Momma's Day

Momma's Day came out of nowhere this year. We had so much going on with Eli, getting approved for buying our 1st home, work and so on, that we hadn't given a second thought to holidays, or anything else for that matter. So when Momma's Day hit, Taryn was so focused on our Mom's that she completely forgot that she was a Mom too! It was Taryn's 1st Momma's Day!

I came home from work that Friday and brought Taryn some flowers (tulips), from both Eli and me. I cooked dinner and we had a nice evening at home enjoying each other's company - especially the Bittle's.

Cathy had a bbq at her house that Sunday, so we spent the day in Stockton celebrating with 4 generations of beautiful women. The food was great, the weather was beautiful, and Lil' Man got to rock out in just his diaper for the majority of the day.

Here are some great shots of him rolling around on the floor of his Nonni's house, staring at everybody and being entertained by her ceiling fan.

He's really great at tracking people's voices. Here he is looking for his Daddy ...

He's real close to having a full-on smile. He's had a lot of really good ones, we're just waiting for him to get comfortable enough with them to smile in response to sounds and motions on a regular basis. But his face is working hard, so any day now. We've got to get him to beat his cousin James, who has the biggest smile East of the Mississippi. And yes Jay, EVERYTHING is a competition.

Very alert and aware. Staring his Momma straight in the face.

Here's a great shot of him completely enthralled with his Nonni's ceiling fan. It's the way the light and shadows move with the turning of the blades ... or he's just weird ...

It was a long hard day of being held, being fed, and rolling around on the floor. Here's the tired Bittles getting ready to pass out on his Daddy's chest.

He was tuckered out all the way home. Here's a shot of him in his pjs getting ready to bed down for the night. I always wonder what it is he's thinking about. Just look into these eyes and tell me you aren't in love ...

Yes.

You love me.

I own you now ...

Sleepy Face Bittles

Eli's such a great sleeper that I had to post some pictures of him in action. He loves to have his arms above his head in a full-on lounger pose. But we also often see him curled up and hugging himself. Here he is tucked into our sleep number bed (which he absolutely loves. This kid can already identify the difference in matress quality and makes his preferences clear). Taryn's number is 45, mine is 30. Eli's number is 60.

Doesn't he just look too comfy?!

And then he wakes up! But being as blessed as we are he stays quiet, just very alert and curious. This is a fun shot because Taryn says you can really see how similar he and I look. What I notice are his cowlicks. We have the same two: one in back like Alfalfa, and one in front on the right. The front cowlick is very prominent in this shot. Poor guy. They're hereditary, sorry! At least I didn't fool you into thinking that they were your own doing - like my Dad did! ... grandpa buttface ...

See?
Very curious.
And when you tell him what you're doing, or show him what you're up too, it surprises the heck out of him.
So easily amused ...

Eli's 1st Real Bath

Better Late than never! These pics were taken well over a month ago (Eli turns 8 weeks/2 months tomorrow). These are from his first real bath. I say "real" bath because the other pics we posted were from his first sponge bath. This time he was in his wash basin and fully immersed in the water for the 1st time ever. He wasn't too sure at first what to make of the experience, but since this first time, he's come to really love his baths. He's recently started to kick his legs to make splashes in the water. And last time he surprised himself by tooting and making bubbles. His reaction was priceless.

Here's a shot of him experiencing his 1st full dip.

You can see by his reaction here that he was a bit wary, and a bit overwhelmed.

Eli has such incredible eye contact. He kept staring at us wondering why we would put him through such an ordeal. It was heartbreaking, but also very amusing.

He really didn't enjoy being taken out of the warm water just to freeze his little tookus off in the cold air. Luckily we splurged on a very warm, very comfy towel. And when I say we splurged, I mean Taryn splurged. And when I say Taryn splurged, I mean that she just went shopping.

When all was said and done, he was pretty satisfied, as were we, since he smelled so much better, like a botanical garden in diapers.

Fun With My Phone

I went through my cell phone the other day and realized that I had some pretty good pictures of Eli taken throughout his first 5 weeks of life. Taryn wanted me to pull one off to use for his Birth Announcement, so I figured I may as well pull the rest and post 'em on the blog for everyone to see. Here are a few choice selections ...

This first was taken in our hospital room on Eli's 2nd day. He had his chubby newborn cheeckies and wasn't too fond of the brightness. He's swaddled in the blankets that Kaiser provided, and his knit beanie is one that we got to take home with us. It's already getting too small for his big head (oh yeah, have I mentioned yet that Eli's a genius? 'Cause that's what that means).

Here's Eli and his Mommy at the 7 day mark. We were still trying to figure out how to sleep when Eli was sleeping, and only doing it half the time. For example, Mom and Lil' Man are passed out, and I'm most likely cleaning, trying to keep control over a newly messy house, stopping only to appreciate the moment.

Here's Eli at about 10 days. He finished a bottle, got his burpies out, and still wasn't ready for sleep. This is when he was just starting to stay awake longer and be more aware of his surroundings. And I can't stress enough how lucky we are. Even now, the Lil' Man is awake and aware, curious and wiggly, but doesn't fuss, doesn't cry and doesn't yell. We're sure that we got a good baby just to be lulled into that false sense of security and confidence that makes you want to have a second child - which of course will turn out to be an absolute terror. Taryn sent me this one while I was at work. Gotta love the Friar Tuck hair ...

