baby – Page 9 – emerald city diaries

eloise {week 27}

{onesie: Carter’s // cords: babyGap // Jellycat penguin}

{week 27} this week eloise has really been showing us her personality – so sweet, happy, & funny. she constantly has us laughing with her giggles & chattering. she is such a tiny human now, like a real little person {& not just a baby}. I think we are getting thru the “blob” stage of babyhood & into the more interactive stages!

eloise is all about sitting, rolling, chewing, & babbling these days. in constant motion & doesn’t miss a thing! she watches everything & you can see her little brain working a mile-a-minute – it’s amazing! we are still working on sitting since eloise is still pretty wobbly, but she can sit by herself if someone spots her or if she is against the Boppy pillow. rolling, on the other hand, she can do all by herself & can even get around her arms {that was a tricky one to figure out!}. on occasion at night I have noticed that eloise sometimes get stuck on her side with her arm at a weird angle behind her & wants some help, but mostly she has got rolling down. this also means tummy time is pretty much non-existent since as soon as she is on her belly, she flips over!

this past week or so eloise has also started showing a bit of separation anxiety. we have an exersaucer plaything in the living room right next tot he kitchen doorway where eloise hangs out a lot while i make dinner (since she is within earshot of me & can’t get into too much trouble). a few times this past week she has been really fussy if i am in the kitchen & she is in her exersaucer. as soon as i moved right in front of her, she was fine. this was at the end of last week, following two sets of immunizations (we spread her 6 month shots over two days since it included the first flu vaccine dose) so i am not sure if that had anything to do with it or not. as much as i know separation anxiety is really normal for babies, especially starting at this age, it is so out of character for eloise that it is throwing me off!

happy 27 weeks eloise!

this post contains affiliate links.

diy baby bandanas.

as many of you, with & without babies, know – babies drool & spit up. a lot. from a pretty early age kiddos are drooling for a variety of reasons, but what mamas notice is that onesies & shirts get really wet & it isn’t practical to change baby’s clothes multiple times a day for drool. some bibs do the trick, but at least for eloise, they are so large that its looks obnoxious & is just way too much fabric. luckily, I wasn’t the only one who thought a bandana would be the perfect solution & I was able to find lots of patterns & tutorials on pinterest.

{via White & Bright blog}

I ended up liking the look of the bandanas from the tutorial linked above, but the first set based on the original pattern were pretty big. for the next round I shrunk the entire pattern by an inch & think it’s a better size for eloise right now. {the finished sizes: original – 10” L & 7” W; shrunken – 9” L & 5.5” W}

{the original pattern on top & the shrunken pattern below}

supplies:

fabric – I used flannel, cotton, & terry cloth {you don’t need much more than a Fat Quarter!}
thread
fabric scissors {I have one set of scissors I only use for fabric & it makes a huge difference!}
pattern {see my smaller version here}
pins
fasteners {I used sew-on snaps}

first wash & dry {& iron if needed} your fabric, especially if you are using two different types of fabric for one bandana {like I used terry cloth on the back with cotton or flannel on the front}.

then cut out your front & back pieces based on the pattern.

next pin your front & back pieces together. if there is a “right” side to the fabric, make sure it is facing in. I found the pinning to be the trickiest part since the two pieces aren’t identical. I started down at the bottom tip of the bib & moved up the sides.

then I pinned the middle of the top of the bandana, and then pleated {two or three} the fabric. my advice is to just use lots of pins!

sew around the edges of the bandana leaving a couple of inches to turn it right-side-out. once it is right-side-out you can press the seams {this is optional but it helps with the next step}. then top stich around the entire bandana.

last add the snaps {or fasteners of your choice}. if you do use the sew-on kind, make sure you have the snaps facing in the right direction before you sew them on: the bottom snap piece will be on the top of the bandana end & the top snap piece will be on the bottom of the bandana end {see picture}. optional: you could also add another snap piece to make the bandana adjustable.

& you are done! fasten it on that little babe of yours & admire your handy work!

{it was fun to make all different bandanas. the bottom picture shows the fabric on the bottom side of the bib – a fun pop of pattern!}

these last pictures show the difference in the two bibs – the original versus the shrunken. the first picture of eloise is the shrunken version & the second is of her in the original.

what have you been sewing lately?

eloise {week 26}

{tee: babyGap (old) // leggings: babyGap (old) // moccasins: Freshly Picked}

to celebrate valentine’s day {& mama’s birthday!}, eloise is pretty much wearing hearts all week! I did eloise’s big 6 month update on the blog this week. see it here.

happy 26 weeks eloise!

eloise {month six}

{lion: jellycat via nordstrom // shirt: Carter’s // jeans: babyGap // moccasins: Freshly Picked}

{month six} half of a year? this little one is half of a year. unbelievable!

this past month has been an absolute blast! not that life with eloise hasn’t always been really fun, but developmentally she is gaining so many new skills that are much more interactive. plus, aaron was home with us all of january on paternity leave & all of us enjoyed it very much.

