Category Archives: miss elinor

dear peanut {six months}

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happy six months, my sweet little peanut! 

a very merry half birthday to you.

{did i just type half birthday?  as in, half way to one year old? good gracious.}

how happy and effervescent are you?  big eyes.  expressive brows.  wispy, warm blonde hair.  button nose.  wide, gummy grin that extends all the way to your long, curled toes.  your strong and chub-a-licious legs.

and those bright pantaloons.  dressing you is getting better and better.  although, i have imposed a bit of a fancywear embargo for our everyday apparel since you are such a droolypuss.  and talk about much ado about nothing!  not a tooth to be found.  any day now, i expect one of those pearly whites to just pop through, officially signaling your passage from infanthood into toddlerness.  but, in spite of the salivafest, nothing dental to report.  {hold off, little tooth.  stay safely nestled in those precious pink gums.  let my baby girl be a baby for just a smidge longer.  pretty please.}

by the way, you are in the 2nd percentile for height and weight.  tinier than 98% of the baby population.  the doctor just giggles as she reads it.  she thinks you are the cutest, petite little bundle.  and she is sufficiently impressed by your half-year-mark abilities.  you are small.  but FIERCE.  determined and strong.  frankly, your papa and i are already shuddering at your will.  ever since you learned that rolling is a handy way to get around, you are all over the place.  and fast too.  as soon as i plop you down, you are on the move.  rolling and shifting and grunting and flapping your arms wildly, beating on your belly little a little drum.  you pull at the blanket and shimmy until everything is just so…and then, you are off again.  rolling, rolling, rolling.

it is amazing to watch as your brain processes the world around you.  making connections.  perceiving space.  comprehending relationships.  now, when you see a toy {or anything that tickles your fancy, for that matter. fabric, earrings, ponytails, dog ears, etc.} that is outside of your reach, the wheels begin turning as you concoct a plan for how to get your little fingers on it.  it usually involves some grunts of frustration, a few furrowed brow glances at papa, followed by strategic rolls and flops and toe curls and pulls…and then, voila! your little fingers arrive at your desired location.  you grasp for your toy, pull it toward yourself, clutch it lovingly, and flop over onto your back in sheer victory and delight.  and while it isn’t pleasant to hear your sounds of annoyance and see you strain, it is pure magic to see your face in that moment.  that moment when you realize what you have overcome and accomplished.  and then, your parents realize how much you have grown.  how big you are.  you are doing so much.  you have such an independent streak.  we can already tell that you are going to keep us on our toes.  that you will challenge us.  that you have soooo much more that you are eager to learn and do.  that you have a big and bold personality locked and loaded in that tiny frame. “and though she be but little, she is fierce.”  that you will be complex and contemplative and analytical.  you will surprise us and enchant us.  bright, bright, bright.

we can’t wait to watch as your personality continues to develop.  we can’t wait to see what God has in store for you.  and we pray that God equips us to parent you with grace and strength.  may we point you to Him.  may you love Him deeply and follow after Him passionately.  may your childlike wonder continue as you explore His world and His words.  may you hold His promises to your chest and treasure them in your heart.  may you savor His presence.  may you experience and rely on His tender kindness and mercies.  we look forward to watching you as you grasp for and cling to His Word with tenacity and untamed love.  we pray that you will comprehend His precepts, revel in the joy and freedom that He provides, and walk boldly and victoriously.  “let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains.”  through the power of Christ’s redeeming love – in Christ alone, soli Deo gloria - may you move mountains little girl.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

eyebrows

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let me introduce you to elinor’s incredulous eyebrows…

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she shoots me this glance sometimes.  mostly when i am doing something goofy and trying to make her giggle.  oh, baby girl.  so much personality for such a petite thing.  i love all your expressions.  you are the funnest.

speaking of fun…i hope you have a fabulous weekend!

dear peanut {five months}

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happy five months, little miss elinor!  that is one whole hand’s worth.  just a few weeks shy of your half-birthday.  eeep!

