My Sixth Week 3/22 - 3/28

By the end of this week I will be 6 weeks old!
We went and took some family pictures over by the fountain in our neighborhood. It was a chilly evening, but I toughed it out and now I have some great pictures with my parents!

This whole week has been a bit cooler than usual. It was also really windy this week, so Mommy and I didn't get a chance to go on any walks. It was hard for us to be cooped up inside, but is much better than me going out in the wind. The wind finally calmed down enough that on Saturday we could go to the park with Hailee and Aunt Melanie. It was the first time I had been to the park, and I had a good time being outside and looking around at everything. Also, that evening Mommy and I went over to Aunt Melanie's house so they could watch a movie together. It was fun to go out and visit them for a bit.

Five Weeks Already! 3/15 - 3/21

I started out this week turning One Month Old! Can you believe a whole month has gone by now?! Grandma Cox came back up on Monday and we got to spend the day with her.

This week was also St. Patrick's Day. It is one of Mommy's favorite holidays. She made sure I was wearing green so I didn't get pinched. Mommy wanted to make some green sticky buns, but didn't get a chance to. Instead, we had (well, Mom and Dad had) green things for dinner. They had green apple soda with dinner and mint chip ice cream for dessert. Yum!
I am now holding my head up all the time. I can hold it up as long as I want, and I can move it around easily all by myself. I do a little bit of 'tummy time' each day and hold up my head and move it side to side. I also kick my legs like crazy, guess I'm just getting ready to crawl!

Week Four 3/8 - 3/14

I was really excited for the end of this week because Grandma Cox came to visit! She lives far away in Atlanta, Georgia, and this was my first time meeting her. She came into town on the 11th and is staying at cousin Hailee's house. Daddy had to work for the first few days she was here, but Mommy and I got to see her. We took our first adventures out to someone's house to see Grandma at Hailee's house. We went on Wednesday and Thursday, and had lots of fun hanging out together.
On Friday Daddy was able to go into work a bit later, so Grandma came over to our house to hang out with us! Then after Daddy went to work we invited Hailee and Uncle David and Aunt Melanie over and we had pizza! Mommy loves pizza--I hope I do too because she eats it a lot! Grandma went down to Tucson on Saturday and Sunday to visit my cousins down there, but she is coming back on Monday to spend all day with me (and Daddy and Mommy too)!
Mommy and I have also been going out on walks now. I am too little to go to stores or really be around lots of people yet, but this is a fun way for Mommy and me to get out of the house for a bit. I like to be outside, but usually fall asleep for most of the walk. My favorite part is that Hailee and Aunt Melanie often go on the walks with us too!

Three Weeks and Counting 3/1 - 3/7

Mommy and I both had doctors appointments again to start out this week. As of 3/2/09 I have grown half an inch and gained half a pound! I am growing big and strong, just like Daddy! I am also still jaundiced, so the doctor says I have to go back to the clinic to get my blood drawn again. Other than that I am a healthy and strong growing boy.
At the end of the week Daddy and I had our first 'Boy's Night In.' Mommy was feeling well enough to get out so she took her first trip out by herself since I was born. She just ran to the store really quick, but Daddy and I had fun hanging out together while she was gone.

Week Two 2/22 - 2/28

This week didn't start off great for me. I had to go to get some blood drawn on the 23rd. It was just for the all the normal tests they do whenever a baby is born, but no body likes getting their foot pricked right? We all went to the clinic, and I was actually really good. The only time I cried was when Daddy had to take me out of the blanket so they could reach my feet. But then he held me tight and I didn't cry at all when they poked my foot and squeezed the blood out. Don't worry, all the results were normal and I am a nice, healthy kid.
I am also super strong. I am already holding my head up for a bit whenever Mommy or Daddy burp me. I don't even flop it down or anything, I just hold it up and look around a bit.
I have learned there are a few things I don't like though. I don't like diaper changes, being undressed, or baths. I am just really modest, and so I scream a lot whenever these things happen. Mommy says I'll get used to them, but we'll see.

My First Week 2/15 - 2/21

Grandma Romney stayed at our house for my first week. With her and Daddy taking care of us, Mommy and I got time to recover from my birth. Daddy stays up late, and Grandma gets up early, so other than times when I needed to eat, Mommy was able to get some much needed sleep. Grandpa Romney was also in town this week, he was staying at cousin Hailee's house, but he came over lots to visit me! I also got to meet cousin Hailee on my first day home, and Aunt Carol even came over this week to see me.
Another exciting meeting for me was to meet our puppies--Isis, Simba, and Sebastian. I had heard them from inside Mommy's tummy for a long time, but I think all 4 of us were excited to meet each other face to face. The puppies were pretty nervous and curious about all the changes at home, but they got used to me pretty quickly.

