Weekend Activities

Grandma and Grandpa came for a quick visit this weekend.  Arrived about 2:00pm on Saturday, played with Andrew for a few hours, had some dinner and then headed to Huntsville to watch Jackie's choir performance.  Spent Sunday morning with Andrew, ate lunch and left about 1:30pm.
Jackie, Jonathan and Karl were also over for lunch on Sunday.  Aunt Jackie came bearing gifts for Andrew... no special occasion.  Andrew received a very cute bib, SHSU t-shirt, and a hat with matching sneaker socks (pictured below).

After everyone left, Daddy and Andrew watched Nascar and Mommy took a nap... Win/Win for all!


It's been a month... getting reaquainted.



Reading with Grandma

Talking to Aunt Jackie

  

SHSU T-shirt - perfect size for Football season!

Bib "This is not a bib... It's my super hero cape on backwards"

Sneaker socks and cap

Faces of Andrew

2 Months Old!

I can't believe my sweet little baby boy is already two months old!

  
     

THEN





NOW



We had his two month check up today.  He weighed 10.4 lbs (15th percentile) and was 23 3/4 inches tall (85th percentile).  Unfortunately the two month appointment means shots :-( 

Luckily we went prepared with some Tylenol for infants.  :-)



Just got measured... waiting for some magic grape juice!



Just saw the Doctor.  He's smiling now,
but the shots are coming in just a moment.

Just got some magic medicine,
waiting for the Doctor to arrive.

Oral vaccine (Rotavirus) - it is sweet tasting so the sucked it down fast.

Three shots in the thigh for five vaccines (Hepatitis B, Polio, Pneumococcal Disease, Diphtheria and Hib)
(Mommy didn't want to take the picture, but figured I needed to document the visit)

Here are a few pictures of him over the past week.  He is getting really close to holding his head up on his own.  We put him in his bumbo seat for a minute or two each day until his neck gets stronger.

What's New?

Recently mommy returned to work and daddy is now at home with Andrew all day.  It is definitely an adjustment, but at least now we can start to get him in a daily routine.  We have been getting him to bed between 8:30 - 9:00 each night.  Friday night, Andrew hit an all time high with consecutive hours slept... he made it seven hours (9:00pm - 4:00am). Mommy and Daddy were thrilled!!!  The following night he slept six hours. 

He is holding his head up really well; we can almost put him in the bumbo seat by himself.  Looking forward to be able to put him in a walker and high chair.  Right now we are limited to the bouncer and swing or playing on the floor.  Below are a few pictures from the past week.


Prince Charming... after his evening bath.


 

He looks chunky in this picture, but he is kind of slouched over.



His arms look long & lanky and I LOVE this face!  Makes me giggle!

 

Isn't he adorable???



Thanks Jen, Dwight and Makayla!

Andrew received an early Valentine and Easter gift from the Swanson Family this week.

Six pack of sneaker socks (very cute!), Monkey outfits, Rockstar outfits, "My Aunt Rocks" outfit, and a little Easter Basket with three toys in it.   

THANK-YOU!!!

We're still a little new at this...

I am not really one to flaunt all my faults, so I hope you appreciate this story:

I will be returning to work on Wednesday this week so we needed to get a few things done before then.  So this afternoon we ventured out as a family to run some errands.  I had a package that needed to be picked up at the UPS store and Josh had an eye exam.  While Josh was getting checked Andrew and I were going to stroll the mall.  Well, on our way to drop of Josh for his appointment I suddenly gasped and said, "I forgot Andrew's diaper bag".  Josh said, "So, what are you going to do"? (meaning go home or chance it?) I replied, " Well, it is only an eye exam and he just ate and we just changed his diaper... we will be fine".

Andrew and I walked the mall for about 30 minutes then we headed across the street to pick up Josh - I figured he would be close to finishing.  I was wrong... Josh had not even seen the Optometrist yet and Andrew was getting fussy.  I drove around a little bit thinking that might calm him down... nope!  So I pulled up in the parking lot and took him out of his seat thinking he just wanted to stretch out or be held.  I am sure you can imagine by now what happened next.  Yep, I realized Andrew had an explosive diaper.  There I was... my baby was screaming in the car and I had no diaper bag!  JUST GREAT!!!  Still no sign of Josh.  10 minutes seemed like an eternity! 

