little shadowboxer

Little One! Maybe I should start calling you Thumper? Your little squirms and wriggles have finally changed into good, solid bumps and I am enjoying each and every one! The bigger kicks started coming about a week ago. If the timing was similar to when Owen was growing inside my tummy, it would still be about a month before your little attacks would be felt on the outside, so I wasn't expecting this so soon. Your Daddy was able to feel you kick for the first time on Sunday morning, though, and I'm so glad! I wish you could have seen his face. He has barely even begun to feel the reality of you, and already he loves you so! As do I, precious Little One!

Even as I sit here, you're going at it again! You just kicked me, and Caleb, too! I think this time it might actually be hickups, though. Either that or listening to David Crowder Band gets you moving just as much as it does your daddy and brothers! Either way, it's wonderful and amazing...as are you!

[Although, young man, you had better understand that kicking and punching will not be encouraged or even tolerated indefinitely, got it?]

What's in a name?

Precious Little One, your daddy and I have started working on choosing a name for you. It's a hard decision! We want it to be perfect and special - just like you. We've got it narrowed down to two, but we're just not sure. I'm sure we'll decide soon enough.

In the mean time, your big brother, Caleb, has come up with several suggestions. The first conversation we had about it, he came up with Ancha. Hmm. I don't think so. Next, he suggested Shuffle, but only if your last name was Ta Tuff. Shuffle Ta Tuff. I don't know if I'm wild about that one either.

The other night, while we were making dinner, he came up with a few others. He was SO excited when he suggested Lookinsteinish. (?) I'm not quite sure what he was thinking with that one. I don't think he knew either, because he quickly changed his mind - "I mean Luke!"

"I mean Luke Skywalker!"

Your daddy got to choose his little sister's middle name and he chose Alice, because his favorite story at the time was Alice in Wonderland. Alice isn't a bad choice for a name. Caleb's all-time favorite is Star Wars, though, so I don't think we'll let him pick or we may end up with a son named C3PO! Ancha, Shuffle Ta Tuff, Luke Skywalker... They're definitely special names, but I think your daddy and I will reserve the right to choose something wonderful just for you!

PS - Caleb also thought it'd be fun if, for Christmas, we called you Snowflake!

Three's a crowd...

...and we wouldn't have it any other way!

I hadn't posted anything on this site yet about our baby that's coming this spring. I wanted to wait until I knew whether it was, well, another sonshine or a flower. And it's a boy! So, this will now be the celebration of life with, in all actuality, four boys! Yikes!

Zach assured me that the reason it's a boy is because I'm all the woman our house can handle. Ha! I'm not so sure I believe that. When the testosterone really gets flowing around here, it can get pretty thick! Thick, and stinky, and loud, and rough, and rowdy, but fun. Definitely fun.

They were SO little!

From time to time I just won't be able to help but post pictures from long ago. Every time I browse through the thousands of photos [really, thousands] on my computer, I can't help but let out the occasional: "Ooohhh, look how cute!"

This picture was taken exactly one and a half years ago. Caleb was only two months shy of his 4th birthday and Owen was just over 8 months old.

"Ooohhh..."

A Word About My 1st Boy...

On my other blog, I've been doing a daily, alphabetical list of things I love, appreciate and am thankful for. The list will be finished [letter Z] on Thanksgiving day. I can't wait that long, though, to unabashedly declare that I love, appreciate and am thankful for Zach.

If I even begin to think of the ways in which you, daily, sacrifice yourself, your wants and your desires for our family, I'd bawl. You have been selfless in SO many ways. I know you'd deny it, but it's true.

You have a tender heart, beautiful dreams and admirable aspirations. You are passionate, funny, kind, intelligent, conscientious, gentle, dedicated, strong, talented, creative, thoughtful and so much more. [In no particular order, of course.]

You are a husband and friend of the sort that women dream of and long for. [And you're all mine!] You are a daddy who is raising his sons in a legacy of incredible love.

You are so much more than someone who merely "affects the bottom line". You are daily changing and affecting lives in such a good and profound way. I am SO proud of you!

Thank you for everything you do and for everything you are. I am blessed beyond measure to be your wife.

All my love,
S

More Caleb Cowboy

A few weeks ago I promised pictures of Caleb in his Halloween cowboy get-up. I think they were worth the wait!

My little [as in skinny], handsome cowboy and his goof-ball poses:

From the Mind of a 5-Year-Old

The following conversation between Caleb [C] and I [S] ensued in the car earier today:

C: [completely out of the blue] I've made a plan for my life.

S: Oh, really? What's that, Buddy?

C: I'm never, ever going to get married!

S: How come?

C: Because! I never want to kiss a girl! It's gross!

S: But how do you know? It's just like trying new foods. You're not supposed to decide whether or not you like it until you've tried it. Have you even tried kissing a girl?

C: [after a very flustered pause] I just don't want to kiss girls!

S: But you'll still kiss your mommy, right?

C: Yes, but you're not a stranger!

S: Oh! But, Buddy, you wouldn't marry a stranger. You marry someone that you know really well and that you love very much.

C: [obviously done with the kissing subject] Yeah, because a stranger could rob you... Or a ninja could rob you, and they'd probably have a sword!