Logan taught Elliot how to do a butt buster on our bed, which we all thought was quite hilarious. He also ate half of his semi solid baby food spaghetti all by himself last night with a spoon. It was messy and mommy had a wipe up spoon on hand, but he did it and then took a bath shortly after. Speaking of messy food, if you want to play a fun game called “Zombie Baby” I highly recommend cookie cake with red icing. It is grotesquely cute!
Well, Elliot nipped at me again this morning while I was feeding him at 5am… This is probably the third or fourth time. The pediatrician told me to tell him no and walk away. So I yelped, said no, and picked him up to take him back to his bed. Elliot says to me “Good?” so I replied, “No, that hurts mommy!” Then I put him down in his bed where he rolled over immediately and went back to sleep… Some punishment. He’s a funny little stinker!
“Pider Grump! Pider Grump!
Sometimes stands. Sometimes slumps.
Supports his head despite its size.
Can’t stay awake but always tries.
Look out! Here comes the Pider Grump!
Is he strong? Listen mon,
He’s got a radioactive mom.
Can he fall off a bed?
Look away, he just did.
Look out! Here comes the Pider Grump!”
-Art Frederick
I love that little boy! He’s so cute and funny 
Also, Happy Birthday Uncle Tom!
I picked out the following pictures for Elliot’s baby book and frame.
Don’t they look cool!
I woke Gingy and Grandpa Monday morning with a baby surprise! I brought Elliot to them as I was leaving for work. I was going to try to sneak him in bed with them but they woke up. They were happy to see him and he was happy to see them. Mom said he was just wiggling and flailing his extremities excitedly!
Gingy got Elliot a Bumbo, which he enjoys.
I lucked out and did not have to go to conference, so I met Elliot, Logan, Gingy, Grandpa, and Tom for lunch at Agave Azul. It was great to get to see them, especially since Grandpa was heading home that afternoon.
That night we had a scary storm, but Elliot was not afraid. Logan and I would say “boom!” as the thunder struck so he would think we were making the funny noises. I took Elliot to Gingy briefly, “We just wanted to make sure you weren’t scared!”
The next day, I brought Gingy Elliot again as I was leaving and Logan took the opportunity to go run for the first time in about a month. It sounded like it went well.
Wednesday, Elliot played with his toy dog that Kyra gave him. I need to get the video from Gingy, but it was pretty funny. He would wrap his arms and legs around the dog and suck on it’s nose! Logan smoked some salmon and ribs for dinner and we had Logan’s family over for food and entertainment. Afterwards, we went to Cardin’s Drive-through for milkshakes. Logan got the PB and J milkshake, which is probably their strangest flavor. I got that milkshake the week of my due date but it didn’t put me into labor unfortunately…
Thursday morning I had to give pulmonary conference. I was there early setting up the cases when the pathology resident who was giving the pathology part of the conference walked in. I asked him how his new baby (5 weeks old) was doing and he grumbled, “She’s not sleeping through the night…” I asked him how much she was waking up and he told me anywhere from every 2 hrs to every 20 minutes! I asked if she had GERD and he said that she did! They were trying the Zantac currently. I recommended the Prevacid and told him that he could come cry on my shoulder if he needed to. A cardiothoracic surgeon and his NP were listening in, and the NP said, “I’m glad we’re old!” I’m just glad to be past that misery!
Gingy left on Friday. We were glad she could stay with us so long. Everything runs a little smoother when she is here. She told me that she already misses Elliot (and me).
Today I got out Elliot’s doctor costume, since it is a 3-6 month outfit. I don’t think it will make it to Halloween!
Dr. Baby to the OR, stat!
I found Logan’s Father’s Day Gift.
Monday night, Elliot, Gingy, and I went to have coffee with Gabi and Gabi’s mom at The Coffee and Ice Cream Shop in Seymour. Gabi’s mom seemed to like Elliot. We talked about swaddles and she mentioned that Russian babies are practically put in a cocoon. Elliot would hate that!
Later, I read “Frederick” to him, a nice book that Jessica got him. He liked it! We went to bed and for the first time I fell asleep while feeding piglet style. An hour later, he was still lying on his side in front of me (thankfully not squished!)
Tuesday, Logan tried taking him to the office alone. Elliot gave daddy heck. Per Logan he screamed all most the entire time. Logan was only able to write one e-mail the whole morning. Lynn, Logan’s sweet neighbor, brought Elliot a “Jungle James” for the office, which Elliot wouldn’t even look at for all his crying!
I did not have conference again, so I met up with my family at Agave Azul. Afterward, Elliot got to meet our friend Tim at The Fresh Market. He liked him instantly! He grabbed Tim’s finger and squealed, probably thinking “Oh, a real live leprechaun!”
That night he got a little over 5 hours of sleep right in a row!
Wednesday morning, Elliot awoke before I left which was nice. I played with him at his Jungle James! He got fussy right before I left, so I and then held and rocked him. He conked right back out! Later, he grabbed his octopus toy again for daddy.
I got to stop by at lunch briefly to see him. Great Granny Slappy and Slappy were there and had brought KFC. I would say it was hardly worth driving 40 minutes to see him for 20, but it was totally worth it! When I came home later, Elliot entertaining himself on Jungle James. That evening he grabbed his pacifier with his hand, accidentally removed it from his mouth, but then managed to put it back in his mouth!
