5 Months of Eleanor!

Let me just start by saying, this girl LOVES her name. Both grandmas can talk to her over FaceTime, and she will immediately start smiling when she hears her name. Also, let me add that we are a bit obsessed with her...she's seriously so much better than I could have ever expected.

Anyway, here's a 5 month update on our sweet Eleanor

• We've started unswaddling her arms at night because she has started to roll a little bit. We've done it a few nights now, and she's doing pretty well. One morning, she woke just before 6, but luckily the next morning it was back to waking at 7. Typically she goes down around 8 each night (give or take 30 minutes). 
• She loves her belly being kissed, and will giggle pretty good when we do it.
• She is grabbing EVERYTHING. If I'm holding something, she wants it. I can still eat with her on my lap, but I know those days are limited. 
• Eleanor is still eating great (she nurses 4-6 times a day, usually 5), and we started rice cereal about a month ago. She seems to like it, but sometimes has a hard time keeping it in because she's still learning what to do with it. 
• She is starting to get to the point where she notices when I leave a room...it's not bad, but every once in a while she'll get a little fussy if I leave.
• She levees the Bjorn, and I try to carry her in that as often as possible. 
• She doesn't mind being laid on the floor or in her little seat, which makes is easier to get things done, if needed. 
• She's had a couple blowouts in the last week, one in a Banana Republic fitting room, and the other in a chair at home. She's not usually one to blowout of her diaper/clothes, but man she definitely did. 
• Eleanor's been super flexible up until now, which has been so nice. On the weekends we are typically out a little later than week nights, and sometimes she doesn't get to bed until 10, but she handles it like a champ. We've also already had her take a nap at Brad & Court's a couple times, and she had no problems. 
• Her and I try to go jogging each morning (for the past couple weeks) now that my leg isn't bugging me anymore, and she loves the stroller, and occasionally will fall asleep towards the end of the jog. 
• She's still napping about 3 times a day (occasionally will have a 4th nap)...anywhere from an hour to 2 1/2 hours. 
• She smiles so much now. It takes some time from people she doesn't know, but she's starting to warm up pretty quickly. 
• She can roll each way, but isn't super interested in it quite yet. Often times she roll almost all the way from her back to her belly, and then just stop and stay like that for a few minutes. But, she has yet to roll multiple times in a row, which I am perfectly OK with :)
• She drools NONSTOP. We pretty much always have a bib on this girl because she soaks right through the tops of her shirts! 
• Bath time is one of Eleanor's favorites. She loves being scrubbed, and having the water poured on her. She also likes the pool. She doesn't give me too many reactions when we're at the pool, but she doesn't cry or look miserable, so I'll take it! 
• I think she's getting heavier/longer, but she doesn't have another appointment until November, so we'll have to wait until then. 

She's pretty much the perfect baby, but I'm 100% biased as her mother. I love her more than words can describe, and I just can't imagine not having her in our life. She truly has been such a blessing to us, and continues to make us smile daily. When I'm not around her, I'm talking about/missing her, and when I am with her, I can't stop kissing her. She's the best :)

Eleanor at 4 months!

I realize it's been a while since I've updated this thing, but today Eleanor is 4 months, which is cause for celebration! I wrote down some things that I didn't want to forget about this stage in my journal, but also wanted to share some of them here...

El is getting to so big, and more mature. I don't feel like we're in the "newborn" stage anymore, which is totally ok with me. El is a lot more predictable at this point, and I'd like to think that I know what she wants (a little bit more than before) most of the time. I also feel like I'm able to have a more realistic view on things, and feel more optimistic about situations, because I'm not quite as emotional as I was when we brought her home (thank goodness!).

Also, I am REALLY glad that I read the book, "Baby Wise." I feel like a lot of things were things I already knew, but I needed to be reminded of... And, I also totally attribute her good behavior (sleeping & eating) to that book. I never knew that babies were supposed to "eat, play, sleep," but we got El in that routine from early on, and it has been AMAZING. 

I wanted to do an update on Eleanor, so here are a few fun facts about El, at 4 months:

• I am still finding lint in her hands quite often, but not near as much as I would find a month or so ago (she gets the lint from holding her blanket really tight)
• She has learned to arch her back when she doesn't want something (like, when she's trying to tell me she's not hungry anymore), but she really hasn't done this a whole lot.
• She loves being lifted in the air. This is a pretty new thing (last week or so), and we have even gotten her to giggle while doing it.
• She likes to play with toys (toy rings and such), and is getting pretty good at grabbing them.
• We bought a wannabe bumbo, and started using it about a week or so ago, and so far, so good. She will sit in it and play with her toys, but also still enjoys laying on the ground or being held (of course).
• She has started to dislike being put in her carseat. Once we start moving, she's totally fine, but I don't think she loves the idea of being strapped in. 
• El has started to pull her pacifier out on her own, and can sometimes put it back in, but I really don't think she actually understands what she's doing ;). She really only takes the pacifier when she's tired, which has been nice. Often times, she'll just chew on the pacifier when she's not tired. 
• Napping involves her pacifier and her blanket (small, soft, pink blanket). Once she has those two things, she's in heaven, and will fall asleep very quickly. At nighttime, she's still swaddled. El typically takes 3-4 naps a day, and they range anywhere from an hour to two hours (sometimes longer if she missed an earlier nap). If we're out and about during a nap, El will usually catch a 30-45 minute cat nap in her carseat (thankfully!).
• She eats every 3-4 hours these days, and she's amazing at letting me know when she's done, or when she wants more. 
• Has started to talk a lot more, and has also started to mimic some of our actions (like making noises with her lips).
• El has rolled before (a few times back to stomach, and more times stomach to back), but it's not something she's terribly interested in. 
• She's wearing 3-6 month clothes, occasionally wearing something that's 6-9 months, and is still wearing size one diapers. 
• She's sleeping through the night (on average, 10-11 hours a night), and has been for a couple months now :)
• AND, her chunky little thighs are getting a little bit bigger!

Like I said before, I really do think reading "Baby Wise" has had a HUGE impact on Eleanor, and has had an even bigger impact on me (& Tyler). Because she is a good eater/sleeper, and is well-behaved, Tyler and I are usually able to tell why she's upset when cries. And typically, it's because she's either tired, wet/poopy (we can usually smell the poopy ones), or needs to burp. 

Eleanor's 4 month stats: 

Height: 26.5 inches (off the charts...not surprising ;)

Weight: 14 lb 6 oz (75%)

And, she did great with her shots...only cried for a minute or two

Such a cute, healthy baby, and we love her SO. 

And, here are some pictures from the last little while :)

July in AZ

We got back from UT right after the fourth so Tyler could get back to school. We didn't do much, but we did take a lot of pictures of Eleanor (of course).

She seriously LOVES this pink blanket, and I love when she snuggles with it ;)

Bowling with the Saagers & Utterbacks 

2 month measurements!

Eleanor loves putting her hand in her mouth, but because she keeps it in such a tight fist, it gets sweaty,  so she ends up grossing herself out. 

Trying to get a picture of what running in the AZ heat looks like (basically, I'm usually drenched with sweat and really red)

I usually try and put Eleanor in her crib for naps, but every once in a while I let her fall asleep on me, and I let myself waste an entire few hours ;) 

Doing what she does best...smiling and spitting up 

Enjoying the wrap

Burrito baby! She sleeps great in this thing!

Cute Aidan (one of my students) with Eleanor