Putting the Mighty in Moose

Our Mighty Moose is certainly a mighty big baby. He clocked in at 8 lbs., 15 ounces--a pound heavier than either of his sisters. This afternoon, Becky took him solo (I am home on paternity leave for the next 2 weeks, so the girls and I played outside) to his first check-up. We expected that, like the majority of babies, he would lose some weight since arriving on the scene. Our pediatrician told Becky that most newborns don't reach their birth weight again for almost two weeks.

Instead, just 5 days after birth, Moose now weighs 9 lbs., 3 ounces!

In answer to the question of what does he do when he's not sleeping? Eating, a lot. He also erupted three times in the same diaper, then sprayed me (once) and the bedding (twice) today as I attempted my first solo diaper change since leaving the hospital. 

Rookie mistakes, on my part.   

A second Mommy

All I can say is that one of my fondest wishes for the future is that Goose will be blessed to be a mother herself one day. Of course, I hold that wish for my other children too, but right now, Goose is really the only one of our 3 who is demonstrating some parental interest.

She hesitantly walked into the hospital room on Sunday morning to see Baby Brother for the first time, but quickly shrugged off the unfamiliar and marched over to the bed. In her own mind, Goose was ready to take over from Becky's masterful mothering job. She got Baby Brother a diaper, wiped him, soothed him, and held him, numerous times.

When we all came home yesterday, she was supremely sad that she had startled him awake. She wanted him to sleep in her room with Mouse last night. And at 7:45 this morning, Goose raced into our bedroom out of her sleep when she heard her little brother crying.

She is very loving and attentive, and like any young child, is too eager at times. But her instincts are solid and genuine.

It is a joy to witness.

And baby #3 makes Timbeck5!

Introducing...Our Mighty Moose!

Baby Brother was born wicked early Sunday morning. We had spent much of a glorious Saturday outside, walking around with Becky to get her contractions going. Her due-date was the previous Thursday, two days earlier. Nothing seemed to kick in, so we waited and then headed for bed at 10:30 Saturday night. Then, almost immediately, Becky's contractions hit out of the blue. I quickly threw our girls' backpacks together for the two nights they would spent at my parents' house. Becky called our friend Deidre to come watch our girls overnight (huge thank you, Deidre!), and we left for the hospital as Jenna dropped Deidre off at about 11 o'clock. I said a quick "Goodbye, I love you" to our girls (whispered, so as not to wake them).



Becky was nervous that she wouldn't get to the hospital in time for an epidural, but she made it. One person who almost didn't make it (no, not me!) was the receptionist who greeted us at the hospital front desk. She was moving 100 miles per hour, trying to get all of the paperwork assembled for us to sign, and getting a wheelchair, and phoning another receptionist, and juggling her own late-night nervous...she forgot about an above-the-head file cabinet that she had opened. She proceeded to smack her left eye socket right into the edge of the open cabinet door. I thought she had been knocked out cold, but she rallied and got us to labor and delivery.

Our doctor was outstanding, as was the nurse who tended to Becky from our arrival until 7 the next morning (she has 9 kids of her own!). Mighty Moose finally came on the scene in the wee small hours of Sunday morning, after less than 20 minutes of pushing. Becky has felt so much better after Moose's birth than after our girls' labor. We're very grateful for that, and for his safe arrival. He is such a cute little dude, and he looks a little like his Utah grandpa (whose name we selected for Moose's middle name).

Little Moose came home to our family and our life together yesterday morning. So far, so good, so much disruption, so much transition. We love this little guy. His sisters are attentive, either all the time (his big sister Goose) or only occasionally (his next-closest sibling Mouse). Welcome, Mighty Moose!

(We're not posting his real name on this public forum, which we also haven't done for his sisters. Please respect that desire and use only their nicknames in comments. Gracias!).

Tongue-twisted

For some reason, Our Little Mouse's favorite pose for cameras involves her sticking her tongue out at whomever is taking her photo. I could document at least a dozen unique instances captured on film (well, digital film) dating back to March of her antics. But two recent examples will suffice.

