Happy First Month, Elijah

Today we took Elijah in to see the doctor for his one month wellness checkup. One month? It doesn't seem possible that a whole month has gone by since Theresa and I first became acquainted with our brand-new son.
Elijah's arrival was quite a journey, and so far my third trip through fatherhood has been quite an adventure. I think that our biggest adjustment has been learning how to balance the needs of a newborn baby with the continual needs of a ten year old and a twelve year old. Fortunately, the older two are pretty self-sufficient, and they have actually come in handy when we needed a spare hand or someone to hold Elijah. They certainly are eager to stay involved in their baby brother's care.
Elijah has helped me recall some of the tricks and skills that I had developed back when Kayla and Josh were each babies. I had wondered how long it would take me to get used to changing diapers again, but actually I was able to recall this skill pretty quickly. I've also remembered some of the songs that I used to sing to Kayla when she was a baby, and some of the joys of taking care of a baby, such as cuddling them, reading to them, and watching them grow.
He is still small, but he has grown a lot over the last month. He is also awake during a bigger part of the day, and his head is less floppy so it doesn't need as much support as it used to.
One thing that I hadn't anticipated was that Elijah would make our other kids seem so big. But, then, I always knew that Kayla and Josh were growing up, so maybe I'm just starting to see them from a different perspective.

Looking ahead

On March 17, Elijah is going to be baptized during the 11 a.m. service at the Mount Pleasant Community Church. This will definitely be a big day for everybody in our family. After that, we're looking forward to celebrating our first Easter with Elijah, and then taking him around during the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival in April.

Elijah’s First Week

Some highlights from Elijah’s first week after his was born. Includes coming home from the hospital, visits from family, and a trip to see the doctor.

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Ten Fifty-Six

We had made our mad dash for the hospital at approximately 1:45 a.m., then spent the majority of the rest of the morning sitting and waiting in between visits from a nurse. The only exception had been the twenty minutes that we had spent shuffling through the corridors of the birthing center.

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FB495 Be Careful what you wish for

When I woke up later that same Friday morning, the first thing I heard between the humming of diagnostic machines and the beeping of heart monitors was the soft cooing of a newborn baby coming from somewhere in the room. So, my first thought was that I had somehow slept through the entire birth.

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FB493 I Think my Water Broke

Friday, February 1, 2013

There are only a handful of phrases that I can think of which I don’t want to hear as I am waking up in the middle of the night.

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FB492 Early Signs

Thursday, January 31, 2013

 

Early on Thursday morning, just as I was getting up to start my day, Theresa asked me to work from home instead of going into the office. She reminded me that it might not mean anything, but she had noticed some signs that seemed to say that she would have the baby soon.

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Baby on Board, January 28 2013

A collection of the articles published between December 2012 and January 2013.

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Celebrity Baby Voice Overs

Inspired by the classic movie "Look Who's Talking," tonight I asked my kids which celebrities we should hire to voice their little brother's thoughts after he is born. "Like Bruce Willis from 'Look Who's Talking.'" My daughter, Kayla, asked, "Who is Bruce Willis?"

I continued to make some suggestions of who could do the voice-over for our baby and examples of what they might sound like:

David Duchovny

(Recalling what it was like to be born)

I was sitting in the womb, just relaxing and minding my own business, when suddenly the walls began to shake and I became very disoriented. Before I knew it, a bright light opened up below my head and I was suddenly being pulled into some other place..some other dimension.

My first thought was that the I was being abducted by aliens! But then my suspicions of the government's complacency in an alien coverup were confirmed when I arrived inside a room filled with men and women in lab coats!

I was thrusted onto the chest of an overly emotional woman--who, I learned later was my mom--then after a few minutes I was carried over by one of the government officials to a dissection table, where I was placed under a bright light. I was then poked and prodded nearly beyond my tolerance. I cried, but this did not deter them.

Peter Cullen (a.k.a. the voice of Optimus Prime)

(Later, while at home)

Morgans, change my diaper and then...roll out!

James Earl Jones

I want my bottle!

Regis Philbin

So, you're going with answer "D, prepare another bottle," eh? Is that your FINAL answer?

William Shatner

I've..dropped my . . .binky!

Crew of the Satellite of Love

Tom Servo: Oh great. Of course there has to be a crowd here when I'm naked and covered with goop.

Crow: Hey, is this how you came out of the womb, Joel?

Joel: Which part? The crying or the kicking?

Crow: So, which one's the daddy and the mommy? There are so many people here, and its hard to tell them apart.

Joel: I'd say the mommy is the weepy lady who is laying down on the bed wearing the hospital gown.

Crow: That's a relief. I was wondering why she was still in her pajamas this late in the day.

Tom Servo: Whoa..lots of twists and turns. Feels good to be in her arms, though.

Crow: Which one is the daddy? The one at the end?

Joel: No, he's the doctor.

Crow: Whoo-hoo daddy is a doctor?

Tom Servo: You wish. My guess is that its the shutterbug to the right. Hey bozo, this isn't a good time for photos!

Crow: I hope he gets my best side.

Joel: Ow, hey..what are they doing to my umbilical cord?

Crow: I don't know, but they better hope that is my umblical cord!

Tom Servo: They're giving scissors to the bozo with the camera. I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means...

Joel: Oh, ouch..

Crow: Noooo!

Joel: Calm down Crow, he only cut the umblical. We're fine.

Crow: I'm going to miss the endless supply of tea and hamburgers.

Tom Servo: Now we're being moved to an examination table. Oh, hello.

Joel: This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

Crow: Um, Joel, it just did...that nurse said something about a circumcision.

Joel, Crow, and Tom Servo: Nooooo!!

 

Which celebrity would you choose for a baby voice over, and what would they sound like?

Waiting for Baby

Theresa Morgan and I are on pins and needles waiting for the baby to arrive. We're more than a week away from the due date, but whenever Theresa reports a new ache or ailment, I wonder if it is a "sign" that she will go into labor.
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