It's the Great Pumpkin!

Eli got his first jack-o-lantern this week. It took me a whole day to carve it in-between feeding/entertaining/changing Eli. Not that I was surprised; that's the way every day goes now. The pain from Eli's booster shots was very short lived, and he did not run a fever (something I was VERY worried about). Tuesday, Eli and I met Cooper and his mom at another Mom & Me meeting; Eli decided to show off for everyone by being very agreeable and happy the whole time except when he was sleeping. We even went out to lunch with some of the moms/babies afterwards!

The rest of the week was spent taking walks at the river. Now that it's a little cooler, I bought a few warmer clothing items including a fleece hat (that Lehr thinks is goofy) and an Old Navy fleece jacket (his first of many, I'm sure). Picking out clothing for Eli is difficult because we're having to avoid any pants that have attached feet (like sleepers); he won't be able to wear those with his shoes and bar. Speaking of which, this coming Wednesday is the big day: Eli's casts will come off and the shoes and bar will be the replacement. I'm dreading this transition only because Eli is 100% used to the casts now, and not being able to move his legs independently will probably frustrate him to no end. Unlike when he received his first casts, he is now much more vocal and will make his displeasure heard 'round the world. However, this change means Eli will finally be able to take a 'normal' bath, which I'm sure he will love.

Pumpkin Patch

Another busy weekend for Eli! Saturday he went on his first pumpkin-patch-outing to Burt's Farm (an annual event for Mom & Dad). Grandma Cathie, Carolyn, and David came along for the festivities. The main purpose of the trip was to get pictures of 'the bay-bee' in the pumpkins, of course. We got a few good ones, but Eli let us know we were testing our limits a few times. After the long drive home, we all met Cooper and his parents for sushi (another first for Eli). It's so odd to make reservations for adults and children...this is going to take some getting used to! Sunday morning the three of us attended Cooper's baptism. Thankfully Eli slept through most of the church service (as did Cooper, until they put water on his head).

Unfortunately, today was not as fun as the weekend. Grandma Cathie had to go home, and Eli went to his 2-month doctor appointment. Not a huge deal normally, but today he received booster shots. Although they made him sleepy, they also made him cranky. As of today, Eli weighs 12 lb. 7oz, and is 23" long.

Eli the Frog

Eli has had a busy week with Grandma Cathie in town; he's been hiking, walking, to the mall for the first time (he had to get his new 'bling' sized: he got a baby ring from Grandma & Grandpa, and a St. Christopher medal from his Uncle Jay), and to the Botanical Gardens. He is back to his happy self (as evident in the frog-costume picture), and has been enjoying all of the extra attention showered on him,courtesy of Grandma Cathie, for the last few days. Tonight Mom & Dad went out to dinner, leaving Eli in someone else's care for the first time (a pretty big step for Mom!). Dinner was great, but (of course) I was in a hurry to get home and see my little frog.

Church Dedication

Today Eli participated in the Parent-Child Dedication service at our church. We had quite a cheering section of family and friends attend to support Eli on this special day. All in all, it went pretty well. Eli has had a few rough days (most likely due to the surgery); he's been extra fussy and not getting much sleep. To help him settle down we invited all of the friends and family back to our house for a small party after church. We all had a great time, but of course, for Eli it was just another stressful day full of new people.

Surgery

Eli had his first (and hopefully only) surgery on his feet this morning. We were at Scottish Rite for five hours, but the surgery itself only took 35 minutes. Dr. Morrissy said Eli did beautifully, and he'll see us in three weeks when he removes this last set of casts. We did not bring the camera to the hospital, but I wish we had because Eli had to wear a hospital gown, just like a child or adult! (That thing was exactly what you'd imagine: a white gown that closed and tied in the back, though it looked as if it had been borrowed from a teddy bear's wardrobe.) Once we got home, both Eli and I crashed for about two hours (needless to say, I didn't sleep much last night), but since then Eli has been a little more alert and fussy. He's on a strict diet of milk and Tylenol for a few days, so hopefully the pain/fussiness will pass in that time. The hardest thing was watching him try to wake up from the anesthesia; he had the saddest little cry! Thank God the surgery is over!!

Epiphany

Another busy few days: Eli went to the Scottish Rite/Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Day Surgery center on Thursday for a pre-op meeting with a nurse from anesthesiology. It didn't take long; they just wanted to get some of his stats in their records before the surgery. Friday afternoon we met Carissa and Cooper for lunch; Eli and Cooper hung out, but I still think they are completely unaware the other is present. We did get some cute pictures nonetheless.

