Bobby's Sunday Summary

This week has felt rather hard.  The terrible twos are in full swing with Robert.  Compound this with some jealousy of the attention James is getting and he is not a happy camper.  He is getting better though.  Less full on meltdowns then before, but it is still very stressful.  Other then that Christmas was actually very good.

Christmas-eve was more then piano playing and a tug-o-war, but that was part of it, and it was a lot of fun.  We also had a shepherd's feast, read from the Bible (with the kids acting it out) and had some fun treats.  CHristmas itself was rather laid back.  We opened presents, the kids were very happy with what they got.  We watched a movie or two and then went to my brother's house for dinner.

3-month-old comparison

Why do I feel compelled to compare my three children's looks at every age? I think it's my scientist brain trying to predict James' future personality and looks based on the two data points I already have. These exercises are unsatisfying, however, because I'm coming to realize that James is not somewhere in the known spectrum between Alice and Robert. He is a NEW entity altogether. There's no knowing what kinds of kinks and quirks our dear James-y is going to throw into the mix. Unsettling.

I love his smiles and his subdued, throaty laugh. I just wish I knew more about him. I wish I could play with him more. He's just not at a playing age yet. The most common "happy" look he gives is simply not crying. He is taking more interest in his siblings, though. They can get him to smile and coo. 

We have worked hard this last week to give Robert our best attention and time. It appears to be paying off. With every new development in James, we've had to adjust other things at home. Buddy has had a hard time with that. I can't just say, "No, Buddy, I'm too tired." every time I feel like it. I've had to push my own limits a bit more and scrape the bottom of the barrel to find a little more patience and unselfishness. No fun in the moment, but it pays off overall, creating a more patient and unselfish Buddy. I've seen a change this last week, anyway: fewer meltdowns, a few more instances of talking it out.

Bobby's Sunday Summary

This week has felt rather long.  Christmas is getting very close and lots is happening with that.  One of the things that we have been doing for christmas is we have an Advent Calendar.  Each day the kids open a bag and read something new that we get to do that day.  We have done video calls with various family, set up the Christmas tree, and we also had a Dance Party one day.

Recently Alice and Susan had a Girls Night out.  They went to the mall at just the right time because the mall was having a family night and they got to do all kinds of fun things.  So yesterday Robert and I went out to lunch together to offset this.  He wanted to go to a restaurant with "soda, I like soda"  So we went to a fast food place.  He got chicken nuggets, french fries and soda (root beer).  He spent a long time sitting there eating his food, looking at everyone that came in, and looking at the various TVs in the place.  Afterwards we did some surprise Christmas shopping.  We went to go get a movie for our family, he wanted the "silly pirate movie".  So we got it, and another movie too, because Alice tends to have other tastes in movies.  Well he was really excited about the movie, but I told him that we wanted to keep it a secret.  This was really hard on him, because he was so excited about it. He held it the entire way home, and when we got home he didn't want to get out of the car. He asked me if he could tell everyone in a quiet voice.  I finally relented and let him tell everyone.  This made him really happy, and got him out of the car.  Happily he completely forgot about the other movie so there is still a surprise.

We recently resurrected this video of alice as a baby laughing at a ceiling fan.



We tried to replicate it with James, but to no luck. He is very interested in the fan, but no laughs from the boy yet.



We also got our first snow this week.  Robert and Alice could not wait to get out into it and play.  Robert is a very outdoors kind of kid, and has been going a bit crazy without much outside play.

What to say?

It's been a while since I posted. I feel like I need to talk/think about something but I can't put my finger on it. A million little things have happened since James' 2-month check-up. I could play "catch up." Those aren't the most satisfying blog posts to write (or to read) so I'll spare you the frenzy. Since this is the moment I want to blog, then perhaps I'll fill you in on what's happening here at this moment...

