Fall Fun #1

Fall is here! I may have decorated the house for the season back in September - when it was still 85 degrees out, but now it is the real thing! The air is crisp and cool...finally. The long sleeved shirts, jeans, and footy pajamas have reappeared. Theodore has been fascinated with long pants and socks (as a Florida boy, he has not worn either of these things in his memory).

We have had several fun weeks of Fall activities.

#1 Visit to the Pumpkin Patch


Happy Pumpkin


Silly "Say Cheese" Pumpkin




I was not able to snap a picture when both boys had their heads in the right place, so I had to settle for one at a time.


Me with our three pumpkins, all of whom refused to look at the camera.


What family outing would be complete without a little spit-up?

No Longer "Smalliver"

They say that "brevity is the soul of wit;" I make no claims to wittiness in this blog post as wit requires a well-rested mind. :) I do, however, aim for brevity. Here are some recent pictures along with one word (with some elaboration) to describe our littlest dude as he appears in each picture.


Growing: At his 9 week check up, Oliver was in the 90th percentile for weight and 97th percentile for length. His noggin made an "average" appearance on the growth charts at the 45th percentile. A friend in our small group affectionately observed that "he is getting his 'chub' on."


Cuter: As his mama, I have thought that Ollie was cute all along...but I think he is getting cuter as the weeks go on. His hair is filling in, making him look less like a balding old man.


Loved: Theo and Asher regularly give a love offering of toys to their brother. They like to kiss Ollie, and Theodore especially likes to help burp him.


Snuggler: Our little guy loves to snuggle. If we could carry him all day, he would let us.


Sleeper: Ollie sleeps for 5 hour stretches now and is a napping champion. The essential element to ensure good sleep? A nice, tight swaddle. The moment he is wrapped, Oliver is calm and quiet. He coos and then we put him in his bed. Viola - sleeping baby!


Smiling: Ok...so this picture is not exactly a smile. We have not been able to capture his grin on film yet. The smiles are so fast; so what we have here is the beginnings of his smile. He opens his mouth wide, then the grin spreads across his face in a somewhat lopsided fashion (like his mama's smile).

It is hard to believe he is 10 weeks old! It seems he has been a part of our family forever, and, yet, it seems that we just brought him home from the hospital.

Brothers

"How good and pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity." - Psalm 133:1

Milestones

We continue to marvel at how quickly time passes. The vividness of our memories makes it seem like our wedding was just months ago and our babies added to the family just weeks ago. Perhaps sleep deprivation has contributed to this strange time warp we are experiencing; whatever the cause, it has inspired us to take the time to record a few milestones that we have witnessed lately.

Oliver
- Sleeping for four hour stretches at night
- Growing like a champion
At birth:
Height: 19.5 inches
Weight: 7 pounds 5 ounces
At 5 weeks:
Height: 23 inches (97th percentile)
Weight: 10 pounds 14 ounces (90th percentile)
- Increasingly alert during the daytime hours


Theodore
- Climbing the chain ladder on the playground
- Being mom's helper (throwing diapers away, bringing blankets, etc.)
- Adding new words to his vocabulary
- Finding trucks and airplanes fascinating
- Conducting behavioral experiments (what happens if I hit my brother? what happens if I throw all of the laundry my mama just folded? what happens if I hit my daddy's new computer?)


Asher
- Climbing the chain ladder on the playground while holding a bucket full of water and not spilling a drop (a great feat accomplished thanks to OT and lots of practice)
- Responding to Dora's prompts (this one is huge...Asher has never responded to cartoon character's questions or prompts. We started watching Dora the Explorer two weeks ago, and much to our surprise, he started responding to her questions. He has told her which path she should take, told her she needs her backpack and her map, and counted with her...we are really proud of him for this accomplishment.)
- Dressing and undressing himself
- Adjusting very well to lots of changes (new preschool teacher, new therapy approach, place, and therapists, and a new family member!)


It is good to take inventory of the milestones we reach every once in a while...no matter how long it takes us to reach them. Realizing that we are making progress gives us inspiration to persevere - that and it is always good to find something to celebrate every day!

