The last two nights I have had the late shift; 4am-whenver he decides to go back to sleep. In addition to Nathan, Thomas has had some dreams that have scared him so it has been the three of us up in the wee hours of the morning.
Two nights ago Thomas woke screaming (around the exact same time Wendy said to me, "can you please get up and take Nathan"). I went in, Nathan screaming in one arm asking Thomas what was wrong?
"There's ants crawling on me." he cried
"Son, I think you are dreaming." I said
But he wouldn't have it. So I got him up and we all went to the office. Eventually we all fell back asleep. This morning at the same time only now he says snails are getin me!
So we went through the same routine. But I asked him about his dream and he says, "there was a tunnel in our house and there was a snail and I had jelly on my finger and the snail was gonna eat me!" I woulda been screaming too!!!
Yesterday we went on a walk. Thomas rode his trike all the way around the block for the first time. It was pretty exciting. It was good as Wesley has had no interest in anything with peddles so it motivated him. Maybe I shouldn't have used the fact that his younger brother was peddling get him to and prick his pride to get him going but I did. I also used ice cream to blatantly bribe him. The combination between the two seemed to work. And he began to get the concept and like it.
Our new house of 5 is very busy. Check in to see how we are progressing...
Monday, May 29, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
My three sons
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb...
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
-Psalm 139:13, 16
Five years ago it was just us...Jason and me. We did what we wanted, when we wanted to. And we dreamed about having a family. Now here we are. Yesterday Wesley asked me to tell him about before he was born, how Jason and I met and got married, how we decided to have babies, and how we got Neo and the fish. As I was telling him the story, I was amazed at all that has happened in just five years. And I thought about bringing each of my babies home and how little they were, I wondered who they would become as they grew, and I was eager to see, but I also wanted to keep them little forever.
Wesley is my firstborn. He will always be special for that. He was born during a particularly vulnerable time in my life...just laid off from the ministry, living in a new state, having moved from Oregon to California just a few days after 9/11...I was so unsure of everything, but he provided a reason to not freak out. He was such a sensitive baby...hours upon hours of screaming in our apartment each night. It was just as well that we didn't know other babies might not do that. Wesley has had four residences since his birth, five if you count the nursery he never spent a night in in Portland. He's sensitive, intelligent, outgoing, stubborn...so much like both his dad and me in many ways. I marvel at how big he is today, he has these long strong legs that I cannot believe were ever inside me. Wesley wants to be a lifeguard, then a kindergarten teacher when he grows up. He is going to kindergarten this fall and I want more than anything to protect him from danger, hurt feelings, judgment...I know I cannot, but I feel so much angst about letting him go. But, it is exciting too and I know the "big kid" stage will be as fulfilling and exciting as the "little kid" stage has been.
Thomas...my second baby. I want so much to protect him from "middle child syndrome"..whatever that is. I want him to be secure and know he is loved and needed. He is my smallest baby (at 8 lbs. 3 oz.). I found out I was pregnant with him just before Jason got laid off from his job. That was a stressful couple of months, wondering how it was going to work out, and if we would have to live in our 1 bedroom apartment forever with 2 kids. Thomas was born quickly and easily, and he has been easygoing ever since. He's polite, cheerful, strong, unafraid, and...yes, stubborn! He has an infectious laugh and he amazes me with his thoughts and speech and the things he seems to have learned through osmosis. He's already riding the trike we never have been able to get Wesley to ride...and he seems to know everything about everything. My hope for Thomas is that he will always know how special and important he is to me, and how no one could ever take his place.
Nathan...my third baby. (I have THREE babies?) I can still hardly believe it. He is the early baby...the one that wouldn't nurse for five days, then decided he was ready...I have a feeling he's going to march to his own beat. The dark hair. The impulse to party all night. I really have no idea what he's really like just yet. He is only 10 days old. I am so eager to see how he develops, who he becomes...but he is my last baby and I want him to stay little! Sometimes I want to slow the time down so I can get a good look at him. There is so much more to do now because he is the third...while he is napping I have to do the laundry and clean up, and play with the other boys...I don't get a lot of time to just stare at him. Nathan gets the enviable position of having a built in gang of buddies. I think he is going to love it. We seem to be at a more stable place in life now..but I know that could change at any moment. I just want to enjoy our family and teach them to be content and joyful no matter what happens, that we have each other, and we have God looking out for us.
you knit me together in my mother's womb...
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
-Psalm 139:13, 16
Five years ago it was just us...Jason and me. We did what we wanted, when we wanted to. And we dreamed about having a family. Now here we are. Yesterday Wesley asked me to tell him about before he was born, how Jason and I met and got married, how we decided to have babies, and how we got Neo and the fish. As I was telling him the story, I was amazed at all that has happened in just five years. And I thought about bringing each of my babies home and how little they were, I wondered who they would become as they grew, and I was eager to see, but I also wanted to keep them little forever.
Wesley is my firstborn. He will always be special for that. He was born during a particularly vulnerable time in my life...just laid off from the ministry, living in a new state, having moved from Oregon to California just a few days after 9/11...I was so unsure of everything, but he provided a reason to not freak out. He was such a sensitive baby...hours upon hours of screaming in our apartment each night. It was just as well that we didn't know other babies might not do that. Wesley has had four residences since his birth, five if you count the nursery he never spent a night in in Portland. He's sensitive, intelligent, outgoing, stubborn...so much like both his dad and me in many ways. I marvel at how big he is today, he has these long strong legs that I cannot believe were ever inside me. Wesley wants to be a lifeguard, then a kindergarten teacher when he grows up. He is going to kindergarten this fall and I want more than anything to protect him from danger, hurt feelings, judgment...I know I cannot, but I feel so much angst about letting him go. But, it is exciting too and I know the "big kid" stage will be as fulfilling and exciting as the "little kid" stage has been.
Thomas...my second baby. I want so much to protect him from "middle child syndrome"..whatever that is. I want him to be secure and know he is loved and needed. He is my smallest baby (at 8 lbs. 3 oz.). I found out I was pregnant with him just before Jason got laid off from his job. That was a stressful couple of months, wondering how it was going to work out, and if we would have to live in our 1 bedroom apartment forever with 2 kids. Thomas was born quickly and easily, and he has been easygoing ever since. He's polite, cheerful, strong, unafraid, and...yes, stubborn! He has an infectious laugh and he amazes me with his thoughts and speech and the things he seems to have learned through osmosis. He's already riding the trike we never have been able to get Wesley to ride...and he seems to know everything about everything. My hope for Thomas is that he will always know how special and important he is to me, and how no one could ever take his place.
Nathan...my third baby. (I have THREE babies?) I can still hardly believe it. He is the early baby...the one that wouldn't nurse for five days, then decided he was ready...I have a feeling he's going to march to his own beat. The dark hair. The impulse to party all night. I really have no idea what he's really like just yet. He is only 10 days old. I am so eager to see how he develops, who he becomes...but he is my last baby and I want him to stay little! Sometimes I want to slow the time down so I can get a good look at him. There is so much more to do now because he is the third...while he is napping I have to do the laundry and clean up, and play with the other boys...I don't get a lot of time to just stare at him. Nathan gets the enviable position of having a built in gang of buddies. I think he is going to love it. We seem to be at a more stable place in life now..but I know that could change at any moment. I just want to enjoy our family and teach them to be content and joyful no matter what happens, that we have each other, and we have God looking out for us.
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