The Weavers

It Speaks!

2011-01-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

Lincoln has always been a pleasant baby, but he is making the transition to "pleasant kid" now, and one of the biggest factors is that he is learning a LOT of words. He will repeat (or try to repeat) anything I say now, which is both highly entertaining and also worrisome.

While we are really proud of him for speaking pretty clearly most of the time, absolutely no one thinks that would make for an interesting blog entry. You guys, like generations of "America's Funniest Home Videos" viewers before you, want to see/hear when things go wrong. Therefore, I present to you a list of words that Lincoln still has a bit of trouble with, replete with translation guide.

"Nini" = Lincoln ("Yaaaaaaaay Nini!!!" is a regular part of potty training)
"Epis" = Octopus
"Nanum" = Grandmother
"MommyDaddy" = Mediocre. (I gave it a shot, and thus probably deserved the result.)
"Tail" = Private Parts. (I can follow the logic here, mistaken as it may be.)
"Butt-ball" = Football

Okay, okay. I said I wasn't going to tell you the ones he gets right, but there are a few that he does really well, including: Touchdown!, Big Hug, I love you, and twinkle twinkle.

Potty training is going great, but (entertaining as they may be) I think I have crossed enough lines already today in the "what is acceptable" game.

-Levi

just shy of 17 months

2010-08-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

...which is apparently the age at which little boys begin to think that their bodily functions are hil.a.rious. It CRACKS Lincoln up when he toots. He stops what he's doing, looks up at me, laughs - then attempts a repeat performance.

In other news, he also loves puzzles and books. My dear friend, Lauren, brought Lincoln a fruits & veggies puzzle when she came to visit and he wants to put it together every day. And, he actually CAN put it together - we were shocked. The first time we put all the pieces down he put them all right where they belong. Apparently we don't give that little guy enough credit (um, basically he's a genius). Currently his favorite book is Pekaboo Morning. Several times a day he brings it to me and sits on my lap while I read it (usually more than once). My favorite part is the page that says, "Peekaboo, I see my train" - Lincoln puts his little fist in the air and says "choo choo" - love it!

His vocabulary is exploding. He still mostly speaks Lincolnese, but it's amazing how much he's learning every day. Some of the words he uses most often are: Daddy, Mommy, Belle, good girl, bye (pronounced with a deeeeep accent (?)...more like baaaai), please, thank you, shoe, kitty, and book. He also says "no" increasingly often. We can always tell when he's about to get into something he's not supposed to because we hear a little voice saying, "no, no, no" (usually accompanied by one little finger pointing at whatever he's not supposed to be getting into).

Here are a few pictures from a recent experience with spaghetti:

Love these curls!

Musician's Hall of Fame

2010-05-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

The Musician's Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville is being relocated due to the new convention center being built downtown. We were able to visit the original location on the last day that it was open:

First Baseball Game

2010-04-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

One Year Dr Appointment

2010-03-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

Fort Worth Museum of Science & History

2010-03-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

Chrstmas '09

2010-01-22T14:29:00.000-08:00

Wondering who Lincoln resembles the most?

2009-12-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

...it's Grandpa Russ (Levi's dad):

First Titans Game

2009-12-13T18:02:00.001-08:00

We went to our first Titans game today! Lincoln loved it; the highlights for him included knocking over an entire basket of goldfish (the crackers) and flirting with all the ladies. We had a great time and the Titans smoked the Rams. Now if we could just get the Cowboys to win a game...

Scrub-a-dub-dub

2009-12-13T17:56:00.000-08:00

dad

+mom

=lincoln

Lincoln has a new cousin!

2009-12-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

My sister, Esther and her husband, Ben welcomed a precious baby girl into the world this morning (on her due date!).

Kate Marie Cowan
6lb 9oz, 19 inches of PERFECT:

Congratulations, Esther & Ben, she's beautiful. I love her so much!

Quack.

2009-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

Weekend in Texas

2009-11-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

Four Generations of Weaver Men

2009-11-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

Lincoln-son as the Karate Kid

2009-11-02T07:42:00.001-08:00

A trip to the Pumkin Patch with Aunt Katie

2009-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Like Father, Like Son

2009-10-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ladies & Gentlemen, we have a tooth

2009-10-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

Lincoln sprouted his first tooth today!

If you click on the image to enlarge it, then squint and hold your head juuuust right you can see it :).

Sweet Birthday Surprise

2009-10-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

Aunt Katie gave me such a sweet birthday surprise. I came home from work to dinner, a yummy cake, and these adorable party hats that she made. Thank you, Katie!

High Five

2009-10-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Dad gets high fives (sorry for the terrible video quality, it's from my phone).

