Welcome Home Baby Eli

I just want to take a moment to reflect on how amazing God is, and what a miracle it is to witness the pregnancy and birth of a child! It is unbelievable how God orchestrates the whole process. How amazing is it to hear a heart beating inside of you, when the baby is the size of a peanut? How amazing is it that the baby's body develops just right...spine, organs, facial features, etc, all formed from tiny cells and in the right places in the body? Just feeling a baby moving inside me, knowing that he is made by God, and watching my belly grow as the baby grows, makes me realize how I have no control over the situation. Babies are such miracles and we are so blessed and fortunate to have our sweet and healthy Eli!

We are so excited to say that we are home with our new little boy! When Eli was 3 days old, we were discharged from the hospital (born on a Friday, discharged on Sunday). His weight had dropped from 7 pounds 10.5 ounces at birth to 7 pounds 3.6 ounces at discharge (which is normal). He eats very well, so I am not too worried about his weight. When he went to the pediatrician's office when he was 5 days old, his weight was back up to 7 pounds 12 ounces. Then at 10 days old, he was 21 inches long (50th percentile), weighed 8 pounds 6.5 ounces (50th percentile), and had a head circumference of 36 cm (25th percentile). He got a great report, and seems to be doing very well! Not only does he eat well, but he poops well. He has a very steady cycle, like babies should, of sleeping, eating every 2.5-3 hours, and pooping.

Before Eli was born, it was hard for me to imagine what he would look like. However, I did picture having a baby with lots of dark hair. At this point, I think it is difficult to determine who Eli looks most like. Even though I think he probably looks most like his Daddy, he just looks like Eli! He is so beautiful to me! I just love admiring him and looking at all his little features! He has a ton of dark hair, that is so soft to the touch. This seems to be his claim to fame so far! Everyone, and I mean everyone who sees him, comments on how much hair he has. Isaac had a lot too, that was longer, but Eli's hair is thicker. Not only does he have lots of hair on his head, but he has quite a bit of hair on his legs and above his bottom on his lower back. His eyebrows and eyelashes are really light brown. It is hard to tell what color his eyes are right now. Daddy says they are "slate gray," but it looks like they might turn brown. Time will tell I guess. I think it is precious that he has a little dimple on his right cheek that I notice sometimes. He has thin lower legs and cute little, thin feet that are the softest things you could ever touch. His hands are wide and strong. I love how little babies grab your finger and hold on tightly!

When Eli was first born, he had his hands in his mouth or around his face. He scratches himself a lot, so we had to keep little mittens on him until I got the courage to trim his fingernails (which I was not suppose to do so soon). I only made two fingers bleed a little, so I guess I did pretty good. Eli was a good sport about it! His Daddy said he was not a big fan of having Eli wear mittens because he thinks it is bad for his dexterity. Eli likes to have his arms free so he can move them around. As much as he likes putting his hands around his face and mouth, I thought he would love the pacifier. He likes it at times (and sometimes even holds it in his mouth with his finger), but definitely spits it out when he does not want it any longer.

Eli overall seems to be a very good baby, and just goes with the flow. He will let anyone hold him, and actually seems to be somewhat laid back. He does not even let noise bother him (and we definitely have noise and activity with a 3 year old in the house). We will see if this remains as he ages. He gets uncomfortable and stays that way a lot during the day because of gas; however, he does not cry hardly at all. Dr. Frasier said he did not even cry during the circumcision (he just slept through it). Instead of crying, he grunts a lot. Sometimes he even "gargles" which scares us a little. We pray is does not develop pyloric stenosis like his father and brother (which is common in first-born males between ages 2-8 weeks). It is amazing how much he wiggles, moves, and grunts just trying to work out the gas. We will do this for a couple hours and then, all of a sudden, you can hear a loud squirt that we call a "firecracker." He seems to have trouble digesting his milk. His little bottom stays so red and raw because he poops so much. Poor little fella! Eli is pretty content overall, and is mostly fussy and cries when he is hungry or has gas.

Eli moves and squirms around a lot. He frequently has the startle reflex, then there is a loud sound or sudden movement. I love it! He will be completely asleep and just throw his arms straight up in the air! It often startles me, because I don't expect it. Eli seems to enjoy looking at lights, fans, playing on his playmat, mirrors, and his black and white little book.

Eli seems to be pretty strong, and has had decent head control since his first week of life. He pulls his head up well, but needs a little extra support to hold it there. During tummy time the first time, he lifted his head for a couple of seconds while looking at his black and white picture book. He even pulled himself up onto his elbows; although, this position did not last long. He tolerated being on his belly a while before he started crying. Eli has even rolled from his back to left side and from his belly to right side this month.

There are a couple of stories that stand out to me over the past month. One day I was bathing Eli. I know it is common for little babies, especially boys to pee on me while changing their diapers. Well, Eli had not done this, so it caught me off guard when he peed on me while I was bathing him. The pee just shot straight up like a fountain, and seemed to just keep on going. The pee went up in the air, then down the cabinets in the kitchen, on me, and in the floor. Another time, I was changing Eli's diaper on my bed. While I was in the middle of changing his diaper, he pooped more, and ended up dirtying 3 diapers total, my pajamas, and the sheets on my bed. Wow, I had no idea a little fella could do all that! The sweetest memory happened when I was holding Eli. I looked at him and said " you are being so good." He smiled at me as soon as I said it. I know it was probably coincidence, but it was so sweet!

I am excited to see how Eli grows, develops, and changes. I want to know everything about him...his cries, expressions, actions, etc. I love the sweet sounds he makes. I am learning what his sounds and actions mean. His little coos usually mean he is content. He tends to make a little piggy snorting sound, put his hand in his mouth, and/or roll his tongue when he is hungry. His little mouth quivers frequently, and often times this is a precursor to him spitting up (but not always). Eli's little smiles, usually means he has gas. My favorite face expression he makes is when he makes his mouth looks like he is whistling. It is precious! I know that he will grow so quickly, and I want to enjoy every minute I have with my sweet baby boy!

We all love Eli and are so thankful he is here! At first Isaac was a little distant to him, and would only look at him for a few seconds. Now he is warming up to his little brother, and wants to kiss and pat him.

Both Isaac and Eli are God's children, who He is allowing us to raise and train. We are so very blessed to have two, healthy, precious sons, and are excited to see how the Lord uses them to impact our lives as well! Parenting is a ministry, and it is our responsibility to disciple our boys and teach them about Jesus! It is our prayer that God uses us to nurture and teach our children about Him, that they realize their need for a Savior, and that they will live their life for Him and give Him all the glory in all things!