We still think he is teething, but he seems to be sleeping better at least. And, as always, he is a wonderful boy. :)
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Elijah has been going to bed earlier the last few days. Last night it was 8:30, tonight 9:15. Problem with a baby who goes to bed early is that he gets up extremely early. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like getting up at 4 am…especially since we haven’t figured out to go to sleep at the same time as the little dude. If he keeps this up, maybe we’ll get smarter and hit the hay earlier.
We still think he is teething, but he seems to be sleeping better at least. And, as always, he is a wonderful boy. :)
We still think he is teething, but he seems to be sleeping better at least. And, as always, he is a wonderful boy. :)
Sunday, January 27, 2008
At times, I get an overwhelming sense of happiness about my life with my boys. Like, today, when I walked downstairs and didn’t know where my men were. It took me a short hunt to find the two of them in the basement in our makeshift home office. Elijah was propped up on his daddy’s lap while Andy was balancing our checkbook. Elijah seemed to be watching his daddy write things down while Andy explained what he was doing and the importance of finances. It was a really adorable little moment and I can’t wait to watch even more father/son teaching moments in the future.
The jury’s still out, but we really think that Elijah is teething. He kept us up until 4 am on Friday night…um, Saturday morning. It wasn’t fun for any of us. The only thing that seemed to calm him down was the sound of the fan in the bathroom. So, upon a couple of recommendations (thanks), we bought some teething tablets and that really seemed to work last night. Hopefully we’ll get some sleep tonight…
The jury’s still out, but we really think that Elijah is teething. He kept us up until 4 am on Friday night…um, Saturday morning. It wasn’t fun for any of us. The only thing that seemed to calm him down was the sound of the fan in the bathroom. So, upon a couple of recommendations (thanks), we bought some teething tablets and that really seemed to work last night. Hopefully we’ll get some sleep tonight…
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Sometimes I think back to when Elijah was first born and think “that wasn’t me, that wasn’t us”. It was such a surreal experience, like a nightmare we were all able to wake up from. The NICU seems like it was years ago, a horrible distant experience that I’ve burned into the recesses of my memory. I’ve separated myself from the memory for my own sanity.
And now, it truly is a dream. We have our little guy home and we’re living the life we always wanted…a life filled with dirty diapers, crying, drooling, and sometimes sleepless nights. It’s a lot of work, but it’s full of immense rewards. It’s a privilege to be a parent, to be able to watch another human grow and develop. And to teach that person all the things they need to know.
Tonight we had the privilege of teaching Elijah the joys of a new way to eat…via a spoon. If you recall, we gave Elijah his first taste of rice cereal a few days ago, but tonight he actually swallowed some of it. It was really fun for Andy and me to watch Elijah experience something completely new. He kept smiling at us and he really seemed to like it. It was a good start and it’s just the beginning of all sorts of new tastes for Elijah. Milk is still his main source of sustenance and it will be for awhile, but it’s exciting to think of all the new things Elijah will get to eat in the coming months.
Our good little sleeper has been changing his sleep patterns. Gone are the days of eight hour sleep cycles. Wow, that was nice! Not that we’re complaining…I just miss those days when he slept so well. Speaking of sleep, we’re off to bed. Elijah has just fallen asleep and as you can see, it’s late. The little guy will probably be up in four or six hours to say hi to us, so goodnight!
I hope you’ve all been able to check out the cute video we uploaded to Photobucket of Elijah laughing. It’s worth a look and I guarantee it will brighten your day to hear him laugh!
And now, it truly is a dream. We have our little guy home and we’re living the life we always wanted…a life filled with dirty diapers, crying, drooling, and sometimes sleepless nights. It’s a lot of work, but it’s full of immense rewards. It’s a privilege to be a parent, to be able to watch another human grow and develop. And to teach that person all the things they need to know.
Tonight we had the privilege of teaching Elijah the joys of a new way to eat…via a spoon. If you recall, we gave Elijah his first taste of rice cereal a few days ago, but tonight he actually swallowed some of it. It was really fun for Andy and me to watch Elijah experience something completely new. He kept smiling at us and he really seemed to like it. It was a good start and it’s just the beginning of all sorts of new tastes for Elijah. Milk is still his main source of sustenance and it will be for awhile, but it’s exciting to think of all the new things Elijah will get to eat in the coming months.
