1st month

It is crazy to think that Eli is already a month old. It seems like just the other day we brought him home for the first time. It has been fun adjusting to our new way of life. Since everything is pretty much new to everyone, this month has been a month of a lot of 1st's for us. the list of first's include:

1. Eli has officially had his first poop up his back onto me and his clothes. I was hoping it would be a while before I had to deal with one of these kind of diapers. I am proud to report it was gross, but not that bad!! I think I handled it pretty well.
   
2. Everyone knows that when you change a little boys diaper you have to use extra caution. My mom calls little boys little pee tails because they pee everywhere. Well Eli is a little pee tail he has peed on me, his dad and his own face. My mom thinks the time he peed on himself is absolutely hilarious. Jacob and I were such new parents we were so sad we did not find it as funny as my mom did. Now when she talks about it we can at least crack a little smile. I am sure there will be a lot more moments like this...
   
   
3. Eli also had his 1st bottle. I have been told that you should introduce a bottle in the 3rd week so that they will not reject the idea of a bottle. In week two I was ready for someone else to join in on the feeding fun so I had Jacob give Eli his 1st bottle. I was told that I shouldn't even be in the room because Eli wouldn't want it if he knew he had other options. This is not true! Eli loved his bottle and took it like a little champ. I was worried that now he would only want bottles, but nope he loves both. I seriously have an amazing little guy. Jacob also did a great job. This was his 1st bottle he ever fed to a baby and he was a natural. We have now added the bottle into our daily routine.
   
   
4. Jacob and I have been dying to take Eli for a walk, but since it is too hot and he is so little we have been putting it off. Once Eli turned 4 weeks I figured it was safe just to walk down our neighborhood. Jacob was extra excited about this little adventure because this meant he actually got to test out the stroller. Although Jacob and I really enjoyed the walk Eli did not stay awake for more then two steps out the door.
   
   
   
   
   
5. After our walk i felt better about taking Eli out to visit more places. Since the walk he has been to the mall and 2 restaurants. The first restaurant went great he slept the entire time. The 2nd one things did not go so well. He slept the entire time until the exact moment the waiter put my plate down in front of me. It was at this time that Eli decided it was time for him to eat (even though he had already eaten) Needless to say I got the heck out of dodge because Eli was so upset!


6. Since Jacob does not have a Sam's Club membership I was forced to leave Eli's side for the 1st time. I was so scared and I never hurried so fast in Sam's club before. I left Eli in the very loving carrying hands of his father, but for some reason I felt like a horrible Mom leaving his side when he was so little. I got home and everything was great at home. PHEW!!! What a relief. Jacob and I also left Eli for the 1st time and went to a business lunch. It was nice to have a free moment and free hand, but we both were happy to get back home to him as soon as the meal was over.


7. Everyday I was carrying Eli around in my tummy I kept telling Jacob I just want him to be healthy, and have...curly dark hair, and blue eyes, and a smile like his dad. (I wasn't asking too much) Well I seriously got everything I wanted Eli didn't come out smiling like I had hoped but he did start smiling only two weeks later. I can't believe he started smiling so young. I am so incredible happy, because that just means he is more and more like his dad everyday. I also have proof of his smiling...now these are not his best as he seems to always stop smiling when the camera comes out, but I do have proof none the less.
   
   
   
   
   
   



8. Eli's umbilical cord has been such an adventure for us. All my past experiences have taught me that it just falls off in one big chunk all the sudden one day. NOT THIS ONE!! Eli's has been falling out in pieces for about two weeks. I have been dying to give him his 1st official bath, but nope that thing was stubborn and would just keep hanging on. Finally one day it officially fell off and we got to give Eli his 1st official bath. I will let the pictures speak for themselves!
   
   
   
   

Yep that's right Eli hates getting baths! Oh well he loves to cuddle up after that so I get to at least enjoy that part! P.S. Out of nowhere, another piece appreard and then fell off a couple of days after this picture. I think now it is officially safe to say it is completely off.

Things I want to remember:

• I so badly want to remember all the funny and cute noises and faces he makes. He makes this noise that can best be described as a goat. He also has this cry which I have not been able to catch on video yet, but it is so cute and totally fake. Jacob and I sometimes just sit and try to do our best Eli impersonation. I must say we are really good at them.








• I love when he is awake and just looking around. The best in when he is on his Dad's chest and he is looking up at him. Oh my goodness his eyes get so big!