Luckily, home is not too far away.  We all survived and no long term damage, but I felt REALLY bad.  I can guarantee I won't be forgetting the diaper bag anytime soon.

Weekend in Dallas

 I had my six week check-up on Thursday then headed to Dallas for the rest of the weekend.  It had been nearly a month since Mom and Dad had seen Andrew... they are in withdrawal! The weekend was full of amazing food and relaxation for me and Josh.  As far as Grandma and Grandpa... they got a lot of bonding time with Andrew!  Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Valentines gifts for Andrew from Grandma and Grandpa -- Thank-you!
(Three books, blocks, whale outfit and Lightning McQueen racecar)

 

Andrew doesn't really like pacifiers (we have tried many different ones).  Grandpa went and bought one that is similar to the shape of his bottle nipple. Andrew seems to like it better than his other ones, but overall still doesn't like a pacifier.



Andrew and Grandma playing with all his toys!

  

Me and Andrew just hanging out!



Thank You!!!

We received many generous gifts at our baby showers and again upon Andrew's arrival.  Over the past couple weeks we have received a few more gifts in the mail.   

Card and Money from Great Grandma and Grandpa Kuklenz

Card and Babies R Us Gift Card from the Spooner Family



Card andAdorable Sleepers from Great Uncle Garry, Tammy and Bradley

 



Card and Hand crafted quilt from Great Aunt Karen and Uncle Dustin.





Andrew enjoying his new blanket!

 Thanks to everyone for all the generous and creative gifts. We are extremely appreciative.

Monday Morning with Andrew

Andrew was very interactive Monday morning.  I recorded him for a few minutes, but the blogger would only allow a shorter video for upload, so we cut it down to my favorite part. The rest of the video he cooed and then he got the hiccups (a regular occurence for him).


He has never smiled on command before so it was amazing that I caught it on camera!

Trip to Neches

On Saturday, January 28th we headed to Neches, TX to visit Josh's family. We made a stop in Crockett to visit Josh's Grandma, Barbara. She had yet to meet Andrew, so she was thrilled we stopped by.

We arrived in Neches mid day; we were there just in time to watch Blake (Nephew) and Brycelynn's (Niece) Basketball Games. Brycelynn is pictured below in action. She is in the purple shirt, center of the picture.

After the games, we headed to Cici's Pizza for lunch and then back to Rebecca's (Josh's older sister) house to get ready for Ryan's (Rebecca's Husband) 30th Surprise Birthday Party. Brycelynn is very experienced with babies as she has three younger siblings. She is pictured below feeding Andrew.
This was also Uncle Ryan's first time meeting Andrew. They are pictured below.

At the end of the night, we headed to Josh's mom's house to spend the night. She took baby duty that evening so Josh or I didn't have to wake up with him in the middle of the night. On Sunday, we just hung out. We grabbed some lunch in Crockett and then visited Josh's Grandma again before we hit the road back to The Woodlands. Andrew must have been exhausted from all the activity because he slept the whole way home.

One Month

Mom, Dad and Andrew have survived one month! It has been quite eventful, no day is ever the same. He gets bigger every day, and we can't wait for him to start interacting with us, smiling, and laughing. He has already made progress in eye contact and hand grasping.

Throughout the month, we have had many visitors, two road trips, first babysitter (Thanks Aunt Jackie), countless diaper changes, a few stroller rides, a couple doctor appointments,multiple loads of laundry and not a single night with more than five consecutive hours of sleep!

I have one month before I head back to work. I can only imagine how he will change over the next few weeks. Since I have been battling some post partum unpleasantries I have not been taking many pictures. I will try to keep taking photos and posting some favorites. I like the one below because it looks like he's ready for a fight... I'm reminded of the quote by the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. "Put 'em up, put 'em up".

