Elinore - 20 Weeks

Dear Elinore,

You are learning, growing and developing daily, and I'm so happy I get to watch you advance.

Since I last wrote at 16 weeks, you have learned some fun new things. 

You fuss every so often because you're laying down and can't see enough of what's going on. 

You were getting frustrated you couldn't reach the mobile hanging on your bouncy chair, so I sat you bouncy seat up a bit higher.  You were so happy to be able to reach them and you can pull the one that makes music now too.  You get excited when we put you in your bouncy chair, but sometimes you get very wiggly in there quickly and want our to roll around!

You are rolling more and more.  You lay on the floor a lot to play with mommy and daddy and your brothers and often times we'll look back after turning way for a moment and see you have rolled onto your tummy and are looking up and all around. 

You're starting to really enjoy time in your tummy and it usually generates big smiles! 

When you're on your tummy you have learned to get your butt into the air but haven't made much progress on movement.  The other evening you had your face in the carpet, but your legs were way into the air! 

When you're on the changing table you are active and have learned to use your legs to push yourself up on the changing pad. 

In other events of the last month, you had your first Halloween!  We took you to your Aunt Katies Halloween party and we took you to Boo at the Zoo in Akron.  You wore you elephant costume to the zoo, but you slept through most of it.  Your brothers had a swell time though!  You got to see your brothers' kindergarten Halloween parade at school too. 

You'll have your first Thanksgiving this week, and Grandma Nancy gave you a cute little first Thanksgiving onsie to wear.  Let's hope you don't spit up on it right away and you can wear it for the day!

You love to play with your brothers and after often watching what they're doing.  I remind them to teach you good manners as you're watching them.  I'm sure they'll teach you lots of good and no so good things; they are very protective of you.  I love watching you develop relationships with them. 

I love the way you sigh after a sneeze.

You are still breastfeeding very well and things are going smoothly for us both there.  You've been nursed to sleep almost every night since I went back to work, but in the last week or so you've stopped that some.  When you don't nurse to sleep we've started putting you down in your pack-n-play in mommy and daddy's room to put yourself to sleep.  This has only happened a few nights so far; your Daddy is a big fan of the cry-it-out method, but it's much harder for Mommy!  We've been blessed though and without too many cries you've put yourself to sleep in 10 minutes or less the few nights we've done it.  If you get too worked up we change you diaper and kiss and cuddle you before putting you back down. 

You've got some big excitement coming up with your first Christmas!  And shortly after Christmas we'll have some big changes for you too as you turn 6 months old.  We're planning on introducing solids at that point and moving you into your nursery and your crib. 

There is so much to look forward to with you, but I am in no hurry to get there.  Elinore, take your time, move at your pace, and we'll be there for you always. 

Love,

Mom