I'm a weiner, no, I'm a winner, no wait, I'm both!

The newsletter that I write, publish and manage at work won the newsletter category of my local Public Relations Society of America chapter's annual awards. I am thrilled.

I am also thrilled to report that Elliott is doing great. I can't decide whether to call him "Scootchy Scootcherton" or "Grabby McGraberson." David and I are also trying hard to call him Elliott (I know, what a concept!) because he is learning his name more and more and right now he is more likely to respond to "Punky" than "Elliott." Oops. :)


Hey Punky! I mean, Elliott.


Elliott's latest tricks are getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth. It provides hours of enjoyment for Dave and me. He was fun to play with before, but watching him work SO hard to get his toys and grab our hands (to stick them in his mouth) is so fabulous. I have some video of him being Scootchy, but next time.
We went to the beautiful town of South Haven a couple weekends ago to help celebrate Tayden's first birthday. Tayden is David's cousin's son. I'm not sure what that makes Elliott to Tayden, but we'll call them cousins. Anyway, we had fun. Elliott wore a birthday hat, Tayden enjoyed all of the clothes we bought him, but was much more excited about his miniature vacuum cleaner, David and I got to catch up with his family and his aunts' enjoyed taunting Carolyn about getting to see her adorable grandson. Overall, a good time was had by all. :)

Tayden was kind enough to lend Elliott his johnny jump up.

Grandma Boosia, Michelle, Tayden and Elliott.
Glad to see that Tayden is comfortable with Elliott... or on Elliott. Whatever. We are all excited for the Wiacek family reunion in September when all four boys can play together.
Aunt Patti loves me!

My friend Laura had the most gorgeous baby girl in January and Elliott and I went to meet little Lila Jean and visit with Laura last Sunday. It was very fun. Elliott was a good boy and let Laura's dog, Gus, lick his head. Laura and I were very "mommy chic" and nursed our babies on the same schedule and talked about breastpumping and being a working mom and the wife/mother balance and the joy of watching our parents become grandparents. Laura also made delicious salads with chicken, blue cheese, pears and other gourmet ingredients. Delish! I ate a lot of hot dogs when I was on leave, so seeing Laura successfully eat healthfully and manage a 7-week-old was pretty cool.

Elliott a.k.a. Grabby McGrabberson, was grabbing Laura's face.
And then was too good to pay attention.

Elliott starts daycare tomorrow. He is going a half day tomorrow and Friday and starting full time on Monday when Dave returns to Pearson. Dave and I are both feeling apprehensive about it, but we recognize that it's about us, not Elliott. We both know he is going to have a lot of fun with Brenda and the other kids. Dave visited Brenda yesterday to drop off paperwork and payment and had nothing but good things to report. Brenda's house feels like our house, Brenda and her daughter happily played with Elliott while Dave filled things out, Elliott smiled up a storm at Brenda and seemed happy there. We'll all be fine. And Dave took a two-week project to just test the waters and see how being a daycare family feels to us. I'm sure ya'll will hear more about the adventure as it happens.

It seems like everyone that I talk to ask if Elliott is eating solid foods yet. He's not, everyone! I think I am outraging my grandmothers with every passing day by not giving him rice cereal, but:

1. He doesn't appear hungry in any way, shape or form.
2. The research shows that exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months provides maximum health benefits to your child.
3. Babies' digestive systems don't properly synthesize food until they are nine months old, so the time before that is just about teaching them to eat.
4. Breastfeeding is free, portable and convenient.
5. We will start him soon, I promise.



In the meantime, Grabby McGrabberson really enjoys joining us at the dining room table at his high chair. We give him baby bowls, spoons and cups and he happily gums them all. He is fascinated by watching us eat and it makes him apart of the mealtime, which is a lot of fun and very rewarding for all three of us.








Elliott is also warming up his skills to be a giggler as well. I have been reading to him more and more and trying to work storytime into his bedtime routine. Lately, we have been reading "Falling Up" poems by Shel Silverstein. If I read them with expression and noises, he giggles away in his crib while I read. It is a magical sound, and makes my heart happy right before I put him down for the night. Plus babies that are read to have something ridiculous like 1,000 extra words in their vocabulary when they start talking. Don't quote me, but reading=good.

Speaking of bedtime, the time change really has us screwed up. Elliott was going down for the night between 8 and 9, closer to 8 most nights. Now it is well after 9 usually, which means he sleeps later in the morning which means I don't get to see him in the morning after his 6am feeding. BOO. We will be attempting to change that soon....

It was warm enough today for Dave to take the boy for a walk. I am eager to go home and hear about it. I'm eager to go home, period. Tonight is the ONLY night this week that all three of us will be home. Dave worked Monday and Tuesday and is spending Thursday night and Friday through Sunday with his other family, the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

It's cool because Elliott and I are going to roadtrip in our new red minivan to see Grandma Ebig in her rehab center and visit Pap and Gram and see Grandma Carolyn on Sunday. Hooray!

Delicious!