It's been a fortnight

(I just love being able to appropriately use "fortnight.")

Here are my kids on Thanksgiving morning. 

(I just love saying "my kids," emphasis on kidSSSSSSSSS.)

If Madeline looks concerned, it's because she was watching the Spiderman Musical routine on the parade and, believe me, it was concerning. I don't blame her for not being able to tear her eyes away yet be dismayed at the same time.

Caleb turned two weeks old yesterday and no, I cannot believe it either.

He and I spend most of our days like this:

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this image should wax poetic about how I've been able to put away two entire seasons of "Friday Night Lights" in just 10 days. Breastfeeding will create space for mucho TV time.

Have any of you watched this show? I'm addicted. After picking up Madeline today from preschool, we drove directly to a different library branch just so I could pick up seasons three and four. Because Mama needs more Coach and Tami Taylor in her life. 

I really should pace myself because the series ends at season five but I think this blog has really captured my complete lack of self-control when it comes to TV on DVD.

When Madeline was born, I burned through Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, Laguna Beach, Grey's Anatomy and Arrested Development. Only quality television for my babies.

If Caleb and I aren't on the white couch cheering for Saracen and Riggins and, of course, Coach and Tami, then we probably look like this:

I hold my babies. A lot. I don't think it spoils them. I'm also just pretty incapable of putting a baby, sleeping or awake, down. Babies grow way too quickly and I want to spend every second I can holding them, rubbing their soft, downy skin and kissing their soft heads.

When I need to get stuff done, I stick Caleb in my mei tei. In this, he can still be my personal little space heater with a super soft, smell-good head but my hands are free. It's been worth every penny.

Once Madeline goes to bed, my evenings have been spent with these two guys:

This is why I love the first few weeks with a newborn. We don't do anything but stare at our baby and watch TV. It is a very, very sweet time and I'm just soaking it in.

Wouldn't you spend every minute looking at this little face?

We've able to sit and stare at Caleb because we have amazing family and friends who have been making us meals and meals and meals. We have just been dumped on with love.

The night we came home from the hospital, my mom dropped off this meal. It deserved a picture.

There's so much more to say but I'm exhausted after spending the evening watching Survivor, New Girl and two Conans. And I still have "Friday Night Lights" season three to turn on...

A girl and her baby brother

Joe, Caleb and I were still sleeping this morning when I woke up to the familiar sound of Madeline's little feet hurrying to our room.

She made a beeline straight to the still bassinet and peered in.

"Oh, look at his cute little eyes, Mama. They're still closed."

After he woke up, Joe carried Caleb to his room and she followed.

"Daddy, I have a baby brother!"

She has said this approximately 60 times in the last five days. She is enamored with having Caleb here at last and especially loves having a brother.

We came home from the hospital yesterday. Joe helped settle Caleb and me before leaving to pick up Madeline from my aunt's house.

On the way back, she just wanted to know how her baby was doing.

"Do I get to go see my baby brother?"

"Is my baby brother at home?"

"Is my baby brother in his crib?"

When she walked in, she headed right to Caleb and cooed, "Oooh, my cute baby brother."

And then my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces.

 

During the whole pregnancy, Madeline really wanted to buy things for the baby. We bought a few gifts but I told her once the baby was born and we knew boy or girl, then she could buy her own present for the baby.

After Caleb was born, my parents took Madeline shopping and she picked out this dog. She named him Blue.

She is convinced that Blue makes Caleb very happy and is always concerned about keeping Blue close to him. (Joe and I always have to watch for Blue being too close at times.)

It is a gift to watch her love on him.

His name

Caleb Lamont

"Caleb \c(a)-leb\ pronounced KAY-leb. It is of Hebrew origin and the meaning of Caleb is "faith, devotion, wholehearted."

If you asked me a month ago if we would name our son Caleb, I probably would have told you not likely. I've always liked the name and it was on The Very Long List but it wasn't a top contender.