James is asleep on the guest bed. I was back there making copies of a very excellent Christmas Advent program/binder my sister's friend put together for her. Robert was coloring and sharpening pencils to nubs. I just lay James down propped up on a pillow so he could watch us. Ten minutes later, without a fuss or whimper, he just fell asleep. Heidi didn't see James' mellow side while she was here last week. He was sick. We were all sick in sequence. She got the impression that he had to be in constant motion. He hasn't been like that since she left ;)

Robert is having quiet time in the bathroom. Yes, I know, it's a terrible idea. It didn't start out that way, I promise. He had to use the bathroom right before quiet time. I went with him and "assisted" with the wiping and such. Then he started his "playful avoidance with undercurrents of angry frustration" routine. You know, refusing to make choices, refusing to speak at all, just screaming and running with a half-laugh? That's the kind of behavior that yanks my "angry mama" lever to the max so I left before I got mad, telling him I'd be happy to come back when he was ready to wash his hands or put clothes on. Usually, he hates being alone, so that strategy works for both of us (yes, I've used it several times already). But this time, he started some imaginary game in the bathtub with bad guys and singing and lots of action. I'm kinda okay with that. I could wrestle him screaming into his room and leave him there until he cries himself to sleep, or I could leave him in the bathroom and enjoy this brief quiet time to myself (I'm lucky he doesn't play in the toilet like some 3-year-olds I know ;) ). James will only sleep for so long, after all. Ahhhhh, the choices that must be navigated by a mother of more than one kid. I'll confess that I was jealous of Heidi several times during her visit. She had only one kid to wrangle/manage/cajole/comfort/snuggle/attend to, and could do it with any amount of energy that she wanted to dish out. There was no fighting over laps and portions. No time outs for pestering. There are things I love about having three kids, and there are things I appreciate about having one at a time :)

Three squirrels are crawling all over my chicken pen looking for a way in. I let the ladies out to roam this morning and the squirrels wasted no time getting into the girls' food. I hate squirrels. I have to leave the pen open while the chickens are free-ranging so they can get back in to lay eggs or eat or drink as desired. So, if I want the girls to free-range, I have to feed the neighborhood squirrels, too. Well, at least until I get that chicken chunnel thing going. The chickens have almost stopped laying eggs altogether. I've collected two eggs over the last three days. If this were the peak of spring, I'd have collected twelve in the same amount of time. Artificial light should help with that, but can I manage that without running an extension cord across my backyard?

Well, James has woken up to eat again. Robert opened the bathroom door briefly and then closed it again after I asked him if he was ready to put on some clothes. I think I'll watch these squirrels while I nurse and pray they give up their searching before they discover that little gap in the pen door.

Bobby's Sunday Summary

This week has been rather long and stressful. I was out of town at a conference all week. So Susan had the kids for a week. She wasn't totally alone. Her sister visited while I was away. This helped out but everyone got sick at some point during the week. Even now James, Robert, and Susan all have colds. :-(

Hopefully they start to feel better soon.

Bobby's Sunday Summary

I know it has been a while. Life has been very busy lately. I know I say it a lot but it is true. I have had lots of new responsibilities at work. Most of which I have not asked for.

Life is slowly getting to a new normal at home. James is sleeping longer at night. Robert is starting to adjust better too. Alice is also doing better.

2 month check up

James is 15.5 pounds. That's the average weight of a boy twice his age, though Robert weighed 17 lbs 6 oz at this point. He's outgrown most of his 3-6 month clothes simply because of shoulder breadth. I can no longer maneuver his arms into the sleeve holes. James is still above the 97th percentile for weight, but I can't believe he only grew 1/4 of an inch in a month...I should have asked for a retake.

He's sleeping longer most nights, giving me a 4-5 hour chunk right at the beginning. That's great when he goes to bed at 9 pm, and a little annoying (though still greatly appreciated) when he goes to bed at 7 pm. I can *almost* count on it these days as long as I don't eat anything offensive to his gut. Bobby and I have actually had time to talk to each other with no kids in the room or in my arms. I've missed that.

Last night, James actually slept from 10:30 pm to 8:30 am with only a 2-minute snack at 5:00 am.  Miracle! I was thrilled and a little troubled at the same time. No, I didn't think he was dead, like I have for my first two. This time, the twinge of uneasiness stemmed from the thought that I didn't have sleep deprivation to blame for how I felt waking up this morning. I was still tired. I still had a long day of balancing 2-year-old needs with other needs of family and home. I was a bit disappointed that a good night's sleep didn't make all my other troubles disappear. Ha ha ha! I'm in a much better mood about it all, though, which is almost as good as making them disappear :)

James is starting to condense his daytime naps, too. Almost every day this week, he's slept an hour or so during Robert's quiet time. Ahhhhh, sweet peace and personal time (even if I'm holding him asleep and typing blog entries one-handed...like now). Between the regular sleep, the personal time, and real conversation with Bobby, it's beginning to feel a little more sane at my house. I'm finally feeling some of the relief that I knew would eventually come with James growing up.

