Socks: gifted - The Children's Place

Tights: BabyWalz

Cardigan: handknit by my wonderful Aunt !

Onesie: gifted - Carters

getting some knitting done-  I would like to knit a pretty little case for my new camera !  I am not sure if I will embroider it, work some cables into it, fair isle ??!! I think this one looks pretty cute.  But instead of crothet (like the one pictured below) I will be knitting one !

upacking - because Robert is gone a lot of the week, I have been unpacking everything on my own.  This is super hard with a newborn !  While I have the majority of our flat unpacked, we still have about 5 boxes of things (some of Elodie's things  and some craft supplies) that need to be unpacked.

taking oodles of pictures - I have only had my camera for four days and have already taken a couple hundred photographs and have filmed a bit of video footage as well !  I hope to keep my camera near me at all times and capture those special moments.  Aren't they all special though ??!  YES, but I hope to capture lots !

finishing Elodie's curtains - I am sewing curtains for Elodie's room.  I have them finished for the most part, but I just have to finish hemming the bottom.  After that,  then they will be completed and ready to hang up !
writing in Elodie's baby book - First of all, I need to FIND it.  After moving, I cannot find her baby book anywhere !!!  I still need to write in it for her 2nd month and this third month !!!  I have been keeping notes however of things that have happened for when I do finally find it in one of those boxes !

seeing friends - my friend Jeni is moving back to Ireland at the end of this month and I am super sad.  We have been friends all through our pregnancies and her little girl (Charlotte) is one and a half months younger than Elodie.  And so, we have been trying to spend lots of time together this month before she leaves.

walking - The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately.  The sun has been shining and the weather is in the low 30's.  I always carry Elodie in my baby björn when we go out to do something, but because she is getting so heavy I think we need to purchase a new carrier - and soon !  Any suggestions for a larger baby ??!

time with Robert - Robert and I really try to cherish all of the time we have together.  And so, I look forward to the evenings that he will be home with us.

Elodie's Favorite Spaces and Places

Mama's Lap - Elodie loves to sit up against my knees and look up at me.  I could sing a hundred songs to her while she is facing me like this and she would never get bored.  She ''goooo's and ooooo's'' the entire time I sing almost as if she is singing with me.  The way she 'sings' is much different than when she talks or yells.  It sounds very 'songlike'.  It's adorable !!!  

Her Playmat -   See that frog there.  Well, his name is fred and he is Elodie's absolute favorite stuffed animal.  She could gaze at him until late hours in the night.  She loves to suck on his toes and face !!  I can remember the first time she put his foot in her mouth.  She was in shock by the texture and made the sweetest face !!!  All three of these guys are her entertainment for the day.  They sing songs to her (it's really me, but she thinks it's them ;)) and she loves them !  So let me introduce these three to you:  Fred der Frosch (frog) whom you have already been introduced to, Steffi Spiegel (mirror), and Frank der Fisch (fish) !

The Changing Table - Elodie is always full of smiles when she gets her diaper changed.  We usually let her lay naked and without a diaper for a few minutes after changing each diaper.  I am sure she could stay this way for a very long time if allowed !  I think though, that we would have way too many accidents if we did this !  Don't get me wrong, leaving a baby naked for a few minutes makes it innevitable that we still have a few, but, they are all in good fun !  She enjoys it anyway !!!

The Bathroom - she also adores being in the bathroom.  I think it's because we give her a bath every evening and it's definitely her favorite part of the day.  But, she could be screaming and most times taking her into the bathroom does the trick.  I think it's a super calming environment for her and she has such great feelings when it comes to being in the bathroom. 

Oh, and the Suebali (her nickname; what I call her) just woke up.  And now she will be in her most favorite place.  My Arms.

Co-Sleeping

Before Elodie was born, we wanted to be a co-sleeping family.  In the beginning, we planned on partially co-sleeping by having a co-sleeping bed that latched onto our bed for her .  This didn't last long.  It was so much easier to lay her next to me in bed for nursing purposes and for Elodie's comfort.  She loves to sleep next to my body and loves to snuggle.  Many nights, I will wake up and her arm and legs will be wrapped around me.  It is the sweetest thing and I love that she loves to be so close.  She is a great sleeper and wakes up two or so times in the night to nurse and falls asleep following her nightly meals.

Waking up to my husband and sweet Elodie Sue is beyond perfect.

Co-sleeping works amazingly for us. We love to snuggle our little babe and have her close to us in the night.  Co-sleeping isn't for everyone, that's for sure. But it works perfectly for us.

Together

Well hello there old friends !  We have been really busy this past month with moving into our new flat and all !  We are beyond happy to be where we are and feel we will be here for a while.

I haven't blogged for quite a while because of the move and one huge reason: my camera broke (oh no!)  Finally today though, we ventured out into the windy cold and purchased a new camera !

It was quite a busy day today.  Robert was gone for only four hours the entire day.  This is a huge blessing, because he is usually gone Monday-Saturday (Sunday is his only day off) from 9am-midnight.  So, lets just say we don't get to see very much of his face.  And boy, does it lead to missing him lots and lots.  Days like this, where he is home most of the day are very special and are always charished.

Elodie woke Robert and I up shortly after 7am.  We snuggled in bed together and then ventured into the living room where I made coffee and breakfast for the two of us.  Elodie snuggled against my breast and ate her own breakfast.  We all snuggled on the couch together before leaving and played with little Suebali for a while before leaving.