Oliver's First Month

It is hard to believe that we have been a family of five for a month now! It has been a sweet time of getting to know each other. It has been tiring, of course, but we try to savor each day as we marvel at the ways that our boys change and grow each day. Ollie has had a great first month of life - lots of sleeping, eating, and dirtying diapers. He has been warmly welcomed by family and friends.

We have figured out a few things about our little guy. He likes to be held and snuggled. He sleeps best if he is swaddled, but he fights the swaddle at first. He likes to make noise (snorts and grunts) while sleeping at night, and he eats very much like Cookie Monster. We have been particularly delighted with his sweet smile that spreads across his face when he hears our voices. Below, we have highlighted a few moments from Ollie's first month.


Two days: Oliver's profile as he tries to wake


Four weeks: Oliver's profile shows that he has put some meat on his bones (at least on his cheeks!)


One week: Here, Oliver is captured sleeping, which he does a great deal of during his first week of life.


Two weeks:Oliver becomes more alert and is awake for an hour in the morning and two hours in the evening. In his second week of life, Oliver enjoys snuggling with Gigi and Papa who visit from Colorado. He also has a photo shoot with his Grammy (photos coming soon!).


Two weeks: Oliver likes to stretch out on the bed. At his two week appointment, Oliver weighs 8 pounds 4 ounces (almost a whole pound gained since birth!).


Three weeks: Oliver begins to sleep for three hour stretches in the night. He is a great eater as evidenced by the meaty thighs he is sporting in this picture.


Four weeks: For a few nights now, Oliver has slept for four hour stretches. He has also had a few nights where he woke up every hour and a half. We are looking forward to a good night's sleep...someday. :) Oliver's blue eyes appear to be sticking around. Like his brother, Theodore, he beat the dominant brown gene and appears to have ended up with baby blues (like his namesake).

What a wonderful month we have had! We seem to be settling into our new family of five routine and dynamics (which we have affectionately dubbed the "circus act").

What's in a Name? Oliver Zebulun

I confess. I am a self-proclaimed nerd. I am also an English teacher who appreciates the symbolism and meaning of words. I managed to convince Derick long ago that names carried great significance so when it came to naming our children, we did not take the responsibility lightly. A great deal of prayer, research, and daydreaming went into each child's name.

So...what's in a name? In our family, names represent where we have been and where we hope our children are going (metaphorically).

Oliver is Latin in origin and literally means "olive tree." This ancient tree and, therefore the name, represents fruitfulness, peace, dignity, and beauty. Oliver represents our hopes for our precious son. We pray that his life may be one characterized by all of these qualities.

Oliver also tells a story of where I have been and how I have seen God work in my life. As a child, my great-grandma, Olivia, was very special to me. She knitted afghans and baby doll clothes, played games, and most importantly, served as an early spiritual mentor to me. My grandma recently gave me a small bundle of letters that I had written to my great-grandma as a young child. Among the childish handwriting and funny observations about life, I found profound spiritual questions sprinkled throughout my letters. These letters reminded me of the times that my great-grandma took me to church, prayed, and read her Bible; these letters further reminded me of God's provision in my life and represented yet another way that He drew me to himself. Oliver has been nicknamed "Ollie" in rememberance of what the Lord has done in my life and in honor of this woman who loved life, her family, and her God. We pray that Oliver may have this same love for family and for the Lord.



Zebulun continues our decision to include one of the twelve tribes in each of our boys' names. Zebulun is Hebrew in origin and means "dwelling of honor." He was the sixth son of Jacob and Leah. Upon his birth, Leah declared, "I will call him Zebulun for I am honored to have another son." Oliver's middle name represents our mindset as his parents...for those who have been on this journey of parenthood with us, you know that we prayed and prayed for children. We longed to be blessed and now we joyfully experience the honor of parenthood. In the midst of challenges, we are reminded of the honor and privilege...and great responsibility...that God has called us to in making us parents to our three boys. Zebulun further represents our hopes for our son's character. We pray that he may be an honorable man, one who loves his family and his God, one who has integrity in all that he does.

