gets home (he LOVES playing with Jeff and rolling on the floor with him)

-Exploring the house

-Being held (doesn't have to be me, but has been pretty clingy these days)

-Feeding himself (transitioning away from purees altogether)
-His puppy dog lovey
-Cheerios

At nine months old, Elliott dislikes

-getting his diaper changed 
-when mommy leaves the room

Eight Months Old

This is about as good as we are going to get these days. He is so quick and tries to eat the sticker! My OCD self wants it to be just like the others, but I kind of like how it shows what life is really like with Elliott :)

What we did together this month

-Left him for 3 days (not overnight) while Jeff and I did Redemption Group Immersion 
-Spent another weekend at Cedar Creek Lake
-Honey and Papa couldn't wait until Labor Day, so they made a quick trip to visit 
-Went to Austin (sans Daddy) to help makeover Uncle Bo's apartment
-Enjoyed early play dates at the park on Thursdays and afternoon swimming on Tuesdays

At eight months old, Elliott

-Typically take 2 1.5-2 hour naps  (the evening nap seems to be going away)
-Nurses about 7-8 times a day (this includes overnight)
-Goes to bed around 8:30 (not strict) and wakes up at about 6 (up 2x to eat)
-Solids 3x each day
-Wears 3-6 month clothes 
-Wears Size 2 diapers; medium setting in cloth
-Got his first tooth (bottom left)
-Has had some throwing up spells (has happened about 4x and lasts for about 2 hours)

At eight months old, Elliott loves

-Talking (saying dada, even though he doesn't know what that means yet)

-Rough housing with daddy

-Starting to "cruise" furniture 

-"Helping" mommy in the kitchen (especially the dishwasher!)

-His new DVD player for the car

-His new xylophone toy 

-Any and all food

-"Drumming" 

At eight months old, Elliott dislikes

-getting his diaper changed 
-putting clothes on
-getting teeth

Seven Months Old

(It's getting more and more difficult to get this little man to sit still for a picture!)

To be honest, this was the roughest month we've had. Starting with our trip to Colorado - he had some major sleep regression. He still has never slept through the night, but he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. Naps were also hit and miss - it has been exhausting, but I think we are finally having some "normal" days. 

What we did together this month

-Spent a week in Colorado for my family's vacation.
-Went to the lake house with the Bertram's and Nolen's
-Celebrated the 4th of July with Honey and Papa visiting.
-Lots of swimming
.

At seven months old, Elliott

-Typically take 2 1.5-2 hour naps and 1 smaller nap in the evening (with bedtime typically being around 8:30)
-Nurses about 7-8 times a day
-Solids 3x each day
-Wears 3-6 month clothes 
-Wears Size 2 diapers; medium setting in cloth
-Crawling everywhere.
-Started eating solid foods!
-Started pulling up on furniture

At seven months old, Elliott loves

-Laughing and rolling around with daddy
-Pulling himself up onto furniture
-Exploring the house (and moving toys and books from shelves)
-His mommy (he is going through some attachment issues)
-Baby Genius on Netflix (yep, when nothing else works we we whip that out).
-All food (seriously, he will eat anything). 

At seven months old, Elliott dislikes

-being in the car seat (still)
-getting his diaper changed (he flips over and squirms)

Taking Stock

I'm wanting to get back into blogging (was I ever really into it??). Nevertheless, I want to help document our little family and the everyday memories. Will you join me? 

