Someone's not quite ready for the bumbo chair yet...

Ha ha.

Perhaps someday soon...

Eli's World

Adam wants to support Eli's interests and hobbies, so after dinner last night he joined Eli underneath his favorite toy, his jungle gym. Eli was visibly thrilled to show his dad around his world.

"Dad, this monkey is awesome. He does not stop smiling."

"And if your hand hits this toy, it makes a rattly sound that's sure to make you giggle."

"When you look into this shiny thing, there is a good-looking baby staring right back at you. Amazing!"

You can see here that it doesn't take much to impress either of my boys; a few blinking lights and some bright toys and they're happy for a few hours.

They melt my heart!

On Breastfeeding

Adam and I weighed Eli last night and he tipped the scale at almost 15 lbs! I'm not going to lie: he terrifies me. He's only 2 months and 3 days old and is basically the weight of a 5 month old. No wonder my appetite has been so ravenous since he was born! That child is literally sucking the life right out of me. I have to eat every few hours or I don't feel well. When the hunger strikes, it strikes hard and I feel like I can't do anything besides eat. My appetite is definitely way bigger while breastfeeding than it was when I was pregnant.

Breastfeeding is a joy, but it has definitely been a lot harder than I anticipated. I had to struggle through 3 solid weeks of engorgement when my milk first came in. For most new moms, engorgement only lasts for a few days, but for me, it went on and on. I tried everything possible to help with the painful swelling, but nothing helped. I was on the phone crying to various lactation consultants every single day, trying to get advice about what to do. I tried nursing frequently, pumping, cabbage leaves, benadryl, cold compresses, hot showers, ice packs, and ibuprofen, but unfortunately, none of it worked. Time was the only thing that finally made it go away.

Another struggle for me was excruciating pain of a vigorous barracuda baby latching onto sore, bruised, blistered nipples every few hours . I remember getting a sick pit in my stomach right before each feeding session because I knew how much pain was going to accompany it. I remember crying out in pain every time he latched on and started eating because of how sore I was already.

On a few occasions, the knowledge that I had to nurse Eli every few hours, 24 hours a day made me feel trapped. It's a lot of responsibility! No more sleeping in, no more outings without the baby in tow. Even if someone else feeds him a bottle, I still have to pump the bottle. And then there's timing the pumping so that I can still pump the bottle but not deplete the supply for his next feeding. It's all very complicated. And no one ever told me how much time out of your day nursing a baby takes, especially at the beginning when you and your baby are both learning. When he needs to eat every 2 hours and it takes 45 minutes to an hour from start to finish, you feel like you're always nursing. It's funny because I never once thought about all of this before he was born.

Luckily, things have regulated themselves (aside from a few minor issues), and I really love breastfeeding. I love the time when it's just me and Eli. I love how dependent he is on me and I love knowing that my milk alone is what has made him go from 8 lbs to 15 lbs during the past 2 months. I love snuggling him during breastfeeding sessions and I love the satisfied sounds he makes while he's eating (he's noisy!). I love how he looks "milk drunk" when he's finished. But I especially love the huge smiles he gives me afterwards, as if he's saying "Thanks, mom!"

It has definitely been worth it and wouldn't have it any other way.

Everybody Loves Eli

Adam and I spent the last 2 1/2 weeks in Northern Utah. We stayed with the Alba's for awhile and then went to Park City with my family for the annual summer vaycay. We had such a blast catching up with everyone! We swam and got tans, played games, ate out at all of the restaurants we had missed, went to movies, and lounged around.

The best part of the trip though was introducing Eli to all of his family and friends. Watching everyone fall in love with him was priceless. Like we expected, he was a huge hit. The weeks were spent passing him from aunt to uncle to grandparent to friend to great aunt to great cousin to neighbor. Towards the end of the trip, I had to put my foot down and tell everyone that as his mother, I deserved a chance to snuggle with him too. The only time I ever got to hold him was when I was nursing him!

