Elijah Ian

... sorry, I was supposed to post this yesterday.... Eli is TWO!

So in continuation of our Eli story...

I started feeling very light contractions the night of Wednesday, Sept. 20th. They continued all of Thursday, until Friday Sept. 22 at 3am they were noticeable enough to wake me up. I started timing my contractions & they were about 10-15 minutes apart. I got a couple more hours of sleep, & finally got up & went about my morning as usual. I had a doctor's appointment at 9am. When I arrived, we found out that I was already 6cm! The midwife I suggested I go to the hospital & get checked

in before my contractions get too uncomfortable. I decided not to. Since the contractions weren't that bad, I wanted to do most of my laboring at home. By noon I checked into the hospital. By about 2pm, my contractions were getting harder to talk through. By about 8pm I was pushing... & THREE HOURS LATER Eli was born. At 11:03pm... we met our Eli, all 8lbs10oz of him!

To say we have absolutely fallen in love with this boy the Lord has blessed us with would be a complete understatement, but it still must be said. We love him so much. It's so kind of the Lord to allow us to experience the love & delight that comes with having children. Although parenting a toddler has been tough lately, I have fallen in love with the personality God has given my son. One of the first things people notice about our Eli Monster is how friendly & happy he is. He loves people & it is our prayer that the Lord uses this quality of Eli's to bring men to His kingdom. Probably the next thing that stands out in Eli's personality is how playful & outgoing he is. This boy loves to play & have a good time. Although he does take a few minutes to scope things out, it's not long before he's playing with kids he's never met or trying new things. Eli is also so, so curious. He loves adventures! We noticed this quality about Eli when he was a baby. It became a known fact once he started crawling; then when he started walking (at 11mos!!) it was all over. This curiosity of his can be a challenge to parent at times, especially when its coupled with his stubbornness, but we have to appreciate that Eli loves to learn. He's a scientist like his Daddy. I pray that his sharp & curious mind will take him on adventures through studying the Word. I pray that Eli's mind mediates & soaks up things that are of the Lord. Lastly, my sweet, sweet Eli is so affectionate. He will be a great husband some day. This boy loves to love. He hugs & kisses me so much-- Another trait he got from his Daddy, physical touch as his love language.-- We have to watch him real close because there are a few kids at church Eli just loves to clobber with hugs. Every morning Eli wakes up & says, "I want cuddle Mama." I know I will forever cherish those sweet words. Happy Birthday, Eli! I love you so, so much!

Eli got TWO birthday cakes!