Smiles.

Elliott's all smiles at one month.

I was just reading over the last two posts I put up before vacation, and so much has changed in those almost-2-weeks.

First, the day mom came up to help was INCREDIBLY productive.  Before Jason even left for work at 1:30, he got a hair cut and got the oil changed in the car, and we at home reorganized the kitchen and started spaghetti sauce (I always make spaghetti sauce before vacation to take with us so we don't have to cook the first night...it's a big hit).  After he left, I went to Target for some last minute vacation stuff (a new tankini, sunblock, and other supplies) and I got my pedicure!  It was delightful.  When my pedicurist found out that I had just had a baby, she didn't believe me.  It's nice to be returning to pre-baby form so quickly.  I came home to a house that was vacuumed, dusted, and tidied.  How lovely!  Mom and I made pizza margherita for dinner and watched 30 Rock together before she left.  It was a lovely day.

My plan for Thursday was to get packed and prepped all day and go to bed early.  Well, Elliott wanted less nap time and more mommy time, so I didn't have a free moment  until about 8pm.  Jason and I gave E a bath and then prepped until his next feeding at 2am, then we all slept.  We woke up at 7:30 on Friday with intentions to leave at 9.  Ha!  We had enough trouble getting out the door on time with no kids, so right now, E just gives us a better excuse.  We finally got on the road at 10am (after a stop at Dunkin' Donuts) and had a fairly uneventful trip to Elizabeth City, where we stayed the night with Jason's family at a hotel to break up the trip.  This is tradition, not a new thing because of the baby.  We did hit a snag with the AC in the car; it just, essentially, got tired.  This resulted in sweaty parents and a cranky baby.  We made lots of stops so E could get changed and eat and get out of the car-seat (which if it's not moving, he really doesn't care for).  Once we got the hotel, we sponged him off, changed him from head to toe, and he was the happy E we love.

Elliott in his polo onesie at the wedding.

The ride to Avon was pretty good.  E was sleepy and sweet.  We couldn't get into the house until 4 (argh), so we squatted on our covered porch until the house was ready.  The rest of the week was relaxing and wonderful.  Some highlights:
  - Elliott is now smiling socially, not just due to gas.
  - Elliott turned one-month old.
  - We attended the wedding of family friends on the beach, and we had a great time.
  - Elliott started sleeping longer at  night!  It's not every night, but I can count on a few nights a week of 6+ hours in a row.  I don't want to call it "sleeping through the night," but we're getting closer.
  - Jason and I finally saw Harry Potter.  We had seen almost all the others on opening day or at midnight showings, but this year we were in labor when the movie debuted.
  - I read a ton and got some crocheting accomplished.

It was a great week.  The drive home was good, but long.  When we returned home, we discovered that the storms had knocked some of our power out...some things work and some don't.  We hope to have that resolved soon.  My parents visited yesterday to see Elliott, and Megan was finally able to meet him (she was in a German-language immersion program at Middlebury College in Vermont for the last seven weeks.)

School starts next week, so I'm sure we'll be busy around here.  I'm looking forward to the stimulation of work, but not the being-away-from-Elliott part.

His shirt says it all.

 - J & M.