6 Months

2009-09-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that our baby is already 6 months old. The official stats are: 16 lbs and 26 inches. He is such an easy going little guy; his current favorite activities include playing with his toys, reading books, and jumping in the jumperoo (oh, and pulling hair). Hearing the "i love you, a bushel and a peck..." song always brings a smile to his face and he's loving the 'real' food that he's recently begun to experiment with (he REALLY wants to feed himself). He talks and giggles all of the time and we've discovered that his underarms and thighs are ticklish. He's fascinated by Belle and we're working on the whole concept of being gentle. He has perfected a combination of ninja rolls and scooting to get anywhere he wants to go and he is always on the move, which makes diaper time extra awesome. He has recently experienced the nursery at church for the first time (did great) and he's really enjoying interaction with other kiddos, especially his cousins.
What a blessing this sweet, sweet boy is.

Hawaii

2009-09-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Levi's parents took us to Hawaii. It was absolutely beautiful and so much fun. Thank you, Russ and Anna!

A little bedtime story

2009-08-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Visiting Grandpa, Great Grammy, and Great Granpda

2009-08-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Lincoln and Baxter: Tummy Time

2009-08-16T06:24:00.001-07:00

My sweet friend,Krysten, kept Lincoln for several hours last night while Levi and I worked. Here's a picture she sent of our little guy hanging out with her little guy (Baxter):

So cute! Thank you, Krysten!

Lincoln's First Swim

2009-08-11T07:29:00.001-07:00

On Sunday evening, Lincoln attended ladies night with me and went for his very first swim. He LOVED it. Thank you, Leslie, for documenting the occasion:

First comes love...

2009-08-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

On August 2nd,my parents celebrated their 34th anniversary:

Exactly 32 years and 2 days later Levi and I were married.

Mom and Dad, thank you for your beautiful example of love.

Levi, thank you for making it possible for me to experience that kind of love. You're my perfect match and I look forward to our next 32 years and beyond.

4 Months

2009-07-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Lincoln had his 4 month check-up on Thursday, which meant more shots. He did great, but the nurse (a different one than we usually have) made his little leg bleed, and I did not like it. one. bit. Other than that, the appointment went well. The official stats are: 24.75 inches (which means that either our unofficial measurement of 25 inches at 3 months was way off, or he wasn't stretched out all the way at his appointment) and 14lbs. He's between he 25th and 50th percentile for both height and weight and, at 43cm, he's in the 95th percentile for head circumference (for his big, brilliant brain :)).

This stage is so much fun. Lincoln talks, sings, and laughs and has so much personality. He loves it when I do 'this little piggy' with his toes and when Levi gives him raspberries on his tummy. He's getting so strong; he holds his head up like a pro and always wants to stand up. He reaches out for his toys and brings them straight to his mouth (along with anything else that gets within range). And, of course, he just gets more adorable every single day!

tasty toes

on the way home from Ohio

helping dad work

in the studio with dad, recording drums for the new album.

taking a break from gnawing on the side of his bumbo chair to be exceptionally cute.

Weekend trip to Ohio

2009-07-06T13:12:00.001-07:00

My office was closed on Friday for Independence Day, so Lincoln and I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and make a last-minute roadtrip to Athens, Ohio to visit his GGma and GGpa (my dad’s parents). He was such a trooper in the car (8+ hours each way) and we had a wonderful time. We arrived around 6:00 on Friday and spent the evening with GGma and GGpa, Uncle Ron (my dad’s brother) and Aunt Lynne, my cousin, Nathan, his wife, Emily, and their new baby, Hunter. On Saturday, my Aunt Bonnie (my mom’s sister) and Uncle Dave were sweet enough to drive down to my grandparents house to spend some time with us. Then, on Saturday evening, Aunt Lynne put together a huge cookout so that Lincoln could meet even more family. It was so great to see everyone!

Visiting with GGma (she has lots of good stories to tell about Grandpa!)

Happy to be in GGpa's arms

Playtime with GGpa

Uncle Ron and Aunt Lynne get some smiles too.

Cousins and wee cousins. My cousin, Nathan, and his new baby, Hunter.

Little buddies. (Hunter makes Lincoln look so big!)

Thank you, Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Dave, for making the drive to visit with us.

We love Aunt Bonnie!

Lincoln laughed and laughed for Uncle Dave

GGma and GGpa with 2 of their 3 great-grandsons (we missed the rest of the gang!). Can you believe the boys outnumber the girls now?

My grandparents are amazing.

CLARIFICATION POST

2009-07-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

As pointed out to me by my loving wife and her dad...

...did you know that when you type d-a-r-n in italics in this font, it looks remarkably like another similar word that may indicate that the catchiness of a song may be eternally condemned?

it's true.

in an attempt to avoid such confusion in the future, I shall use other words that look safer in italics.

"so EVERLOVIN' catchy"
"so PEACHES AND CREAM catchy"
"so NEW YORK YANKEES catchy" <- means the same thing as any swear.

-Levi

Dad-From-Home Songs

2009-07-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Heather totally wins at blogging.

I'm really verbose when it comes to the decline of the music industry, or why I love traveling, or any number of controversial topics, but when it comes to pictures of videos from around the house, I am not (even close to) the best blogger in this house. Kudos, love.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a little from life at the 604....