Two week check-up

Andrew is two weeks old today! The Doctor said he looks great and he is definitely a growing boy! He weighed 7 lbs. 9oz. and measured 21 in. long. He was not a fan of the nurse since they had to do another blood test today by pricking his heel. Poor little baby!

Happy New Year!

Baby Andrew Update

As most of you know, Baby Andrew has arrived!

Andrew Lee Elliott

December 20, 2011

Born at 7:08pm

7 lbs. 3 oz. 19 3/4 in.

We went into the hospital Tuesday, December 20th at 4:00am to be in induced even though I was already having some small contractions. My water broke very early in the morning and progressed well through out the day until late afternoon. There were a few scary moments throughout the day, but overall it was a piece of cake (Thank God for an Epidural - I only made it to 9:30am without it).

Things changed when at 5:30pm the nurse came in and said it is time to "take the baby". We were like, "What do you mean, 'take the baby?'". She responded with "Cesarean". Mom, Josh and I were all shocked. Although we knew labor had slowed down, this was the first time anyone had mentioned there was an issue or a concern with a natural delivery. I immediately got anxious for many reasons... I wasn't even thinking about having a c-section, my Doctor had a family emergency to attend to so I was stuck with the on-call Doctor, I was worried about being off work longer, I knew I would have a slower re-cooperation period, and it was the first time someone had mentioned that the baby's heart rate was dropping with each contraction. I think mom and Josh were more concerned than I was because they kept fighting the issue, I just wanted it to be over with. I wasn't worried about the surgery at all. They do them all the time (I had read that 40% of births are Cesarean).

We had to wait for an opening in the operating room. I was rolled into the OR at 6:53pm, 15 minutes later - Andrew was born! I think I left the OR at 7:23pm. I knew it was a fast procedure, but that was really fast!

We were released from the Hospital Thursday afternoon (Andrew was only 42 hours old). Naturally, I was moving slower, but for just having a Cesarean I was moving at lightning speed. I felt fine and Andrew was doing well so we headed home - I knew we would feel even better once we got home.

Fast Forward 11 days...
We have had many visitors (both at the hospital and at home), a few webcam dates, and one outing to the pediatrician's office. We don't have any more visitors planned so Andrew is stuck with just Mom and Dad! This next week Andrew has a two week check up with the Pediatrician and I have a two week check up as well. Next weekend, we will take our first road trip. We are headed to Dallas. Josh wants to attend the SHSU national championship game which is being held in Frisco, TX (just a few miles down the road from Mimi and Poppi's house).

Two Years!!!!

Two years ago today, Josh and I tied the knot! Time really does fly when you're having fun, because it does not seem like it has been two years. And this year we are expanding our family! I am so blessed to have such a funny, loving, and supportive husband and I know he will be a great father because of those qualities. I look forward to the memories we will create in the coming years.

Happy Anniversary Josh!
I love you!

Dr. Appt #14 (LAST ONE)

This morning, Mom, Josh and I headed to my final Doctor appointment. Since I am a week overdue they did an ultrasound and exam. The ultrasound tech estimated him weighing at 6lbs, 14 oz. I can't believe he is that small... but it doesn't feel like he can grow much more in there anyways! We'll see how good their estimation is very soon!

After I met with the Doctor, she suggested we induce tomorrow morning! YAY! We are scheduled to be at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Labor and Delivery at 4:00am and should begin the induction around 5:00am. Hopefully we will have a baby by the end of the day! But since it's my first, I anticipate a long labor. Hoping for the best, but preparing for anything!

Requesting prayers for a quick and safe delivery.

It's a little funny

After Jackie's graduation ceremony, we all came back to our house to take pictures with the graduate and watch the SHSU Bearkats football game. The Bearkats (ranked #1) are competing for their division title. The semifinal game was scheduled the same evening as Jackie's graduation.