• I love love love to watch Jacob burp Eli. For some reason I find this totally amusing. It must have something to do with his hand or wrist...it seriously cracks me up, but it always works and Dad gets the burp out!
  
• Eli has added some more nicknames to his long list of names. His new nick names include: Jack Nicholson - I call him this because he has very little hair on top but a lot in back. When the hair in the back gets messy and pushed around it looks just like Jack's does in his movies! Pee tail- he has this nickname for obviouse reasons. And last but not least Goat boy- I call him this every time he makes the goat boy call! Oh yeah and he is still our posum he pretends to be sleeping all the time!





• I will always remember how helpful my mother has been. She has really been there for me in moments of panic and pure desperation. I am so thankful to have such an awesome Mamo!
  
  
  
  
• Aly and Ethan have both had really cute moments with Eli. Everyday just a little after 3 I get a call from Aly seeing if she can come over to my house and help with Eli. She even left me a message the other day that was so cute. I kept it and Jacob heard it and thought it was so cute too! (if Jacob thinks something is cute then it is really really cute) Now for Ethan's cute moment... The other night when we went to dinner Ethan wanted to ride in our car so we let him ride in the back with Eli. Eli was crying and looked back and Ethan had his hands in his lap and he looked totally worried. I realized he probably thought I was going to yell at him thinking he made him cry. I told him everything was ok and just to talk and try and comfort Eli. As soon as we got to the restaurant Eli wasn't crying and I told Ethan he did a wonderful job. Ethan turned to me and said, " Well see his Binky fell out so I just picked it up and put it in his mouth, and he stopped crying." I thought it was so cute, because Ethan was so serious!
  
  

Other things of Note:

• My Mamo had a birthday. Obviously this was a very special an important event in our house. I am so thankful for her and had such a wonderful time spending time with her on her special day. Mamo we love you more then all the tea in China!





• Chase also celebrated his birthday he turned 14 wow. It was funny because when we went to dinner for his birthday again and I realized that we went to the same place we went the year before! I guess some things never change.
  
• Jacob and I have needed a new vacuum for a long time. The other day we were at Sam's Club and we noticed one of the vacuums I wanted was on sale. I was so pleased and excited so Jacob bought it for me...man I am such a happy camper. I love my new vacuum. Say hello to my new Dyson DC17 Slim.

• My cousin Bridget is about to have a little baby boy join their family as well. On Saturday my mom, Steph, my aunt Deanna and I went to her shower. My Aunt Carma, and her two daughters Veronica and Jenny put it together. It is always so much fun to go to a party thrown by them because they are always so nice and pretty.

This is Bridget and her mom.

Jenny, Carma, and Veronica

The umbrellas were the party favors. I just had to get a picture of everyone with theirs!

Just settling in

This past week has been a busy one for our little household. Jacob and I are still adjusting to our new lifestyle at home. Our new lifestyle includes lots of diaper changes, me turning into Mama the feeding cow, and very little sleep. Although it has been an adjustment we have been having such a wonderful time with Eli in the house. Jacob and I enjoy having him around so much.
Other weekly events include Jacob's brother Jordan coming into town with his wife Katie and their little boy Carson. We have been over at Linda and Cecil's enjoying conversations and catching up with their cute family. I can't believe all the time we have spent over there, and yet I do not have one picture with Jordan and Katie. Jordan's visit was a little short lived and he left off to India on Wednesday, but lucky for us Katie will be staying until the end of this month! Katie is also a little photographer and she took some cute pictures of our little Eli. We of course are rookies about taking the pictures so we are going to do another session this week. Here are a few pictures that I think turned out pretty cute. Thank you Katie!!

On Friday Daniel also came in town from London so Saturday morning we went over to Linda and Cecil's again for breakfast and to hear all about Daniel's adventures. It sounds like he had a wonderful time. Jacob is always so happy when his family members are in town! Again I didn't get any pictures with Daniel but he is here for a few more days so hopefully I can get my act together! Jacob and I have also been enjoying the Olympics. We are true Michael Phelps fans, but then again who isn't. I have also been making Jacob watch a lot of volleyball. At first he didn't like it but I think he is starting to change his mind.


Eli also had his two week check up on Friday. I can proudly say I did a lot better this time. I was more prepared for what they were going to do with my little guy so I think it went a lot better. Plus Eli didn't pee this time when we took of his diaper so that in itself made the visit a lot better.

