Handmade Baby Shower Gifts

Here are some of my favorite handmade gifts to give and make as of late for baby showers and 1 year old birthdays.

These skirts are so simple to make. I mostly followed this tutorial.

This sweet little doll. I mostly followed this pattern but increased the size.

These simple headbands.

This monogram onesie, baby bow tie, paci clip, bandana bib and giraffe rattle.

These stuffed owls. I mostly followed this pattern but eliminated the feet.

These stuffed monsters are a more masculine alternative to the owls for little boys. I mostly followed this pattern but eliminated a few steps and increased the size with my copy machine.

46 weeks

Here is what is going on with Eli this week according to babycenter.com;

Your baby probably enjoys looking at books and leafing through the pages, though she won't always turn them one by one. Indulge in great picture books, like Anno's Journey, by the great Japanese artist Mitsumasa Anno, Tamara Hoban's Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue?, which introduces primary colors through photos of everyday objects, and The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs, a full-color cartoon book about a snowman who comes to life. Or stick with sturdy and inexpensive board books that can stand up to small fingers.

To add variety to your baby's reading time and to find out what appeals to her the most, try your local library or the kids' section at a family-friendly bookstore.

Your baby has probably been wrestling with bouts of separation anxiety during the last several months. This is natural: She loves and depends on you, so she's distressed when you leave.

To ease departures, make them short and sweet. Be matter-of-fact when you leave your child at daycare or with a babysitter at home, and don't prolong the agony with extended goodbyes. Your baby's tears will subside soon after you're out of sight.

You can help your baby feel more independent by not hovering over her all the time. Of course, she still needs to know that you're around and dependable. So if she toddles to another room, wait a couple of minutes before following. If you go to another area of the house, call to her when you're in the next room — but don't come running every time she squawks.

Poor 2nd child!  I blogged every week the whole first year of Noah's life and this is my first Eli blog in 2 months. 

Eli is doing great though!

I think I've pretty much switched to solely calling him Eli and almost never calling him Elisha. 

He has been walking for about 2 weeks (since he was 10 months old) and can walk around the whole house on his own.  Now we're working on getting used to walking in shoes and not just barefoot.

He loves to clap his hands and does it all the time.  Within the last couple of weeks he's just been learning how to wave hi and bye to people.

I just finally transitioned him out of sleeping in a sleep sack this week and am now giving him a blanket.  We also lowered his crib to the lowest notch, because I think it was somewhere around this age when Noah figured out how to hurl himself out of the crib.  We also child proofed all of our cabinets, which is something that I had never done with Noah, but it has made my days dramatically easier since I'm not spending 98% of my day policing cabinets now.

He now has his 2 bottom center teeth and 2 top center teeth, plus has an additional one on the top just starting to break through the skin.

Eli has hardly ever been left with anyone other than me, Jeremy, or his mom, but we are slowly getting him used to it.  A few months ago, he wasn't making it through a whole church service and they would call me to pick him up from the nursery after about 15-20 minutes because he was still sobbing.  Now he makes it the entire service, but still gets pretty sad when I drop him off, and pick him up.

Despite the drawbacks of having less blogs and alone time with me from being the 2nd child I think he is getting a lot of benefits (for him anyway).  I didn't let Noah eat any food with added butter, oil, salt, sugar, or fried food until well after his 1st birthday (I think).  I pretty much already feed Eli just about anything that I'm eating which has included desserts, chips, french fries, meat, nd lots of other delicacies that Noah wasn't experiencing at this age.  I also never let Noah watch tv before he was 2 (I think), but since Noah currently watches a few shows a day, as soon as Eli is old enough to notice and care then I will let him watch with his brother.

In reading Noah's 46 week blog I'm reminded of how much he loved to read at this age... Eli, not so much.  I can't get him to sit still for a whole book, and usually he just tries to grab books out of my hand.  In fact, when I'm reading a book to Noah, Eli will come from across the room just to try to take the book from us.  On his own though, he is frequently known to pull all of the books off the bookshelf and sit amidst a pile of books flipping through them, he just doesn't want us reading them to him.

But while Eli doesn't have the same love for books that Noah did at this age he does have a love for balls that Noah didn't.  He loves to catch, throw, and roll balls.  We'll see if this carries over into athleticism in later years.

He has developed a bit of an attitude and will throw mini fits/ tantrums when we take away something that he wants.  Fortunately he is easily distracted.

He says mama and dadda, dadda way more than mama.  He also says Noah, but hasn't showed any interest in some of the other common words yet.

One of his favorite things to do is to lay on any couch, bed, or set of pillows and just flop and roll around.  He grins and growls the whole time.  He also loves being held upside down, going for walks, playing peek-a-boo, watching bubbles, and going to grandma's.

