Smiles and new friends

Well, I just realized that Eli and I are overdue for a blog update. Thankfully, I don't have anything quite as big to report as our 'mommy baby bath'. But, we have certainly come across some milestones in the past week.

Eli and I have had quite a bit of bonding time in the last week, as Keith has been out of town. Yes, he has had two trips in the last three weeks. One of them for 3 days and the other for 5 days, and boy are those not fun! In spite of dad's absence, however, Eli and I have been having fun hanging out together. In the last week, we have made far more trips out of the house. We have also mastered one of the baby carriers that I purchased, and Eli appears to be a fan.

I also went ahead and threw in some cute pictures on the blog from one of his last bath times. Notice any tears? No, that is because he was great! That is not to say that all baths are 'tear free'...a lot has to do with the mood 'we' are in prior to hitting the water.

So, now on to the actual 'information and update'. Smiles! Yes! I am officially putting it down in 'the books' that Eli had his first smile on March 28th, 2010. I have heard, however, that it may be a little bit longer of anxious awaiting until we get another one. But, Keith was holding him in bed, when I walked in the room and Eli was smiling! Thankfully, both Keith and I saw it, so that was really cool! Although, the mystery remains...what was he smiling at? I can admit that he was looking in my general direction, but don't think we were 'locked in' or anything. To be honest, Eli loves looking around so his eyes always seem to be surveying the area. Keith and I are extremely excited to see a big smile on the little guys awake face. Up to this point all of our toothless grins have been in his sleep. :)

New friends or crazy mom? I think it is a little bit of both. As I just mentioned, Eli LOVES to look around. He scans the walls, the ceiling, the changing table, and accent home decorations. I would hate to say that he looks around more than he looks at us, but there is some truth in that. So, with such an interest in his surroundings, you can imagine the amount of 'tours' I have taken Eli on around the house. Also, if you have ever been to our house, you know there is plenty to see. Well, it just so happens that Eli has two favorite stops on the tour...his bathroom shower curtain, and any set of blinds. Every time I take him to the shower curtain in 'his' bathroom, it is like watching someone fall in love for the first time (or a fat kid with chocolate cake). It is so sweet, because he always forgets the last time, and falls in love with his shower curtain all over again. He stares, enamored by its beauty (more like it color and pattern combo). The shower curtain is a gold color with dark vertical stripes of green, oranges, and reds. Well, after enough visits to the shower curtain, you can imagine an introduction was in order. So, (this is where crazy mommy comes to play) Eli and 'Mr. Shower Curtain' have many great conversations. They generally talk about the weather and how things are going around the house. But, as 'roommates' they are excited about the future and their long term friendship. So, just wanted everyone to know Eli is getting out to socialize, while clearly side effects of being home all day are staring to take their toll on me. (ha ha, just kidding...I am loving being at home, and I have always been crazy).

1 month old!!

Well, our 'Mr.Man' is 1 month old! Can you believe it, has time flown or what?!? Part of me is sad that he is growing so quickly, but so proud of my lil boy. I can't wait to see him smile for the first time, start walking, talking....growing up in general. He is officially 9lbs and 7oz, and growing into a big boy.

Photo shoot:

A great photographer came out to the house and snapped some great shots of my little model. She said that it would have been a lot easier if we had snapped the shots when he was only a week old. However, we held out for a little bit longer...no worries. Although, I do have to agree, because Eli was certainly on the fussy side (enter our 2nd introduction to the pacifier). All and all, he pulled it out and got some cute pictures. However, the photographer admitted that Eli pee-ed more than any other baby she had ever photographed! He pee-ed 6 times in an hour and half time period! He pee-ed on 4 blankets (one of them twice), and his mommy!). What can I say, the boy is getting a lot to eat. :)

1 Month Epiphany!

Man...it feels good to not know what I am doing! Seriously, I finally realized that I am not supposed to have this all figured out. I know, no brainer...but it finally sunk in (one month later). My boss's wife actually sent me an email about 'high achieving women' as new time moms (I was flattered). But, this email said that women in the work field sometimes struggle because they feel like they are supposed to have all of the answers...but there are no answers! Just to see this in print and realize that this speaks for women all over the world, as first time moms...it felt good to know that I didn't have all of the answers, and I am not supposed to!

At the end of the day, every new mom does what it takes to take care of her child, and herself in the process. What one person does is not necessarily the right thing for the next person. So, how I take care of Eli is the right way.

Cracking the Code:

So, with the above being said.... I think we are starting to get to know Eli. I think Keith and I

(with the help of several Google searches!) are starting to understand our little man a little bit better.

