Elliot Update

Look at this guy! He's doing really well now despite having a rough first couple of weeks.

Week one: Comes home with a bit of jaundice and a tongue tie that isn't fixed until the end of the week. He's too sleepy to eat much.

Week two: Becomes so sick and congested he can hardly breathe or eat. Is admitted to the hospital. He spends his first Christmas in the hospital!

Week three: Is back to his birth weight! Spends a restful week with family.

Week four: Dad leaves the country and Grandma comes to visit.

Week five: Everyone gets sick again, but Elliot recovers like a champ this time.

He just had his one month check-up and he weighed in at 10 lbs. 5 oz.! He managed to gain two pounds in the last two weeks. Way to go. He might just follow in his older brother's obesely chubby baby footsteps.

Right now he's average for weight, 70th percentile for height, and 30th percentile for head circumference. That explains why it seemed like he could lift his head right after birth!

Somewhere in those five weeks I started co-sleeping with Elliot which is something I NEVER thought I would do. But I'm really enjoying it. Maybe I'm still trying to make up for those days in the hospital when I could only hold him with a mask, gloves, and big, yellow apron. It was hard to feel like I was really his mom with all that stuff, plus all the tubes and cords attached to him.

Will is loving his little brother. I am so surprised how much he likes Elliot. He asks if he can pet Elliot. He lovingly pokes his cheek. He says, "Elliot is so cute!" When Elliot cries he asks, "What's wrong baby Elliot?" and says, "It's OK baby Elliot." He is an expert on reading baby Elliot's mind. He tells me when baby Elliot wants his pacifier and when he doesn't want it. He tells me when baby Elliot is hungry, and when I should pick him up or put him down. It's going well so far. Knock on wood...