Costanza

Eli was born with dark brown/black hair and 2 or 3 weeks later he started losing it on the top and in the front, which prompted us to start calling him our little George Costanza (from Seinfeld). Rebecca and I were both bald babies for a long time so it's likely Eli will have a smooth dome for a while. It will be really interesting to see him with hair. I already feel like he looks different everyday and the easiest way for me to chart his growth is to put him in the bassinet or the swing where I can remember what he was like in there right after coming home from the hospital. Now his little feet are starting to hang off the end of the swing and he's outgrown the bassinet. He just turned two months old a few days ago and we are looking forward to what month 3 holds.

Eli's Birthday

On November 16th, Rebecca and I headed to the hospital around 7 in the morning after her water had broken. It actually broke the preceding night but we weren't sure that was what was happening until later when it became more "apparent." Out of all the midwives there was only one we had not met and she was, of course, the one present that day to deliver our child. She evidently had years of military experience which seemed sort of obvious after meeting her. Our first conversation consisted of her chastising us about not getting to the hospital sooner. Not a great start. After that she warmed up considerably and ended up being really great in the delivery room. I guess some people aren't much on first impression but she was very in control and good at her job.

Rebecca had a fever that reached the 103 to 104 range and she was shaking like a leaf once the pitocin started. She opted for an epidural and it was the best thing she could have done. It really settled her down and she seemed almost perky after it kicked in. Her blood pressure was also elevated so we had to keep an eye on that as well. Because of the fever the baby's heart rate was up and after an hour of pushing our midwife told her the baby really needed to come out soon. Around 20 minutes later, little Eli was lying skin-to-skin on his mom. It was an absolutely amazing moment, one that only a new parent can truly understand.

Unfortunately, we only got to spend a few minutes with him before they took him to the NICU for observation. He was doing more grunting than crying so they wanted to make sure that his blood oxygen levels were where they needed to be. After about 10 hours he made his way up to our room to hang out with his bleary-eyed and bewildered parents.

The Great Unknown and a new beginning.

I can't think of any single experience that raises more questions than having a child. I know most people have to wonder at some point in their lives "If I ever have a kid, what would he/she be like?" That sentiment is amplified to an exponential degree when your significant other is actually pregnant and you can feel a baby moving around in there. You say things to each other like, "I hope he/she has your eyes" or "I hope he/she doesn't have my vision problems." Really what you are hoping for is just a healthy baby. We didn't have any preference as far as the gender of the child but we did choose to find out early. Friends of ours went the we-want-the-surprise route and that's cool too. Frankly, I was sick of referring to our child as an 'it' and I felt it was a surprise either way, whether it was at 18 weeks or 40.

Rebecca's pregnancy was pitch-perfect for the first half and the second half was a challenge. She had non-stop contractions from July until November 16th when our little guy arrived. We joked that she would be one of the few people who actually got more sleep once the baby arrived and we have found that to actually be true. Anyway, the hospital experience will be given its due but for now we just want to welcome Elijah (Eli) into the world. We think he's the cat's pajamas. I realize we are a little late starting the blog but it won't take long to catch up.