amen

Meal time prayer:

Mommy: "Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for all your mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others. Amen."
Daddy: "Amen."
Baby: "Uhm-nya."

The first time it happened, we thought, "What a cute coincidence, the timing, and the sound." The second time it happened, we just looked at each other. But the third time it was pretty clear that Elijah was trying to repeat the word after us. Each time we pray before a meal, he stops doing whatever he is doing, and watches us rather intently. He is obviously recognizing that there's a pattern, and that it always ends with the same word. Should we, perhaps, consider "amen" to be his first word?

legacy

A couple weekends ago we traveled to WA for a family wedding, and Elijah had a chance to meet his great-grandparents on Ryan's side (all the great-grandparents on my side are no longer living).

Great-grandparents Ferguson

Great-grandparents Lindley

Four generations

Just a dressed up baby

say cheese

After feeding Elijah Gerber foods, I decided it was time to make my own. Four dollars bought a TON of veggies at the local Farmer's Market. Armed with some boiling water and a newly purchased 14-cup Cuisinart food processor I set to work. First I made carrots, then butternut squash, then broccoli. But my enthusiasm was short lived. Elijah ate my carrots mixed with applesauce once, but that was it. He emphatically closes his mouth and will not open it (even in the face of suffocating - he has a stuffed nose) neither for carrots, nor squash, nor broccoli. I can understand broccoli - it's kind of bland and Gerber doesn't make it. But carrots and squash are familiar tastes, and I take it personally that he will eat Gerber's but will not eat mine! I may not be an accomplished chef, but I can mash carrots and mix them with water just fine! I am hoping that his lack of interest is at least partially explained by the fact that he is sick and hasn't been feeling particularly hungry lately. However, not all is lost! Elijah did eat my mashed potatoes and pears!

When he is not sick, meal times start with meat or veggies, since these are things he will eat when hungry, but may refuse once a little full. Then comes a little fruit. He only accepts pears. Applesauce, bananas and prunes are out of the question. Finally, when he can't eat any more pears, we bring out yogurt. He loves yogurt! One container of yogurt later, he is pretty much done. Unless... we bring out cheese. There's always space for cheese. And when he refuses cheese, we know he is really really really done. Medium cheddar is his favorite for now, but this is probably because it's also Daddy's favorite, and thus the one that is offered to Elijah most often.

nine months + 48 hours old

The recent posts are a little out of order, but I guess that's how it goes. Here's Elijah's official nine months old picture. We were traveling on the day he turned 9 months, and then we forgot to take a picture the next day, so this one is dated Sep. 13th, but it's close enough.

nine months checkup

Weight: 22 lb 10 oz
Length: 29 inches

No wonder my back and arms hurt from carrying this kid around!

good bye, bumper

Sad day. Elijah is getting bigger, and his crib mattress had to be lowered today. We don't want him to fall out of his crib, so we are taking measures before he figures out how to pull himself up to standing. But that means that his crib bumper had to come off. There's no good way to attach it any more. Such a bummer. Elijah loved his bumper. He would lay there and talk to it and play with the ties. He was always happy to be put in his crib, because the bumper was always there. It was his best night/nap time friend. Sometimes after a nap we'd find him peeking out from under it taking in the world (well, his bedroom). Yet tonight he had to go to bed with the bumper gone. I was concerned he would realize something was different and cry, but he was too tired after a day at a zoo and went right to sleep.

My little baby is growing up! Oh, no! ;o)