Eleanor Wears Vintage

This is Eleanor's silly face

Eleanor wore a vintage Polly Flinders dress to church on Sunday, and I couldn't resist snapping a few photos. Auntie Molly and I wore this dress when we were baptized as babies. Eleanor's baptism is coming up on September 6th. She'll be wearing an older family dress for the big event!

Laughing in Lace

Starfish fingers

Her hair is back!

Hey there!

Eleanor has yet to attend a course on the Alexander Method

It's the Muppets!

The Fancy Dancer

A Waterfall Walk and lunch at the diner

Our angel baby hovers above the waterfall

Today we took Eleanor in to Canton, NY. We had a retro lunch at a wonderful diner that overlooks a waterfall and rushing river. Once again, my 'vegetable soup' had meat in it (a North Country tradition), but the friendly waitresses made up for it. Afterward we went for a walk in the adjacent park that has a waterfall walk full of pretty views, wild flowers, ferns and some neat old mill ruins.

Eleanor loves

Kisses

from Daddy

Smile for Mommy!

Soon after the photo was taken, Eleanor destroyed the placemat

'But where are the rubber duckies?'

Eleanor's Spa Getaway to Syracuse

Eleanor luxuriates in her personal tub

Dave and I returned to Syracuse this Sunday to get some small things finished on our new Subaru. We stayed overnight at the glamorous Comfort Inn where Eleanor took a long soak in the 'tub' and practiced the art of laughter on her very own king bed.

On Monday we went shopping at the Carousel Center Mall where Eleanor, clad in her organic-striped rainbow zoot-suit (thanks Molly!), stole the hearts of several fellow shoppers. She also stopped in at Babies R Us to look at strollers, and tested out a few baby gadgets.

But does it have an iPod adpater?

Eleanor broke in her new Ugg boots on the journey and rode to and from the mall in her incredible deluxe pink and grey microfiber Recaro car seat (thanks Aunt Julie and Terry!). This car seat is so sturdy that we've determined that it's more solidly built than our actual car. This thing is the Mercedes (or Lexus? or Hummer? or Audi!) of baby seats- though Eleanor can actually ride in it until she's 80 pounds. Which, at the rate she's going, should be in about 2 or 3 months (we kid. . . we hope).

Too cool for my Foo Foo.

Eleanor in her little plush nest (we especially appreciate her cheek protectors)

Hip

Hip,

Hooray!

Fashion and Highchairs and Bears, Oh My!

Baby meets bear ("I'll stun him with my cuteness")

Today we went to the Saranac Lake Artwalk. Saranac Lake is about an hour and a half from us, in the Adirondacks and was created as a wellness town back when tuberculosis was rampant in big cities. We cruised the streets and stopped in a few stores, and found a fabulous rustic eatery (The Eat 'n' Meet Grill) with a bear on the wall (and really good lemon bars). We checked out a few art shows at Bluseed Studios and elsewhere and finally we went to 7444 Gallery to check out the fashion-themed show. It was really hot and sunny, but Eleanor was still happy to stay in her sling and stroller and even broke in her adorable Swedish hat from her Great Aunt Marilynn!

Testing out a highchair ("Where's the milk?")

Looking Swedish in her new hat ("Great Grandma Rochelle would smile to see me in this!")

7444 Gallery (Eleanor thinks "I'm too young to wear black")

Grey day, bright Eleanor

It's been grey and rainy here in Potsdam for weeks. We've had few sunny days since our return from the midwest. Today we decided to get dressed in bright colors to offset the gloom.

Thanks for the color Greers and Hultmans!

Up Close and Personal

Hello Baby

Through the magic of the internet, Eleanor wants to remind all her loved ones who don't live in Potsdam what it's like to be up close and personal to her little baby self. Here are a few photos to invoke the senses.

Damp baby breath

Slobbery little mouth

Flailing little limbs

Chuckles and crazy cackles

Cozy, warm cuddles

Sticky fingers

Withering looks

Soft new clothes

Wide open smiles

15.5 Pounds of Fun

Eleanor had her 4 month check up last night. Since daddy is hiking in the Adirondacks this week, it was up to mommy to wince and hold her chubby little hand as she got her shots. Ouch! But, it was good to check in with the doctor and hear that Eleanor is in the 90% for height (26'') and weight (15.5 lbs) for her age group! Our big girl was given a clean bill of health and even gave some juicy smiles and giggles to the doctor (before the shots).

Poor Eleanor howled for a good 10 minutes after her immunizations and when I decided that she just wasn't going to calm down, we exited our exam room and walked into the waiting room and found every seat filled, with not a few horrified-looking children staring at us. They must all have heard her screaming. Why do exam rooms have such thin walls?

After a long and exciting night full of drama, comedy and suspense, Eleanor is on the road to recovery and has only been minimally fussy this morning. Thank you Children's Tylenol.

Sling Baby

Hey there!

My good friend Kristen gave me a sling at my shower for Eleanor back in January. I'd tried putting Eleanor in it when she was an infant and found that she just wasn't happy in it reclining against my arm. She has always preferred to be held upright against my chest. Last week I decided to try a new position with the sling, and lo and behold, Eleanor now loves her sling! She likes to be held upright with her back to me, with her little legs folded up 'indian style.' From this cozy vantage point, she can watch the world and feel snug against mom all at the same time. People laugh when they see her little head popping out of such an improbably small little bundle.

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Eleanor and her monkey

Fuzzy, but cute!

Daddy, Daughter!

Baby Meets Kitty

During her midmorning chat-session in with mom and dad, Eleanor began showing interest in our cat. Dave decided to hold Eleanor up to our more docile kitty Ramona to see what would happen. . . It's love!

Eleanor plays percussion with her straws at breakfast

Eleanor at Four Months

Eleanor is officially 4 months old as of today. Happy Birthday Eleanor!