Today was a pretty low-key day, but Eli went down for all of his naps almost completely on his own (and he didn't even have his usual I'm-going-to-throw-a-fit-and-there-is-nothing-you-can-do-about-it period from 5-7). He gave his Dad lots of smiles, much to Lehr's delight, and he is still 'talking' up a storm.

On a related note, I am deliriously happy. Why didn't anyone tell me that having a baby would be so neat?!?! Sure, everyone told me how much it would change my life, but they seemed to focus more on the sleep deprivation and lack of personal time. I thought when they said nothing would be the same that I would no longer to be able to hike, or to listen to my music loudly, or to live my life in general. With a few small exceptions, I'm still able to do all of the things I did before Eli; there is no longer any downtime, but in a really good way. (A few times I have actually been tempted to wake him from his nap just so I could spend more time with him!) I totally understand now why some people opt to have their babies sleep in bed with them each night, and I can see how you could get into the habit of rocking them to sleep before naps and bedtime, too. Most of the time I have force myself to put him down because I know he needs unassisted sleep (even though I don't want to stop holding him). This has honestly been the most surprising, amazing experience ever. Knowing my structured, by-the-book self, I expected there would be a huge transition period, possibly overlapped by some baby blues. But from day one I've been unexpectedly not overwhelmed or freaked out. Eli has made it really easy for me to enjoy this new 'job'. When we get up in the morning, Lehr often asks me what time Eli woke me up to eat (he's *usually* only up once during the night). After I answer him with 3am or 4am, he typically shakes his head (in appreciation) and says that he doesn't know how I do it. My only response is that I don't even think twice about it; I wouldn't have it any other way. And even though Lehr doesn't get up with me in the middle of the night (my choice, not his), he is totally committed to caring for Eli as much as he can. I was also 'warned' about husbands not pitching in enough. That couldn't be further from the truth where Lehr is concerned; he wants to be involved in every way possible. I can't even say he 'helps out', because it's so much more than that. Seeing him spend time with Eli makes me appreciate what a wonderful husband he is again and again.

I know people tell you that you'll love your children more than you ever thought possible, but again, I didn't fully understand that until Eli was born. This revelation didn't hit me right away though. Sure, from the beginning I thought he was cute. I was even excited (and astonished) that the hospital staff let me take him home. However, it wasn't until about a week later when I was feeding him that it really hit me: I would do anything for this little guy! Long story short: I have an amazing son and a phenomenal husband and I couldn't be happier. Alright...enough sappy rambling....

Cast Day #6

Cast day again! Eli went for his sixth set of casts this morning, and he must have known it was close to the end because he fussed quite a bit while the doctor was manipulating his feet. We have his tenotomy scheduled for next Tuesday; this is a small procedure during which the doctor will use a cataract knife to cut the tendon and release the heel cord. This 'surgery' is out-patient, and will only take a minute, but Eli will go under (so mom is a little nervous). Immediately after the surgery the doctor will apply one last set of casts that will stay on for three weeks. At that point we'll most likely start with the special shoes and bar. So far, so good!!

Weekend Re-Cap

Eli is smiling more than ever these days. It's mostly right around his feeding time, which leads me to believe eating makes him happy (can you guess from the pictures that he likes to eat??). From time to time he'll stick out his tongue at me in response to me doing the same; quite a game. He's also talking up a storm. Lots of "Ahhs" and "Ehhhhs", but still a long ways away from reciting Pulp Fiction quotes....

Friday night Lehr and I took Eli to the river (the "Hooch") for his first walk there. He actually came away without any bug bites, if you can believe it! We then came home and tried on Eli's frog costume. It is intended for Halloween, but I doubt he'll be big enough to fit into it by then. Plus he hates the costume.

Saturday Lehr let me sleep in and then run some errands (my version of a coffee break). After much anticipation, Eli finally got to meet his Uncle Tom and Aunt Megan on Sunday. Monday morning Eli and I went to my 6-week check-up with the midwife who delivered him. He was fine until she walked into the room, and then he started to wail (this doesn't even surprise me anymore). She was very impressed with how well he could hold up his head already. After the appointment Eli and I had lunch with a few former co-workers, and then a meeting with one of the pastors at our church. We followed that 'day-o-errands' up with a hike this morning, and a dinner-delivery to a friend who just had a baby. Although he does great considering all of the places I drag him, I think Eli is starting to think his life is going to be spent in the car seat...poor kid.