James has recently discovered his fists and started sucking on them. He's also developed a sweet social smile that delights me to no end. It's funny, actually. When I see him smile at me, I still can't believe it's entirely on purpose, and yet it's clearly in response to something I'm doing at that moment. Most of me loves to see this development, and yet there's a teeny part of me deep down inside that knows developments like these lead to other changes. Change (i.e James growing up) is welcome and unsettling at the same time. Unsettling because I don't know him yet, not because I don't want it to happen.

And this is that sweet, sweet smile:

I thought we looked kinda familiar...

Now that we're a family of five, I've started noticing other families that kinda "look" like us: mom, dad, daughter, son, and son.

Thumbkin's family. Robert has declared himself Pinky. James is Thumbkin, Alice is pointer, Daddy is tall man, and I'm ring man.

Melissa and Doug Family Doll Set. We own this, though the baby hasn't been seen for some time.

This is a page from Hop on Pop, one of Buddy's favorite books.

The Darling family, of course :)

The Incredibles. Yup, we have super powers.

Phineas and Ferb. The boys are constantly doing strange and dangerous things and the older sister is always trying to tell on them. Yup, that already sounds TOO familiar.

Thoughts on a Blessing

In the LDS Church, infants are given a name and a blessing. Here's one of the official descriptions of that priesthood ordinance (taken from here):

Naming and Blessing Children

“Every member of the church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:70).

When blessing a baby, men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood gather in a circle and hold the baby in their hands. The person who gives the blessing:

• 1. Addresses Heavenly Father.
  
• 2. States that the blessing is given by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
  
• 3. Gives the child a name.
  
• 4. Gives a priesthood blessing as the Spirit directs.
  
• 5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Our baby James received his name and a blessing this Thanksgiving weekend. Both sets of grandparents had driven across the country to be present for the holiday and the blessing, and I loved having so much family around for so long. My mom made James' blessing outfit while she was here. Darling, isn't he?

Bobby gave James the blessing, as he did for Alice and Robert. I can only imagine the pressure one feels to give his own child a blessing from God as directed by the Spirit. I, personally, would want to cram all kinds of special gifts and blessings into that occasion. I would plan the list of blessings and work on the eloquent wording for weeks. Bobby doesn't suffer from the same greediness. He's significantly more humble than I am :) James' blessing, like the blessings for Alice and Robert, was short, sweet, and completely clear. I was struck by how all my wishes and concerns for James' future were encompassed in one simple phrase that Bobby used, "I bless you to be a leader." That pretty much says it all. That's really what I want for each of my children. I want them to know the truth and have the confidence in themselves to do the right thing no matter what their friends might say. I want them to live responsibly. I want them to be respected and trusted and capable. A leader knows how to serve the people he/she leads. A leader understands compromise and empathy. All of these characteristics will work together towards a happier life. And I really want my children to be happy :)

Bobby also blessed James with a strong testimony. Testimonies all start with the same foundation, but they grow in many different ways and come in many different flavors. Spiritual matters don't always come as easily to me as they do to Bobby. A testimony matures throughout one's life. For example, teaching the gospel out loud to my children has already refined my testimony a hundredfold. I look forward to helping James' testimony grow.

"I don't like these eggs"

Buddy and I had scrambled eggs for lunch today, his special request. I used some store bought eggs this time. Why did I have store eggs on hand? Well, it was Thanksgiving weekend and our egg demand rocketed while our homegrown supply stayed steady or dropped (we're down to 1-2 eggs a day, thanks to shorter day length + cooler temps = not a good time to try and raise chicks). Sooooo, I had the store eggs and I wondered if I had been imagining the difference between my eggs and store eggs this whole time.

Nope.

Robert took a couple bites and declared, "I don't like these eggs."

(secret shout of triumph in my brain!)

"Yeah, Buddy, these are eggs from the store. Do they taste different?"

"Yeah."