Our good little sleeper has been changing his sleep patterns. Gone are the days of eight hour sleep cycles. Wow, that was nice! Not that we’re complaining…I just miss those days when he slept so well. Speaking of sleep, we’re off to bed. Elijah has just fallen asleep and as you can see, it’s late. The little guy will probably be up in four or six hours to say hi to us, so goodnight!
I hope you’ve all been able to check out the cute video we uploaded to Photobucket of Elijah laughing. It’s worth a look and I guarantee it will brighten your day to hear him laugh!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Life has been fairly uneventful for our little family. We’re trying to keep warm because it’s so cold outside. It’s a perfect time to stay inside, drink something warm, and snuggle.
The last few days, we’ve been noticing that Elijah seems to be grabbing for things more often. Andy and I have been concerned that Elijah seems to use his legs more than his arms. He has great lower body strength, but tends to just keep his arms at his sides and often has his hands fisted. At his age, he should be opening his hands a lot more.
He does grab for things – my hair, he feels our clothes, etc. But, usually he is not looking at the thing he is touching and that is what we’ve been concerned about. Once in awhile, he will look at something and purposively try to touch it. Hopefully he will start to do this more often, as it’s important to feel things in order to learn about them. I know, I know, I have to be patient, pray and wait.
Please pray for the tone in his arms (and his entire body), as I believe it might be the tightness that is causing him to have difficulty reaching for things. He’ll get there, I know it.
The last few days, we’ve been noticing that Elijah seems to be grabbing for things more often. Andy and I have been concerned that Elijah seems to use his legs more than his arms. He has great lower body strength, but tends to just keep his arms at his sides and often has his hands fisted. At his age, he should be opening his hands a lot more.
He does grab for things – my hair, he feels our clothes, etc. But, usually he is not looking at the thing he is touching and that is what we’ve been concerned about. Once in awhile, he will look at something and purposively try to touch it. Hopefully he will start to do this more often, as it’s important to feel things in order to learn about them. I know, I know, I have to be patient, pray and wait.
Please pray for the tone in his arms (and his entire body), as I believe it might be the tightness that is causing him to have difficulty reaching for things. He’ll get there, I know it.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Elijah had a good day and enjoyed his visit with Early Intervention. (Well, for the most part…he did get a bit fussy about having his range of motion checked).
One of the first things Elijah’s Occupational Therapist said when she walked in the door was, “Look at that hair!” Elijah just recently seems to have sprouted some hair and I was glad that they noticed. She also commented that his head seems to have filled in more since they’ve seen him. I always like to hear this because although I think it’s changing, it’s hard for me to judge since I see him every day. They also said they like to hear all the variety of sounds he is making and that he seems to be really strong.
The OT did say that Elijah does have some tightness in his arms (this isn’t new news), but fortunately still has full range of motion. They gave me more tips on how to encourage his development…side-lying, helping him open his hands, etc. I also mentioned my concern that Elijah doesn’t seem too interested in reaching for objects and they gave me some tips on how to encourage him to do that. Overall it was a good visit. Starting next month, they’ll be coming once a week to work with Elijah. That’s kind of exciting for me because it’s so good for him and because so many changes occur after six months.
Tonight Andy and I gave Elijah a teeny tiny bit of rice cereal. He’s never had any solids before and he really didn’t get enough to call it a meal. He seemed to enjoy the new sensation of a different food, but he kind of just moved his tongue around and we weren’t sure if he swallowed anything. It sure was fun to watch him try something new, though.
Otherwise, it’s been pretty calm around here. I’ve been trying to enjoy our appointment free January because February is going to be crazy! Hope you are all well.
One of the first things Elijah’s Occupational Therapist said when she walked in the door was, “Look at that hair!” Elijah just recently seems to have sprouted some hair and I was glad that they noticed. She also commented that his head seems to have filled in more since they’ve seen him. I always like to hear this because although I think it’s changing, it’s hard for me to judge since I see him every day. They also said they like to hear all the variety of sounds he is making and that he seems to be really strong.
