Busy week.

Elliot is sitting up really well now. It's so crazy how fast things just click, once they're almost there. Sunday he was still flopping a lot, Monday he managed to stay up for several minutes at a time. Just like that.

He's become a more picky eater-- and I'm trying to stick with the things he does not like for several tries, but then it becomes a battle that usually ends in a temper tantrum if I let it. I am trying to find that fine line between making him eat the foods he's rejecting and not creating a baby who cries just when I start to put him in the high chair because he knows I'm going to force food on him! After 3 or 4 sessions of pea rejection (it goes like this: we manage about 5 bites, most of which are spurted back at me, and then the vault is shut for good, and the cries come), I gave in and added a bit of banana (his favorite), and then he couldn't get enough... I had to refill the bowl and keep going! I hate to keep adding the sweeter stuff, but it seems to work so well.

Our week was very busy, lunches with friends, new play spaces to try out, and a day at Ikea... Tuesday was the only day with nothing going on, and that was due to the fact that we canceled with a friend because of the snow coming down all day!

On Monday, we hit a really cool coffee shop that has a play space attached-- moms can watch their kids play while enjoying a lovely snack and not feel that their children are offending anyone! Also, it automatically puts you in contact with people who have similar things to talk about and who don't care if your child spits up or if you need to nurse, etc. Jen and Avery invited us and we lingered for more than 3 hours, very comfortably, with Elliot falling asleep by the end. If anyone is interested, it's at Lincoln and Addison (so a bit of a drive for us southsiders); it's called Family Grounds Cafe. (www.familygroundscafe.com) Pricey for toddlers, but non-crawlers are free if you spend $4 in the cafe!

We tried a new play space as well, through the Hyde Park Parents Support Network. They basically have a room in a church down the street, filled with toys and such, and designate times during the week for specific ages. Not busy because of the weather, but this will be a nice outlet when we want an easy place to go and will be great for socializing. I'm excited about the networking (didn't really think it was a big deal before), as I have already gleaned a lot from the email listserv, and they do things like a free CPR class next month!

Thursday was an ALL DAY trip, last minute, to Ikea with a friend! We timed it absolutely perfectly-- his morning nap was the drive out, and his afternoon nap was the drive home! And, Ikea has a "baby care station"-- it's a separate room, with a private bathroom, where there are some toys and nice chairs to nurse in. I was super impressed-- Elliot ate twice while we were there and stayed in wonderful form the entire time. I couldn't believe how smoothly it went.

The sun has been out a lot lately, so I hope that means more walks now. We made it to the lake with Claire and Diane yesterday, and Elliot woke up in the goofiest mood... I guess I had underestimated how much sunshine deficiency he was experiencing!