I remember hearing somewhere that Aunt Bonnie was certain that Lincoln's arrival would be inspiration for a new song. Well, she had no idea just how prolific I was going to be...

For a couple of reasons (Lincoln responds pretty well to music / I don't know what to say to non-English-speaking babies) I end up making up LOADS of new songs every day. Examples from today include such hits as:

"Let's go heat that hot hot water, hot water, hot water, let's heat hot water" (redundant, and factually incorrect - if the water were hot, it would not need heating.)

"Lincoln made a poop, yes a poop, that's a poop" (redundant, but factually correct. that was, in fact, a poop.)

"please don't yell, it makes me kick our innocent dog" (factually incorrect, but just so darn catchy.)

my freestyle lullaby skills are improving, too. Did you know sleep rhymes with

cheap - "it's not like your diapers are..."
weep - "please don't make me..."
jeep - "i'll buy you a..."
keep - "that last promise, I totally can't..."

hm. according to rhymezone.com, it also rhymes with go deep, junk heap, and vegetable sheep.

WHAT THE HECK IS A VEGETABLE SHEEP?

looks like bedtime just took a turn for the surreal.

Sweet Smiles

2009-06-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

3 Months

2009-06-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

Lincoln is three months old! He continues to amaze us and he's showing more and more of his sweet personality every day. His unofficial (tape measure and bathroom scale) stats are: height: 25inches, weight: 13lbs.

Some of his tricks at this stage include:

Reaching out for his toys (and bringing them straight to his mouth when he gets ahold of them).
Rolling from his back to his tummy and from his tummy to his back (he still doesn't do either very often).
Smiling ALL the time (well, when there is no camera present) - he's such a happy little guy. He's still holding out on the belly laugh, but we've gotten a few chuckles here and there.
Pushing himself up with his arms to look around when he's on his tummy.
Holding his head up like a pro.
Starting intently at the illustrations of the books that I read to him. (Some of those nursery rhymes are so disturbing!)
Chattering to the animals that dance overhead on his mobile.
Capturing the attention and adoration of everyone he meets!

He also loves stand up and 'walk' on daddy's lap and to super-baby fly over our heads.

I can't wait for all of you to see him again - he's such a joy.

Splish Splash

2009-06-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

All of Dad's splashing lessons finally paid off:

Sunday Afternoon Nap

2009-06-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Handsome and Mini-Handsome

2009-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Lincoln attended his first wedding on Saturday night:

Z is for Adorable!

2009-06-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

When Lincoln was in his bouncer yesterday he tried and tried to get to the juust-out-of-reach zebra that dangles down in front of him (how frustrating!). Levi finally took the zebra off the toy bar and gave it to him. Adorableness ensued:

The weekend update

2009-06-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yeehaw!

2009-06-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Lincoln enjoys his first Belle-ride:

These are a few of my favorite things

2009-06-05T14:09:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, the mother-in-law of my pregnant friend's asked me about my favorite baby products. I completely drew a blank and was of no help (I blame lack of sleep). Since then, however, I’ve been making mental notes of the products that I appreciate the most at this stage in our parenting adventure. Here are our current favorites:

The Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper: This little thing may not look like much but I LOVE it. The side drop down and it attaches right to the side of our bed. It’s great for middle of the night feedings – Lincoln has his own sleeping space, yet is close enough that I can pick him up without getting out of bed (fabulous!). Thank you for this, Grandma – it has been wonderful.

Baby Einstein- Seek & Discover Deluxe Activity Gym: You’ve all heard me rave about this. From the time Lincoln was about 6 weeks old we could put him on this mat and he would watch intently for a long time. Now he’s to the point where he talks to the toys and grabs them – so much fun! Warning: the music will get stuck in your head – Levi and I have both caught ourselves humming the tunes around the house.

MAM pacifiers: We started off with Soothies, which Lincoln seemed to like, but he could not keep them in his mouth for more than 30 seconds. We tried NUK, but those didn’t stay put either. The MAMs stay in his mouth much, much better.

JJ Cole Diaper & Wipes Caddy: If you have stairs in your house a diaper caddy is a must-have. Our main changing station is upstairs, but this caddy downstairs gets much more use. It’s so convenient (especially the first few weeks) to be able to have all of the changing necessities where you spend the most time (for us, that was in the living room). I want one of these in every room.

Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe Wrap: We tried to use this for Lincoln when we first brought him home and didn’t have any luck. He squirmed, cried, and acted like he hated it - so we put it away. Then, a few weeks ago a couple told us how swaddling their little girl helped her sleep so much better and we decided to give it another try. The first time we revisited the subject, Lincoln didn’t seem to keen on it, squirming and fussing – but we powered through and within minutes he settled down – and proceeded to sleep a 5 hour stretch of the night (prior to that he was only sleeping 3!). Now we use it every night and Lincoln doesn’t even bat an eye when we wrap him up.

So - there you have it. If you have any shopping to do for families with little ones on the way, I highly recommend these products.

Have a great weekend! And, don't worry - I'll post pictures that you actually care about -(of Lincoln, of course) as soon as I get more downloaded :).