The OT did say that Elijah does have some tightness in his arms (this isn’t new news), but fortunately still has full range of motion. They gave me more tips on how to encourage his development…side-lying, helping him open his hands, etc. I also mentioned my concern that Elijah doesn’t seem too interested in reaching for objects and they gave me some tips on how to encourage him to do that. Overall it was a good visit. Starting next month, they’ll be coming once a week to work with Elijah. That’s kind of exciting for me because it’s so good for him and because so many changes occur after six months.
Tonight Andy and I gave Elijah a teeny tiny bit of rice cereal. He’s never had any solids before and he really didn’t get enough to call it a meal. He seemed to enjoy the new sensation of a different food, but he kind of just moved his tongue around and we weren’t sure if he swallowed anything. It sure was fun to watch him try something new, though.
Otherwise, it’s been pretty calm around here. I’ve been trying to enjoy our appointment free January because February is going to be crazy! Hope you are all well.
Can you believe it? Elijah turned five months yesterday!
I have a hard time believing that Elijah is already five months old. Yet, at the same time, I feel like he has been around for years. So much has happened in the last five months that it’s almost hard to remember a time before Elijah. In a lot of ways, I don’t want to remember the time before Elijah. He has enriched our lives so much that I really can’t imagine the world without him.
I guess because of Elijah’s five month birthday, I’ve been pondering all the things that I’m starting to take for granted. Well, for starters…breathing. Not to mention gagging, crying, nursing, and rolling. I seriously don’t even remember the last time I took Elijah’s temperature, so we’re obviously not worried about that anymore. We even took him on a walk last week…outside! (It was unseasonably warm that day). He was all bundled up of course, but it brought to mind the hot days in September when we had him in three layers of clothes. At that time, I wouldn’t have fathomed that we would take him for a walk in the middle of January.
Anyway, life is good and Elijah is doing exceptionally well. I don’t want to take that for granted. Sometimes we have to be grateful for the things most wouldn’t even think about…all the way down to breathing. Life is such a blessing.
Early Intervention in coming to visit tomorrow and I’m excited to see them. It’s been a month and I can’t wait to see what they have to say about Elijah. He always seems to love it when they come and I love getting the pointers on how I can help Elijah’s development. We’ll keep you posted.
I have a hard time believing that Elijah is already five months old. Yet, at the same time, I feel like he has been around for years. So much has happened in the last five months that it’s almost hard to remember a time before Elijah. In a lot of ways, I don’t want to remember the time before Elijah. He has enriched our lives so much that I really can’t imagine the world without him.
I guess because of Elijah’s five month birthday, I’ve been pondering all the things that I’m starting to take for granted. Well, for starters…breathing. Not to mention gagging, crying, nursing, and rolling. I seriously don’t even remember the last time I took Elijah’s temperature, so we’re obviously not worried about that anymore. We even took him on a walk last week…outside! (It was unseasonably warm that day). He was all bundled up of course, but it brought to mind the hot days in September when we had him in three layers of clothes. At that time, I wouldn’t have fathomed that we would take him for a walk in the middle of January.
Anyway, life is good and Elijah is doing exceptionally well. I don’t want to take that for granted. Sometimes we have to be grateful for the things most wouldn’t even think about…all the way down to breathing. Life is such a blessing.
Early Intervention in coming to visit tomorrow and I’m excited to see them. It’s been a month and I can’t wait to see what they have to say about Elijah. He always seems to love it when they come and I love getting the pointers on how I can help Elijah’s development. We’ll keep you posted.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
I don’t like to wait.
Who does like to wait? Patience is a virtue, as the saying goes. A lot of times, being patient is easier said than done. In our fast food culture, we want things and we want them done yesterday. I get caught up in that mentality too. I want God to answer me and it would be great if He would do so in my timeline. I don’t like waiting in line in the post office and now I have to wait years to see what will happen? That’s not exactly the easiest prospect.
I’m speaking of Elijah, of course. I was just thinking about his sweet little head and how I would love so much for it to grow and catch up with his peers. I worry, obviously, what a small head might mean for his future and his development. I ask God constantly to cause Elijah’s head to grow and sometimes think it would be great if I woke up one morning and Elijah was lying in his crib with a completely round, big head. While I know that God could do that for Elijah, God has a bigger and grander plan in store for my little man and I have to just…wait.