It was a great outing.  Although it was cold, we were happy to get out of the flat for a while and enjoy time outside together.  Elodie is usually pretty happy to be outside and view the world outside of our home.  And so, she had a great time as well.  She was awake for most of the time and had lots of fun seeing new things and experiencing new smells all around her !  She fell asleep on the way home from such stimulation and exhaustion !

I finished knitting my Owlet even !!!  I knit a slong sleeved version for next winter when she is a year old and loved it so much that I had to knit another !  I basically re-wrote the entire pattern so that it could fit Elodie and it fits perfectly !  It looks adorable with a long sleeved shirt underneath and keeps her super warm !

I also knit the Andrea's Shawl pattern out of some 100% bamboo yarn.  Oh MAN is this yarn lucious !!! I couldn't have made a better choice for this shawlette !  It reminds me of a down comforter; it will keeps you super warm in the winter, but is still so breathable that it will keep me nice and cool in the spring while still looking fashionable !  I will definitely be knitting more of these !  Thank you Nicole for the inspiration!!!

I even made a homemade apple pie !!! It has got to be my favorite pie and turns out amazing every single time !!!

We spend the rest of the day snuggling and spending quality time together.  It feels so amazing to be a family of three.  My husband is the most amazing man to me and we have the most wonderful baby for us.  I couldn't be happier nor could I feel more lucky than I am right now.

I'll be back soon !

Don't worry, I'm still around.  I know I have been quiet, but I have good reason.  We were in the midst of a big move last month and it took a lot of me !

Finding the time to blog has been quite hard !  I hope to resume back to my normal blogging self next week !  I hope you didn't forget about me !

Two Months Old

You are two months old today pretty little girl !!!

You actually suck on your thumb every now and then.  But you often stick it a little too far back and gag on it.  It's kind of hilarious.   You make the funniest face when it happens and it's entirely adorable.  I know that probably sounds like the most twisted thing ever, but if you saw it you would understand ;)

You love to be cuddled and you still need to suck on my breast when you fall asleep. In the middle of the night if you wake up, you reach out your arms to feel if I am still there.  It I am too far to reach, you will cry.  It's so adorable that you want me so near.  You almost refuse your pacifier now and rarely suck on it.  I guess my breast is much warmer and more comfy. 

You rang in your first new year with your Aunt Peggy, Uncle Ilia, Uncle Ilia's brother, Elias, mama and papa !!  Happy New Years everyone !!!

Oh and by the way, I totally wore the shirt Elodie is wearing when I was a baby :)

 

Owlet

Oh Elodie Sue do I have a pretty knit in store for you !!!  I received three skeins of silk linen yarn from my parents this Christmas (I know you're jealous!)

I decided it would be the perfect yarn for a fall-time sweater for our little Bohne next Autumn !  I am knitting her the Owlet sweater, which I absolutely adore !  This sweater ranges in sizes six months to twelve years old !!! I can definitely see that Elodie will have a couple of these as she grows !!  Aren't they adorable ??!

I am already up to the underarms and am knitting the sleeves !!!  This yarn is so much fun to work with and the pattern is quite straightforward and easy !

But let me tell you this, I cannot get my projects finished nearly as quickly as I could before the little one was around !  And that's definitely okay by me :)

eight weeks old

Hello pretty girl. You are eight weeks old today !  And you must be excited about it, because last night you would not go to sleep until almost 1am !  Your daddy turned on the hall light and opened the door just slightly so that you could see.  He talked to and played with you until you were too tired to take any more.  You talked and kicked his hands over and over.  He loves to touch your feet all of the time.  Even when you don't want it.  But he can't help it: he thinks they're the sweetest toe-sios ever !  I think so too !!

Your normal sleep schedule is going to sleep at 10pm, waking up around 4-4:30am, eating, and then sleeping until we wake up !  You have to sleep in bed with us and cannot really sleep in your co sleeper.  You like the warmth of our bodies and the nearness of us.  I lay you high up on the bed so that your head is near ours and you have your own blanket.  This way you are safe and cozy.  Your daddy and I snuggle over on his side and you mostly hog half of the bed !

While you used to hate being in your stroller, you really like it now !  You mostly go out in the stroller though when your daddy and I take you for walks.  Whenever we go anywhere, I always take you in the baby björn.  You love it, but sometimes get quite sweaty being so close with such warm clothing on !  But you love to be outside in the fresh air all the same !

You have changed so so much since being born and we love watching you grow :)

a very merry christmas

How is everyone feeling after their Holiday weekend ??!  Good I hope !!!  We had such a wonderful Christmas celebration and I hope that you did too !! We spent our day at Robert's sister's house.  She also lives in Berlin and everyone thought that with Elodie being so little that it would be best to celebrate Christmas close to our home rather then spend a few hours traveling with the little one. 

Sadly, this year is the last year that Elias (Elodie's seven year old cousin) will believe there is a Santa Claus.  He kept asking his mom whether or not Santa was real.  He told her that all of the kids at school were saying that their parents really put the presents under the tree and Santa Claus was just pretend.  She responded by telling him that he should decide for himself.  And while he came to the conclusion that he didn't believe in Santa Claus, he still talked about Santa almost the entire time as though he were real.  I think he just didn't want to feel stupid around his friends and say he believed, when really he did.

It is so magical to see Christmas through the eyes of a child.  This year and last we saw it through the eyes of Elias and now we get to share it with our sweet Elodie.  It was the most wonderful feeling to have her and my sweet husband by my side the entire evening.  

Here are a few snippets from our celebration together:

 

I hope you too had a very merry Christmas spent with the ones you love.