sleep. oh the illusive sleep! we started sleep training at the beginning of january & I have to say {& am almost afraid to say} that sleeping is going really well. it took a few weeks for things to shake out, but a month into it & I have to say that sleep training is the best thing we’ve done. not only is everyone in the house actually sleeping, but eloise learned how to put herself to sleep, stay asleep, & sleep longer! we know that she will consistently sleep at night {12 hours with one early AM feeding} & pretty consistently nap during the day {3 30 to 60 minute naps, sometimes 90!}. it is amazing & life-changing! we are still using a version of the “ferber method” & let her fuss for timed increments before soothing her {3, 6, & 9 minutes}. she usually only fusses for a few minutes, & on the rare occasion she won’t calm down, we blame it on teething & give her lots of cuddles.

eloise is a definite side sleeper these days now that she is able to really roll around & get comfortable. she also likes her lovie to be right up in her face which sometimes is terrifying when you see it on the video monitor. she is still using a pacifier on occasion, but has learned to self-soothe with her fingers or thumb or her lovie, particularly the tag. this kid loves tags & finds the tag on every toy & plays with it. I should probably make her a tag blanket. also, we have discovered that eloise likes to lie sideways in her crib & she will end up that way to sleep whether you put her down that way or not {she is like a little turtle & turns around on her back}. I think it’s because she likes her feet to be on the bars of her crib? just a theory.

eloise is sitting on her own, for moments at least. she is still a bit wobbly & either falls to the side or back, but she definitely likes to sit! we have been sitting her in her highchair, the Bumbo seat, & recently sitting/standing in an exersaucer {we got this one}.

in the past week or so, eloise has started babbling & cooing to herself & her toys. it is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. she also has found her tongue & can blow bubbles with her mouth. all day long she is either talking or blowing bubbles. so. much. fun!

other big milestones are that eloise can roll continuously & she has found her feet. rolling means that we need to start babyproofing & watching her when we set her down since she is never in the same spot that you left her. I keep a blanket on the floor near her playmat in the living room, but most of the time she ends up off of it & onto the hard floor. she doesn’t seem to mind though. feet are her newest & greatest plaything, & diaper changes have become interesting. eloise just wants to eat her feet & roll around on her back all day long.

we are going to start solids this week {likely this evening} so wish us luck! I have been making her purees from recipes I found on this great blog: Baby Foode. we aren’t going to start her on the traditional rice cereal, but whole food purees & then eventually will add cereal & grains. I plan on doing a mix of purees & baby-led weaning, but more on that in a different post.

eloise also had her 6 month immunizations today at her doctor’s appointment & she was a champ! I held her & she turned her face into me during the pricks, but not even a peep from this tough kid. the check-up went really well & eloise got a clean bill of health. her weight trajectory isn’t quite as steep anymore & is leveling off which is completely normal for breast-fed babies. her length is 26.25 inches (66 percentile), but her head is 44.9 cm (95 percentile)! also, eloise was discharged from PT at the end of last week {discussed last month here} & is well on her way to a tilt-free head! most people wouldn’t even notice that she has the slightest bit of a tilt, but we are working on some stretching & she’s good to go (even if we did nothing, it would basically correct itself).

{weight} 17 lbs 7 oz (77th percentile)

{hair} dark reddish brown.

{teeth} bottom two teeth are still making an entrance, slowly but surely.

{eyes} dark brown.

{clothes} almost out of 3 to 6 months (onesies). 6 to 9 (or 6 to 12) month are fitting better but still long in the arms & legs. {also, what is with the size 6 to 12 months? that is a huge age range! do kiddos really just stay a consistent size during this period?}

{diapers} full-time cloth {bum genius freetime, pocket, & elemental} & honest company size 3 diapers at night with a bum genius diaper cover.

{feeding} during the day, 3 hour cycles {see our schedule below}. when e gets a bottle, she will take 5 oz except at bedtime when she takes a full 6 oz bottle of pumped milk {though she’s been pretty unhappy the past two nights at the end of the bottle, so I may increase her bedtime bottle to 7 oz}.

{likes} books, sitting, standing (with help), music, bathtime, licking everything, talking, stripes & polka dots (on clothing), (other people’s) faces, feeling/scratching (raking is the technical term I believe) things with her fingers (fabric, toys, the wall. etc.).

{dislikes} teething, getting her face wet, diaper changes if she’s hungry.

