Homecoming

Elijah David has come home! We are so thrilled that he has come home with us, a little earlier than expected. He did so well at the hospital that they couldn't imagine him staying any longer, even making a last minute decision to send him home today instead of tomorrow!

I think that it is so awesome to have him here, and I was so blessed this evening to take a short nap holding him on the couch. Chrissy is excited to have him around too. I was expecting her to be a little jealous or just not want him around, but in some ways I think she is more excited about him than Liz or I are. It is so cute, twice today she went up to where he was laying and asked if she could "have a turn" with him. So I picked him up and took him over to the couch and she sat quietly beside me and gently stroked his brow. Her comment: "so soft". We'll see how long her interest stays before she begins to be jealous of all the extra attention he gets.

Tonight begins the first night of midnight feedings for me...please keep us in your prayers. :)

Baby Blues

Today Liz was discharged from the hospital. It is a bittersweet thing because our son is still there, which will make seeing him more difficult. We will not have the little "field base" that we had when Liz had a room in the building. Now we both have to come home to sleep, eat, shower, etc... and we have to figure that out in light of me working, and her recovering.

However, it does mean that we get a real bed again. I can tell you, that little hospital cot that I was sleeping on was getting more painful by the day. Soon, I am sure that I would have to have been admitted myself due to severe back problems.

On a different note, Elijah is undergoing light therapy to fix the jaudice that he is experiencing. Poor little guy had no chane: dad had jaundice as a baby, sister had it, and he is a premie, which means that not getting it would have been amazing! Which is not too bad though, he gets to relax in a nice warm "tanning" booth for the next day or so. Wish I was so lucky...

A Cry Stilled...

Today I went to go feed Elijah and he was crying when I got there. Poor little guy was hungry! Imagine how pleased I was then when I picked him up and he immediately stilled. He is learning so much already. He already knows who daddy is. (Or at least he knows what it means when he gets picked up) :P

I am glad in a way that this birth and our last one were so completely different. All the processes are so different that their really is no comparison. With Chrissy I was just so excited to be a new dad and see how special she is. But with Elijah, it is such a treat to go see him because we do not get the privilege of having him with one of us 24/7 yet. AND I can go see him on my own when Liz is tired and resting in her room. Just a little quiet father-son time where I can put him to sleep in my arms and then spending the next hour trying not to fall asleep myself. Soon I will have him home and get to enjoy my favorite past time that I had with Chrissy: couch napping with infant on top.

Kangaroo Care

Last night I had the blessings and privilege to spend time with my son doing some "kangaroo care" which means they put him on my chest so we could cuddle skin to skin. What a joy! It was so awesome to be able to share such an intimate encounter with my son. To feel his little body resting against mine, knowing that he was smelling me and getting used to my presence.

He started out a little wiggly and fussy, but within minutes was calmly snoozing. It was hard to put him back in the crib, but I was falling asleep in the rocker. When they took him off my chest, I was pleased to see that he was protesting! He wanted to stay next to me! Praise God for the ways that he created us, so that we instinctively want the closeness of our parents.

The only downside was the fact that I had a t-shirt on when I went to go cuddle my little "joey" so I had to wear one of their nusing gowns. Flower print is not my style... When I go home to change, I think I will put on a button shirt. --Brian

Elijah David Lahti

Our Son was born today! 5lbs 8oz, 16.5". He is so perfect and in a better health condition than was expected.

Liz and I are a mix of exhaustion, excitement, and enthusiasm. I was able to go with him and get him situated in the nursery here at the hospital after he was born and then spend some father-sone time with him before I needed to rush off and share with Liz all his vital stats and how he was doing. Then I slept.

Right now Liz has been able to get up and walk around a bit, and spend time with Elijah in the NICU. The staff here is mostly friendly and very professional, concerned with getting us all healthy and home.

Liz should be discharged in the next couple of days. But we are looking at at a minumum of a week before Elijah can come home; though it is not likely that he will need to stay longer than two.

We are so blessed by God in this situation. Though far from ideal, I know that God has been building us up, protecting us and blessing every single one of us. Elijah is doing better than could have been expected and the nurses contantly comment on how well he is dong. I know for a fact that that is due to God's intervention. Praise the Lord!