When Elijah’s life first started, God’s intervention on his behalf was obvious and quick. I can go back and read these journals for proof on how quickly God answered all of the prayers. What a faith builder and what a marvelous gift God gave us! Now that we’re home and things have settled down a great deal, things are moving slower. At times I expect those quick answers once again. I want all of my worries to be resolved immediately, but I know that God has a timeline that is much better than mine.
So, I’ll keep working on being patient. Please keep praying for our little man’s head. :)
Who does like to wait? Patience is a virtue, as the saying goes. A lot of times, being patient is easier said than done. In our fast food culture, we want things and we want them done yesterday. I get caught up in that mentality too. I want God to answer me and it would be great if He would do so in my timeline. I don’t like waiting in line in the post office and now I have to wait years to see what will happen? That’s not exactly the easiest prospect.
I’m speaking of Elijah, of course. I was just thinking about his sweet little head and how I would love so much for it to grow and catch up with his peers. I worry, obviously, what a small head might mean for his future and his development. I ask God constantly to cause Elijah’s head to grow and sometimes think it would be great if I woke up one morning and Elijah was lying in his crib with a completely round, big head. While I know that God could do that for Elijah, God has a bigger and grander plan in store for my little man and I have to just…wait.
When Elijah’s life first started, God’s intervention on his behalf was obvious and quick. I can go back and read these journals for proof on how quickly God answered all of the prayers. What a faith builder and what a marvelous gift God gave us! Now that we’re home and things have settled down a great deal, things are moving slower. At times I expect those quick answers once again. I want all of my worries to be resolved immediately, but I know that God has a timeline that is much better than mine.
So, I’ll keep working on being patient. Please keep praying for our little man’s head. :)
Monday, January 7, 2008
I had a dream last night…I was sitting on the floor a few feet from Elijah. Out of the blue, he crawled over to me and then crawled right past me so fast that he looked like a little crab on the floor. Shortly after, he got up and started to run around the house. I was so surprised that I started to run after him. I couldn’t catch up to him so I yelled out his name for him to stop. He slowed down enough to turn around, give me his mischievous smirk, and keep running. Then I woke up, feeling like I had just witnessed a piece of the future.
Our lives are full of so much uncertainty when it comes to what is going to happen in Elijah’s future. The concern with brain injury is that at some point, development will come to a halt. Of course, I don’t believe this will happen. I believe he’s going to be crawling, walking, running and my dream was just confirming that. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a little bit of reassurance that everything is going to be okay for our little man (even if it’s just a silly little dream).
Right now, Elijah is still wide awake and is the happiest little boy. Granted, I would like it if he was sleeping, but he is being so cute! He was giggling his little head off a few minutes ago and I just love that sound! He’s finally getting sleepy now in Andy’s arms and is doing that adorable “complaining” thing he does. So cute. :)
Our lives are full of so much uncertainty when it comes to what is going to happen in Elijah’s future. The concern with brain injury is that at some point, development will come to a halt. Of course, I don’t believe this will happen. I believe he’s going to be crawling, walking, running and my dream was just confirming that. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a little bit of reassurance that everything is going to be okay for our little man (even if it’s just a silly little dream).
Right now, Elijah is still wide awake and is the happiest little boy. Granted, I would like it if he was sleeping, but he is being so cute! He was giggling his little head off a few minutes ago and I just love that sound! He’s finally getting sleepy now in Andy’s arms and is doing that adorable “complaining” thing he does. So cute. :)
Friday, January 4, 2008
It almost felt like a spring day today...almost. It was warmer and when Elijah and I went out to run some errands, it was wonderful to hear birds chirping. I got excited about warmer days ahead…almost…until I remembered that it’s January. Oh well, we’ll enjoy the so-called “warm” weather while it lasts.