Double Cuteness!

2009-06-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry the picture is so small - it's from my phone. Levi sent it to me yesterday while I was at work. He does that often to keep me from missing Lincoln too much during the day - isn't that sweet of him?

Also - Lincoln slept through the night again last night! I might venture to say we've turned a corner...

Guess who slept through the night last night?

2009-06-02T10:40:00.001-07:00

That's right! Lincoln slept from around 9:30ish last night until 6:00 this morning. He started to stir around 3am, which is usually when he wakes up to eat, but instead of picking him up right away to feed him I just let him wiggle for a few seconds - sure enough, he settled himself right back to sleep and slept for 3 more hours! We'll let you know how tonight goes...

Two and a Half Months

2009-06-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Aside from getting more and more impossibly adorable EVERY SINGLE DAY, Lincoln has been busy developing his sweet personality and making us fall even more in love with him. Here’s what he’s been up to:

His Favorite Toy: The sun that attaches to the top of his activity mat. It changes color to the beat of the music it plays (over and over. and over.) and is apparently very fascinating. He also is quite partial to the horse (I think it’s a horse) on his crib mobile.

His Favorite Song: If you’re happy and you know it (clap your hands, stomp your feet, pat your head). He breaks into a huge smile when we do the motions. He IS happy and he knows it. He also really likes his Dad’s custom songs and my beat-boxing (occasionally paired together for extra awesomeness).

He’s still not laughing, but his grin is getting bigger and more expressive - I don’t think he’s going to be able to hold in the giggles for much longer.

He likes to talk. He makes the sweetest little baby babble and carries on conversations with us. Every once and a while he likes to hear himself yell.

He’s discovered his hands and really likes to make pinchers (index finger pressed against his thumb) and the ‘I got your nose’ gesture. Oh, and he’s also started chewing on his fingers. and drooling. A lot.

He enjoys bath time. He’s not really into splashing, but he lays still and gives sweet smiles when he’s in the tub.

He’s not sleeping through the night quite yet… he usually goes down around 9:30, gets up to eat around 3, then falls back asleep and then wakes up again at 6ish. He’s so cheerful and full of grins in the mornings that I’ve ALMOST been converted into a full-fledged morning person.

He’s on the move! He just started rolling from his back to his tummy. He arm still gets caught under him in the process so he just lays there and grunts, but he’s really working on getting all the way over (he’s been successful a few times!). We (Levi) actually caught his first REAL roll (with both arms out from under him) on video, but our camera ate the footage before we could post it (booo). We’ll try to get another shot of it soon.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Lincoln plays and I try (unsuccessfully) to get him to smile for the camera.

11 Weeks

2009-05-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

2 Month Checkup

2009-05-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

This morning Levi and I took Lincoln in for his 2 month check-up (can you believe he's already 2 months old?!). All week I've been dreading this appointment - fully expecting our first round of shots to be horribly traumatizing (mostly for me). Thankfully, it wasn't. Lincoln did great - he cried for a few seconds (not even long enough for me to work up a single tear) and then he was fine.

Overall, he's a perfectly healthy, happy baby! And, I'm pretty sure he's our pediatrician's favorite patient :).

Here are his stats:
Height: 23.25in (75th percentile)
Weight: 10lbs 13oz (25th percentile).

For reference, at one month they were:
Height: 21.75in
Weight: 9lbs 3oz

Sports

2009-05-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

So yesterday began the new chapter of fatherhood: Work-From-Home Dadding.

("Dadding": To Dad. The act of active dad-hood.)

Aside from what seemed to be an unusually high casualty count for clothing and blankets soiled by Lincoln's various expulsions, it went relatively smoothly.

Here's video evidence.

Hand Discovery

2009-05-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Lincoln has discovered his hands. Apparently they are very tasty.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you Levi (and Lincoln) for making my first Mother's Day so wonderful.

Little All-Star

2009-04-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you for my cute little outfit, Lauren!

sleepy boys

Playtime

2009-04-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Lincoln loves his playmat. His favorite part is the toy in the center that plays music and changes color - he stares and coos - so cute!

2009-04-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Not quite sure what he thinks about the ears...

It is decided: "Batman does NOT wear bunny ears!"

Bathtime

2009-04-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Sunshine!

2009-04-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

3 Weeks Old!

2009-04-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

Grandmother (who graciously flew in yesterday evening to spend the night with us while Levi was out of town) captured a sleepy smile today. He's amazing, isn't he?

ps - more to come soon... i promise :)

Aunt Esther Visits

2009-03-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sister, Esther, was sweet enough to come stay with us for several days after Lincoln was born. She was such a huge help - we loved having her. Come back soon, Auntie Esther!

2009-03-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Words have power.

When I say "blue" - you may think vaguely of the color, or notice all the areas on your computer screen that are various shades of blue. Given time to contemplate, your thoughts may wander to the sky, or later to the melancholy feeling often associated with the hue. Maybe B.B. King would cross your mind.