Don't get me wrong...there are still so many 'unknowns'. It is like we are taking a test, and we have left those questions blank for now, with two possible answers, that we can hopefully fill in later. But, we are starting to figure out when he has gas, when he is tired, when he is hungry, ect. There are several times that we don't know which one is which...so we just try them all. Wouldn't it be nice if they could just tell you? Oh well, wouldn't be quite as fun, right?

(On a side note)....I am eating ALL the time!

Man, breastfeeding really takes a lot of food to support. I never had this kind of appetite during pregnancy! It is a struggle to find the time and hands to eat all of the food that it requires to feed my Eli. Seriously, I can't so much as finish one meal before I am planning out what I am going to eat for the next meal.

I know..this doesn't really have anything to do with him being one month old (except that he is growing strong!), but I just had to mention that.

Well, that is it for now. I will keep everyone updated on milestones and funny stories, as they arrive.

Eli in Wonderland!

We did it! Keith and I went and saw Alice in Wonderland in the theatre on opening day. Impressive, I know? Oh...and did I mention that Eli was also in attendance. :) Keith thought up the idea, and we had a 'can do attitude' that made it all work. We picked an 11:30am showing that Keith suspected would not be nearly as crowded (he was right, I was wrong). Also, we got matinee prices.

We pulled up to the theatre with a surprisingly passive baby that didn't get upset with the car ride. We took him out of car seat and just carried him into the theatre in our arms. We walked into the theatre right as the movie was starting. We quietly snuck to the back. I had originally thought to sit on the back row, but those seats were taken. So, the next (more perfect) option was to sit in those seats that are in the corner just over the stair case.

It was pretty much during this time that I really felt like we were smuggling a baby into the theatre. It is one thing to bring in your own drinks and candy, but entirely another to bring in a baby. I was glad that lights were already off, because I am certain that our fellow movie go-ers would have wanted to crucify us if they saw little Eli. :) Then we got seated.

I am not a believer in women using their boobs to get what they want from men, but 'hey!'....you do what you gotta do sometimes. Right ladies?....Holla! The minute we got seated...in the mouth it went. :) So, what if I was going to become a human pacifier...you do what it takes. It was pitch dark, Keith was sitting in the isle, and we had complete privacy...so this was a situation that I supported 'public nursing'. He nursed/used me for about an hour of the movie, never went to sleep. He squirmed and moved and made little noises. There several parts of the movie that he had my full attention. He would occasionally lose his latch, so Keith broke out the IPhone and used it as a flashlight...quite the scene.

So, the movie progressed. It was good and entertaining. Luckily for me, it didn't require too much attention, because I was only able to give it 50% of mine. Visually, it was very stimulating. Eli used the first hour on the boob, then fell asleep for about 15 minutes (heaven!), and spent the last 15 minutes of the movie ... 'on the brink'. Keith and I spent the entire time planning our exit strategy in the event of an outbreak. There was a large fight sequence in which we used a blanket like ear muffs so the little guy wouldn't be startled.

With about 10 minutes left of the film...we heard a cry! It was the most glorious sound, like a primitive call from across the theatre. Yes! There was another little baby in attendance. I looked to Keith and said "Was that a baby crying?", and he agreed. There were others like us! I wanted to run to them and celebrate our feat as new parents and movie-goers! However, our paths never crossed. As the movie came to a close, we made our exit with the extra cargo in tough.

Would we do it again? Probably not...not going to take our chances. However, if something really good comes out, we might take the plunge.

Here is a picture of us after the movie. There happened to be a movie poster in the hallway called "Everybody Loves Babies".... no clue what it is about, but made for a great picture opportunity.

New to Mommyhood

I am a living breathing mommy....and I LOVE IT! God is good and given us such a little miracle, and I thank Him everyday for that. My spirits are bright and I am in love.

Time tables: I have to admit that I never understood when all of my 'new mommy friends' managed to disappear off of the radar. It seemed that the minute my friends had a baby, they would not resurface for quite awhile...well, now I understand.

When you have a newborn, you are put on a time table...more like a grid. This grid is strictly regimented with time slots. Eli is eating every two hours on that grid, and the feeding schedule is from the start of one feeding to the start of another. So, if he eats for 45 minutes, that allows me 1 hour and 15 minutes to do something in between. Therefore, every decision and 'to do thing' must be accomplished in these little windows of time. Perhaps I want to take a shower...that is a window. Answer e-mails, do laundry, eat, update a blog, write in a baby book, or....oh yeah, SLEEP. Needless to say, it gets very tricky to get everything you want to do done.