Anyways... so we headed back to the house and prepared some appetizers before the game. We had chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, Christmas cookies and stuffed jalapenos to be exact. Mom, Josh and I had finished preparing all the food and we sat down to begin watching the game. A few minutes later witnesses spotted me running to the bathroom. I was found leaning over the sink doing a dance, singing "owe, owe, owe, owe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", and splashing water into my eyes. In addition to my singing I had quite a few curse words I was expressing (I don't think I had ever said so many bad words) Despite washing my hands twice after food preparation, I got jalapeno juice on the inner corner of both my eyes simultaneously. Initially it was just a tiny sting, but it spread rapidly to my eyes and sinuses. MY FACE WAS ON FIRE!!!!!

I couldn't do much for relief other than run cold water over my eyes. It was a little challenging because 1) I was pregnant so it was hard to bend over to the sink, 2) Both eyes stung really badly,but I could only wash one at a time, and 3) I was wearing contacts and I knew I had to take them out in order to not cause damage to my eyes and get all the stinging to stop. I removed the right contact lens first... if you have ever taken a suction cup window cling off the window.... that is exactly what it felt and sounded like. It really hurt so I focused on washing that eye out. A few minutes later I realized I needed to do that to the other eye (DAMN!). In the midst of all that... it was doing a number on my sinuses. My snot was literally FLOWING out of my nose!!!! GROSS!

Ultimately I was in the bathroom dancing, singing, cursing and washing my eyes for at least 15 minutes... it hurt so bad I really don't know how long it was. The best part was we hadn't taken pictures yet so I have a red face and eyes for Jackie's graduation pictures. For the next 30 minutes I sat in the chair with an ice pack to help relieve the heat.

Lesson Learned... I am going to wear gloves next time I handle Jalapenos!!!!

Dr. Appt #13

Josh accompanied me to my Dr. Appointment this morning; it went well. There have been no changes since last week though. Since my due date is this Wednesday, Dr. said "Well, let's do this... come back next Monday...". Apparently I had a concerned look on my face because she paused and asked what's wrong? Josh and I looked at each other and started to laugh. We asked when was the earliest we could induce? She said right now she doesn't have a medical reason to induce me so she would see if there was anything available for us to come in this week.

After a few minutes of research, she came in with a frowny face. She said they didn't have anything available this week. So we will schedule an ultrasound and exam for next Monday and she is "sure she could find a medical reason to induce next Tuesday". So... in eight days or less Andrew will make his appearance.

In the meantime, Mom is visiting from Dallas. There was a short week between Josh and Jackie's graduation so she decided to stay in case Andrew did decide to come. Mom brought her laptop to work, but during her down time we are preparing for Christmas at our house this Saturday. We have pulled many baking recipes out in preparation for Saturday. Today's feautured recipe was Aunt Denise's Peanut Butter Balls. Mmmmmmmm. (I don't know that they will make it all the way to Saturday though) :-)

Joshua Byron Elliott, B.S., L.A.T., D.C.

On Saturday, December 10, 2011, Texas Chiropractic College held their Fall 2011 Commencement in the Dr. Shelby & Connie Elliott Auditorium.

It was a very special day. Josh has been in school since he was six years old. At the age of 25, Josh has received his high school diploma, a Bachelors of Science degree (major in Kinesiology, minor in Health), achieved a State License in Athletic Training, and finally a Doctorate of Chiropractic. I am so proud of him!!! I know it has been a struggle for him to not be able to "support" our family the past few years. Although he may not have been financially supporting us, his commitment to school and passion for the Chiropractic profession will support our family for many years to come.

Graduation was extra special for Josh and his grandfather, Shelby. Shelby has been a chiropractor for over 60 years and was even the President at Texas Chiropractic College for 12 years. During the ceremony Shelby got to assist in the hooding of Josh's regalia. I'm sure that was a special moment for both of them.

After the ceremony we invited family, friends and faculty to a reception at Josh's grandfather's house. We are so appreciative to Connie and Shelby for opening their home for the party. At the reception, we enjoyed lunch which was catered from Magnolia Cafe. Luckily, Connie agreed to return Josh's cap and gown on Monday so we were able to bring it to the party and take family pictures. Below is a picture of the three generations of Elliott Chiropractors: Dr. Shelby Elliott (grandfather), Dr. Joshua Elliott, and Dr. Steve Elliott (uncle).