Baby Eli Update

Friday he went to his first big outing - my work's company picnic where he met many of my coworkers and their families.

Saturday he smiled at us for the first time while awake. We melted. Grandma happened to get to see it too!!! He smiled at daddy while on mommy's lap with Grandma also glancing over. Such a sweet memory!

Yesterday we went to church for the first time in 7 weeks! It was absolutely incredible to be back. We love our church family SO much!!!! It was the first time since the NICU where I handed my baby off to complete strangers, but this time it was different because I could see them, talk to them, prepare them with his needs/personality/schedule, and they were all sweet godly ladies who were thrilled to be caring for our baby for a mere hour and a half!

Here's our family picture from after church. :) My mom, ever the terrible photographer, managed to grab our very favorite family picture!! We were amazed. Granted I had to crop half of it as she got so much of the tree... but still. ;)

We said goodbye to my mom & stepdad yesterday after several days here. We appreciated the extra help again so very, very much! Elijah really takes so well to his Grandma. Now we have no more regular help except for random visitors locally. But all the far-away visitors are done, and the next time they come to visit it'll just be to hang out, not help. It's time to be at that point, but it's hard in its own ways too.

We have a few days alone and then I start back to work on Thursday, exactly 8 weeks since Elijah's birth! It will be his first time in daycare. I'm a little nervous but I really trust the great Christian daycare he's going to.

Elijah is growing and changing so much. He's more and more alert each day, and getting to be a lot of fun! We love watching his little personality develop. He's taken very well to his bedtime routine (only waking once in the night now) and is slowly getting used to playing on his own more during the day as we try to wean him off the constant holding. He loves looking around and watching what's going on, and thankfully he cries bloody murder a lot less now too. What a joy he is!

There are always super hard moments too but we are grateful for the opportunity to raise up Eli -- to hopefully become a great man someday who loves Jesus above all else, is obedient & faithful, serves God, loves people, gives himself to the weak & poor & needy, and makes a difference in this dark world.

Our handsome hunk all ready for his 1st church service! It was fun to take him and show him off to friends and pastors while he was alert and super chill - I prayed for that!! 

Heading into church as a family of 3 for the first time. So surreal. I was definitely a glowing, proud mama!

Handed off to the nursery workers -- and we all survived! :)

What a joy to be back here, worshiping with our wonderful family of believers!!

Showing Eli off to the friends we serve together with, here meeting Miss Jackie

After church we visited our favorite local restaurant where Eli met the restaurant cow (a local "icon" lol)!