1st snow & 1st bath an eventful day!

When we woke up this morning there was some snow on the ground...the 1st real snow of the season & Eli's 1st snow. Looking out our back window we saw that the neighbors had all been out early to enjoy the snow...some making a huge snowman, others just running around in it (I think!)

Eli & Mom went to our church for the 1st time today too...daddy wasn't feeling good so he stayed home. Eli was a big hit at church. Everyone who saw him thought he was cute & since he slept part of the time they all thought he was so good! He was really good while we were there. I fed him and then he was awake for most of the sermon. He fell asleep right before we had communion and slept until we got home.

Just a little bit ago he had a pretty big BM and so daddy & mommy gave him his first bath. Mom did the washing & dad took the pics. Since Eli doesn't really like to be naked we didn't think he'd really like this experience either, and he did let us know he wasn't too pleased, but after the bath he was pretty calm and enjoyed some time hanging out in his hooded towel.

My 1st road trip...

We went to go see Nana, Papa, Auntie Dar, Uncle Joe, Uncle Pete, Auntie Rachel, all my cousins and a bunch of other relatives this week...Mama said it was for something called Thanksgiving, and I heard her and Daddy talking a lot about how thankful they were for me! I think mommy even cried a little in church when they were singing thanksgiving hymns. I really liked the music in church, but it didn't make me cry!

Mommy called the Doctor to see if we could fly in Daddy's plane to go see Nana...and the Doctor said it was OK to fly in Daddy's plane...just not in a commercial plane yet. But we ended up driving in our SUV because Daddy was too tired to fly. He also said something about not having flown for a while (which I know was due to me...sorry Dad.) and how he wanted to take the plane out with out me before he took me up in it. I'm ready to try flying though, Dad. As long as mom gets to sit in the back of the plane with me to feed me and entertain me I think I'll like it!

When we drove to see Nana I slept the whole way then when we got to Nana's she fed me and hugged me and cuddled with me while mom & dad got all settled in. I love Nana. She kisses me a lot and sings to me and cuddles with me. I think that she'll be one of my best friends before too long like she is for my cousins. Papa likes to hold me too, and surprisingly he's pretty snuggly with me.

Thursday was a little crazy. I met a ton of new people..who all kept kissing my head! There were a bunch of other babies there too...I can't wait to be big enough to play with them someday! I think we'll have fun!

Yesterday mom & dad just let me veg at home...it was great! I was really pooped out from all the activity earlier in the week. I did have some visitors though - Scott & Amanda Panno came to see me and Cindy & Stu Smith also came over to see me. They all told my mom & dad how cute I was. Scott & Amanda got me this nifty onesie...dad really wanted it for me...it says, "I like boobs". I guess I have to wear it when dad takes me to Uncle Marty's for Crappy movie night. Too bad Uncle Patrick won't be there...

Tonight I'm going to grammie & papa's to celebrate Uncle Luke's birthday. Mama hopes I'm a happy baby for this outing. By night time I'm often kind of crabby...it is hard to be a baby...don't you know?

Wanna meet me?

Hey there! Here's my birth announcement...

made by my Aunt Mandy. She LOVES to take pictures of me...and so far I'm not too bothered by that. Thanks Auntie!

Everyone says that I look like my daddy in these pictures...what do you think?

40 weeks...wait...doesn't that mean I'm supposed to come out now?

No sign that Eli is ready to come out of the womb and join the real world yet...but to quote Papa Stephens - soon he'll be evicted! If he doesn't appear of his own free will between now & November 12th...Dr. Dabrowski plans to induce labor on the 12th. Mom & Dad are hoping to see Eli before then, but he's already being stubborn like his daddy and all the other Stephens men. So we wait...

39 weeks...in utero

Hey! I'm 39 weeks along now...and my mom & dad (and everyone else who knows about me) are READY for me to make my arrival! But I'm hanging in there...not sure for how much longer, but while things are tighter in here than they were before...my mom is pretty comforting, warm, and she bounces me around a lot...so it is not like I'm bored or anything! Plus, it is kind of fun to keep all these adults guessing! -E.W.

From 3D Pregnancy: One uncomfortable complaint of late pregnancy is frequent hiccups. No, not you, your baby. Because there is no air around your baby, when he practices breathing, it can cause amniotic fluid to get into his windpipe, resulting in those regularly spaced thumps that make you think you're carrying a jumping bean in your belly.

From Cousin Vicki DeBoer: "Hey thought you'd like this.....I had a dream that we were all at Fennema Thanksgiving with ALL the new babies, and you kept calling your son "Boo" cuz he was born on Halloween. So good luck with that!!"

I already cast my vote for President...figuring that if I didn't he'd arrive on November 4th & I'd not get to vote at all...a tragedy for a Social Studies teacher!

36 weeks old...in utero

I decided to start a blog for Eli, even though he's still hanging out inside of mommy's womb yet. He's really been busy lately, lots of pushing on mommy's insides and he's getting pretty heavy to carry around. We've got everything basically ready for his arrival...and since we had been told that at 32 weeks he was a little over 5 lbs I'd say he's plenty big to arrive any day now.

His bag is packed. Mommy's bag is packed and ready to go. The car seat is going in the car today...anytime he wants to arrive is cool!

We'll be putting pictures and videos and all that good stuff on this blog...that way friends & family far away can all check in on the progress of our little guy! We hope you enjoy it!