This little boy is so happy and full of personality.  He is independent... when I see other kids his age hover by their moms in social settings he is always on the move, curious and exploring.  He is stubborn tenacious, and will continue to go back to the same forbidden action time and time again without giving up.  These traits of curiosity and tenacity are also strongly exhibited in his brother, and while they can be frustrating in small children I think they are great qualities for adults, so we are doing our best not to stifle them out of him but to attempt to direct them in a constructive manner.

Here was Noah at 46 weeks.

39 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha according to babycenter.com;

The torrent of words your baby has been hearing since birth is beginning to work its magic, although his understanding of words far outpaces his ability to use them. His babbling has turned to jabber and is probably starting to sound more like real words, phrases, and sentences. Your baby thinks he's saying something, so respond as if he really is!

Your baby still comprehends more from your tone than from your actual words, though. He can understand when he's pleased you, so offer specific praise, such as "You did a great job picking up the rattle." The more you talk to your baby — while preparing dinner, driving, or getting dressed — the more he learns about communication.

Your baby's starting to understand the word "no," though he may not obey it just yet. For example, you can expect him to try to touch something even after you've said not to. It's best to use the word "no" sparingly, and when you do use it, follow it by removing him from the scene of the crime and introducing him to a new activity.

Elisha is doing great!

He has become increasingly mobile over the last few weeks.  Now he easily and quickly crawls around the house.  He pulls up to standing and walks around the room holding onto walls, couches, shelves, tables, and chairs.  He can let go of what he's holding onto and stand without any support.  He has taken a couple of steps here and there not holding onto to anything, but no more than 2 at a time yet, and not all too often. That said, we really think he is going to be walking soon, he is very close.

He now has his 2 center bottom teeth and I'm sure will have some upper ones appearing shortly.

He seems to finally be sleeping through the night all night every night in his crib in the room with Noah.  He still takes 2 other naps a day, about an hour each.

He has started saying mama and dada and knows that those words identify me and Jeremy.

He LOVES to play with his brother.  When Noah is with Jeremy or his mom for a few hours Elisha gets THE biggest grin upon seeing his brother's face or hearing his voice.  Our 2 boys love each other so much.  Noah always wants Elisha in whatever room that he's in and Elisha wouldn't have it any other way.

Here was Noah at 39 weeks.

33 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

Your baby may be creeping (pushing himself around on his belly), crawling, or moving about by bottom shuffling — scooting around on his posterior using a hand behind him and a foot in front of him to propel himself.

Creeping is your baby's first method of getting around efficiently on his own. Usually, he'll first learn to pull himself with his hands and then get up on his hands and knees. Then he'll figure out how to move forward and backward by pushing off with his knees. (A "combat crawl" is a variation in which one leg is the pusher and the opposite arm the lead puller.)

All of these variations on crawling strengthen the muscles that will soon enable him to walk. Whichever mode of mobility your baby's using, it's fascinating to see how he solves the problem of getting around.

Your baby may be able to pull himself up to a standing position while holding on to furniture. In fact, if you stand your baby next to the sofa, he may be able to hold himself up, although he may be hanging on for dear life.

At this stage some parents put their children in baby walkers, but that's not a good idea. Walkers are unsafe: Your baby can use a walker as a stepladder to reach things he couldn't normally get to, such as a hot stove or bottle of bleach. What's more, they discourage floor play, which helps him learn to walk by giving him opportunities to crawl, pull up, and cruise while holding on to furniture — all activities that lead to walking.

Your baby's newfound mobility means that he's now entering the land of bumps and falls. These are an inevitable part of childhood, and although your heart may occasionally skip a beat or two, try to enjoy watching your baby explore his surroundings and discover his limits.

Restraining your innate desire to protect your baby allows him to grow and learn for himself. However, do make every effort to make your home baby-safe. A good way to do this is to get down to his level to find the possible danger zones. Secure fragile objects so they won't topple, for example, and keep rickety furniture in rooms that don't get much baby traffic.

Now's a good time to move drapery and blind cords out of reach, pad sharp coffee-table corners, install toilet-seat locks, relocate hazardous houseplants to higher ground, lock away poisonous cleaning supplies and medications, cover electric outlets, and secure safety gates at the top and bottom of each staircase.

(a pic of all the cousins when we were in Ohio for Christmas)

Elisha is doing great!  He is so laid back and easy going.  Very rarely does this poor child get a nap that doesn't get interrupted because I need to wake him up to leave the house, or he wakes up from hearing some loud noise from his brother playing.  But despite all that, he remains so happy and cheerful and never seems to be disgruntled at his interrupted sleep.  In general, he tends to take 2-3 naps a day, although the first one is often a very short one on a car ride somewhere.

He is still enjoying 1-2 meals of solid food a day and nursing every 3-4 hours.  We usually do banana and yogurt for his late morning meal and some type of vegetable and rice cereal for his late afternoon meal.  I have yet to see this kid seem to act full or refuse food.  He always seems to eat as much solid food as I'll give him, even if he just nursed.  I've seen him eat a whole banana, and some yogurt in one sitting, and that just sounds like a lot for such a small person, with such a small stomach.  I tried giving him some Cheerios to eat this week, but he didn't really seem to know what to do with them even though he saw me and Noah eating them.  He kinda just mushed them around, gagged a little, and then spit them out.  He doesn't have any teeth yet.

