Mmmmmm...Rice Cereal!

Lainey's been putting down the bottles like no one's business, so we decided it might be time to try some solids, starting with the ever-popular rice cereal. We're on day three. It's been a slow start and more ends up outside than inside, but she definitely seems interested and likes to "help" get the spoon into her mouth.

Eating is fun!

First Christmas Party

After bouncing back from a night with the stomach flu (and I now know whatever stomach thing she had going on over Thanksgiving was NOT the stomach flu), Lainey attended her very first Christmas party on Saturday! We dolled her all up in a fancy dress and toted her off to hang with her daycare buddies and get her picture with Santa. At the party, we got the chance to hang out with our good friends the O'Grady's, who take their daughter, Molly, to the same daycare. I got a pretty good photo of Jason and Mark with the girls. Such proud dads!

Happy on Santa's lap!

Dads with their girls!

Happy Five Months!

Elaine is five months old today, and she celebrated with her first haircut. Yes, we gave her a haircut. While most of her newborn hair has fallen out and is slowly being replaced with blond strands, she did keep a fringe of the dark stuff at the base of her head. This has been driving Mark absolutely nuts, especially as it continued to grow at a much faster pace than the hair on the rest of her head and, if I'm honest, was starting to have the appearance of a baby mullet. I was afraid we would end up making it look even worse if we tried to cut it, but I have to say Mark did a great job and it really does look better. She still has the strip of dark hair, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out with the blond hair coming in, but at least for now it no longer reaches over her collar. No more Kentucky Waterfall for Lainey!

For all the pictures from Lainey's exciting fifth month of life, click here: Lainey's Fifth Month

Five months old and looking good!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Elaine celebrated her first Thanksgiving today! And you may be thinking, "what an interesting color Mark and Kylie chose for their new couch." It's actually a blanket to protect our current couch from Elaine's projectile vomit that she has been experiencing this week. Poor pumpkin is on her second round of antibiotics to try and clear up this ear infection and either the meds are getting to her digestive system or she got a stomach bug on top of the ear infection (and her cold and teething). Needless to say, she wasn't feeling very festive today. But, she seemed to perk up after an early evening nap, so I'm crossing my figures for a puke-free night.

I was in charge of cooking the big meal today. My dad and Mark's parents kindly entertained little Lainey (we really had to twist their arms), while I worked in the kitchen. We almost had a mishap with the turkey due to a broken meat thermometer that never registered past 140-degrees. Luckily I had a spare instant-read thermometer and was able to pulled the bird out before it was dried to jerky. In the end, I'm happy to say all was successful and the entire family is stuffed to the gills!

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!

Peek-a-Boo!

Lowlight of the weekend: Elaine has ANOTHER ear infection. And it's in both ears this time.

Highlight of the weekend: She's started giggling. And nothing makes her laugh harder than a little game of peek-a-boo with her mom.

Feed Me!!!

Lainey definitely knows what her bottle is and what it does. If I'm holding her on my hip while mixing her bottle, she'll grab for it and try to start sucking from an upright position. And god forbid I take it away for 5 seconds while I get settled into a comfy position on the couch. (At least I know her lungs are healthy.) She's also started holding her own bottle, although it's a hit and miss skill. Last night, however, she was holding on to the bottle so tight that I had to put some extra muscle into prying it from her mouth when it was empty.

Give me my food!

What's New with Elaine?

Well, it's been a tough couple of weeks, so I haven't really been in the blogging frame of mind. But, Mom would be super angry if I kept Lainey's faithful followers in the dark on her new happenings. There was nothing she loved more than bragging about her kids and her little granddaughter. So, here's what's new with our little (although rapidly growing) peanut!





1. She's FOUR months old now!!! And still in the 95% for height and head size and 50% for weight. Although, she's starting to get chubby--I feel like I'm finding a new skin fold everyday! Too bad it's getting colder and I have to keep all those wonderful folds covered up most of the time! All the pictures from her fourth month are here: Month Four
2. She's a tough girl. When we got her vaccinations, she didn't cry at all after the first shot, and while she really wailed after the second, she stopped as soon as I picked her up.
3. She's super curious and wants to touch and grab everything--and then put it in her mouth.
4. Sofie Giraffe is her new best friend.
5. Mom had been trying to convince me since Elaine was about two months that she was teething, but it may finally be true. She's really started gnawing on things and the drool is neverending.
6. She's big enough for her jumperoo and LOVES it! Yay! I finally can have some hands-free time around the condo!
7. She's sleeping very well at night and generally makes it to at least 4:00am, if not the whole night, without waking. I was nervous, because during our travel she wouldn't sleep more than two hours. I thought we were in for a big "cry-it-out" battle. But, once she was back home and in her crib, she's been great!

