Last night was Eli's first real bath! The new little tub worked out great, and Eli appears to be quite the water bug. We started with just his feet which made his eyebrows shoot straight up, but no screaming (which I was anticipating). We sat him down in the water and he immediately started kicking his legs and moving his arms. Not quite the doggie paddle, but darn close!

Three weeks old tomorrow! I can't believe it. We've had our first doctor's appointment, a visit to the office, and a new belly button. He's been a busy little guy!

His two week check-up was perfect. The doctor couldn't find a thing wrong with him. We've been very blessed with him. We did however go through all the diapers in the diaper bag as well as the extra outfit and blanket. He managed to pee and spit up all over the examing table and ended up in just his diaper wrapped in his burpee (a cloth diaper) when the doctor came in. I can't imagine what he thought about us as parents! He did manage to get dressed again to leave. The doctor gave him a cool t-shirt too (maybe he thought we didn't buy him clothes! ;) )

Everyone at the office thought he was just precious. He showed off all his wiggles and his great sleeping ability.

This morning was pretty hilarious, unfortunately it is probably a "you had to be there" moment, but we'll try anyway. Grammy was holding him after he ate when he started wiggling around on her shoulder. She stood up to put him in his swing when something fell from her lap. We had no idea what it was, but it was kinda loud when it landed on the floor. She puts him down to look for what fell, when I hear her start laughing. It was his umbilicial stump, but she didn't know it right away. In fact, she was half way across the room to show me before she said "I know what it is!" Told you...you had to be there. The point is, he has an "innie" and this was the only possible thing that could have made him cuter...and it did! I'm excited about giving him real baths now...no more spong baths...he might not be as excited though!

Here he is with daddy. Perhaps we'll show off his belly button a little later.

Baseball runs in the family, we'll just have to wait and see if he really grows into that hat! He sure is a cutie though. We drove down to Galveston for a day trip through lots of rain but had a good time eating and walking the seawall.

Tank is learning how to deal with Eli around. He needs to sniff him each morning to make sure we didn't trade him in for another one! (I've taken to calling him pokey nose) He's finally getting the hang of sharing our laps. We taught him not to stand up on the bassinet, so he doesn't put his feet on it, he just hovers on his two back legs until he loses his balance. Trolley still acts like a little protectice mommy and alerts us when he sneezes, cries, or moves. She even lays in front of his swing in case he falls out. They are good with him though, so no doggie worries.

Play Ball!

Eli's First Vacation

Tank Learns to Share

Peek-A-Boo

Baby Daze

Hi, it's Julia's mom again (aka Grammy!). Julia realizes its been "daze" since the last post....but the title says it all! I offered to fill in again. Lots of new pictures posted below....a short chronicle of the last 5 days. What a wonderful time in all of our lives. Eli came home on Sunday. He is a healthy, happy, precious little boy. We are mesmerized by him. We study his facial expressions, marvel over his perfect hands, fingers, feet and toes, and kiss his soft little head as much as possible! Enjoy the pictures!

I love my mommy.

Studying my Daddy's face...

Naptime

Future Longhorn

Check out that left hand....could it be he is rooting for the team already??

Hello Tank and Trolley!

Tank: "Is it a new toy? Does it have a squeaker? Does it roll? Can I play with it? Please? Please?"

Trolley: "Is it a new puppy? Does it need me? Can I help? Please? Please?"

Welcome Home, Eli!

Momma and Papa and Eli

(one more post from Julia's mom....)

It's me again. I have returned.

We are spending our second night in the hospital (thank goodness, I hate hospitals!), getting ready to go home. It will be so much fun to see how the dogs react to Eli tomorrow, and of course how Eli reacts to them! I'm sure there will be a whole slew of pictures for you all.

The three of us are doing fine, although momma and papa are sleep deprived, but still loving their son! Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.

Will post again soon...

Eli Evan

What a boy!

Grandparents!

We do love to hold Eli!

The new Matthews family...

YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!