Making : lists for our vacation next week. 
Cooking : with my oven now that it's fixed. $200 later...
Drinking : the same cup of coffee from this morning. I think I've reheated it three times. 
Reading : The Fault in our Stars. Yep, I jumped on the bandwagon. 
Wanting : new flip flops. My rainbows have seen way better days, but I can't find anything that is cute and supportive. 
Looking: forward to introducing Jeff to Colorado next week on vacation. Highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s. 
Wishing: that Alabama was closer to Texas. Missing some sweet friends today. 
Enjoying: summer days. Last summer I was on the couch sick the entire time. 
Waiting: for Jeff to get home to go on a date. 
Liking: Grandma's Hummus. It is to die for. (you can get it at Whole Foods or Central Market). 
Wondering: if I can make a quick trip to the mall today for Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale. 
Loving: Jeff having off on Friday's during the summer. 
Hoping: to make lots of memories this summer. 
Marveling: at God's provision (not only for our family, but stories of God radically blessing others as well). 
Needing: new oven mitts. But who wants to buy those? Especially now with the above oven repair. 
Smelling: sunscreen and summer candles. 
Wearing: no makeup because we swim almost every day.  
Following: Elliott around now that he is mobile. 
Noticing: how big E is getting. Six months tomorrow...
Giggling: at Elliott trying his first food last night, sweet potatoes. 
Feeling: loved.  

Six Months Old

What we did together this month

-Spent lots of time outside at the park and swimming (which he now loves).
-Spent 10 days in Arkansas for Ben and Alex's wedding and for Amberly and Michael's wedding.
-Went to Poppy D's Lake House. He loves being in the boat...puts him right to sleep ;)
-Started his first solid food a few days before he was six months. I wanted to wait until we came back from Colorado, but he had been screaming and reaching for our food for about a month. We were eating sweet potatoes that night, so we decided to just go ahead and do it. He LOVED it!
.

At six months old, Elliott

-Weighs____ lbs and is _____ inches [we will find out at his checkup in two weeks]
-Typically take 2 2-hour naps and 1 smaller nap in the evening
-Eats about 8 times a day
-Wears 3-6 month clothes 
-Wears Size 1 diapers medium setting in cloth
-Is sitting up
-Is crawling on his belly all over the place
-Is reaching for people

At six months old, Elliott loves

-Laughing
-"Wallering" on the floor

-Pulling hair
-Swimming and bath time (we have a water baby!)

At six months old, Elliott dislikes

-being in the car seat (that made for a FUN drive to Arkansas)

Five Months Old

What we did together this month

-Celebrated Easter (and saw Aunt Abbey only for the 2nd time since birth)
-Went to a Rangers Game (they lost)
-Spent all day at Gigi and Poppy's when Jeff was working and I was at a mom's retreat
-Got in the pool for the first time and hated it! (the water was a little chilly)
-Went to San Marcos to see Aunt Abbey graduate from Texas State
-Welcomed our summer guest, Aunt Heather! She will be here until mid-August.

At five months old, Elliott

-Typically take 2 2-hour naps and 1 smaller nap in the evening
-Eats about 8 times a day
-Wears 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes 
-Size 1 diapers and moved up one rise in cloth
-Sitting up (some)
-Rolling everywhere (including the coffee table and couch)
-Scoots a few inches (not consistently)
-Is going through a rough growth spurt, waking up 3-5 times before we get up for the morning.
-Loves touching faces

At five months old, Elliott loves

-Smiling and laughing

-His toys (Sophie the giraffe, Mr. Moose, and Mr. Lion)

-Rolling

At five months old, Elliott dislikes

-being hungry 
-being in the car seat

Four Months Old

What we did together this month

-Went camping at Mineral Wells State Park with the Bertrams.
-Enjoying the Spring weather outside at the park and in the backyard.
-Heather came to visit during her spring break. We are excited to have her here this summer with us!
-Honey and Papa came came to visit (keeping that road hot between here and Arkansas) :)
-Met his Poppy D and went to the Children's Museum.