I was just looking at photos of Elijah and I’m realizing how much older he is getting. He is losing that newborn look and seems so much older when I compare him to photos of his younger self. I understand why people say, “They grow up so fast” now. Elijah is surely growing fast. So often when I go out with Elijah, people say, “Oh, a new one.” When I agree with them and say, “Yep, he’s four months old” they always seem surprised because most think he is younger than he is. He’s a big guy for his age, so I’m always confused by this. Then I remember he has a small head for his age and realize that must be why people think he is younger. Do all parents get frustrated by complete stranger’s comments? I suppose they do and I suppose I’m a bit more sensitive to it because of what he’s been through.
Speaking of Elijah’s head, it definitely seems to be changing. To me, it seems to be filling out and rounding out. It’s hard at times for me to see that his head isn’t round like everyone else’s. It’s a constant reminder of what happened during his birth and I simply don’t want to remember anymore. I’d like to erase that whole experience from my memory. For the most part, I don’t think about Elijah’s rough start anymore. I’m too busy taking care of my jumping jack to worry about the past. And, too happy to let myself go back in time.
I think this is the first month since Elijah was born that he has absolutely no doctor appointments. Yay! He has Early Intervention coming to visit soon, but that is his only appointment this month. I’m going to enjoy it while I can, because in February he has six (or so) appointments in the span of two weeks. Yipes.
Please continue your prayers. A lot of good development can happen in the next month and a half, before all of his appointments. Main issues we are concerned about: tone – pray for it to not get any tighter. Head size and shape – pray for it to grow and round out. Head fusing – pray for his head to not fuse prematurely. I truly believe Elijah is going to be completely fine, with God’s help and guidance. He is meeting all of his milestones. Right now he seems to be getting closer and closer to sitting up on his own, while Andy and I cheer him on. One thing he is doing a lot more is laughing for longer periods of time. Andy was taking a vitamin the other day and Elijah thought the noise the vitamin bottle made was hilarious. Elijah is so much fun and we are so incredibly blessed that sometimes I want to cry and laugh the same time. Life is good and apparently I’m writing daily journals again…we’ll see how long that lasts. :)
I was just looking at photos of Elijah and I’m realizing how much older he is getting. He is losing that newborn look and seems so much older when I compare him to photos of his younger self. I understand why people say, “They grow up so fast” now. Elijah is surely growing fast. So often when I go out with Elijah, people say, “Oh, a new one.” When I agree with them and say, “Yep, he’s four months old” they always seem surprised because most think he is younger than he is. He’s a big guy for his age, so I’m always confused by this. Then I remember he has a small head for his age and realize that must be why people think he is younger. Do all parents get frustrated by complete stranger’s comments? I suppose they do and I suppose I’m a bit more sensitive to it because of what he’s been through.
Speaking of Elijah’s head, it definitely seems to be changing. To me, it seems to be filling out and rounding out. It’s hard at times for me to see that his head isn’t round like everyone else’s. It’s a constant reminder of what happened during his birth and I simply don’t want to remember anymore. I’d like to erase that whole experience from my memory. For the most part, I don’t think about Elijah’s rough start anymore. I’m too busy taking care of my jumping jack to worry about the past. And, too happy to let myself go back in time.
I think this is the first month since Elijah was born that he has absolutely no doctor appointments. Yay! He has Early Intervention coming to visit soon, but that is his only appointment this month. I’m going to enjoy it while I can, because in February he has six (or so) appointments in the span of two weeks. Yipes.
Please continue your prayers. A lot of good development can happen in the next month and a half, before all of his appointments. Main issues we are concerned about: tone – pray for it to not get any tighter. Head size and shape – pray for it to grow and round out. Head fusing – pray for his head to not fuse prematurely. I truly believe Elijah is going to be completely fine, with God’s help and guidance. He is meeting all of his milestones. Right now he seems to be getting closer and closer to sitting up on his own, while Andy and I cheer him on. One thing he is doing a lot more is laughing for longer periods of time. Andy was taking a vitamin the other day and Elijah thought the noise the vitamin bottle made was hilarious. Elijah is so much fun and we are so incredibly blessed that sometimes I want to cry and laugh the same time. Life is good and apparently I’m writing daily journals again…we’ll see how long that lasts. :)
Thursday, January 3, 2008
We have a jumping bean on our hands. That’s right, Elijah loves to jump. He springs himself into the air from our laps, mouth wide open and smiling. It’s possibly the cutest thing ever.