And I'm already lamenting that, soon enough, Mouse will actually smile like a normal person. Because it's a kick to see her wait until the last possible second to jut that little red tongue out at the camera:

Grandma, we didn't Photoshop you out of the picture. I think Becky or Fred took this one. We'll see you in a few weeks!

Look at that! I mean, she looks so sly in this one...like she knowingly waited until the last possible second and had been so content just moments before. What a sneak!

Golden Slumbers

Last Sunday night, in the throes of a week-long nighttime coughing spell, Mouse pleaded to sleep on the floor of the bedroom she shares with her big sister. For whatever reason, her crib wasn't cutting it. So, from 9 p.m. until another coughing fit at 5 a.m., Mouse got her heart's desire. She did great.

Once Baby Brother arrives, we are seriously considering bunk beds after a good recommendation from our friend Jen. I think the girls will have a blast with their new set-up. Too bad for Mouse, but the bunk beds will also signal the end of her using a binky. (Well, we're at least going to time those together, and see how she does.)

Shout-out to one of the Beatles' less well-known treasures, part of their marathon medley on Abbey Road.

Family of 4 (as of right now) photo

Family photo taken on a Tuesday afternoon in early May at the annual "Make Way for Ducklings" parade in Boston's Public Garden. The girls loved the whole shebang, except for when Goose melted over not being able to go on the swan boats. I was lucky enough to join them on my lunch hour. Becky loved the social interaction with her friends from church, and all of the talks that helped take her mind off of being 9 months pregnant for a little while.

As for Mouse, she constantly had me on the verge of a heart attack. She kept poking sticks into the shallow water at the edge of the swan boat pond.

It's crazy to think that in a matter of...hours? days at max...we will soon have a little fifth person in this photo! Becky's due-date is today, but so far, Baby Brother has shown no sign that he's making his grand entrance on the world's stage today or tonight.

I love each of these three girls more than anything in the world. It is the greatest blessing in my life to be a husband and father. And the four of us, each in our own ways, are so excited to welcome Baby Brother into the picture!

Joy School Graduation!

Last Saturday was a fun day for our family, and a fun milestone in Our Dear Goose's life. After a year of the twice-a-week Joy School program with her friends, Goose graduated. Our friends Jamie and Dan hosted the ceremony in their backyard (the last sort of decent day before a week of rain hit New England). It was a great time!

Here is Goose with her mommy, along with her four friends/classmates and their moms.

Mouse loved the cupcakes!

For whatever reason, Goose was kind of silent and unsmiling during the graduation. Maybe she didn't get what we adults were all excited about? Maybe she was impatient to get the ceremony over so she could dig in to the yummy desserts? No clue. But check this video out. It is Goose in all of her unfazed glory, during the traditional cap-throwing spectacle at the end of graduation:

Congrats, Dear Goose! We are thrilled that you had such a fun year of learning about all of the joys in the world around us. I particularly liked how John's mom Stacey summarized the purpose of Joy School: To show the kids that having joy in life is God's greatest goal for each of us.

Spring festival Saturday

About a month ago, we took our girls to an annual spring festival at Gore Place, and Goose and Mouse are now old enough that they can do more than simply look at all of the fenced-in barnyard animals.

We started off by having Timo enter a contest--a cash grab in a large plastic box, wherein the object is to grab as much cold hard cash as you can in 20 seconds! It was a lot more challenging than it looked; once the air rushed in, I first clutched a wad of $1 bills that were piled together on the floor of the chamber.

When time expired, I had $28 in my hands! I assume those winnings will be put toward a checking account at the bank that sponsored the contest. They didn't let me simply walk off with the bills. I am told that our girls laughed over seeing Dear Old Dad frantically trying to stuff bills in his hands (using pockets was not allowed).

Mouse and Goose, mealtime in front of Revolutionary War reenactors.

Aside from ice cream, the highlight of the full day at the festival for our girls were undoubtedly the two rope walks. There was a shorter rope walk for toddlers, and a much longer, more difficult walk for kids pre-K and up. Goose insisted on doing the second, longer walk--and I was willing to oblige, after she had been scared straight in the front row of a sheep shearing demo. Seriously--Goose started wailing the second the old sheep shearer turned his trusty razor on and began shearing a complacent old sheep.

