Photoshoot with Chelsea and Ezekiel

     I met two of my closest friends in the sixth grade (my husband Tim and Chelsea). Technically, I knew Chelsea before 6th grade, but my first strong memory of her was when my teacher (a.k.a. future father in law) asked those of us who transferred from the other Christian school in the area if we knew Chelsea. I piped up that I knew Chelsea and was awarded a new seatmate. Fast forward 18 years (has it really been that long since sixth grade!), college, marriage, and who can count how many other life changes between the two of us, and we're still close friends.
  This has been a big year for Chelsea. Not only is this her 25th year of being in America, she also graduated college, and Ezekiel turned 7 and has lived almost 5 years longer than the doctors said he would when he had liver failure. Every birthday for Ezekiel is a huge reason to celebrate.  So, Chelsea wanted to get some photos done to commemorate these huge events and I was more than willing to play around with my camera and work on my photography skills.

The Past Month

Today, I looked at the date and realized that over a month has gone by without me writing about our lives.  We've been busy and have had many "blog worthy adventures". We'll just say that we are too busy living life to write more often or something else cheesy like that. It's totally not because I forget to download the pictures off my camera until my card is full and don't think to write unless there are photos to go along with my ramblings!  To my credit, I did bring my tablet to my mother in law's house to write while I did laundry (our washer is kaput!), but we got to talking and the writing got put off until nap time.

This past month, Daddy brought out his Lego set and helped the boys construct some impressive creatures, space ships, and pirate islands.

The boys construct their own islands using the larger blocks (the only ones I allow on the floor now that there is a baby afoot.).

Tim and Beniah also deconstructed our broken coffee grinder just to see what it was like in there.

A couple in my life group at church invited the boys and I out to visit their new foal. Both boys were nervous about meeting the horses, but Beniah was the only one brave enough to come close to them. There is talk about horse back riding in the future. I'm excited about that since I haven't ridden a horse since I was a child.

We also went walking with a friend and stopped at a playground where Isaac shared his first swing ride with his new buddy, Titus.

I also turned 29 this month. I don't have any photos to show me opening my presents of 7 flower seed packets from Elijah and the tally counter from Beniah (so I can count how many questions he asks me). I don't have any photos from our fun dining out experience at Olive Garden (the boys were really good there. Shockingly good.) or of the planet cake that I made for my birthday to help show how the earth has an inner core. Why do I not have any of those photos, you ask? They were deleted off of my camera before I uploaded them to the computer. Nooo!!!
On the bright side, since I don't have proof that I turned 29 that means I won't be turning 30 next year, right?

Isaac FAQs

 During our hospital stay, we were relatively quiet on Facebook, in emails, and on this blog, mainly because the internet was spotty in our hospital room, but partially because I kept falling asleep at random moments. I don't even know how many cups of my requested peppermint tea went cold because I would fall asleep as soon as I was given the tea.

So, this post is an attempt to answer those questions (although some were answered in my previous post) and to show off my adorable baby some more.

What are Issac's STATS?
  Isaac was 7 lbs. 9 oz. He is 20.5" long with a 14.5" head.  He was almost 2 pounds lighter than Beniah and Elijah were at their births.

  


How was the c-section?
   Considering that the doctors were wrist deep in my belly (that line is for you Tim), this c-section was my best surgery. The anesthesiologist placed my spinal perfectly and I had absolutely no pain or "hot spots" this time around. It was really nice to not be given more morphine during the surgery and to be more "with it" in the recovery room and enjoy cuddling with my baby boy. The main problem I had with the surgery was not being able to painlessly laugh when Isaac peed on himself and Tim's face.

If you had to choose one aspect of Isaac that is your favorite, what would it be?
   My favorite aspect of Isaac would definitely NOT be his wonderful baby smell that comes and goes depending on the cleanliness of his diaper. My favorite would be his Vulcan right ear.  The nurse told us that his ear was probably pressed against something in utero and would round out over time. We'll miss this quirky little ear when it rounds out.

Live long and prosper, little one!

What was Elijah's reactions to Isaac? 
   Elijah loves his baby brother and comments on how cute he is and has asked to hold Isaac, but he does seem to have a bit of jealousy over how much I am holding Isaac. At one point, Isaac was starting to get upset so I bent over to pick him up and Elijah said (in a pathetically sad voice), "Mama, don't pick him up." Thankfully, Tim was right there to care for Isaac so I could cuddle more with Elijah. It's definitely going to be a juggling act between caring for my baby boy and my little cuddle bug.

 

"Look at his little mouth!"

"Looking at babies is not nearly as fun as coloring with Daddy."

How did you deal with hospital boredom?
   I made both boys a big brother bag and filled it with some Target dollar spot toys and coloring books. I used this bag idea that I found on Pinterest and modified it to include 2 handles.

 

Of course, the tablets came out to be played.

Other than randomly falling asleep and cuddling my baby, I had one of my closest friends and her son come over for a visit.

 

Tim, of course, took the opportunity to cuddle with his son

But once his arm went numb, Tim began taking many random photos (mainly to tease me about the page long list of photos that I wanted). While there are a lot to be deleted, he got some pretty clever ones.

 

 

How are you feeling?
    I am feeling much better now that I am at home resting and watching my boys play together and love on their little baby brother.

Elijah is happy to be a big brother. He was just not happy with the number of cameras pointing at him.

The Whittaker Five preparing to head home.

 

 

We are all very proud to have Isaac join our family!
  

Partying Like a 5 Year Old!

The past two days has been party central here at the Whittaker household. Yesterday was Beniah's 5th birthday which we celebrated as a family with banners, balloons, and singing galore.

Beniah kept grinning a goofy, embarrassed grin whenever he got "Happy Birthday" sung to him.

 Since Tim had to work that night, we did the majority of the gift opening in the morning after breakfast.

Beniah requested pancakes for dinner, so I made him some birthday cake pancakes from a Pinterest recipe.  Silly mama that I am could have made him some of my regular blueberry pancakes and he would have been just as happy.

Cake (made by the lovely Grandma Whittaker so that I could rest more) soon followed dinner.

Which was then followed by calls from Aunties, Uncles, and cousins.

  Proof that he was listening to your singing Auntie Jo and not just reading his book! :)

Soon, it was bedtime (much to my relief) for the next day was the highly anticipated bowling alley birthday party at Big Al's!

 There was bowling!

 We love Beniah's arm flap of excitement!

 Elijah got a spare on his first frame (with a bit of help from his Daddy) which made him SO excited 

but left him disappointed in his bowling the rest of the time.

There were friends and friends who are also cousins!

There was even more bowling!

 There was pizza and cupcakes!

There was presents!

Yeah for really cool planets that can hang from your ceiling! 

Beniah tried to convince me to hang them up before his rest time after the party. Ha! Nice try kiddo.

There was the assembling of presents with Daddy once we got home!

 There was leftover pizza for dinner (since Mama was WAY too tired to cook)!

(Apparently the Hot & Delicious Pizza made just for me was made by the Devil himself!)

Beniah had a wonderful time bowling and asked as we were getting ready to leave, "Mama, when can we come back to Big Al's?"  I'm thinking this is going to become a monthly family game day (as long as it's over before nap time.