We already have the sense that Elisha is an extravert, and very engaging and relational.  When Noah was this age, I remember him wanting to get everyone to look at him, but once he had their attention he would look away and carry on with some display of behavior that was a show for anyone he could get to watch.  With Elisha, he makes eye contact and tries to engage everyone, but then holds it.  He wants to stare deeply into your eyes, continuing to engage you.  

He rolls all over the place to get to what he wants and he is doing a little scooting and a lot of rocking up on his hands and knees.  He loves his jump up and spends multiple hours a day swinging and bouncing around in it.

Within the last 2 weeks Elisha just started sleeping in the crib in the room with Noah, so we are no longer prisoners in our own home, unable to use the kitchen and bathroom after Elisha is asleep.  So far things are going pretty well with both boys sleeping in the same room, but we haven't quite figured out whether it's better to put one of them to bed first, or to put them both down at the same time.

Elisha and Noah love each other so much.  They love playing and rolling around on the floor together.  Despite the fact that Noah constantly harrasses Elisha and invades his personal bubble Elisha is always noticeably happy when Noah walks into a room, he is always so excited to see him and watch his shenanigans.  

Here is Noah's update at 33 weeks.

28 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

Your baby can now support some of her weight on her legs, and she loves to bounce — something that can strengthen her muscles for walking later on. Hold her under her arms and help her stand up on the floor or on your lap.

You may need to help her start moving by lifting her off the ground (or your lap) but once she starts, just watch her go! Be ready for lots of giggles.

Your baby's fine motor skills are coming along. By now she can probably scoop things up with one hand and transfer an object from one hand to the other fairly easily. Fine motor skills involve small, precise thumb, finger, hand, and wrist movements and are used for actions like picking up things between the thumb and finger.

Gross motor skills are required for activities like crawling, which use large muscles such as those in the arm, leg, or feet or the entire body. To encourage your baby's development of these skills, place a toy just out of your baby's reach and watch her try to get it. If she cries because she can't quite reach it, give her encouragement — but not the toy. She's just venting frustration and will become more physically confident more quickly if you don't make everything easy for her.

After a few tries, she'll be able to lean forward to grab the toy and then straighten herself again. Before long, she'll be rocking back and forth on her hands and knees or maybe creeping (pushing herself around on her belly) or even repeatedly rolling over to move about the room. Help her move around easily by dressing her in loose, comfortable clothes.

Your baby's also showing an interest in small parts and the details of the objects around her. Her ways of exploring are growing beyond banging and gumming, although those are still part of every toy interaction. As she explores, be sure to keep buttons, coins, safety pins, balloons, rocks, and other choking hazards out of reach.

Elisha is still doing great.  

He continues to amaze me at just how happy and laid back he is.

He's still nursing every 3ish hours and eating solid foods 1-2 times a day.  As of now he has happily tried every food that I have given him.  So far we've done rice cereal, banana, avocado, yogurt, sweet potato, and carrots.

He is definitely getting more mobile.  Now if I put him down in the middle of the room within seconds I will find him on the other side of the room against a wall.  He rolls over and over in the same direction until he hits a road block.  He makes some attempts to scoot, but isn't very successful at it.  His best move other than rolling is when he lies on his back and scoots himself by quickly turning his head from side to side and pushing with both legs at the same time.

After a several month hiatus in sleeping through the night, he has started to sleep through the night again this week.  He has gone several days in a row of sleeping from 8 pm-ish to almost 6 am each day.  This makes this mama VERY happy.  Once I have him doing this for over a week, I think I'll be ready to move him from his current bedroom (the living room) to his crib in Noah's room.  He's also taking 2-3 additional naps during the day at about an hour or less each.

One of Elisha's favorite things to do is to go grocery shopping.  I wear him in the baby Bjorn carrier as we walk around the store and he faces out watching everything, and everyone.  His hands hang at the perfect height for him to grab onto the grocery car handle and he grasps it tightly as we walk around the store.  It's quite adorable, it looks like he is pushing the cart.

Here was Noah at 28 weeks.

26 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

If you want to introduce sign language to your baby, now's the time. Her understanding of language and her motor skills develop much faster than her ability to speak. Most babies, for example, discover how to wave (around 9 months) and point (by age 1) long before they can say "bye bye" or "look at that!"

Giving your baby the tools to express herself may help cut down on her frustration. While baby signing doesn't promise to eliminate tears or tantrums, babies this young have been taught to "sign" successfully.

To begin, try using a hand signal every time you use common words such as "book" (open your palms with your hands together) or "hungry" (put your fingers to your lips). Later on, your baby will be able to express more complex ideas such as "I'm done with my juice" with a simple gesture such as putting her palms up at shoulder height.

