Big Boy in the House!

"I got a fat head but don't call me a fathead."

Eli had his two-month pediatrician visit last week and came in at the top of his class. He ranked in the 75th percentile in both height and weight. Every day he just looks more and more grown up, like he's becoming a little man already. His personality is starting to come out slowly and it's been a lot of fun. He's been rocking a big belly for awhile now, which means no more newborn clothes. Every day he seems to get a little bigger and stronger and he's able to finally sit in the Bumbo seat for a few minutes without looking like a bobble-head doll. He's doing great and every day means one step closer to kicking that soccer ball with Dad!

The holidays have been a lot of fun with many firsts. We got to put up our first Christmas tree as a family. Eli had his first Thanksgiving with both Grandparents, had a baby shower back in Iowa, and was passed around like a hot potato. We hit arguably the most exciting milestone yet his first night back in Iowa when he slept over 8 hours! Over the past week he has been averaging about 8 hours per night and it doesn't get much better.

"Am I doing it Mom?!?"

One Month Old Photo Shoot

Here are some pictures from Eli's "One Month Old Photo Shoot." He didn't really want to cooperate, but who really likes dressing up on their one month old birthday? I think all he needs are his Converse kicks and a diaper to be happy.

One Month Old and One Week Late

Shhh, he's sleeping. Swinging away in one of our greatest family investments to date, barring any money we've spent at Yogurtland. Yes, Eli is zonked out and Mom and Dad are on the couch eating cereal and ice cream, the staples of any decent late-night snack. To explain the title, we meant to post this when Eli was one month old. Well we missed that, so I'm rewinding time and saying happy four weeks buddy, Mom and Dad were just one week late.

We've received lots of visits from friends and family lately. Eli's Grandpa and Grandma from Iowa, Randy and Marla, have made it out a few times since he's been born. His Grandpa and Grandma from Colorado, Ted and Lisa, have enjoyed coming over and trying to get him to stay awake as long as possible. It's not always easy to keep him going, but we think he likes to entertain his guests.

Little Eli is doing great, enjoying his swing and crib to the max. Thankfully, he's not too bad a sleeper. He's done a good job at listening to his Mom when she says it's bedtime. We've found ourselves getting a bit over-excited at his little milestones. His eyes follow us when we move, he's starting to tear up when he cries, he's lifting his head like a champ. He's also starting to react when he hears our voices, which is awesome! There's nothing like seeing the smile across his face when you're talking to him. We've tried to capture some of those smiles in the pictures below...

Mommy loves

My personal favorite

Shout Out to My Peeps

We've had so much support over the past couple weeks, and to those of you who have lent a helping hand, we can't thank you enough. First and foremost, our families have been incredible. Without their help and encouragement, things would have been a lot different. In that first week we forgot there was a meal in the morning called breakfast, I'm sure our dog forgot who we were, and we basically forgot life existed beyond the upper floor of our home (the trodden carpet path from our room to Eli's is proof of that). Our families kept us sane, and for that, we love and thank you :)

Our friends have also been so wonderful. I don't know if other families have trouble with the "what would you like for dinner?" question, but whenever it is asked of me, I find it very stressful to come up with an answer. Our friends and family have very graciously lifted that burden these past few weeks, and for that, we are so thankful.

So here's little Eli giving a shout out to his peeps, his friends and fam who have kept his overwhelmed parents in check and his big ol' stomach full. Thank you all so much, we love you.

Shout out to my Colorado crew, the Bohannons


Shout out to my cuz, Payton, who literally scoots around exactly like you see here
(I may not be able to scoot like you, but I will be dancin' like you soon)

Shout out to my Iowa crew, the Kraayenbrinks


Gotta throw a shout out to the NCAA bracket busters, Go Panthers!

10/4/10 - Eli's Birthday

Imagine some strobe lights, maybe some baby cheerleaders, and the Chicago Bulls intro song playing in the background...

AND NOW!
From Nooorthern Colorado
A free agent signing with team Kraayenbrink on October 4th, 2010
Crushing the scales with his 8 lb frame!
Towering over the world atop his 20 inch pedestal!
ELI! JONAS! KRRRRAAYENBRINK BRINK BRINK BRINK BRINK

Loud cheers from the team Kraayenbrink crowd.

As I'm sure you've gathered, Eli's finally here! 10 fingers and toes, all parts intact. The 41 week wait is over and the little boy is relaxing comfortably in his crib. Mom and dad are not resting quite so comfortably, but we couldn't be happier. We are enjoying this time as much as we possibly can.

Eli had his second visit to the pediatrician today and he has gained one ounce from his birth-weight. He's sleeping, pooping, peeing, and doing all the things little baby boys do. We've accidentally discovered the fountain of youth (a side-effect of diaper changing), and he had a pretty good time dousing the nurse during his doctor's visit today. All-in-all, Eli is one healthy little dude.

It all still seems a bit surreal, but you realize how much you really love him when you start driving the minivan 15 miles below the speed limit. Your eyes snap open every time you hear a peep on the baby monitor. You hold a mirror to his face to make sure he's breathing. You yell at your wife to come look every time he makes a funny face. And you'd do absolutely anything for him. It's safe to say he's a welcome addition to our family and we couldn't be more thankful that God has blessed us so greatly. Let's hope we're still saying that when he's 18... oh we will.

Getting ready to leave the hospital

Mom and babe in the hospital rocker

Finally home!

Time to relax...

37 Down, 3 To Go

Eli is officially full term today! Rightly so, Labor Day marks the home stretch of Jamie's pregnancy. I don't think either of us would be complaining if Eli had taken "Labor Day" literally. Sadly he did not, so now we're making and taking bets on when we'll celebrate his birthday. I've called the 24th of this month and Jamie's called the 10th. We couldn't be more excited to meet Eli, so let's hope he's just as excited to meet us (the sooner the better little dude).

Randy and Marla came out to visit this weekend, one last time before our new addition. We ate food, sat on the couch, ate more food, and slept on the couch. We're glad my parents could come out and enjoy a little relaxation before life gets a little hectic. Below are some pictures from our Labor Day photo shoot. One day we hope Eli will look back and laugh at these pictures. He'll probably say something like, "There's no way I fit in there!" With 37 weeks down and the pictures to prove it, I think Jamie's beginning to think the same thing...

Our Little Blessing

So this is it, the beginning of our family blog and little Eli's public debut on the web. He's the reason we're starting this blog, the reason we're excited, nervous, scared, anxious and many other feelings that are hard to put into words. The anticipation is building to September 27th, the scheduled date of Eli Jonas' arrival and his first good cry as a Kraayenbrink (sorry buddy, you're stuck with both us and the name).

We hung out with some very close friends tonight and had a conversation about how blessed we all are. Every couple has started down the path of parenthood and we are all full of joy for the gifts God has given us. We could not be more thankful for our little boy, even if he causes frequent bathroom trips, increases our A/C bill, and has brought Cheetos back into our lives.

31 weeks down, 9 to go. A lot can happen in 9 weeks, so that means a lot of praying between now and then. So here he is, ladies and gentleman, without further ado, little Eli at 23 weeks.