3 weeks!!

A little late on the post, but the pics were taken at 3 weeks. Eli would not cooperate and look at daddy taking the picture. he just stared at me and tried to give me a kiss in the second pic :)


Today marked a great day for me...i'm back running! Whoohoo!!! It felt so great. Daniel, Eli, and I took a jog around our neighborhood once daniel got off work. Eli (as always is in the BOB) slept like a pro! I almost forgot how much i love running, and especially with daniel.

Look how cute my little man is...(ok i am bias)

mae

2 weeks & Doc Appointment

Our baby was 2 weeks on Sunday...sniff sniff. He is growing up so fast (ok i know some of you think i am crazy but it is just going by so fast!) What a fun little boy we have. He has become so much more alert. I love it when he smiles...although we all know why he is (passing a little gas). Here is his 2 week pic...

We went to the doctor today and our big man is up to 9lbs! I couldn't believe it and neither could the doctor. He asked me if i was using formula, and i replied no...just nursing. The look on Dr. W's face was priceless. He is a growing boy :) Below is a picture of my two boys dozing!

Now i'm off to write those last couple of thank you notes from gifts we got after Eli came & then start on his birth announcements!!

peace

mae

baby body

it's so crazy how different your body is once you have a baby. i am back in my pre-pregnancy clothes but they just don't fit the same. my weight has shifted. that flat tummy that use to be there looks...well...different. I know I know...it's only been 2 weeks (tomorrow) since i had my baby. I guess i just hoped that my body would bounce back immediately (haha that's funny right??).

I gained a total of 26 lbs with Eli. I have lost 16 lbs already with about 10 to go. Nursing is definitely helping and i know it will just take time. I think it is hard for me right now, because honestly i feel great and am ready to run, but doctors orders say i can't run till about 4 weeks. He said at 2 weeks i can start power walking...you know i will! Daniel & I are going to be training for either at 10k or a half...we haven't decided just yet. We would LOVE to run the Chicago marathon but i think we will go for a half first!

So i am going to have to be patient and wait...i know i can get back in shape but it just might take a little more time than i hoped. My sister's wedding is 5 weeks from today! I have lots of MOTIVATION!!! :)

mae

chaaa-ching!!!

yesterday on facebook i posted that basically i needed help on ways to save $$. i got an overwhelming response from so many people (some came out of the woodwork it seems to give their advice) and i must say that many suggestions have already been VERY beneficial!! here's how...

i have just gotten into the coupon thing not really knowing what in the world i am doing. today daniel & i both were just beside ourselves after our visit to target. i have always LOVED target, but thought most of their stuff besides clothing is over priced until now. i didn't know that if you really do your homework you can get some pretty amazing deals...and even get things free!!


we bought all this for $30.62 & got a $10.00 gift card!! I had $11.00 in cash & then put $19.62 on the debit card. Total savings was $41.62, but we should have saved another $1.98 but the coupon messed up (yeah this upset me but i got over it!) How did we do it you ask? well with a little help from this site. She did way better than us (she had some coupons we didn't but i am still learning!) we got the loaves of bread for FREE! they were 0.99 & we had a $1.00 off coupon...now that's a deal!

on a completely different note, eli is still getting many visitors. Last night Tim, Stephanie & Amanda came to see him. For some crazy reason i didn't take any pics :( so sad but Steph has some! This past Monday we got a visit from Ryan, Sam & Noah. I did get a few snaps in...

The picture below of the mommies & their son's cracks me up because Noah looks so mad at Eli...haha
Best Friends...maybe their son's will be too. who knows

And lastly, our big man is getting cuter and more fun every day! He's working on holding his head up and showing off his bod! :)

mae

being a mommy...

i had no idea how much this little guy would change my life. i miss him when he sleeps (in the room right beside us). i can't stop starring at him & giving him kisses when he is awake. i loose sleep over watching him on our video monitor. i am all giddy when my alarm goes off (in the middle of the night) to feed him. i just can't get enough of him.

so many people told me that being a mom would change my life forever, but i really didn't understand it...at all...until now. this little guy has my heart (and daddy's too). thank you Lord for this miracle you have entrusted us with!!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Psalm 127:3

that's really all my thoughts for now :)

mae

Labor Story & 1 Week Old

So here it is...