Jumperoo time! (Note the droplet of drool about to fall from her chin.)

So, there are the highlights, and I hope to be back in the swing of updating this thing! Thanks to everyone for the love and support!



Kisses from Grandma




 

Happy Halloween!!!

Rollin', rollin', rollin' -- Part II

After a weekend of failed attempts and mounting frustration, Elaine finally rolled over from her back to her tummy at the wee hour of 6:30am this morning!!! Luckily, both Mark and I were there to see the big milestone. She did two repeat performances before we had to finish getting her ready for daycare. We're hoping to catch it on camera tonight, but I'm so excited I had to go ahead and publish the news!

How old is she today?

Check out the new feature at the top of the page that show Lainey's age! I totally ripped off Maggie's blog by adding this, so I have to give her a "shout out" of thanks. I even ended up picking the same graphics, although that was inadvertant. Guess we just have the same great taste!

Three months, two weeks and three days old today!
(Although she was ONLY three months, one week, and five days old in this picture.)

Visit with Grandma and Grandpa Brandi

Lainey got to spend some QT with her Grandma and Grandpa Brandi over the weekend. The visit was short, but sweet! She behaved herself and was mostly smiles (so much so, that Lonnie thinks we're lying about her temper tantrums).

The weather was beautiful, so we were able to hang out in our backyard. This was actually a first for Mark and me even though we've lived there for over four years! For dinner, we headed down the street to 90 Miles Cuban Cafe and snagged a great outdoor table that had plenty of space for Lainey's stroller.

It was a great visit!

Lainey and Grandpa

Playing with Grandma!

Me and my girl!

Aren't feet fun?!!

10 Straight Hours!!!

Elaine slept through the night for the FIRST time last night! She went to bed at around 7:30pm, but I woke her at 9:30pm for one last feeding. She pretty much slept through the feeding and a diaper change and went right back into her crib with no fuss. She made one little squeak around 4am, but never roused herself from dreamland. We actually had to wake her up at 6am to get ready for daycare!

Crossing my fingers for a repeat performance tonight!!!

No, she didn't sleep in the bed all night.
This is from a morning when she was NOT such a happy sleeper,
and I finally curled up in bed with her, so I could get some shut eye.

Fun with Uncle Chris!

Chris was able to make a quick side visit to Chicago during his trip back to Ohio. Lainey had lots of fun playing with her uncle and showing off her new tricks (and throwing a massive tantrum or two).

We didn't do too much, but we did make it to the Logan Square Farmer's Market (but, had to scurry home when Lainey had a blow out in her diaper) and then to an early dinner at Urban Belly (after Lainey exhausted herself from screaming). Not the most exciting visit for Chris, but he was able to see some good friends while in town, so I don't feel too bad.

Grandma and Grandpa Brandi are coming this weekend, so she'll have a whole new audience!

She was smiling, but starting yapping just as I took the picture. I did catch her smile in the next one, but Chris looks drunk in it, so I went with this one instead.

Three months old today!!!

I can hardly believe three months have gone by! She's changed so much and just gets better and better each day. She's on the brink of rolling over from her back to her tummy and loves doing sit-ups. She's become a drooling machine and now favors her fingers over her pacifier--much to our dismay; it's pretty gross. But, she's so cute we overlook it!

Lainey is celebrating the big day with her first cold (damn you, daycare!). For the most part, it seems to bother Mark and me more than her. I never thought hearing a little cough could make my heart hurt so much. I'm hoping she clears up quickly, so she can have lots of fun with her Uncle Chris this weekend!

Click here to see pictures of her third month: Elaine Month Three



Look who's one-quarter of year old!



Hi Ho, Hi Ho...It's Off to Work I Go!

Booooo! (And a BIG boo hoo!) Elaine started daycare on Wednesday, and I was back to the office on Thursday. It was a very smart move to take her a day early, because I spent about 90% of it crying. I scheduled a massage at 1:00 PM to help resist the urge to pick her up before 3:00 PM, so that helped to take the edge off.

