Elliot is 8 months old!

Our little big man is 8 whole months old this week. We are so close to a year I can't believe it. It still feels like yesterday I held his beautiful warm newborn body against mine.
Today I caught him rocking to the beat of songs on Gemma's iPad and even when she was singing. He is clearly a music lover just like his sister. Elliot is a strong crawler and only getting faster. In the last week he has been practicing hard at pulling to a standing position and even trying to stand from his crawling position. He almost always falls flat on his forehead. Poor little bubbie boo.
He's also responding to his name and his nicknames. Gemma is still calling him EyeLet and Eyelettee. Speaking of his sister she is definitely his favourite. If he wakes up grumpy I just take him down stairs and that frown turns right side up the second he sees or hears her. Whenever he is crying over a little fall or frustration over a toy, Gemma comes running saying "it's ok! it's ok! Gemma's here" and he stops fussing instantly. Their bond is so strong and melts my hormonal heart.
Elliot is going through a growth spurt at the moment so he's having a few to one wake ups a night for more milk. But normally sleeps from 6:30pm to 7am. He's also having a hard time napping and falling asleep on his own while he's learning this new standing thing. He likes to fuss and crawl around and practice pulling himself up on his crib rails before he falls asleep. I also think he might be trying to suck his thumb that little cutie pie.
This weekend we leave for our first camping trip! Wish us luck!

Love and Hugs

Elliot is 7 months old!

Oh buddy what a big month we're having! You have two new eye teeth which makes 6 in total. You're still drinking all your bottles and eating with us at the table for most meals. Only problem is you seem to be constipated from all this new food. We are trying to help you the best way we can with prune juice and visits to the osteopath and even reiki. It's so sad to watch you in pain and we are hoping to find you a solution soon.
The biggest thing is you're mobile! You first surprised us by sitting up on all fours and rocking back and forth for a few days before crawling a few days later. Just like that. It's unbelievable how fast you are growing right before our very eyes. Slow down baby boy! We're all trying to catch up to you!

Love and Hugs

Elliot is 6 months old!

Oh little man of ours! Well we made it through the big growth spurt and the sleep training and now you can eat solid food! You are definitely prepared with two new top teeth and 4 all together now. We are feeding you the baby led weaning way and you love it. You will slap at the food and squish it in-between your fingers and are getting better and better at swallowing.  Your favourite is definitely corn on the cob. You're like a happy little rabbit once you get that cob up to your mouth.
You are also doing this adorable thing where when you laugh or someone makes you smiles you crunch up and put your fingers in your mouth and wiggle your toes. It's like your whole body is just happy to be happy. That's how I would describe you Elliot, Happy to be Happy. Sometimes when it's just the two of us at home and you are playing and I catch you and you smile that big gorgeous smile back at me my eyes well up with tears I love you so.

Love and Hugs

Elliot is 5 months old!

This month is all about the sleep! Papa started teaching you how to sleep my little darling and it was horrible and wonderful all at the same time. We all suffered through the first night until we figured out you like to fall asleep on your belly. Every Doctor and their dog says this is dangerous but we have chose to trust you and let you sleep the way you want to. You have also vetoed the routine we set up for you with the bath-book-bed. You want nothing to do with the book and want a BOTTLE like there is no tomorrow. It's funny how when we get your jammies on you instantly become ravenous no matter how much you ate a few minutes before the bath. So we are following your lead my baby boy and after a few nights of cries and cuddles we are now sleeping solid through the night. You are just the sweetest little dolly my boy and we feel so lucky to be your parents!

Love and Hugs

Elliot is 4 months old

Elliot at 4 months old. 

He cracks me up! Seriously the funniest little man!