On the 19th I went out for the first time because I had my first doctor's appointment. I was really good at the doctor's office, except for when they undressed me, I really don't like to be undressed. Dr. Auxier had a hard time feeling the pulse in my legs, so he sent me to get my blood pressure checked at the Banner Desert Hospital, they have an outpatient pediatric office there. At the hospital they actually used a real blood pressure machine, just like for adults. They put these teeny, tiny little baby blood pressure cuffs on me, and checked my arms and legs. Luckily my results were just fine, and we got to keep one of the cuffs to remember the adventure.
Daddy does most of the cooking at our house, so he and Grandma had that covered this week too. We even had Grandpa Romney over and made yummy stacked enchiladas with Daddy's homemade tortillas. Mommy says these are just the best!
Grandma and Grandpa left town on Saturday, and it was time for Mommy, Daddy, and me to be a little family on our own. We were all ready for the adventure.

The Hospital Stay

We only had to stay in the hospital for 2 days--from the 15th to the 17th.
After I was born they took me to the nursery and they took Mommy to a post-op recovery room. In the nursery they did all sorts of tests on me, and they found out my blood sugar was really low--in the 20s when it is supposed to be in the 80s. So that's when I got my first outside food--formula from a bottle. Mommy's time in her recovery room didn't go so well either. She says she felt fine, but her blood pressure and temperature both dropped very low. Eventually we both pulled through.
Mommy and Daddy got to our hospital room a bit before I did. Mommy was very anxious to see me and kept asking the nurse where I was. Finally, they said Daddy could come down and get me and bring me back. It was so fun to finally be together again as a family!Lots of people came to visit us while we were in the hospital. Aunt Julie was already coming into town from BYU, and was on her way to visit my parents when Mommy went into labor. She got to the hospital about the time Mommy was moving from the recovery room to our hospital room. Grandma and Grandpa Romney were also on their way down from Chino Valley. They stayed in town all week long! David, Melanie, and cousin Hailee all came to the hospital to see me as well--but Hailee was too little so she couldn't actually meet me until I went home. Aunt Carol and cousin Connor came to the hospital on my Birth day too, but Connor was also too young and couldn't come see me. On Monday, some of Mommy's friends came by too. It was a really neat new experience to meet all of these people for the first time!Because Mommy had a lot of recovering to do too, she couldn't really get up and down the first day in the hospital. So when it came time for my first diaper chance, guess who did it? Daddy did! He had to do it while all the aunts and grandma was watching, but he did a great job and didn't seem nervous at all! He did a lot to take care of me in the hospital while Mommy still couldn't move around very much.
The first night in the hospital Grandma Romney stayed with Mommy and me while Daddy went home and got some sleep. We had a bit of a restless night because the machines that were hooked up to Mommy kept making beeping noises. And the nurses kept coming in to check on my and test my blood every few hours. It was a long night! When Daddy came back to the hospital the next day he had a big surprise for us--cookies and brownies that he had baked the night before! Mommy was so excited to eat those (she was finally off of her liquids only diet) and it was fun to share them with everyone too! I hear Daddy is an excellent baker and can't wait to try his treats firsthand someday!
The second night in the hospital Daddy stayed with Mommy and me. I slept in Mommy's bed with her (even though the nurse said I wasn't supposed to) and we all slept much better! Early the next morning there was lots of noise going on as they were moving beds in one of our neighbor's rooms. Then room on the other side had a woman going into labor...and she was loud! This all passed though, and Mommy and Daddy were hoping this was the day we could all go home!Both my doctor and Mommy's doctor said it was okay that we go home that day, but it took a long time to get discharged and finally leave. While we were waiting Mommy got up and took a shower. Daddy opened the bathroom door to talk to her for a second, and the steam from the shower set off the fire alarm in the room! We got all of that resolved, and Mommy and Daddy and I got all packed up and ready to go (Mom and Dad did most of the packing, I just sat there and looked good). Daddy even took all the bags down and loaded up the car so we really were ready. Then he put me in my car seat to try it out, and give the nurses a hint that we really wanted to go. Then we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually we got them to discharge us, then this crazy nurse practically ran us out of the hospital. She was walking so fast, she pretty much left Mommy hobbling along in her dust. But all that mattered was that we were able to go home and I got to go outside for the first time ever!