And don't worry: Signing won't interfere with your baby's progress in learning to speak. In fact, it may actually help develop her language skills.

Your baby may favor one hand for a while and then switch to the other. But you can't really tell whether she's a lefty or a righty until she's about 2 or 3 years old.

Don't try to influence your baby's hand preference (it's determined before birth). Forcing her to use her right hand when she's really a lefty, for example, may confuse her and lead to problems with hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and handwriting down the road.

Your baby will love turn-taking games, especially ones that involve sounds and language. Let your baby be the leader sometimes, and mimic her vocalizations. When it's your turn to lead, a good way to teach — and amuse — your baby is to make animal noises ("quack-quack," "bow-wow").

One upside of these kinds of games is that they can be played anywhere. Your baby will delight in the sounds of water splashing in the bathtub or blocks hitting the floor. Show your baby how to make these fun (if sometimes annoying) noises and then let her have a turn.

Elisha is doing great.  He's had a lot of changes over the last few weeks and has taken them like a champ.

He had his first sickness, with a runny nose/ cough/ cold for several days, but unlike Noah, he never got a fever and he was a happy trooper through the whole thing, even when his breathing sounded like an asthmatic pug dog.

We started solid food and he has been responding really well to it.  He eats everything that I give him, which is usually 2-3 servings per sitting.  He eats solid food twice a day (around lunch time and dinner time) and nurses about every 3 hours all day long.  So far he has had rice cereal, banana, avocado, and yogurt.

We finally stopped swaddling Elisha when he sleeps.  This went on a little too long, but he just recently got past his "falling reflex" within the last month.  I put this off for a while cause he already isn't a great sleeper at night and I've been scared that the transition would be rough.  Elisha continues to amaze me at how flexible of a baby he is!  On the first day, for his 2 naps and nighttime sleep he cried less than 5 minutes each and easily fell asleep unswaddled.  If I had known it would have been that easy, I would have done this months ago.

He has started to show some attempts to crawl or scoot, but isn't quite there yet.  He also doesn't roll over all that much yet, but I think he is held a lot more of the day than Noah was at this age.

He is really showing an interest in playing with/ shaking/ holding onto toys, especially rattles and crinkly toys.

At his doctor's appointment last week he was 18 lbs 8 oz, and his head was 17.5 inches.  He continues to be on the larger side of all of these measurements, continuing to grow at a good rate.

Just for kicks, here is a link to Noah at 26 weeks.

21 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

Your baby may be able to hold her own bottle now and it's fine to let her, but never prop the bottle for her and walk away. A propped bottle could cause your baby to overeat or even choke. Also, if your baby falls asleep while sucking on the bottle, milk or formula can pool in her mouth, coating her teeth with sugar, which can lead to tooth decay. Pooled milk can also drip into the tubes that connect the back of the throat with the middle part of the ear, leading to ear infections.

Your baby's probably showing more signs that she's ready for solids — from a weaker tongue-thrust reflex (when your baby pushes out her tongue when something is placed on it) to a keener interest in the foods you and others are eating. But don't be in a rush to give your baby solid food. Discuss when to introduce solid food with your baby's healthcare provider.

Your baby's digestive system may not be ready for solids, and she might not be able control her chewing and swallowing muscles. (Don't worry: That will all come in a few weeks.) Giving your baby solid foods too early can raise her risk of developing food allergies, too. Common allergies include citrus, egg whites, peanut butter, wheat, shellfish, and cow's milk.

Use family mealtime to socialize with your baby. She'll enjoy watching you eat, and she may even eat more herself as a result. In another month or so, she'll be better able to sit up by herself and grasp small objects, too, adding to her dinner table skills.

Your baby may now be able to get into a sitting position from lying on her stomach by pushing up on her arms. If she's sitting independently, stay nearby for support — even if you provide pillows to cushion a possible fall. Your baby may have mastered the sitting skill, but she still might lose interest in being upright and topple over.

Your baby may start showing signs of one of her first major emotional milestones — stranger anxiety. She may become clingy and anxious around new (and even familiar!) people and may cry if a stranger suddenly approaches her.

Keep this in mind when you're around people she doesn't know, and try not to be embarrassed when she cries in someone else's arms — just take her back and calm her down by holding her yourself. Tell your friends and family to approach your little one with slow gentle movements.

A case of stranger anxiety doesn't mean you have to avoid new faces. Your baby will benefit from getting used to being around people other than you and your partner. Just remember that she needs your patience and understanding to get through this very important stage of development.

At all well-baby visits, your child's doctor should examine your baby's eyes, checking their structure and alignment, her ability to move them correctly, and for signs of congenital eye conditions or other problems. Find out what to expect from the examination and what to look for yourself.

Elisha is doing great!