After waiting in line for over a half hour (no kidding), Goose finally got her turn on the big kid rope walk. And she did great!



You might notice in the photo above that one of our girls wasn't pleased at all during this time. That is Mouse, pouting by my side. Becky says this is how Mouse looked the entire time it took her big sister to cross the rope walk (about 5 minutes). Sorry, little one...you were technically just not tall enough for the big kid rope, but there is always next year!

Here is Mouse, in earlier, happier times at the festival. She got a big kick out of this rope walk, and kept begging, "I do it mysef, Daddy!"

Man, she was so happy to have successfully crossed the rope! We also met up with the other Wilson family in our congregation, which was really fun, and watched a few young girls on horseback do some demonstrations that looked like nothing more than taking the horses out for a leisurely walk. There was a lot for young kids to do at the festival, so we'll definitely make this an annual family outing. And I'm willing to wait in line for another half-hour so both girls can do the big rope walk next year!

Dance recital

This spring is a real time of transition for Our Dear Goose. Two of her three outside-the-home fun activities, Joy School and Dance Class, are coming to an end. To celebrate the last dance class of this year, our friend Annie organized a dance recital in April for the girls in her class to show off their moves. The recital coincided with a visit to Boston from Grandma and Grandpa, so that made it extra fun [I still need to blog about their visit].

Unlike the ward talent show in February, where Goose got stage fright, she did awesome in the recital. Here are some photos from the recital:

Mouse desperately wanted to get in on the dance act.

Goose cutting loose on stage!

Apparently, Mouse was more interested in church reading materials!

It has been a terrific dance class year for Goose. We're now looking forward to getting Mouse in a class starting in the fall, too. I can just imagine seeing both of our daughters up on stage, dancing together, in the not-too-distant future. Maybe they'll even do a dance program at a future ward talent show.  

Saturday morning breakfasts

Many Saturday mornings, I'll get up to make pancakes or waffles for our crew. Sometimes, Mouse and Goose beg to help, which is usually a tears-filled fiasco wherein I spend more time blocking their fingers from touching the hot skillet than flipping flapjacks. Sometimes, it's just me and the skillet and a few minutes of peace and quiet in the kitchen as the batter sizzles to life and our house fills with the smells of a warm breakfast.

Lately, our girls have helped out on the other end: Once the food is done, they help deliver it...

Warning! Hilarious shots of atrocious bed-head coming your way...

...and they enlist their doll strollers and shopping carts in the effort! Sure, I've stepped on a fork or three in traversing the path from kitchen to table, and the pancakes often need to go to the microwave for a brief re-heating, but whatever. We have a great time!

Imitators

We hit an ice cream place a few Saturdays ago. Our girls insisted on looking just like Mommy: 8 months pregnant! A bunch of customers erupted in laughter when Mouse and Goose sauntered in.

Isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery?!

Easter 2011

Easter was a few weeks ago; we've been crazy busy in pre-baby #3 mode for me to do sufficient justice to blog updates about our lives, but here's one attempt to change that.

The last couple years, Becky and I have skipped church at our Mormon congregation and instead headed to my parents' house to attend Easter Sunday services at my Mom's Catholic chapel. It's a fun family tradition, and we go to the chapel that I grew up attending, so it's a nice way to make new family memories in a place that already holds so many from my own childhood.

Our girls enjoyed wearing new matching dresses that our neighbors got for them just a few days earlier. They were equally delighted to ditch those outfits for more comfortable ones for the afternoon Easter egg hunt in Nana and Bumpa's backyard. We had a really pleasant, enjoyable Easter Sunday! Our girls still don't quite understand the Easter Bunny, but Goose has been very interested to read a children's cartoon Bible we have at home. She particularly was focused on the story about Jesus dying on the cross.

This was an Easter to remember our children's innocence and their growing awareness of the fun and the spiritual aspects of this special day.