Lainey seems to be doing fine at daycare, and she is napping, which was a big concern for me. Every day I've gone to get her, she's been in the middle of a feeding, so I have to wait to scoop her up. It's a little tortuous for me. So far, she's been one of the first ones to arrive in her classroom each morning and even though I've left the office 10 minutes early both nights, she's been the last one to leave. What hours are these other parents working?! And are their companies hiring?

Mom's first day of work!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Lainey rolled over from her tummy to back for the first time yesterday! I was able to catch a repeat performance on camera this morning...

Girl and the Goat... FINALLY!

My parents are in town for the weekend, so Mark and I had a free night and FINALLY made it to Girl and the Goat for dinner! If you're a Top Chef fan, this is Season 4 winner, Stephanie Izard's, restaurant.

We had to go on the early side (5:30 PM) to make sure we could get a table, but we didn't mind. Honestly, even before we had Elaine, Mark and I tended to dine on the early side to avoid waiting for a table. As Mark says, "the food tastes the same at 6:00 PM as at 9:00 PM." We had a short 45-minute wait, which gave Mark time to try a signature cocktail (I was saving my drink allowance for dinner).

For those who haven't been to the restaurant (I think we may be the last of our Chicago friends to dine there), the menu is made up of small plates meant for sharing. I personally really love this style of restaurant, because you can try several different things.

We started with the Mr. Potato bread with leek butter and potato aioli. The leek butter was awesome, the aioli was so-so (at least for me). For our small plates, we had squash blossom rangoon (amazing!), goat empanadas, ham frites, and escargot ravioli (very rich, very tasty). For dessert, we chose the pork fat donuts. Everything was delicious, and we were stuffed by then end of the meal!

It was nice to be out as a couple, but I have to admit about 75% of our converstation revolved around Lainey, and we looked at her pictures on our phones more than a few times. But, I think that's okay...it just means we love our daughter!

Long and Lean!

Lainey had her two-month check up yesterday. Her new stats are 11 lb.s, 3 oz. and 23.5 inches. Compared to her baby cronies, her weight is right in the middle at 50%, but her length still tops the charts at around 95% and her head is at 98% (because she's a genius!).

She also had her first round of vaccinations. Fortunately, her side effect was to be very, very sleepy. She took a three-hour nap after the appointment. She was a little whiney when she woke up, but all she wanted was to be cuddled by mom--and I was more than happy to oblige!

Happy and healthy!

Look alike contest...

Depending on the day, camera angle and her expression, Lainey is starting to look like Mark...or maybe like me...or maybe she just looks like Elaine! You be the judge!

Elaine Rocks Out!

Mark took Elaine to her first rock concert yesterday afternoon...sort of. It was a free concert in our 'hood and was supposed to start at 4pm, but the opening act didn't even go on until 6pm. By that time, Elaine had had enough fun and was ready to be back home. Guess she isn't quite ready to party like a rock star. But, at least they got some fresh air and fun father-daughter time.

Evidently, the fun stopped once back at home. It seems Lainey found the whole experience a little overstimulating and completely freaked out on Mark. BUT...once he fed and calmed her, she slept for over five hours again! (I supposed I'd rather get her there without completely stressing out her little system, however.)

My dad's the coolest!

Kicking up her legs!

Sleeping Beauty

Elaine slept over five hours straight two nights in a row! Unfortunately, last night she lapsed back into her every-three-hours routine, so I'm hoping those longer stretches weren't just a fluke.

She's been better about sleeping during the day, however, apparently her crib is made of hot coals from 8am to 8pm. She can be dead asleep in my arms, but the moment her head hits the mattress, she lets out a shrill scream. So, most of her napping has been in my arms or occasionally she'll still sleep in the bouncy seat. But, I've decided to go with it, because in less than four weeks, I have to go back to work and won't be able to hold her all day. The condo is considerably less tidy at this point, but I'm getting lots of snuggle time with my girl!

Here is a link to her most recent picture album: Elaine: Weeks 7 and 8

Taking a nap in our bed

Goodbye Angel, Hello devil!