But as these last few weeks went by introducing even more scary risks for a high-fluid delivery, I started reading Numbers 13 and 14 and Isaiah 43 daily to remind myself of God's never-ending faithfulness.

And then I just fell in love with the idea of claiming a name that reflects His promise to always remain faithful.

In Numbers, God has already rescued His people, the Israelites, from Egyptian slavery and is leading them to a wonderful new land. He promised they would live there. It was already theirs; they just had to reach it. When they were close, God asks Moses to send 12 leaders to scout out the new land. He reiterates it's just to explore.

"The LORD said to Moses, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites."
13: 1- 2 

The 12 men leave to explore and came back with their reports. Ten men only focus on the negative.

"They gave Moses this account: 'We went into the land to which you sent us...the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large...we can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.'”
13: 27, 28, 31

Undaunted, faithful and wholeheartedly trusting in God, Caleb speaks up. Even though he saw the same scary people. Even though he is speaking against the majority.

"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.'"

13: 30

But the Israelites freak out. They only think about the scariness of entering this land, the place God promised. They chose fear over God's promise.

Caleb and Joshua do not. They totally and completely believe God when He says they can do it, even if God's promise contradicts what they saw with their own eyes.

The freaked-out Israelites spend the night weeping in fear so the next day, Caleb and Joshua speak up again. And their words are strong.

"Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them."

14:9

But the Israelites still don't trust God's word of promise and now they want to actually kill Caleb and Joshua for not reacting just like them. At this point, God is angry.

"The LORD said to Moses, 'How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?'"

14:11

He has already displayed His power and strength but only two people believe His words when faced with overwhelming odds. 

The result? God forgives the people because of His great love but there is a consequence: none of these people will enter the promised land. Not one. Their kids will get to live in this amazing place but their parents won't because of their unfaithfulness and choosing to not trust God. 

BUT, Caleb and Joshua will. Because of their faithfulness and trust when staring at an overwhelming, scary situation, God has enormous blessings for them and their families.

"But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it."

14:24

Every night, I finish my bedtime prayer with Madeline with "Help us love you more and more every day." 

Now I get to pray this over and with Caleb. "Lord, help him and me love you more and more every day." If I had to summarize my prayer with one word, it would be "wholehearted." 

Caleb, the wholehearted.

Oh, Jesus, may he follow you wholeheartedly.

The middle name. Lamont is for Joe's dad and his grandpa who passed away this spring.

His dad passed away 12 years ago when Joe was 16. I never knew him but many members of my family did. And whenever someone talks about his dad, they always sincerely describe him the exact same way, "He was the kindest man you would ever meet." 

I would never want to rewrite my relationship with Joe but if given the choice, I would have loved to have met him earlier, just so I could have known his dad. Now I would also love for Madeline and Caleb to know him.

The Lamonts who are now with Jesus were men who loved God and loved everyone around them. They were men of prayer. They were men who didn't care what other people thought of them; they just followed God. They were a lot like Caleb of the Bible.

So my itty-bitty Caleb Lamont, there's a whole lot of special meaning packed into the 11 letters of your name. Your daddy and I will pray every day in faith that you will live out your name.

We pray you will faithfully follow Jesus with your whole heart because He is the only One who loves you more than we do.

My beautiful things

We had a baby yesterday.

His name is Caleb Lamont Mayes and he is perfection wrapped up in a polka-dot blanket under a thick head of dark hair.

He arrived at 8:39 a.m., weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces and stretching to 21.5 inches.

He is healthy and strong and my heart was immediately filled with the goodness of knowing my baby is safe.

We couldn't hold him right away but he instantly stopped crying when Joe spoke to him. 

He knows his daddy and his daddy loves his son.

And then there's this little girl.

She is beyond thrilled to finally see and touch and hold her baby brother.

This is my family. This is my heart.

We have a son named Caleb and we are completely smitten.

"You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us."

Get the girl a card

This week, we celebrated a huge milestone for Madeline: her first library card. She tells everyone she's old enough for her own card because she's 4 years old and a responsible preschooler.

