Sunday, May 17, 2015

Eli Parker...Seven Months

SEVEN MONTHS






Weight
19lb 6oz (one week shy of 7 months)

Length
Not sure

Diapers
Size 3

Clothing Size
6-9 months and some 12 month

Nicknames
E-machine, E-man, Little man, Sweet boy, Peelo, Peetlo, Eli Eli Oh, Mr. Crankpants, ET

Health
Eli had his first ear infection this month. A few days after his 6 month well check he started having eye drainage again. We were wondering if it was another blocked tear duct but it was happening in both eyes. He was also pulling on his ear but that can be a sign of teething. We took him to the pediatrician and he had a pretty bad ear infection in his left ear. She said they can come on super fast and if we hadn’t brought him in when we did it probably would have turned into a nasty double ear infection. He was on 10 days of amoxicillin and luckily liked the taste of it so it was pretty easy to give to him. He was a champ at his follow up appointment but the doctor had to use a metal tool to get some ear wax out of his other ear - and boy did he HATE that. I have never heard him scream/cry like that - it was so sad! After he calmed down he kept trying to look at the doctor and would growl - it was SO funny! Other than his ear infection he has been one healthy boy this month!

He has had signs of teething since around 2 months but no signs of anything breaking through until Mother’s Day. It looks almost like he has a hole/cut in his gums and when we googled it it looks like that’s the first step in the tooth actually breaking through. That evening we were able to feel a sharp little tooth even though you can’t really see it. I think he’s doing pretty well with teething - he’s not a drooler but sometimes we attribute his fussiness to teething pain (but who really knows!).

Sleep
We’ve been all over the map for sleep this month. He slept through the night more times than not this month but there were still some rough days mixed in here and there. Once we added in breakfast that seemed to help and he was sleeping more at night. He had a week of fighting naps and being really cranky so that was fun...not! As I type this he’s back on track with sleeping through the night (8pm-6-7am) and taking 2 naps a day (around 9am and 2pm and 1.5-2hrs each).

Eating
Started eating 2 meals of solids a day. He has a tablespoon of cereal mixed in both at morning and at night. His favorite is pear & mango and seems to like anything fruity. He’s not so much a fan of the vegetable only or veggie-meat combos. I think it’s a texture thing. We also started giving him fruit in his silicon feeder and he really likes to chomp on that - and bang it against the high chair. You can tell when he likes something because it will take about 5 minutes for him to eat the bowl - otherwise - 20 minutes because he puts up a fight. He also likes his puffs & mum mums and has improved so much this month with picking up the puffs and putting them into his mouth.

Loves
Watching the dogs play and trying to touch them
Playing on the floor with all of his toys
Drinking out of his sippy cup
Baths/pool
Little Einsteins
Jumperoo
Having his face wiped after eating - what?! He tries to lick the wet paper towel
Pears/mangos
Puffs
Riding in carts/sitting in high chairs

Dislikes
Diaper changes
Getting dressed/changing clothes
Having ear wax cleaned out of his ear at the doctor’s office - apparently the kid sounds like a dinosaur when he’s that upset!
Napping - part of this month he just refused to nap
Avocados/peas

Milestones
April 15th - Started eating 2 meals of solids a day (adding in breakfast)
April 18th - Eli’s 1st thunderstorm. This was more for mom than him - he didn’t even notice but he slept in bed with us because mom didn’t want him that far away!
April 20th - Eli’s first ear infection...poor baby :(
April 25th - Eli’s first trip to the zoo! The Austin Zoo. He could have cared less about the animals but he enjoyed the walk. Also had pizza crust for the first time and loved it! Cried when mom took it away.
April 26th - Sat in the grocery cart at HEB for the first time - loved looking around and being nosy! Oh, and tried to steal my coupons the whole time!
May 1st - Really starting to get the hang of picking up and eating puffs. Those fine motor skills are tough stuff! Rocked on his knees for the 1st time. His tooth is officially breaking through!
May 2nd - Had his first french fry at Kerbey Lane while having lunch with his new friend Emmett!
May 10th - Eli’s first time in the pool - he LOVED it! And my first Mother’s Day

Baby Gear Love  (new this month)
Banana Teether - Eli got this teether/toothbrush in his Easter basket and loves to chew on it and wave it around! The “peels” make it easy for him to hold onto

Stacking Balls/Cups - He really likes to play with these stacking ball/cups and loves the yellow smiley face ball!

Shopping Cart/High Chair Cover - This is one of those baby items that I heard mixed reviews on - some people love them and some people say they’re unnecessary. I love it! Since Eli can sit up unassisted now he can sit in the shopping cart and in high chairs and I love being able to put this cover on to protect him from germs. Of course he wants to touch/put his mouth on everything so this covers most of the germy parts!

Silicone Feeder - We have a few mesh feeders but it seems like he’s able to get the fruit out of the silicone one a little better. I like using it because then we don’t have to worry about him choking

Sippy Cups - Nuk - Munchkin - He really likes the cups with handles and is able to drink out of these much easier. The Nuk one makes it where he doesn’t have to tip it quite as much as a regular sippy so it’s been a good transition cup. He also likes chewing on the silicone spout. After he saw (and continually tried to steal) Jaxen’s munchkin cup I bought him one too. He really likes chewing on the spout of this one and the handles make this easier for him to drink out of too!

Indestructibles Books - Eli is a typical 7 month old and is more interested in eating books than reading them. I’ve had my eye on the Indestructibles so he finally got one in his Easter basket. These things are awesome! They are rip/tear/chew/drool proof and he’s able to be as rough as he wants with the book.