However, I can say 'That an Iphone is a mommy's best friend'! This sweet little invention has rocked my mommy-world. It has become my heartbeat...my brain...my sanity..my link to the outside world. I use it most often for the breastfeeding and diaper counting applications. It also functions for my many lists (to-do, grocery shopping, pumping schedule, ect), it has also come

in handy with facebook and emailing. :)

First Bath: Eli had his first bath on Thursday. It was a pretty standard 'first baby sponge bath', with a little surprise. I had pulled out one of Keith's favorite baby shower gifts, a cookie monster hooded towel, for Eli's first bath. As Eli was getting sponged down from head to toe, he decided to leave us a little surprise. No, I am not talking about a 'pee-pee', but a major 'poo-poo'! Ha ha...it was classic. So, we went through two towels in our first bath. Also, after spot treating cookie monster there is still a little spot to mark our memory. Keith is slightly upset that cookie monster has a battle scar, but I think it is great.

Lioness: I just had to put a 'blurb' in about being a lioness, because my claws came out. Keith and I were trying to relax around the house with Eli when the doorbell rang. It was an obnoxious 'Grill Master' sales rep. I was sure to tell him we were not interested and had a sleeping newborn inside. Then, when our doorbell rang 2 minutes later, and I stomped to the door fuming. A second 'Grill Master' salesman was standing at the door, to which I told him that we had our fair share of reps coming to the house. Then, I explained to him that we had a newborn inside and to take '8301 Laughing Waters' off their list of houses to visit in the future.

First outing: On Eli's 'one week birthday', Keith and I thought we could manage a trip to Target. See, I desperately needed nursing bras and tanks, as I had no wardrobe to support my new lifestyle. We went in to make a few exchanges and shortly after Eli was into a cry...which somewhat calmed down. I quickly b-lined to the bras and picked out a few sizes. I rushed to the dressing room and started trying them on. Keith had Eli in the cart outside the room, when Eli started to cry. I guess it was pure 'animal instinct' but when I heard my baby crying at a distance, it made me crazy. I felt like a grizzly bear that could hear her young crying as a predator approached. My heart leaped from my chest to get to him. It was many minutes later before I selected my bounty, hit the register, and were out the door.

Breastfeeding and company: I LOVE breastfeeding. I think partly because I didn't know if I would be able to, and partly because it has been great bonding. I have to admit that it is not exactly the 'easiest thing'. It can be painful in the beginning, takes away more of your sleep, requires 'you' for everything (versus Keith being able to feed him), but most of all it can be mentally taxing. There is a lot of pressure that is put on a mom to know that she is the full support for her new baby. His growth and success is totally riding on my ability to keep a schedule and produce milk for him to eat....talk about pressure.

The upsides significantly outweigh the down. I love that he 'needs' me. I love that I am 'the answer' to what he is looking for. I love that I am 'his love'. And, I love the time that we get together. Like I mentioned before, I get 'this time' every 2 hours. However, I think my favorite moments are when we have to take ourselves away from company and have time together.

Keith and I have been very fortunate to receive a lot of visitors that have wanted to meet Eli. We have enjoyed eating with, sharing stories, and hanging out with friends and family. But, low and behold, Eli can not make it through a visit without needing to eat. So, I get to have the pleasure of stealing my baby back from his 'new fans' and whisking him away to a private room where he is all mine. :) Call me selfish, but those moments alone in a quite room, just he and I, are some of the most precious moments for me.

Other Adventures:

Just a few other 'shout outs' to mention to document Eli's first two weeks of life. We have had one pediatrician appointment (tomorrow will be our '2 week check-up), in which Eli discovered himself. There was a mirror along the wall in his room, and he could not stop staring at himself (picture above). He was mesmerized! Heck, if I was that good looking, I wouldn't want to stop staring either.

Also, we went our on first 'walking adventure' with big brother Winston and big sister Dottie. It was a great break for the 'other kiddos', because Eli's crying has taken a toll on them, as well. It was a perfect opportunity for them to clear their minds, pee on everything, and enjoy the outside. Eli, however, didn't get the hang of it until we were almost home. He cried for the entire walk, and when we calmed down outside our door step, we extended our journey. While this was a great idea in theory, it was a REALLY BAD idea for my 'recovery'. I set myself back a good week post-delivery. (note to future mommies: don't push yourself after delivery, even if you think you are better.)

Well, that is it for now (actually, a post that has been piling up). I will do my best to keep everyone updated on our new adventures and so forth. We appreciate everyone's support....it has been amazing!

Eli is here!

Well, as I am sure you all know....Eli is here! Yay! I am in love...I am smitten....Eli is wonderful! It was actually, this time, one week ago that Eli was beginning to make his way into my arms. That is right, he is already one week old. They say 'time flies', and that is true. I can't believe he is already that old...and that Keith and I have been newborn parents for one week...and made it!