Every word is like that. They all have associations affiliated with them. They vary from person to person, depending on what we have experienced (for example, if I say "vegetables", the connotation may be positive or negative, but we all probably think of broccoli, carrots, etc.)

I say this to point out that there are places in language that omission is of more accuracy than inclusion. I feel that I am a moderately capable of stringing together words to inflict a number of emotions, but given three days to rack the vocabulary for the words to describe seeing one's own child for the first time, and the ensuing days of realization after realization of short- and long-term subtleties of being a parent... I am coming to the conclusion that there are none.

they simply don't exist.

I think language only goes so far in describing human emotion. Not just this one, but any number of intensely emotional occurences; a family member dying, falling in love... I think this is why so many songs are written about these subjects; there is no way to accurately describe it, so there are a million ways to get close.

And I think it should be this way. If these magic words existed, those that could conjur up these emotions in others, then we would become desensitized to them before they happened to us.

If you had never seen the color blue, and there was not a word to describe it, then the first time you saw the sky, you would be breathless. You would stand outside all day, waving the clouds to the right like it was October 1975 at Fenway Park.

When the sun began to set, you might set up camp outside, waiting for the black to become gray, and eventually become this inexplicable color again.

But of course, we all know the sky. We've seen it since we were too young to know what it was. (unless you live in the UK or Seattle, in which case, maybe this analogy makes even more sense to you.) We see it most days, and while we appreciate it, we are no longer fascinated by it.

These moments must elide language, to protect their breathtaking nature.

And not only must they and do they elude language, but they avoid being accidentally uncovered by mere sight.

I have seen babies before. I've seen fathers with their children, and I've even seen the videos (ohhhhh, the videos. *whew*) but even seeing, I didn't see.

It's as if someone gave you the ability to see the wind, something you had looked through your whole life, but never seen.

You could try for all the world to explain it, but no matter what you said, you would not be able to tell me what the wind looked like.

So it goes with this. Every "it will change your life", "there's nothing like it", and "you will love him immediately" was only a vague precursor, something I may as well have ignored, because they may as well have been describing the facial features of the wind. This is in no way a criticism of their inability to communicate, but my inability to perceive the truth that was driving these completely ineffective words.

And now I find myself on the other side of the pendulum. Any time people ask how I feel, I find myself shuffling through old cliches, discarding each one before it escapes my mouth. I'm mostly in silence about it these days. Which I think is the best description of all.

Lincoln and Grandma

2009-03-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed to have Grandma there with us for Lincoln's grand arrival...

picture correction

2009-03-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

apparently someone felt left out. FINE I AM SORRY.

trumpet intro

2009-03-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

... like the one in Robin Hood (the cartoon one, not the Kevin Costner one, and not "men in tights") where the crocodiles are introducing the King (except in this case the one being introduced is not "The Phony King of England", and is not a lion with big-time security issues and a snake as a friend -oh- speaking of snakes, and speaking of the British Isles, did you know that St. Patrick (whose "Day" it is today) is credited with ridding Ireland of snakes?

THAT IS THE RESULT OF SPORADIC SLEEP.

Monday / 3.16.09 / 10:57am / Lincoln Shea Weaver has arrived! 7lbs, 8oz. and 20 inches long.

I'll give you all the details in a minute, because I know you are all skipping the words, going straight for the pictures. Here you go:

this is about 1 minute before he was born. explanation after pictures on why this seems so relaxed.

Lincoln, looking incredibly mature for his age (approximately 3 minutes old)

Lincoln, practicing one of the submission holds that he practiced for 9 months.

aw. this is our family. sans belle.

i pulled the hat down - he pulled the pose all by himself.

Kiss me, I'm Irish!
...but only like 1/32. that doesn't even count. Between Heather and I, he's no more than 1/16th any other nationality, so he's basically just 2nd-generation "American". Which means he likes to talk about being Irish on today. Anyone with a list of ancestral relatives including Benjamin Franklin and Johnny Appleseed... is pretty much just American.

THE EXPLANATION OF THE BIRTH PROCESS (without unnecessary details)

He held off on Sunday, and let me go to the Ryan Adams show that I was hoping for. (his first act of love) When I got back, he wasn't moving around like he usually did around bedtime, so after about 10 minutes of prodding, we decided we should keep it on the safe side and head to the hospital.

When we got there, they said that it was time, so we stayed the night while they put Heather on an IV. The next morning, they said that labor wasn't progressing the way it usually does, and every time there was a contraction, Lincoln's heart rate would slow, to the point that it was causing some concern, so they decided that we'd avoid the risks and do a C-Section.

They whisked Heather away into the operating room, and about 5 minutes later, I was allowed to go in... about 3 minutes after that, Lincoln had arrived!! what a quick process, wow.

We're all doing well now - no health concerns for Heather *or* Lincoln - once he got out, he was fine!

We're hanging out at the hospital til Thursday. I'm sure we'll deluge you with pictures as the days go by.

