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Baby Jack's Birth Story

EDIT: This post was originally written way back in 2013. I recently went through all of my old posts and deleted more than half. I kept this and edited it a bit, just to clean up some typos and rearrange a few words to improve flow. I didn't realize doing so would make it now appear as though I published it in 2018. So, yeah. That happened. (The usual disclaimers for males apply: there is some female/birth-specific yuckiness in this post. Do not continue if that grosses you out.) Yes, yes, I know, here I am jumping on the Birth Story bandwagon. Honestly, though, I want to encourage (and disabuse) other first time mothers who, like me, knew exactly what they are going to do when the time came to give birth and how they were going to handle a newborn baby. Let me just say that reality has a funny way of bursting your idealistic bubble. To begin, I knew that, this being my first birth, I was going to be in labor for at least 22 hours (why 22 and not 23 or 21, I don't know)
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Scattered Updates

Remember that second house we went to see? The one built in 1972? Well, my parents bought it and EJ and I have been living in it since March. =) Unfortunately, there were a number of problems with the house not readily apparent when they signed the papers; nearly everything major has had to be replaced: boiler, plumbing, well, septic. The selling agent, we later found out, knew about all of them but didn't say a word. Unfortunately, except for the septic tank needing replaced, we have no concrete proof that would stand up in a court of law - and, even if we did, I'm not sure if it'd be worth it to take him there. Sometimes it's better to just move on. After all, I still love the house. We've had fun remodeling and redecorating everything and it's really starting to feel like home. I'm THIS close to opening a daycare and goodness knows we could use the money. Jack is a little monkey who gets into everything and has a sparkling, mischievous smile. He'
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The Child is Mobile

Heaven help us, Jack can scoot. ~~~~ The house deal fell through. Surprisingly, I felt completely at peace when I heard the news. All along God had been sending us clues that this wasn't going to happen, but we ignored them. So, when the appraisal came through $29,000 below their absolute lowest acceptable price, it was simply the culmination of what we all already suspected. Thus, I let it go without a tear. We went and saw another house today. It was built in 1972 and I don't think the homeowners have done anything with it since. The place was a time capsule. And I loved it. Seriously, they maintained  the place beautifully. Wallpaper can be removed, rotten window sills, however, are a different story altogether. Thankfully, there was nothing like that at this place. Dad liked the property as well, so I think we're going to go for it. If it's not meant to be, I've been praying God would stop us in our tracks again, but, if it is, I pray He smooths the way fo
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Sleeeeep...

Jack slept through the night!!!! Woohoo!! That's two nights in a row now, which gives me hope it's not just a fluke. Oh my goodness, five and a half months without a single full night's sleep and now suddenly, BAM, eight hours of uninterrupted sleepy goodness. He's also falling asleep like a champ. I don't even have to rock him anymore. Letting him cry it out, while hard for us both, has worked wonders. I just take him upstairs, turn on his lullabies, and lay him in his crib. A few minutes of quiet fussing, then silence. This is wonderful. Simply wonderful. He's making up for it, though, by being extra clingy during the day. Actually, it began exactly after he slept through the night the first time (meaning it started yesterday). He doesn't want to be put down. He doesn't want to be in the Boba, front or back (although front is better than back when I'm desperate), he wants to be held in my arms so he can look and move and reach and grab and heav
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Words

Has it been five months already? What happened to that small, seven-pound blob who came home from the hospital? Where did this wriggly, happy, long baby come from? Jack just cut his two bottom front teeth. He still doesn't roll over (he's done it twice by accident, but he just can't figure out how to move that arm out of the way). He's finally gotten some blond fuzz on the top of his (adorable) head, but, to most people, he's simply bald. He has blueberry eyes. Seriously, his irises are the color of blueberries! He's learning to sit on his own. He has the cutest smile and he gives his smiles away so easily. Such a happy baby. EJ's set to come back at the end of November. I can't wait! The house project is moving forward. Things are looking a bit more certain, though I have to keep in mind that it could still all go up in smoke at any moment. That's the price you pay for buying a "For Sale by Owner" property. Pinterest is electronic c
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A Holy Innocent

Two days ago, one of my closest friends found out her 25-week-old unborn baby had passed away. Yesterday, with her husband beside the bed, she delivered his body and named him Jonathan. When I and a few other people close to them went to visit and conduct a small prayer ceremony, they let us see him. Jonathan looked like a small, wrinkled doll, with his mother's lips and his father's nose, fingers perfectly formed (and incredibly tiny fingernails), and arms thinner than pencils. He was beautiful. They'll go on to have many more children, but we will never forget their firstborn, their little saint, who is now in Heaven, watching over and praying for them.
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I know I'm a month and a half late, but baby Jack is finally here! Weighing in at a healthy 7lbs 8oz and 19 1/2 inches long, he was born at 3:01am on April 2nd. The first month left me kind of shell-shocked, but I'm beginning to peek cautiously over the edge and look about me again. He's already so big (13lbs as of yesterday)! He just started smiling and even laughing a little and he's so alert now. It just melts my heart to see him smile when he sees me. =3
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