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.

Busy Week

What a busy week! Two doctor appointments, one Mom & Me meeting, and lots of walks and hikes! Last week Eli gave me a 'real' smile for the first time. I've elicited a few since then, but he does not perform on demand, so I don't have any pictures yet.

Sunday morning Eli went to his first church service. Lehr and I sat in the last row, just in case, but Eli was pretty good; Lehr only had to take him out a few times, and he quieted down really quickly when he did.

Monday afternoon I took Eli to his 1-month check up with the pediatrician. He weighed in at 10lb, 9oz, but that includes the casts, so it's not totally accurate. (However, the casts don't weigh much, so this kid IS rapidly gaining weight.) I think they measured his length at 21", but again, with the casts it's hard to be precise.

Tuesday Eli and I went to a Mom & Me meeting (support group sponsored by the hospital). It was an excuse to get out of the house and be around people who won't look at me funny when my kid starts to wail.. Then today was the 5th casting. Eli did pretty well again. Only one more week before we schedule the tenotomy; this process has gone by so fast! (Eli's feet are starting to turn out a bit; you might be able to see the 'over-correction' in the pictures from this week. This is intentional.)

Future Hiker

Eli went for his first Kennesaw Mountain hike this morning. As most of you know, I prefer to frequent that trail once a week, but Lehr requested that I obey my midwife for the last four months of pregnancy and back off from any workouts over an hour. (Bottom line: it's been months since I've hiked the trail and I have missed it!) We took Eli there for a sunrise hike this morning and he did great. Granted, he slept most of the hike, but the part he was awake for, he enjoyed. We followed that outing up with another trip to Piedmont Park. This time we met Dave, Carissa, and Cooper. Both boys snoozed the entire time.

Cast Day #5

It was cast-day yet again. Dr. Morrissy continues to be encouraged by the progress Eli's feet have made (considering their starting point). We will do two more sets of casts, and then make the decision regarding the tenotomy. Dr. M is confident the procedure will be necessary, so it's just a question of timing. When he applies the 6th set of casts, he should be able to give us a more firm timeframe. Eli weathered the casting fairly well again today; he fussed, but no major meltdowns.

Yesterday was another big day out for Eli; I took him to a La Leche meeting in the morning (during which he was very calm) and to my office to meet my co-workers in the afternoon (he started out sleeping, but woke up screaming). The mini-meltdown was my fault; I'd kept him out all day and he needed a nap (in his crib) VERY badly. I guess what they say is true: babies (and kids) thrive on routine!

First "Bath"

Eli moved up on the food chain today; instead of his normal 'wipe down' of a sponge bath, I put him on a towel in the bathtub and poured water over him, providing more of a 'shower' atmosphere. Due to his casts, we can't give him a real bath yet, so I improvised by putting plastic bags over his casts first (this is how my parents bathed me when I had a cast as an infant). He didn't fuss at all, so I assume he enjoyed it.

HIP HIP HORRAY!!! Eli finally fell asleep completely on his own today! After his 'bath', we went through our usual calm-down period before his nap. As usual, Eli was fighting sleep. I finally had him in the crib, crying of course, and was standing over top of him trying to soothe him. Nothing was working, so I stepped out of the room for a few minutes, in an effort to make him calm down as soon as I returned... After 3 or 4 minutes, he was silent. Of course I ran into the room to make sure he was ok, and he was sleeping!! He must have figured out that he has to calm himself down sometimes: CHECK OUT THE BIG BRAINS ON ELI! (I had the same result at a later nap time today also, so I don't think it was just a fluke.)

Last but not least, Eli had his first bottle tonight. It won't be an every day occurrence, but I did want to give Lehr the opportunity to share in the nourishment of our child from time to time. Eli didn't miss a beat; he took the bottle like a champ.

Big Day Out

Mom went to the gym for a full hour after Eli's first after-sunrise feeding this morning, leaving Dad in charge for an extended period of time (a first). Lehr took Eli out for his first spin around the block in his BOB Ironman (the off-road version of a stroller). Lehr said he loved every minute of it, and even went right down for his nap afterwards.

Today was Eli's Big Day Out. After his morning nap we went out to run a few errands; Eli happily rode in his Baby Bjorn with Mom. After that we went to Piedmont Park (Eli's first time) and took a spin in the BOB again; Eli thoroughly enjoyed himself. Lehr and I decided to push our luck and go to dinner at Fellini's Pizza (outdoor - low key), and Eli slept the whole time. Although he was a bit fussy going down for the night, the day was a big success!

Cast Day #3

We went in for the third round of casts today. Eli was not thrilled, but a LOT less fussy than normal. I wonder if it is possible he's already used to the doctor manipulating his feet? The doctor confirmed that his left foot is tighter than his right, but overall he was impressed with the progress his feet have made (after just two weeks).

Once we got home, Eli promptly reminded me that he is NOT a fan of the casts; he's been frustrated/fussy again all day. I guess each week there will be a day of adjustment. He does love walking around in the baby bjorn (by the end of a 40-minute walk he's usually asleep), but as soon as we got home from our walk today, he woke up and started to scream...where are those ear plugs again?

