Meeting More Family and the First Thanksgiving

Having my parents here has been a great support as I made the transition back to work on Monday (fortunately, just for a half-week). I certainly missed getting to spend the day with Victoria and Elaina, but appreciated that they weren’t alone at home.

Tuesday, Victoria’s brother Jordan flew in from Orlando. Elaina greeted her uncle with her usual understated enthusiasm.


On Thursday we had quite the feast for Elaina’s first Thanksgiving. We grilled the turkey for the second year in the row, but added a new tradition: dead plant shot-putting:

Dinner was delicious.



On Friday we took Elaina to the mall at Southpoint (even revisiting the Macy’s where Elaina had first announced her arrival a few weeks ago). We had dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen and then took in a movie. Yes, we took a 2.5 week old to the movies. She did well, not making a peep until we got back to the car after the movie. Then she wailed all the way home waiting for her dinner.

If you’re curious what carefully selected movie we chose to be our daughter’s first introduction to Hollywood, it was Four Christmases. It was rated PG-13 and will probably be the last non-G-rated film Elaina sees until she moves out of the house in 30 years.

Jordan had to fly back to Orlando yesterday morning for a Magic game last evening. We started the process of Christmas decorating while the grandparents took advantage of their last opportunities to hold Elaina for a few weeks.

It was hard to say good bye this morning. This brought to a close the family visits that started when Elaina was born. It was especially tough for Gramma Rita who started crying about the good bye before she even arrived last Saturday.

Gramma and Grampa Rust

Matt's parents have been eagerly awaiting their trip to North Carolina to meet their first grandchild. Well, they were finally able to meet her! Rita enjoys holding her grandbaby so much that she is a little reluctant to give Mike a turn. Elaina is definitely loved!

Elaina's First Trick

Matt and I have weekly emails sent to us that keep us updated on Elaina's development. Matt read that babies Elaina's age are already able to mimic facial expressions. Well, our daughter is right on track! We spent the morning getting her to stick her tongue out at us. We might regret teaching her to do this someday, but for right now, it's awfully cute. Take a look... (Click on the picture to link to a video.)

From 2008 November

A whirlwind!

Whew! It's hard to believe that one week ago tonight, Matt and I made the trip to the hospital to welcome our little one into the world. The last 7 days have been a whirlwind of excitement, uncertainty, and awe. We look forward to the adventures yet to come!

We were very blessed to have my parents visiting the first 5 days after Elaina was born. They took care of all of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. This allowed Matt and me to focus on adjusting to life with our new baby. I don't know how we would have managed without them those first few days. A big thank-you to Mom and Dad!


After my parents left on Saturday, Matt and I were on our own to figure out how to best handle situations with Elaina. We made a few mistakes, and we definitely learned from them. Due to improper diapering techniques last night, we had three changes of Elaina's pajamas, one change of Matt's pajamas, and a change of sheets on my and Matt's bed. As I mentioned, we are learning very quickly!

We continue to enjoy life as our new family of three, and we can't get enough of our baby girl. I'll leave you with a few of our favorite moments...

Elaina passed out cold after a feeding:

Relaxing with Mommy:

Napping with Daddy:

Day 3: Elaina Gets a Bath

Elaina Comes Home!

As Elaina began her second day, we spent some quality time getting ready slowly and then heading home after being discharged from the hospital around 2pm. We arrived home to find a nice congrats sign that Jim and Sally had prepared to welcome us home.

Elaina Being Swaddled

Victoria practices wrapping a Baby Burrito before we leave the hospital. (Click on the picture to link to a video.)

From Elaina (Public)