January 4, 2010

Hi Baby Lijah,
I have so much to tell you that I don't even know where to begin and it is only late afternoon. Who knows what tonight will bring :) I am home by myself as your daddy has taken you to meet his work friends. It wouldn't feel weird to be by myself but then I look up and there is your swing and your pack and play but there is no Baby Lijah to go in them.

Ok, biggest news first. Your mom and dad really wanted to take you to a photographer named Kelley Ryden. Baby Levi had his photos there and they made me swoon. She is amazing and she was even on the Today show or Good Morning America show. It just so happens that she is also local. However, with you entering our lives, I just wasn't ready to make a financial commitment like that. I figured when all was said and done, we would have spent close to $2000 on newborn photos. So, your Uncle Zach, Kylie Shark's mom (Sherry Shark) and I started plotting as to how we were going to photo you to look like Kelley Ryden shots on a lean, mean budget. :) I bought your hats, tested the lighting, took photos of a baby doll and considered myself ready. Fast forward to today. I had plans to start shooting you. I got an email from Alicia (remember her from yesterday? Levi's mom?) that Kelley Ryden was looking for newborns to serve as models for a photography class she was teaching this weekend. I speed dialed her up so quickly that I burned up the phone lines. She has an opening for you! We lucked out. We were the first caller that was under 2 weeks old and we nabbed the primo modeling spot - Sunday at 10. Apparently, this is the hardest spot with the most difficult poses. You are going to be photographed for 3-4 hours but hopefully, you will sleep through it all. I didn't realize how lucky we were until I got home and saw she only had spots for 3 models. I think this is karma being good to us for all it took to get you here. You are going to have KELLEY RYDEN NEWBORN PHOTOS. For FREE. It makes your mom giggle with joy. I was like a star struck junkie for hours. I was holding you and giving you a pep talk about doing your best work for KELLEY RYDEN NEWBORN PHOTOS. :) We had to send her a photo of you and your dad said "Don't send the hospital ones - he looks too chunky." We decided that we need to have you lose a few ounces before your photo shoot debut. Gotta keep you looking thin and trim. haha. We are just kidding you E - no weight loss required. Just a pleasant demeanor and a full tummy so you sleep. I can't wait.

Not to embarrass you but you have not been having a lot of dirty diapers. We were starting to get worried. We went out today and when we we got home, you finally had a dirty diaper. Your dad (the stand up comedian that he is) said "He was just so excited about KELLEY RYDEN that he sh$t himself." It was pretty funny - even though you are not to ever use that language. :) Then, you proceeded to have 2 more back-to-back dirty diapers so now we know you are not sick. Your dad was not to happy about those back-to-backers as he was trying to leave with you.

Speaking of diapers, you are now converted to cloth diapers. We no longer have to vaseline up your diapers for your sore wiener (that is not your mom talking - the doctor who did the circumcision called it that). So, you are on to those eco-friendly cloth diapers that we have. The smallest ones are a bit small. I think you may wear them for a week or so and that is going to be about it! I will have to put an extra cute one on you for your KELLEY RYDEN photo shoot.

We had our first outing today - we went over Great Gramma Lang's for a little bit. She was able to love you up while your dad picked up Brian and Erica from the airport. Then, your baby God Daddy loved you up and Erica loved you up too. I think Great Gramma Lang likes having you over to visit her. Her phone rang and she said "I am here with my Great Grandson." The only bad thing about outings is that it takes quite a bit of time and a Herculean effort to get you loaded up in your carseat. Thank goodness your dad is here or we would never leave the house again :)

Just a quickie conversation that I found kind of cute yesterday.
Dad: Smell this. (shoves your elmo towel in my face)
Mom: What? It smells perfumey
Dad: I had to go get my boy some Dreft. I can't have my boy smelling like baking soda. I need my boy to smell like a baby.
I thought it was so cute that your dad kept calling you "his boy."

And, a sentimental thought from yesterday. Last night, I was rocking you to sleep (in Great Gramma's rocker!) and I was just looking at you. You were peaceful and you were in the stage between being awake and being asleep where you are kind of hazy. My gosh kid, you are so flipping cute. You would look up above my head and over my shoulder and you would just start smiling. It melted my heart. I can't believe you are here and you are mine and you are so flipping cute! You know what I like to think? I like to think that some of your grampas are standing behind me making faces at you and helping you to fall asleep. That makes me feel good!

That is about it for now Baby Lijah. I am leaving you with a photo of you in your environmentally friendly, tree hugging outfit that your cousin Brandi bought you. She liked it so much that we have it available in two sizes :) This is also the first time that you were in your swing. You loved it!