Getting to Know Each Other

We decided to stay put today, in our little apartment, and just get to know our son better. We wanted to allow him some quiet time to just be with us, bond and transition to his new environment.

I woke him up at 7am for his first bottle and decided that this might be my new favorite hour of the day. He was so sleepy and snuggly, burrowing his little head into my chest and wrapping his tiny hand around my finger. I've also discovered that he loves to have me change his diaper and we turn it into a little bonding time, leaving his soft legs bare a bit longer so I can kiss his toes and chubby little thighs. He smiles and reaches for me and we spend a good ten minutes just loving each other. He was very happy this morning, initially, and we had such fun playing together.

He's got two bottom teeth coming in and I think they are causing him some grief. He got a bit fussy mid morning, and refused to eat his morning snack. So, we got him dressed and put him in the Baby Bjorn for a walk around our apartment complex. We stayed inside, but walked up and down the halls of the eight floors, stopping to take in the stunning views of the mountains and the city from several large windows. Eli seemed to enjoy the walking, and we stopped in at the office to introduce him to Luis, the day manager. 

When we returned, we were able to FaceTime with some of my teacher friends at work. It was so nice to be able to introduce them to Eli and hear their familiar voices. He started to fuss again near lunch time and once again refused to eat most of his lunch. I did manage to get him to drink some juice and he went down for his nap around 12:30 with no problem and slept until 2:30pm. 

The afternoon was play time. We read a book, played with his little dog, practiced his crawling across the floor to me (he's getting pretty good!), sang songs, and made funny sounds at each other. We talked to more friends on FaceTime and Skype, the DesJardins and the Whartons, as well. 

Jamie and Eli hung out for a bit before dinner so I could talk with my mom. My grandfather was taken to the hospital last night, so we had a bit of a scare, but he's doing better today and my grandmother is going to stay with my parents until he's ready to be released. Today was my grandma's birthday, so we talked to her as well and Jamie and I sang "Happy Birthday" in harmony over the phone while Eli watched with big eyes. 

We tried to feed Eli again around 5pm and finally had success. He responded to the whole airplane game and managed to eat most of his food and drink some more juice. We had made plans to walk up to the 6th floor around 6pm and visit our new friend Maria Christina with Eli. This was a nice little change of scenery and Eli loved hearing Maria Christina speak me and Maria Christina.

When we returned to the apartment, Jamie began preparing our dinner (which is no small feat in our tiny kitchen!) and I played with Eli on the couch for a good hour or so. We just studied each other and played with his natural rubber squeak toy- Sophie the Giraffe, which also serves as a great teether. When we were packing to come here, I had gone to our pharmacy and asked them what kind of medicines I should have on hand for a 9 month old. (Eli is 9 months old today!) One of the things they recommended was something to help with the discomfort of teething. I found an organic option by Babyganics and brought along two packs of the stuff. Its just a little gel to rub on his gum where the teeth are popping through, but it seemed to help and he was much happier after I dabbed some on those bottom teeth. 

We had a grand time hanging out together until about 7:45, and then I gave him his bottle which he gulped down willingly. He was falling asleep as I changed him for bed and went down quietly at 8pm. Jamie and I sat down around 8:30 for our own dinner and now we are headed to bed until the midnight feeding. We're very curious to see how he does tonight. Hopefully, he won't be quite so scared when he wakes up tonight. 

All in all, it was a very good day. I sort of lose track of time here and fall into just being, which is such an unexpected gift. Being with Eli...such a blessing.