I took a bite, too. Um. Yup, big difference. Instead of the usual creamy richness of our homegrown eggs, we were tasting the watery, sulfury, blandness of $1.50/dozen eggs. I was shocked. I did not expect THAT much of a difference. Now I remember why I wasn't a big fan of scrambled eggs before.

If I had 20 more hens, I would wrap up our eggs to give as Christmas gifts. No joke.

Buddy got over the initial shock and managed to pack away 3 eggs worth of scrambled goodness by the time lunch was over. That boy loves eggs. And now I know he prefers our eggs to store eggs. (yipee!)

I saw this on Pinterest today and tucked it away in my brain as a possible yard/garden project for next year.

The Chicken Chunnel: a suburban-friendly form of free ranging that keeps the predators away and the chicken poop off of your patio and playground. If I could modify it to be mobile, and more aesthetically pleasing, then the grass wouldn't have to die underneath it. Hmmmm. I might just put it throughout the orchard.

Enjoying Fall

Chickens in the Mist

We had a nice fog this week:

I was reminded of a Far Side cartoon from long ago (anyone remember Gary Larson?)

Bobby's Sunday Summary

This week has felt very long.  Lots of stuff happening at work.  They added in a new perk this week.  We get a "free" lunch.  It is nice to fell appreciated in that way, but I am also always wary of such things.  There are several companies that provide free breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I have always said that if they give you free breakfast, lunch, and dinner they expect you to be working through breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  But it is good so far.

There have also been a lot of deadlines come up this past week.  Friday especially was a big deadline to get a new release of what we have been working on ready.

Susan seems to have been keeping everyone up to date about what has been happening at home so far. She showed Alice doing her Indian dance.  I managed to capture her doing a slightly different dance. It happened after she learned of a pending play date with a friend.

This week...

...James started growing eyelashes and eyebrows

...James skipped his 10 pm feeding three nights in a row (i.e. a 3-hour block of sleep for me!)

...James started drooling

...Robert destroyed yet another book in quiet time *sigh*

...Robert built an entire city of buildings out of Duplos, also in quiet time

...Robert said "hi" to every person we passed on the sidewalk, surprising many stone-faced college students.

...Alice discussed the existence of God with an atheist friend and invited another friend to church

...Alice created an "I love you, Mom" banner and taped it to my bedroom window

...Alice invented and carried out her own creative hairdos for school...every day

...I got more sleep! I got more sleep! I got more sleep!

...I cleaned out the garden beds and tried to squirrel-proof the chicken pen

...I began plans for a squirrel-proof door to the chicken pen *sigh*

...Bobby did stuff. I can't remember. He's not someone I worry about all day :) I guess we'll have to wait for his Sunday Summary

Traditional Indian Dance Class

Our neighbor across the street teaches classic/traditional Indian Dance courses in the community. She recently volunteered to teach an after school enrichment course at the elementary school and we signed Alice up in a heartbeat. Alice loved it. After six 1-hour sessions, this gaggle of giggly girls transformed into a gaggle of really somber dancing girls:

The following video is of the whole performance, about a minute and a half. Please forgive my amateur photography skills:

School Picts

Alice's first official school picture. She said she was nervous...can you tell?

And can you spot her tattoo? Daily homework prizes from her teacher are a mixed blessing. Alice can apply her own tattoos now without help, though she still obsessively asks permission :) That's my independent, rule-keeping girlie for ya'.

Here are a couple other 5-year-olds for comparison. How on earth did Alice end up so blonde?

Had to share...

Thanks, Rachel G., for the much needed laugh:

1 month checkup

James is 1 month old. I have zero complaints about his personality. It's his age I find trying.

*sigh*

That said, he's doing his best to grow up. At the doctor's office, he weighed in at 12 pounds 9 ounces ( greater than 97th percentile) and measured 22.75 inches (95th percentile). See ya', 0-3 month clothes. Bobby and I make BIG boys. Big, gassy boys. For reference, Robert was 11.5 pounds at his 1-month checkup, but not nearly as long as James is, so he looks a LOT fatter than James does in his 1-month picts.

James is still mellow. He's physically strong. Bright blue eyes. Loves a regular feeding routine...he's like clockwork. When his body finally matures enough to work out the intestinal gas issues, I'm sure we'll all sleep better. He responds to familiar voices and has started making eye contact. I think the kids almost kinda made him chuckle yesterday...I can't wait for that hilarious development :)

Alice likes to hug him periodically, usually when she wants praise/attention from me. Robert tolerates him well enough, but often asks me to put him down so I can play "with both hands." It's clear, though, that he's a part of our family. The kids accepted him without question. I already can't imagine life without him.

