Late Night Surprise...

This is going to be a short post as I am trying to eat lunch and then head for a nap while Eli is sleeping but I just HAD to post this story. So last night was a little rough in the Anderson household, Eli was bound and determined to not sleep on his own after the hour of 3 am. Oh he would sleep, as long as he was laying on top of either myself or Joel, needless to say that doesn't really allow me some good quality sleep (basically I got about 3 hours or so, interrupted. Sweet.) But there always is some sort of silver lining and I am starting to learn that you can find humor in all situations, even in the middle of the night.

So last night, I was changing Eli (which he hates most the time which leads to screaming at 2:30 am) and he was starting to settle down and look like he was going to sneeze. You know the face, eyes crinkled up and brow furrowed. Well normally I don't pay too much attention to sneezes so didn't think anything of it as he got ready to let it loose. Along came the sneeze and the next thing I know my hand is covered. It was warm, wet and yellow. Yes folks, it was poop. Fortunately most of the poop was caught on my hand though some did make it across the room and hit the doors on the closet and landed on his diaper pail.

For an instant I had no idea what to do, then I threw a diaper on him right quick in case we had any other explosions. Needless to say, the only thing I could do was laugh. I mean, what else are you supposed to do at 2:30 in the morning with a hand covered in poop. After laughing, the clean up began and now I am even more cautious when I see a sneeze coming.

Baby in the Sun

What you're really hoping for.......

Daddy Observations

Since Eli arrived I've noticed a few things.

"The Look" - no matter what I'm doing or where I go people look at me differently. Let me rephrase, they look in my general direction while completely focused on Eli. They often let out little "ahh's" or just get a little smile as tilt their head to the side. Sometimes the thought runs through my mind they should come over at 4 in the morning when he's crying and you have to get up in an couple hours and see if they're still smiling then. People also open doors for you, randomly come and talk to you, ask what his name is, whether he's a boy or girl, etc. The power of a newborn.

"Responsibility" - i've been amazed at how much of an urge I feel to get things done as soon as I wake up or get home from work. I wouldn't say I was messy before Eli came but I tended to put things off or leave them until "tomorrow". Now I have a sense of responsibility that I need to pitch in so mom and baby are taken care of. I empty trash more, clean up messes, wash diapers, empty the dishwasher, etc. Thankfully because of my upbringing this, not fear, is my response to having a little one.

"When Newborn cease being cute" - it's really difficult to like Eli when he's awake and fussing or just making lots of noise at night. Half the time he's fine sleeping on his own the other half he wants to be held and lets it be known. Then he wakes up every couple of hours (note: I can't complain much since I don't actually spend 45min-60min feeding him) to feed. It's at these times I don't thing he's all that cute. A full uninterrupted night of sleep would be amazing (sigh).

"Fire Hydrant" - little boys do pee everywhere. As soon as the diaper comes off the flood gates are thrown open. At one point his "equipment" was point at his head and he watered his stomach, chest and even got the back of his head. People that buy cloth covers for their changing pad either likes doing laundry or hasn't had a boy.

"The Rudder" - like the small rudder that steers a larger boat Eli directs much of our lives at this point (ref. James). We can still leave the house, visit with friends, go for dinner or coffee but have to take his feeding and fussing into account, which isn't an exact science at this point. There's also so much equipment to bring along: carseat, diaper bag, blankets, a wrap, stroller, etc. It's amazing how much Eli, an 8lb person, affects what we do.

"Man Time" - I like helping Eli participate in man activities. I let him hold my machete, watch me cut down a tree, come to the hardware store, and I even successfully glazed a window while wearing him. It's great to have a buddy to do manly stuff with.

A Few Weeks in....

Well, we are approaching the two week mark into our new life as a family of three. We are starting to get pretty good at certain things and some things are not feeling as foreign. For example, changing diapers is getting a little better for us though I still haven't quite figured out how to not get peed on during a diaper change. We also are getting better at wrapping Eli's bum in a cloth diaper, we're hoping as we get better we'll have fewer and fewer leaks. There was one day where he went through two outfits in like 2 hours because we didn't wrap the diapers quite right. Needless to say, getting wet with urine makes you a little more vigilant when applying the next diaper!