I am writing this with a breaking back holding Elliot in an ergo strapped to my chest. Little Man is going through a  mega 3-4month growth spurt/leap and he's having a hard time sleeping. He's still in bed with us and wakes 4-5 times a night lately for breast and comfort. Sometimes I go to bed with him and snuggle him close and kiss his soft warm head and feel so blessed and lucky and other times I'm like Get This Kid Outta My Bed!
He got two teeth at 3.5 months and they are the cutest little choppers ever. He is a big boy and every time we go somewhere and people ask his age they can't believe his size. The other day at the pub a mom called all the other moms in the vicinity to come have a look at how big he was. Lol! He was 16lbs at his 2 month check up and my back and arms are telling me he will be registering over 20lbs at his 4 month check in.
He's started rolling on his side and his belly and trying so hard to sit up. Yesterday at music class he was rolling and all the other Moms where oohing and ahhhing at his skills. I smiled smugly of course. ;)
We started swimming classes last week and he is just such a doll in the water. Smiling happily away floating and gurgling. Honestly he is just the happiest little dude. Giving out smiles like they're for free or something. His innocent love just slays my heart. Watching his warm smiles emerge when he looks at his Papa or his sister is truly one of the happiest moments of my life.
We started giving him a mixture of formula and breast milk during the day and he had a hard time at first but has it down pat now, thank goodness. It's such strange relief for me to know anyone can feed him if I'm not there. I know a lot of Mom's like to breast feed till 1year and beyond but for me this works best. I still breastfeed all through the night which is also easiest for us because right now I am a walking zombie and if I had to wake up 4-5 times and make bottles I would probably fall down. This Momma needs her sleep!
Speaking of that, I'm going tomorrow to talk to my nurse partitioner about possible Postpartum Depression. I'm just not sure if I am depressed or just overwhellmed and exhausted. When I have the two babes at home together I'm not such a great lady to be around. I have an idea of how a perfect Mommy should be and I am falling WAAAAAAAY short. That's why I'm going to get help my little Man! Fear not, I'm your Momma and I will fight fiercely to do the best I can!

Love and Hugs

0-3 months with Elliot René

One Month old

Two months old

Three Months old

It's been so hard to find time to do these posts month by month with the two babes at home. Heck sometimes I don't even change out of pi's for a few days straight. But Elliot is such a magical lovely little prince and I want you to get to know him too. So here's a little update.

 Elliot was 9lbs 15oz at birth and it really shows in his difference with Gemma at that age. She was 7lbs 2oz and ate like a steam horse basically non stop till she was 6 months old. Elliot eats, then relaxes and then likes to be rocked to sleep. However he does have his sister's bad habit of napping for only 35 mins at a time. He makes up for that at night by sleeping cradled up to my side and only waking every 2-3 hours to nurse and then floats back to sleep.  (where as Gemma was up every 45mins for an hour at a time)

Everyone who meets him says he's such a happy little soul. He smiles so easily and has started laughing in his own manly way. You tickle under his chin and in a husky voice he says "AHHHHHHAAAA!" It's so so cute! 

He adores his sister and smiles at her whenever she comes in the room. While we are eating lunch he likes to sit on my lap and stare and beam love to her. Gem loves him just as much for instance if he cries she will run to the couch, pull up a pillow, holds out her arms and says "He needs his Gemma!" I let her hold him and she tells me to go and sings him Tinkle Tar and ABC's while gently stroking his head. Cutest thing you ever did see.

We have recently started the slow switch to bottle feeding. Elliot has started biting down on my nipple while teething and I've decided it's time to try a bottle. He's not really excited about that but we're not giving up. Momma could use a break here and there too. 

Taking care of two kids at home under 3yrs is no joke. It's an extreme lesson in falling into a complete loss of control. My to do list is out the window, the house is a disaster and tantrums are abundant. Basically I drink a lot of wine. And go to bed early. But honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I am so happy you are here Elliot. I am madly deeply in love with you my son. 

Love and Hugs

39 weeks and 6 days on our way to be induced

Here I am the morning of Dec 15/2014 right before we left for the hospital to be induced. I was full of emotion. Scared, happy, nervous, excited and the list goes on. I think everyone knows we had been planning another home birth since the beginning so finding out we had to birth at the hospital AGAIN was a challenge from God I was willing to learn. All I really wanted was to hold my healthy baby boy any way possible. 16hours after this picture was taken my wish came true! Elliot Rene Klein was born on Dec 16th at 12:16am and it was glorious!

P.S. It feels SO GOOOOOOOD not to be pregnant anymore!

Love and Hugs