Back Down

Just when we thought Eliza was starting to feel better, she now is having tummy issues. For her first feeding of the day yesterday she vomited it up. It was super scary because it was a lot and she started choking on it. Being a first time mom, I of course freaked out. But, I started thinking that maybe it is just the drainage from her cold is upsetting her tummy. When she vomited her second meal up, I called the doctor. They told me to give her Pedialyte and watch for a fever. 

That worked for a lot of the day, but she still couldn't keep much down. Today, we are still switching between milk and Pedialyte, but her tummy doesn't appear to be getting any better. The only good thing about this situation is that she is super cuddly. Poor baby, hopefully she feels better for our trip tomorrow.

Ooh, Look What I Found

Eliza being philosophical 

Today, Eliza has been a mess! She is really testing the limits of what she can do and what she can get into.

First, she realized that there was "another side" to the barrier that keeps her trapped in the living room.

When the gate got boring, she crawled over to the Christmas tree. She was looking around and found some neat things!

Something shiny! We'll, that present didn't need the bow anyway. What should I do with it?

Oh, no! It's trying to get away! Whew, got it! Now, the only logical thing to do is... eat it! Oh man, mom! That was going to be good! Give it back :)

Christmas Pictures

Since Eliza is feeling a little better, we decided to keep our picture appointment at JC Penny's. We were really pleased with how they turned out even though there was very little cooperation on Eliza's part.

It took serious work to keep her looking at the camera because she is most interested in shiny things! We were acting like idiots trying to get her attention.

Since Michael works nights, we don't often get to hang out with him, but we got to have a lovely family date at the mall. It is so cute to see Michael with Eliza because you can tell there is nothing more important in the world.

This little scrunchy nose is the best gift of my life! This season is so much more fun with our Bug!

Eliza Sees Snow

 Over the last 24 hours, we have had a bit of snow. Although it is pretty, it is a pain in the rear because we have to shovel. So, as we were finishing up, we got Eliza all bundled up and took her out. I don't think she understood what was going on because everything looked so different!

 She was very serious most of the time and seemed like she was thinking. We only kept her out for about 5 minutes because we didn't want her cute little nose to get too cold. We can't wait for her to get a bit bigger because we want to play with her in the snow so bad! Michael has asked for a sled for Christmas so he and Eliza can play together... we'll see if Santa brings it ;)

Rock-a-bye Baby

 Last Monday, I could tell that Eliza was starting to feel bad, however she didn't have any symptoms other than fussiness. Tuesday passed with her slightly fussy and then Wednesday brought a runny nose. Her fussiness and nose got worse with time, so I called and made an appointment to see her doctor. Her weight is going up, and the doctor said it must be a virus. I also had her look at the rash that was coming back on Eliza's legs. Dr. Matthias determined that it is likely adding the dairy back in that is making the rash comeback, so now we are dairy-free again.

 Little bug hasn't been sleeping well, so while I was pumping gas I looked in the car and found a warm, snugly baby getting some rest. While I am all for saving the planet and conserving fossil fuels, I did a bit of useless driving in order for her to get a good nap. My neighbors probably think I am nuts (for more reasons that one) because when I get home, I sit in the back seat with her with the car on until she wakes up. Cardinal rule: DON'T WAKE THE BABY!

The last two days, the only way she'll nap, besides in the car, is to be held. Although my arms are burning and I would love to have a break, I know that I will miss this when she is older. I try and remind myself of that each time she is super fussy and can only be consoled by being held. When she is 16, I can't rock her like this.

All Kinds of Trouble

 It seems that over the past week, Eliza's ability to get into things has perfected. In the last week, she has started pulling herself to standing. First it started on her little giraffe chair, like above. Then it moved to the pack n' play that we had stored in a corner because the Christmas tree needed it's spot.

Then, I stood her up on our ottoman, which is pushed against the entertainment center to keep her curious hands away from things. She thought that was great! Over the next few days, I noticed her trying to pull up on to the ottoman and the couch by herself. After a few bonks, tears and grunts, she has managed to do it a few times. It is very exciting to watch her learning, but it is also terrifying because I don't want her to fall and get hurt. Unfortunately, that is part of the game.

She also tried to get into every nook & cranny in the house. Thankfully the present barricade around the tree is working, although the paper is a bit damaged! She has also in the past week full on crawled, but it is usually on the rug. On the wood floor, she still does her inch worm scoot thing because she can't slip and she can just use her toes to push herself while she carries things with her. 

 In her adventures around the living room, she chases the cat. The cat is smarter than the dogs and tends to lay places that Eliza can't get her... until now. While I usually save Eliza before the cats gives her a bunch of claws, I know it is coming. The cat is very patient and gentle with Eliza, but eventually Eliza is going to realize that Saphira is a foul, contemptible feline. Am I a bad mother that I risked Eliza's cute hand to get a picture before I scooped her up?

 While she didn't get into the basket herself, she has certainly tried. This one below is just because she is so stinking cute!

Baby or Puppy?

 I often wonder if Eliza identifies as a human or as a dog. Many of her behaviors more closely resemble that of a puppy. For example, in the picture below, she is crawling around her structure carrying the monkey in her mouth with her. She does this a lot with stuffed items. It's like she has to be somewhere and the monkey has to be there with her.

Then, take the picture below. Is this her discovering her tongue, or panting? One can never be sure. She does blow raspberries with it, which I have never seen Angel do.

Finally, I caught her chewing on the baby gate yesterday. Like full-on gnawing on it! Conclusion: More time is needed to determine her species.