New Hat

Like my new hat? Mom made it for me! She found the pattern on this blog. Dad thinks I look like a Hershey's Kiss, but mom thinks its pretty cute! I like it. It keeps my head warm in this bitter cold weather.

Handmade

A quilt, knitted booties, stuffed mouse, knitted bear ear hat, giraffe rattle, fabric block, curtains, pillows, screen-printed "jayhawk" onsies, sweatshirts and sweat pants and newest creation, applique onsies, pants and even a handmade fleece "pi" shirt.....ALL created by Grandma K for her little E over the past 6 months! She loves creating them and we love seeing what she's come up with. Who knows what will be next? We can't wait! Thank you Grandma K!

Videos!

So, we got a new video camera and have been taking lots of great videos. Here are a few of our faves:

Bath Time!


Babbling


Cereal


Dogs

Cereal

We were given the green light to try "solid" foods by E's pediatrician. So, we decided to start Sunday night. This was his first taste of anything other than breast milk (we even mixed the cereal with warm breast milk). Well, he hated it. Hated every bite. He wrinkled his nose, turned his head and spit it back out. He even started to fuss. We didn't taste it, but it smelled gross...I don't blame him. We'll keep trying it though - I've heard that it takes a baby about 5 feedings to actually like a new food. So, we'll see.... Needless to say, we took lots of pictures and yes, even video of the event. Here are a couple pics of his funny faces (which were the best part of the whole thing) :)

4 month check up

Yesterday was E's 4 month check-up and doctors visit. He was weighed, measured, inspected and poked. He received one shot and one oral vaccination (they were out of another shot that we'll receive in a couple weeks). This was our first appointment with the new pediatrician, who we really liked. We've heard many great things about this practice and feel like E is in good hands. The doc confirmed that E has eczema (like his dad). It doesn't seem to itch or bother him, but is red and looks irritated, so we're constantly slathering on lotions and this cold, dry weather isn't helping. Doc also suggested that mom eliminate dairy from her diet for 10 days to see if the eczema gets better (no dairy could be hard for mom). He still has cradle cap, which also itches, but is getting better and the doc recommended that we use cortisone cream on it. Developmentally he's right on track for his age, weighs 14 lbs 10 oz (36%) and is 25.5 inches long (64%). So, he's long and lean! We were also given the green light to start "solid" foods (rice cereal first, then pureed veggies) but aren't sure when we'll begin. Don't worry, we'll take lots of pictures and maybe even post a video of the first taste. Overall he's doing great and we're blessed to have a happy, healthy, beautiful baby boy!

New

So we thought we were going to have a thumb sucker. E was constantly putting his fingers and hands in his mouth (sometimes his whole fist). He sucked on them constantly, but never the same fingers. As you can imagine, all of this chewing was also causing a serious drool problem and his little fingers were becoming red and chapped. So, I decided to see if he would take a pacifier instead and guess what? It worked! I can't believe it! He's rejected the paci since day one, but now seems to love it. He's so calm and content with it in his mouth, it's amazing. I know it can be a bad habit to break, but think it's worth the challenge to see him so happy (I may regret this down the road). He's also discovered his toes. He loves to grab his feet, toes and socks when he's being changed, which can make things tricky. It's super cute to watch. I remember seeing him for the first time in an ultra sound and he reached up and grabbed his toes. It was so sweet. He continues to grow and change every day.

Happy New Year!

What a year 2009 was for the Moen family! It's amazing to look back and think of where we were just a year ago....pregnancy, graduation, moving to a new city, a new job, a new house and the birth of our beautiful baby boy. What a wonderful year it's been. We look froward to the year ahead and all the joy that comes with a growing baby and the changing seasons. We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!

First Christmas

Packages everywhere, monkey bread for breakfast, PJ's and slippers all day, turkey in the oven, Christmas tree glowing, hershey kisses, family together, Christmas music, smiles, laughter, cinnamon candles, stockings hung on the fireplace, joy in everyone, twinkle lights and love....our first Christmas with our baby boy.

It was amazing, busy and wonderful. We spent a couple days in Columbia, staying with Grand-W, attending the annual Diggs Christmas party (where he met his cousins Jackson and Connor for the first time), he met Aunt Allison, had beautiful family photos taken, opened his very first christmas package, helped ice cookies and even wore adorable Christmas outfits. We spent Christmas Eve here in St. Louis with Grand-K and our friends the Valleroy's. We had a beautiful white christmas morning and loved watching it snow all day (E's first snow)! We stayed in our PJ's and played with our new trinkets, watched Christmas Story and had a delicious Christmas turkey dinner (my very first)! It was perfect....

