I love...

It's hard to describe parenthood, but I'm so grateful for every moment with our little peanut, and find myself thinking of all the things I love about Elaine. 

• I love that when I walk up the stairs, I smell baby smells. 
• I love that after Eric gets done feeding her a bottle, he turns to me and they say "thank you for the milks mommy!"
• I love her happy little eyes, even when they have tears in them.
• I love her squeals and grunts.
• I love watching her in the bath, look around, happy and relaxed.
• I love seeing her sleep, (especially in the new swing we borrowed from Nikki)!
• I love her little tiny clothes, tiny shoes and hair bows. 
• I love thinking of her in 20 years and what she'll think of ol' mom and dad then.
• I love watching her look around with excitement when we're in a new place. 
• I love the feel of her baby soft skin, particularly her arms and feet.
• I love that she has melted her daddy's heart and that he has a new love of his life.
• I love towel time - when I wrap her up in a towel after bathtime and see her tiny little face looking innocent and sweet peeking out from the towel.
• I love her fluffy hair in the back that gets all funny after she has been in her carseat.
• I love her tiny baby butt, which Eric and I laugh and look at it in the mirror right before we start the bath.  We think she has Eric's butt.
• I love cuddling her in bed, especially when daddy's in on it!
• I love that one toe that curls under her other toes.
• I love it when she immediately stretches when you lift her out of bed or a chair.
• I love being a mom, and having this completely adorable bundle of joy to wake up to every day!

GO PACK GO!

Well, the Packers played their first game of the season, so with much excitement, we dressed Elaine in her Packers dress (complete with Packers butt ruffle not seen here).  There are many accessories to this outfit, including slippers, a bib, a hairbow, a towel, the dress, and the baby cheesehead.  Yes, there is a baby-sized cheesehead with a strap attached so we could let her look as fun as daddy!  We were lucky enough to get her awake, but smiles were far and few between, so these were the best shots I could get.

The Packers won (thank goodness) and daddy did his best to edit his comments in front of Elaine, but as soon as I put her down, he was same old Eric, flying out of his seat, stomping his feet, squealing, etc.  I'm just glad the guy has a winning team to support - after being a Cubs fan, he has earned it!

Take me out to the ballgame!

Here we have our newest Cub fan all decked out, ready to buy some peanuts and crackerjacks and root for the Cubbies!  Elaine begged us to go do something outside on this gorgeous Labor Day afternoon, so what better way to enjoy sunshine and 70 degree weather than at an Iowa Cubs game!

Here is Elaine during the 7th inning stretch.  We opted to take the Pikkolo since it keeps her so cozy, and since we were seated in the shade, the breeze definitely added a chill to the air so mommy and Elaine had a lot of quality snuggle time!  In case you are wondering, yes, Eric still managed to score the entire game (while still providing items from the diaper bag on demand like bottle, burp cloth, pacifier, etc.)  He is mastering the art of multitasking as I knew he would! 

The Cubs won 7-2 and I'm proud to say we made it through all 9 innings.  I have to say I'm pretty proud of our happy little peanut!  She's currently all tuckered out and napping after her day of baseball and fresh air.  (And daddy is skipping around the house happy as a clam.)  Here we are doing our victory walk back to the car.  Go Cubs Go, Go Cubs Go, Hey Des Moines what do you say, Cubs are gonna win today!  Elaine's first game is the last game of the season... good thing football starts in a couple days.  You can guarantee there will be a post by the end of the week highlighting her first Packers game!  :)

Changing Table Smiles

One place I can usually get a good smile out of Elaine is the changing table.  Here is a short clip of her and I on a typical day at our house!



5 week photos by Marji

My friend Marji has a photography studio at her house and took these pictures of Elaine at 5 weeks (last week). She's growing every day!!

http://marjiguyler.zenfolio.com/elaine5weeks

My personal favorite:

Elaine's Second Road Trip!

This past weekend we traveled to Milwaukee and back for Amy's shower and bachelorette party!

Here we are on a pit stop for some milk on our way up north.  Becoming a fan of rest stops!  Eric and I also have a system worked out to minimize the stop time.  I start feeding as soon as the car is in park.  He gets gas or goes to the bathroom, then takes over burping, finishing the bottle, and changing the diaper.  Then it's back in the carseat and on the road again.  All about teamwork!

 On Saturday, Amy's bridesmaids hosted a shower with a shoe theme (if you know Amy, this makes perfect sense).  Here is the guest of honor at the shower.

Then we hit the town to celebrate Amy's bachelorette party.  Here is our group at the Water Buffalo, a great restaurant on the water!

We made sure Amy got the special treatment at the Safehouse, a spy-themed bar.  Here she is on a throne that literally comes up out of the floor.  SO FUN!

Sunday we got to have lunch with Kristin, Matt, and their daughter Kaleigh (and baby on the way)!  We had an insane amount of food at the brunch buffet at Saz's.  Highly recommend if you're ever in Milwaukee!  What a great visit!!!

Elaine's first road trip!

Over the weekend, we went on Elaine's first road trip to Madison, WI for Amy's bridal shower and Dan's bachelor party. 
Here is Elaine in the car.  Off we go!

Extreme closeup - she's so cute when she sleeps!

Here is the happy couple - only 6 weeks until the big day!

Here is me and Grandma Julie with Elaine in her party dress!  What a fun shower!