I can't believe how much the time is flying and how much has changed over the last three months. I feel like every day that Elena wakes up something new happens, and while it may not be as thrilling to an outsider. I am so excited to see what new memory Elena will make. She continues to be very "talkative", I really do wish I knew what she was trying to tell me as she is so animated, she clearly has lots to fill me in on. Her giggles are precious and I find myself doing various crazy things, dancing, singing and making goofy faces to her in order to try and provoke that amazing sound. She is still totally fascinated with her hands and is definitely at that stage where EVERYTHING goes in her mouth.
She is content to sit in her bouncy seat or lay on her play mat and gaze at the world around her. She definitely is soaking things in and is just happy to be around people. Elena is so excited to be around people that it frequently creates an issue with nap time, and while I love spending time with her, I know that her rest is important for both her temperament and her development. We have been trying to do a 9 am and a 1 pm nap, but she only really stays down for 30-45 minutes. Then of course she makes it until early evening and has to take a cat nap. Thankfully, she isn't too crabby during the day though. She is sleeping anywhere between 11 and 12 hours at night (sometimes straight through, others getting up once) so I guess that is my reward for having a lot of entertaining to do during the day!
Every day Elena gets stronger and stronger. She is rolling on her side and I am convinced any day now she will be rolling all the way over. Thankfully, she is getting much better at tummy time, so hopefully when she does accomplish the task of rolling over she won't freak out too much. She is doing a great job with her head and neck control and will sit up (with help) for long periods of time. She is starting to be a bit mobile, which is exciting. When she lays on her back she will scoot her legs. Now, sometimes she only seems to accomplish spinning herself in circles, while others she does make some backward progress. I hope this isn't how she is going to crawl! She does make the swimming motions while on her stomach and even can push herself forward if I put my hands by her feet so she has something to push off on. With each new movement I get so excited, I can't imagine how I will feel when she is actually crawling/walking!
Sitting up and holding head so much better
Our only real challenge with Elena so far has been bottles. She is taking them relatively well from Chris and I, but definitely has her moments with others. I know she will get it eventually, but it is tough to hear that so much crying time is taking place during feeding times. I really can't complain though, most of her days are spent with giggles and smiles, so if we have to work through some crying during feeding (and napping) that is well worth it.
With the warm summer days finally here, Elena has experienced a lot of "firsts". She's gone on a boat ride and dipped her feet in the water. Every day we get to go on walks and spend time at the park where Elena enjoys laying down and gazing up at the sky and leaves as the wind blows. The animation and elation while we are outside truly makes my heart melt. As much as she is a city girl, I really do hope that she will come to love nature! There are so many things I want to teach her and show her and it is so great to be able to see her interact more and more every day. It makes me excited for the stages to come, but I am trying to savor the moments of bliss and loving spending time with her.
First boat ride
I think you are the cute one in this picture! :) Though I wish I could have enjoyed the day where chubby legs rocked a swimsuit.
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