Elza Rabinowitz

OK, so maybe I’m not the most diligent blogger. I’ve been much better about posting new photos to Flickr, though, so you should check that out too.

Anyways, it’s been a big couple of months for Elza! She just had her six-month checkup, and while no longer off the charts on length and weight, she is still a big, healthy baby. She has started smiling non-stop and has a fantastic laugh. She can more or less support herself sitting up (as long as there’s someone to spot her when she eventually tumbles to one side), and finally started to roll over from her tummy to her back. We’ve also started giving her solid food, which she seems to enjoy, though not always in the recommended manner (obligatory disaster photo below).

It’s well into late spring here, and the last few weekends it’s been beautiful. We’ve been out at barbecues, picnics, and farmer’s markets, where Elza loves to smile at all the people going by. Star is back at work, which means that Elza is in day care for most of the week. While we miss her terribly during the day, we’re really happy with the place we found, and Elza (who’s the youngest there) seems thrilled to sit and watch the 2- and 3-year olds perform amazing feats of language and agility all day long. It’s a good time, and if she could just sleep through the night with a tiny bit more consistency, it would be perfect…

Elza enjoys the grass at the baby picnic

Elza meets yogurt. Note the blob underneath her chin, which she applied just before the photo was taken.

After bath time

Tummy time cuteness

Nick and Elza

Elza with Jacy Ippolito, who came to visit in March. This series of photos, in our local pub, all look like some crazy Renaissance chiaroscuro.

Elza and Mommy

Elza demonstrates her new continuous smiling skills. We demonstrate our somewhat weak cinematographic talents.

We spent the holidays in Massachusetts, visiting the Rabinowitz side of the family in Royalston and seeing a ton of old friends in Boston, many of whom also have small babies. Elza is growing like a proverbial weed, and has developed a number of new skills: smiling, manipulating objects, sucking on her fingers, holding her head up, doing baby sit-ups, sleeping through the night – all stuff she’s managed to learn in the past month or so. The object manipulation is particularly neat – she started purposefully grabbing a little stuffed frog a little after Christmas, and now is happy playing with a wide variety of toys. It seems like a small thing, but it’s as if an entire world of physical things just opened up to her.

In other news (and the reason this post comes so late), we’ve moved to a new apartment, where Elza actually has her own room, which is a big transition for all of us. Find us here: 91 41st St, Oakland, CA

Elza with Grandma Carla

Elza in her brown bear suit (she had two bear suits to keep out the New England cold – there was a white one, too, which was even warmer)

Family portrait in Northampton

An adoration of grandmas (Star’s parents came out for a couple of days as well)

Goofy grin

Flying baby

Elza turned two months old on Sunday, which means we’re often now describing her age in months, not weeks – crazy talk. She’s growing up fast – she is in a whopping 90th percentile in weight, though where she gets that from we have no idea, and she’s getting pretty good at such advanced baby skills as holding her head up, smiling, and sleeping. She has had a number of nights where she slept seven or even eight hours at a time, and while it’s not yet reliable it’s awfully nice when she manages it. This month saw another visit from Grandma and Grampa Odle, and she’s very much looking forward to her trip to see her Rabinowitz grandparents over the holidays, even if she doesn’t really know it yet.

Smiling in her new hoodie, which features totally gratuitous ears

Playing with Star on her jungle activity mat

Sleeping on Nick’s lap

Pancake breakfast with Lauren and Gary

This video is a little old, but I love it

Elza turns six weeks old today, and is spending more and more time awake – this means more time getting over-stimulated and fussy, but it also means that she’s getting more sociable and interested in things and people around her. She follows us with her eyes as we move around, and she’s just starting to come out with big goofy smiles that light up the room. The last few weeks have also seen a number of other firsts, including first afternoon in the park, first visit from her great aunt Elaine and great-great-aunt Marianne, and first set of outgrown clothing. And last night she slept for five hours at one stretch, which we can only hope is a harbinger of restful nights to come.

Admittedly, a lot of her photographic record at this point consists of her lying on attractive backdrops, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

Tracking the elusive smile, in a series of blurry photos. It is like Bigfoot.

On the blanket at Willard Park

Super baby

Elza on her great-great-grandmother’s quilt

Elza on her new blanket

Give to me a smile!

Elza is now an astonishing three weeks old, and is getting a little chubbier, a little fussier, and a little more like a person every day. Last week Star’s sister Marie came out to visit; Elza was suitably impressed. We also went on Elza’s first hike, cut slightly short by an unexpected diaper shortage, and no fewer than two picnics. She shows a great affinity for the outdoors.

Elza meets Aunt Marie

Conquering the great outdoors

Sleepy times

The ladies

Look at the camera for Grandma

As usual, more photos on Flickr.

Elza turned two weeks old yesterday! She celebrated this milestone by eating, sleeping, and occasionally pooping – but with a real sense of occasion.

Elza and Star

Family portrait with sleepy baby

Gary and Lauren, Star’s parents, have been visiting for the last few days.

Lauren meets Elza

Elza and Gary

Elza asleep

Elza alert

First attempt at video: Elza has the hiccups

We got back Wednesday night, and have been helping Elza get settled into her new home. She seems to like it, if by “like it” you mean “eat, sleep, and poop with some regularity” :).

elza asleep

nick and elza

star sleeping, elza awake

elza sleeping, star awake

nick and elza, before we came home

more photos on Nick’s Flickr site

Please welcome Elza Marie Rabinowitz, 7lb 12oz, born October 6, 2009 at 12:39 a.m. in Oakland, CA. She is beautiful and has a surprisingly full head of dark hair, and both she and her mother are healthy and happy to be home. We can’t wait to get to know her better!

Elza Marie Rabinowitz

Star and Elza

our new family, a few minutes old