Elia's First Months

I originally started a journal in MS Word to write about Elia's progress and moments in life, but now I'll just use this blog!  So here's some memories of months 0 - 3:

Elia

3/17/14                Monday

                Today Elia Rose was born at 5:14am at Aultman Hospital in Canton.  Our little St. Patrick’s girl weighed 7lb 14oz and 18.75”.  Luckily for her, she recovered from Erin’s C-section quickly and I had the chance to hold her minutes after her delivery.  Her mother took several hours to stop shaking and return to a normal heart and breathing rate.  After a full day of ruptured back labor followed by abdominal surgery, Erin has a long road ahead of her.

                Elia met her grandparents Oma & Opa and Mimi & Grandpap by 8:00am, along with Julia Schumacher, our wonderful friend and neighbor who helped me support Erin through labor.  The rest of the day, she continued to astound us with her perfect health, her delicious baby smell, and her delightful tiny noises.  I am totally in love with her.

                She has given Erin some trouble breastfeeding, but we will learn.  I have become much better at holding, changing, and swaddling a baby now in that I can do it at all.  It is so much fun.

3/19/14                Wednesday

                I stayed at the hospital with Erin and Elia Sunday morning during labor through Wednesday morning when I had to go to work.  In that time, Elia has learned to latch well, and also enjoys the occasional pinky finger and pacifier.  She likes to cry at night because her days and nights are slightly off centered.  She’s also the cutest girl in the world. 

                After work, I met those two back at the hospital by 5:15 and we made it home before 7:00.  While Elia mostly likes to sleep, my new favorite hobby is taking pictures with Elia while she is asleep.  I have to give the “most baby-obsessed” award to my sis Courtney who demands frequent pictures and tells all her friends all the time that she is a new aunt.

3/21/14                Friday

Elia has a lot of stuff.  Breast pumps, bottles, clothes, diapers, furniture, etc.—they take up a lot of room, even though she doesn’t.  My favorite item of hers is the Baby K’tan, which is a sling that allows me to hold Elia hands-free against my chest and take her with me everywhere. 

Erin’s parents came back into town to visit last night and will stay the weekend until my mom comes on Sunday.  It’s great to have their help since Erin can’t do too much around the house right now.  Plus they want to see their only granddaughter every chance they get.

I got to give her a sponge bath tonight, and she went ballistic.  I’m not sure that she will like water too much, or being cold.  That’s okay, I am smitten by her looks alone.  She has only a few expressions at this point, and the two most common are the “scrunchy face” which is often a lead up to a good cry, and the “face of wonderment” which is when she opens her eyes and looks around at the world, looking amazed.  But she mostly sleeps, and does so without expression.

4/8/14                   Tuesday

                We’ve had a lot of fun lately with all the visitors that have come to see our beautiful daughter.  I never knew just looking at babies could be so awesome, but now I know and many of my family and friends agree.  Lots of church members have brought Erin and I meals the past three weeks, Erin’s family visited the weekend after we got home from the hospital, and my mom visited the following week.  My family eagerly awaits Easter, when they all get to come out and spend the weekend with us (the first Joseph holiday not at Mom and Dad’s house). 

                But of course there has been ample time for me to have fun with Elia.  I am lucky enough to live 7 minutes from Timken, so I have visited at lunch several times to see her activity midday.  This past week and weekend, we’ve made great use of the jogging stroller, walking with Elia at Quail Hollow and the Tow Path at Canal Fulton.  I took her for a 7 mile run this weekend.  I think she loves the outdoors—she always falls asleep or looks around curiously during walks.  Oh, and this picture was part of a photo shoot she and I did together on Sunday…there’s another terrific shot of her playing with Mommy’s bras.

                Everyone asks if she’s sleeping…I know I am!  Erin has been a saint, waking up to take care of Elia every time she cries at night (it makes sense because she’s just hungry, but many guys’ wives force them to take turns).  Turns out I can sleep through anything.

                Elia has regained her weight and then some—she’s working up to about 8.5 lbs now, but she still can’t use the size 1 diapers yet.  That’s okay; we’re in no hurry to see her grow up.  Except when she screams.

4/25/14                Friday

                Elia, you are so cute.  Thank you for obeying the law of the 5 S’s that we learned from The Happiest Baby on the Block.  When you are Swaddled, on your Side, Shushed, Swung around, and have something to Suck, you calm down just as nature demands.  I’m glad you enjoyed your first time eating out with mom and dad, even though you didn’t enjoy our delicious Parmesan & Garlic Chicken/Bacon pizza from Pizza Hut, and for watching me play Ultimate Frisbee at Alpine Park.  All my friends think you have what it takes to become an amazing Ultimate player. 

                Yesterday you were 11 lbs and 22 inches long!  That’s 2 inches per pound!  Loads of girls would kill for your height to weight ratio…keep it while you’re young buttercup. 

                You are much better at handling baths, you love our 7-mile jogs to Washington Square along the Stark Path, and you have managed to sleep for 6 hours straight several times.  You can hold all of your own weight on your legs for nearly half a minute at a time without crumpling, as long as I hold your torso still.  Maybe those legs are for dancing or running some day.  Right now they’re just getting used to vertical life and gravity.

                You enjoyed my family visiting this past weekend for Easter—my dad loves you so much he’d move in with us if we offered.  You looked precious in your Easter dress and bow, even if you didn’t like the fabric very much.  Everyone just wants to hold you all the time.  It’s too bad Aunt Erin and Uncle Jon aren’t having a cousin playmate for you too soon, but that just means you’ll be the older, wiser one that can tell your baby cousins how to do cool things.  Mr. and Mrs. Swanson will maybe have a baby by the beginning of next year that you can play with!

                I like being your dad.  I really love it a lot.  I’m so glad we have you!  So keep on the milk and I’ll keep teaching you how to stand up and how to smile. 

6/10/14                Tuesday

                Elia, you have learned so much already!  We just visited our friends Adam and Caitlin in Dublin, OH this weekend, and Caitlin (who has worked with many babies through the Goddard School) says you are wise beyond your months.  You can move your head like it’s your job, follow me with your eyes, make lots of sounds, sleep for 10 hours, through most nights, and you’re really good at smiling now.  You smile when I tickle your belly and change your diaper and smile at you.  Also, you thought Adam was your boyfriend.  I’m sorry to tell you that he’s married.  And he’s 24 years older than you.

                It’s great that Erin can stay home with you every day.  You are probably good at yard-sales and shopping at Kohl’s and Target.  We need to do that often since you’ve grown so fast!  Sorry you didn’t like the shots in your feet the other day.  Unfortunately we’ll need to give you many more shots, but we like to do it early so you don’t remember the pain when you get older. 

                Apparently you didn’t enjoy your visit with Erin’s family earlier in May when she visited for the week—she says you didn’t let anyone else hold you.  I’m glad you were better around my parents when we visited Memorial Day weekend. 

                We got some great photos of you back from our photographer friend Markie.  She and Andrew are going to have a baby in December!  Hopefully you will make many friends through our church—baby Colter Schenk, baby Thomas, baby Horsfall, baby Flannery.  They will all be about your age!  Maybe once you can learn to play, you’ll enjoy baby Caralee Ditto also.

                Soon you will learn to roll over and crawl!  Hopefully you like camping because we’re taking you this weekend with our church.  Bring your bug spray and sun screen, little cantelope!