It makes me and Adam so happy to know that so many people adore Eli. That kid is so loved! Watching him smile at and squeal in delight at everyone was so much fun. Making fun of him with everyone was pretty fun too. ;)

2 Months Old

Dear Eli,

Wow! You've been out of my belly now for two months. Your dad and I have loved having you here and getting to know your sweet little personality. Being your parents has already proven to be even more wonderful than we could have imagined.

We have discovered that you are a very good baby! Maybe we're viewing you through rose-colored glasses, but we can't believe how calm and relaxed you are. Where did you come from? Your dad and I (but especially your dad) can be pretty anxious and uptight. We marvel at how easy-going you are. You rarely cry (you mostly squawk like a baby raptor when you're upset), you sleep really well at night, and when you aren't sleeping or eating, you're smiling. You love to smile at your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and basically anyone else that you're around. You even smile at your toys; I'm sure they appreciate the friendly gesture.

Your good nature has shown while we've been traveling the past month. Between the move from Virginia to Utah, visiting the Alba's in Centerville, and the Doxey family vacation in Park City, you've been a trooper. It seems like after every nap, you wake up in a new city or with a new face smiling down at you. You always look so confused by this, but thankfully, you've handled the traveling like a champ and have slept like a rock whenever we've been out and about.

We've also discovered this month that you are quite a softie. You absolutely love holding hands. If you get fussy, all someone has to do is come over to you and hold your hand and you immediately quiet down. What a gentle soul you have! We adore it!

Eli, you are growing like a weed! A few weeks ago, your dad and I had to pack up a bag full of your newborn sized clothes that didn't fit you anymore. It made me so sad to fold up those doll-sized clothes and put them away, knowing that you would never been that tiny again. Yesterday, I pulled a sleeper out and held it up against your body and was shocked to find that the feet on the pj's ended at your knees!

You won't remember it, but your daddy blessed you this month. It was a special experience for us, but you were sleeping the whole time. Like your dad always says, "Church stuff is like a drug, a drug that puts you to sleep." Ha ha. You looked absolutely dashing in your white, short-sleeved tuxedo with bow-tie. Many people came to support us on this special day and to meet you, and we felt very loved.

Eli, this planet is a pretty cool place. I hope I've shown you a good time so far. Thanks for bringing so much joy into my life.

Love you forever,

Your mama

For the record:

Weight: 14.2 pounds (95th percentile)

Length: 24 inches (80th percentile)

Head Circumference: 16 inches (60th percentile)

Alba Family Pictures

With the new addition of the little guy to the Alba clan and all of the family members together for a short window of time, it was time for some for some new family pictures.

We are discovering that like his daddy, Eli hates posing for pictures. He wasn't afraid to let us know it by scowling and screaming in almost every photo. It's a good thing he's cute no matter what!

Eli's always the center of attention, that's for sure.

Eli's pants were way too big and made him look like M.C. Hammer in his trademark pants circa 1988. We laughed at him a lot.

I love this family and am so happy I married into it!

Four Years Ago

On a sweltering August day (110 degrees!), I married my best friend in the St. George Temple.
I thought I loved him then, but looking back, my love for him was nothing compared to what it is now.
The 4th year of our marriage was the best so far, and I know it will continue to get even better as the years go by.
I can hardly wait!
Happy Anniversary to us!

Three Years Ago

We moved to Washington as 2.

Last week, we left Washington as 3.

Leaving D.C. was incredibly emotional for me. I cried for weeks before we left. The three years we spent there were the best of my life (so far). We met some of the most incredible people I've ever known, we were both able to earn graduate degrees at George Washington, we grew closer as a couple as we were far away from our families, and most importantly, we made, grew, and welcomed Eli into our family.

Washington, I will miss you. You will forever be close to my heart.

Eli Learns to Smile

It melts my heart every time!

I can't wait for a giggle to accompany it . . .

Westward Bound

We are packing up the Uhaul tomorrow and are heading back to Utah after 3 wonderful years in Washington, D.C.

We will miss it here like CRAZY but are excited for what our future in Utah will hold.

The bonus for all of Eli's grandparents, aunts, and uncles is that he will be close enough for them to kiss and snuggle whenever they want.

The bonus for us is that we will have approximately 15 free babysitters at our beck and call!