More talking...

We had a great weekend with mostly nice weather and lots of fun. Aunt Gale came over on Saturday to babysit Elie while Adam and I enjoyed a lunch date. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and boy was it good! We even managed to have great conversation without mentioning Eliora or Adam's job - woohoo! It wasn't even that hard to do. :-) On Sunday we had beautiful weather and we opened all the windows and enjoyed getting a few chores done around the house. I am looking forward to a playdate tomorrow afternoon with a few other moms & babies. We are also expecting warmer weather this week so hopefully I will get outside to enjoy it! Elie has been talking a lot lately and we captured this over the weekend - enjoy!

A few more pictures...

With good head control comes new carrying positions... and even a new chair.

In Mommy's sling

Daddy's turn

Elie's seat for dinner

(but no solids just yet)

Four Months Old

Well, Elie is now four months old and time has just flown by! She had her check up yesterday and she is doing great. She is now 12 pounds 1 ounce... it's the extra ounce that makes all the difference. That being said she has officially doubled her birth weight - that's a lot of eating on her part! And, we joined a Mother's group yesterday and already have a play date for next week - I just hope the weather holds up! It will be really nice for me to have other "mom" friends that I can see with some regularity.

The weather is still cold (for NC standards) and wet. Hopefully it will feel more like spring next week and we'll get to keep the warm weather. Today is pretty icky, but Elie is getting over having her shots yesterday so it's a good day for some wet weather. So, here are some pictures including Aunt Lara, Uncle Steve, and cousin Vivi!!

The Happy Harris Family

In a bonnet made by Nan

Playtime with Mommy

The toys are multiplying!!!

Welcome Vivienne Elise!

Proud Aunt, Uncle and Cousin here... Lara delivered a healthy baby girl today at about 3:45 PM. Vivi is a healthy 10 pounds 1 ounce and is 22 inches long. Oddly enough, Vivi is almost as big as Elie, and Elie will be four months next week! Mother and baby are doing well. We send *hugs* and *kisses* to Aunt Lara, Uncle Steve, and Cousin Vivi! We are hoping to see some pictures this evening. Congrats to the new family! - we look forward to many play dates etc. in the coming years.

Hanging Out

So, we've been hunkered down for the past few days with the cold and rainy weather. We went to a birthday party where Elie watched lots of other kids and babies play. She also had a meaningful staring contest with a three month old boy... it was pretty cute. Hopefully I'll find a play group soon so Elie can enjoy more baby time. Until then, I am wishing that the warm weather will return so we can get back outside for walks and playtime. Elie has become very smiley, talkative, and even giggley lately. She's quite the entertainer!

Other than Elie stuff, not much to report. We are keeping Aunt Lara (Helene's sister) in our thoughts and prayers as she prepares to welcome our niece into the world this week. We all wish we could be there in person to meet this new little person, but for now we anxiously await for the news of good health for mother and baby... and pictures!

Elie's new headband

Smiles!

Time with Mommy

Hanging out with Daddy

What's in a Name?

Elie's naming ceremony will forever be a very special memory for us. It was another great time in our lives where we had so many of our friends and family together at once. We were able to formally introduce Eliora into our community and into Judaism. We were so fortunate to have Rabbi Marshall officiate the ceremony for us, and to have our dear friends Isaac and Rayna help us organize the service and kiddush lunch. It was a great day, and for those of you who weren't there (and for those who were) here is what Adam and I shared about Eliora's name.

We chose the name Eliora to honor my Dad whose name was Lester and hebrew name was Levy by accentuating the 'lamed' sound in her name. My Dad was a light in my life and his memory lives on within me. Eliora's name means G-d is my light, and it is our hope that just as my Dad was a source of light for me, she finds companionship and meaning through her relationships with G-d, family, and Judaism. Eliora has already brought much enjoyment and love into our lives, and it is such a joy to remember my father, Eliora's Grandpa, in her name.

The book of Ruth describes a woman who is faithful to her family and loved ones. With all her heart she loves them and supports them. She says, "do not urge me to leave you, nor to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your G-d my G-d. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried." As with the light in her first name, we hope that our daughter is a source of love and devotion to her community and all who come to know her. May she find those who love her as wholeheartedly and live with them for all her days.

It was a great day and thank you again to all who came and to all who continue to support Adam and I on our life journey. And, here are some pictures :-)

Elie in her dress

(sadly, this is the best picture we got - it was a busy day)

And, Elie has found her thumb...

Family Visit

We had a fun family weekend this past weekend for Elie's Simchat Bat (naming) ceremony. (More on the naming in the next post) Nan, Pére, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Martha, Uncle Joe, Cousin Mira, Uncle Mark, Aunt Aja, Aunt Gale and Uncle Peter were all here to celebrate this happy occasion with us. It was really great to see everyone again and have everyone here with us, although we did miss the family members that could not be with us. Here are some pictures of Elie with some of the family:

Uncle Mark and Elie

Aunt Rachel playing with Elie's toys

Elie with Aunt Aja and Uncle Mark

Elie with Pére

Elie with Grandpa