Baby Bjorn-- Now

Baby Bjorn then...

and Baby Bjorn Now.

All Tuckered Out

Nate was playing with his toys this afternoon when he fell asleep mid-play.
It was so cute I had to share.

And now a close up...

4 Month Checkup

Nate had his 4 month check up with Dr. Bullock today. Since he didn't gain a lot of weight last month I was eager to see what he had gained this month. It turns out that he gained a lot! Nate weighs 13 pounds now, I was so pleased. He is 24" long which means he didn't do a lot of growing up just out which is ok by me. Nate also had a shot today but amazingly he didn't even cry!

In other developmental news, Nate has found his feet and is practicing his own brand of baby yoga every chance he gets.

High (Chair) Times

Nate sat in his high chair for the first time today.

I think he likes it!


His little feet don't even hang off th edge!

Morty the Monkey

I love you Morty!

How did you get over there?

You're so funny Morty!

Look, I can make a monkey face too!

A New Point of View

This weekend Nate sat in his stroller like a big boy for the very first time.

So, I rolled him into the backyard and parked him under a tree
so I could hang the laundry out to dry.

He was very impressed with the size of the tree and the world around him

Trying Out the Exersaucer

I put Nate in the Exersaucer for the first time today. I think he liked it.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'...

This morning Nate and I were playing on the bed when the little man decided to roll over. Nothing new there until Nate decided that he didn't really want to be on his belly anymore and he bent his little head back, held up one leg and went briefly onto his side and then promptly onto his back again.

Our little Nate had just log rolled himself across the bed. Go Nate!

The best part of watching all of this happen was the big smile on his face when he was on his back again... he was really delighted with himself.

3 Month Check Up

Nate had his 3 month well baby visit with Dr. Bullock today and currently he weights 10.5 pounds and is 24" long. He didn't actually grow very much from last month (he only gained .25 pounds and grew .5") but since he is very alert and active, eating well, and reaching all of his milestones the doctor is not concerned.

Nate did have to get 2 shots and I wasn't able to hold him this time :(. He cried a cry I had never heard before and unlike the previous appointment I broke down and cried to. It just broke my heart to hear him scream and not be able to comfort him until after the second shot.

He recovered quickly when offered lunch though, so all is well now.

Right Out Loud

Nate, my mom, and I took our first trip to the Lancaster PA outlets today. Nate was very well behaved and we managed to get all of our shopping done without anyone having a meltdown. Since Nate had spent most of the day in his car seat I made sure he had plenty of play time when we got home. He was standing up on my stomach (with help of course) and we were playing a little game when I decided to sing him the Flyer's Fight Song. he liked it so much that he laughed right out loud. I started cracking up when I realized what he had just done that he laughed out loud again.

Keep laughing baby... keep laughing!

You Spin Me Right Round Baby!

So today Nate is 3 months old. A momentous occasion to be sure, but made all the more special by the fact that Nate rolled over (back to front) for the first time today! i had him on our bed and when he rolled onto his side I lured him with a new and exciting toy and he kicked his little legs and over he went. Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke I flipped him back and made him do it again. (I know I'm a mean and demanding mommy)

We are all very excited, except Nate who really dislikes being on his tummy. Oh well, he will get over it (Get it? Over it? He rolled over... oh never mind)

Oh! Congrats to our NICU buddy Michael for his first roll too!

Super Baby!

Loves his Hoodie

All smiles

Serious pose

Who is that Baby in the Mirror?

Tummy Time

Let's Go Flyers!

Daddy and Nate before the Flyers playoff game against the Washington Capitals.

Shiny Happy Baby HoldingToy

Peek-a-boo... I see you!

Take Your Nate to Work Day

Last Friday I took Nate in to see where I work and to show him off to all of my coworkers. The library director had his camera with him and took several pictures of our little man.

This is my favorite of the set:

I Think it's Official...

Our little man is sleeping through the night! He has done it 7
(count them... 1 2 34 5 6 7) nights in a row!

Way to go Nate!

Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you!

2 Months

Nate had his 2 month appointment with Dr. Bullock this morning. Our little man weighs 10.25 pounds and is 23.5" long. Wow! That's a lot of growing for one month...no wonder he is so hungry!

Nate also got is first set of shots today. I was allowed to hold him while the deed was being done so that made it a little better. He cried (I did not) and then passed out cold in his car seat. Hopefully he won't have a reaction to the vaccination.

Puppy Nap

Last night Nate took a nap with his big puppy Beo.

Unfortunately Jax was napping on the couch in the office and didn't feel like joining in.  I'm sure there will be many opportunities.

Grabbin'

Well, we can hold onto our toys now...

Smilin' Kid

Doesn't Nate look so darn happy?!?! 

Happy Easter

My Grandpop & My Zeyda

With the pics of women in Nate's life, its time to show the rest of the men.  And here are a few of Nate's heros (other than his uncle & his dad):

me & Grandpop

me & Zeyda

mind meld

Upper Hand/ Bottom Lip

It can be said that some children have their parents by the... er... um... nether regions ;).

Nate very clearly has his father by the bottom lip!

A sleepy boy (when he's sleepy that is)...

"Definitely my brother's son!"

