Memorial Day Weekend and Updates

We've enjoyed a weekend together in Iowa with the cousins and Daddy. Sadly, now Daddy has headed home again for a week of class and training while the littles and I enjoy Grammy and Grandad's company.

Snapshots of the fun so far...

The Song We Will Sing

There is a song we will sing one day,
That will set our hearts aflame with joy.
A song we cannot finish yet
But one day will. One day we will.

There is a song we will sing one day
About the pain that breaks our hearts.
The notes are bitter, aching pain,
The song we sing, unfinished song,
The song that groans and weeps today.

There is a song we sing today
Of unfinished stories, empty arms,
A song about the dreams that broke,
The hope that flew to somewhere else,
The end of what never began.

There is a song we will sing one day
Triumphant, tender, full of awe,
A tragedy turned inside out
And set to song, a soaring song.
There is a song we will sing one day,
Sing together, laugh out loud
At how impossibly beautiful
He made our song, our final song.

1 Month Old!

Growing up already...

 1 month!

 2 weeks old

Dear Elliot,

How crazy to already hit a month of life with you! It has flown by, and it has been a very sweet month.

- You are a good eater. Such that you are now 11 lb 4 oz (a 50% gain over your birth weight, which is quite the growth trajectory). Good work, big man.

- You are giving some nice stretches of sleep at night. Normally in the 3 1/2 hour range, but your personal best is 4 hours and 40 min, whew!

- A typical day... you are awake for a little stretch in the morning (sometimes), but normally eat and sleep through most of the day. In the evening, maybe 6:30-8pm you are normally alert and mostly content.

- You seem to enjoy the outdoor, sleeping great when you get fresh air (and your big brothers love playing at playgrounds or in the front yard, so it's a win all around in this beautiful season!).

- You're a mellow, sweet snuggle bug. You'll normally snooze happily when I carry you in the K'tan, or in your carseat, or in your bed. When you're in the swing, you are typically happy (unless you're hungry), and maybe awake or maybe asleep.

- You haven't been too much of a spitter, at least not as consistently as your big brothers were. The last few days, though, you've had one or two massive, stomach-emptying spells per day, just to keep me on my toes (and doing laundry).

- You can get body-wracking hiccups, just like when you were still in my belly.

- I love how you sometimes wrinkle your nose when you eat, like you're really enjoying it.

My verse for you is from the meaning of Elliot, "The LORD is my God." It's Zechariah 13:9:

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

May it be, little son, that you call on the Lord, the one true God, and that He knows you are His own--that you would be His, and the Lord would be your God.

We just love you and are so thankful that God has given you to our family!

Momma

Highlights and Low Points

Well, we have all successfully navigated our week, marking off the first week without Grammy, the completion of finals, and Week 3 with Mr. Elliot.

High points:

- Hiking at Lebanon Hills (just mom and the 3 boys) on a beautiful Saturday morning

- Many sweet snuggles with the Eller Feller

- Family devotions at night with all the boys and Daddy piled on the couch

- Mother's Day walk in a park

- Consistent 3-hour feedings at night (pretty decent!)


Low points:

- First trip to the grocery store (one cart + carseat + toddler = totally full before any groceries have been gathered)

- The Afternoon Of Many Poops

- Spitty, fussy, burpy feedings. (But I still think Elliot isn't as spitty as V and J, at least so far.)


All in all, it's been a good week. By good, I don't mean easy. These are days that explode with little boy energy (and cold rain outside), needy baby, trying to feed all the hungry tummies, clean dirty bottoms, mediate conflicts over toy cars, wash dishes, pack lunches, and maintain peace and hope in my own heart so that it might also fill our home. But they are very, very good. 

Some More Pictures

Hard to say for sure, but in some light Elliot's hair is looking a little reddish...

Making dirt dessert with Grammy

2 Weeks with Elliot

Remembering fondly...

Elliot at 2 weeks old

Josiah at 2 weeks old

Victor at 2 weeks old

It's hard to believe it's already been 2 weeks since welcoming Elliot ... and hard to believe it's only been 2 weeks.

Since the first day, he's been a good eater (every. 2. hours. without. fail. for the first several days). It was on the hour, every even hour, for the first couple days at home, but we're normally closer to 3 hours between feedings now. So far he has also been a very good sleeper--normally falling asleep during feedings and just waking up when he gets hungry again, aside from some awake time in the morning and an hour or so in the evening.

He's a mellow boy, not fussy much. Unless he's hungry, in which case pretty much nothing will console him except for a full belly.

Both big brothers are delighted with him. Josiah loves to hold him and give him sweet, gentle kisses on his forehead a hundred times a day. Victor watches him intently, brings him little toy animals to play with, tells him what is going on, wants to show him things, and is always thinking about him. One day I was going to take the big boys out for an errand, and Victor was concerned. "I think Elliot will be sad," he told me. I said, "Why don't I give Elliot to Grammy, and she will snuggle him, and I think he will be happy, happy." He looked satisfied and then went to be sure Grammy was prepared, "Mommy and Josiah and I are going to go for our trip, but you can stay here with Elliot and hold him." (Maybe he thought I was going to leave Elliot here on his own?)

The transition to 3 children has been wonderfully smoothed by having Grammy here (she mercifully decided to stay a 2nd week because Ben is still so busy with classes and work). The rubber meets the road this weekend, when she heads home again. :)

But in general it has been 2 delightful weeks of snuggling this tiny little bundle, soaking in the sunshine, and finding a new kind of normal.