6 Week Recap

It's been 6 weeks since Caleb entered our family and I thought it was time for a recap of how things have been...

General: Life with two kids has been going well! I hesitate to say it's been easy, because it has not, but the last 6 weeks are already a little hazy and I mostly remember the good moments. I feel good about the times when Levi leans in to give his little brother a head butt (Levi's sometimes gentle version of a kiss), when Dave and I can look up at each other amidst chaos and just smile realizing we're in this together, taking walks with both of my boys, the two-kid/two-parent situation where we can both take responsibility for "our" kid (Dave has Levi, I have Caleb), and my thankfulness that we have two happy and healthy boys. There have definitely been moments where they're both crying or both wake up in the middle of the night or when Levi wants my undivided attention as I'm nursing Caleb and other overwhelming situations but, in all honesty, I mostly feel incredibly blessed. And tired. I feel tired too. :)

Caleb: We are so blessed by this handsome boy. When we were in the delivery room with him, my doctor called attention to his umbilical cord. He told Dave to take a picture because the cord had a perfect little knot in it. We didn't think much about it at the time but later I talked with some people and did some google searching of my own and realized that a knot in the cord is rare. Not unheard of, but rare. What's also rare is a baby surviving with a complete knot. Apparently it is a common reason for stillbirths and miscarriages. It's no secret that Caleb is our little surprise this year and that he came on the Lord's timing. Now we feel he beat some even bigger odds by being perfectly fine in spite of that little knot. As with all children, we feel like God must have some pretty big plans for this little guy! (I've included a picture of his umbilical cord at the end of this blog. It's not very graphic but it is during my c-section so if you'd rather not see it then I would skip the last picture.) We don't want to sensationalize the experience but I think it's our story and needs to be shared. We just feel so blessed to be his parents and can't wait to see what is in store for him.

Levi: He's a great big brother! He loves checking on Caleb, he hates it when Caleb cries, he points to Caleb when we pass strangers in the grocery store and, like I said before, he loves to give Caleb kisses and cuddles. He melts my heart. He's also learning more and more words and I'm so proud of him! When prompted, he can point to his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, chin, teeth, belly. He can roar like a lion, ruff like a dog, make a noise for an elephant, growl like a bear, bawk like a chicken, and a few others depending on his mood. It's as though every day he does something new and it is so fun to watch!

Weights & Measures: At 5 weeks we went in for Levi's 15 month check up and shots. It was my first trip with both boys and it was a little complicated but we survived. Levi is 29.8 lbs. and 33 inches. 95% across the board. Caleb was also weighed and measured and came in at 12.13 lbs. and 23 inches. 95% across the board. I can't help but call them my little moose children. They're HUGE! Good thing they're taking after Dave!

Me: I had a rough start to the healing process as I somehow got an infection in my incision shortly after leaving the hospital. After a quick trip to the ER for antibiotics and a CT scan (to make sure it hadn't spread anywhere else), I healed up just fine and was given a clean bill of health. Not a great week but during my brief hiatus in the ER we learned that Caleb will take a bottle like a champ. Go him! I'm all good to go now and I'm ready to get in shape so I can look good in a wedding coming up in June! :)

Dave: He is the glue that is holding this mess together! He's working so hard and pulling double duty with me and the boys. I'm still working out how to keep the noise level down and Levi out of his office during work hours and Dave is being very patient as we're working the kinks out of our days. He's taken one overnight trip so far (we survived!) and he has two more lined up in the next couple of weeks. He is officially Levi's favorite person in the world which is both nice (it gives me a break when I have to do Caleb stuff) and not-so-nice (when Dave has to leave or close his office door Levi feels a little abandoned). He seems to be handling this Dad-of-two thing very well!


Week 6: This week has been spent sick. Ugh. I got it first, then Levi, now Dave. (Thankfully Caleb seems to been healthy still.) Dave spent a good two days putting up Christmas lights and I got our tree mostly set up and then the sickness hit us and Christmas progress stopped. We felt so lousy this week that the boys and I spent a couple of days in our jammies. We're feeling better now and getting in the Christmas spirit!


We seem to be getting in to the groove of this family of four business and we're just trying to enjoy each moment as it comes. (Although I probably need to be reminded of that when Caleb wakes me up two or three times tonight...) Update complete! Hoping to now start learning from the last six weeks and move on a little more proactively and enjoy the Christmas holiday as a family of four.

*Coming up is the picture of Caleb's umbilical cord*

A tangible example of God's love and grace in our lives.