She's got TEETH!

After countless months of drooling, knawing on every toy, shirt, finger in sight, and constant comments by mom and dad that "she must be teething", she is OFFICIALLY teething!  I felt the teeth for the first time a week ago, and here are the teeny tiny nubs of teeth - sharp as razors!

Fast forward to yesterday, one week after that photo was taken.  I feel like it is a hug difference, and you can see them when she smiles big.  I have a hunch just looking at her top gums that teeth number 3 and 4 are just around the corner.

We had class #2 of Waterbabies and this time Eric swam with Elaine!  He had a huge smile the whole time and Elaine also enjoyed the morning of splashing.  Here's a good look at her cute suit!

Here are Eric and Elaine in action.

Sunday, the weather was a balmy 52 degrees, so we took Elaine out on a walk.  We bundled her up, complete with shades.  She was funny - she was absolutely still in her stroller - it was the first time she's ever faced forward in a moving vehicle! 

Here is the official stroller pusher on our small jaunt.  It was so nice to get outside for a little while and Elaine certainly appreciated the fresh air too!

Elaine Swims

I have been waiting for this moment since the day I found out I was pregnant!  As you know, swimming has always been a part of my life, and being in the water is my favorite place to be.  So I have been wanting to introduce the water to Elaine like you can't imagine.  Until now, bathtime has sufficed, but this weekend, we attended our first Waterbabies class at the Waukee YMCA. Having been a Y employee, I know which Y has the warmest, most kid-friendly facility, and one of my former co-coaches and I were all set for a fun morning of splashing fun!

Here are Elaine (fresh up from a nap) and I about to enter the water... drumroll please!

She likes it, she really really likes it!

Here we are counting her toes singing the piggy song. 

Here is LeAnn and her daughter, Ellie, playing with us!  Ellie loved it too!!

 I think we may just have a future swimmer!  She really was looking around taking everything in and never got fussy or cold!  I thought it was funny she was so bouyant - her feet kept floating to the surface!  :)

And of course, Eric was dry on the side taking photos and getting towels for his girls!  Here is a video - I beleive we are singing Wheels on the Bus.

First word: Dada!

This week, Elaine said her first word!  Of course, she doesn't really know what it means yet, but she not only said it, she has been repeating it over and over again.  That word, is "dada".  Which means dada is absolutely wrapped around Elaine's finger!  It is hard to get on camera because the camera itself distracts her so much from what she is doing but here is a small taste of her new babble.

I also forgot to upload a video from last weekend of her dada playing peekaboo with her from outside the window.  Perhaps I got the biggest charge of anyone here, but usually Elaine shrieks and laughs with delight at her clever dada.

This weekend, Elaine's grandma and grandpa Morse came to visit!  Grandpa had his new camera, so he had fun taking lots of pictures of her.  They enjoyed listening to the babble, watching her roll over, sit up, and eat big girl food!  Seems like there is something new happening with Elaine every single day and we are loving every minute!!

6 month photos!

The highlight of my week was getting Elaine's 6 month photos.  These are a few of my favorites.  There were a lot of other cute ones, but I have a plan for some of the rest.  Here's a sneak peak of our dolly!

What lights us up!

This weekend, Eric was back on his "A game", singlehandedly putting up our brand new dining room light.  Elaine and I watched with eager and excited eyes.  She looks up to her papa and was so impressed with his handiness.

Here was our light BEFORE:

Here is our handyman hero in action.

Here is our new light which I have spent about 3 years looking for!  Compliments of Restoration Hardware.  AFTER:

Eric and Elaine are quite the pair.  Eric loves to watch his Art Center videos, and he usually makes his own notes for when he does his docent tours.  Elaine seemed to think this was pretty interesting, this whole, writing with a pen thing.  She loves to touch the pages, and of course, she wanted to try her hand and that pen/writing thing herself!  I just love how she finds everything we do so interesting!

Elaine loves nothing more than a good chew on her "crinkle purse".  She can sit up with the support of the Boppy behind her.  I thought I would share a little video of her in action with just one of her favorite toys, which we call "crinkle purse".

Half a year old!

Elaine is certainly showing us how she is growing!  As I begin to clear her outgrown clothes to the storage bins in the basement, I am reminded how far she has come.  From our itty bitty 6lb 13 oz baby to something close to 16 lbs (official weight tomorrow when she gets her shots), and from a baby who barely cracked her eyes open and slept all day to an interactive, lauging, blue-eyed beauty!  From our bald baby doll to what we now affectionately call "fluffy-head".  She bats at toys, can roll onto her tummy, laughs when we tickle her, and is working on all the vowel and consonant sounds she can muster up.  At 6 months, we are simply taken with her.  She's also battled her first illnesses and is even beginning to develop a napping schedule, which is working in our favor.  She eats veggies made with my baby food maker, rice cereal, and yes, she's still getting 95% breastmilk (formula to catch me up if I get behind).  She loves her "crinkle purse", grabbing her feet, the Whoozit, Sophie the Giraffe, and her "bounce bounce." 

On MLK Day, LeAnn and her daughter Ellie stopped by for a playdate.  Here are the two girls operating the "bounce bounce."  Ellie has the exact same one at home.

Almost 6 months!

I can't believe that Elaine is almost 6 months old!  She has certainly done a lot of growing and it's been so fun to watch her learn new things. 

This week, Elaine got pinkeye for the first time.  She was a little more mopey than normal, since she and I both now have colds.  Luckily Eric is in the clear, but he could be a week or so behind... hope not!

Here is Elaine sleeping on my chest - a must-do for her when she's not feeling great.  And a snuggly loving time for mommy.  :)

Here is Eric being Mr. Fixit.  He's been knocking it out of the park lately getting things around the house done and fixed.  The high winds did a number on our storm door, blowing it wide open and bending the door parts, so he got it all fixed! 

I have been going to town using my baby food maker.  So far, I've made sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, peas, apples, bananas, and pears.  Just freeze in ice cube trays and empty into ziploc bags, and you're in business!  It costs at least half of the price of Gerber baby food (depending on the food item you can save much more) and there are no preservatives, so we feel better about what she's eating.

Looking forward to having Monday (MLK Day) off and getting Elaine's 6 month photos!