Mmmm... mush. YUM!

Today I made Elliott a teensy bowl of rice cereal- not so much with the
expectation of him eating it... but rather as a little practice for when he does.
You might even call it a dress rehearsal, complete with costume! Kinda.

Mmmm... mush. YUM!

1. I quickly learned that he prefers to be in charge of his own spoon...

2. I also learned that letting this kid loose with a spoon
necessitates a good bib.

3. The finale... in which Elliott eats his bib, and... *drumroll please*

LAUGHS!

Because I can't wait around for Todd Selby forever...

Elliott Dahl is one month old...

Summer afternoon...

My baby Dahl...

Here he is!

Elliott Dahl Claassen arrived last week Wednesday, and is just as lovely and sweet as anyone could ever hope to be.

We are head over heels in love with our little man, and he seems to be pretty happy too.

In fact, (it could be all the surges of oxytocin running through my body but...) I think Elliott has made me fall in love with just about everything again.

My family, my home... LIFE! He epitomizes it and makes it seem just that much more amazing.

He's like a living, breathing love letter to life. He's made mine feel precious and complete.

Complete with the ocassional ET joke and lots of reminding people who Roald Dahl is too...

Go, Elliott! :)

Yes, I have a countdown clock...

123 Days seems so far away! Although, I'm trying to appreciate this calm before the storm. No diapers, no crying, no spit-up... but every day I get more and more uncomfy and it gets harder and harder to sleep. And I feel like I get to know this baby better and better. There are definite routines happening in there now, and I'm starting to anticipate the sounds that will and won't initiate cartwheels in my tummy. Kicking and punching is much more forceful, and direct sunlight is a new favorite thing in womb-land.

When I'm feeling gigantic, cumbersome, achey, and irritable, I open up the little drawer full of teeny tiny t-shirts, pants, diapers, and socks- and it puts things into perspective again. I only have 123 days of selfish one on one with this little person, before world and outside and danger and element and people become a reality for him or her. Right now it's just heartbeats, warmth, tummy rubs, familiar voices sending it love, and the occasional sunbeam.

Things I miss...

As much as I adore the little wiggle worm in my tummy, I'll be awfully happy to cuddle it in my arms instead.

In the meantime, I miss...

- Not having to do a little jig just to get my pants over my butt
- Doing dishes, or walking past restaurants without gagging
- Vacuuming without needing a nap afterwards
- Having a belly button
- Laying on my tummy if I feel like it
- Laying on my back without feeling crushed
- Having energy
- Pants with buttons and zippers
- Walking up stairs without breathing like a fish out of water
- Reaching my legs to shave them
- Reaching my toenails to paint them
- I miss SLEEP
- I miss normal clothes
- I miss brushing my teeth without throwing up in the process
- I miss not having a ton of saliva and snot
- Being able to breath with my mouth closed
- The occasional espresso
- Staying up past 10 PM without feeling like death the next day
- Peeing like a normal human
- Feeling like I was in control of my bladder and bowel system
- Walking for more than 5 minutes without feeling dizzy
- Bending over to pick something up
- My memory
- My abdominal muscles (this refers to sitting up, rolling over, getting out of bed without help or groaning)
- My small boobs
- My favorite bra that no longer fits :(
- My underwear fitting correctly
- Feeling cute when I get ready in the morning
- My favorite pair of jeans
- Having an appetite and room in my abdomen for food
- Taking a very hot bath
- Not being in constant pain
- Not being able to smell absolutely everything
- Being able to bend over!
- Being comfortable for more than 10 minutes at a time

End rant.

The Manifesto of Encouragement

This is such a refreshing way to think... and a really lovely way to start the day. And yes, I'm shamelessly including a picture of my little alien friend too because lately I associate all happy, hopeful things with my baby.



The Manifesto of Encouragement, by Danielle LaPorte

Right now:
There are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness.
Someone you haven't met yet is already dreaming of adoring you.
Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that will change how you look at life.
Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God's children.
A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, "nourish them."
Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you. Someone is willing to lend you money, wants to know what your favourite food is, and treat you to a movie. Someone in your orbit has something immensely valuable to give you -- for free.
Something is being invented this year that will change how your generation lives, communicates, heals and passes on.
The next great song is being rehearsed.
Thousands of people are in yoga classes right now intentionally sending light out from their heart chakras and wrapping it around the earth.
Millions of children are assuming that everything is amazing and will always be that way.
Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they'll be thriving like never before. They just can't see it from where they're at.
Someone who is craving to be partnered, to be acknowledged, to ARRIVE, will get precisely what they want -- and even more. And because that gift will be so fantastical in it's reach and sweetness, it will quite magically alter their memory of angsty longing and render it all "So worth the wait."
Someone has recently cracked open their joyous, genuine nature because they did the hard work of hauling years of oppression off of their psyche -- this luminous juju is floating in the ether, and is accessible to you.
Someone just this second wished for world peace, in earnest.
Someone is fighting the fight so that you don't have to.
Some civil servant is making sure that you get your mail, and your garbage is picked up, that the trains are running on time, and that you are generally safe. Someone is dedicating their days to protecting your civil liberties and clean drinking water.
Someone is regaining their sanity. Someone is coming back from the dead. Someone is genuinely forgiving the seemingly unforgivable. Someone is curing the incurable.