-Levi

Hospital Visitors

2009-03-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

My sweet coworker, Krysten

Krysten's beautiful daughter, Hallie

Our good friend, Ben

The wonderful, Dave and Gail (Lincoln was in the nursery for a check-up)

Lincoln is ready for a little buddy, Mike :)

The lovely, Carly

Aaron and Heather - Hooray!

Welcome to the world, sweet boy

2009-03-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Love at first sight.

For Immediate Release

2009-03-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

REUTERS - Nashville, TN

Local authorities say that a standoff involving a local musician and his unborn son has now reached its third day.

Law enforcement officials are confused by the motive behind the child-to-be's refusal to leave the womb, saying only that he has refused all attempts at communication. It is thought that he may be protesting a sweeping increase in contractions in his neighborhood, and may be holding out for the government to provide bailout money to fund "expansions".

The unborn is not thought to have any hostages, though visibility is limited at the time, so the possibility cannot be ruled out. Police say that while he is not armed, there is a baby-arm joke to be made somewhere in this article.

This is a developing story, check back for updates as more information becomes available.

40 Weeks

2009-03-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

...and counting.

My mom is here waiting with us. She drove in from Fort Worth yesterday with a van full of baby things - a beautiful crib, bassinet, super comfy rocking chair, cute little outfits from Noah - all kinds of wonderfulness. We (well, she, mostly) spent the day cleaning and getting things put together. Then, all of us (mom, Levi, Belle, and myself) took a walk this evening to try and convince Lincoln to get things started. On this walk we found a trail that Levi nor I had ever been on before and decided to take it. Of course, why wouldn't we take a NEW ROUTE TO WHO-KNOWS-WHERE ON THE DAY WE'RE DUE? About the time I was getting uncomfortable enough to want to head back we realized that we had no idea where we were. Just as I started to become concerned that we may be delivering a baby ourselves, in the woods, the miracle of sat nav phones (paired with backtracking) got us to our house, where I promptly stopped having the 'contractions' I thought I was having on our walk. Apparently we have a little prankster on our hands (well, in my belly, as it stands). Wonder where he gets that from? :)

Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers today. Hopefully we'll be posting again soon to introduce you to our son!

Dogtor

2009-03-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

There are a few reasons not to write this blog entry.

a.) people who write about their dogs are mostly insufferable, with leanings towards crazy
b.) dog platitudes do not necessarily correlate with future baby-truths
c.) it is somewhat self-incriminating
c.) I have a lot of things that I need to do before Lincoln makes his grand arrival.

-BUT-

a.) i have a lot of things that I need to (procrastinate from) do(ing so I can last-minute panic and be grouchy about how I never have any time to get things accomplished) before Lincoln makes his grand arrival.

Today was take-Belle to the Dog-doctor day (OH YEAH THAT IS CALLED A VET. wow.) and I think I may have gotten some insight as to how this whole parenting thing could play out, for better or worse.

Heather made the appointment, printed out the medical records (dogs have those?!), left me with a check, the leash, a list of questions, and the appointment time.

I... just had to basically fill in the blanks.

I arrived on time (YEAH!) but realized as I was pulling in the driveway that I left the records, check, and questions on the coffee table.

So far, mixed results.

Belle was pretty well behaved throughout the process, even when the dog-doct.... *ahem* VET was opening her mouth wider than I knew was possible; to check out her teeth. I didn't give the ...Vet... any dirty looks when Belle whimpered, and I didn't even act all embarassed when she was whiny.

Here's the best news: The dog is like, unrealistically healthy. She's fine. Even her teeth are good to go. The doct DANG IT I KEEP DOING THAT the (VVVVVEEEEETTTT!!!!!) vet didn't need the records (yet. I can bring them in next time) and they don't even accept checks. AND I REMEMBERED ALL THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I PAID ATTENTION.

So that got me thinking: I've never before been an adult responsible for a dog. The last time I had a dog in my house was ALSO the last time that I had a little kid in my house: when I was also a kid. not responsible for either (more than the average older brother stuff).

SO. if I can learn to be half of a team that keeps a dog healthier than normal, surely Lincoln is going to be in good hands, right?

Well, as much as you can correlate dogs and kids, I guess.

-Levi

(P.S. no one needs to point out that Heather did all the work and I screwed up the easy part. While I am somewhat forgetful, I am not an idiot and the obvious fact that I was the weaker link today did not escape me. But we are married, and thus get equal credit when Belle (and eventually Lincoln) turn out to be great.)

Showered with Love

2009-03-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I was blessed with an absolutely beautiful shower brunch. Krysten, Tami, and Joyce worked so hard to put everything together and every last detail was perfect. The food was amazing, the decorations were precious, and I was completely overwhelmed with the graciousness and generosity of these wonderful women that I am lucky enough to call friends.

I didn't get nearly as many pictures on my camera as I would have liked, but here are a couple - hopefully I'll get some more with the girls in them to post soon.

This vase cracked me up - each of the 4 sides had a baby do and don't.

Look at all of the cute little outfits!

Krysten and Tami MADE this! I love it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you girls!

38 weeks!