Here are Eli's current stats:

Height: 21 inches 50- 75%

Weight: 9 lbs 2 oz 50-75%

Head: 34.7 (not sure what they measure this in) 25-50%

Life since Eli's Arrival

Oh what a week it has been. We got to bring Eli home on Saturday July 27th. It was such a treat to get out of the hospital and back into our own home. We also came home to a little surprise from my family. My mom and sister cleaned our entire house!! Plus my dad and Lee picked up our yard. Can you believe it? I have such an amazing family. They also left us some little presents. The 1st was this. This is what you saw when you drove up to our house.

Hmm I remember this picture being closer...oh well it is a sign for our neighbors telling them he has arrived with all of the details of his birth. (well not all the details, but you get the idea) We also put out our Eli boxes at the front door when we left for the hospital so people knew that is where we were.


Jacob's mom and dad also brought us some bath soap from Bath and Body works Aromatherapy for Energy and my family got us Aromatherapy for sleep. I think those are two things we both NEED! My family also got us this Willow Tree of a family with a new baby. I love it because the couple actually reminds me of Jacob and me. The guy even has curly hair!

On July 28th at 7:28 pm Jacob and I got a new nephew. Jacob's sister Allison had a sweet little boy and to top it off guess what they named him....Jacob Steven!!! He is named after the best man I know! Welcome to the world little Jacob. We already love you so much.

He is such a handsome baby!

My own sweet Jacob had his birthday too!! He turned the big 25! Although we didn't do too much for his birthday I still think he had a wonderful day. It started off with biscuits and Gravy made by his mother (his favorite) then he got to relax and watch movies during the day! We ate Taco Bell and Barro's pizza (more of his favorites) then that night we went to my parents house and got ice cream. He received cash from everyone (another favorite) and so this week he has been buying movies and books (obviously more favorites). Here are some pictures I got of Jacob's special day.

Here is the birthday boy!

Eli also had his 1st doctor's appointment. I think they should prepare mother's for this. I got there and filled out TONS of paper work. Then they took me back to the room and told me to undress him. Then they took his temperature, but in his bottom. Obviously Eli hated this, but to top it off he peed everywhere! Then she told me to pick him up and I followed her down the hall to get his length and weight (mind you we are both covered in pee) She made me hold his head while she measured him and then she made me take his diaper off again to get the correct weight! Then back down the hall to the room to meet with the doctor. He said Eli looked great and even said he was a good baby because he didn't cry while he was getting checked out.

As of Monday July 28th these are Eli's stats: Weight: 8 lbs 3 oz 50 - 75% , Height: 21 3/4 inches 75-90% and his head measured 33.8 cm 10 - 25% ( I guess he has a small head)

Stories to remember:

1. I have received so much help from Ward members and my family. I am so thankful for all the meals that have been brought and the good wishes sent our way. I feel so blessed to have so much support right now.
2. I have been a little bit of a worry wart. I have thought my baby has had a fever, thrush, and a rash. NONE of which are true, but I just stress about everything. My mother in law has told me to take things more in stride. I know she is right so I will try and take her advice.
3. I have had a few moments where I have started crying out of nowhere for no reason. It is totally weird and has caught people as well as myself off guard. Oh these hormones are out of control. I wonder how long this part lasts?
4. The 1st time Ethan saw Eli's stomach he asked what the heck that was in Eli's belly button we explained to him what it was. A few minutes later we heard Ethen calling it his extension cord instead of the umbilical cord....CLASSIC!
5. Speaking of the umbilical cord 1/2 of it has fallen off on July 31st. Jacob was just holding him and all the sudden he was like where is his umbilical cord? We looked around for it and there it was stuck to Jacob's pants. I kept it in a bag on our counter for a day. I wasn't sure if this was something I was supposed to keep. I kept calling it my glorified scab. By the end of the day both Jacob and I decided it was kind of gross and we threw it away. Another piece of it fell off at Jacob's parents house. I have no idea where or when, but that will be funny when they find it!
6. Eli has such a strong desire to suck. The nurse's at the hospital were even impressed at how great an eater he is. The other night as we were falling asleep I fell asleep to the sound of Eli going to town sucking on his hands. I just loved the little noises he was making.
7. This is my favorite moment so far. Last night I was very tired and Eli wasn't really ready to go to sleep yet. Jacob came in told me to lay down and he was trying to put Eli down by rocking his cradle. He looked up at me with the biggest smile on his face. It was such a sweet moment because he was trying so hard to comfort both of us. I can honestly tell you Jacob never looked more handsome than he did at that moment. I just love my boys so much!
8. Another moment actually happened this morming while I was typing this. One of the books Jacob bought with his birthday money was The Inevitable Apostasy and the Promised Restoration. Anyway, I fed him this morning and then we had wake time just like Baby Wise teaches( Eli got his first tummy time while he was awake, it was so cute seeing him try to roll over). I then laid him down in his crib and he started crying. Jacob and I do not want to spoil our kids and pick him up everytime he starts crying but it was very hard for me not to want to pick him up and hold him. Finally, Jacob told me to go in the other room and he read his new book next to Eli as he cried. Well, Jacob was right and Eli finally fell asleep and is still asleep at this moment. I'm greatful for Jacob. While Eli was crying I came in like three times and tried to talk Jacob into letting me pick him up but he wouldn't which now I am greatful for.

WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR ALL THE FUTURE MEMORIES WE WILL MAKE WITH LITTLE ELI!

Eli's here, and we couldn't be happier!

I finally went into labor. Here are the details, as I remember them...

On Thursday July 24th I woke up feeling contractions about 9 minutes apart. I got really excited thinking today is the day. YIPPEEE!! I was also a little sad because my doctor was out of town and he wouldn't be back until Friday. I really wanted him to be there, but if Eli was ready to come there was nothing I was going to be able to do to stop him. Well needless to say the contractions stopped and I was a little sad. Jacob's parents called and invited us over to their house for lunch. I started to get dressed and while I was getting dressed I noticed that my contractions came back and now were 6 minutes apart. I told Jacob, but told him not to tell any one else for fear that they would stop if I started telling anyone. I wish I could tell you Jacob was able to keep it in but with in 5 minutes of being there Jacob spilled the beans. Linda and Cecil were very excited to hear the news and could not wait to hear what I found out at my doctor's appointment at 1:50. Linda gave Jacob a hair cut, and I called my mom and sister to give them an update on what was going on. We even played a little joke on them and told them Linda had checked me and I was 5 centimeters dilated. We thought we were so clever, but they didn't fall for it. Then we were off for the doctor.

We arrived at the appointment and my contraction still hadn't stopped, but they also were 6 minutes apart and not painful. As I was getting weighed Jacob said, "Stacy Doctor Huish is here." I looked at the nurse and she informed me that he had gotten back that day!! This is when I got really excited Eli could come today and everything would be great!!! After being checked I was informed I was 90% effaced and 3 1/2 centimeters dilated. We decided to strip my membranes and see if that would help speed things up. I was told that stripping your membranes was really painful, but I was pleased that it wasn't that bad so I was really glad I did it.

As soon as we left the office my contractions started getting pretty intense and were 3 minutes apart. We decided it was time to meet up with my Mom and Stephanie as I was pretty sure our baby boy was going to be born that day. We met up with them at my parent's house. All the kids were there and they were going crazy with excitement. They couldn't wait for the baby to come. We decided all the kids around was a little too much so we left for Wal-Mart to walk around and buy a stop watch. My contractions continued to stay 3 minutes apart and were getting more and more intense. We then decided we should go get my hospital bag. We drove to my house got the bag and headed for the hospital. I was worried I was heading to the hospital a bit early but on the way there I had 2 really painful contractions and I was really glad I was on my way there.

Once we got to the hospital we finished registering. I had already pre-registered so it was nice that it went so smoothly. It went smoothly until the lady informed me there were no beds and I would have to wait a second. So I got to walk around the waiting room with all these people having pretty bad contractions. Just when I thought I couldn't take it any more they took me back to a bed in triage. The nurse I got was named Kennly and she started setting me up to all the machines after she set me up I told her I was very thirsty. Once I said this Kennly was concerned that I was dehydrated and that is why I was having such bad contractions. She didn't want to give me an IV because I was dilated to a 4 1/2 and she was afraid it would stop the contractions. So for the next hour Jacob and I just fought through the contractions hoping I would dilate more and they would keep me. I must say this part was the most frustrating because my nurse was not very informative and she made me feel like I had done something wrong. Jacob did a great job calming me down and reassuring me Eli was fine. After an hour we got another nurse and she was a lot more helpful with more encouraging information. I wanted to walk around to try and speed things up so that is what I did for the next hour. My mom and Jacob took turns walking around with me. The next time she checked me I was dilated to a 6 and I decided I was ready for my epidural. They called doctor Huish and he said that would be fine, and I was officially admitted to the hospital.