My Grand Entrance

Mommy woke up just after 7:30 am on the morning of February 15th with an new, intense pain that she had not experienced before. The thought of labor flashed through her mind, but she quickly put that out of the way, thinking she was just getting anxious about my birth in a few days. She got up, went potty, and hoped that the walking and changing positions would make these strange new (and very uncomfortable) pains go away. She laid back down, held her breath, and waited, and the pains kept coming. In fact, it seemed as if they were even getting worse. After waiting a few more unbearable minutes, Mommy got back up again. Having never been in labor before (yep, I'm the firstborn!) she wasn't sure if this was it, and didn't want to wake Daddy up or go all the way to the hospital for a false alarm. So she waited a bit, and got one of her pregnancy books to check her symptoms with what real labor was like. She also prayed A LOT--asking Heavenly Father to help her know if this was real labor or not by making her water break. Then she stood up, and her water broke!
Mommy went to the bathroom to figure out what was going on, and saw that there was meconium, which means I already made my first poopy! (Later we learned there was so much pooh that I had made my second poopy as well; guess I was anxious to get here!) By now Mommy was in some serious pain--and it took her a little bit of time to be able to get up and go get Daddy. She woke him up and told him I was on my way--her water had broken and they needed to go to the hospital. Daddy was very calm and said, "Oh, that's a surprise." Then he got up and got ready to go.
Mommy's pain was hard for her to handle now, and all she could think about was getting to the hospital to make her feel better. Just before they left home, she tried to call Grandma Romney to tell her they were headed to the hospital. It was a short conversation, and really hard for her to talk during the contractions. But Grandma and Grandpa Romney knew I was on my way, and they decided to come down from Chino Valley and see me.
When my parents got to the hospital, there was no body at the reception desk and they didn't know where to go. Daddy had Mommy sit while he went to go find someone and find out what to do. A few minutes later they were in the elevator and on their way to the labor and delivery area. Once Daddy got Mommy with the right people he had to go park the car (they left it running right in front of the hospital entrance--just like in the movies!). The lady here had Mommy fill out some paperwork while she went to go do something. When she came back Mommy was just standing there, so she offered Mommy a seat. Mom told her that her water had already broken and she was making a mess all over. This got the lady moving, and she got Mommy right into a little room to get changed and ready for the delivery while the lady went and got some nurses.
Mommy's OB doctor, Dr. Huff, was out of town this weekend. Luckily his replacement was already at the hospital doing a C-section, so we wouldn't have to wait for him to get there. Daddy got back just as Mommy finished getting changed and the nurses showed up. They started prepping Mommy for the C-section, first doing an ultrasound to make sure I was still breach (which I was, at least I'm consistent!), then they discovered Mommy was dilated to an 8 and things started moving really quickly! They were worried about me getting caught in the birthing canal, so they rushed Mommy through the pre-op process as fast as they could, skipping whatever steps (including paperwork) they could. Mommy asked about drugs to help her feel better, but they couldn't giver her anything until just before the surgery because it might make the labor go even faster. So, we all toughed out the contractions together--Mommy and Daddy on the outside, and me on the inside. Mommy was in pain, Daddy got his hand squeezed, and my heart rate would drop with every contraction.
We were all ready for the delivery, so they wheeled Mom to the OR--they almost took her into a dirty room, but luckily they didn't! Daddy had to wait outside while they finished preparing Mommy and me for the delivery. By now Mom was ready to push, and some nurse stayed right by her head talking quietly and telling her not to push, no matter what. Finally they everything was set and they could do the spinal block for Mommy; unfortunately it was right in the middle of a contraction and Mommy was not allowed to move while they were doing it. Once the medicine set in though, she was feeling much better! She was nervous about being awake while being operated on, but felt much better when Daddy came back in and was able to be right by her and hold her hand. The doctors got to work quickly. Within a few minutes they told Daddy he could watch while I was being born. He got to see the most amazing event in history (well, one of them at least) my BIRTH!! Mommy heard them say I was out and waited anxiously to hear my first cry. She says it is the most amazing thing she has ever heard. Daddy went over to me while I got all cleaned up and the doctors put Mommy back together. He got to cut the cord and take lots of pictures to show the world how handsome I am. After a few minutes he even got to carry me back over to Mommy, where we met face to face for the first time. It was our first family gathering, and it was perfect!

I told you I was breach! This is the position I was used to.


Hello Daddy!

Preamble

Let's tell you about the day I was born. But to get the full story, we'll actually have to go back a few weeks.

My due date was February 24, 2009. When Mommy went in for her 37 week appointment, she found out I was frank breach and the cord was wrapped around my neck. Apparently I've been folded in half since I was a little sprout in Mommy's tummy, and just grew that way. While Mommy says I wiggled, kicked, and moved all the time, I never actually changed positions. For proof, here's a picture of me at 23 weeks:

Daddy says he knew I was breach the whole time, so he wasn't surprised when I still was at the end. Because of my unusual position, Mommy was scheduled to have a C-section on February 18th (Grandpa Romney's birthday). At the same appointment Mommy also found out she was dilated to a 3, so there was a chance I could come sooner. Well, almost 2 weeks went by and there were no changes for Mommy. She felt the same, and didn't seem to be getting any closer to going into labor. The weekend before my scheduled grand entrance was Valentine's Day, and Mommy really did not want that to be my birthday. So when that weekend came and everything still seemed the same, Mommy and Daddy assumed I was going to wait the 4 more days until the scheduled date. They should know better...
For Valentine's Day my parents went to dinner and a movie. Mommy was really uncomfortable at dinner, but chalked it up to doing housework earlier that day and walking a lot at the mall before dinner that evening. They got home, went to bed, and everything seemed normal...

In The Beginning

Hi. My name is Elijah Cox.


I am 5 weeks, 5 days, 3 hours, and 26 minutes old. This is my journal. My mommy (Emily) created this journal for me and will update it as we chronicle the wonders of my life. When I'm old enough, maybe I'll do the writing myself. I hope you stick around...it's going to be a wild ride!