Elijah's Bath Time!

 I have quickly discovered that not only is getting in the bathtub with Elijah a more efficient and easier way to bathe him....it is a lot more fun as well! We have a fabulous baby bath for him that we will probably use as he gets older but right now, "co-bathing" works well for us. Technically I suppose that it is really not co-bathing because I do my bathing in the shower and really just bathe him when we are in there together. He just loves the water and it is also a really great bonding time for us.  I also feel like I am able to give a more thorough bath when I am in there with him.

Elijah Meets Nan

 Nan has been so excited about Elijah every since she found out that I was pregnant.  Every time I spoke with her she would ask how much longer we had until my due date.  I was so happy to have the opportunity to take Elijah to meet her when he was only threeweeks old! Thanks to the companionship of Mom Parish and Granny, we made the journey to San Antonio.  We spent a few hours with Nan at my Aunt Merrily's house and Nan held Elijah almost the entire time.  She kept exclaiming how special he was and that he was just the best baby.  She had so much joy in her eyes and in her heart while she held them.  I am so happy that our son was able to bring happiness to her and I cannot wait to see her hold him again.

Aunt Merrily walked Elijah into the house while I gathered his things from the car. You can see in the background that Nan cannot wait to get her hands on that baby!

I loved watching Nan hold my son.  What a special day. 

It was great to have Granny with us on this trip.  

Elijah is a lucky little boy. He has so many people that love him so much!

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My First Mother's Day!

I could not believe my first Mother's Day was finally here. I was so happy to count myself among the lucky majority who are called Mother.  It is a dream I have had for years and I was thrilled to celebrate motherhood with my family. It was a perfect day that began with church service accompanied by Granny and our Parish parents followed by brunch at Stracks and time together at the Sr. Parish home in Spring. Here are some photos from our special day.

I am so proud to be the mother of this beautiful, perfect little boy.  

The Parish Mothers

Mothers and Sons. 

Granny loves to hold "her baby" :)

Grandma is so good to Elijah

Granddad is an excellent snuggler

Mommy and Elijah love their time together

My first Mother's Day card from my son!

A sweet and meaningful Mother's Day card from Chip

My fist Mother's Day gift from Chip and Elijah. Chip remembers his mother reading this book to him when he was  little and singing the song to him. This was the perfect way to remember my first Mother's Day

Flowers from my amazing parents in law. Blue for my boy!

A "husband pillow" for when I nurse Elijah in bed. This is a lifesaver!

We had a great time skyping with the Bruffey's! They were able to join us this way to watch Granny open her  Mother's Day gift!

All the great grandchildren and their parents gave Granny a pin with a charm representing each of the great grandchildren that have been born!

Mom Parish received a beautiful pearl necklace from Dad Parish. Here she is showing it off like Vanna! I guess they have been watching "The Wheel" a lot. 

My little guy was tired after a big day. It is hard work being such a  sweet little boy!

Newborn Photo Shoot

 Our Birth Photographer, Stephanie Shirley, came to our home the first week after Elijah was born to shoot newborn photographs. They turned out great! How could they now, with such an adorable little subject. My favorites are the ones in the guitar case and the ones with the owl hat!

Elijah's First Doctor's Appointment

On Thursday, May 3, Elijah has his one week doctor visit. Incidentally this was also our due date! We have chosen a family doctor for the three of us.  Granny and Grandma were over bright and early and we headed for our appointment!

Elijah got to practice riding in a car seat and did very well. This was his third car ride!

We were so happy to have Granny here to help us with this important day! 

Mommy is checking Elijah in for his visit with Dr. Debroek.  We are very excited to have found such a great doctor! He is one of the founding doctors for North Cypress Medical Center and only a short drive from our home.  It is great that the three of us will get to have the same doctor. He will get to know our family so well!

Elijah decided to make the experience more memorable by tinkling on the scale. Sorry buddy.  I know it's cold in that exam room!

Our little man is growing and healthy. He gained almost a whole pound in less than a week! When we left the hospital, he was a little over 8lbs 4oz. Look at how much he grew.

Although we are not relying on pacifiers, we do allow Elijah to have his Wubanub at certain times like particularly fussy diaper changes and other moments that might cause him stress.  I was happy to have it with us to console him during this new experience. 

Dr. Debroek did a thorough exam and found that Elijah is very healthy and thriving!  We will see the doctor again in one month. 

We stopped by to see Daddy on our way home. While we were visiting, we finished up maternity leave paperwork and then took a walk around the office to introduce Elijah to Daddy's co-workers.