Soliciting Advice

I have decided it is time to start asking my loyal blog readers for some mothering advice. I have read lots of books on how to take care if an infant and I have discovered that sometimes life experiences of real people are sometimes more valuable than experts in a book.

1. Elisabeth is fussy every night between 8 - 11 p.m. and most of the time we can not console her. What have you done for the daily fussy time of your children that has worked?

2. Elisabeth LOVES to be held. So much that I struggle to get anything done during the day and to get her to take a good long nap so I can nap. As soon as we put her down in her cradle, swing, etc., she is up again, crying to be picked up. I have a nice Moby wrap that she likes...only some of the time. How soon should I let her learn to self-soothe or cry it out? Any advice to get her to be content being put down?

Thanks in advance for your advice. I am willing to try new things to keep her healthy and happy.

Tender Moments

Elisabeth having a tender moment with her Papa. Look at the size of that mouth!
She was smiling and laughing here and is looking right into his eyes.

Doing homework with Mama.

Cuddling with Grandma Carol.

Snuggling with Papa...Probably the sweetest vision I have ever seen!

Elisabeth's favorite position after a good feeding.

What's in a name?

Many people have been asking why we chose the name we did for our little girl. Here are some of our thoughts:

Elisabeth: Having just lost my second baby to an ectopic around Christmastime 2006, I spent a lot of time trying to find answers in the scriptures as to why we couldn't seem to have children. I was deeply touched reading the account of Elisabeth and Zachariah and their desire to have a child. I decided then and there that if we had a girl, she would be named Elisabeth and if we had a boy, he would have John in his name (after Elisabeth's son and my grandpa).

Why the Brittish spelling? That is simple. The Brittish spelling allows us to use different nicknames than those usually associated with the American spelling of Elizabeth. I am not a fan of the name "Liz" for a little girl. I figured having her name spelled with an "S" would eliminate people's need to call her Liz. Furthermore, I love the name Eliisa (Finnish spelling) and I thought that was what we would eventually call her.

Lance has already started to call her Ellie. It fits somehow. I prefer Elisabeth...never being a fan of nicknames myself. So, she is her Papa's Ellie and her Mama's Elisabeth.

Sidenote: After waking up into a drugged state after my ectopic emergency surgery, I told Lance we were going to have twins someday and I was going to name them Elisabeth and Darcy. I think he was a little relieved when we found out we were only expecting one...Not sure he is as big of a Jane Austen fan as I am.

Dorothy: Dorothy was my mom's name and she wanted grandbabies more than any person I have ever met. She would have throughly enjoyed Miss Elisabeth and would have cuddled, spoiled and loved our baby girl. Though far from perfect, my mom had a good heart, a wonderful sense of humor, Christlike compassion and devoted her life to her children. I hope Elisabeth cultivates these good qualities in her life as she grows. I also hope she feels a connection to her Grandma Dorothy who loves her dearly from above.

Elisabeth: first week mélange

Some of our friends and family asked for more photos of Elisabeth. We can't get enough of her, either! And so, with no more ado. . .

Lance prepares Ellie to leave the hospital

She's dressed for action

Mama and daughter

Rolling to the car

Hello doggie

Snuggle time

Getting ready for the first sponge bath

Mom, is this really necessary?

Whew! Done at last.

Sofi meets Ellie

We brought Elisabeth home from the hospital on Tuesday, May 6. Sofi welcomed her new baby sister home. Look at her tail wag!

New arrival

She's here! Mom and baby are doing well. We were moved into a recovery room Sunday afternoon with only one bed, and so I came home that night to sleep and post some pics. Enjoy!

Elisabeth

May 4, 2008, 7:49 a.m.

7 lbs. 3 oz.

18.75"

Dr. Kaminskas, Kristi, and Elisabeth (bottom left)

Nesting Projects

I have had a burst of energy earlier this week and wanted to list all of the things I accomplished. I must be getting close to having this baby because my desire to do any more "nesting" has decreased and I am now just wanting to watch movies and relax.

• Cleaned out my fridge: Threw away any expired food/condiments, took out all of the drawers and shelves and washed them until they were sparkling clean.
• Cooked and froze meals: I figured there would be a time after Lance returns to work and Carol goes home when I would still want dinner to be an easy affair. So, we have at least four meals frozen and ready to go in our freezer.
• Scrubbed my kitchen cupboards.
• Washed bedroom curtains.
• Cleaned the windows: I only finished the kitchen and the master bedroom windows but I did do both the inside and outside panes.
• Washed all the laundry in our house: I think I have done loads upon loads of laundry these past few days. This includes the whole garbage sack of baby clothes I purchased at garage sales and any clothing/bedding gifts we have received from friends. I love the smell of Dreft! Everything is packed away, sorted by age or folded in its rightful drawer. (Thank you Jennifer B. for your help with this again!)
• Baked Brownies: Butterscotch, marshmellow, meltaway brownies. Yum.
• Framed and hung up pictures in the nursery: I ordered some Beatrix Potter prints off of eBay and then ordered special mats to match our color scheme. Hanging them was a little more challenging as I did this without Lance's assistance. Luckily, my friend Jennifer B. came over to help again. Now our baby will have Hunca Munca and Peter Rabbit to stare at from her crib.
• Cleaned out my car: This was a task in itself as I tend to "store" stuff in the back.
• Washed baby bottles, pacifiers, etc.

Our hospital bags are packed, sitting near the front door. I am almost done writing my long-overdue thank you notes and we have found a good pediatrician. We practice our breathing exercises every night and doggie-care is all set for Miss Sofi. Ready when you are, baby girl. Please come sooner than later. We are finally ready!