I don't know how much he weighs right now, but at his last doctors appointment, 2 months ago, he already weighed 6 oz more than Noah did at 21 weeks.  It's safe to say that Elisha is a little more hearty/ thick than Noah was at this point, although Noah did have some length on him.

He is starting to notice when I eat, and watches me curiously, but I think we'll at least wait until the 6 month mark before introducing solid food.

This week we started some sleep training/ "crying it out" with Elisha.  That's pretty much what I did with Noah after the newborn stage was over, and he was always a very good sleeper.  Due to logistics where we live, I haven't wanted to let Elisha cry it out at night because he would either wake Noah up, or disturb our neighbors who share a bedroom wall with Elisha.  That said, since he hasn't consistently been sleeping through the night I decided to work harder at scheduling and letting him cry it out, because we were sure those worked so well with Noah, and our family dynamic.  I started at nap time Monday, Elisha cried for almost an hour before he finally fell asleep.  But something magic happened after that, he has never cried more than 15 minutes before any nap since then, and by Tuesday night, he fell straight asleep without making as much as a whimper.  He's still not sleeping through the night yet, but I do feel like he is picking up the skill of being able to comfort himself and am hoping that pays off at night soon.

Now Elisha can roll from his back to his belly, or his belly to his back.  He will also do a little pre-crawling pushing with his legs while on his belly.

He's still a very happy and easily comforted baby (for me), but he has developed a case of the "mommies" as Jeremy's mom calls it.  Since I rarely ever leave him with anyone other than me, he is starting to be a little sad and less comforted when I am gone.

Here was Noah at 21 weeks.

You Are My Sunshine Baby Shower

This weekend I had the privilege of throwing a baby shower for one of my favorite people in the whole world.  Her and her husband are not finding out the gender of their baby, so I needed a gender neutral theme.  Their nursery colors are aqua/ turquoise-ish, yellow, gray, and orange and I thought that those would go well with a You Are My Sunshine theme.  That way, the decorations that I made for the shower could double as gifts/ nursery decorations also.  This was my favorite theme, color scheme, and decor for any party that I've ever thrown.  Now sure if it's how special the guest of honor is to me, or if it was the theme itself, but I had a lot of fun dreaming up and creating this shower.  

My camera and I had a huge struggle with the lighting at the location, so please excuse the blurry pictures.

I made this sign from some scrap wood

the centerpieces were branches in mason jars with tissue paper flowers glued to them

we had a table with envelopes to address and an advice/ encouragement book for guests to sign

I made the sunshine blocks out of more scrap wood, some patterned cardstock, and then stamped the letters on them.  the framed print was a free printable found here.  I also printed and framed a few other free printables found here and here.

another activity was a onesie and burp cloth decorating station.  I didn't need to buy anything other than a pack of burp cloths for this, I just used supplies that I have on hand in my crafting stash.  basically I supplied plenty of onesies and burp cloths, lots of scrap fabric, fusible web, embroidery floss, fabric markers and paint, stencils, and stamps and let guests get creative.  this would be great for bibs also.  I wish I had taken pictures of some of the finished products, they were SO cute!

I made a word banner using my cricut machine to easily cut the letters from cardstock.  then I punched holes in them and strung them on yarn.

I made several tissue paper pom poms (rounded edges for the "clouds" and spiked edges for the "suns".  these are so cheap and easy to make and turned out really well!

this picture is awful, but these free printable cupcake (or mac and cheese cup) toppers were adorable

and here's the link for the free printable toppers I used on the cupcakes

I used this site for the free printable invitations, thank you cards, food tents, and favor tags, and just made them all in the same color scheme as the shower.  for the favors, I made coffee meringue "clouds". 

for the food, I stuck with a yellow/ sunshine-y theme and incorporated the mama-to-be's tastes, favorites, and requests.  we had;

-curried chicken pasta salad

-mac and cheese cups

-sausage balls

-veggies with curry dip

-fruit skewers

-lemon bars

-orange marmalade cupcakes

-lemonade

-coffee punch

It was such a fun sweet time to celebrate the mama-to-be and baby!

19 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

Even though crying is still your baby's strongest form of communication, he's also developing his sense of humor during his fifth month. He may start to laugh at pleasant surprises such as your face appearing from underneath a blanket or a toy popping out of a box, provided it isn't too loud or startling.

Encourage your baby's laughs, giggles, and smiles with funny faces and lots of general silliness. Babies enjoy hearing a variety of sounds and you don't need special toys or instruments to provide them. Simply click your tongue, whistle, or make animal noises — your baby will love it!

Encourage your baby to experiment and play with a variety of objects. Something as simple as a clean cloth diaper might occupy him for several minutes. Watch him suck on it, hold it, and discover what happens when he scrunches it up.

Give him a light rattle and see him delight in the sound it makes when he shakes it. An activity center or crib gym is a good choice for this stage, as your baby begins to explore the cause and effect of moving a lever and hearing a bell ring, for instance.