Okay, I'm being a little dramatic. She's far from the devil, but this past week has been a little on the hellish side. Lainey has decided that sleeping during the day is just not her thing. However, she still REALLY needs to sleep, so the end result is a very tired, very agitated, very LOUD baby (and a very tired, very agitated, very STRESSED mom). Toward the end of the week, she started looking a little like Robert Downey, Jr. during his strung out days--not a good look for an infant. Thankfully, she's still sleeping well at night, so I'll be grateful for that!

When I do get her to sleep and she wakes up rested, she's giggly and playful, and we have a lot of fun. She loves the hippo that hangs on her playmat, the elephants over her pack 'n play, and the butterfly mobile in her room. However, even with these new found favorites, she still retains her fondness for her best friend, the ceiling fan.

Here she is flirting with the hippo! I think she likes the polka dots on his belly.

Smile a Little Smile for Me

Lainey has started really smiling--not just gas! She really enjoys her mobile, ceiling fans, and looking at herself in the baby mirror in the car...I guess she does take after her mother!

I caught a few seconds of her new grin in a video, but can't seem to get it to upload. However, you can check it out and few others online in her Week 6 photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/108972281042192931151/Week6080111Thru080711?authkey=Gv1sRgCKLT59z-4dPssgE

My Little Social Butterfly

We have been on the move this week! The temperature dropped from the high 90s, and I'm finally getting my "mommy legs" under me. Elaine and I met my friend Becky and her daughter Lucy for lunch on Tuesday, took a long walk to the Walgreens and the library on Thursday, and had friends over TWICE on Saturday. The O'Grady family stopped by before Mark and Jason headed off to the Cubs game, and Maggie and Molly stayed to hang out for a bit with Lainey and me. Then my friend Terri came by that night (with a DELICIOUS dinner prepared for us!) to meet our girl for the first time.

Today, Mark and I took her to her first street festival "Retro on Roscoe." Check out Lainey and and her dad in their matching outfits. (Although Mark won't been seen with me if we're just wearing the same color shirt--I guess exceptions are made for his daughter.)

Proud Papa with his girl

Road Trips, Weight Gain and One Big Head!

It's been a busy few weeks for us (hence the lack of any posts). We traveled to Ohio the weekend of July 22, so Elaine could finally meet her Grandpa and Grandma Anderson and her Uncle Chris (and lots of other new friends)! This past weekend we hit the QC, so Elaine could meet her other aunts and uncles and her cousins. She was a big hit in both cities and got lots and lots of attention and cuddle time. Of course, now that she had a taste of the good life, she wants to be held constantly and finds it insulting when we try to place her in her crib.

In between all of the fun travel, she had her one-month check-up and weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds, 10 ounces and measured an impressive 22 inches, putting her in the 75% for both weight and height. Her head is topping the charts at the 95%...oh, little bobble-head Lainey.

The whole family!

Elaine and her cousins, Amelia, Oliver, Ben and Jacob

Check out pictures from weeks 4 and 5:
https://picasaweb.google.com/108972281042192931151/Week4And5071811Thru073111?authkey=Gv1sRgCLC5vpGo7POgqwE

Pitchfork Music Festival 2011

Mark and I made our first outing together sans Elaine over the weekend to attend the Pitchfork Music Festival. We only went from 5-10pm on Saturday this year, but it was so awesome to get out of the house together and let Grandma and Grandpa Brandi take care of Elaine. I was practically bouncing down the sidewalk as we made our way from the condo to the car. I love my girl more than anything on this earth, but mama needed some time away! Mark and I had a blast and Lainey was a little angel for her grandparents (or so I'm told).

Since we got a late start, we only saw four acts: Radio Dept, Dismemberment Plan, DJ Shadow and the headliners, Fleet Foxes. I want to listen to the Radio Dept album--I think I'll really like them, but they have a softer sound, so they were getting drowned out by the other stage. Fleet Foxes were great! I was worried the sound wouldn't be good, but they sounded awesome.

Big, big thanks to Lonnie and Frank for making the trip to Chicago, so we could get out!!!

Enjoying a beer and some grown-up time away from home!

Such a big girl!

