The Blog of Eli: 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.