Here’s our little cutie wearing the pin that mama made for her.
Happy one month birthday, Eleanor! I can’t believe how fast the time is going by and how big you are already.
(I’ll be taking a photo of Eleanor sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing her pin each month until she’s two years old.)
I’ve been planning to take a photo of Eleanor each month, and I wanted a way to mark each one for easy identification. I ran across a prize-ribbon tutorial recently, and I was going to make one but I didn’t have the right kind of ribbon. Sure, I could have gone out and bought some, but I had a sleeping baby in the house and a desire to make something now. I ended up rummaging through my craft closet for supplies that I had on hand and I came up with a felt version instead.
First I cut two matching circles out of pink and white felt.
Then I cut a slightly larger circle out of brown felt with pinking shears (using one of my pocket mirrors as a template).
Next I marked an asterisk pattern on the pink felt circle, stacked it on top of the white circle, and then cut out eight triangular points.
I chose a few cute ribbons to form the tails…
Then I hand stitched all of my parts together and formed the body of the pin.
I could have stopped there or sewn a button in the center if I just wanted to make a cute pin, but I wanted to be able to change the center each month for Eleanor’s age (in months). Since I have ready access to a button machine (I make pins and magnets with it for my shop), I decided to make 24 numbered buttons. May as well make this a two year photo project, eh?
Now I can just swap out the center each month and Eleanor can wear the correct number on the pin each month for her photo!
Eleanor’s wants and needs are pretty simple at this point. She likes nursing, being held and rocked, being sung to, and sleeping. She hates being put down, being awake for extended periods, and pooping. She’s not all that keen on stroller rides or baths either.
She has definitely been keeping us busy. I don’t know if she needs the warmth of being held or if she just likes hearing a heartbeat, but she never lets us put her down. I try to put her down in exactly the same position I had been holding her in, but she always wakes up within a few minutes. It’s easier to just hold her and let her sleep on us than to try and console her over and over as she becomes increasingly tired.
Adjusting to life with a baby has been fairly easy for me. She sleeps pretty well at night, waking to eat every few hours but falling back asleep right away. When she does wake for the day, she’s usually in a pretty good mood and I can set her in a bouncy seat while I take a shower, so we have a good little routine starting. And I haven’t experienced any of the ‘baby blues’ that I know are so common. Maybe I’m just lucky, but I’ve been so happy taking care of her.
The only difficulty I’ve had has been with breastfeeding. Nursing has definitely been a lot harder than I thought it would be and there have been days where I’ve almost wanted to quit. The latch-on is painful, causing me to cry along with Eleanor sometimes. I know that breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt, but for me it does. I’ve met with two lactation consultants (one in the hospital, one in my home), and both told me that I’m doing it correctly. The second LC did say that Eleanor has a high palate and that I may just have to wait for her to get a little bigger and “grow into her mouth”. I think the worst of the pain has passed, so I’m just going day by day and hoping things improve soon.
On a happier note, I want to start a little photo project with Eleanor. I want to take a picture of her each month either holding the same object or sitting in the same place (maybe the Eames rocker?). I think it will be great to look back at a collection of photos to see how she grows. :)
Eleanor’s a very snuggly baby. It’s really sweet, but I’ve not accomplished much lately other than perfecting the art of being a human pillow and milk supplier.
Hopefully soon we’ll find our rhythm. In the meantime, I’ve been enjoying this time with her.
I’ve been checking in here too… I’ve read each and every comment on my last post announcing Eleanor. It’s amazing to hear from so many people all over the world! Thank you.
Eleanor Ann Balch was born Wednesday, April 29 at 2:42 in the morning. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 15 ounces (the exact same weight that I was as a baby), and she is twenty-one and a half inches long.
Thank you all for your sweet comments and support throughout the pregnancy! Today is Brandon’s birthday and we’ve just arrived home from the hospital after a slightly extended stay. There were a few complications throughout the inducing process and delivery, but I’m doing well and Eleanor is happy and healthy.
She has blue eyes, brown hair, and she’s just beautiful. We’re so in love with her.