Here's Eli at about 12 days. He loves his car seat - not getting into it, or getting out of it, just being in it while the car is running. Like most babies he enjoys the vibrations and the movement, but we've found that he's just as happy in his stroller, or even just being swung around while strapped into his seat. Two minutes and he's out for a good couple of hours.

Here's Eli at about three and a half weeks. We'd been working on his Tummy Time to help him practice his head control and provide him visual stimulation. I'm not sure if this is true for most babies, but Eli loves to be on his stomach. He especially loves to fall asleep on his Daddy's chest with both arms hanging over the sides of my belly in a big hug. But on the floor it's a different story. He has great head control - the Lactation Nurses at Kaiser even made a point to mention how impressed they were in his first three days. But after about 15-20 minutes of being on his surf board, he's done, ready for some cuddle time. This shot is great because it shows his ability to hold up his head, and shows off his amazing eye contact and level of awareness.

Here's Eli at about 4 weeks. Just sleeping. This is the outfit that we brought him home in from the hospital. It's a really cool kimono-type top, with some comfy pants. But if you look closely, you can see that the sleeves no longer reach the end of his arms, and the elbow patches rest on his triceps, not his actual elbows. The shirt barely closed over his chest and buddha belly. At his lastest doctor appointment, Eli weighed in at 9 lbs. 8 oz. and 21.75 inches - that's 1 lb. 8 oz. and 1 and 1/4 inches worth of growth over about a two-three week period. The doctor said that he was sure that Eli is in the middle of a growth spurt, with another to come at about the 6-week mark.

Here's Eli at 4 and 1/2 weeks. Taryn had tried putting him in his swing during his 2nd week, but that didn't go well (although it was at the end of a very long day that included a trip to and from Stockton, as well as Tummy Time). But he took to it pretty well this time. This is another picture that I got while at work. These are really nice to get since I can't be home with my babies each day. Taryn said that the swing didn't put Eli to sleep, instead he was bright-eyed and looking at everything he could through all the movement. Maybe he'll end up not minding roller coasters, unlike his Mommy and Daddy.

And finally, here's another shot of Eli at about 4 and 1/2 weeks. We were watching the Sharks play the Ducks in the fifth game of the western conference finals. Eli's wearing his colors because it was a Sharks home game. I think the Lil' Man is good luck. The Sharks pulled that game out, but lost the sixth - which we didn't watch, nor did we put Eli in his whites while it was on. I like to think that Eli was just as excited by the Sharks' goal as we were, but I know that's wishful thinking - that he was just excited by all of the excitement. But he's freakin adorable anyway, right? And look how big Taryn's hand is compared to Eli's head!

Tyson's Shower

On Saturday, we made a trip to Elk Grove to attend Jamie and Chris' baby shower for little Tyson Matthew Roach. Here's a nice shot of Eli with his Great Grandparents, waiting for the fun to start.

And start it did. There were upwards of 40 people in attendance. There was a ton of food, lots of presents and plenty of wine and beer for everyone - except Eli. Jamie looks fantastic, and is doing very well. She's just past her 26th week and counting down to DDay with gusto. Eli got to meet the Jacksons for the 1st time that day. He even got to meet Lil' Barry, who was very gentle with the new Lil' Man. And Dad, thanks again for letting us switch cars with you on the way up. Between all of the presents, and all of the baby stuff, there's no way our car would have survived ...

Here's a great shot of the Mom-to-be and her Mom sharing an Eli Moment before all of the craziness.

And there certainly was some craziness. Unfortunately, while Jamie and Chris were hard at work trying to get through all of the presents they'd received, Jamie's Tahoe was broken into. And they stole her Shoes! A travesty that I think only Taryn could really appreciate the full gravity of - and maybe my Mom, and probably every other woman in attendance, come to think of it. The poor kids had to mend the broken window with cardboard and some tape - and then drive home all the way to Idaho - in the cold! We're really sorry guys! That's why you see Jamie and no Chris in this one. The poor guy had to file a police report in the middle of his party.

After the hubbub calmed down, they set to work on besting their Pile O'Presents. Taryn and I got them a few fun things, including a Tummy Time set, some sleep sacks, some swaddler blankets and a mirror for the little guy to check himself out in. But best of all, we put together an entire diaper changing station set, filled to the brim with diapers, wet wipes, dry cloths, alcohol wipes for the button, some hand sanitizer, a vinyl changing mat and some Butt Paste. Here they are checking out the Butt Paste. And no, it never gets old, even after you realize how practical it really is.

And of course, a present opening is never complete until Lil' Barry has his due. Here's the stinker ripping into something or other. This kid is just too funny ...

Word of advice: wrapping paper, orange soda and Barry DO NOT mix.