you are five months…going on fifth grade.  personality is bubbling out all over the place.  you are effervescent.  and, at times, somewhat scary.  you will be a handful, for sure.  no shortage of attitude and energy and opinions and zest and personality here.  no ma’am.  but, we wouldn’t want it any other way.  and the battles of the will are already beginning.  for example: your new favorite is bathtime flailing.  on one hand, super cute.  you are discovering that you can lift your bottom up and then plop yourself down and all the water will rush up onto your belly.  you also like to plug the faucet with your big toe so that the water sprays every which way.  and, you like to spread out your hands and place them on the surface of the water like one of those water strider bugs and then you slowly raise your hands up before…splash!  okay, but on the other hand, potentially hazardous.  you have also discovered that you can kick the knobs and make them move.  and while i applaud your chimpanzee dexterity, it also freaks me out when you get your toes on the cold water knob because you never kick it to make the water colder…you always shut that guy off.  leaving only a stream of hot water.  {pretty sure this tops the caring for an infant no-no list}  and so, i find myself washing you with one hand while keeping the other up as a blocker.  which you have taken as a challenge, of course.  break through the barrier!  get to the hot water so i can burn my delicate baby belly skin!  with every kick attempt, i respond with a firm, “no elinor” and a grab of the foot.  and my oh my, you aren’t too keen on that.  you arch your back and furrow your brow…and wind up for another kick.  determined and defiant little thing.  and i am not trying to be the ogre who ruined bathtime but jeepers, i don’t think you will enjoy third-degree burns.  sheesh.  and so, my prayers are that i will be able to engage you firmly and with grace.  that the battles to come will result in softer spirits and molded wills.  that your papa and i can protect you while also teaching you to discern and navigate without our assistance.  most of all, we just pray that God shows us what to do next.

you are quite persnickety about your naptime, my dear.  you love your sleep.  but you want it done a certain way.  we have created a creature of habit.  i just know that you will have a super chic dayplanner like me one day and we can be all nerdy together and “check our calendars” and “pencil things in” and “check!” things off when we have successfully completed them.  but i hope that you have some enjoy-the-moment-let’s-be-spontaneous-go-with-the-flow-ness in there too.  so…sleep.  you like to go for a solid 12-hour stretch at night and i wake you up around 8:30 for some breakfast.  and i am pretty sure that if you didn’t need to eat to survive, you would keep right on snoozing until noon.  really, you just wake up so that you can enjoy your first meal of the day, roll around a bit, and sing and squeal.  then, you very quickly shift from a ball of happy energy to a sweet little sleepy thing.  the thumbsucking begins and i swoop in and whisk you away for your nap.  what a life.  and when it comes to your nap, you like things just so.  rushing water setting on your sleep sheep.  check.  swaddled up all tight and plopped onto your side.  check.  arms exposed so you have an easy thumb path should you become startled and need a bit of soothing to doze off again.  check.  a super soft blanket draped over you and tucked up by your hands so you can rub it between your fingers as you fall asleep.  check.  and, the most important element:  a solid window for naptime, no less than 1.5 hours in duration.  you don’t mess around.  your papa and i have learned that if we are busy and find ourselves with only 45 minutes for a nap, it is best to just let you play and catnap in our arms or in some kind of carrier contraption.  because “not it!” on being the one who has to wake you up from your truncated nap.  oooohh you give us such a death stare.  chilling.

currently… you love rolling yourself in your blanket like the cutest little burrito bundle.  you drool constantly.  you nibble on everything.  you are fascinated by dishes and cups. {probably because you are smart enough to understand that they are food and beverage vessels}  you like to impress us with your feats of strength, flipping from back to belly and the back again.  you are kind of a mama’s girl which is really cute but can hurt your papa’s feelings.  {i continue to reassure him that this is a phase and that pretty soon i will be old news and he will be her hero}

you have taught us so much in these past months.  and we know that we will all continue to grow and learn together as our little family.  you have taken me out of my type-A comfort zone.  and teach me patience and kindness.  and your sweet papa…oh, he just loves you and wants to wrap you all up and keep you safe.  forever.  he is learning to relax and let you explore the world…and even squawk at inopportune times.  you stretch us, sweet girl.  and we are grateful that God is using itty-bitty you to teach us and mold us.  we want to do this parenting thing well.

i must say that communication is getting better and better.  you are much more vocal these days.  and not just those newborn waaahhs.  you have a whole repertoire.  squawks and squeaks and giggles and ooohs and aaahs and weees.  a sound for every occasion.  and we are starting to understand your cues.  plus, you are adding in new facial expressions to help us along.  some of them are just copycat faces, i’m sure.  but others are indelible parts of your personality.  you have your sassy sideways glance.  you have your own smile of glee.  and you have your serious/focused face.  all you.  it will be so amazing to see how your face changes over the years but still maintains your very own expressions.  and one day, when someone says something absurd and you respond with that wilting sideways glance, i will just about burst.  remembering that very same expression that you have made since you were a wee one in diapers and a feathered headband.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

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oh! well, hello there.