Now came the bad news. They were in the middle of switching shifts and they didn't have a bed or a nurse for me AGAIN. They informed us I would have to wait and then they would take me over to Labor and Delivery. After about 30 more minutes of painful intense contractions I asked Jacob to go find out how much longer it would be. They said it would still be a while but my current nurse decided to start the IV so that I could get my epidural more quickly. More bad news... I was so dehydrated that my veins were so small they couldn't get the IV in. This has NEVER happened to me before. They finally got a tiny bit in but I had to hold my arm up so that it would drip. After that was over I got to meet my new nurse her name was Michelle and I was so happy to see her. Once I got to my room I met a lady named Candy and she was going to give me my epidural. Lets just say that I LOVE Candy. After about 5 minutes I can honestly say I didn't care about a thing. Everyone said it can be painful to receive the needle for the epidural but I found it painless. After Candy left Michelle checked me and I was dilated to a 7. I was proud of myself for lasting so long with no pain killers.

Now the waiting game started. The epidural slowed me down so I had a hard time dilating so they decided to give me patocine to help me out. My mom kept saying if she would get her water broken I am sure that would do the trick, but doctor Huish wasn't there so we found out that wasn't an option until he showed up. Once doctor Huish got there I was dilated to an 8 and they thought my water had already broken. I had no clue this happened (lets remember I honestly couldn't feel a thing or really move for that matter) An hour later Michelle decided it was time for me to start pushing.

I had to admit this part was so confusing for me. I wasn't sure how I was doing or if I was pushing correctly. My mom, sister and Jacob were so helpful at this point. I kept thinking I wasn't doing anything right but they said I was doing great. They were such wonderful coaches and helped me through the next HOUR of pushing. Yup that's right I said an hour. During one of my pushes I heard the nurse tell and show Jacob Eli's dark hair. When I heard this I instantly started smiling. A few minutes later I heard the nurse say I think it is curly. Again I really started smiling. This made me so happy because while I was pregnant I kept telling Jacob I hope he has dark curly hair! Once doctor Huish came back I pushed 2 more times and my little guy was here. It was amazing! The second I saw him I was overwhelmed with emotion. They placed him on my chest and I couldn't believe it was my baby was finally in my arms.

So after all that Eli ended up being born on July 25, 2008 at 1:53 a.m. They told us he weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and was 21 1/4 inches long. I kept saying he looks too chunky to be only 7 lbs. Even the nurse thought he looked bigger then 7 lbs. Later on we found out we were misinformed on Eli's weight and he was a whopping 8 lbs 7 oz!! What a happy healthy boy!!!

Things I want to remember...

1. My nurse Michelle was so nice she helped me so much. It was neat because she actually knew Ben (Jacob's brother in law) Between all her hard work and doctor's Huish's patience I have been able to recover from delivery nearly painless. Except that for a few days I seriously thought a horse had been kicking my tail bone. It seriously brings a whole new definition to getting your butt kicked!



2. Debbie's birthday is on the 24th and my dad's is on the 25th. Everyone was placing bets to see who would share their birthday with Eli. In the end my dad won and it was such a tender moment when my dad first saw him. My dad said it was the best birthday present ever and was crying!




3. I want to remember the spirit that was in the room while I was pushing. In the movies there is a lot of screaming and panic and running around. It was NEVER like that for me. Even before the Epidural we were calm and ready for our sweet angel. Once he was officially out and everyone joined us in the room there wasn't a dry eye in the room. What a tender moment this was.



4. I want to remember how wonderful Jacob was. He often made me nervous because he has such a hard time seeing me in pain. He even told me he was going to leave the room when I got my membranes striped because he couldn't take watching me in pain. I said if you can't take that how can you handle labor? I should have never doubted him. He was absolutely amazing and during some difficult times he really pushed me through.



5. Other then my husband my sister Stephanie is my best friend. Having her right there helping and encouraging me the entire time was so great. She is such a strong person and next to her I am a wuss, but she never once let me feel that way. She was so encouraging.



6. My sweet mother was awesome. She had just had a surgery earlier in the week and wasn't feeling 100% but she was there. She really knows how to comfort her little girl. Just her words and soft touch really helped me.

It seems so unreal that he is here. I feel so blessed by all the love and support we have received leading up to and since Eli's arrival. We have had so many people who love and care for us stop by. I joke that we have a revolving door right now, but it is nice to know so many people already love our sweet baby. I am so thankful to be a mom and have such a wonderful start to our little family.

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.