looking back at baby elise part 4: first toys

 

6 weeks old (skwish is hanging from a toy hanger)

When Elise was just a tiny babe, I remember waiting with eager anticipation for her to reach out and grab something - anything!  At 10 weeks, she was able to hold a little rattle that we would put in her hands.  I liked the way the rattle would jingle as she moved, but when she dropped it, there was no way for her to pick it up.  I felt like we weren't really setting her up for success, so I just kept watching and waiting...  

 

12 weeks old

Finally, at 12 weeks, Elise reached out and grabbed the skwish!  I was so excited!  The skwish was large enough that she could pick it up even while lying on her back, and it was light with lots of good places to grab - she could pick it up just by snagging the elastic with her little finger.  I liked that it wasn't made of plastic, and that it made an almost musical sound when moved.  Oh, and the best part - according to Elise?  All the little knobs on the ends were just right for sucking!

 15 weeks old

Although we had a good experience with the skwish, I've heard a few bad stories about it, too.  If your baby plays with a skwish, please check it frequently to make sure all the parts are secure!

 19 weeks old

Here are a few more of Elise's first favorite toys:

teether ball
discoverer's meadow fabric ball
arch toy hanger 
flower fairy dangling figure
puzzle ball
kringelring clutching toy
pingi clutching toy
crinkle book
silicone teether rings
wooden grasping beads
black-and-white rattle
sophie the giraffe

opening and closing hinged boxes

Although the weather has been too nice to spend very much time inside, Elise has been enjoying this new opening and closing lesson.  It's quite a bit more challenging than this one - at first I was concerned I'd missed that balance of not too easy/not too hard, but she figured it out! 

One of the biggest challenges is deciding which side of the box will open.  The interesting objects inside encourage Elise to keep trying until she gets it right!

    open the box

take out the object

 put the object back in

close the box

repeat 

(again and again!)

looking back at baby elise part 3: handmade baby

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.  :)
  

A handful of items made from FREE patterns that Elise has used and loved...  

 

 monster pants

ravelry pattern: Das Monster by Hrönn Jónsdóttir

burp cloths

tutorial:  mama says sew

reversible flannel receiving blanket

tutorial: stay-at-home artist

braided balls

ravelry pattern: Gevlochten Bal/Braided Ball by Marleen Hartog

 super simple skirt with lining

tutorial:  Straight Grain

Happy crafting!

one year ago today...

One year ago today, Hubs and I did a little pregnancy photo shoot after work.  I felt like I was about to pop and completely certain that I was going to give birth at any moment.  Little did I know that I still had 23 more days to go - ha!  I'm getting another looking back at baby Elise post ready for Thursday, but I thought it would be fun to take a little look back at myself, too! 

a little tour: e in the living room

Our living room is definitely the heart of our home, the place where we spend most of our indoor time.  From the beginning, Hubs and I knew that we wanted it to be engaging for little people, as-well-as comfortable for us grown ups.  Now that Elise is older and more mobile, we have plans to rearrange.  Before we do that, here's a little peek at how we've had it set up during the first year of Elise's life. 

Where's all your furniture?  Yes, I know it looks a little empty, but when Elise was a few months old and laying on her back and belly, I wanted her to have an unobstructed view of the whole room.  Then, as she began to roll and scoot, all that open space allowed her plenty of freedom to practice her new moves.

The lower shelves of our bookcase have been designated for Elise's books and activities.  Before Elise was mobile, I took things off the shelf for her and she played with them in front of her mirror or on the rug.  As soon as she started rolling, this shelf was her top destination!  

I was going to get rid of our coffee table, but a good friend suggested that I move it against the wall instead.  I'm so glad I took her advice!  The coffee table ended up being one of the first places where Elise practiced pulling up and standing.  Lately, I've been putting a puzzle on top of the table for Elise to stand and take the pieces out of  - she loves doing this!  Underneath the table, there are baskets of diaper supplies, blankets, burp clothes, etc.

A few months ago, we set up a shelf for Elise on the other side of the room, too.  Arranging Elise's activities on shelves keeps everything orderly and appealing, and it's a snap to clean up because everything has its place.  Elise's sense of order is so strong, she notices immediately if something has been changed on one of the shelves.  Also, having the two shelves across the room from each other has really encouraged Elise to move!

Well, that's the tour - now I'm off to start rearranging.  I'm really excited because Hubs and I have decided to turn our tv room into a craft studio!  Woo hoo!!!