Babies see color from birth, but they have difficulty distinguishing similar tones, such as red and orange. (Babies can tell the difference between very different colors such as red, green, and yellow.) As a result, younger babies often prefer black and white or high-contrast patterns.

At your baby's age, color differences become clearer, and your baby has started to distinguish between similar shades. Present him with a variety of colors in books, toys, and clothing.

Elisha is doing great!

After several weeks of not sleeping through the night (after a few of having slept through the night) he has had a few days in a row now where he has slept as late as 4 or 5 am without getting up in the middle of the night.

One day last week Elisha rolled all the way from his belly onto his back, but he has not done it again since, and he hasn't rolled from his back to his belly yet.  He can start off on either his back or belly, but usually stops mid-roll, on his side, and stays that way before rolling back to whatever he came from.

He's working on a little army crawl/ scoot on his belly also.

He can also sit up some on his own, as long as we are nearby to catch him if he suddenly looses control and falls.

He still sleeps in his swaddle blanket and cannot nap without it, as soon as he falls asleep he moves his arms and wakes himself back up.  Jeremy and I keep making jokes that he'll be 8 years old still being swaddled and we'll be wrapping him in a sheet, because I don't think swaddle blankets get any bigger than the size our large baby is already in.

Here is a link to Noah's weekly update at 19 weeks.

14 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

At last, your baby's sleep patterns may start to settle down, giving you some rest. Many 4-month-olds sleep for a six-hour stretch through the night, though others still wake for an occasional feeding. Some babies take until age 6 months or later to sleep through the night, though, so don't get your hopes up! Two daytime naps are usual now.

Your baby's starting to draw conclusions about the world around him. He's looking at everything with curiosity, even his own reflection.

Prop an unbreakable mirror next to him or sit him in front of your mirror when you're getting ready. Your baby won't realize that it's actually his image in the mirror (this usually begins to happen well into the second year), but that doesn't matter. He'll love to stare at his — or anyone else's — reflection, and he may show his delight by an all-out gum grin.

Your baby may stop sucking his thumb or bottle to listen to your voice. By cooing or making noises at him, and by describing even the most mundane household chore, you're not only connecting with him but also encouraging him to express himself. Wait and see if he "answers."

Your baby is becoming more animated and engaging (even with others) — flashing smiles, oohing, and cooing. And the fun has really begun as he's starting to laugh.

When you're with friends, keep your baby nearby so he can hear the richness of human interaction. He'll enjoy watching the antics of other babies, toddlers, and pets, but keep up your guard: Neither he nor they know the rules of safe engagement just yet.

Anything within your baby's reach is fair game now. While he's mastering his grabbing skills, give your baby interesting things to hold: lightweight rattles that are easy to grasp, a plastic or rubber ring to hold with both hands, squeaking toys, or soft stuffed animals.

Your baby will start to favor one hand for a while and then switch to the other, but you can't really tell whether he's a lefty or a righty until he's about 2 or 3 years old.

Elisha is doing great.

He is still sleeping about 6-8 hours at night, getting up around 4ish most mornings.  He usually takes 3 naps during the day, 1 being for 2 hours or more, and then other 2 being an hour or less.

He is for the first time starting to tolerate and enjoy being on his belly.  I'll lay him on a blanket in the middle of the floor, sometimes propped up on a boppy, and Noah always comes and lays next to him and gets a kick out of being able to interact with and make his brother laugh.

Elisha is also starting to enjoy the mobile in his crib (which he is almost never in).  I can lay him on his back looking up at the mobile and leave him there to be entertained for a bit.  Anytime that Noah realizes this is what is going on he climbs straight into the crib and lies on his back next to Elisha while they both watch the mobile.

He is still so happy, healthy, and getting thicker by the week.  He is a very active baby, constantly moving his body around and looking to engage anyone with eye contact whom he can capture.

We took the boys to the aquarium last week, and I thought that Elisha would be too young to enjoy it, but I was wrong.  He LOVED it and had a great time starting at the sharks and fish, when I would turn around so that he was no longer facing them he would turn his head from side to side trying to see them again.

12 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

During this month, your baby may be able to lift her head while on her back and hold it for several minutes. If sitting with support, she may be able to hold her head steady and erect. When she's on her stomach, you might see her lifting her head and chest as if she were doing mini-pushups. You can offer encouragement by sitting in front of her and dangling a toy.

Your baby can now wave her arms and kick her legs. As her hip and knee joints become more flexible, her kicks are getting stronger. And if you hold her up with her feet on the floor she should push down on her legs now. She can bring both hands together and open her fingers, though she'll probably use a closed fist to bat at dangling objects. (Of course, swatting at a toy or other object is developmental progress in itself!) Encourage her hand development by holding out a toy to see if she'll grasp it.

