I love Elijah

he is so sweet. He is smiling just about all the time. Those who said your child's smile melt the heart was absolutely right!

So much has happened since I last blogged. We took Elijah on his first road trip to see his great grandma in Lake City Iowa. I'm glad Brad's grandmother got to see her great grandson, but if we had to do it again, I don't think I would. It is normally a 7 hour drive and we stopped many times obviously, but not enough. The last 100 miles home was AWFUL. He was crying, I was crying. All he wanted was to be held.
That was our adventure last weekend.

I started school last week also. This has become a challenge to get up in time to drop Elijah off at Becky's house so I can be at class at 8. Waking up early isn't the problem (we're normally up by 6ish -- I mean, Elijah is normally WAKING me up; I don't get up that early on my own free will) :)
So, anyway, the challenge is trying to get everything he needs for Becky. Although she has everything he may need at her house since she's about to pop out my niece in the next week or so. I'm also struggling trying to find time and a place at school to pump. I need help with this big time. Going to the bathroom is so disgusting to me, but I don't have time to go anywhere else...ugh....needless to say I was engorged all last week during school. thank God I remembered breast pads at least.

Elijah is now in his 6th week. So as I read, this explains his endless nursing and sleeping. He was getting on a pretty good routine nursing every 3-3.5 hours during the day and giving me at least a 5-6 hour stretch at night.
Well, now it is every 2 hours or LESS! He better have grown so much today that he's crawling tomorrow!!! j/k....I'm definitely not ready for that yet.

Time does fly, doesn't it.

I can't believe how fast time has gone since Elijah has been born. He is getting so big. And while I love discovering the new things he learning and doing, part of me is sad that it's all going so fast. I really am trying to cherish every moment.

Some of my favorite things is how he stays asleep in the middle of the night diaper changes but moves so violently with a poetic look on his face. How anyone can stay asleep when their butt is getting wiped with an ice cold cloth is beyond me...

I love when he gets tired he burrows his face in my chest and shakes his head back and forth.

I LOVE, LOVE when he smiles at me. I love it.

I hope to get a good photo soon!

I love that he and I have identical nostrils.

I love he has thin ears like me.

I love when he roots his hands.

I love when he doesn't latch well during nursing sometime it makes him so angry he farts. seriously...almost everytime

I love all of his facial expressions.

I love the times he's exploded out of his diaper creating so much love and laughter out of poo.

I love it when he talks to himself when he is lying down alone.

These are just a few things I can think of off the top of my head that make my heart melt. I know as he grows up there will be more things to love, but I just don't want to miss a thing.

Look at my amazing Tootum Pie!

Sarah Holst (Fresh Blend Media) was so kind to come out and take photos of Elijah. She was so generous to come and take them. The photos are AMAZING! Sometimes I'll catch myself looking at the photos when I have the real thing in my arms. Thank you Sarah. They are great photos (especially since he was cranky the whole time!)


Our little crank pants

I doubt he was smiling, but since that what he looks like he's doing, this is my favorite pic :)

He is so beautiful!

He's giving us the Emma eyebrows! I love it!!

Thank you SO much for the beautiful photos. We love them!

I guess Monday is blog day

You'd think I'd have more time on the weekends with more people around to hold the little guy. But then again, blogging never makes it up the priority list either.

Our little Tootum Pie started cracking smiles yesterday!! We tried to capture it on camera, but of course he stopped. I can't wait to see him smile all the time. It was so sweet!! Another milestone is that he is rolling over!
Saturday he rolled over onto his stomach while at my mom's house. It actually freaked me out because he rolled from his blanket to face-plant himself onto newly installed carpet. -- Carpet adhesive is VERY unfriendly to the environment, and babies (even adults!).
So I thought it was just a random, one time thing because he isn't even 4 weeks old yet. But he did it again this morning! What a stinker. I leave him on my bed to go to the bathroom, and there he did it again, rolled himself on his tummy. It's exciting, but just another thing to make me worry about :)

I worry too much....

I'm feeling great. Exactly 3 weeks postpardom I stopped needing to wear pads or liners. I was really worried about the recovery process before having him, but I was really fortunate.

Breastfeeding is going much better. The past few days we haven't really needed to use the nipple shield...but it's also bittersweet. He has been going through his growth spurt and wanting to nurse every two hours now....so I'm pretty sore. The good news is, is that he is still only waking up one time in the middle of the night. Our last late night feeding is around 1o:30, he wakes up between 2 and 3 am, and then 6 am. I hope in the next few weeks he can go without that 2/3 feeding! I think I can handle 10:30-6am sleep. Actually, it's perfect because when school starts in the next few weeks I will have to leave by 7:15 in the morning.

Now, finding someone who can watch him while Becky's little Aubrey makes her debut is another story....

--- Naptime appears its coming to a close. I'll hopefully blog again before Monday.

not too easy to blog these days...

I have to document the funniest thing. Elijah enjoys laying down and checking out his surroundings. Well, part of his surrounding would include the little mullet he some how grew (must have been Brad's genes) :)
The little stinker finds his hair and pulls it until he cries! What's so funny is that he doesn't let go, he clenches his fists tighter and pulls hard, making him cry harder! It's funny, but not....okay, I love him dearly, but it is hilarious! I hope I can get a video of him doing it. Here's a photo though.
Soooooo sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Aside from his hair pulling, I feel so busy ALL the time! The only moments of down time, are during his naps (or when Brad has him a bit) - but even during nap time (like right now) I am catching up on all kinds of housework it seems. I will admit that I do like it though, because I get to do things my way all the time and keep it that way.

Eijah is so wonderful. Some nights he doesn't even cry if I can catch his needs soon enough. All he needs is to eat and be changed and occasionally want to be snuggled and held instead of staying in the co-sleeper thingie. Breastfeeding is still kind of up and down most days, although I am excited that I can nurse without the shield more often now...depending on his mood and how hard he wants to work. At night I don't even battle him, I just want him to eat and go right back to bed.

The past few days have been strange though...he will nurse for OVER an hour. I guess it was a growth spurt? -- as long as his poops are yellow, I don't care

I've also been trying to moderately follow the Baby Wise sleeping schedule. It's pretty easy so far, and I guess it's working a bit because Elijah will sleep 4 1/2 - 5 hours at night. It's normally 10:30 - 3 am. I start school at the end of the month, so I am nervous about how to regulate his schedule in the morning before I have to leave for class by 7:15 (and that doesn't include the time I will have to take him somewhere to be watched for those few hours -- no one was kidding around when they said you won't sleep anymore).

That's about it in my world lately. I am just so surprised at how much I love him. It grows every day...I may burst soon. :D

Here are some of my favorite pictures that we took this last week...

My super sweet family :)

Aunt Steefie and Elijah

Aunt Beequee!

Me, my Magoo (Emma) and my little Tootum Pie!