Club ELI

I am wondering if we should rename our Blog to Club Eli, since most of the focus seems to be on him lately, but how could it not be? He is so much fun!!! We don't want the other kids to get a complex and think that just because ELI has been dubbed the "THE GOLDEN BOY" and that we take 100 or 200 photos of Eli to every 1 we take of them... that we perchance love him more. Because every parent knows that is not the case .... But quite frankily we are really enjoying "The Golden Boy" A LOT! We tell them... they all had their day in the sun, and now it's Eli's turn... the difference is Eli has 6 (well really if you count all the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas and grandpas and friends who have been baby deprived for a LONG time-- there is a lot more than 6) extra people to ohhh and ahhh over every smile, every newly learned skill and yes this week... every new TOOTH!!! So if it seems like Club Ferguson has turned to Club Eli... forgive the mommy who is having so much fun with another little Fergie Baby to love.

This weeks milestones:

Figuring out the bouncer... he has mad bouncing skills now.

Learning the life lesson that "Real Food" is Really GOOD--- especiallyBrooke's chocolate and strawberry slushies.

Eli is definately a Ferguson baby, one of their trademarks is to get their teeth early and Eli is no exception! Two bottom teeth popping through at 4 months old!

Just Because...

Just because Eli is so dang cute... we had to post a few more pics of the little guy.

We had to snap a picture of Eli in his cute NY onsie

that Sister Heather Burton sent him from her New

York Mission.

Mmm, mmm good

Eli had his first "legal" taste of real food last night (Brooke has been sneaking him tastes for quite a while.) At first he was just so hungry, he didn't know what to think of the new white, mushy stuff. But then he really thought it was great and couldn't wait for the next bite. YUM! The golden boy took to the white stuff like a champ. Good Job Eli.

Here's to Getting Older!!

40 plus 3 equals 43. March is a big birthday month at our house. Guess who is 40 and guess who is 3 years older. We always have a good time celebrating for a whole week. Dad's birthday was golf themed --getting a new driver and golf pass as well as his favorite treats. Dad also got our first Club Ferguson Blog Book. It is great to look back and see the highlights of the past year. For mom's birthday she got new dishes from Grandpa and Grandma, clothes, cell phone and LOTS of candy.The big surprise of the day was a gift from the heart from Boyd and Julie. Julie explained that 40 is a big birthday, another milestone in life, a time to reach back to your roots but also reach forward. They gave me Julie's beautiful Mandolin. I was stunned. A mandolin is very similar to to the violin, the same strings-- but 2 of each string. So I will reach way, way back into my past about 26 years to when I played the violin. But instead of a bow, you pick and strum like a guitar It has a beautiful sound (well not from me yet... I have a long way to go.) So now I have a new hobby, a new goal--learn the mandolin. I guess it is pretty sweet, after all, to get old!

Sniffle, Cough, Cough, AHHH CHOO!!

Despite all of our efforts and Mom's total compulsion of wash, sanitize, wash, Lysol and sanitize again our family lost the battle to the winter germs and illness had an almost complete invasion of our home. Only Brooke has managed to avoid the germy gunk. Just days after mom started her in home daycare, she and Eli caught a cold. We were so worried about little Eli being sick but a trip to Dr. Evan put our minds at ease that at least we weren dealing with the dreaded RSV but just an bad chest cold instead. Poor little guy was so miserable yet he was so sweet and in good spirits. Dad got his semi-anual sinus infection and TJ, Madi and Stevie all followed with the same cold and a variety of other symptoms... strep, ear infections, throwing up, runny nose... well you get the picture. It is not good. We weren't alone in our misery. Hartvigsens and Funks had their own versions of the junk. We can't wait for spring. Bring on the SUN!

And baby makes 7!!!!

