Good Times

It's been a crazy week. Elliott celebrated his first Mueller Christmas, got to spend time with great friends, tried some avocado, played at the park, had a sleepover with Selah, went out for some good food, smiled, laughed, and did some more practice sitting up on his own. The holidays are always such a special time but this year was the best, with Elliott by my side.  I always look forward to people coming into town and this year Jesse, Tiffany, and Lila came from Philly, Selah came from Savannah, and Beth, Andy, Theron, Royal, and Birdie came from Sebring. While there were definitely a few people missing this year, it was so nice to be able to get together with friends who have been such an important part of my life and who are now an important part of Elliott's life. Our family extends out to this group of special friends and each one adds something to the way that Elliott will grow and the person that he will become. Lila is walking and watching her is amazing. I cannot even imagine watching Elliott play on a playground, sliding down a slide, running through the grass giggling. It seems so far away, but I know it will be here so soon. It's fun to watch her grow from a distance. Every time we see her she has changed so much. While we may only get to see our friends who mean so much to us so rarely, their love and support reaches us every day. I can only hope that they know how much we appreciate and love them back.

Tradition

It's December 23, but we are celebrating the holidays a little early this year. Tina has to work on Christmas day, so we bumped everything up one day making tonight our Christmas Eve. Elliott and I started the day by doing a little last minute shopping at the bookstore where the ladies doing the complementary wrapping gave Elliott a bow for his mostly bald head! A stop for lunch with grandpa, David and Stephen and then to grandma and grandpa's house to get ready for the name present exchange. Elliott napped while I went home to gather up some gifts and do some last minute wrapping. A nice walk around the neighborhood looking at lights with David and Elliott and then it was time for our Christmas Eve dinner. Everyone came over and we had Greek food. Our family tradition is to pick names after Thanksgiving dinner and that is the person you give a gift to on Christmas Eve. Even though Elliott is not a part of the name picking and gift giving yet, it was amazing to have him there with us for the first time ever. I gave Elliott a present to open, an illustrated Twas the Night Before Christmas. It feels so special to have my son a part of our family traditions and so exciting to begin new traditions with him. I am so excited for the morning....I feel like a little kid again. I don't think I will be sleeping very well tonight. Tomorrow is going to be magical.

5 Months

Elliott turned 5 months old today. He is having so much fun practicing sitting up on his own. It's amazing. One day he was just barely sitting on his own and then last night I sat behind him as he wavered back and forth, but he was able to keep his balance. Tonight while we played on the floor by his mirror, he was able to stay up by himself even longer. He flashed me his wide open mouth smile and seemed so proud of himself. Of course, I was so proud of him too. This morning I gave Elliott his first taste of real food. I put a piece of a banana on the tray of his walker. At first he completely ignored it and then finally he tried to pick it up. It kept flying off the tray and I had to wash it off a few times, but he did manage to get some of it on his fingers and put it in his mouth. It's going to be so exciting to start giving him other foods. I am going to try to wait until 6 months, but a little sample here and there should be fine. We had a nice day together today which included meeting up with my old friend Mark and then going on a little lunch date just the two of us. There is no other boy I would rather be out to lunch with.

Countdown

November flew by and it's already the middle of December. It's time to start the countdown to Christmas and then the New Year. Elliott's first Christmas. It's come up so quickly since I have been back to work. I did put up a tree and put out some decorations. My mom gave us an advent calendar and I take Elliott over to it every day to pull out the little toy to stick on the tree. I like the idea of starting traditions with him. Tina, David, and Steve got Elliott a Mickey ornament that says "baby's first Christmas" on it and I have it hung on the tree right next to the ornament Tina and Stephen got for me when I was a baby. I think giving Elliott an ornament each year will be special. It will so fun to decorate with him. On Sunday my mom and I took Elliott to see Santa. I chose to take him to the one at the Oldsmar Flea Market. I just wasn't that excited about the mall Santa, it didn't seem like something I really wanted to do. But we go to the Flea Market a lot and something about it just felt special for us. There was no line, no other crying kids and parents waiting impatiently. Just me and my mom and Elliott, the photographer and a very nice Santa. We laughed and had a great time. Poor Elliott was falling asleep in the buggy, but he was a good sport and didn't even cry at all. It was really special and a memory I will always have. Each year when we get out the photos, I will smile as I remember Elliott's first time visiting Santa and how excited I was about the countdown to his first Christmas.

Exhausted

My first week of back to work is done. I am so lucky to have found such an amazing environment to be working in and it has made the transition so much easier. Leaving Elliott each morning is tough. Yesterday, he slept as I got ready and then stayed asleep so that I did not get to have awake time with him before I had to leave. Aunt Tina was here for her first day with him and I had trouble leaving without waking him up first. But knowing that I am leaving him with my mom and my sister make it easier too. The days at school are busy and I am getting used to pumping at work. Everyone has been so welcoming and kind and I can't wait for them to meet Elliott. I think about him all day long. I look at the little boys and wonder what he will be like when he is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6....will he like soccer, will he ride the trikes or play in the dirt? Will he be kind, sensitive, caring, and friendly? The possibilities for who he will be and what he will like are endless and so exciting. At the end of the day I rush home to see him. Can't wait to hold him and play with him...just look at him and love him. At the end of the day I am exhausted. But I save every last bit of energy to be there for him. To give him what he needs. Because, at the end of the day, he needs me and being a mommy is my most important job.