2009-02-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

Surprise Shower

2009-02-25T06:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a late lunch with sweet Meredith - one of the girls in our young couples group at church. As I was leaving McAllister's to head back to work (around 1:35) I got a call from Levi. He asked about my day, what I was doing, and kept me occupied for the 3 minute drive back to my office. As I pulled in I saw a white Honda in the parking lot that looked suspiciously like Levi's...

"wait, where are you?"
"um, at home."
"oh, weird, there's a car in my office parking lot that looks just like yours. I thought you were trying to pull a fast one on me."
"Ha - well, have a great day."

We hung up as I walked in the side door at my office, where I ran into Tami - who informed me that there was a meeting going on in the conference room. "Oh?", I said, continuing to sit down. "Like, a team meeting that you're supposed to be in...". Ah - oops!

So, I obliviously follow Tami into the conference room to find it FULL of balloons, decorations, flowers, gifts, cake, punch, and my coworkers. And Levi (sneaky, sneaky). I was shocked. My coworkers had planned this whole, huge surprise shower, gotten everything in the door right past me, and included Levi without me having the slightest idea. Even when I 'thought' I saw Levi's car, and Tami basically had to spell it out for me that I was supposed to be in the conference room, I didn't put it together.

Not only was the surprise so thoughtful and fun, but my coworkers showered us with so many wonderful gifts that we are overwhelmed. The generosity of my company and the incredible people that I work with is such an amazing blessing - I hope they all know how truly appreciated they are!

I know that a lot of people had a part in making this shower such a treat for us, but an extra thank you to Krysten and Tami - you girls completely spoil me.

36 Weeks!

2009-02-17T17:30:00.001-08:00

Childbirth Class

2009-02-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to follow up this warning with an actual blog, or just let the thought of spending the first half of valentine's day learning the darkest secrets of the MIRACLE OF CHILDBIRTH haunt you all.

we'll see.

-Levi

The Baby Space (and 35 Week Check-up)

2009-02-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

While I probably should be doing far more important things to prepare for Lincoln's arrival (only 5 weeks left!), I've opted instead to spend the past few evenings recycling old canvases into new pieces for the wall designated baby in the music/baby room.

Here's another fuzzy phone-photo of the progress. Apparently I have a thing for birds...

The fellow on the right is actually an owl. He's not quite as frightening in person as he appears in this picture (hopefully).

Also, we had our 35 week appointment yesterday. Doctor says everything looks good and I got to hear our little one's perfect heartbeat again (142 beats per minute!). From now on my appointments will be every week. I can't believe how soon he's going to be here!

Happy Friday!

Introducing Noah Michael

2009-02-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Noah was born last night just before 10:00pm. He weighs in at 7lbs 8oz and is 19.75 inches long.

Congratulations Stephanie and Haley - we love you. Noah, we can't wait to meet you!

Arriving Soon: Nephew Noah

2009-02-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

I just got word that my sister, Stephanie, has been admitted to the hospital - baby Noah should be arriving soon! We'll keep you posted.

Steph - you're in our prayers!

The Mobile-thing Project

2009-01-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

It's always dangerous when I start to feel crafty (as evidenced by my drawer-full of unfinished or failed projects), yet something keeps me going back to the fabric store time and time again.

This time in particular it was to get supplies for this (I took this picture with my phone so it's kinda fuzzy and you can't really see the colors, but hopefully you can get the gist):

I made it to hang from the ceiling above Lincoln's crib, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's certainly not the grand masterpiece I had pictured in my head, but the jury's still out. We'll put it to a family vote when Levi gets home.

Arts & crafts aside, Lincoln and I are doing well. He's making his presence well known with his regular ninja moves and I just keep.getting.bigger. I think Belle's already starting to get a little jealous - she sat by me and whined the whole time I was putting together the whatever-you-call-it pictured above. Every once and a while, though, she lays her head on my tummy so sweetly that I'm just *sure* she's as eager to meet the little guy as we are.

Hope you're all well and staying warm (it's been SO cold here!).

Weekend in Chattanooga (the long version)

2009-01-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

Last spring Levi and I made plans for a trip to Europe as our big vacation for the year. Levi would play some shows, I would tag along, and we would enjoy traveling around the UK and visiting friends for a few weeks in late January/early February of this year. Plans were made, shows were booked; the countdown was on. Then summer rolled around and we learned that we would be welcoming a wonderful new addition to our family in early March. Even as late as November I was set on making the trip with Levi - I had even gotten preliminary blessings from my doctor to travel - with her disclaimer, of course, that "we'll have to check to make sure everything is okay right before you leave, and you'll have to get up every couple of hours to walk around on the plane, and you'll be pretty swollen for a few days when you get there, but I think it will be okay". As enjoyable as she made it all sound, I was still determined to go.

