January 6

Hi Eli,
We had a boring day today, didn't we? Sleeping, eating and changing diapers. Pretty relaxing if you ask your mom and dad :)

Last night, your dad was posing you in training for your photo shoot on Sunday. We took some photos of you - here is our favorite and we mailed it out to our work friends.

Today, we took some photos of you all nestled in on dad's belly.


I did one more page for the scrapbook. I remember back in the day where I would sit for hours and do scrapbook pages. Now, it takes me 3 days to get one done. Can't do a whole lot when Baby Lijah needs to be changed and fed and sleep is required :)

January 5

Hi Baby Elijah!
Are you going to call your therapist today? Your mom deserted you for 4+ hours and took a nap. It was heaven! The good news was that you were in good hands with your dad and Kylie shark. Your cousin Kylie volunteered to come babysit you so your dad and I could sleep. I took full advantage of it :)

The pediatrician gave you a clean bill of health. She was happy with your coloring and your weight. You were just so happy you decided to give her a big present in your diaper. We have to take you back on Thursday to get you on the scale. Then, you go back on Monday for another full checkup.

Last night, you slept in your bassinet all night! It was the first night you didn't sleep with us. We were both so happy. Gramma Debi D gave you your bassinet. It was Jesse's and now it was passed on to you.



Here are some photos that were kind of silly when your dad was trying to get some of your air bubbles out.

Good morning Elijah!
Some scrapbook pages for you with your birth & nursery photos. Then, we are off to see the pediatrician so we can get yelled at that we are overfeeding you or underfeeding you or something else that makes us horrible parents :)

Screaming out of the womb...

More screaming as they picked on you...

Your time in the nursery and your first bath in the nursery...

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!

January 3, 2010

Hi Baby E,
It was kind of a quiet day today, huh? You were such a good sleeper that you have your mom kind of worried :) We had the nurse come over at 9:30 and then you had breakfast and you have pretty much slept since then. It has been like 10 hours. We have gotten you some food in those hours but no time of being awake and alert. Maybe the glo-worm lights are taking it out of you.

We had good news today - your jaundice is down and you can discontinue using your glow-worm/astronaut boy lights. We were so excited. You are so much easier to manhandle when you don't have your lights on. We are going to go to the Dr. on Tuesday to get you a check up and then sometime this week, your mom will have to go see Dr. Bonehead to get her checkup.

Lots of visitors here today to love you up. Uncle Jeff & Aunt Sheila came by to see you. Remember that guy who wouldn't come near you in the hospital? He held you and loved you up the entire time he was here. He even fed you! I think he was just looking for a more private time to love you up when there weren't so many people around and no cameras were threatening to expose his soft side :) Gramma Debi D came over to smooch you up and bring you lots of clothes from her travels. You got your first Margaritaville shirt. Your Godmother Becky, Steve and Great Gramma Dorothy came by next to love you up. They were the last visitors to see you in your astronaut lights - we got the call when they were here that you were free :) Finally, your friend Levi and his parents came by to see us. They came bearing pizza! As you can see, you got lots of loving today but you were not up for most of it.

Levi's mom (someday you will know them as Bob & Alicia rather Levi's mom and dad) took your January 3 photo for us!

January 2, 2010

Hi Elijah (or as your dad calls you - Glow worm)!
It was your first full day at home. We made it through the night. We made it through our first day with your astronaut lighting :) You have done so good at giving us 2-3 hour blocks of time for naps. You would sleep more if we didn't need to make you eat more to help with the jaundice. The nurse came today and you lost some weight - you are down to 8 lbs 1 oz. Your jaundice levels didn't change. Not what we wanted to hear but also not bad news in the sense that they didn't go up. We are hoping for a decrease tomorrow.

Overheard while you were sleeping:
Mom: I don't think anyone has ever given birth to a baby this cute. Well, except my mom, that is.
Dad: (Ignores me)
Mom: Do you think anyone has ever given birth to a baby this cute before?
Dad: Well, apparently my mom did too.

Yep, day 2 and you still look like your dad. Your nurse this morning said "Wow, he sure does look like his dad."

Your mom had to break her streak today & change a messy diaper. Your dad was running some errands for me and you had to let it loose. Darn it kiddo - I was hoping to make it at least one week before having to change you :)

2 photos for you today. First one, I took after you got done eating. Your dad took the second one. Pretty cool how it shows you glowing!

First 5 days - photos

Hi Elijah,
As we start your brand new blog, I will start with some photos. My goal is to take a photo of you everyday this year. Scrapbookers call this "Project 365". Your Gramma Debbie also recommended it because she wished she would have done it with your dear old mom.

Your Birthday - 12/28/09
You are here! Here is one of your first photos in the OR. Your dad - who normally hates pictures - did a great job of taking tons of photos with you.

Your first bath in the hospital.


After your first bath and your first time with your mom.

Your first photo with your dad. Oh my gosh Elijah - he was so proud of you. I can't be sure but I think he may like you even more than he likes me :)


Day 2 - 12/29/09
You had so many visitors that we could hardly believe it! They just kept coming and coming. All of them wanted to love up Baby Elijah.

Our First family photo. This shows you how much your mom loves you already - she is posting a heinous photo of herself just so you can have a family photo.

This is probably my favorite photo of the entire day. Can your Great Gramma look any more proud?

3 Generations of us - your Gramma Debbie, you and me. Too bad none of our genes made it into you. You are 100% your daddy.

Grampa Keith and you. He was a little nervous to hold you but he did for the sake of your scrapbook. However, the next time he saw you, I barely got you out of my hands before you were in his lap. He doesn't read blogs so I am safe to tell you some secrets. He was pretty darn enamored with you. He was talking to you and loving you up and he was so proud of you. It really touched your mom's heart. I didn't know how he would react to you - he didn't really talk to much about you when you were cooking in there. But, I think it was because he was worried that he would lose another grand baby. But, seeing you and him when he had more time with you was really cute. He did say something that your dad and I have discussed - he said "He has my squinty eyes." Yep, I think he is telling the truth. You may have been cursed with Grampa Keith's and your mom's squinty eyes.

Gramma Ruth is showing you how not to pose for the camera. She is the sensible one in the family - already teaching you good manners.

Day 3 - 12/30/09

This is a familiar scene during these first few days. You snuggled in your dad's arms and you two trying to take a nap.

Your first Husker game. Your jersey was way too big so we didn't leave it on you too long! They won!


Day 4 - 12/31/09
How you celebrated the New Year - watching the ball drop in your dad's favorite outfit for you - duckies! You were zonked out at midnight. Your dad was out before midnight but happened to wake up long enough to say Happy New Year and roll back over!


Day 5 - 1/1/10

Just a random shot by the window in your duckie outfit.

All bundled up to come home. Debbie and Morgan bought this for you. Morgan is so excited to come see you but she wasn't old enough at the hospital and now, we want to wait until your astronaut boy light is done!

Your first bath at home and with your Elmo towel. Your dad loves Elmo!!


Your first introduction to the animals in this house. Hoobie had to come up and sniff out the competition.

Finally, your light therapy machine - your astronaut boy machine. You have some jaundice so to treat it, we need to have you wear this light 24/7 until your numbers are normal. You don't seem to care about it being on - reminds you of being swaddled. You really like the machine that it runs on - the white noise mellows you out.