Christmas morning

E's first snow

Giggles

Watch out, laughter is contagious!

A year ago...

It's amazing to think that this time last year I was peeing on a pregnancy test...excited, scared and surprised at the little pink "+" sign on it... Seeing the shock on our parents faces when they opened the cards telling them they were going to be grandparents for the first time... Feeling the cramps in my stomach that would turn into a beautiful baby boy... And thinking about how different things would be a year from then... Well, the past year has been a whirlwind, to say the least, but it's also been one of the best years of our lives! I'm excited for what the year ahead of us holds...

3 months!

In just three months Elliot has grown 6 pounds and 4 inches! He's amazing and seems to change everyday. It's incredible how much he's changed in just a month. He now laughs, smiles, drools, grabs for his toys (pulling them into his mouth!), tries to roll over, wants to sit up on his own and even tries to stand when he's being held. He's also started fussing when we leave the room and fussing and reaching his arms out when he wants to be held. He's so content just being in our company. He's so strong and very active. His hair seems to grow longer every day! He also babbles non-stop. He loves to "goo" and "ahh" out loud. He even gurgles at us. His favorite "word" seems to be "agua" or "ahhgooowaaa"- spanish already? It's super cute! He even rolled over from his stomach to his back this week. He's growing and changing every day.

We spent his first Thanksgiving in Kansas City with lots of family and friends and we plan to spend Christmas here, at home, as a family together. Elliot helped decorate the tree, hang the stockings and make presents. We can't wait for Christmas!

Dr. M and I received our H1N1 (Swine Flu) shots last weekend. We hope to stay flu free this season, as it's supposed to be a bad one. We've been enjoying weekly play dates with a group of girl friends (Elliot is the only boy!). I'm still staying home with E every day (and loving it). I'm not actively seeking a job, but if I can find one that allows me to work from home, I might be interested....we'll see.

Here are a few recent pictures of our family.....

Hands!

Just recently Eli has made the amazing discovery of his hands. Though he doesn't find them as fascinating as one would think, he does stare at them quite often. He watches them as they open and makes tiny fists or reaches for a toy. He's also discovered how to get them into his mouth - his mother's fear. We don't want a thumb sucker! He's not quite there yet, but he does enjoy nibbling on his fingers and occasionally a thumb, which makes for a constant puddle of drool under his chin. We've also been battling a nasty case of cradle cap, which seems to itch. So far, we're all staying healthy this season, though those around us have been coming down with illnesses. Every day he gets bigger and his hair gets longer. We're still not sure what color those eyes will be - they're still dark blue. We're enjoying watching him grow and learn everyday!

Laughter

Tonight was the first time we heard little Eli giggle. It was adorable. Too bad just after he let out the laugh, he was struck with a bout of the hiccups. You could hear him trying to laugh through them anyway which was even cuter. He'll be walking before we know it...

2 months

Well, we've made it through 8 weeks of diaper changes, breast feeding, extra laundry, kitchen sink baths, unexplained fussing and mastering the swaddle all for little Eli. Everyone said our lives would change when he arrived and boooy were they right! Each day is a new challenge, different from the one before, which is both exciting and frustrating at the same time. It's amazing how I can stay home all day, yet feel like I'm unable to get anything done (unless soothing a fussy baby counts). I'm building arm muscles I never knew I had (it's amazing how heavy a baby and car seat are) and getting very good at doing things with one hand. I also have a whole new respect for the female body - I'm amazed at how it can create and sustain a life on it's own. I have to say, however, that my favorite thing about the past 8 weeks is watching my little boy grow. He now weighs 11 lbs 9 oz is 23 inches long! According to his pediatrician at his appointment yesterday "he's doing great," but unfortunately had to receive a cocktail of routine vaccinations (3 shots and one oral). I cried. Seeing him in that kind of pain was heartbreaking, but just minutes later, after a quick nursing, he was smiling and laughing again. Babies are truly resilient. We're trying to enjoy each little moment with the little guy, as time seems to be flying by...

"Check out my neck rolls!"

Smiles :)

The first time your little one smiles at you is quite possibly the most rewarding part of being a new parent. Eli is officially a morning person, like his dad, and loves to smile at us when he wakes up. He smiles when we change him, while we're eating breakfast and when you talk to him in that high-pitch baby voice. He even coos and laughs when he really gets going. Every morning we look froward to his little smiles, they simply melt our hearts...

