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Thursday, August 30, 2012

2 months

If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it.  ~Andy Rooney
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I love my boy! I can't believe he's two months old already.  He's growing up way too fast.




Ephraim smiles when he's happy.  We can't "make" him smile yet, but if he is full and clean and happy he will smile away just to himself. I love it because I know it means he's really happy. We've caught a few on camera, but it's tricky.

Ephraim is getting so strong.  He can hold up his head without any trouble, and loves to "stand" and "climb" on mommy and daddy.  He doesn't like tummy time anymore, but likes his swing and looking at my mom's bibs.  His very favorite thing is bath time.  His least favorite thing is getting out of the bath.
Ephraim loves cuddles and doesn't love being alone for very long.  

He's getting better at going down to sleep at night, but he still wakes up every 2 to 3 hours to eat.  This boy loves to eat and is getting big. He weighs 16 pounds 4.5 ounces and is 24.5 inches long.  He's off the charts for his weight and in the 95th percentile for height.  I'm pretty proud of my big boy.

Ephraim also met his Grandmother Beckman this month.


My boy is growing too fast, but I'm having too much fun.  He makes me smile everyday. 

More Pictures Here

Sunday, August 19, 2012

A name for the baby

From our ancestors come our names, but from our virtues our honors.  ~Proverb
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On August 5th Ephraim received his name and blessing at church.

He wore the same blessing outfit that all my brothers wore. (luckily my big boy still fit in it.)



In the morning we all got ready and took some time for pictures with the grandparents.
Then we went to church.  



It was so much fun to have so much family present for the occasion.


Ephraim's blessing was so sweet.  Stephen, his dad, my dad, Matt, Zak, the missionaries,  Cory Matheson were in the circle.  In Ephraim's blessing he was told that he was a joy and a blessing to those in his life and should continue to be so.  He was admonished to remember his name and be a missionary in word and through service.  He was also asked to magnify his priesthood, look for good examples, have charity, fulfill a full time mission, marry in the temple, and remember that he was born in the covenant.

I am so glad this little boy is a part of our forever family.

I loved the first part of Ephraim's blessing that told him to remember his name.  I wanted to share a little more about Ephraim's name.

All along we thought we were going to name this little boy Etienne, but when he was born we decided that we wanted to give him a name with more meaning.  The missionaries had been an important part of our short time in San Antonio.  Stephen went teaching with them often, and when we I was in labor and Stephen needed some support they were the ones to answer the call.  They also came and gave us the sacrament that Sunday we were in the hospital.

We wanted to name our baby something that gave honor to these great men who did so much for us.  We considered the Elders names, but none of those seemed right, and then we came to a name that Stephen had mentioned previously: Ephraim.  It felt right to me immediately, and fit in because the tribe of Ephraim is the "missionary tribe." 


Ephraim's middle name is Alexander.  That comes from his great great great great grandfather Alexander Dahl Sr. Here is an excerpt from some family history about him:
Alexander Dahl Sr. was born August 11, 1831 in Fredrikstad, Ostfold, Norway, son of Paul Larsen Dahl (1795-1869) and Anne Marie Andersen (1796-1844). He lived on a Norwegian farm with his parents until the age of eighteen, when he took up the trade of carpentry, of which he was able to master in five years. During this period Alexander came in contact with missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and was taught by Elders Dorius and Hogan of the Scandinavian mission.  He was baptized on Sept. 26, 1852, and was ordained to the office of teacher.  This decision proved to be a great sacrifice for Alexander since his parents disowned him when he became a Mormon.  The church was in its infancy in Norway at this time since the first converts had been baptized ten months before; however, the LDS Saints were not considered Christians by the Norwegian officials and persecution was common.  Due to these circumstances, the Elders were imprisoned in Fredrikstad, so the responsibility of proselyting fell up on the shoulders of the new members.  Alexander was very active in this endeavor and he shared the teachings of the gospel with his relatives and others.  When the Elders were finally released from prison, they were able to see that the membership of the church had doubled during their captivity.

I hope Ephraim follows the example of those he is named after and his sweet Father.