5 weeks old: I have a tongue!

BREAKING NEWS: Eloise had her first smile today!!! Evan and I laid her in between us in bed before he went to work and we were both cooing over her and suddenly.... big beautiful smile! Oh, how my heart melts! Her little eyes made crescent moons. No photo to share today but hopefully this is just the beginning of a lot of smiling.

In other news, it seems that Eloise has discovered her tongue this week. Suddenly it's making frequent appearances - she sticks it out, rolls it around, moves it from side to side, etc. A-dorable.

Hey, I have a tongue!

Eloise and I are settling into a daily life just the two of us now. My brother's family left on Friday and my mom left on Tuesday. It was sad to see them go but we had a wonderful time. I feel so loved and supported because they all traveled so far just to meet our little Eloise. My heart was full seeing my brother and mom gaze at her so lovingly when they held her. She stole their hearts, too.

Eloise and Uncle Jay

Eloise and Grandma Zuber

On the last day of Jay's family's visit, we all went out to dinner at McMenamins Kennedy School, an old elementary school turned restaurants, bars, B&B, and second run theater. Eloise had her first restaurant meal - nursing at the table just before the food arrived. Then mom could enjoy a microbrew. 

Cousin Heath, me, Aunt Leslie, Eloise, Evan, and Grandma Zuber. Jay is not pictured because he is taking the photo.

Over the weekend we went to Portland Saturday Market, a big local artists market. Eloise slept through the whole thing with Daddy carrying her in the Baby Bjorn carrier. My mom got a couple skirts and Eloise got a onesie with an applique bird on top of an applique state of Oregon.

Grandma Zuber, Evan, and Eloise at Saturday Market

Eloise tends to get fussy in the evenings and yesterday was extra challenging. We ran through the usual suspects: diaper, feeding, rocking, singing, etc. Finally I pulled out the big gun we'd been waiting for just such a moment to introduce: the pacifier. I tried it on another extra fussy evening without success - she gagged and spit up - mama fail. But last night it was just the thing to sooth her. As soon as it went in her mouth and she started sucking her little eyes got droopy. I took a short video because, as with everything she does, she's so darn cute sucking her pacifier!