Busy Week!

Eli's fifth week was a busy one, with many "firsts". 

He slept through the night for the first time, sleeping from about 10:30 pm to 7 am!!!  And he also slept 7+ hours on a couple different nights.  I'm not holding my breath that this will continue on a daily basis, but I'll take what I can get! 

Hooray!  Cheering himself on for being such a great sleeper!

Because Newborn diapers were seeming a little too small (and because we ran out of them and I didn't want to buy more), Eli moved into Size 1 diapers this week.

E in his last NB diaper.  He doesn't look too thrilled about this change!  Mom was sad about it too.



He went to his first birthday party and was an absolute angel.  This party animal loves attention!  Too bad I didn't get any pictures of him in his party hat . . .

He had his first bottle.  Jeff loved feeding him, E took the bottle well, and I was able to get some extra sleep.  A huge success!



First bottle.

And, most fun of all, Eli had his first trip to the ZOO.  He slept most of the time, but judging by the smile below, I think he liked the animals!



Taking it all in.



And . . . he likes what he sees!  Happy as can be!



A bunch of monkeys.



These kissing monkeys were so cute!



With an exciting week like this one, what more could a little boy want?

Grrrrr...

 Practicing for Halloween.  I think he needs a little more work before he's a convincing bear!

Nursery Updates

Some recent additions to Eli's nursery:

My mom made these valances for the windows -- don't they look good?  And the ABC and 123 prints are new too.

I love this bicycle print with Eli's name and birth stats.  I ordered it from Etsy.

Who Does He Look Like?

It has been fun looking at our baby pictures and comparing them to Eli, but we can't decide who he resembles the most.  I guess he is a good blend of both of us, and that's the way it's supposed to be!  What do you think?



Baby Jeff



Baby Lauren

Eli, Day 1

Eli, Day 3

First Road Trip

Last weekend, Jeff went hunting in South Texas and dropped us off in Round Rock for a quick visit with Eli's grandparents.  Eli was great on his first long car ride -- he slept all the way there and all the way home!  We had a lot of fun, and I even snuck in a few good naps while we were there (the best kind -- in my bed instead of on the couch!).  Eli got a lot of attention from his grandparents, met his Great Grandmother (we're experimenting with the name "GG"), watched some football with his buds Presley and Cy (5-month-old twins), and flirted with several other lady friends.  I'd say the weekend was a success! 

One day, when he is MUCH older, E can go hunting with his dad. 

For now, he'll have to settle for a camo overnight bag. 

Thomas, Catherine and I all slept in this crib.  Dad painted the Bambi picture on the crib in 1980!  Can't believe it was still in the attic, but Eli was happy to sleep in it.

Cuddling with GG.

Hanging with Presley and Cy.  Aren't they cute in their TCU gear?

He makes this face often when he sleeps.

Look at that strong neck!

And just so Jeff doesn't feel left out, here is a picture of the dove his group got on the first night of their trip. 

Sleeping Beauties

Here's the pic of the day.  I'm feeling a little left out -- I think it's time for me to take a nap myself! 

And yes, Eli is covered up with a burp cloth.  Please don't judge . . . I do the best I can!  :)

One Month Old

He can't quite sit up on his own yet, but Eli is such a big boy!  At one month, he weighs 10 pounds, 4 ounces.  He's becoming more active and alert every day, and generally is a calm, happy, and healthy baby.  What a fun month this has been!

Life with Eli

After 3+ weeks, I feel like I'm finally starting to get the hang of life with a newborn.  Or, at least, I now realize:  there's never enough time in the day to finish a short to-do list; the days of a guaranteed shower each day are over -- and sometimes I can't even remember if I've showered that day; wearing a clean outfit is overrated; babies generate more dirty laundry than I thought possible; and the concept of "sleep when the baby sleeps" is much easier said than done.  But it is all worth it, and I truly am loving every second of being a mom!

