The Cry it Out strategy seems to be working...
Monday Night 3 1/2 hours
Tuesday Night 1 1/2 hours
Wednesday Night 30 minutes
hopefully by the end of the week we'll be in a tear free house (at least during bed time anyway).
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Simon Says "Clap Your Hands"
Sorry no pictures today. I was out of town and Brian didn't take any pictures to document his and Elliot's "boy's weekend". I do have some exciting news to report, over the last five days Elliot started clapping, pointing, and waving! He has also figured out how to pick his nose, but as you will see that did not make the "Firsts" list. I'll try to get a few pictures of him this week so that his adoring fans can get their Elliot "fix".
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Hand, Foot and Mouth
No, we haven't been playing the name that body part game... Elliot has Hand Foot and Mouth Disease, not to be confused with Hoof and Mouth Disease. Its actually very common, Elliot was the fourth case our doctor had seen yesterday, and it spreads like wildfire through daycare centers during the summer months. There isn't much you can do for it and thankfully Elliot seems to be over the worst of it.
Unfortunately he is essentially being quarantined so that he will not infect additional children at daycare (although I suspect most of the babies in his room have it) or any of his little friends. Brian and Mimsey are taking shifts at home with him today and I will be staying home with him tomorrow.
Unfortunately he is essentially being quarantined so that he will not infect additional children at daycare (although I suspect most of the babies in his room have it) or any of his little friends. Brian and Mimsey are taking shifts at home with him today and I will be staying home with him tomorrow.
Monday, July 21, 2008
3 Ways to Beat the Heat
Once again Elliot had a very busy weekend. It was hot, hot, hot in Richmond so we tried to make plans that would help us stay cool. On Saturday morning Brian and Elliot headed to the farmers market to buy dinner. Elliot tired out his Ergo Baby carrier, which is like a little back pack that he rides in - both Daddy and baby seemed to like this new contraption.
After a busy morning at the market and a nice long nap Elliot and I made our way to the Near West End for a play date with our friends Audrey and Allie. As you may recall Allie and Elliot were born 3 days a part, so it is always fun to get them together. After playing at Allie's house we walked over to the shops at Libbie and Grove to eat lunch. Allie and Elliot were so well behaved in the restaurant!
I wish I could say that Elliot was equally well behaved later that night. Unfortunately we are having to do some late stage sleep training. Elliot has decided that he no longer wants to go to sleep like a good boy and that he would much rather stand in his bed and cry. His doctor suggested letting him cry it out and said within a week he would probably be over his little rebellion. Saturday night was night 2 of the CIO strategy - not a fun process for anyone!
On Sunday we spent our morning relaxing and doing chores. After lunch Elliot and I drove to Williamsburg to spend the afternoon at Mimsey's. My cousin Marisa Saucedo and her husband and daughter, Michael and Abigale, joined us at Mimsey's pool and for dinner at Mimsey's house. They recently moved to Langley AFB from San Diego, CA. It was so nice to meet them and I was so happy that Elliot was finally able to meet his second and third cousins. Now that the Saucedo's are on the same coast, we hope to see a lot more of them! Elliot loved the pool and did some serious splashing. I think Mimsey got a few action shots and I will post them when I get them.
Elliot and I were home by 7:00 on Sunday night - just in time for his dinner. It took him a good two hours (and many tears) to settle down last night and finally go to bed - I fear that we are in for a LONG week.
After a busy morning at the market and a nice long nap Elliot and I made our way to the Near West End for a play date with our friends Audrey and Allie. As you may recall Allie and Elliot were born 3 days a part, so it is always fun to get them together. After playing at Allie's house we walked over to the shops at Libbie and Grove to eat lunch. Allie and Elliot were so well behaved in the restaurant!
I wish I could say that Elliot was equally well behaved later that night. Unfortunately we are having to do some late stage sleep training. Elliot has decided that he no longer wants to go to sleep like a good boy and that he would much rather stand in his bed and cry. His doctor suggested letting him cry it out and said within a week he would probably be over his little rebellion. Saturday night was night 2 of the CIO strategy - not a fun process for anyone!
