Elliot's first trip to the pool

Today Elliot started his first baby swim class and we had lots of fun playing and splashing with the other babies. Elliot looked real brave before going into the water, but was a little more apprehensive once we got in the pool.

Elliot's cool new skinny jeans

I picked up these little pants on a clearance rack yesterday and they cracked me up so much I had to share. Elliot is so ROCKSTAR!

It took about six shots until I got one that was relatively nonblurry (except for his hand).
Elliot really dug his new pants and just couldn't stop dancing!

  "Are you looking at my bum?"

Elliot's first play date

Baby Elizabeth was born 11 days after Elliot and also had a big battle with E. Coli. At long last these two little cuties are happy and healthy and getting to play together. It was so cute to watch them check each other out. They even held hands. Could it be love?

Four months old!

We just can't believe how quickly Elliot is growing up. I wish we could just give him a pill to make it all slow down a little bit. He's so fun these days and I don't want this time to fly past so quickly. Here's a couple of cute random photos from the last couple of weeks.

Holding his own bottle, how advanced!

Grabbing with two hands, how very advanced!

Elliot's cheeks are getting so chubby, I'm beginning to worry that they might pop!

Having a laugh with Daddy.

Too much fun with Daddy.

 I just love this little munchkin!

We got ourselves a talker!

I've received a couple of emails lately with a blurb about girls just being born talkers and a link to a video where a little baby girl babbles nonstop. I'm afraid it ain't just girls who are born talkative. . . .

Gran & Grandad came to visit

Paul's dad and stepmom, came up for a visit and we thought it would be a great time to get a picture of all the Thomas boys (Elliot, Paul, Paul's brother David, and Paul's dad). Can you tell they're related? Elliot didn't mind the extra cuddles either.

Playing with Daddy

Here's some cute videos of Paul and Elliot playing and, guess what? You get to hear Elliot giggles. You might also notice that Elliot is pulling Nacho's tail unbeknownst to us in one of the videos. What a little rascal!

Mornings with Elliot

Not only is Elliot starting to sleep until 8 some mornings (gosh we are spoiled), but this is how he wakes up. He's like a happiness elixir! I just love him!

P.S. I just got a giggle of my own

. . . there's no better sound on earth.

Elliot's first postcard

How exciting to open the letter box the other day and find a postcard addressed to Elliot. His cousins Vincent and Dominic sure are thoughtful!

Elliot's first bike ride

We picked up a baby bike trailer at a garage sale a few weeks ago and just couldn't wait until Elliot was big enough to sit unassisted to take him for a ride. Instead, we got a little MacGyverish and belted Elliot's carseat into the trailer and away we went. In case you were wondering, he LOVED it (except for when we stopped--he didn't like the stopping at all!). Finally some exercise I can do with Elliot and my plantar fasciitis. JOY!

I'm so done with doctors!

Last week I took Elliot in for a follow-up appointment with his awesome doctors at PMH. Everything was fine and Elliot is doing great, but the visit really got me down. I guess in my head I was really hoping that given the positive results of all of his tests so far, that this would be one of the last times we'd have to come back to the children's hospital and we could really start to forget about it all. Instead, we have two more tests in July and it looks likely that we will have many more "follow-up appointments" just to make sure that all of Elliot's development is on track and there's no damage after the meningitis.

I know that the doctors are just being cautious and want to stay on top of things so that we can give Elliot all the help he deserves (if he ends up needing some extra help), but dammit, I thought we were already in the clear. Knowing that there is still a chance, however slim, that he could have some brain damage and/or problems in the future was not what I wanted to hear. I guess I had convinced myself that we already knew that everything was fine and there was no damage. Now there's this slightest bit of doubt in my head and I just can't get it to go away.

I don't want to have to worry that he's hitting all the milestones on time and be constantly comparing him to other kids in my mind. I don't want to have to visit the doctors until who knows when . . . maybe until he's in school and starts reading and stuff? I want to go back to the happy place I was in before our doctor's appointment and be blissfully oblivious to the idea that there is still a chance of him having some permanent impairment because of the infection. I just want to forget about it all already!

I know that this post makes me sound a bit like a brat and not grateful for how fortunate we are to have Elliot home and healthy. And I do know how lucky we are, and I am very thankful. We have close friends who have a little boy who wasn't so lucky in his battle with meningitis. But, this blog is as much my journal as it is a place to update friends and family, and this is the way I'm feeling right now. Hope you'll take if for what it is.