We're calling him Anders

It's a boy

-who decided he was ready to come into the world yesterday, early morning (12:40 am). Thus far, he is quite a gentle soul, and we are cherishing the opportunity to get to know him. Ginny is currently doing great, and all details about delivery will come (or not) from her.

Of course, as all parents do, we have enjoyed seeing similarities & differences between him & his siblings already. We think he’s pretty great.

We’re still at the hospital with a winter storm beginning to take shape outside; should be able to head home tomorrow, but the weathermen are predicting icy armageddon, so we’ll see.

Thanks for all of the visits, prayers, and notes.

wow

thanks Brooke for the pics...

the hazel post

gm:

37.5 weeks. it has been a unique pregnancy. a long pregnancy. a new life & new memories are quickly approaching and I can’t wait! the time & affections & attention that I now spend solely on hazel will drastically change. while I can’t begin to imagine how & I fight the “whoa!” overwhelmed feeling, I really can’t wait to meet him or her & begin this new mom journey.

the other day i was telling a friend who hasn’t seen hazel in a long time about her & i found it was good for my soul. so good in fact, that I’m doing it again here. I’m very aware that this is the sort of post that matt, myself & our parents will find fascinating & probably no one else…I’m fine with that. I know without this, I may forget what is going on in this season of her 1 year old life just like how right now I can’t possibly remember what summer feels like or it was like to not be pregnant.

in the delivery room, hazel’s first breath was quickly followed by her first scream. she had these phenomenal lungs. healthy and robust & loud. the first few days of her life we didn’t know if she would do anything but scream. and while we are quick to confess that we had no idea what to do about it, we loved that scream & those lungs. the first night she was at home with us, we tried to get her to sleep in our bed & in the bassinet in our room, but the only place where she actually fell asleep was in her own crib in her own room. i was just trying whatever worked & didn’t see then the independent spirit that was there from the start. her first little “fit” was around 8 months. she was crawling & decided that being still for a diaper change was no longer acceptable. she kicked those rolly polly thighs spastically back and forth in disgust & disapproval of the diaper change. more often than not, this trend continues & she really can’t stand diaper changes & clothes changes. we laugh & sigh & struggle to teach her a different way of dealing & although we don’t know what to do with the hard-headedness she inherited from both of us, we just love it. this independence has been a big part of her whole first year & I always find myself daydreaming about if & how it will play out in the rest of her life. like maybe when that cocky junior high boy goes to grab her hand, she’ll look at him with that same look she gives people who try to get in her face and make her laugh…“seriously? am I really supposed to be impressed with this?”

she’s never been much of a snuggler due to the fact that she just has too much to explore & sitting or hugging would only slow the exploration process down…but lately she’s actually given us the occasional hug or prolonged moment. in light of the previous lack of this attention, matt & I can be found in puddles on the ground when these incredible moments take place. she smiles & laughs, but not all the time because most of the time she’s just too busy contemplating & discovering & laughing at your attempt to get her attention only slows all the discovering down. she does give kisses with that awesome 1 year old interpretation of a kiss that is an open mouth leaning into the subject to be kissed. but don’t get me wrong she doesn’t give you a kiss when you want one, only when she does.

a while back she started barking back at our dog. it’s more of an “oooh, ooooh” sound than a “ruff, ruff” and then instead of just for dogs it became the official noise for all animals. now, she’s added some variety & there are a number of fun animal noises…a cow “moos”, a turkey “begob-begob-begobs”, sheep “baa”, monkeys “aaah-aaah”, lions “ruuuuh”, tigers “guuuuuh”. she loves books & lately will actually let me read them to her. she loves unpacking things from drawers or taking everything out of a wallet or just taking all the toys out of a bin & putting them back in so she can take them out again. it took her 9 months to finally sleep & now she is a great sleeper at night, but is not so fond of the nap. older kids are always a win & when she waves at them from across wal-mart, saying “hiiiiii” & they don’t respond, she looks at me as if to say “what’s their problem?” she talks & jabbers a ton lately. one day she woke up & it’s as if she learned Chinese in her sleep. the words she can really pronounce & say the way an adult says them…she whispers these words…for no apparent reason.

like every kiddo, she is ever-changing & always keeping us guessing & is such a blast to get to know. we love her & count it a gift & honor that God has let us be her parents.

Interview with Tony Dungy

Here's a link to some video of my time in Tampa. Quite an honor and opportunity to be associated with such a great group of folks.

the stranger on the couch...

Our prayers are with those in Haiti.

These links have helped me know the story, as well as how I can help: world vision, aaron ivey, big picture.

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Thankfully, Ginny has arrived at 36 weeks (due feb 7); thus, weekly Dr. visits began this week. All looks good. We should have a date by next week that we will not be allowed to go beyond. Ginny is feeling quite pregnant- there is something about confinement to the couch for months at a time that has not made these last few weeks the most enjoyable. However, in light of all that this baby has already brought, we really have nothing to lament, and she-as always- is taking it in stride and smiling along the way.

Lately, we have been reminding one another that a human being is about to plant itself squarely into our lives and possibly even want us to feed it. It is amazing how the thought patterns in preparation for #3 have been vastly different than they were with both Eliot & Hazel's arrival. Survival of bed rest & daily Hazel chase have left little time for discussion or preparation. I guess this is good. I guess this is a more normal way of welcoming children after #1. But it is new to us, and seems like we're being rude to the tike to come.

Of course, there is ever present in the recesses of our minds, and more so, our hearts, the feeling that, eventually, something is going to go wrong. It is the nagging guest that will not leave- the one on the couch that you wish wasn't there, and you had hoped that if you did not acknowledge his presence, he would just go away.

But he doesn't.

And I'm sure there are some who would write this off as a lack of faith or pessimism, and it is quite possible that there was a time when I could be counted among their fold. Although, I am ever certain my faith needs work, I am just as sure that this is not the entirety of the issue.

It is just that experience can never be discounted. What one has walked through with his own two feet will always be a louder voice than the preacher or the self-help book or the bumper sticker. Because once you have walked through it, you know. And until then, you can only look to those who have.

The only statistic that matters to us, is the one whereby I have one child in bed tonight and one no longer on this earth.

I know loss. I know it happens. I know we are not safe. We do not deserve everything to be fine this go around, nor can you assure us it will be. I have walked in suffering, and it was a teacher I cannot mute.

With such disposition, we stand waiting on this baby.

And yet there is more.

Because this harsh reality ushered more lessons of experience as well.

He is good no matter what comes.

One is in bed, but for two He was faithful.