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total blogging slacker, here.  sorry folks.  whew!  things have been busy-busy.  elinor and i spent most of last week in-and-out {mmmm…kinda gives me a hankering for a double-double.  you know what i’m saying}  of the car on wedding coordinating adventures.  have i mentioned that my little sister tied the knot this past weekend?!?!  yes, yes.  a married lady now.  it was a big ol’ party on sunday.  lots of cowboy boots and big hair and pretty makeup and burly men wearing billy ball boutineers and two stepping and bbq and sweet preserves and scrumptious pie…oh, the pie.  it was really something.  and now, now we get to take a breath.  AND, i can devote some time to my poor little neglected blog.

stay tuned for a belated five month update for our little peanut {feel free to review past posts here and here and here and here so that miss elinor’s cutie pie-ness is fresh in your mind}, some wedding-y stuff, perhaps some mama musings, and bits and pieces that i have been collecting.

happy monday ladies and gents!

the eyes have it.

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this little ball of blue-eyed cuteness is happy as can be that monday is here.  her mama and papa?  well, not so much.  our eyes are sleepy today and could use just one more day of lounging.  but the little one?  she is bright-eyed and ready to take on a new week of baby happenings.

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oh sweet elinor, may you always view each day with joyful anticipation and tenacity. 

…and may your parents be inspired by your spirit.

live the one day well

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the thought is, that each day is, in a certain sense, a complete life by itself. it has its own duties, its own trials, its own burdens, and its own needs. it has enough to fill heart and hands for the one full day. we cannot live its life well, and use any of its strength outside of itself. the very best we can do for any day, for the perfecting of our life as a whole, is to live the one day well. we should put all our thought and energy and skill into the duty of each day, wasting no strength, either in grieving over yesterday’s failures, or in anxiety about tomorrow’s responsibilities.

i have seen this excerpt by j.r. miller pop up here and there in the past few weeks and went on the hunt for the full article.  what a meaningful reminder – and i need it daily.  and isn’t it freeing to live life this way?  one day at a time.  relying on the manna from above to sustain us.  the daily supply that is new each morning.  we don’t need to hoard or fret about tomorrow.  each day we are given just what we need to make it through.  our focus should be to live the one day well.  put all our thought and energy and skill into the duty of each day.  live it fully.  pour ourselves out.  leave nothing behind.  and soak up all the goodness.

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i have been so inspired by my little miss elinor.  she makes me consider my hours.  what am i spending my time on?  am i present?  am i giving it my all?  or am i wasting time or blowing my hours thinking about the next thing while i should be engaged and enjoying what God has given me now.  she wakes up and greets each day with a smile, ready to get going.  she savors her meals.  she plays and observes and engages until she has nothing left and then she rests to regain the strength needed to do it all again.  she doesn’t waste her days.  she is always learning or trying something new.  she doesn’t consider yesterday’s failures – she just does it again until she gets it.  she doesn’t worry about the future - potty training, learning to read, social pressure, school, performance, appearance – she just takes it moment by moment.  this, this is faith like a child.  not a license to be immature in our belief, but relying on our savior for our needs moment by moment.  accepting His daily supply and then living the one day well.  our Christian walk becomes a series of victorious days that are strung together into a pattern of progress.  perfecting the little things in life so that our life becomes characterized by those holy things. living the one day well.  day by day.

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would you look at that little blonde drooly-puss?

speaking of miss elinor…let me just gush for a bit about my baby girl and her recent actions that have just wowed and delighted her mama and papa:

  • her 4th percentile body can hold up her 66th percentile head like a champ
  • she is scooting and wiggling around like a little caterpillar
  • she responds to her reflection
  • she flips from tummy to back as often as possible, unless she is in the mood to just chill on her tummy
  • she had her first big time giggle-fest yesterday {be still my heart…cutest thing i have ever heard} guess what did it?  swaying around with her and doing a goofy mama jiggle dance {choreography} while singing “skinamarinky dinky dink”

four month appointment shenanigans

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we had a little four-month checkup for this little peanut last week.  the nurse merely confirmed what i already know – she is a yummy bundle of baby amazingness.  a petite thing {fourth percentile for height and weight} with a hefty noggin {66th percentile} who was all cuteness…

sporting a bib to soak up the saliva that accompanied her sophie the giraffe nibble-session.