I don't have the heart to tell her she could have gotten one much earlier. She just now got it because, after exactly 53 months, mama finally bought a copy of her birth certificate which is a requirement for a kids library card and *cough cough* kindergarten applications.

She was so excited to have her own card and insisted on checking out her books all by herself.

She takes this new-found responsibility very seriously.

Before we left, she threw her arms around my belly, pressed her face into it, looked up at me and said, "You're the best mom EVER."

It made for a semi-noisy scene in a quiet library but I totally didn't mind. I threw it right back at her and quietly yelled, "You're the best kid EVER."

Because she totally is and I want her to always know that, with or without library rules.

Playing Zebra in her wigwam

This week, Madeline has been learning all about Native Americans in preschool. The classroom has been transformed with two big tee-pees, several bear skin rugs and even a real lit (with electricity) fire in the middle.

One of my favorite times of day are the few minutes in the car right after I pick her up. She chatters on and on about what she learned, what she did and who she played with at school.

I love to just take it all in. Her kiddie voice. Her expressions. Her wild hand movements.

This week, I've been hearing all about rain sticks, buffalo and songs about wigwams.

According to her teacher, Indiana names are determined by 1) your favorite activity to do with her and 2) your favorite animal.

Hence, Madeline is Playing Zebra, Joe is Playing Lion and I am Listening Dog.

Even though I do love dogs the most, I really should have rethought my answer since I now have to answer when she calls out "Listening Dog!" 20 times a day.

On Thursday night, we picked up the new crib and Madeline and Joe assembled it together while I put my feet up for the 5,000th time. ("Together" has an open-ended definition in that sentence.) When Madeline lost interest about 15 seconds in, Joe offered to make a wigwam out of the big box. Madeline's response was something like, "SQUUUEEEEAAAAAHHHHHYEEEESSSSSSS." 

Which is why she's currently sleeping in a bed like this:

She went to bed really late that night because we were having a blast just hanging out as a family.

I found myself wondering what in the world Joe and I did in the evenings before she came along.

She makes every aspect of our lives so much more fun.

Week 37

I haven't been posting recently because Blogger wouldn't let me add photos and I've suddenly turned into a person who doesn't want to blog without photos.

Who am I and what happened to camera-less Katie??

I took this photo on Monday when the baby and I turned 37 weeks.

(If you've been paying attention to previous belly shots, you might notice the background is different. Our door mirror got rearranged to make room for the new aquarium. More on that later.)

Week 37 shall go down as the week when my belly was too big for any shirt, even the amazing Gap maternity tank tops which have sustained me to this point. 

I have worn a dress over pants every day since last Friday. I have a huge fear of showing my pale, stretch-marked skin and would rather look like a dressy pants fool than flash a little (or lot) of belly.

I will remember this as the week when I desperately wanted to burn every pair of pants and sock that I own and scream at the sky for sending down snowflakes, forcing me to wear pants and socks. 

I'm just really over pants and socks at this point.

This week, I realized that baby will probably be very familiar with four voices: mine, Joe's, Madeline's and Conan O'Brien's. Joe and I watch Conan every night before we fall asleep and I think there's now a strong chance this child might find his voice as comforting as mine.

We had an ultrasound on Monday and got to see the adorable smooshed little face again. Baby Rockne weighed in around 9 pounds, 9 ounces and the fluid level is about the same at 35.

Sidenote: I got really excited that the fluid level was one point lower than the previous ultrasound. The technician just laughed at me and said, "Well, that's one way to look at high fluid." But I was happy the number didn't increase for the first time in this pregnancy.

At my appointment on Tuesday, we had all good results yet again: low blood pressure, great baby heart rate and zero dilation. When I told my doctor that I thought it was great that the fluid level decreased, he also laughed. 

Apparently, I'm easily thrilled due to my immense lack of medical knowledge.

Because of all the fluid, the baby is still able to move and change positions to his/her heart's content. While we want the baby to once and for all put the head down and stay down, I LOVE all the movement. I love feeling the movement. I love watching the movement. I love when someone else can place their hand on belly and feel the life inside.