So many prayers and hopes and so much gratitude tied up in these two little words: Oliver Zebulun.



p.s. Every good name needs a few nicknames...so in addition to "Ollie," Oliver has also been dubbed "Smalliver" and "Smallie" in recognition of his tiny-ness, which we are sure will disappear in the coming weeks and months.

Introducing Oliver Zebulun

Tiny Hands...


Tiny Feet...


We have someone new for you to meet...






We are praising God that our healthy baby boy, Oliver Zebulun, weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long, joined the world on Sunday, August 7 at 4:07 p.m.

Sunday's Surprise

Sunday, August 7, began as any other Sunday at our house. We got ourselves ready for church and ran out the door (because we were, as usual, running a few minutes behind). On the drive, I noted that my back hurt...every 5 minutes. I thought the back pain could have been a result of wiping walls, scrubbing baseboard, or folding six loads of laundry the day before; however, it did not take long to detect a pattern to these back pains. I thought about continuing on to church; after all, we were already dressed and half way there! After experiencing a few more very strong contractions, I gave the verdict: return home and head to hospital.


Asher giving his baby brother a pep talk and a kiss.


Sunday morning - 38 weeks and 3 days

Once we were home, we picked up and organized a few things in anticipation that this could be the day. (Thank goodness, we had cleaned the day before!). My mom came for the boys around 11, and we visited for awhile (yes...all while having contractions). We did not rush right off because I wanted to be sure that the pain really was contractions and not just an out of whack back. Once the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart, I felt confident that it was time.

Upon arriving at the hospital, we were sent to the labor and delivery room where they monitored the contractions. It was fascinating to see those waves swell...and go off the charts! One nurse checked on the progress of things and could not find any dilation, which surprised me because those contractions were quite strong. Another nurse came a few minutes later, checked things, and jubilantly declared "Today is baby day!" I was already dilated to 5 cms and making quick progress! I labored for another two and a half hours and enjoyed the experience. I know...I may be crazy. The doctor and nurses marveled (that seems like a strong word, but really they were pleased and surprised) at the smooth and calm progression of labor.

At 3:30 p.m., they wheeled me away and I had vivid flashbacks to Theodore's birth. Derick had to stay behind in the room while they prepared me for surgery. The same words that were whispered to my anxious spirit while boarding the tiny airplane to Semey, and the same words that comforted me during Theo's birth came to me as I made my way down the corridor to the operating room. Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Scriptures and praise songs coursed through my mind for the duration of the surgery. Praise God that they did as it was a long surgery - filled with anticipation over meeting our newest miracle and anxiety over the procedures that were happening on the other side of the blue drape.

Derick held my hand through it all and at 4:07 p.m., Oliver Zebulun took his first gulp of air and announced his arrival in the world with a vigorous cry. Overwhelmed with emotion and relief, I wept tears of joy. He appeared tiny, perfect, and, if we are honest, a little messy. He was immediately wrapped in blankets and handed to us.



After our first face to face meeting, Derick took little Oliver to the nursery where he was measured and bathed. On his way to the nursery, Oliver met his Grammy and Poppi. The rest of the evening was spent in celebration of Oliver's arrival. His Poppi and Aunt Amanda made his first birthday cake earlier in the day (I did this for Theodore's birth as well but did not have time to make Oliver's with the quick labor that I was experiencing on Sunday). Asher, Theodore, Grammy, Poppi, Aunt Amanda, Adam, Brandon, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Silengo were in attendance for Oliver's birthday party.


Making his way to the nursery


Oliver's first bath


Oliver joined the world on the eve of our 12th wedding anniversary...Here I am adoring my husband just as much as the day we said, "I do."


Our family of five!


With Grammy and Poppi




Oliver's first birthday party - complete with cake and singing!


Our little guy just a few hours old and wide-awake


With Aunt Amanda


With Great Grandma and Grandpa Silengo


All worn out from his big day! It is hard work being born and having a party to celebrate!

Thank you for rejoicing with us and for welcoming Oliver into the world. More pictures to come...