So sayeth Uncle Andrew as Nate decided to flip him the bird.

Just so there's no confusion: Nate was not coaxed in any way.  He was not propped up.  He's been doing this since birth, mostly to me, his father!  Click on the picture to see a larger version.

Can you guess how much fun we're going to have in a few years?????

Dancing Animals

Nate LOVES the mobile over his crib! He watches the animals with such fascination and delight it is as if they are dancing just for him, which of course they are.

Truely a Net-kid

Ok, some of you may have noticed the change to the blog URL. Yep, thats right, Nate has his own domain name.

nathan-elliott.com

Daddy will help him set up email when he's ready. But for now, this should make it easier to find Nate's blog online (update your bookmark to http://www.nathan-elliott.com/).

First real bath

Tonight we had our first real bath...no more sponge baths for this kid!  And at first we didn't like the water but we got used to it pretty darn quickly.

Doesn't mommy look happy!

I could get used to this.

Baby Bjorn

So we tried out the Baby Bjorn today and it was uh, uhm, see for yourself...

"Uh, what the heck is this?"

"Ok, I'm done!"

1 Month Old

Nate had his 1 month doctor's appointment his morning and I am happy to report that all systems are go. Our little piggy weighs a whopping 9 pounds (I guess we figured out this breastfeeding thing) and is 21.5" long. His head got bigger too, which is a good thing.

He slept through the whole thing although I think this will be the last appointment that that happens since when we go back in a month to start getting his immunizations.

I know, that is always harder on mom than it is on baby.

Nate's Bris

So this post is long overdue... sorry. Nate had his bris on February 10, 2008. It was a trying day for all of us although Nate came through it like a champ, barely crying (which was good because I was bawling my eyes out. I am his mother after all and I don't actually believe in circumcision, but that is a discussion for another time).

The mohel we had was fantastic. Not only was he fast (very important in a mohel) but he injected humor into what is at best an uncomfortable situation for everyone attending. If you ever need to have some surgery performed in a living room on a card table I highly recommend Cantor K.

Actually, the circumcision is only half of the ceremony, the other half is giving the baby a name. Nathan Elliott is named after Jon's grandfather Norman who died before he was born and my sister Ellen who died at birth. It is our hope that Nate will get the best qualities of both Norman and Ellen

Although we didn't take any pictures that day, here is a picture of Nate's first yarmulke. It is blue suede with stars and Nate's Hebrew name, Natan, on it.

Blogging <= 24 hrs - (work + parenting + less sleep than needed)

So we've been a bit busy.... When asked "where are the new pics" I have to respond that as much as I'd love to be a photo-journalist for Nate's life, I still have to help out as a parent. That means work, helping with the house stuff, taking care of the dogs, and if possible a little sleep.

But we'll have more stuff soon...so stay tuned.

1st Pajama Party

My Grandmom,My Nana & Me

The eagle has landed!

My first ride... home!!!

In all seriousness...

With tomorrow being our last day in the hospital (fingers crossed), I have to just say again how great the Riddle Memorial Hospital Birth Center & NICU staff has been. I don't know that Molly or I would have been able to deal with the circumstances of Nate's birth. They are Nate's extended family and can't wait to bring him back for a visit over the coming years to let them continue to share in his life.

We have friends who's children spend time in the NICU and with them we can only sympathize with them again as we understand what they dealt with, even if on a smaller scale, and appreciate their support.

To our families & all our friends who've been there for us the past week, visited, called, texted, etc...it has meant a lot to us and we can't wait to have you over to meet Nate!

Thank You!

ps: Molly hasn't seen any of this blog yet (no internet access at the hospital; I've been reading everything to her each night) but I promise she'll be a regular contributer soon. And I'll try to keep any serious entries to a minimum and work on the humor as much as possible.

Houston, all systems are go!

So we're feeding regularly. We're sleeping as many as 4 hrs between feedings, usually 2 1/2 to 3.
Then today we finally became a member of the book "Everybody Poops."

And......
Nate get's his last antibiotic dose tomorrow around 4ish, at which point he should get to come home and play with his puppies. Beo & Jax can't wait.

More Progress

So what did we do today????  Well....

1. We lost or nasal cannula
2. We nursed successfully several times
3. Our IV has been reduced to keep our pic line open, i.e. we don't receive any sustanance.  Mommy's all we need.
4. Our eyes have opened more.
5. We've burped, farted, cooed, cried, stretched, yawned, sneezed, hiccuped.

Its been an exciting life so far, and its only just begun!

Updates

I arrived at the hospital this morning to find Molly nursing...yes nursing!!!  Mommy is officially Nate's favorite new food source!  Otherwise he has only his pic line for the antibiotics.  Molly is also doing well.  She's not relying on the pain medication, but we'll see how that goes once she comes home (discharged Saturday).

Oh and I forgot to tell everyone how he's totally my son...  he's already ripped out 2 IVs, smacked and peed on a nurse.  What a little terror already.  So Nate will be in the NICU for a few more days, and as long as things continue as they have, he should be coming home Tuesday-ish.

For everyone asking "where are more/updated pics dad..."  they're coming.  We've had our hands full finally holding the little guy.

Nate's puppies are eagerly awaiting his arrival; they can't wait to have a new best bud!