On Sunday we spent our morning relaxing and doing chores. After lunch Elliot and I drove to Williamsburg to spend the afternoon at Mimsey's. My cousin Marisa Saucedo and her husband and daughter, Michael and Abigale, joined us at Mimsey's pool and for dinner at Mimsey's house. They recently moved to Langley AFB from San Diego, CA. It was so nice to meet them and I was so happy that Elliot was finally able to meet his second and third cousins. Now that the Saucedo's are on the same coast, we hope to see a lot more of them! Elliot loved the pool and did some serious splashing. I think Mimsey got a few action shots and I will post them when I get them.
Elliot and I were home by 7:00 on Sunday night - just in time for his dinner. It took him a good two hours (and many tears) to settle down last night and finally go to bed - I fear that we are in for a LONG week.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Mr. Elliot Goes to Washington
This weekend Elliot made his first trip to Washington, D.C. - my hometown. It was a busy weekend for all of us!!! On Sunday we drove straight to Silver Spring, MD to meet Elliot's great grandmother, Mom-mom. She was very happy to see us and loved spending time with Elliot. She proudly introduced him to other residents in her community and enjoyed watching him crawl around and explore her apartment. We took Mom-mom to lunch at McDonald's, her pick, and much to Mom-mom's delight, Elliot was all smiles and silliness during our meal.
After our visit with Mom-mom we checked into the Hotel Palomar in Rosslyn (a Virginia locality directly across the river from Georgetown). The hotel was very nice and brand new, so I didn't mind letting Elliot crawl around on the floor. Once again, he enjoyed having a new place to explore. He especially like standing up against and looking out the floor to ceiling windows. After a short rest we headed to Clarendon, two short Metro stops away, for dinner with Frank Curcio. Frank is a dear family friend, and was one of my father's closest friends. We had an excellent meal with Frank and the Boulevard Woodgrill, and once again Elliot was on his best behavior!
After a long day of fun and excitement, Elliot was a bit wound up and didn't want to go to bed. He finally fell asleep at 10 PM! At least he slept in until 8:00 AM on Sunday, which was actually quite nice for me and Brian. After breakfast at the hotel, we packed up our stuff and checked out. We opted to leave the car at the hotel and hopped on the metro to explore D.C. We got off at the Smithsonian stop and walked around the Smithsonian Institute grounds and gardens. We thought it would be fun to take Elliot to the Jim Henson's Fantastic World exhibit, but he fell asleep the moment we walked into the gallery. I really enjoyed the exhibit! Many of Jim Henson's early drawings and concepts for muppets etc. were on display. Elliot did wake up during our stroll through the Freer Gallery, which has a very nice collection.
By the time we finished our exploration of the Smithsonian, it was time to head over to the new Washington National's baseball stadium to meet up with our friends Nick, Caitlin and Gus (baby) Haugen to watch the Nats play the Astros. Thankfully our seats were in the shade, because it was HOT, HOT, HOT! The Nats didn't win, but we still had a blast. Elliot loved people watching and he was very interested in Gus. He wanted to hold Gus's hand and touch/pull his hair. Gus didn't seem to mind and was quite smiley!
After the game the babies napped in their strollers while the grownups enjoyed a nice dinner at Monmartre restaurant in the Eastern Market neighborhood. The babies woke up half way through the meal and kept the diners at nearby tables entertained with their silly faces and sweet smiles. The meal was excellent and so was the company! We parted ways with the Haugens on the Metro and made it back to the hotel to pick up the car just as a thunderstorm moved in. Although the traffic on the way home wasn't too bad, we didn't get to Richmond until 10 PM. Thankfully we all got a good night sleep, which made it easier to get up and go to work today.
