Three Months Home

Elijah has been home for three months now. He has really settled in and is such a sweet baby. Eli has a great sense of humor. One of his favorite games is playing "night night" in his high chair and pretending to be asleep. He also loves to play peek-a-boo with his bear blankie. Eli has continued to grow and gain weight. He now weighs 20 lbs 2 oz and is 30 1/4 inches tall. Eli says "uh oh" and "hi" regularly. He usually says "uh oh" after he "accidentally" drops his food or sippy cup from his high chair. He only has a bottle before bedtime and is eating the same meals as us. So far, his favorites are Chicken and Dumplings and Taco Soup. Since the weather is getting warmer, he has been enjoying playing outside as well. The best news of all is that he is finally sleeping through the night! This makes everyone very happy.

Eli's First Hair Cut

We are home!

Today Jonah was discharged from the hospital. My mom came out to watch Eli since he was not able to visit Jonah while we were there. We have become more familiar with Children's Hospital than we would like. The care there was exceptional but it is so good to be home.

Jonah with one of his favorite nurses, Jessica.

Playing air hockey while waiting for discharge papers.

And I guess you could say things are back to normal. Here is some of our fun from tonight:

Meeting Uncle Josh

Josh recently came out to meet Eli. Our activities were cut short by Jonah's surgery. But before all of that, we were having a great time! Josh came on my birthday so he was able to join in on our family celebration. He also enjoyed playing with Eli and painting with Jonah.

Meeting Auntie Julia, Uncle Jason and Cousin Jeb

The Bannons came out to meet Eli and visit Jonah and Haley and I. We had a great time. We went to the park, rode the big wheel and bike, visited the Wildlife Experience and the Children's Museum. Julie is close to her due date, only 10 weeks left, and she looks great. Jason came out Friday morning with Jeb and Jule came in later that night. It was refreshing to share some common experiences of life as parents of a three year-old.

Jonah and Jeb enjoyed each other immensely. By the end of the weekend Jonah was crying for Jebbie instead of Mommy when he woke up (Jeb typically woke a hour or two earlier than Jonah in the morning). They both slept in Jonah's room.

Elijah enjoyed the extra attention by having his aunt, uncle and cousin in town. He still wakes a couple times per night and we appreciate the Bannons not moving to a hotel after their first night here (haha). Eli really warmed up to them.

It was a great weekend and we really appreciated the visit. Jonah was sad once they left but we know he made some great memories with his friend and cousin.

Two Months Home

Today marks two months for Eli's homecoming. This past month we have learned so much about Eli!

• He LOVES the dishwasher. If a dishwasher is open, he is there. He likes to help load and unload the dishwasher (a daily event these days!).
• He is not a fan of the car wash. We have gone through it twice now with him and he is petrified. Luckily Jonah was in the back seat to comfort him and told him how much fun the car wash can be.
• Although I can't report he is sleeping through the night, I can say that we have had a few nights this past month where he has slept all the way through. Those nights have been heaven for Dan and I!
• Slowly but surely he is getting the hang of a sippy cup. His preference is still the bottle but he will take a sippy when offered.
• He is not a dog person. He tolerates Rocky and Brutus but I don't think he is their biggest fan. He has only seen Ender twice (poor Ender!) so I can't report how he feels about that one yet.
• Eli loves to be mobile. He is happiest when he is walking, swinging or being bounced. I think we have another active one on our hands!
• Jonah and Eli are becoming fast buddies. It is so sweet to see them play and interact together. One of their pastimes is playing under the table together.
• He is a mimicker. Be careful what you do around this one. He is sure to copy!

I think we are now used to being a family of four instead of three. It has been so much fun having two boys in the house. We are so excited to see what is next!

Eli is a Hippo!

Today was a big day for Eli. He officially started school. He is going to the same school as Jonah but is obviously in a different room. Eli is part of the Hippo room. (Jonah is a Monkey.) Eli is one of five kids in his class. His teacher is Ms. Marilyn. She is a sweet woman who is very patient and understanding - both qualities I am sure you need in a room full of one year olds! Although he was sad to be dropped off, we were told he calmed down quickly. Ms. Marilyn was impressed at how well he did his first day and how well he interacted with the other children. He was full of energy and a happy baby coming home as well! We are happy that this transition is going well for him so far. Jonah loves going to school and we hope Eli will too!