When this pregnancy is over, I will not miss the aching bones when I stand upright. I will not the heartburn. I will not miss my swollen feet that make strangers gasp. But I will miss feeling a baby inside me, turning and punching and swimming and moving.

I am so thankful. 

I am so thankful that God allowed me to carry this child for this long.

I am so thankful.

The Last Supper Weekend

Madeline had an awesome, laid-back weekend which included plenty of princess play time and a Happy Meal picnic with Joe.

If she ever tries to tell me her childhood wasn't fun, I will whip out this photo faster than she can cry, "OH YEAH, NOW I REMEMBER!"

Joe and I had a great weekend too but it wasn't very laid-back. We're really feeling like this baby could come at any time and I kept thinking," Is this our last weekend as a family of three?"

In addition to put the house back together, finishing Madeline's new big girl room and setting up the nursery, Joe decided to also set up a 55-gallon aquarium.

What can I say? We like to go big with home changes.

Thanks to Joe, our house is really coming back together after mucho painting, sawing and rearranging. You know the end is near because we finally bought the crib tonight. It won't come in for another week but this is how we like to parent: by the seat of our pants.

While Joe was slaving away at home, I had a weekend of partying. Up first, Joe's cousin Christina and the Mayes cousins threw a non-baby shower for Baby Rockne on Saturday. 

We were so blessed with tons of gifts when I was pregnant with Madeline and I didn't need another shower with gifts. But Christina insisted on still celebrating with a "no gifts, no fun" party.

So, of course, we took a picture to demonstrate exactly how much fun we were NOT having. There was zero laughing, zero story-telling and especially zero Pinterest sharing going on the ENTIRE time.

My favorite is Erin's thumbs-down because the downward thumb really is the perfect way to welcome a little life into this world.

Also, please drink in the edible line-up. These ladies know how to bring the carbohydrates. There was nary a fruit in sight and it was glorious

Janna made a pumpkin custard pie for the event. You might think the B's are for baby but you would be wrong. 

B is for boy because she is COMPLETELY convinced this little one is a he.

Then on Sunday, my aunts held a wedding shower for my cousin's fiancee Pilar. 

(This is a picture from the family Halloween party. I promise we didn't wear zipped sweatshirts to a wedding shower. There might have been pants under my dress at the shower because my knees haven't touched in weeks but I draw the line at velour.)

Sadly, my feet were huge that afternoon and I sat throughout most of the event and didn't take a single photo.

SAD FACE.

The shower was wonderful and delicious, complete with an opening of gifts that would make any woman married longer than six years experience severe kitchen utensil envy. 

(Moi.)

If you think a shower doesn't last at least five hours, then you've never met my family. We can talk or not talk for hours and still find things to not talk about. And eat as we go.

Ryan and Pilar are getting married in Aruba on Thanksgiving weekend and unfortunately Joe, Madeline and I can't make it, what with the new baby and all. 

(I know, I know. Rachel Zoe would totally make a plane trip two weeks after having a baby AND show up at the beach in a bikini. She and I have a few other differences, like my inability to wear heels.)

But I am SO excited for them to get married and plan to watch the ceremony as it's streamed online. While Pilar is rocking one of the most gorgeous wedding dresses ever, I will probably be on my couch in a nursing tank top, a velour sweatshirt and slippers. 

At least I will be snuggling a tiny (BIG) baby so the sting won't last too long.

Nine years

Nine years ago today, Joe picked me up at my dorm and we had our first date in a little coffee shop just off campus. I knew from the start that I would either marry him or he would break my heart.

Let's just say I liked him a lot at this point, especially his sense of humor. (After all, he did ask me out with a line from "Dumb and Dumber" but I never anticipated that he would one day wear our daughter's Dora wig.)

He has loved me hard from the very beginning and has promised before God and everyone to love me to the end.

This is a guy who drove an hour one way on a cold November morning to ask my dad for permission to start dating me.

This is a guy who asked me on our first date how he could serve me as we started our new relationship. I can honestly say he hasn't stop serving me since.