Got Ink?

Eli received his first tattoos yesterday. Grandma Cathie suggested writing on his casts while she was here, but I forgot until an online friend reminded me. So after one of his feedings I did my best to convey Eli's personality. On one cast is his nickname and a plug of his website (Eli the Frog ele5.com), and on the other is a tribal tat. Lehr followed up by adding a footprint to the bottom of one cast and "Got Milk?" on the other.

After a week of Mom-Mom visiting, we finally got our house back today; all company/family is gone! I don't mean to sound ungrateful; it's just been a long three weeks, and we're ready to start our new life (as a three-person family), which is difficult to do when you have to entertain. I don't have any definite plans for the coming week, but we will be working on getting Eli's eating/sleeping schedule more structured (hard to do with extra people in the house), and we'll be venturing out of the house more (FINALLY!).

David and Carissa brought Cooper over for a visit today (two weeks younger than Eli - soon to be a best bud, for sure). It was really nice to put the two of them together and start comparing. Cooper is much more laid back than Eli...but that might be because he hasn't found his set of lungs yet, as Eli has.

Also, Eli slept in his crib last night (instead of in the pack-n-play in our bedroom) for the first time. He's been napping in his nursery, but at night I've been keeping him with me (so I can make sure he's breathing, like any overprotective first-time mother would). He didn't even notice that he wasn't in with us; much like his father, he can sleep anywhere!

Cast Day #2

Eli had his second casting today. The wait at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta was much longer than it was last week; the waiting room was quite full with parents and children. Since this has not been the status of that waiting room in the past, I'm assuming some of the patients were transplanted due to Hurrican Katrina... There were several posts on the clubfoot/Ponseti page over the past few weeks from parents looking for 'replacement' doctors due to unexpected relocation. We're pretty lucky all we have to do is drive 20 minutes to see a doctor for Eli.

I've posted some pictures of Eli's feet so everyone can track his progress along with us. He fussed when the casts were removed, and again when they were put back on, but he did keep his legs somewhat straight for the doctor to manipulate when replacing the casts. My guess is he didn't realize he had full mobility again. His feet looked great; already a huge improvement. Eli has been frustrated since we got home, but less so than last week when the first casts were in place. Hopefully he'll take less time to adjust this week.

Randomness..

Eli is still growing like a weed...he holds up his head on his own more and more every day. He's getting fussier, but it seems to only occur when he is working really hard on keeping his head up, looking around, etc. I think he gets frustrated because he can't do as much as he'd like yet. He is also fighting sleep already. Eli is stubborn like his mom; watch out world!

So far, Eli likes the Baby Bjorn; we've been walking for the past five days. He seems content to suck on his fist and look at the clouds, the trees, or just my shirt (since, in all probability, he can only see 12-18 inches in front of him).

Happy Birthday, Cooper!

Wonderful news for Eli: his close-in-age friend, Cooper, has finally arrived. He was born early this morning, and Eli is eagerly awaiting their first meeting. I think Eli is anxious to teach Cooper a few tricks he's learned since being on the 'outside'.

Godparents to the rescue!! Dave and Carolyn lent us their camera for a few days until we can get a hold of a fix for ours. I've added a few new shots to 'Eli photos', including a belly button pic.

First Walk

The camera is still broken; of course Minolta's support desk is closed on weekends, and the camera shop down the street cannot figure out the problem. Time is wasting people - I need more pictures of this little guy!!

Eli went for his first walk in the Baby Bjorn today. He was awake for the first little bit - eyes open and just looking around. By then end of the walk, he was out cold.

Bellybutton!

Grandma Cathie left this morning - it was my first full day with Eli (on my own). Everything went great! He is changing so much every day; I can't believe it hasn't even been two weeks yet! After one of his morning feedings, Eli spent a good ten minutes posing for pictures and observing his surroundings. Unfortunately, after about 20 pictures, our camera broke (we think). That was really unfortunate, because Eli had many more poses in him! After lunch he had another good awake period - this time we had some tummy-time too. He is getting so strong! He's able to hold his head up for quite some time now before crashing.

Eli is quite the wiggler too; no matter what surface he is on, he'll move from facing one direction to another within a few minutes. After dinner we were SO pleased to find our fridge/freezer is broken also. (When it rains, it pours.) Not that this affects Eli at all, but I thought I'd mention it to add some Murphy's Law to the situation. (As well as things are going with Eli, SOMETHING has to go wrong for us, right?)

On a brighter note, Eli finally lost his cord stump today (that thing really freaked me out!), and he has the CUTEST belly button. I would take a picture, but again, no camera....

Karate Kid

Today Eli is doing much better with his casts. He gets frustrated a lot less when he tries to pull his knees up to his stomach. Moving his legs up and down (with the extra weight) seems to be a lot less difficult for him - no chicken legs there; they are strong!

When Eli is done eating, he is definitely done eating, and he won't be swayed to continue if he's full. He tends to imitate Will Ferrell imitating "W" - lips pursed in as tight and small as possible. We haven't been able to catch a picture of it yet, but we'll keep trying.