Starting about now, sleep-deprived parents may get some respite. By three to four months, your child's sleep patterns start to settle down. Many babies this age can even sleep through the night, though they may still wake up for the occasional feeds. But some children may not sleep through the night (which, for the first year, usually means just six hours at a time), for a good three to six months, so don't worry if your baby still wants to keep you up at night.

By three months, and probably earlier, your baby will have formed an attachment to you and be familiar with your face. Most likely she will still smile at strangers, especially when they look her straight in the eye and coo or talk to her. But she's beginning to sort out who's who in her life and definitely prefers some people to others.

The parietal lobe, the part of the brain that governs hand-eye coordination and allows a person to recognise objects, is developing rapidly now. And the temporal lobe, which assists with hearing, language, and smell, has also become more receptive and active. So when your baby hears your voice now, she may look directly at you and start gurgling or trying to talk back.

Reading to a child, no matter how small, will pay off. It helps your baby develop an ear for the cadence of language -- in fact, varying the pitch of your voice, using accents, singing, and vocalising make the aural connection between you and your baby that much more stimulating. But don't worry if she looks the other way or loses concentration -- adjust her stimulation by trying something else, or give her time to rest. Co-ordinate your interactions with her responses and interest.

There are also plenty of good books to read to your baby. Choose board books with large, bright pictures and simple text -- or even wordless books with pictures for you to narrate.

But at this point you needn't be slavish to age guidelines. Books designed for older children with clear, crisp images and bright colours can captivate a baby. Or you can even read poetry originally written for adult ears. What your baby doesn't understand will nonetheless delight her because of its musicality (you'll probably be amused as well).

This is a sensitive time when verbal stimulation is particularly important for your baby. Seize the moment and engage her with a variety of words and sounds. Recent research links higher intelligence levels to how many words a child hears in the first year of life. This is the time to set a sound foundation. Even a trip to the shops can be a chance to stimulate your child -- as you roam the aisles, point to objects and identify them by name. Your baby can't repeat these words yet, but she's storing all the information in her rapidly developing memory.

A baby in a bilingual home will get double the language training if she regularly hears both languages spoken. If you'd like her to learn more than one language, have each parent speak to her in a different language.

Stimulate your baby's sense of touch with materials such as fur, tissue, felt, and terrycloth, or look for books that make touching a part of the reading experience. Touching, carrying, and massaging your baby, along with moving her through the surrounding air when you lift her, are powerful ways to relax her and may even increase her alertness and attention span.

Your child is set on "receive," drawing conclusions about the world around her. By now, she may respond to her face in the mirror by smiling (babies love looking at themselves), and she may stop sucking her thumb or bottle to listen to your voice. By cooing or making noises at her, and by describing even the most mundane household chore, you're not only connecting with her but also encouraging her to express herself. Even with others, your baby is becoming more animated and engaging -- flashing smiles, oohing and cooing. The fun has really begun. When you're with friends, keep her nearby so she can hear the richness of human interaction.

Elisha is doing great.

At his 2 1/2 month appointment last week he weighed 15 lbs 8 oz, which was at the very top of the charts for weight.  He was about average on length and head size.  He is quite a sturdy little chunk of a baby.  He's so thick and padded that I swear if we dropped him he would bounce back up.

This week he gained much better control of his hands and arms.  He can now reach out and touch the toy animals on the tray on his swing.  He has also started grasping rattles and small toys now.

Elisha has the biggest grin that I've ever seen.  When we look at him and talk to him he stares straight back at us with a gummy grin that engulfs his whole face.  I LOVE it!

11 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

Your little one first discovered her hands a couple of weeks back, and now she's downright fascinated with them. Watch as she examines them, puts them in her mouth, and tries to suck on them.

Don't worry if your baby becomes a bit obsessed with her newly discovered digits: This form of self-comfort can be very soothing for your baby — and can possibly give you a little break, too.

This week, when you go to pick up your baby, she may be able to lift her head and hold it up for several moments, or even longer, while lying on her back. When sitting with support, she should be able to hold her head steady and erect.

When she's on her stomach, you might see her lifting her head and chest to about 45 degrees as if she were doing mini-pushups. You can offer encouragement by sitting in front of her and dangling a toy.

For a fun game that also develops her neck muscles, place your baby on her back and slowly pull her up by her hands to a sitting position. Slowly ease her back down, and repeat. She should be able to hold her head in line with the rest of her body as it's pulled up.

Your baby may be ready for a jogging stroller at 4 months, but stick to smooth pavement for now. Running trails will be too bouncy for her at this point, unless she can hold her head up well and is able to sit up. When her head is steady, she may be ready for a backpack with good support and a headrest.

Reading to your baby, even at this young age, will pay off. Hearing you read helps your baby develop an ear for the cadence of language. Varying the pitch of your voice, using accents, and singing will make the connection between you and your baby that much more interesting.

If she looks the other way or loses interest while you're reading, just try something else or give her time to rest. Take your cue from her responses.