Joe is patient with me all the time but especially while I'm pregnant. He picks up my slack and never says boo about it.

He loves our babies just as hard as he loves me which is so wonderful to watch.

He makes wise decisions for our family and curbs my impulsiveness.

He's the first person I want to talk to when I experience something funny, sad, boring or interesting and he is the only person I want in the delivery room. 

He puts everyone else's needs above his, including never letting me get near cleaning products or wet paint while pregnant.

He also never takes a serious photo but I can live with that fault.

This week, I found a new song that I absolutely love, "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. (And when I say "new," I mean it was released 18 months ago and I'm just now hearing it.)

(If you've never heard of him, you need to listen to AT LEAST "Nothing Fancy" and "I Have and I Always Will.")

Davey-Baby strikes again with "God Gave Me You." I listened to it and immediately thought it was written about Joe. With all of my heart, I am absolutely certain God gave me Joe because He knew how much I would need him.

He is my best friend and I love kissing him when he comes home at the end of the day.

I love you, Joe. Nine years down, forever to go.

In which Katie continues to misplace her brain

This will make sense only to those of you who watched this week's episode of "How I Met Your Mother."

To properly set up this conversation, I would have to give a very lengthy background with pointless details. While that hasn't always stopped me from blogging in the past, I'm just going to move along and briefly say:

• I was supposed to withdraw cash at the bank
• I KNEW I was supposed to withdraw cash 
• when I deposited some checks, I thought about withdrawing cash 
• but, for a reason which can only be described as pregnancy brain, I didn't withdraw any cash.

When Joe asked me about it later and I attempted to explain my irrationality, he just looked at me and said, "OK, Lily."

Me: "Oh, that reminds me. I was thinking if we end up with a second baby in here, I think we should name the twins Marshall and Lily."

*Joe shoots me a look*

Me: "We've already talked about this, haven't we?"

Joe: "OK, Lily."

*end scene*

Week 36 and Beer Bread

Hey! Guess what?!?!?! 

Baby and I made it to week 36! 

I'm nine months pregnant! 

We're officially in the month that my second baby will be born!

I'm so stroked to get to this point. A baby born now is medically full-term and I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief to make it.

My doctor's appointment yesterday went great yesterday: good heartbeat for baby, low blood pressure for me and zero dilation. This baby is just gonna keep cooking.

Also, I nearly laughed when I checked BabyCenter's week 36 update: the baby should "now weigh almost 6 pounds." Um...two weeks ago, Baby Rockne was over 7 pounds. 

It would be comical at this point but some *ahem* certain bones aren't laughing.

There really is no smooth transition from groaning bones to beer bread so I'm just going to head there.

As I wandered the aisles of Aldi's today, I spotted a box of beer bread mix and instantly craved a slice of warm beer bread. I hardly ever buy boxed mixes because I don't want to spend my grocery budget to make something that I probably have most of the ingredients at home already. 

Plus, I'm no food snob (hola Taco Bell) but I think homemade always tastes better.

However, I haven't been baking recently. You know, like, at all. These days, a good night is when I actually make dinner instead of sending Joe out to pick something up so a loaf of pumpkin bread or a dozen muffins are definitely not finding their way into my oven.

But this afternoon, I needed beer bread and I needed it badly. So I bought the box and a can of citrus pop. 

(Confession: I very strongly dislike the taste and smell of beer so I make beer bread with Sprint or 7-Up. It just tastes way better to me.)

Sadly, I was disappointed. The box mix definitely did not taste anything like homemade beer bread. And then I was sad to think that maybe some people haven't tasted the divinity of homemade beer bread. 

So if you want to try a good recipe, Sarah's homemade beer bread is my favorite. I may or may not have gone through a phase a couple years ago when I made two or three loaves a week.

Disclaimer: this recipe is not good for your hips. Or rear end. Or abdomen. But your taste buds will thank you.

(P.S. Did you hear?! Baby Rockne and I made it to nine months!)