Eli Evan Matthews
9:07
7 lb 5 oz
20 1/4 inches

And now...

the real work begins! Eli is poised and ready, the doctor is there......just a matter of super human effort now! The next post should have a picture of the little guy and will be entitled YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!

"Epidural Nap"

Julia is currently taking a well deserved "epidural nap".....she is at 9 cm.....the doctor will be back in an hour (she has to go do a C-section !).......expect the last phase to begin then! Julia has been a champ.....in great pain and worrying about Jason.....and thinking about the dogs.....it is such a relief to now see her relaxed....thank heavens for the epidural! Will keep you posted.....

Whew.....

Julia is working hard now....and making progress....the doctor was in.....all looks good still....but labor is called labor for good reason. Send her good thoughts!

FINALLY!

Well....here we are! Julia has been officially admitted to the hospital. The doctor is on the way to do a complete exam.....they have had her walking the halls for the last 90 minutes...(does that sound familiar to anyone??) All looks good so far....Julia is in good humor and Jason is just plain excited! Will keep posting as things change!

No baby yet....but today a man on a horse rode down the middle of our street right in front of the house.

If he doesn't come soon, my stomach just might explode.

Waiting

and waiting and waiting and waiting....

Still no Eli yet....

My mom got in last Wednesday evening, so we have been hanging out since then, giving Eli pep talks hoping he'll show up any day now.

I went back in to the doctor last Friday and he said I was still progressing, so that's a good sign. Although when I am asked whether I have had any contractions, all I can do is shrug my shoulders, because until they really start to hurt, I don't think I'm going to notice.

Walked and walked around IKEA yesterday. The only thing that that really accomplished was making my feet and back sore. We did get some neat buys though, so it was worth it. It seemed the place to go for pregnant mommies, I certainly saw a lot of them!

My mom knows how to update the blog, so as soon as we get the all clear from Eli, she'll let you know.

So here's the cutest baby girl you ever did see:

Madelyn is doing very well, but my brother's basement is flooding! Hopefully it stays in the basement and stops raining soon.

As for Eli:

He's still prepping for his big day, which is quickly approaching, as I am reminded every time I say that I am 8 and a half months pregnant! The doctor thought he would come early at our appt. last Tuesday and our next one is Friday afternoon. Hopefully they'll say the same things, but we'll see.

I came in late to work this morning because there's just something about waking up at 6 that does not sit well with Eli, and some people thought it was because I was in labor! I was not, and am still not in labor, just fatigued, nauseous, and generally ready to meet my son.

My mom's getting into town tonight, which is really exciting. It will be nice to have more people to talk to as we just sit and wait every evening now.

The final test is tomorrow! Then he'll have his summer break, all of July. It's kind of a bummer that it is short, but awesome that God planned Eli's birth so perfectly (should we even doubt!).

Much love to you all....please leave a comment because I don't do much more now than waste time waiting, so at least I'll have something to read!

I'm an aunt! The baby boom has begun....my neice was born yesterday at 11 in the morning and she is what I like to call a baby chunk. Only I can say that because I was also a baby chunk when I was born. She was 9 lbs. 1 oz. and 21 inches long....baby chunk! Here are some pics:

The proud papa:

The hand off from new grandpa to new daddy:

I went to the doctor yesterday and she sounds pretty confident that he wants to be born early (definately not late), so that has my mom ready to drive on down right now! We're going weekly to the doctor now, so I'll be sure to keep updated.

Off to the doctor again tomorrow. It's poke and prod time to find the baby's head!

My brother and sister-in-law are waiting (not exactly patiently) for their daughter to come. The due date is tomorrow, and I undestand being punctual, but seriously!

I am feeling fatter and believe that I have begun the pregnant waddle. Heartburn is more of a problem, but so far no major swelling of the extremities. Other than that, no complaints, except that there is no nap time at work!

Read left to right and up to down.....only 5 more weeks!

The countdown to our niece is in full swing! She is due some time this month, and from what I understand, her mommy can't wait for that to happen. Please keep my brother and his family in your prayers as the day gets ever closer, and please help mommy through the struggles of each day. Sitting and waiting is no fun.