You'll find plenty of good books to read to your baby — such as Goodnight Moon, Good Night Gorilla, and The Big Red Barn. Choose board books that have large, bright pictures and simple text — or even wordless books that have pictures for you to narrate. At this point you needn't be slavish to age guidelines. Books designed for older children can captivate a baby if they have clear, crisp images and bright colors.

You can even read out loud to your child from something written for adult ears — try reading from the newspaper, your favorite novel, or a magazine. Whether it's Shakespeare or the latest bestseller, if you enjoy reading it, your baby will like hearing the rhythms of your voice.

Elisha is doing great.

He's getting bigger, and more alert and interactive all of the time.

He is such a good baby.

Right now he sleeps from 8 pm until around 4 or 5 ish in the morning.  He also takes a bit of a morning cat nap at some point, a 3-4 hour nap in the middle of the day, and maybe another cat nap sometime in the afternoon or evening.  We usually spend our mornings on the go, running errands, or having playdates for Noah, so Ellisha is very flexible and catches little bits of sleep along the way... usually in the stroller, or car.

With Noah I worked around his schedule, and catered to his needs, but with Elisha, we're mostly just pulling him into what we already have going on.  At first I felt a little guilty for this, like this is a problem.  But the more I think about it, the world does not revolve around any one person, or baby, and him learning that a little sooner than my first born doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me.

With Noah, I adhered fairly strictly to sleep scheduling and parent directed feeding models.  With Elisha, I am still trending towards those models, but with a lot more flexibility than I had with Noah.  He pretty much naturally settled into a schedule on his own, so I didn't have to force that issue.  The main difference with Elisha is that I rarely give him the opportunity to "cry it out", as I did the majority of the time with Noah.  This isn't really due to a change in my parenting philosophy, but is more a reflection of me not wanting Elisha to wake up Noah, or our neighbors (whose bedroom wall is against the wall that Elisha sleeps in) in the evening or middle of the night with crying.  The good news is that Elisha seems to fuss less, and go to sleep a lot easier than Noah did (and I thought that Noah was a good and easy baby).  He goes to sleep in the evening usually without fussing one bit, and the same with any middle of the night, or early morning feedings.  On multiple occasions, I remember that Noah would lie in his cradle crying endlessly, and the only way that I could get him to stop was to bring him in bed with us.  I have never had to do that with Elisha, he has never been fussy or unable to sleep in the middle of the night.

Elisha enjoys his swing, and way prefers sitting up straight to laying down.  He is very alert and aware, constantly glancing around a room and taking it all in.  He also constantly rubs his hands together like he is doing in these pictures, and frequently sticks them in his mouth.

As of now, he has completely quit taking a pacifier or a bottle altogether.  He doesn't want anything to do with anything plastic in his mouth.  Noah was the same way, and I thought it would be different this time around by never going more than a week in between bottles, but he quit anyway.  One week he took it, and the next he flat our refused, even though I've tried multiple nipples, bottles, and people giving them to him.

10 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

He's no Fred Astaire yet, but your little one's movements are getting a bit more coordinated. You'll notice that the jerky arm and leg movements of his newborn days have given way to smoother, more circular motions, especially when he's watching people.

Give your baby enough space to stretch and move his arms and legs. Lay a blanket on the floor and let him move as he pleases. These movements can help your baby strengthen and tone his developing muscles. On his tummy, he'll start to push off with his legs — the first step in getting on the move.

Whether you envision your little one sleeping independently in a crib at an early age or sharing a family bed in the coming years, a soothing and predictable bedtime routine will help your child nod off and get the rest he needs. And it's not too early to start.

Your routine can include rocking, singing, a bath, a bedtime story, cuddling with a transitional object (such as a soft blanket or stuffed animal), being carried around the house and saying goodnight to each room — whatever makes sense for your family. The ritual will evolve as your child gets older.

At this age, your baby should be open to making friends with babies and adults alike. You may notice that he smiles when he sees anyone come in the room or holds out his arms when someone wants to hold him.

Now's a good time to introduce your baby to sitters or other people who might be looking after him later on. Have potential caregivers come over and spend time with you and your baby. Later on, he may be consumed by stranger anxiety, making a simple introduction seem impossible.

Do remember that babies have different temperaments and some are less open to new people than others. If your baby doesn't welcome someone new with open arms, be patient, hold him close, and reintroduce him. It may just take some time. Familiar surroundings will help introductions go more smoothly.

Elisha is doing great!  He is such a sweet, happy, laid back baby!

He is now sleeping for 6-8 hour chunks at night, usually awaking between 3 and 5 am.

A week or two ago Noah started calling Elisha Ecko-lou (we have no idea what this is or where it came from), but it has kinda stuck, and more often than not we call him Eckolou instead of Elisha.

He loves to sit up and look around a room, whether it's propped against the couch, on a lap, or in his swing.  He definitely doesn't love to be in a reclined position anymore, unless he's sleeping.