Eli Day

Eli.  Our "false start" boy.  He was SUPPOSED to come home the day after Cole, but ... well ... about a half hour before we left for the hospital to pick him up, the NICU called and said he'd had an apneic episode.  "A what?", was my response, I think.  He ended up having a sleep study to see if his episodes were just his prematurity or if it was something else, like reflux.  Actually, he had TWO sleep studies.  Turned out Eli just needed a little more time to grow into all the responsibilities that come with being a baby.  You know, responsibilities like...oh...BREATHING!  And eventually, on August 24th, Mr. Eli Robert came home after 20 days in the posh resort known as The Valley Hospital NICU.

Then...

4.4 lbs

Now...

25 lbs

A glimpse of Eli...

He's our "Linus Wanna-be":  A doe-eyed, thumb-sucking, blanket-dragger.
He's our best sleeper and worst eater.
He's the leader in the race for "most words".

Eli loves shoes.  As a matter of fact, it's one of his favorite words.  I think it went "Mommy", "Dadda", "Thank you", then "Shooooooooooooooes".  He drags out that "ooooooooo" sound with his lips puckered and I melt everytime.  At the very MENTION of "outside", Eli runs into the mudroom and quickly returns with his crocs.

He can say everyone's name in our family...a shock to me when Daddy pointed it out.  He is definitely the loudest, too!  Sometimes, we call him "Captain Obvious" because he likes to point out who is standing right next to him.  "Mommy...Mommy..." It get's increasingly louder the longer you let him go.  When you do say "Yes, Eli", he points and smiles as he exclaims..."Daddy!"  Like Eli just discovered he'd entered the room, when in reality, Shane had been there the whole time!
Eli is our neat triplet, too.  He loves brooms, vacuums, dustpans and wipes.  He's constantly closing cabinets and drawers.  If I'm not careful when I'm unloading the dishwasher, he's there closing it (without pushing the drawer in).  And his "neatness" translates outside, too!  If Shane leaves the shed open, Eli races in and grabs a rake.

His wife will be very blessed, someday.

Favorite Words:
"Hi" and "Bye"
"Thank you"
"Shoes"
"Ty Ty"
" (insert name) go?"  (...and imagine Eli with a concerned look on his face, shrugging his shoulders, and turning his hands up.)