We went to the library as a family last Saturday. I stepped back a moment and just looked at my family together: Bobby, Alice, Robert, and James. It's a satisfying little cluster of people that I genuinely love and care for. That's a good feeling. I thought of our future together and discovered an unexpected thrill of joy.

Maybe this will all work out after all :)

Don't forget this

Bobby is my hero. Literally. I won't write an epic poem, or even a haiku, about him on this blog. I would, however, like to publicly recognize him for a few specific heroic acts he has performed recently:

1. After a terrible 24 hours with James (one hour asleep, one hour awake, repeat), Bobby gave me two nights of nearly uninterrupted sleep. He sent me to bed and took James into the guest room with him. I didn't hear anything from either of them until James was ready to eat. Then Bobby brought him to me, I fed him, and Bobby took him back. Whether James was awake or asleep after the feeding, it didn't matter, I got to go back to bed. I must confess, I cried tears of joy those nights more than once.

2. Since James' birth, Bobby has stepped up in every way: taking care of the older kids, getting Alice off to school every morning, cleaning the kitchen, preparing meals, and taking care of me. He has worked from home or taken a half-day several times just because I seemed a little unstable that morning.

And I am stable today because of Bobby.

I asked him, "Why on earth is it so much harder this time?"

He gently replied, "It's been like this all three times."

"Why don't I remember this? Why do I forget it so readily?"

"Maybe you should write it down this time."

I laughed out loud. He's totally right. So, I wrote down a few things that I would like to remember about this time for the next time I wonder if an Evans baby #4 is in our future.

• Night nanny for the newborn or morning daycare for the older sibling. If I could just manage to get enough sleep, I could handle ANYTHING during the day. Anything. I've known this about myself for a long time. That's why my bedtime is 9 pm, and has been for 10 years. Regular, adequate sleep maintains the logical/analytical firewall that keeps my emotions within normal limits (i.e. sane). Without enough sleep, life's little hiccups become insurmountable obstacles and I plunge into a dark stupor of helplessness. I isolate myself. I stop blogging. I stop feeling happy. The difference between "stable" and "unstable" emotions for me is razor thin. For example, Bobby was 20-30 minutes late coming home from work one night. That's not normally a problem. This day, however, I was a little low on sleep. My thoughts drifted towards the possibility of a bicycle accident, maybe he was in the hospital, or dead, and I would have to raise these three kids alone, move back to Utah to be closer to family, and trudge through the rest of my life without the man I had come to love and depend on so desperately. The terror was real. I was panicking. I kept it together well enough for Alice's sake, but when Bobby actually arrived home I had to go into a back room and cry out all of that fear and vulnerability. That's NOT me. I don't like that feeling. Sleep fixes it. So if there is a next time, I will want a guaranteed time every day or night when I know I can catch up on sleep. For sanity's sake.

• I can't do this myself. That simple statement cannot capture how hard that bruises my psyche...and ego. I have needed more physical help this time around than I could ever repay adequately. I've needed it longer, too. Bobby is my hero, but even the two of us aren't enough some days. Friends and neighbors and strangers have given hours of service through meals, babysitting, rides, play dates, and empathetic listening. It's one month after James' birth, and we are still receiving periodic meals. I feel guilty for being so "weak" at this point. I can't stand to be needy, and yet I am needy. I want so badly to give back. I have certainly gained empathy for people in chronic pain. People have also shown me better ways to serve others in my position. I am determined to help new moms SO much better in the future.

• This was my hardest pregnancy. Remember the weeks of morning sickness lying on the couch? Remember when I barely had the wherewithal to change Robert's soaked and leaking diaper before quiet time? Remember being so tired that laundry, housework, and meal preparation just didn't get done? Remember the floppy pelvic joints? The nerve pain? The utter lack of a comfortable sleeping position? Remember not being able to lift or carry Robert who just wanted to feel close to his mommy for a minute? Remember the long recovery after James' birth? I was in chronic pain for three weeks. I had two weeks of round-the-clock ibuprofen, maximum allowed dosage.

