Updates on Elijah James Cole

Somehow, it happened. I have a 1 year old son.

Elijah spent his first birthday on a whirlwind tour of western Pennsylvania. I have hundreds of photos. I’ll try to pick out a few to share over the next week or so.

We flew out of Phoenix on Saturday evening. We got lucky as the flight was not full and Elijah got a seat of his own. If a flight is not full, many airlines will let you have a seat for an infant. This was one of those times. He still enjoys flying. So far, he’s not like his dad in that his ears don’t give him troubles as they pressurize the cabin. He also flirts with nearly every woman that walks by. Men are hit or miss but he sure smiles at the ladies.

We were met at the airport by my brother and his family. My favorite sister-in-law, Becky, met us at baggage claim telling us that the rented van was larger than expected but the hotel room was much smaller. (As sizes go, this was preferred.) Once our baggage arrived, we met Chris and the boys, Zander and Ezekial (who, quite frequently, refer to each other as brother) for the trip back to the hotel.

Sunday was a day of relaxation and acclimation to the time zone change. Ugh. After shaking off the sleepiness, we headed over to PNC Park to enjoy a Pirates game. (They played the Astros.) PNC Park is beautiful. It is much more elegant than Three Rivers Stadium ever was. However, the HUGE downside is that there is nearly ZERO shade. This is great if you only go to evening games, but knowing this, if I lived in Pittsburgh, it is reason to stay away. I was very, very disappointed.

Needless to say, it was a hot day. Thankfully, the Pirates played a spectacular game and won. With one home run, we even got to see some fireworks.

Monday, we headed the city where Chris and I grew up, Titusville. It is a city in the legal sense of the word. It got it’s charter in the mid 1800s during the oil discovery boom and, once a place becomes a city, it doesn’t lose the designation. It’s not the smallest city in Pennsylvania, but it is working its way there. In many ways, it was the same city that I remember. However, in more ways, it has changed, and not for the better.

This was Elijah’s actual birthday, so we chose to celebrate… at Perkins Family Restaurant. (Don’t laugh. Okay, you can laugh. It is one of the nicest restaurants in town.) We were met for dinner by one of our former neighbors Tammy Bryan (nee Kaster) and her husband, Bruce. It was FANTASTIC seeing them. They were also incredibly thoughtful and brought gifts for all three boys. Thank you so much for the Build-a-Bears. There were three bears, named by Tammy/Bruce’s son. The bears names’ are Nutter, Butter, and Cocoa. Quite clever, I must say.

Tuesday, we went to Clarion to visit my dad and step-mother. They both looked good. (Though, Norma, my step-mother, has been through more than her fair share of health scares lately.) We had a fabulous visit and dad got to meet not only Elijah for the first time, but also Zander and Ezekial.

Wednesday, we took Elijah and his cousins (and our spouses) to Cook Forest to be somewhat touristy. It was full of memories. (Titusville was full of memories too, mind you, but these were different.) So much of the park seems unchanged. (In an age of budget cuts, it is surprising.)

Thursday, we took the long way back to Pittsburgh. We took the family to State College to see where my brother, Chris, went to school. (We took time to have ice cream at The Creamery. It was fabulous!) I also got to see one of my fellow (I don’t like to use the word “old”) IUP alumni friends that is teaching at Penn State. (Hi Julie!) I’m glad I caught her, she’d just given her 2 week notice to the university.

Speaking of IUP, we then traveled to Indiana, PA to visit my alma mater. It’s not that I’m not proud of where I went to school, I am. I’m also quite proud that I graduated. It’s just so hard to explain to people that I didn’t go to school in the state of Indiana. I went to school in the city of Indiana which is in Pennsylvania. (Seriously, did NO ONE think of this when they named the school?)

We got back to Pittsburgh late Thursday night.

Friday, we went to the zoo. It was fun. Elijah took in most of the sights with wide eyes.

Saturday, we bid Pittsburgh, the City of Champions (as well as the Pirates) farewell.

So, that was our week. Elijah was a trooper through all of it. He really enjoyed spending time with his cousins. They played with him and made him laugh. A lot.

It was funny, after this week, Elijah has a new facial expression that I think he learned from one (or both) of his cousins. He get’s this big toothy grin (if you can call 8 teeth, “toothy”) and just beams.

This week, Martha is taking Eli to his pediatrician for his 1 year checkup. I’ll probably not make that one, as much as I’d like to. However, when it is time to revisit the barrage of doctors that saw him in the NICU for his annual checkup, I’ll probably be there for them. (Mostly just to be a proud papa.)

We’re probably going to look into having some family photos taken (or at least some portraits of Eli) to commemorate his first trip around the sun. Wow. It still amazes me to think that I’ve got a 12 month old child.

It was a busy week, but things should quiet down a bit now. My next update will be more Eli-centric, I promise.

Blessings to you and your loved ones!