Here are some things about Eli I don't want to forget:

• He is definitely a morning person.  He's happiest and most alert between about 7 a.m. (his wake-up time) and 11 a.m.  His fussy time is in the evenings.
• For the most part, he is a good sleeper.  He wakes up one time a night, usually between 3 and 4 a.m., eats, and usually goes right back to sleep.  There have been a few nights when he has wanted to stay awake and play, and it has taken him awhile to go back to sleep.  He is able to nap anywhere during the day, with any amount of noise, and he sleeps in his crib at night. 
• Eli loves to be swaddled at night.  He is turning into a wiggle worm though, and has started squirming out of his swaddle. 
• His favorite place to be is outside.  Any time he's crying, all we have to do is walk him outside and he instantly calms down.
• Inside the house, his favorite spot is on his changing table.  Not sure why he likes it so much, but he stares happily at the wall and seems to be quite entertained! 
• This boy has a mind of his own, especially when it comes to eating!  He can be really goofy at times.  Other times, when he's made up his mind that he would rather sleep than eat, nothing can change his mind -- not even ice cubes!
• He gets cold VERY easily, and when he's cold, his chin quivers.  It's the cutest thing! 
• We've seen a few smiles when he's awake, and in the past couple days Jeff and I have both seen him giggle.  These moments brighten my day, and I can't wait for them to be a regular occurrence! 
• He enjoys tummy time, and seems to be most comfortable sleeping on his stomach (I know it's bad, but his doctor approves!).
• His daddy is the best at calming Eli when he is fussy, and he is also the best at putting him to sleep at night.  
• He is great company on our daily outings to the grocery store, Target, Babies R Us, or Starbucks.   
• He can't admit it yet, but I am sure his mommy is his best friend.  :)

Smiling in his sleep. 

Our friends Maggie and David brought Eli this adorable bear suit from California.  It warms Eli up when he's freezing!  Clearly a bear, don't you think?  Jeff is convinced it's an ewok. 

Yet another girlfriend.  "Bailey, stop rocking me . . . I'm trying to sleep!"

Watching his first Cowboys game.  Don't think he was excited about getting his picture taken! 

Labor Day Weekend

Eli's first holiday weekend was a lot of fun!  I was very happy to have Jeff home for three days.  It was wonderful to spend the long weekend together as a family, and I really appreciated his help! 

The weather was beautiful in Fort Worth, so we tried to spend as much of the weekend outside as possible.  Eli played his first (and second and third) round of golf, and I rode along on the cart too.  At this rate, he's going to beat his daddy by the time he's 2!  We took several walks through the neighborhood park, and a nice, long walk along the Trinity River.  Eli snoozed all the way through it, but Charlie had a blast playing in the water and meeting some new dog friends.  We weren't brave enough to take a newborn to the TCU vs. Oregon State game, but we grilled out at home and watched the Frogs dominate on TV. 

The Johnsons are definitely ready for Fall and college football -- bring it on! 

A stare down with his stroller friend.

Born golfer

This is how Eli watched most of the TCU game -- football is exhausting!

Love.

I left Jeff with Eli in the nursery tonight for some father/son bonding time.  They were supposed to be reading the book Guess How Much I Love You.  When I went back to check on them, this is what I found.  No book in sight!

My sweet boys.  I love them so much!

Watch Dog

I put Eli down for his morning nap in the basket next to the window.  It wasn't long before I found Charlie like this -- sitting on top of the patio table outside, keeping a watchful eye on his little buddy through the window.  Such a great big brother!

Bath Time

Because Eli's umbilical cord fell off today, we wanted to give him a real bath in the tub.  After a little initial confusion, and an "accident", he really enjoyed his bath! 

Today was opening day of dove season, so dad was excited to dry him off in his adorable camo hooded towel (thanks Jen and Kyle)!

Two Weeks Old!

Whew, time is flying by!  Eli had an eventful 2 week birthday today.  He was especially excited for his second trip to the doctor, as you can tell -- he could hardly contain himself!

On our way to the doctor.

All looked great at the check-up.  Our boy has his daddy's body type -- long and lean!

2 week stats:

Weight: 9 pounds -- 59th percentile.

Length: A whopping 22.25 inches -- 94th percentile.

Head circumference: 37 cm -- 49th percentile.