So, here is the brief (but actually very long) birth story. As you all heard from my last post, that I a trickle on Monday night, and an appointment on Tuesday. What I didn't tell you, is that my midwife said I probably 'wouldn't make it through the weekend' without labor (I didn't want to jinx myself). As the week progressed I became more and more anxious for the little guy to arrive. I suppose my body and mind knew that it was almost time. On Tuesday I took a nice long walk to enjoy the weather and help the process. Then, all day Tuesday and Wednesday I experienced cramping and contractions, but 'no labor'. Wednesday night I felt achy and sick, and then dreamt all night long about going into labor and having my water break. To be honest, every time I woke up to use the restroom I was surprised (and disappointed) I wasn't in labor yet. I guess, I just 'knew'. When I woke up Thursday morning, I had two 'leaks' run down my left and right leg. That was right about the time that I was taking in the winter wonderland that was outside our window.

I called my midwife who asked me to come in for an exam. She concluded that I had a 'rupture' or 'leak' and needed to get checked into the hospital. Keith thought that we had time to go home and clean the house, but that was not the case. We got to the hospital around 9am, and I was given Pitocin around 10am. The pitocin was because I was only 1 cm dilated, and basically had to be induced. I knew at this time, I would be having an epidural! I 'labored' until 2-3pm on pitocin until the midwife got to the hospital. She did an exam to discover I was still only 1cm dilated and had my bag of water. She proceeded to rupture my water, and my contractions went from 'tolerable' to 'intense'. Therefore, it wasn't long after that I was getting my epidural (just a shame that I wasn't dilated more).

Time started to fly as the day went by, the snow continued to fall, and my level of comfort slowly started to disappear. I made such slooooow progress from the afternoon into the night. I was only about 4cm dilated (I think) around 9pm. At this point things were looking dismal, and I was starting to wrap my head around a c-section. However, I was staying optimistic and really had the 'what happens, happens' attitude. Suddenly, it was midnight and the night was not nearly as fun as my day. My family and friends were very tired and worried.

It was around this 'dark hour' that I found light. I suddenly changed my 'what happens, happens' attitude, and changed to 'I am going to do what it takes'. I changed my attitude because I couldn't stand the idea of Eli 'doing his part' and me not doing mine. He was so low in my birth canal and doing such a great job, and it was my body that was not progressing for him to come out. I started saying lots of prayers, and asked for lots of advice. I spent the rest of my night pushing my body to get dilated from 7cm to 10cm, otherwise it was going to be a c-section. (See, they wanted Eli out by 7am, because they considered my water breaking at that time on Thursday). My nurse helped me flip from side to side every 30 minutes and try different positions to sit/lay in. My epidural would wear off here and there, I would get nauseous and sick, and was overall very uncomfortable and nervous.

Finally, it was 5:30am when my midwife showed up to exam me. I couldn't believe it...but I was a 10!!! I pulled it off! I was able to have Eli 'naturally'. Then it got fun...no really! Aliza (my midwife) had snuck in the back entrance, and our family didn't know she was there. So, she thought it would be fun if we 'secretly had' Eli and surprised the family. The goal was to deliver Eli without the family having an idea, and surprise them with his arrival.

So, after about 45 minutes of pushing, our Eli was here! I can remember vividly the first few things that I thought when I saw him. First, "I can't believe that baby just came out of my body!". Second, "I can't believe that baby is my son!". Third, "I can't believe he has ALL OF THAT HAIR!". It was a very special and 'aww inspiring' moment. God, is good and makes the most amazing miracles happen in life. He was born at 6:24am on Friday morning, February 12th. He weighed 8lbs and 6.9oz and measured 19in in length.

And the 'fun part'....Before the pushing started, Keith texted the family with a few excuses

to hold them at bay and not try to come in the room. The nurses had the room on 'lock down' so no one would let the news slip on accident. After Eli arrived, Keith and I had a few moments together as a 'new family'. Then, he set out to lobby filled with our friends and family. He proceeded to tell them I was about to undergo a c-section. He told them that I was positive, but wanted to see them before getting prepped for surgery. He, then, proceeded to walk them into my room, where Aliza waited in the corner with a video camera to capture the moment. As they walked in the room and pulled back the curtain, there I was laying in bed holding Eli. The look on their faces was shocked and amazed! They appreciated the surprise after the 24 hours of diminishing anticipation...although made sure to call Keith out for his 'white lie'. It was truly a great experience and fun story to have.

So...that is the story. I know it is long, but I did my best to consolidate a 24 hour day....one of the most important days of my life! I will be updating this when I can to tell you all about my life as a new mother and tell you about my wonderful baby boy. But, I can say this, at least...I love it! God is amazing! He has blessed Keith and I so much, and we have so much to be thankful for. Thank you for all of your prayers and blessings for our family, we truly feel like that have been answered.