And of course our Lil Angel, Eli, slept through the whole thing. Even Lil' Barry's shinanegans. Throughout the entire party, he was either alseep and content, or wide awake, curious and checking everything out in his own quiet way. I think he impressed his Great Grandpa, who got to meet him for the first time. On our way out that night, he made it a point to remind us that because Eli's so quiet now, he's gonna grow up to be quite the smart-ass - just like his Daddy.

Let's hope so ...

The 2nd Coming ...

On Friday, Eli got his 2nd helping of the Cooper clan when his Aunt Chanda, his cousin Christy, and his Aunt Patty and Uncle Dave came to visit. Chanda and Christy came through on their way to Stockton. Patty and Dave were nice enough to bring us lunch, and hung out for a while getting themselves some Lil' Man. Here's a shot of the Men of the house catching a few Zzzz's before all the shinanegans ... (all 4 of us, including Momo and the Gir) ...

Here's Taryn's cousin Christy holding Eli for the first time. Once again, the Lil' Man slept through most all of the fun stuff.

Here he is sleeping with his Aunt Chanda.

And Nonni couldn't help herself, but had to swing by on her way home from Aptos. The Lil' Man missed her - she's comfy.

Here's Eli with his Aunt Patty right before a feeding. He only wakes up long enough to make a mess, and get some munchies - just like his Mommie and Daddy.

Here's Eli with his Uncle Dave right after his feeding. He has this wierd fascination with mustaches - he stares at them in an almost threatening way, and he was pulling on his Grandpa's mustache the 1st chance he got.

Eli's 1st Easter

Being a March baby, Eli's 1st Holiday celebration was Easter.

(Poor kid, nobody even knows what Easter is supposed to be about anymore. Well, your Daddy'll teach you Lil' Man, just don't listen to anyone who talks about resurrected rabbits or Jesus-colored egg dye)

We spent the day at Nonni's (Cathy has finally shirked the title of Anti-Gamma and has decided on a title of her own!). There was plenty of food, and plenty of people to eat it. Unfortunately, as you can see from this picture, Eli decided to sleep through the whole thing.

And a note about the clothes: Taryn and I had a very long "discussion" about this. She wanted to dress him up and make him cute for his 1st Holiday, even though I kept suggesting that it was ridiculous. It's like putting a rabbit outfit on a chihuahua (or any other purse dog) - it just shouldn't be done. I obviously lost. The poor little guy was stuffed into a bunny costume that was almost twice as big as he was. I'm just glad that he was able to find his "happy place" and black the whole experience out.

Another great shot of Eli fighting hard against the grain ...

Here he is in his 1st ever Egg Fight. I think his egg was named Foghorn Leghorn after the Looney Toons Character. He squashed Tita.

And here he is winning his 1st ever Egg Fight - squashing his Grambot for the victory. He had blue dye all over him for the rest of the day ...

Eli's 1st Scrubby

It's been awhile since we've updated the blog - sorry to all of the grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends who've been checking on it each day. Time goes by so fast when you're knee deep in Lil Man!

After about 10 days, Eli's belly button fell off, so while we were waiting for what was left to heal completely, we decided that although we couldn't give him a full bath yet, it was time to give the kiddo his first full-on Scrubby. We'd been wiping him down daily to keep him clean, but hadn't yet run him under the faucet. We were hoping that he'd be a water baby, just like his Mommy & Daddy. Especially with the middle name we gave him, we figured it would be natural for him to be most comfortable and content in the water - preferably naked.

Here's Eli layed out on our vanity giving us the once-over, not quite sure what he should be expecting ...

Taryn found some really cool gizmos for water temp, rinsing, scrubbing and so on. We've since replaced the gizmo for checking water temp. As you can see from Eli's reaction, it was a bit off. A little too chilly for the Lil Man.

He took to the rinsing pretty well (after we fixed the temperature). What was funny was watching him check himself out in the mirror. Every time we got out of his way, he would wiggle at himself and make faces.

This is a great shot of his "oh come on, Mom!" face.
I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of this one throughout the years.

Here's a shot of his new belly button.
The break was clean and everything has healed really well.
Eli's got an Innie!

And here he is after everything.
He's clean, but still not quite sure what to think of the whole experience ...

Eli's First Family Visit

Yesterday, Great-GranDonna came up with my Mom & Dad to get themselves some Lil Man. This was Great-GranDonna's first time meeting Eli, and I think she approves. Eli was very content to lay in her arms, and only woke up long enough to give us all the Stink-Eye for disturbing his peace. Here's a good shot of the Stink-Eye in question ...

Great-GranDonna helped with a feeding and got some good burpies. He made some good eye contact, some good wiggles, some great coos, and between Great-Grandma, both of his Grandmas, and his Grandpa, he was the happiest Booger this side of the Caldecot Tunnel.

Here's Grandpa helping with another (yes, another) feeding, utilizing the burp cloth that he had picked up for the Lil Man as soon as we found out he was gonna be a Lil Man. I think Grandpa got some good burpies too, along with the great eye-contact.

Here's a great shot of the Lil Man gettin' jiggy with himself during an afternoon awakening.


And even better, here's a great shot of the Lil Man with his PooFace on.
I love his concentration ...