Can I just say...

I LOVE BABY ELISE! I'm not the biggest fan of newborns. Yes, they are very sweet and provide many tender moments of awe and amazement...However, they cry a lot, are hard to read and don't fill your day with tons of smiles and giggles. Some of you might remember the days back in April or so when, as my friend Nora so affectionately puts it, I sounded "like I was going to kill [my]self". :) Those tough days are behind me and I can finally see myself possibly- in the distant, distant future, having more children.

Elise is 7 months old now. I think this is my absolute favorite baby stage. She's happy, learning, enjoying life, and can't get into everything yet!

What I love about Elise right now:

1. I love her chubby cheeked, dimpled filled smiles!
2. I love that she almost always wakes up happy, even if we have to wake her up early for some reason.
3. I love that she just laughs and laughs at her big sister.
4. I love that she laughs every time I pretend to nibble on her cheek or neck. It's a ritual for me now to nibble her chin or neck before I lay her down to sleep. With her eyes closed and binky in her mouth, I see, hear, and feel her giggling.
5. I love that she loves her momma. She looks for me and is happiest when with me. (Now, of course while this makes me feel special - it has it drawbacks too.)
6. I love how excited she is to learn new tricks. Recent tricks include: clapping hands, waving, scooting herself on her bottom on the slick kitchen floor, saying "momma", "dadda", "babba", pretend singing, putting her binky in her mouth turned the right way all by herself.
7. I love how I can wrap her up (still swaddling), lay her down and she'll go to sleep all by herself! I remember rocking and rocking Ava to sleep every day. Sometimes Elise needs more singing or for me to lie next to her, but for the most part she's out. She also sleeps more than Ava did - love that.
8. I love how good and happy she is at stores and other places usually, as long as she can watch and see what is going on.
9. I love that I can sit her down for a few minutes with a few toys, which she's enjoying banging together - cause & effect, and she's happy for long enough for me to get something done.
10. I'm loving that she's learning to feed herself - holding her bottle, stuffing cheerios and puffs into her mouth, trying to drink from a cup...
11. I love how chubby and full she feels. It's so fun to cuddle a baby that feels so healthy and robust.
12. I love how much she likes to watch our doggies. She'll reach out & pet them or laugh or smile when she sees one of them.
13. I love how her feet kick really fast when she's excited.
14. I love how even when her nose is running and you know she's sick, she's still fairly happy and in good spirits.
15. I LOVE that I get to be her mommy.