After our visit with Mom-mom we checked into the Hotel Palomar in Rosslyn (a Virginia locality directly across the river from Georgetown). The hotel was very nice and brand new, so I didn't mind letting Elliot crawl around on the floor. Once again, he enjoyed having a new place to explore. He especially like standing up against and looking out the floor to ceiling windows. After a short rest we headed to Clarendon, two short Metro stops away, for dinner with Frank Curcio. Frank is a dear family friend, and was one of my father's closest friends. We had an excellent meal with Frank and the Boulevard Woodgrill, and once again Elliot was on his best behavior!
After a long day of fun and excitement, Elliot was a bit wound up and didn't want to go to bed. He finally fell asleep at 10 PM! At least he slept in until 8:00 AM on Sunday, which was actually quite nice for me and Brian. After breakfast at the hotel, we packed up our stuff and checked out. We opted to leave the car at the hotel and hopped on the metro to explore D.C. We got off at the Smithsonian stop and walked around the Smithsonian Institute grounds and gardens. We thought it would be fun to take Elliot to the Jim Henson's Fantastic World exhibit, but he fell asleep the moment we walked into the gallery. I really enjoyed the exhibit! Many of Jim Henson's early drawings and concepts for muppets etc. were on display. Elliot did wake up during our stroll through the Freer Gallery, which has a very nice collection.
By the time we finished our exploration of the Smithsonian, it was time to head over to the new Washington National's baseball stadium to meet up with our friends Nick, Caitlin and Gus (baby) Haugen to watch the Nats play the Astros. Thankfully our seats were in the shade, because it was HOT, HOT, HOT! The Nats didn't win, but we still had a blast. Elliot loved people watching and he was very interested in Gus. He wanted to hold Gus's hand and touch/pull his hair. Gus didn't seem to mind and was quite smiley!
After the game the babies napped in their strollers while the grownups enjoyed a nice dinner at Monmartre restaurant in the Eastern Market neighborhood. The babies woke up half way through the meal and kept the diners at nearby tables entertained with their silly faces and sweet smiles. The meal was excellent and so was the company! We parted ways with the Haugens on the Metro and made it back to the hotel to pick up the car just as a thunderstorm moved in. Although the traffic on the way home wasn't too bad, we didn't get to Richmond until 10 PM. Thankfully we all got a good night sleep, which made it easier to get up and go to work today.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Let Freedom Ring
Elliot experienced his first fourth of July, one of my favorite holidays, in Williamsburg. Elliot, Brian and I tagged along with my parents to their friends' annual fourth of July celebration and bocce ball tournament. Their house was amazing, the food was great, the competition was intense, and a fun time was had by all. Unfortunately the bocce tournament was rained out, but by that time Elliot was sound asleep. Elliot was the hit of the party and managed to keep his red, white a blue outfit clean (for the most part) all evening. Elliot made a few new friends too, it is so fun to watch him interact with other kids and visa-versa. The rain kept us from seeing any fireworks, but by the time it was dark it was way past Elliot's bed time anyway.
We spent the rest of our time in Williamsburg relaxing at Mimsey and Granddad Cliff's house. On Saturday Mimsey baby sat Elliot during the day so that Brian and I could go see a movie and go out to lunch -what a treat! While we were away Elliot was very busy. He had lots of fun playing with one of Mimsey's old toys and with a bag of Grandad Cliff's clean clothes. What a nice way to spend our long weekend!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
We Love Aunt Lindsay!
This past weekend was a busy one for the little man. Brian and I left town for Tasha's wedding in Stafford and Elliot stayed with our friends Matt, Ada and Clare. Elliot and Clare are close in age and had fun playing together. Ada took a few pictures of the babies together and I will post them when she sends them to me.
Lindsay also attended the wedding and drove back to Richmond with us to spend some quality time with Elliot. Elliot loves his aunt Lindsay and had lots of fun showing her all of his cool "tricks". I enjoyed Lindsay's visit too and wish she didn't live so far away. Hopefully she'll come back down to celebrate Elliot's birthday at the end of the summer.
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