Eli is growing fast it seems, he definitely is heavier than last week (we'll have our check up this week and we'll see how much he gained!) and he is starting to fill out some of the sleepers we have for him. He still isn't quite big enough for most of the bottoms we have for him but we try and make it work. It's crazy to look at him and see him grow seemingly before your eyes. It makes me want to cherish all the little moments now as he moves up in size and age.

One thing that I've appreciated during these two weeks is Joel. I'm not sure what I would do without him! He has fed me, held me when I'm crying for no reason (or when Eli is screaming and nothing seems to console him), he's made sure I take a nap each day, gave me time to myself at my favorite salon and so much more. This huge change has definitely brought us together more than I could have imagined and I'm not sure how people do it alone. So without boring you, I'll just say I have an awesome husband.

Well he's done feeding now (that's right I'm posting while breastfeeding, what else am I supposed to do!) and we're gonna go for a family walk and enjoy the last evening light.

A Photo Update...

Well people have been asking and looking for some pictures of Eli and we are finally starting to come out of our first week haze. I must say, when people told me about the "baby moon" I didn't believe them as to how much I would love it! It feels like we are in our own little world, safe and warm. We have been venturing in the the outdoors a little more each day, starting with a walk to the park (around the block), our backyard to watch Joel chop down a tree, to Best Buy and yesterday to a coffee shop. Joel is off for his first half day of work and we'll see how I do almost on my own (my mom is still here). Well, enjoy the pictures... we'll try and keep more posted.


Eli being weighed by Britt


Eli's newborn assessment

Eli's first Moby Wrap ride


Eli's swaddle (the only way he sleeps on his own)


Eli's first car ride (which almost induced an anxiety attack for Shannon, crazy drivers...)

Game Changer

I've always said I was born ready. I guess my son was too. Eli James was born October 8 at 5am, nearly a week before his due date. Shannon's water broke as I was cleaning out our tub drain with the drain trap completely off, and she was making some spicy soup she would regret later. From the start we've found babies don't really always come at the most opportune time. I figured I should probably get the drain back together so I put it back on and ran to the grocery store for some draino and a few last minute birth items.

A long story short, Shannon started labor in our bedroom, moved to a birth pool and then finally to the bathroom to birth the baby. I'm still in awe of the fact that: one a woman's body can grow and birth a child and two that she did it all without any pain medication or intervention. During labor I was calm for the most part until the very end when she really started pushing and released some "primal" screams. At that point I a bit overcome by the pain she had gone through and was currently going through. Then Eli was born and almost instantly was placed in Shannon's arms. There was a huge change in her demeanor from 10 minutes before he was born to right afterwards. Near the end of pushing she didn't respond to questions and had the droopy eyes and cognition of a cross between a three year old and a college student at the end of a long night of drinking. As soon as Eli came out her eyes were wide open and her whole demeanor had changed as she received the "love hormones" that come along with birth.

Since the birth it's been one new thing after another. First night with a baby in the bed. First bath, poopy diaper, pee all over my hand, trip outside, putting clothes on, typing emails one handed while holding a baby, and much more. Being at home to figure out all these new things has been wonderful. It's nice to be in a place where you and the baby are comfortable to learn together. A few weeks ago I had some worries and fears about having the baby at home, but now that he's come I think it's the best thing we could have done. It makes the transition for us and him some much easier.

Ever since a sermon a few months ago titled "Game Changer" I've been ponder how a baby was going to change our lives and what that means. The lack of freedom and sleep. The new found joy in small things (first poop, cry, step, word, etc.). Not going to movies. Having a third person to consider when we make decisions. A lot changes, so I'm told. Now that Eli has arrived I'm excited and ready for the game to change.