7.5 Months!

These days we are savoring every minute with Eli as he continues to grow into a little boy. I’ve been intending to record (for my own benefit in future years) what our typical day looks like now that I’m at home with Eli full time. Here goes:

6:30-7:00am Wake up and, after a full night’s rest (YAY!), go get Eli from his crib where he has situated himself nicely in the prime position to push his feet against the bumper pads

7:00am Feed! After his feeding we usually hang out on the floor or upstairs while I shower… and he typically is most pleasant in the early morning hours before he has a chance to not nap.

8:00am Eli will eat his cereal and two fruits at this meal. Up to this point, we’ve tried apples, mangoes, bananas, peaches, and prunes—all foods I have prepared except the prunes (ugh. it’s worth it to buy the canned prunes).

9:00-9:15am Eli goes down for his nap, usually with relative ease. He loves Goodnight Moon and I’ve found only a few other books that I can read in their entirety without hi m fussing. Rachel recommended Sandra Boynton books, which he enjoys… but the measure of enjoyment is relatively subjective since he can’t talk to me yet.

11:00am Feed! Usually Eli is up by 10 but sometimes we’ll get a few good days of 1.5-2 hr naps. This is rare, but I’ll often let him lay in his crib and play, fuss, or squeal—sometimes all three—until close to 11. After he eats, I’ll sometimes let him play alone on the floor while I do things around the house. He entertains himself quite well for right now, despite the fact that he’s not crawling yet.

1:00-1:30pm Eli will go down for another nap which is typically as short as his morning nap.

2:30-3:00pm When Eli wakes up from his nap, I’ll feed him again. If I have errands to run, I’ll typically do those at this time since I don’t particularly mind if he falls asleep on the way home. I’ve also found that by this point, I enjoy getting out of the house for a quick errand, a walk, or a more extensive (and financially dangerous!) shopping trip. :-)

5:30pm Eli eats his dinner which consists of rice cereal and two veggies—in the vegetable world, Eli has had avocado, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, and peas. I’ve really enjoyed making his food and watching the process of transforming what we eat on a regular basis into food that he eats (and LOVES!)

6:00pm Daddy’s home! Bathtime around 6 which Eli loves—not in the same way that Claire, my niece, loves the bath. Eli’s enjoyment is a bit more clandestine and subtle. The lack of protest is enough for me to know he’s having a good time.

6:30pm Feed!

7:00pm Eli goes down for the night. Since he has started sleeping through the night, Michael and I both treasure and look forward to this time to catch up, read, or watch movies together. Most recently, I have submissively agreed to watch Band of Brothers with him after three years of holding a foggy memory of falling asleep after episode two. Admittedly, I’m really enjoying them this time around, especially when accompanied with a glass of wine, crackers, and cheese.

Bedtime for us varies but as sure as the sun will rise, we’re up again by 7 the next morning to repeat the process. For my thoughts on the monotony of it all, refer to my previous post. Haha!