It’s been way too long since I’ve posted a journal, so I’m sure you’ve all been wondering what is going on in the world of Elijah. We’ve been busy in the Wagner household, possibly because Elijah is becoming more active. He’s not content to just sit in my lap and watch me write a journal about him. He always wants to be doing something, preferably jumping. Did I mention he loves to jump?
I miss writing about Elijah every day, but I haven’t had the time. So, to recap the last couple weeks, this is what we’ve been up to…
-We visited Uncle Dan and Aunt Darlene and were spoiled with great food, a comfy bed, and fun times with the Lausted clan. It’s not often that we’re all together, so it was a good time. We were definitely spoiled by Darlene and Dan and thought about moving into Hotel de Lausted for good. Thanks you two!
-Elijah slept for most of the car ride back to our house. We came home to discover one of our neighbors had plowed our driveway. Have we mentioned we love where we live? :) (If you guys still read this, thanks!!) The bad news is that Elijah’s schedule was all thrown off and he decided he liked to stay up until all hours of the night. For the most part, he seems to have gotten back into a schedule…except for last night, but I’ll write more about that later.
-We’ve had a lot of visitors. Uncle Andy, Bob, Beth, Jill, Rob, Grandpa John, and Grandma Teri have all made an appearance at our house in the last week or so. It’s been really nice to see everyone. We are so blessed by our family and friends.
-Andy, Elijah, and I went furniture shopping together this past weekend. We enjoyed ourselves and Elijah was such a good boy. He seemed to like to look at all the new things and it was so much fun to spend time with my boys.
-Elijah might be teething. He kept us up until 2:30 last night screaming his little head off. We tried whatever we could to soothe him. He was pretty upset this morning too, but calmed down for the rest of the day. I don’t know if he’s just not feeling well or if his teeth are trying to rear their ugly heads. I guess we’ll see, but he hasn’t been himself lately.
Anyway, that’s what we’ve been up to. I can’t believe it is 2008 already! Time is sure flying. I hope you’ve all been doing well. I hope to post some new photos soon, so keep a lookout.
It’s been way too long since I’ve posted a journal, so I’m sure you’ve all been wondering what is going on in the world of Elijah. We’ve been busy in the Wagner household, possibly because Elijah is becoming more active. He’s not content to just sit in my lap and watch me write a journal about him. He always wants to be doing something, preferably jumping. Did I mention he loves to jump?
I miss writing about Elijah every day, but I haven’t had the time. So, to recap the last couple weeks, this is what we’ve been up to…
-We visited Uncle Dan and Aunt Darlene and were spoiled with great food, a comfy bed, and fun times with the Lausted clan. It’s not often that we’re all together, so it was a good time. We were definitely spoiled by Darlene and Dan and thought about moving into Hotel de Lausted for good. Thanks you two!
-Elijah slept for most of the car ride back to our house. We came home to discover one of our neighbors had plowed our driveway. Have we mentioned we love where we live? :) (If you guys still read this, thanks!!) The bad news is that Elijah’s schedule was all thrown off and he decided he liked to stay up until all hours of the night. For the most part, he seems to have gotten back into a schedule…except for last night, but I’ll write more about that later.
-We’ve had a lot of visitors. Uncle Andy, Bob, Beth, Jill, Rob, Grandpa John, and Grandma Teri have all made an appearance at our house in the last week or so. It’s been really nice to see everyone. We are so blessed by our family and friends.
-Andy, Elijah, and I went furniture shopping together this past weekend. We enjoyed ourselves and Elijah was such a good boy. He seemed to like to look at all the new things and it was so much fun to spend time with my boys.
-Elijah might be teething. He kept us up until 2:30 last night screaming his little head off. We tried whatever we could to soothe him. He was pretty upset this morning too, but calmed down for the rest of the day. I don’t know if he’s just not feeling well or if his teeth are trying to rear their ugly heads. I guess we’ll see, but he hasn’t been himself lately.
Anyway, that’s what we’ve been up to. I can’t believe it is 2008 already! Time is sure flying. I hope you’ve all been doing well. I hope to post some new photos soon, so keep a lookout.
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