Baby Check: 2 months

I know everybody says it and I know it's cliche....but 2 months already???  Where has time gone?

During the 2nd month of life things slowed down...a little bit.  We still had some visitors and mama started taking you out on more and more errands.  You also made your first road trip to Topeka and loved it!  You were officially hired as mama's coach and have been on quite a few runs.   You also had quite a few firsts!  You gave your first real smile to daddy on August 11th.  This also happened to be the day of your first major diaper blowout which led to your first real bath.

Please don't let him stick that snot-sucker up my nose again!

For a good week daddy was the only one who could get you to crack a smile, but pretty soon you started to think mama was kind of funny too.  You also survived your first illness which may or may not have been related to your first week of Kappa recruitment.  You are definitely recognizing mama and daddy's faces and usually give us some pretty good smiles when you see us.  Your personality is developing every day and it is so fun to see the little boy you are growing up to be.  We thank Jesus everyday that he created such a sweet little boy and entrusted you to our care.  We're doing the best we can to love you and teach you and help you grow.  Love you little man.

Hurry up mom, my head is getting heavy!

And I'm spent.

At two months you:
- Smile.  A lot :)
- Laugh....mainly at your daddy.
- Recognize mom and dad's faces and usually give us smiles when you see us.
- Are happiest right after you've eaten.
- Coo and gurgle and make all sorts of funny noises.
- Poop like a MAN - red face, leg lifted, grunting and all.
- Have upgraded to the bath tub.  And you LOVE the water.  Yay!
- Get cranky when you're tired and mad when you're hungry.  Just like your mama :)
- Have some pipes!  When you're mad, you can get loud!
- LOVE hanging out with your BFF - Fan.  Mom, dad and every toy in the world could disappear as long as you have the ceiling fan. 
- Survived your first illness.  Viral stomatitis made you a feverish, sleepy baby who had no appetite for about 5 days, but you rebounded like a champ.
- Don't love tummy time, but you're getting stronger every day!
- Never stop moving!  Your legs kick and arms punch almost constantly.
- Enjoy looking out the window, laying on your boppy, watching your waterfall, reading books, singing songs, and dancing.
- LOVE your mobile.  You will lay and stare and laugh at your mobile longer than anything else....except Fan.
- Have found your hands.  You suck on them, stare at them and have learned to open and close them.  When mama and daddy hold you over our shoulder, you like to 'scratch' our backs :)
- Are awake and alert much more throughout the day.  You are also able to entertain yourself for much longer periods which means mama has no excuse to not empty the dishwasher.
- You eat every four hours during the day - 6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm and 9 pm.  In between feedings you mainly like to play, but sometimes like to fuss.
- Naps?  Take 'em or leave 'em.  
- Have worked and worked to sleep longer at night.  You built up to about 6.5 hours before you got sick, but then dropped back down to 4.5 hours for a while.  Then....two nights ago...bam!  7.5 hours.  And last night?  8 hours.  Please, oh please, let this sleep pattern be here to stay!

Getting so big!

Sweet Eli, you are constantly growing and learning and changing.  Just when we think we have you figured out, you give us something new to learn.  You are no longer a newborn even though you still have that sweet itty-bitty-baby cry.  We love that you are becoming more interactive and can't wait to watch you continue to grow.  We love you baby boy.

2 month Stats: 
Weight: 11 lb. 7 oz - 40%
Length: 23.5 in - 70%
Head:  39.3 cm - 30%