7

must be our lucky number. Stevie said a long time ago it was his favorite number and now we know why. It takes 7 different, unique individuals to make our own wonderful family. Baby Eli fills in the gap that for a long, long time we didn't even know was missing from our family circle. So to celebrate his completing role in our famly, we had a PARTY in his honor. He was given a name and sweet blessing by his dad. Eli, it was was no easy task to come up with a name for you. This time around we had a really difficult time coming up with a name. Before, it was much easier for Daddy and I to agree on a name but now there are 4 other people with definate opinions on names. When we found out that you were a boy-- the kids immediately nick named you "Sven." We wanted a good strong Scandinavian name to honor our Sweedish and Norwegian heritage. From the very beginning we knew your middle name would be Jennings after your great-grandpa Elmer Jennings Hartvigsen. We definately wanted a family name but it was tough to find one that would work in 21st century. Horace, Elmer, Adolf, Junior, Ebenezer were just not going to work. Dad lobbied hard for Ebenezer and call you "Ben" but Eli, I had your back. No Way! Dad started pushing hard for "Driver" (after the Packer player Donald Driver and of course he does love his golf.) Nope! Then what about "Packer" after Elder Packer he said. Like anyone would believe that! Sorry Dad! So for months we went the rounds trying to all agree upon a name. At one point mom thought we had all agreed upon "Bennett," but then everyone backed off that name too. Mom was starting to panic, we need a name for this baby! Since the middle name was already decided to be Jennings, we thought it would be fun to come up with a non Elmer "E" name, so you could be called EJ after your grandpa Hartvigsen. Mom liked Erik-- a strong scandinavian name. But Dad thought that was just too ordinary. Then Brooke suggested Eli. Hmmm.......???? everyone paused. Yes, what about Eli? All of a sudden it just seemed to work. And with that our baby "Sven" became Baby Eli. One of our sweet Sunbeams was little Eli Nokes, we loved him and we loved the name. We asked grandpa Jay where the Jennings came from in his Dad's name. He seemed to think that his Grandma and Grandpa chose it after the poet and politician William Jennings Bryan. And so we all could finally agree on Eli Jennings Ferguson- EJ for short.

On the first Sunday of the new decade --January 3 2010 baby Sven officially became Eli Jennings Ferguson. Lots of people who loved you Eli came to help us celebrate. Here is a list of who came:Dad, Mom, Brooke, TJ, Madi, Stevie, Grandma Great (Helen) Ferguson, Grandpa Jay, Grandma Liz, Grandpa Ike, Grandma Gloria, Great Uncle Glenn and Aunt Marilyn Goodrich, Great Uncle Bill and Aunt Carol Burton, Joe, Sandi, Molly and Morgan Hartvigsen, Boyd, Julie, Karl, Ashley, Katie, John and Tricia Webb, Greg, Jill, Alex, Tyler, Janice and Abbey Hartvigsen. Our good friends the Funks Bishop Phil, Jenny, Kaleb, Hannah, Hailey and David and the Edelmans Rocky, Shannon, Rachel, Raegan, Rocky III and Russell were also there too.

Alex made the trip up from Cedar City to be here with Eli on his special day.




Bishop Funk holding the little guy!

"Ferguson to Edelman" Future BYU football stars. Daddy and Rocky Edelman are already planning the atheletic future of these two buddies.

Grandma Great held and patted Eli's back all afternoon saying " shh, shh, shh." She called the next day to see how Eli's "little cold in his eye" was doing.

Grandma Gloria wrote down some of the blessing that dad gave you.

The Blessing of Eli Jennings Ferguson, by his father Shawn Isaac Ferguson, January 3, 2010

Our Father in Heaven, in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, and by the power of the holy Melcheizdek Priesthood, we take this infant in our arms to give him a name and a blessing. The name we have chosen, by which he will be know upon the records of the church during his mortal life is Eli Jennings Ferguson.

Eli, at this time we would like to give you a blessing. We bless you with a strong body. And that your mind will quickly obtain a testimony of this beautiful gospel.

We bless you to become an important family member and to enjoy your life.
We bless you that your body will be strong and we bless you search the scriptures.

Pray and listen to your mom and day who love you dearly. Many people love you. They are excited you are here. We bless you to build strong friendships with these people.

We bless you that one day you will go on a mission and gain a stronger testimony.
When the time comes, we bless you to find a beautiful woman and be sealed together.

Eli, we are so grateful you are here. we bless you with health and strength.

We give you this blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Of course in following with mormon tradition, we gathered for a delicious luncheon afterward. There was a delicious deli platter and chicken salad to go with the yummy croissants with a varity of salads and deserts completing the menu.

We all had a great time visiting and loving our new " Lucky Number 7"