We read “Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel,” another nice book that Jessica got for him. While we were at the hospital, Gam Gam and Linzy brought Jessica’s present by. When I opened it, I saw Mike Mulligan and exclaimed, “Oh yeah! This is the story where they turn the steam shovel into a -” but Logan interrupted “Don’t ruin it for him!”
Today, Elliot was up again to say bye bye to mommy. His Aunt Lisa and Cousin Kyra came to babysit him while Logan went to court in the morning. Lisa texted cute pictures of Elliot all morning!
Big smile!
Kyra and Elliot taking a nap!
Kyra feeding Elliot a bottle (the first time she has ever fed a baby)!
Elliot did this for us when I got home!
http://youtu.be/TbSPASahLGc
Tomorrow is Elliot’s 2 month birthday! I think this first week back has gone pretty well. I haven’t cried or been particularly worried about him. I know he is well cared for and loved. And I know when I come back from work there is someone special waiting for me. It makes me happy and excited to go home!
Hooray! Gingy and Uncle Art found that lamp I wanted for Elliot! So cute! I went to 3 different Targets without success. Gingy did a search to find a store that still had one and there was one in Brentwood. Uncle Art picked it up!
We found some bottles from which Elliot will drink! The Tomme Tippy: Closer to Nature nipples are quite breast-like and Elliot would even drink from the bottle when I fed it to him! How ’bout that! Makes me feel better about going back to work.
The other day Elliot did something funny. We got a new nasal aspirator from the pediatrician that actually fit his nostrils. I was working on removing his boogers, which was rather upsetting for Elliot. Logan and I discovered that if we put him on his stomach he would let me suction more. However, this did not last long. The second time we tried putting him on his stomach he lifted his head and turned it towards the other side (which is still a lot of effort on his part). I followed him to the other side and he lifted his head again and turned it back! I chased him back and forth for a little while and eventually gave up. At least we got a good neck workout in.
When Elliot has a dirty diaper, Logan has recently been speaking for him, saying things like “Mommy! Mommy! Somebody pooped in my diaper again!” to which we respond, “How dare they!” and so forth.
Today, Elliot was lying in his crib watching his mobile when all of the sudden he let out a high pitched scream! I dashed to him and discovered that the same person who has been pooping in his diapers was pulling his hair! How dare he! I extracted his hand from his hair and he was fine.
About this time 1 month ago, Elliot was getting his first bath, which a nurse and Logan performed. I was zonked on pain meds. I remember when I came to, Logan was shirtless doing skin-to-skin with Elliot to keep him warm. It was sweet.
Elliot played with his new play mat with hanging things this afternoon. He was distinctly batting at a green seahorse and a blue whale!
Logan and I have been organizing closets to get space for Tom to move in tomorrow. Logan gave me a little break from Elliot to work on my stuff, which was appreciated. It made me enjoy playing with Elliot later that much more.
John Shanks sent us the following song, which was appropriate.
You Ruined Everything – Jonathan Coulton
And, just in case you thought I was kidding…
No, Elliot is not walking yet. Although when I was pregnant I had a dream that he was 1 day old and walking. Also, In the dream I realized that my son was already walking and I had forgotten to tell my parents that he had even been born! I also had a dream where he was a girl and was already talking before he/she could crawl. I remember him/her clearly telling me that his diaper was uncomfortable and that he needed a change.
I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday after not getting any sleep… again. Logan stepped up to the plate and gave Elliot his first bottle of my stored milk before the crack of dawn while I tried to get some sleep. He also put him on the dryer, in the swing, in the crib with the mobile rotating, and I’m sure various other soothing places. When I awoke at 9 I breast fed him and we spent the day napping, feeding, and rebonding. We sat in the recliner side by side (because holding him gets tiring for me) and cuddled. Logan said that he looked like a little person the way he was sitting up in the chair.
He got pretty fussy in the evening again and just wanted to nurse. I think I might have an idea to help fix that or at least use it to my advantage to help him go to sleep. We’ll see… He actually is getting better on that front. Either he is better at burping or we are better at burping him (or both). He is awake more now and likes looking at the lights and the fan. We are also keeping outfits clean for the most part throughout the day and night. Things are starting to improve…
Last night I had the most restful 3hrs of sleep of my entire life. When he started waking me up at 1AM I was ready for him. He woke up about every hour to hour and a half until 5, at which pont he was wide awake. I took him downstairs to the recliner where we rocked until we were both about to fall asleep and then I sat him beside me again and we cuddled and slept for a couple more hours.
Today we took a trip up to Sevier county. I had a dentist appointment and Logan needed to stop by the court house to pick up a file for one of his cases. We drove Elliot up to Gatlinburg to surprise Gam Gam. She squealed with delight when she saw him and showed him off to her coworkers. She even changed a diaper for us!
We took Chester, our hedgehog, to his new home in Gatlinburg afterwards. A friend of Logan’s from high school’s mom really likes hedgehogs and has had one in the past. She was thrilled to have him. I said my goodbyes but I am sure this is for the best. Since Elliot’s birth I have probably seen Chet 3 times. Last week Sarah said that her relationship with her pets changed significantly when her baby was born. I can believe it. The pets have very much gone down the priority list, especially the one in a cage that can’t just come up to us and let us know that he feels neglected. We cleaned his cage and gave him a bath yesterday and “his grumpiness” actually seemed like he missed us. I’m glad he his going to a home where someone will enjoy him more. Oh the times, they are a changing.
Now we are heading back to Knoxville. Logan is going to do some grocery shopping for a little dinner we are having tomorrow to celebrate Linzy’s graduation and I am going to feed Elliot and (hopefully) take a nap.