75 Words

Fatherhood - A Trip To Oxford

Today was a good day.

It was Eli's first trip to Oxford, Mississippi.

Home of Pulitzer Prize Winning Authors, Oscar Winning Actors, and Legendary Football Games.

We started out at Big Bad Breakfast where the biscuits are made with pepper (freakin delicious) and the bacon is cured in house (also delicious).

Then we made our way to Ole Miss where Eli received his induction into the finest southern tradition known to man, becoming (he, like me, wasn't given a choice) an Ole Miss fan. 

(before viewing photos, go here and play the song in the background (Pete Boone be damned))

 

A game-day progression for Eli to get used to for the future!

Fatherhood - Songs I Can't Finish (Lullabies and Otherwise)

So, after a few late nights/early mornings I've realized something:

I can't finish one lullaby.

I know the first lines of most of them but past that it's a mixture of hums and made up words.

For example, everyone knows this one:

Rock-a-by baby

On the tree top,

When the wind blows

The cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks,

The cradle will fall,

Down tumbles baby,

Cradle and all.

Has anyone actually read these words?

Seriously, why would we want to sing our babies to sleep with a song about falling from the top of a tree?

(honestly, I feel like this woman wrote it while institutionalized)

Creepy.

Anyway, since I only know one line, I tend to add my own words.

For example:

Rock-a-by baby 

On the tree top,

How did you get there,

Just tell your pop,

Cause if the wind blows,

You'll probably fall,

And I cannot catch you 

Cause I'm not that tall.

 I'll be the first to admit that I'm no songwriter. (at least I'm not subjecting you to hearing it)

But at least I've turned this more into a cautionary tale rather than an eventual death tale.

Someday I'll learn the words to more songs but for now this'll have to do.

 

Fatherhood - The 3 P's

Most of the time now Vanessa and I walk around in a newborn induced coma.

If you've been to North Park Mall, you've probably seen us pushing our son in his stroller in a delirious haze, eating Wetzels Pretzels and wandering aimlessly in and out of Brookstone and Baby Gap.

Slowly though, we're gaining ground in the war for our sleep.

I've found that when I exercise these principles, I at least feel better about losing sleep:

Patience - Honestly, you think you have patience until you have a kid. You begin to realize what patience is because you lack the requisite patience to put a screaming newborn to bed. The other two rely on this principle. If you don't have patience, you won't have the wherewithal to withstand the screaming newborn.

Persistence - If five minutes of holding Eli at a 75 degree angle while gently rocking him at a rate of 34 r(ocks)pm work to get him to calm down and sleep, then 30 minutes of the same activity at the same angle and speed are even better. Seriously kid, aren't 29 minutes enough. The answer is a screaming, deafening no. 

pResourcefulness - If you have patience and you work on persistence, inevitably you're going to have to put the baby down somewhere to sleep. This is where pResourcefulness comes in handy. Stacking, rolling, and folding pillows and receiving blankets to try and recreate the cradle of my arms so that when Eli is down, he's tricked (that’s right, I said tricked) into thinking he's in my arms. It ends up looking something like this:

 

So, with my last few minutes of lucidity for the day, I offer these 3 P's which have been taught to me without mercy by my son, Elijah:

(Lessons I'm grateful to have learned, by the way)

My God is YAWEH - What We Hope For Elijah

On July 20th, 2011, Elijah Raymond Pritchard came screaming into the world.

In less than six days he's captured our hearts, peed on our arms, and brought joy into our lives that was previously unknown.

His presence has had us dreaming and these are some of things we hope and pray for our son Elijah.

That he would inherit these things from the men in his life:

The heart of worship his Grandpa Friesen has, 

The heart for his children that Papou has, 

The love of God's word that Grandpa Pritchard has,

The life of the party personality Uncle Jason has,

The inquisitive mind that Uncle Ryan has,

The gentleness and love that Uncle Josh has,

And the courage and fortitude that Uncle Nick has.

Mostly, we hope he inherits all that is good about the men in his life.

We hope that:

He loves God enough to be willing to be sent wherever to do whatever God asks of him.

He grows strong in faith, always questioning and probing the depths of who God is.

He learns to love selflessly instead of selfishly.

Finally:

Above all, we hope that like his namesake, he too will declare "My God is YAWEH" not only with his name but with his whole life so that he might proclaim the wonders, majesty, and love of his God in Heaven.

1 Kings 18:37

 

The Nursery and Things to Come

It's done!

With generous help from family members, we finished the nursery for Eli today!

So Elijah, we're ready whenever you are.

Along with blogs and photos of Eli, here are some other things headed your way:

A car buying adventure (complete with dungeons and evil warlocks (not Charlie Sheen)).

A review of "Erasing Hell" by Francis Chan (spoiler: Hell is not erased (apologies mr. bell).

And

A Dallas burger challenge (In-N-Out is the prohibitive favorite).

 

It's going to be an exciting few weeks ahead. 

Get Ready.

4 Years Later

This picutre was taken on July 28th, 2007.

Vanessa and I had just returned from China 3 weeks earlier.

We had no idea what was in store:

A cross-country move to the back woods of Mississippi,

Jobs in retail,

A bad car accident,

Cultural Readjustment,

And normal 1st year marriage bumps and bruises.

Still, as happy as we looked then,

We couldn't imagine the joy that was in store:

Generous family help,

Close proximity to family,

A good faith family,

Clear guidance for the future.

And now,

This,

As we celebrate (early) our 4th anniversary I'm reminded of Prov 18:22.

I have found a great wife.

Love you Ness.

Fatherhood, Something You Leave Behind - Carlo Goldoni

 

"He only half dies who leaves an image of himself in his sons." - Carlos Goldoni

I've been pondering this quote recently in light of my impending fatherhood.

Reflecting on things my father has left imaged and ingrained on my life.

Things like a love for God, His Word, His Son, Ministry, Ole Miss, Awkward Dancing, Singing Made Up Songs, The Civil War, The Dirty Dozen, Seminary, Preaching, Proper Love for Southern Food, Leadership, Importance of Speaking and Writing...it goes on.

Makes me grateful for what I've been given,

And,

Hopeful that I can leave half as much with my son Elijah Raymond.

Happy Father's Day Dad, 

And Thanks.

Baby Translators and Graphic C-Section Videos

Birthing classes show the craziest videos.

Stuff no one should ever see.

Like this video. 

It made me think about why the baby cries after delivery.

Here's what I came up with:

1. This place is cold and people keep yanking me around.

2. I can no longer float, major bummer.

3. I already feel unsafe, so many sharp instruments.

4. Seriously, put me back in.

5. I'm surrounded by giants, it's frightening.

I think I'm on to something. Maybe this invention?

 

We Need Your Help!

My beautiful wife and I have been debating back and forth about mattress pads.

That's right, mattress pads.

She thinks we need to buy 2-3 (edit from 3-4)mattress pads for the crib for our little man.

I think we could just keep the mattress in plastic wrap and make the bed normally.

We decided to let YOU decide for us!

Show your support by voting in the column to the right.

The winner will get:

1. Dinner anywhere.

And (most importantly)

2. Bragging rights!

Help us out, we need your voice!

Voting Ends Friday March 11th 9Am.

John The Baptist, Jesus, and My Son

Vanessa has noticed that little Elijah starts to move whenever we're at church worshipping.

It could be that he's just moving around because Vanessa is standing;

It could be that he's getting a mouthful of frozen coffee;

It could be just random movings of a baby.

However.

It reminds me of Luke 1:39-45.

So.

Maybe my son leaps for joy while his mother praises her savior.

Who knows.

But.

As a hopeful father, I'll pray that it's the latter.