At four months old, Elliott

- ___ lbs, ____ in (We will find out tomorrow at our appointment)
-Takes about 3 naps a day (with a few cat naps thrown in there while we are running errands)
-Eats about 8 times a day
-Wears 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes 
-Size 1 diapers and still the smallest setting on cloth diapers
-Is sitting up! (still a little wobbly, but can sit up for a few minutes by himself)
-Found his feet!
-Can find mommy and daddy in the room by their voice

At four months old, Elliott loves

-sucking on his hands (sometimes choking himself)

-playing on his activity mat
-daddy tickling him
-his "Mr. Moose" and "Mr. Lion" stuffed animals

At four months old, Elliott dislikes

-being hungry 
-being in the stroller when mommy runs
-being in the car seat too long
-being swaddled (we switched to a sleep sack right after 3 months)

Three Months Old

What we did together this month

-Honey, Amberly, and Heather came to visit and celebrated Heather's birthday. 
-Celebrated Uncle Caleb's birthday at Mom's house. 
-Went to E's first basketball game and watched Uncle Caleb in the regional semi-finals. Go Brock!
-Had lunch with Grandmama and Aunt Letty
-Elliott's first trip to Arkansas to see Honey and Papa and meet extended family and friends. 

At three months old, Elliott

-Is 13.2 lbs, 24 inches (estimated)
-Eats about 8-10 times a day
-Wears 0-3 month clothes 
-Upgraded to size 1 diapers and still the smallest setting on cloth diapers
-Is becoming so interactive. 
-Rolled over from back to belly (March 5th @ 10 weeks)
-Is smiling all the time...he's such a happy baby!
-Is making lots of noises (squeaking and squealing)

-Laughed! (March 6th @ 10 weeks)

At three months old, Elliott loves

-his hands! 

-bath time

-the one arm swaddle

-playing with the toys on his activity mat...loves, loves, loves this
-sitting in his bouncy seat and playing with the toys overhead
-reading his "Jesus Storybook Bible" with Daddy at bedtime
-rolling over

At three months old, Elliott dislikes

-being hungry (he is so easy!)
-getting boogers sucked out of his nose

Two Months Old

What we did together this month

-Jeff is fully back at work...just the two of us at home now. So blessed to stay home with this cutie!
-Enjoyed many warm weather days and walks around the neighborhood. (Along with some very cold, don't leave the house for 3 days type weeks). 
-GG babysat E twice so we could have some date nights
-Daddy dates on Saturday mornings with Elliott and Jeff while mommy sleeps!
-Launched our evening service at church 
-Went to Book Babies at the library
-Had his first "snow day" 

At two months old, Elliott

-11 lbs, 12 oz (30%), 23 1/2 (73%)
-still wears newborn diapers and smallest setting on his cloth diapers
-wearing both newborn and 0-3 month clothes
-gaining more neck strength (likes to bob his head back and forth)
-loves to smile! 
-just starting to "talk" and make noises
-has been spitting up a lot more
-sleeping much better at night (only waking up about twice to eat)
-went through a rough 6 week growth spurt (crying and eating all day long)

At two months old, Elliott loves

-his swing (miracle machine!!!)

-still eating.all.the.time (about every two hours during the day)

-bath time

-having one arm out of his swaddle (he won't tolerate being swaddled with both arms confined)

-his wubbanub paci
-playing with the toys on his activity mat
-facetiming with his Honey and Papa
-being on his changing table

At two months old, Elliott dislikes

-being put down
-being hungry

-being fully swaddled

One Month Old

What we did together this month

-Celebrated Christmas at Poppy and GG's
-Took LOTS of naps
-Enjoyed Daddy being off for 3 whole weeks!
-Walked the Trinity River many times
-Had lots of visitors stop by and bring yummy dinners
-Honey and Heather stayed the week with us when Jeff went back to work
-Jeff preached at the Paradox
-Finished watching Bones on Netflix (priorities, right?)
-Survived our first few days just the two of us

At one month old, Elliott

-10lbs (84%), 22 inches (69%)
-wears newborn diapers
-wears newborn clothes (can wear a few 0-3 outfits if they are a slim fit)
-hiccups all the time
-has the cutest dimple
-has crazy neck strength
-has the most beautiful head of hair (seriously, that's the number one comment we get about our sweet boy)

At one month old, Elliott loves

-sleeping in the bed with us (not by our choice) 

-eating.all.the.time

-baths (I call it baby spa time)

-riding in the car (especially around the traffic circle!)

-laying on his changing table

-being swaddled

At one month old, Elliott dislikes

-being put down 
-being hungry