Our last check-up revealed that everything was still going along normally, which is great. I met with an anesthesiologist and showed him my x-rays. He says that the hardware should be no problem to work around, but my natural lower back curve (which everyone has) is just a little more defined, so it may be a little harder to give an epidural. We'll see....it's just nice to know that the option is still an option. I am hoping that I won't need one because my body and medicine tend to be in conflict so the less I need, the better. Who's to say though.

We've been washing all his clothes (he has about twice as much as me!) and getting the room cleaned up so we can actually walk around in it. Unfortunately the bedding pattern was lost in the shuffle of moving, so hopfully I'll find it before he outgrows his crib!

I haven't gotten substantially bigger yet, although everyone assures me it is coming. So far, no major swelling, and my heartburn is now under control with Pepcid. My senses are heightening I think because last night I couldn't sleep and it really seemed like I could hear the dog blink.

Please pray for patience and endurance through the last few weeks of this semester. He is really feeling drained and ready to have a break....and a son in his arms, so pray he can stay focused this little while longer!

We have been trying to get a good "belly picture" for you all, but every which way we try, you can't tell. That is my excuse for providing the following picture:



He's in there though, trust me.

I would also like everyone to know that my wonderful husband made homemade lasagne for dinner last night when I said I was hungry for Itlaian food. A sweeter man I've never known.

The baby shower at work was a total blessing. When you struggle with long hours and not enough work to fill them, it is nice to know that people appreciate you. I guess they like me. Here are a few pictures:

Okay, I tried to pick pictures that showed my belly, hope I did alright. We currently can't find any batteries for our digital camera so we can't take any at home. I'm trying! Anyway, Stefanie (who is also pregnant) hung up all the clothes and blankets on a clothesline and I had to walk it to the other end of the room to spread it out, it was a big hit with all the ladies who came. Very cute idea! She was also the one who made my hat. The way it sat cock-eyed on my head made me feel like Scarlet O'Hara trying on that green hat from Paris in Gone With the Wind, except for all the women who were laughing!

We're looking forward to a baby shower/house warming party next weekend and then the shower in Georgetown. I cannot wait to see everyone in G-town again...it has been too long!

Don't forget to tell your mom you love her tomorrow!

Here is the craziness that is our dog Trolley....

My favorite part is that the tennis ball doesn't really fit in her mouth! It is Tank's ball, and he is very serious about it, but she just takes it and sits in her chair, just to annoy him! Usually she is lying down with it between her paws and her chin resting on it. Tank is two feet away staring at her. She doesn't even look sorry about it, does she.

Now on to the baby......

Tomorrow is the baby shower at work and I am getting excited, mostly because everyone else is getting excited! Maybe I'll be able to get some pictures, we'll see what works out.

The shower up north was wonderful.

So much of my family came in to town and it was so great to see them! Even Ray came down from NYC which I know was a real blessing for Jase. I liked the fact that they tired Kid out so much he didn't have the energy to jump up on me anymore!

Eli's room is coming together. We now have the changing table (thank you Aunt Janice!) and a car seat (yea!) and I realized that we painted his room the exact (literally exact) same color as his stroller! Tank appreciates all the toys we bring home that rattle and squeek. It will be interesting dealing with that little matter.

For those of you who know about my surgery, you will know that I have a few less ribs on my right side. Eli has found out that there is a little extra room there and has begun exploring it with his feet. I know they are his feet because sometimes he pokes them against the skin and I can see little outlines. Maybe I am giving my son more credit than an almost 31 week old baby deserves, but once he found a little more room on the right side, he has begun exploring the left. Unfortunately, there is no more room over there and the pushing kinda hurts! Hopefully he will give up soon and just be content to keep his piggy toes on the right side.

To quote my husband, "I am ready to see what is hiding inside my wife!" I'm ready too.

Another post soon about tomorrow's party, but I leave you with this beautiful photo of my mom's picturesque farm house...