9 Months!

Or 3/4 of a year! Ellis now has two cute little stubby bottom teeth and is crawling up a storm. She’s been commando crawling for quite sometime, but is now up on those hands and knees shuffling around. We've done some minor babyproofing at home, but even with that I am amazed at what tiny things she can find on the floor and get into her mouth. Her mobility has forced us to vacuum and mop more, which isn’t such a bad thing. I don’t know when babies generally say their first words, but I think I hear ‘ja’ (or yeah), cat, and dada from her all day long.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of going upstate for visit Josephine and Peter. It was a very relaxing weekend with lots of delicious food and time in the hammock looking up at the trees. We rented a zipcar to drive there and were so impressed; Their cars, locations, and reservation system are so much easier to use than the standard car rental companies.

clap your hands say waahhh

Another sticky summer weekend has flown by and we had a lot of fun hanging around the neighborhood, seeing friends and consuming lots of ice tea, ice coffee and ice cream. Ellis had her 8 month check-up on Saturday. Her head and feet were hanging off of the scale, but I think she came in around 23 pounds and nearly 30 inches! I am only 66 inches. It’s crazy to think she is nearly half my height. Thankfully, she is less than 20% of my weight! It is just incredible how much more adventurous she is lately. I find that we are having to say “No” and “Nee” suddenly around the house as Ellis lunges towards some power cords, a twig on the ground, dirty shoes, etc, etc.

We managed to capture a little of her clapping this morning.

Commando kissy face

Captured a few moments of commando crawling/dragging this morning and some swinging in the afternoon. She’s one chatty lady!

Lincoln Center

Summer is here! We tried to spend as much of this weekend outdoors. Ellis caught up with her favorite baby boy friends, Roman and Henry, while we enjoyed some nice time with their parents. While walking back from Central Park this afternoon, we found ourselves at Lincoln Center. The architecture is so iconic, it inspired us to do a little photo shoot.

We’ve had a big week here on Huron Street with quite a few wakeful nights. Ellis is cutting her first bottom tooth and working on figuring out how to crawl. She can drag herself around commando style and is pulling herself up on her knees. It’s fascinating to see what she tries to get into around the apartment: electrical cords, cat food cans, and our old shoes. It’s a good slow motion preview of the chaos that will come when she is more mobile!

8 months

I am sure I will say this every month, but I can’t believe another one has passed. Ellis is now 8 months and it is amazing to see how much she changes every week. She is really loving food now, especially vegetables and avocados. I borrowed a Baby Cook from a very generous neighborhood Mom friend and I’ve gone puree mad. This morning Ellis had mixed berries with oatmeal. It was all over her face and she’s figured out how to use her tongue to lick it off her chin if I am not fast enough with the spoon. This month, I hope to introduce more solid and finger foods, as well as some dairy and possibly meat.




Ellis has realized that she can peak into our bedroom if she pulls down on her crib bumper. Erik is greeted with this adorable sight every morning.





I took Ellis into the pool for swimming class today. It was some serious exercise!

May weekend with Mike

My brother Mike is in town for the ICFF. We’ve enjoyed a great weekend with perfect weather. He’s been amazed at how different Ellis is since he visited over Christmas. During a little picnic today, Ellis even held onto her stroller while standing. We propped her up, but it was the first time she was vertical and hands free.

Swim Class

This morning Ellis had her first infant swim class in the neighborhood at a great place called Aquanilo. It’s a small, heated, above ground salt water pool inside a loft, but the atmosphere is great and Ellis and Erik had a blast. Mike and I watched from the side, documenting every exciting moment. The instructor showed us that if you blow in your baby’s face their natural reflex is to hold their breath. Erik blew and dunked Ellis. She came up a little stunned, but not the least bit upset. Looking forward to getting into the pool again next week.

Rubber Ducky, you’re the one

You make bathtime lots of fun!

First Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful mothers and future mothers out there! I woke up this morning at a leisurely 9 o’clock and enjoyed a nice big breakfast from Erik. After gift opening and two very short naps from Ellis, we headed into the city for errands and a delicious lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Crema. While Erik and I enjoyed Mexican dishes with names we completely butchered, Ellis enjoyed some homemade spinach puree and the green goatee it left behind.

Last Friday, Ellis’s daycare had “Muffins with Mom”. Her teachers put together a nice package with photos and artwork, including her very first painting! I love this photo of Ellis with her partners in crime. The three babies are less than ten days apart and it’s been such a delight to see them grow and evolve over the last five months.

Gentle

Ellis loves Max and Meisje. She squeals with delight when we arrive home every evening. She often ends up with a fist full of fur, while the cats end up slightly traumatized from her “petting”. We’ve been trying to show Ellis how to be gentle with the kitties. She did a surprisingly good job in this video and Max looks like he was enjoying himself too.

Ellis and her friends

Can’t believe it is already May! I’ve been meaning to post all week. We’ve been busy at work and busy trying to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather. Last weekend, Ellis had a chance to meet up with her two favorite boys: Roman and Henry. And she ate the first of many, many puffs. Ellis is also becoming quite the commuter. She even knows about holding onto the pole while the train is in motion. Of course, she also likes to hold onto the purses, headphones, newspapers and buttons of fellow commuters.