Things I Don't Want to Forget
The sound of his little voice when he talks/babbles

How he goes crazy kicking/splashing in the bathtub

Even though he’s rolling all over the place - I don’t want to forget how easy it is to keep tabs on the little guy right now before he starts crawling/walking!

His big smile when you come home after work

How ticklish he is everywhere and the sweet laugh he gives!

















































Sunday, April 26, 2015

Eli Parker...Six Months

Six Months






Weight
18lb 8 oz (70th percentile)


Length
27 inches (73rd percentile)


Diapers
He wore size 2 throughout most of the month to finish up our stock. He moved to size 3 and size 3 extra protection at night (due to some diaper leakage issues in the middle of the night in size 2 baby dry) at the end of the month.


Clothing Size
At the beginning of the month I could still squeeze him in some of his 3 month clothes but he’s pretty much in 6-9 month clothes. I bought him a bunch of summer clothes in 9 month size but it looks like I’m going to have to revamp his wardrobe with 12-18 months before I know it!


Nicknames
Eman, E machine, E monster, Little man, Little boy, Sweet boy, vampavamps, Eli Eli Oh, Peelo


Health
Eli had some kind of cold or allergy issues that lasted about a week. Poor thing was so congested and had a little cough. He didn’t seem too bothered by it but it hit at the same time that I had some major allergy issues which makes me think it was related. I’ve heard that babies under 2 can’t have allergies but I just don’t buy it!! We combated the sickness with his humidifier, diffusing lavender/thieves in his room at night, nosefrida-ing, and vapor baths. Other than this little bump in the road he was a healthy guy this month!


Sleep
Eli continued to wake up 1-2 times per night throughout the month. There were a few instances of him sleeping through the night but a typical night for him would be going down at 8pm, up between 10-11pm, and then again 2-4am, and then wakes up for the day around 6am. This has been rough on momma but I know it could be worse! Napwise he has been doing pretty well this month. He takes a 1.5-2 hour nap in the morning (around 9am) and a 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon (around 2) but this kid is nosy and if he knows there’s something better going on - he’s going to fight sleep!


Eating
He is eating every 2.5-3 hours during the day and is still breastfeeding like a champ (most of the time). We started Eli on solids right when he turned 5 months. I wanted to wait until 6 months but he was showing signs of being ready and we were hoping it would help him sleep through the night (which it did not). We started him out on oatmeal and then introduced a new food every 3-4 days. His faces were so priceless and we have a lot of it on video - so so funny!


Loves
Caterpillar toy
Jumperoo
Crinkle paper
Oball
Teething keys
Wheel on his high chair
Indestructible book
Little Einsteins
Connecting rings
Baths
Watching the dogs play


Dislikes
Diaper changes
Getting dressed
Sitting (he likes to be moving - all.the.time)
Nosefrida


Milestones
March 14th - Met his “cousins”Aaron & Alyssa/first relatives on the Siulinski side!
March 15th - Eli had solids for the first time - organic oatmeal. He wasn’t really a fan and kept spitting it out - but also let us continue to give it to him.
March 18th - Eli had sweet potato for the first time - first real “food.” He was very indifferent about it
March 19th - First time on the swing at the park - he loved it!
March 27th - Started to notice/reach for his feet. He has trouble getting to them because his legs are so big! #thunderthighs
March 30th - Started his cute/funny little growl
April 3rd - Eli slept on his tummy for the first time (rolled over from his back sometime during the night)
April 5th - Eli’s first Easter and first time seeing snow!!
April 11th - Eli’s first bluebonnet pics
April 13th - Mom’s first full day working at the office
April 14th - Eli’s first time (trying) to drink out of a sippy cup


Baby Gear Love  (new this month)
Nosefrida - We had been using the Graco battery operated nasal aspirator (which I still like for snot I can see in his nose) but it just wasn’t getting the stuff deep down. This has been a life saver with all of his congestion this month (thanks Christine!!). This is a baby gear love for me but he of course hates it.


Breathable Crib Bumpers - Eli’s crib bedding has adorable matching bumpers that we had on until he started sleeping in his crib at night. Paranoid mom over here decided on breathable crib bumpers for now. The kid is all over the crib and it just makes me feel better to know if/when his face is up against the side he can still breathe. When he gets a little older we’ll probably put the “cute” bumpers back.


Baby Monitor App/Foscam Baby Monitor - We really started using the monitor/app when Eli started napping in his crib and of course sleeping at night in his room. I especially love that I can check in on him when I’m not home - keep tabs on grandma & grandpa ;)


Beco Soleil Carrier - I loved the solly baby wrap when E was little but now that he’s bigger (and heavier) I like how secure the Soleil is. This things is awesome to wear while traveling! It satisfies his need to be moving around without killing my back. He’s big enough now that I can wear him on my back or side/hip but I haven’t tried it yet.


Sassy Rings - He loves loves loves these rings! I think it’s a combination of the bright colors and different textures. When you get his rings out and dangle them in front of him he gets the biggest smile on his face!

Stacking Cups - Eli LOVES playing with these cups. He unstacks them, bangs them, puts them in his mouth - he’s a huge fan!


Things I Don't Want to Forget
Eli started growling this month and it’s so so funny! I think he picked it up from watching the dogs play fight - I’m not sure where else he would have seen/heard it.


The way his face lights up when Little Einsteins comes on. He gets so excited and gets the sweetest smile on his face.


His thunder thighs.


We took his 2nd trip this month - to Connecticut over Easter. It was so fun having my family meet Eli and him getting to meet his little cousins! 5 under 3 is a good time :)


His fake coughs.

When he pretends to be shy!