{nicknames} Bug{s}, Love Bug, E, Wheezy, Kiddo, Little Love, Bugaboo, Cheeks (this is a recent Papa one!).

for those of you who are curious {I know I am always interested in other mama’s schedules!} & for posterity, here is eloise’s & my daily schedule:

4:30ish AM – feed {& right back to sleep}

8AM – wake-up & feed

{pump around 8:45}

9:30AM – nap

11 AM – feed

12:30 PM – nap

2 PM – feed

3:30 PM – nap

5 PM – feed

{6:30ish PM – dinner}

7:15 to 7:30 PM – bedtime {with bottle of pumped milk}

{pump around 8:45 PM}

{Mama to bed by 10:30ish PM}

if you look at the times, eloise goes down for a nap about an hour and a half after each feeding. going out anywhere & doing anything during the day is tricky since it means we are either feeding or napping on-the-go. feeding is never really an issue {though sometimes uncomfortable depending on where we are!} but naps in the car seat or stroller aren’t the best & if they happen, are super short. this is the most challenging part about being a mama for me since it often feels easier just to stay at home {even though I need or want to get out!}! soon we’ll be transitioning to a two-nap-a-day schedule… wish me luck! {any advice from other mamas on when to do that?}

happy six months eloise!

eloise {valentine’s day}

during her trip a few weeks ago, my mom brought eloise a teddy bear that was mine when I was little. this was a special valentine’s day bear that an old neighbor/friend made me, so it meant a lot to see him again! eloise happened to be wearing a valentine’s day –esque outfit so I thought a quick photoshoot would be fun! {these were taken with my iPhone so not the best quality… but still adorable!}

{sweater: babyGap // leggings: babyGap}

happy valentine’s day from eloise!

christmastime with eloise {2014}

christmas is such a magical time of year & definitely my favorite season. i can’t believe how much more magical & fun it is when you have a child. i have been having so much fun with eloise this month!

we went downtown earlier in the month with a friend & her little one to see Santa at Nordstrom. eloise was so good while we waited in line & very excited to see Santa. she didn’t ask him for anything this year but did give him a smile!

{hat: handmade by aunt kelly // sweater: Old Navy // dress & bloomers: babyGap // onesie: Old Navy // tights: Old Navy (old) // moccasins: Freshly Picked}

before i strung the lights on our tree this year, i thought it would be fun to do a festive photoshoot with eloise since she adores lights {& christmas lights are no exception!}. i dressed her up in her christmas jammies & of course her Santa hat!

i hope you are having a very merry holiday season!

eloise {first halloween}

{lion: Jellycat from Nordstrom // ladybug costume: eBay // leggings: Gymboree // moccasins: Freshly Picked}

happy halloween eloise!

see our family costume {bank robbers & a sack of money} here.

eloise {nursery reveal}

yay, eloise’s nursery is finally ready for its big reveal! last spring I shared the moodboard I created & looking back on it, it was pretty darn on point!

when I first envisioned this space, I knew that it was a room that I needed to love. new mamas & papas spend so, so much time in the nursery & it is important that they feel comfy in the space. the two requirements for me were: calming & sophisticated (in that it didn’t feel like a pre-school). plus, let’s be honest, nurseries – like first birthday parties – are much more for the parents than the babies.

I was a bit nervous about how this space would come together since I did so in bits & pieces, & really didn’t get everything together until the week before eloise was born (due to our on-going house remodel). I had to trust my instincts on what I thought would work & wouldn’t work, & I am so thrilled about how eloise’s nursery came together!

& what you have all been waiting for. enjoy!

source list:

rug: west elm safari

light fixture: west elm braided rope pendant

crib: babyletto hudson

crib sheet: american baby

dresser: craigslist

glider: land of nod milo

ottoman: anthropologie (old)

table: overstock blake nightstand

lamp: oh joy for land of nod

picture ledges: ikea ribba

baby animal prints: the animal print shop little darlings (zebra // giraffe // lion)

picture frames: ikea ribba

changing pad: keekaroo

diaper basket: handmade by amanda

bookends: restoration hardware baby & child (elephant // giraffe)

curtains: ikea lenda with added pom trim

shelf: ikea ekby (brackets painted gold)

eloise blocks: handmade by e’s grammie

gold figurines: target (old)

abacus: land of nod

elephant hamper: home decorator’s collection

mobile: diy

moccasins: freshly picked (gold // turquoise)

paint colors: simply white by benjamin moore (walls & ceiling) & quartz stone by benjamin moore (ceiling)

if you have decorated a nursery for your little, what were your favorite design choices?

a mom’s first birthday

just a little something extra for your Friday! a new mom friend shared this beautiful video & I just had to share it! {you will want to make sure the English subtitles – press the CC button – are on & probably want to grab a Kleenex!}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu3iM1azTj4

this moved me to tears even as a mama to five week old Eloise & I know it will mean so much more in the coming year. much love to all of you mamas & mamas-to-be!

eloise {newborn photos}

as you may have seen in the facebook post here, we had melissa {who also did our maternity photos} do a newborn shoot for eloise. she was 10 days old & looks so teeny tiny!

even though I had worked with melissa to get this photoshoot set up before e was born {we couldn’t finalize the shoot date until she was born… obviously} I was really nervous to get them done. it meant getting out of the house with e at just 10 days post-partem & driving down to tacoma to melissa’s studio – about 45 minutes. it just seemed like a lot at the time & it was. but, aaron went with me & my mom met us at the studio, & I am so, so thankful that we did these. not only do we have the sweetest pictures of e as a squishy little newborn, but some great early family photos {not in the hospital!}.

did any of you mamas have newborn photos taken?