Eli's Coming!

Sometimes it seems like just yesterday Jacob and I decided to start our family, but to be more honest it seems more like forever ago! We have been so ready and excited for this new addition for quite some time that I can't believe the moment is almost here. So it's 9 months later and this is where we are...

1. I think we have bought everything we need for Eli's arrival. I am sure there are going to be some late night runs to the store for things here and there, but most of these runs will be done by Jacob. I have tried my hardest to get everything ready now before his arrival.


2. We have finished all of our classes and finished reading all the books we wanted to before he gets here. I am sure we will be reading a few chapters again when we are stressed or concerned, but at least we have them done before he is crying in our arms!


3. Our hospital bag is packed. Jacob was so funny about this hospital bag he wanted it packed even before Eli's room was finished. He was so worried we were not going to have anything ready and the hospital bag is where he thought we needed to start.


4. We finally have his room 90% done. I say 90% because the rest of the room we can not finish until we have our little guy in our arms. Jacob and I are both very pleased with how the room turned out and we think Eli will be very happy in there.

Here are some pictures of the room....

Here is the rocking chair area. Jacob comes into the room often and just sits there thinking. I think both of us have done that a few times.

Here is his crib. The skirt fabric is what I basically based the colors for the room around. I was in Mesa Sales and saw it and just knew this was for my little man. No the picture frame above the crib is not staying like that. There is a mat that holds pictures and we are going to add things like his foot print, 1st family pictures, blessing certificate and things like that in it.

Here is a close up of the bumper and the skirt. I think they are so pretty together. My cousin Veronica does some interior design and she helped me with the room. I know my cousin Jenny and Aunt Carma helped a lot with the sewing too! Which I love because most the stuff in his room was made by a family member.

Here is a close up of the quilt. It has a piece of each fabric used in the room.

This a a close up of the blanket. I love the details they added. My Aunt Carma hand stitched a lot of the pieces too. I feel like this was a labor of love which makes me love it even more!

Here is a close up of the rocking chair. I love the flur de lis and Jacob approved it because he says it is the boy scout symbol...I guess we both win!

Here is the changing table and storage area. We are going to add a big canvas picture of Eli in the center where the abacus is, once he is born. I will post it once I have it done. For obvious reasons it is not done yet! Debbie helped put together the arrangement in the corner. She is very talented with things like that. In the picture frame is a picture of Jacob and I.

This is on the wall when you enter the room. It actually turned out to be one of my favorites. As most of you know I love quotes and I was lucky enough to find two of my favorites. The blue one reads "Never, never, never give up" by Winston Churchill. The green one says "Work like you don't need money. Love like you have never been hurt. Sing like no one is listening. Dance, Dance, Dance like no one is watching" We originally wanted a frog on the shelf, but since I haven't found the perfect one the rabbit can stay for a while.

This is a name board my cousin Sarah made for Eli's baby shower. She is very crafty and the colors went wonderfully with the room.

Things I want to remember....

• The night I went and bought everything for Eli's room Jacob got very excited waiting for me to return home. Once I got home he was sad to find out that the stroller was in my sister's car. Since he wanted to put it together that night we drove to her house to pick it up. While he was putting it together I was doing little touches on little Eli's room. All the sudden I see Jacob out of the corner of my eye starting to push the stroller around. I thought he was just making sure he put it together properly but then I noticed he kept pushing it down the hall. I started following him and I watched him walk around the house pushing it. He even walks by mirrors to see what he loooks like when pushing it. Everyday I find the stroller in a different room because our sweet little daddy is pushing it around the house!

• Once I turned 36 weeks you go in for weekly appointments. The doctor checks to see how you are progressing towards delivery. Well, while I was being checked the doctor pointed out where all of Eli's body parts were starting with his feet (which are nicely placed by my ribs) all the way down to his head (down in my hips) While I was receiving my internal exam Jacob heard the doctor say there is the head. After the doctor left Jacob looked at me and said was he talking about Eli's head? Was he touching our babies head? Jacob's face showed totally terror and surprise. It was too cute!


• I have officially turned into the family Buddha everyone comes up and rubs my tummy and sometimes shakes it a little. Maybe they think it works like a piggy bank and if you shake it Eli will just come right out!


• My mother's new thing is to walk up to my tummy get really close and say "Eli this is your Mamo. I can't wait to see you. I love you." She told Jacob she does this so Eli will know her voice when he comes out. Well Jacob being the little comedian that he is thought it would be funny to say the same things to my tummy but in a really deep voice. It reminds me of Darth Vader saying "Luke I am your father.", but he is saying "Eli this is your Mamo." He does this, he says, to play a prank on Mamo, so when Eli comes out he will wonder why mamo has such a high voice rather than the low voice he has heard. This still makes me laugh to think about.


• I want to remember how impatient I have become about waiting for my little man. The past few days I have stressed that he must come out. I have tried everything walking 5 miles nightly with whoever I can get to walk with me. I have gotten pedicures ( I guess the pressure points can put you in labor)and eaten spicy foods. I have even tried Bleacher laps. You should have seen the looks I got when people saw a 9 month pregnant woman running up and down bleachers and around the track. I am sure they thought I was insane. Needless to say none of those worked because he is obviously still in my tummy. I have decided he will only come out when he is ready, which I think he has gotten to comfortable and isn't planning on coming out any time soon.


• Eli has received a new nickname from me...the Possum. I call him this because I picture him with his long Brewer toes (Brewer is my mother's side of the family) wrapped around my ribs sleeping comfortably upside down inside me, way to happy and comfy. I am sure he looks something like this... (When Jacob saw this picture he said, "I hope not!")
  
• The other night Jacob and I walked from our house to my parents house. When we got there my brother was in the driveway. He pointed at me laughing and said you look like Ichabod Crane, but with a pumpkin under your shirt. This made me really start laughing.
• Eli has an anthem song it is by 3 Dog Night and it is called Eli is Coming. Every night I hear it in my head...

I have loved being pregnant and hated it at the same time. It truly is a challenge, but with one amazing reward. I feel so blessed to even be given the opportunity to carry a child and be a mother. I am so thankful for a loving husband and a healthy pregnancy so far. We are truly blessed!! Hopefully my next post will be pictures of our sweet Elijah Jennings Ash.