10 hours, 45 minutes

Superbaby (seen above) is sleeping longer and longer. Wednesday night he fell asleep on the way home from prayer meeting and did not waken until 7:30 Thursday morning. It was amazing. He has now had two nights of over ten hours of sleep. Hopefully this is not a sign of lethargy in the child.
Elijah had a playdate with his friend Lily this week. They were so cute together!They even held hands~:-) We are thankful for our friends!

Van-Buying Tips?

Eric had the opportunity to preach at our church last Sunday. His sermon, on Hebrews 12:1-3, describes how we are to "run the race" - looking unto Jesus, without whom we will not be able to endure. Tooskie and I were only able to hear the first and last ten minutes that Sunday due to an inflexible feeding schedule. Thanks to SermonAudio we are all caught up now. Eric's preparations were a good reminder of how much work each sermon requires.

We had a good week catching up on laundry and getting back into a routine after all our travels. We saw friends, danced, walked, tried lots of new recipes, went to a barbecue in our own backyard, and went grocery shopping at midnight. (Despite my behavior, I do not still think I am in college. It was Eric's idea.) Currently, we remain homebound as Eric's car is in the shop for some major repairs. Lord willing, we will be able to sell it and get a van in the near future. What tips do you have on buying vans? Essential features? We are rookies in all aspects of van ownership apart from childhood memories of Old Blue and The Tank.

This is the way tummy time often ends:

The above should also explain Elijah's affinity for bath time.

Elijah is having a great time with his new toy, an exersaucer. During our recent visit to Atlanta, PawPaw decided Elijah needed "one of those things." Then, he went right out and bought one. Elijah loves to be in it, mostly because he can move all he wants yet still remain upright. Please notice ample rolls in the picture below. This week holds much promise - every Monday I think of all the projects I will certainly have time for this week. Becoming a mother has prolonged my lesson, begun in middle school, on time management. Surely this week I will excell in this essential duty....

Jiggety Jig

Elijah is a travelin' man! He is also now 3 months old! Measuring in at 16 1/2 pounds and 25", he has certainly slowed down his growth rate this past month. Which is a good thing, because he is already in six month clothing!


Packing was an ordeal. Eric pointed out that we were taking our entire house. Elijah won the prize for heaviest packer; he filled our biggest suitcase with just his own things. The necessity of planning for five cute outfits a day won out, only because Eric's parents let us borrow their van.







We stopped at this great hotel in Roanoke, Virginia to give Elijah (and us) a break. Roanoke really has a lot of fine dining to offer; each restaurant has its own trademark perks such as, oh, air conditioning.



















We had promised my paternal grandparents that our first big trip with the baby would be to see them since they can no longer travel. It was a long trip up there, but I would do it over again anytime. A friend said, "If children's children are the crown of old men (Pr. 17:6), then what are grandchildren's children?" Elijah brought such joy to his great-grandparents. I loved being able to watch them love him. My grandfather bounced Elijah on his knees and tried to teach him how to "give me five." He was also the first one to get Elijah laughing during the trip. Grandma had the privilege, numerous times, of rocking Elijah through his screaming spell into sweet slumber. Both great-grandmothers proved to be excellent rockers.

We spent a lot of time on the balcony (because sometimes the outside summer temperature is cooler than inside their apartment) which had wonderful freshly-painted rocking chairs. Here we are playing bus-ride:

Elijah tended to be the center of everyone's attention.
Eric held a photo shoot for the four generations present.



Eric was able to be with us all day for an entire week! Elijah LOVES his Daddy so much; they got lots and lots of play time together.
In South Carolina, we spent lots of time at Mom and Dad's house. I also consumed quite a lot of ice cream...mmmm. We tried to hang out on the back porch but the stifling heat and humidity of the deep south prevented us from staying out there long. Elijah was able to meet our friends Dorothy and Sandy; we even made a trip to Dad's office. Elijah decided he would become a lawyer too...but only if it entitles him to such a wonderful chair.

Next we headed to Atlanta where Elijah's spoiling continued by constant holding and rocking. He met Aunt Donna, Uncle Dennis, Aunt Heather, and Uncle John. Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw ensured that Elijah never had to cry himself to sleep during his stay. Mom, Maw-Maw, and I took Elijah swimming which, as always, he loved!

Our trip was wonderful, but we were very glad to get back to Daddy. The day after our return Grammie & Grampa came over to see Elijah.........and me. Eric and I gave Elijah his first haircut which, at best, could be called uneven.

Praise the Lord for so many wonderful friends and family members to visit, for our safe travels, and for providing a home to which we can return!