• Demands on me from the kids and house have grown exponentially with each child. I want to remember this fact most of all. Right now, I can't be the kind of mom I want to be. I want to be involved in my kids' lives. I want to listen to everything they want to tell me. I want to play with them and watch them explore. I want to be present with them as they grow. When Robert was born, he was the one I worried about. Now that James is born, I'm still worried most about Robert. I still don't fully understand Robert. I want more time to be with him one-on-one and figure him out. I want more time to be with Alice. She's changing so quickly.

• When Robert was born, my life was turned inside out and I secretly resented him for it. Now, with baby #3, I see that it's the "newborn experience", not the child himself, that I resent. I'm sorry, Buddy, for blaming you all that time. It turns out I just don't handle the newborn stage very well. 

I'm recording this just for reference, not for an argument against having more kids. If we decide that another newborn is in our future, then I want to go into it better informed. My memory is not reliable...as I've proven in the last two cases :)

Three 1-month-olds...which is which?

 

 

Bobby's Sunday Summary

Sorry I skipped last week.  Life is slowly reaching a new normal.  Susan's mom gone, and most of the meals and help from others has either stopped or is tapering off.  We also have started to go out in public again as a family, including at least some of Church today.  We also went out to Curtis Orchid yesterday for a fun family outing.  Originally we wanted to go to a pumpkin patch that is close by, but that had sold out already and closed for the year. It was still a lot of fun.  We are all doing OK but very tired.

3 weeks post-partum

Informal bathroom scale measurements put James at just about 11 pounds this afternoon. That's about 90th percentile for baby boys his age. I can literally see his fingers getting fatter every day.

He's still a generally pleasant baby: calm when he's awake, eating every 2-3 hours day and night, and generally content as long as he's part of the action and moved frequently. He doesn't generally sleep much during the day, though. Maybe 10-minute naps here and there. He'll pass out, then wake up for a series of unproductive grunts and straining, followed by a brief cry for attention. Then when I pick him up, he's awake and cheerful and seemingly well-rested.

Nights are decent. He seems to pass out pretty quickly after each feeding, except when I eat something offensive to his gut. Last night was one of those nights. He ate every 4 hours, but took an hour of grunting and straining and fussing before settling back to sleep each time. Ugh.

The best news is, though, that my pain is almost completely gone. If I don't do too much physically, and as long as people are helping with meals and occasional childcare, I think we've reached our first fragile equilibrium. It's a good place to be right now: Robert is returning to his normal self and I'm finding new coping strategies for James' needs and my needs. It's fragile. Any new illness or change in the kids will upset what we have right now *sigh*. I've been a handwashing freak all week. If you sniff a little too loud or too often, I'm keeping my distance from you and keeping track of everything you've touched. Argh! That's part of my sleep deprivation craziness. Please don't take it personally.

Things will change, dang it, and I know that. I'm just trying to enjoy the relative rhythm we've just barely found.

Robert and James seem to be resting right now, so I'm off to lie down, too.

James Upgrade

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, he's cordless! More portable than ever and quite the functional accessory for every new mom on the go. Now we can bathe him properly and dress him in full outfits. Huzzah. He's fattening up nicely, too, starting to look less red and more pinkish. Alice actually went so far today as to call him chubby. And for your "way too much information" pleasure, I've snapped picts of all three kids' belly buttons (presented in semi-random order to protect their privacy...um, if that's even possible when your bellybutton is now posted on the internet). My grandmother wouldn't even say the word bellybutton and here I am *sigh*. I did warn you that I go a little crazy when I'm sleep-deprived, right? James' button should be the easiest to spot.

My mom went home today. And since I managed to type that without crying, I must be doing better. It's been a much harder physical recovery for me this time around and we REALLY needed her every second she was here. I will need to let some time pass before going into any further details. It's been a raw couple of weeks. Getting out of bed this morning was an act of faith.

Bobby worked from home today mostly for emotional support. I didn't know if I could do it on my own. I still don't know how the next week will go exactly, but today went okay. The kids seemed extra nice to each other for some reason and James was quietly happy and awake most of the afternoon as long as someone was holding him up. My mom was probably praying for us all day ;) Thanks, Mom.

Here are a few more pictures. I still can't decide who he looks like most.