Hard at work!

Baby E and Dr. M working hard on an upcoming math presentation :)

(he must take after his mom when it comes to math)

One month!

Again, I'm shocked that so much time has gone by since the little guy arrived. I've been told that the whole first year becomes a blur, it goes by so fast. So, I'm trying to enjoy the little moments....the random smiles he gives me, the baby noises he makes and how he falls asleep any time, any where so easily. Little Eli has been so good, we've been able to go out to dinner, over to friends houses, to local fall festivals (my fave) and shopping. With the onset of flu season and the fact that this year is supposed to be bad one, I'm glad we've been able to get out and enjoy the fall air. This weekend will be our first road trip to grandmas house...wish us luck, we may need it.

The Moen family at the Forest Park Balloon Glow on September 18:

Week Three

Another week....it's almost as if I can see him actually growing before my eyes. He changes everyday. He's becoming much more interactive and alert. When he's awake, he's busy staring at everything, watching me, tracking his toys and making cute little baby noises. He also loves to look at himself in the mirror behind the changing table. I have to admit that we've been lucky, he's generally very quiet and calm, fussing only when hungry. His eyes are still the dark blue/grey of a newborn, but we're anxious for them to change (will he be brown like his dad or green, like his mom?). He's started to smile - though random, it's still adorable! He's still eating every 3-4 hours, but at least we're on some sort of a schedule....even at night, it's not too bad. The last of our guests left on Wednesday (we've had two nights to ourselves in the past 3 weeks). It's nice having the house back to normal again, but the help was definitely appreciated - and needed! Gotta run...sounds like someone is hungry.....

Week Two

It's hard to believe we made it through the first two weeks! Everyone told us the first two weeks were the hardest part. Now that they're behind us, I hope everyone is right because it's been pretty rough. Don't get me wrong little Eli is a great baby, it's just tough nursing, rocking, changing and caring for him all day and all night, every 2-3 hours. I could really use a massage and a good 8 solid hours of sleep. I have to admit that we've been fortunate to have a ton of help from friends and family over the past two weeks! Last night was the third night that the little guy has slept in the nursery in his crib (which he really seems to like) he sleeps a good 3-4 hours between feedings. This week we purchased a sound machine for Eli's crib that plays various "white noise" sounds like rain, ocean, summer crickets or even a human heart beat (his current favorite) which I think is also helping him sleep at night. We've been to the pediatrician twice now (once at 3 days and once at two weeks). Overall, he's a healthy, rapidly growing little boy! At his two week appointment yesterdat the Dr wanted him to be back to his birth weight....well, the little guy exceeded his birth weight by 7 ounces and grew an inch!! No wonder he's been so hungry lately! Dr M said that if he keeps growing like this, he'll be 8 feet tall by the time he's two! His weight is pretty average in the 44%, but his height is in the 89% - I think he's gonna be tall, like his parents - watch out KU basketball! He doesn't go back to the Dr until his two month check-up where he'll receive a cocktail of immunizations. Overall, he's a great baby and true joy to have in our lives!

One week!

Wow, has it been a whole week already? It's amazing to think back to where we were this time last week. The funny thing is this week has been harder than labor and delivery combined. I feel like that's the part people leave out (or maybe I just ignored that part when mixed in with the massive amount of baby advice I was given while pregnant). All I have to say is thank goodness you can only be a first-time mother once. It's the hardest yet most wonderful thing I've ever done.

Little E is becoming more and more alert every day. He opens his eyes, looks around and is getting cuter every day :) His little belly button scab fell off yesterday, so we're exclusively cloth diapering now. It's amazing how much more absorbent the cloth is than the Pampers we were using. Plus, his little hinney in that big diaper is adorable. We've taken a couple strolls around the neighborhood and even braved getting some lunch at a nearby restaurant this weekend (which went amazingly well). Overall, he's a happy, healthy baby boy!

During the day, he's a great baby, but at night gets quite fussy (we call him Elliot the dragon at these times). He's been on this weird schedule of wanting to eat about every 30 mins from 7pm to around 1am some nights. Then finally falls asleep for 4, maybe 5 hours (which is nice). Dr M and I are still in great need of a good nights rest, but are handling new parenthood as best as we can. We've been told that the first two weeks are the hardest part.