Running Dry

Im starting to think that Eli will be an early bird like me, considering that every week he changes his sleeping scheduled to wake up a little bit earlier. So this week, we are waking up in the 6 o'clock hour. We made our daily trip to the Starbucks, where we are quickly becoming regulars, visited with our new Starbucks friends, and headed to the trail. With the lack of sleep I got, I of course got a Venti coffee (I never thought I would order a Venti!!!!). After drinking every last drop, I had to make a trip to the bathroom before I started running otherwise I woulnt have finished my run dry, if you will!

Anyone who runs the trail has probably at one time or another made a quick stop into the bathrooms by the tennis courts at Austin High. If you havent, they are small, tight, and dirty. Im walking to the bathroom praying I run into someone, anyone, that I know so I dont have to perform some majical act to go to the bathroom, and have Eli with me, while I go to the bathroom, without him touching a single square inch of that bathroom. No one! I wasnt sure that the stroller would fit in there with me, but I didnt have any other choice. I totally felt like a new mom at this point...how do you go to the bathroom in public, when you have an infant and the stoller doesnt fit in the stall with you? So I did the only thing I could think of. As I sqatted above the toilet seat, I left the door wide open with the stroller in front of me so I could see Eli (and subsequently, everyone could see me), and as I was praying that no one would walk in on me going to the bathroom with the door wide open, a few women walked in! As I was rambing my apologies, they just laughed, they had been there too! I guess every new mom goes through trying to figure out how to do the simplest things while juggling a baby--I still have a ton of things to figure out, so if anyone has any advice, my ears are open!

Survivor!

So, Blaine survived his weekend alone with Eli and he did a stellar job!!! I went away to Denver for my friend Natalie's wedding and Blaine graciously stayed home with Eli. Natalie was a beautiful bride and she thought of every single detail down to the towels in the bathrooms at the reception--she is waaaay more organized than I will ever be! It is a good thing that I roomed with two pregnant girls, because I wouldn't have been able to keep up with anyone else!

I must admit that it was a nice little break to get away, but I found myself talking quietly thinking that Eli was around the corner napping and rocking side to side when I wasn't holding any baby! I'm sure all my friends were sick of hearing me talk about Eli and sick of seeing me pull out his pictures every ten minutes--I sure did miss him!!! I think i unpacked in record time so I could spend the rest of the night with Eli, it was good to be home with my little family.

Traveling with a baby seems incredibly stressful to me. Especially considering I traveled to Denver sans Eli, and THAT was stressful!!! I decided to take my pump as a carry-on just in case I had any problems getting my luggage when I arrived in Denver. I'm sure the poor old man at the security check-point wished I had packed it while he was digging through my Medela backpack and pulled out my hands free pumping bra that has holes cut out in the nip region! His face turned a nice shade of tomato red. He was so flustered at that point that he didn't even complete his duty of checking out the pump. Anyway, it took so much planning to go on this trip...when to pump, where to pump, where to store my milk until I get to a sink, and how to cover myself when I am pumping in the car. Blaine sure was ready to pass off Eli to me for the next few days. He needed some time to recover. But once he got over the shock of caring for a 3 month old on his own, he was back to his cute daddy self and couldn't get enough!

Eli's new tick, aside from sticking his whole hand it his mouth is trying to stand up. If he is upset, all you have to do it stand the kid up and his eyes get big, his mouth gives a smirk, he starts looking all around and he is happy as can be! Of course, he isn't standing on his own, but Ill bet anything that he is a early walker! Look at those sumo legs!

13 weeks already!

Eli is now 13 weeks old! I read yesterday that he is officially an "infant" now and no longer a newborn. I just about shed a tear or two when Iread that! I think next week we already need to move him up to a size 2 diaper! Everyone says how fast kids grow up.....I think I finaly believe that they are right! He is now so interactive and smiling like crazy! Its amazing to see his personality come out a little more everday! I remember people telling me how excited they got when their baby had a big poop or had a big burp or did something new. I remember thinking they were crazy, why would they get so excited. But its true. We are now those parents who cheer when Eli has a big poop, or makes a new noise, or does anything new. One night, Blaine got me out of bed to show me what he found in Eli's diaper. He has also gotten me out of bed to show me how Eli kicks his legs like he is swimming when he is on the changing table, and how he wiggled himself to the bottom of the crib. These are the kinds of things our conversations consists of now-- poops, and naps, and we talk about meals in ounces.

Last week, Eli got to spend some quality time with his Uncle Ethan, who he had not seen since he was one week old. Ethan passed on a very special gift to Eli--his first kipah. It used to be Ethan's and since they share the same initials, it had MEK on it and it is circled with Pac-Man (yes, i know--very 80's!).

This passed weekend, Eli discovered the mirror in my mom and dad's bathroom...and loved it! Eli and I spend the night at my parents house on the nights that Blaine is at work on the weekends. He hasnt quite decided if he likes Lucy (the dog) yet, but he sure loved the mirror! He would stare at himself, smile and then slowly lean forward until his forhead was touching the mirror, and then he would just stay there. He couldnt get enough!

Next weekend, will be my first time away from Eli. I am missing him already. I am in a wedding for a very dear friend of mine from college in Denver. Although, I am looking forward to sleeping through the night, not having to change poopy diapers for two days and pumping and dumping--hence, being able to have a couple of drinks and not worrying about having a tipsy baby! Blaine has said more than once how nervous he is to have a little baby by himself for a WHOLE weekend! Lucky for him, Eli's second mother (Rachel) and my parents are planning on stealing him away for a while to give him a break. Ill let you know how it goes.