looking back at baby elise part 2: montessori mobiles

Elise turns one in a month!!!  Over the next few weeks, I'm going to celebrate by posting some of my favorite memories of her first months that I haven't shared on itty bitty love.  :)

black and white circles mobile

Elise's age: birth to 5 weeks

Notes:  I used a paper punch to cut lots of circles out of black and white paper.  Then, I sewed the circles into long strands with my sewing machine, and tied them to a wire hoop that Hubs made.

   

This was one of Elise and my favorite mobiles because the slightest movement of air made the circles dance!

the munari mobile

Elise's age:  birth to 5 weeks

Notes:  I followed this tutorial.  I made the shapes from felt - which I would not recommend!  Although they looked nice, they were heavy, and this is a seriously tricky mobile to balance.  The sphere I chose was a glass ornament found on ebay.

Elise and Hubs sleeping under the Munari mobile on our first day home from the hospital - Elise is only two days old!  Oh, how I love these people!!!

the octahedron mobile

Elise's age:  5-8 weeks

Notes:  This mobile was the easiest of all the mobiles to make!  I followed this tutorial.  With my mom's help, we put it all together in less than 2 hours.  I found the metallic card stock in the scrap-booking section of Micheal's. 

 

the gobbi mobile

Elise's age:  8 weeks and beyond!

Notes:  I used these instructions.  My mom and I spent an entire day making this mobile.  We even dyed the wool ourselves with Kool-Aid!  We attached eye screws to the wool spheres (they easily twisted into the felt), and then tied the string to them.  I've since taken this mobile apart, and we've been using the balls in other activities!

Although it isn't a mobile, I wanted to include this beautiful black and white quilt my mom made Elise.  At first, we hung it over the edge of her bassinet - Elise is 3 days old in this photo.  Later, it became a perfect spot for tummy time!

If you're feeling very pregnant and full of nesting energy, I would highly recommend making any of these mobiles!  I was so glad I had a little selection for Elise's first months of life. 

busy hands - baby edition

...and busy feet, since Elise has been doing everything standing up or walking lately!

 pulling yellow treasures

out of a yellow bag

 

cruising around the house

with the walker wagon

 

cruising around the house

without the walker wagon(!)

Elise absolutely loves this jar of wooden spools

(Sometimes she puts a few back in

rather than just taking them all out!)

helping plant peas in the raised bed

(Elise didn't actually put any seeds in the ground, 

but she was adamant about holding the seed packets!)

exploring a treasure box

full of objects that rattle

a closer look inside 

the treasure box

picnicking along the Yellowstone River

with friends

(The adults ate cheese, watermelon and chocolate.  The babies mostly ate sand!)

Hope you find a patch of sunshine this week - it sure has been rainy around here!

looking back at baby elise part one: nature baby meets mr. universe

Elise turns one in a little more than a month!!!  Over the next few weeks, I'm going to celebrate by posting some of my favorite memories of her first months that I haven't shared on itty bitty love.  :)

 

When Elise was two weeks old, we took her on a hike to Pine Creek Falls.  At the time, she didn't like riding in wraps or slings, but we were desperate to get out and do something, so Hubs carried her, sleeping, in her car seat.  It's only a two mile hike, but it was hot and Hubs thought his arms were going to fall off.  (Not to mention, I had just given birth to a 9 lb 2 oz baby, and had spent the past several months before that eating A LOT of ice cream!)  Anyway, I was right in the middle of teasing Hubs about how buff his biceps were going to be, when who do we cross paths with?  The muscle man himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Random.  Judging by how sweaty and breathless he was, we figured The Arnold was pretty impressed that Hubs was hauling a baby in a car seat around the woods!

Well, nearly a year has gone by, and we made it back to Pine Creek Falls this past weekend.  No celebrity encounters, but Elise road in a backpack instead of a car seat, and she was awake the whole hike, soaking it all up.  When we got to the falls, she ate cheese and cucumbers, and WALKED all around picking up sticks and rocks.  I am completely in awe of how much she's changed in a year.  Human development is amazing right?  My sweet little babe is growing up so fast - sigh - but I am truly savoring every moment of this adventure!

Hasta la vista, baby!

on the shelves - 10 months

 rings on a post

This wooden ring stacker comes with six rings in three different sizes.  

Elise started with one ring, and now she's stacking two!

 discovery bottles

Elise loves to shake things, and these bottles are visually interesting when shook.  

(left to right) colored water and dish soap, water and aluminum foil pieces, colored water and oil

 classified vocabulary: pets

According to Maria Montessori, when we talk to our ten month old, "the baby realizes that these words are meant for him, and he begins to grasp that we are saying them intentionally." (The Absorbent Mind)

 textured fabric basket

This basket holds squares of fleece, vinyl, satin, and mesh - all red, so that Elise can focus on texture.  I saw this on At Home with Montessori, and E has enjoyed exploring these fabrics for the past few months.  

The large squares are perfect for playing peek-a-boo! 

insect art cards

Elise continues to love Wee Gallery art cards.  
Now that the weather is getting nice, we're actually seeing some of these insects in our yard!  

 a jar of balls

I made this in and out activity with an empty peanut butter jar and five wooden balls.  The wooden balls are from this activity, but Plan Toys also sells sets of five balls for $5. 
(I know because I emailed the company to ask about replacements!)

a (partially) handmade gift

  I love giving handmade gifts to friends, but not only is it hard to find the time, sometimes it's a challenge to find the right pattern and materials, too.   Inspiration hit me last week, and I put together this partially handmade gift for our friend Ezra's first birthday.  I like how it turned out so much, I think I'm going to make one for Elise, too! 

nest - knitted and felted following this pattern and using wool scraps from my yarn stash
eggs - snugglemonkey (etsy)
robin - Folkmanis