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lost in deep contemplation while waiting on the doctor table.

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 tousling mama’s hair.

future hair stylist?

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checking my teeth.

future dentist?

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and some sideways smiles.

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dear peanut {four months}

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happy four months, miss elinor!

wow-ee.  four months old, huh?  i can hardly believe that you will be wearing your 6-12 month summer dresses soon.  you are such a big girl.  and i must say, you are an absolute delight.  so cheery and smiley and fun.  little bits of your personality are shining through and it is amazing.  you are so entertaining.  becoming more and more like a little person.

you are quite distracted these days.  your mind is always going as you process the world around you.  it is so funny to see what fascinates you.  a cup, my toes, your fingers, stripes, the wall.  you just can’t get enough of your environment.  your new favorite is your wall of prints in your room.  you will take a break from your bedtime snack to just lounge and stare.  i watch your eyes as they dart around, settle on an image, and then move on to the next.  each one is like a new adventure.  you sigh and smile and ooh and aah.  so darn cute.  and that print of the “peanut riding the unicorn” definitely holds an extra special place in your heart, you seem to have a real connection there.  but you are also mesmerized by the picture of cinderella’s castle.  oh little girl, what fun we will have at disneyland one day!

you are mostly an independent player.  we are simply observers.  you swat at your dangley bugs, you nibble on your toys, and you suck on your thumb while chatting away.  every so often, you allow us to be a part of playtime.  and that is pure delight.  but i do love how content you are to kick and squawk and entertain yourself.  and playtime has become much more exciting these days because you are so much mor active and squiggly.  you like to do an exaggerated flip from side to side to show off those baby obliques.  and you like to press the bottoms of your feet together and hold them up in the air while you hum and coo.  then, you will take in as much air as you can and extend your legs and arms simultaneously to kick off your bicycling legs action while you exhale and make rapid panting puppy dog sounds.  after all that is done, you will let out a big sigh before getting back into it.  this time, you add in a backbend/scoot which allows you to shift your body and move yourself in little circles.  major cirque du soleil moves going on.

and once you have tired yourself out, you move your head to the side and stare off into the distance while breathing slowly and deeply – and occasionally rubbing your little eyes.  this is when we get to swoop in and scoop you up for a nap.  these few moments are the best.  you sigh and nuzzle and grab onto our shirt and melt into a little ball of sweetness.  all that energy dissipates and you become a calm and sleepy thing who just wants to cuddle for a bit.  and so, we squeeze you and dance with you and you smile.  and then, in goes the thumb and you drift off into sleepyland.  being a baby is tiring, after all.  and you love your sleep.

you adore your stroller.  you love excursions.  lunches, shopping, walks, whatever.  the fresh air agrees with you and you seem to really enjoy listening to the din of the world from the comfort of your stroller {with your little mozart the monkey companion, of course}.  i want you to know that your parents SO appreciate your accommodating and contented spirit.  you go with the flow and let us take you wherever we go.  we hope that you will always enjoy traveling, meeting new people, and experiencing new things.  may you maintain that sense of adventure.  may you always be confident and bold as you explore and enjoy the world that God has created.

and the faces, oh the faces.  as your personality emerges more and more, your expressions are becoming more meaningful.  you don’t just give us involuntary facial spasms.  you do it with purpose.  you furrow your brow, you roll your eyes, you smile sweetly, you shoot us a sideways glance, you raise an eyebrow…each expression is a distinct communication. we love it.  and we hope that you always flex your expression muscles.  we like a good dramatic face around here.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

a wilting glance

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have you ever wondered what happens when you disrupt elinor’s blissful playtime?  this.  this face happens.  look at those eyeballs!  and yes, she is shaking her fist at me.  such sass!  i just don’t know where she gets it…

in spite of that intimidating expression, i am enjoying seeing her personality more and more these days.  just think of the months to come!  just imagine the teen years… we have a joyful, curious, determined, independent, boisterous, and sometimes bashful little lady on our hands.  and i wouldn’t have it any other way.