Elaine had her two-week check-up on Monday, and we're happy to report that she's a whopping 8 pounds and 21 1/4" now! I think she's gained most of the weight in her cheeks and chin. She still has her skinny little legs, but her thighs are starting to chunk up. Everything looked good at the appointment and the doctor was impressed with how strong her neck is already. Mark continues to insist that she's a genius, because she can fold her hands together at her chest, something the books say shouldn't happen until the second or third month. I guess we'll see... : )

Check out pictures from Elaine's second week in the world:
https://picasaweb.google.com/108972281042192931151/Week2070411Thru071011?authkey=Gv1sRgCNa52Z7unOS1GA#

Someone has a belly button!

Elaine's umbilical cord fell off last night! Looks like she'll have an innie!

Daddy takes the night shift!

So, the bright side to our breastfeeding issues is that Mark can take part in the late night feedings with the bottle! Although I still had to get up to pump, it was nice to only be awake for about 15 minutes versus an hour or more to feed her and get her back to sleep. Lainey didn't make it easy on him though. She spit up all over her pajamas, so Mark had to changer her. I had done laundry during the day, but didn't put it away in her drawers, so he couldn't find her newborn p.j.s...hence the rolled up legs. The arms actully fit her okay. Looks like she's going to get Mommy's monkey arms!

Just Us Girls!

We're on day two of Mark being back at work, and we're holding it together reasonably well. Elaine and I even ventured outside for a little errand yesterday to drop a package off at UPS and buy some stamps at the FoodMart across the street. The entire walk was less distance than a block, but it still took me almost 15 minutes to prepare everything, get the stroller downstairs, and get out the door. Hmmmm...maybe we should have been more aggressive when trying to sell our condo--a second floor unit of a walk-up building isn't ideal with a wee one in tow. Elaine did great though! No tears--just her standard scowl she gets whenever we put her in the car seat. I'll have to get a picture of it the next time we make a trip! She looks a lot like Mark with that expression on her face. : )

I just got the CD with all of the professional pictures taken at the hospital. I can't believe how much she has changed already. Her jaundice seems to be a thing of the past, and she's now sporting sweet rosy complexion instead of the "fake and bake" look brought on by the jaundice.



She loves her daddy!

We're still working on our feeding issues, but she seems no worse for the wear. I think she'll be growing out of her newborn diapers and maybe even some of her onsies in the next week.

Introducing Miss Elaine Rae Brandi...

Elaine Rae Brandi
Born Monday, June 27, 2011 at 9:59 PM
7 pounds, 10 ounces
20.5 inches

She's here, she's here!!! Okay, so she's been here a week, but I'm just getting around to updating this blog.  Mark and I are head-over-heels in love with this little girl! We're adjusting into our new role as parents and our new lack-of-sleep schedule...I took a three-hour nap today and it was GLORIOUS!!!

Check out pictures of her first week:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=108972281042192931151&target=ALBUM&id=5625288284054836017&authkey=Gv1sRgCPvM1b-sk-n48AE&feat=email

Ready or not...

I'm one week overdue today, and this little lady shows no signs of coming out on her own. I've tried everything...spicy food, long walks, aerobic dance parties, acupressure, acupuncture...all to no avail. So, Mark and I are off to the hospital at the early hour of 3:00 AM, so I can start my induction at 3:30 AM. We were originally slated for an 8:30 PM start tonight, but were switched this afternoon. Wish us luck!!!

My last day as a pregnant lady. Tomorrow I'll be a MOM!!!

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Well, I had another doctor’s appointment yesterday.  Little girl is still snug as a bug, and I’m not showing any signs of imminent labor. But, if she decides to be really stubborn, we scheduled my induction for June 27. So one way or another, she’ll be here before June is over!!!

These days I’m just trying to stay busy and keep my mind off it. I’ve also forbidden Mark to ask me, “are you having a contraction?” one more time. I’ve promised him that I’ll let him know when I’m having one.

Check out our girl's digs!

Mark gets credit for all furniture assembly and wall decor application!

The wall color doesn't come across well in the pictures. It's "cool cucumber," aka pale green.

As you can see, we kept the guest bed, so don't be shy about visiting!
We'll be sure to fill you in on her feeding and changing schedule, so you're ready for the night shift.

Why, yes! Those are custom, hand-sewn pillows created by the mom-to-be!

37 Weeks!!!

Today I hit 37 weeks!  Although we're still three weeks from my official due date, I'm considered full term, so our little lady could be making her appearance any day now. (And we're hoping earlier rather than later.)  The car seat is installed, the crib is assembled, and we're ready to go!