Giving Thanks

Today is Elliot's first Thanksgiving. It was just the three of us and it felt a little weird not to be with family. But we did have a very nice meal. Since our kitchen is packed for our move next weekend, we went to the Mansion at Judge's Hill here in Austin for a beautiful holiday lunch. Elliot enjoyed garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with apples and cranberry relish. He didn't really like the sea bass or lamb, but he thought the turkey gravy and ham were tasty. Hard to eat with only two teeth but he managed. I loved the green bean casserole. Like most southern dishes it's not too good for you but very delicious.

We are thankful for a lot this year. A healthy, beautiful boy, family we adore, moving next week to a new home, jobs we enjoy, the means to buy things we need. We are grateful to have so many blessings in our everyday life.

Eight Months Old

Today Elliot had his 8-month well-check. Dr. Hargrave said he is doing great. His weight is up to 19 lbs, 6 oz and he is 28½ inches tall. He is in the 50th-75th percentile for everything. He only had to have one shot today and cried for just a minute. Good news for Elliot… he can start eating baby yogurt and a lot of what we eat mashed into pieces he can handle. He is much more interested in our food now than his bland baby food so this should make him very happy. We are still trying the sippy cup with no luck yet, but Dr. H said to keep trying. He still only has his front two bottom teeth, but Dr. H said his top two are ready to come out any day now.

This past weekend we had a special treat when Grandee and Hoppa came to visit for five days. We loved having them here. They took Elliot for walks, to the park to swing, fed him, changed him, loved on him and played with him. He was thankfully over his cold by the time they arrived so he was his usual self during their visit. Drew often tells me that he misses his parents and wishes we could see them more, so it was really nice to have them here.

Drew and I were spoiled because Deedee cooked for us the entire time, and she and David both helped us pack. They must have packed half our house. Yes, we are finally moving… hooray! We found a house in a family neighborhood in Southwest Austin, and move December 2nd. We are happy to be leaving our campus house behind. Now we welcome the quiet burbs with room to move around. Our new place is within walking distance to parks, swimming pools, walking trails and a pond for Abby to swim. We couldn’t be moving at a better time because Elliot is just learning to crawl. It’s just a matter of time before he really takes off, and our new place is much more baby friendly.

We have no big plans for Thanksgiving. Our families were just here, and since our kitchen is mostly packed up we will try to find a Thanksgiving buffet at a downtown hotel. Not too homey for Elliot’s first turkey day, but it will be convenient and give us the holiday weekend to move boxes over to our new place. The real fun will be in about five weeks when we go to Ouray for Christmas. We are really looking forward to getting home to the mountains, snow and family. We can’t wait.

New things for Elliot these past few weeks:

• He is creeping quickly and gets up on his hands & knees to rock… crawling is coming very soon
• Talking a lot and very loud but no consonant sounds yet
• Likes to take Abby’s bone away from her
• After not wanting the binkie for many months, he’s into it again now
• Shy around new faces
• Laughs at puppets and talking stuffed animals
• Grins very big and gets really excited when dad comes home from work
• Has a designer wardrobe now thanks to YaYa and Buzza

First Cold

Elliot is discovering that life has its ups and downs. Last week we tried Gymboree for the third time. This time instead of crying less he cried more - pretty much through the entire class. Because Drew and I don't want to torture our kid, or all the other babies who laugh when we play the parachute game, we've decided to take a break from Gymboree for a few months. We're not sure what about it he doesn't like, but crying probably means he isn't enjoying it!

Elliot also had his first cold this week. No fun at all! Poor baby had to forego Halloween and instead withstand nose drops, steam baths, Vicks VapoRub, and his least favorite - the suction bulb. He's on the upswing though and will hopefully be better by next week.

In happier news, Drew and I are thrilled because we got a new bed! Our old bed was a 10-year-old burned-out mattress set that was totally uncomfortable and hardly worth its weight in bedsprings. Our new set is a roomy king size that is firm and fluffy in all the right places. We love it. Elliot and I took a nap on it this afternoon and it was heavenly.

Last weekend Mom and John came for a visit. Unfortunately Elliot and I were under the weather, but it was really great to see them. Elliot was happy to give them lots of snuggles. Nana could not help but stock Elliot's wardrobe while she was here. She also cooked and cared for us like she always does. It was soooo appreciated and we were very sad to see them go.

Today we made a nostalgic discovery. We saw a sign for The Spicy Pickle sandwich shop near campus and wondered if it was the same Spicy Pickle that we loved in Denver. It is! Keep Austin Weird is the local slogan which means Support Local Businesses, but I have to say it was a nice little surprise to see our fave sandwich shop in Denver open up down here in Austin. Even though it's not a homegrown joint, it really is better than local favorite Thundercloud Subs in my opinion. And those pickles are spicy... yum!