Friday, August 28th-began having contractions all day. stayed up through the night counting them as they got closer & closer. but then they went away. ugh

Saturday, August 29th-started having sporadic contractions throughout the day...nothing consistent. Then they began to get stronger & closer together. We began counting them and by 11:30 pm they were 2 to 3 minutes apart.

39 weeks & 5 days on our way to the hospital

having a contraction in this one...

Sunday, August 30th- Arrived at the hospital at 12:05ish. We checked in got all settled just to hear the nurse tell me that she didn't think i was in "active labor" just yet. WHAT?? But my contractions are 2 to 3 minutes apart. So they decided to keep me & monitor my contractions to see if they would pick up. Slept a bit...needing to rest up if this is for sure labor. At 5:45am the nurse came in to check me & i had dilated more!!! I was in labor...whoo & they weren't going to send us home! We were going to have a baby today :). So we waited a couple more hours till the doctor got there and we came to the conclusion to break my water. Since i was going all natural they wanted to make sure i was ok with breaking my water since it didn't happen "naturally". Heck if that is the only thing that didn't happen naturally then i am ok with it! The doctor came in, said a prayer for us, then broke my water. This is when it felt surreal. We were DEFINITELY going to have a baby today.

Active labor began at 8:15am & Eli was born at 2:34pm. I have never experienced the kind of pain from labor pains in my whole entire life. At 5 1/2 cm i wanted to give up, BUT my wonderful hubby was there to encourage me!! When i got to 7 cm i could barely stand the pain. Praise the Lord that from 7 to 10cm was only about 40 mins. I pushed for 25 minutes. Even though the pain was so great, i would do it all over again in a heart beat because of the precious gift at the end :) If the Lord blesses us with more children, i will do the same. I do need to interject that i could NOT have done it without the help & encouragement of first my husband who cheered me through every contraction i had, and a helpful and supportive nurse who knew how bad i wanted this! Oh & Daniel did get to cut the cord.

The emotions I felt when i saw my precious baby boy for the first time are indescribable. I was relieved that it was all over and for the most part the pain was gone. As the doctor brought him close, i couldn't believe my eyes that this little guy had been living inside of me for the past nine months & now i finally get to meet him. He was/is just BEAUTIFUL (ok i'm a little bias). Right after he was born, the doctor said a prayer for our family. Daniel & I were all smiles. We couldn't stop starring at him...and we still can't!

Eli is 1 week today! WOW how time has already flown by. Daniel, Eli & I have had a wonderful week that i know we will look back on and cherish. Like...all the times we have gotten peed on, the projectile poop, spit up, waking up in the middle of the night to feed, singing to him, "bumping fists" (as daniel likes to do with him), walks at the park, and the small things...those precious moment of just the three of us...a family :). I feel so blessed to have 2 wonderful boys. I can't wait to see what is ahead (but i don't want it to go by too fast! I want to enjoy every moment!!) Thank you Lord for a wonderful week!!!

Here is Eli at 1 week. (I hope to take a pic every week for the first months & then monthly in his chair to see how he has grown.)

this picture below is priceless. we were trying to take his pic and well this is what we got! I thought daniel & i both were going to pee in our pants. Our tummies definitely hurt after this from all the laughter.

Well i have to go...the little man is calling :)
Mae

who knew?

when i secretly hoped and prayed that Eli would look just like daniel that well...he just might! so many people have asked who we think he looks like, so we dug up one of daniel's old baby pictures and well i will let you make that call. I personally think he looks just like him!

Daniel a few days old

Eli 5 days old

on another note...

today we ventured out for the first time. not too far. just to the local park. I am not 100% and won't be for a little bit, but i did feel like getting out and walking (at a snails pace). Eli had his first rid in his sweet BOB! He really seemed to enjoy his outing (it was nap time so i think he enjoys anything at nap time :)). I foresee many rides as i hope to get back to running when i am fully recovered!

I promise to put up my "labor story" for all those who have asked...but now i need a nap!
mae

Eli

HE IS HERE!! Elijah Luke was born Sunday, August 30th at 2:34 pm weighing in at 7lbs 14 ounces and 20 3/4 inches. We are home & all doing GREAT! More pics & stories to come but this is all i have time for now because Eli is calling my name :)

Mae