Several pounds, mounting to-do lists, and maternity-leave planning wake-up calls later my resolve started to wear down. Superficiality aside ("I don't want to meet all of your friends while I'm all waddly and HUGE") the realization began to sink in that a trip overseas while 8 months pregnant probably wasn't the wisest move. And, as great as dual citizenship would be for Lincoln, the prospect of delivering our baby in a different country with an unfamiliar doctor started to seem a little too real and scary for me. SO, yesterday morning I dropped Levi off at the airport and he left for our vacation. I stayed here - in Nashville - with grand plans to have the house all baby-ready when he gets back. I'm a little jealous (okay, a LOT jealous), but he's got a pretty crazy schedule while he's there - 10 shows throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland - so it really is better that I stayed. And, as disappointed as I am that I don't get to meet the close friends of Levi's that I've heard so much about, or visit with those that I had the privilege of getting to know during my last trip over, I think it will be that much better when we get to make the trip as a family and we can introduce them to Lincoln as well.

Anyhow... all of that brings me to this: Levi and I decided to take a spur-of-the-moment getaway last weekend before he left. Our last trip as a family of two (well, kind of - you know what I mean). We chose Chattanooga because it's an easy, beautiful, two and a half hour drive away from Nashville and there's (surprisingly) a lot to do there. After a late start and a time-zone change we ended up arriving in Chattanooga around 5:00 on Saturday evening. We went to the Tennessee Aquarium first, which has two different buildings - The River Journey and The Ocean Journey - both of which house amazing displays of fish, sharks, alligators, butterflies, birds (even penguins!), and other creatures. Afterward we decided to check out the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater across the street. The theater was, um, interesting (?) but the food was decent and we had a great time despite the Italian-Redneck wedding story-line.

Sunday we woke up late and found a local diner (Belle's Diner!) for breakfast - well, lunch really, but the chef was kind enough to special-make omelets and hash browns for us even though breakfast food wasn't on the menu. From there we drove to Lookout Mountain. We decided to squeeze two of the attractions offered into the day - Rock City, a beautiful trail up to the top of Lookout Mountain (from where you can see 7 states!), and Ruby Falls, a guided cave tour down to the largest underground waterfall open to the public (260 feet underground). We did A LOT of walking and had an absolutely wonderful time. The entire weekend was spent marveling in God's spectacular creativity and enjoying every moment together - it was perfect!

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

My favorite display

Lincoln's first shark encounter - he's so brave.

Rock City

Bridge to Lovers Leap

View of 7 States behind us

Tight squeeze

REALLY tight squeeze

Super creepy nursery rhyme cave display

Ruby Falls

See all of our pictures from the weekend here.

Weekend in Chattanooga

2009-01-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

We had a blast! Details to come...

32 Weeks!

2009-01-15T16:14:00.001-08:00

Crib Cave - Her Version

2009-01-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

It happened the day before yesterday.
I broached the man-cave sharing subject.

I tried to introduce it gently: "Hey babe, want to go watch the Fiesta Bowl upstairs? Maybe we could take a look at the layout of the music room while we're up there?"

Before I continue, let it be known that I am a firm believer in the music room/man-cave. I would love for Levi to always have his own space to work (and to contain all of those instruments, various collections, concert posters, maps, and the occasional old *really old* badminton racket thumb tacked to the wall).

That said, here are a few editorial additions to the previous account of that fateful evening:

First of all, I'm afraid that the pictures don't do those lovely pieces justice, so I would like to clarify that the " some things stayed BECAUSE others are making their way to ebay" bit refers to a twenty pound lamp (minus a lampshade) that looks like it belongs in the Berenstain Bears' house - that is staying in the room (for now) in exchange for the immediate removal of the SIX FOOT TALL poster of Will Ferrell in daisy dukes. No one should have to wake up to that thing looming over them.

And, when Levi says that he "only argued a little bit about the virtues of a room that 'looked like a dorm room'" what he means is that he responded to that statement with sparkling eyes, a proud grin, and this: "Yeah. It does. One of these days I want to have one of those beds on stilts". Which makes me giggle on the inside and think forward to the day when Lincoln stands in the doorway of his bedroom protecting his loft bed in protest, "but Dad, this is MY room".

Also, it should be noted that the new arrangement of the furniture in the music/man/crib/cave is a major victory in space-usage improvement. We've opened up the room so much that there isn't really even any functional space lost - even with the crib (or, as it is right now, the empty space where the crib will be). It's an amazing transformation. HGTV amazing.

In closing, I apologize for my disrespectful interruption of the imprompteulogy. What I meant to say is that we'll see our fair friend again. The man-cave is far from gone, just temporarily (and partially) re-purposed. I have no doubt that in August, when we embark on a new, hopefully bigger home, the room will be back in all of it's glory.

In the meantime, don't worry, Levi. It's just a crib.

And a diaper genie.

:)

Crib Cave

2009-01-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

It happened yesterday.
i began to bid adieu to my man-cave.

Existentially, I believe I am probably victim of the age old axiom of "use it or lose it". I've been touring, rather than recording, (and [sshh] we don't *actually* have internet at our house, because it's expensive, and therefore I must go to WHAT IS THIS?! WE *DO* HAVE INTERNET, BUT ONLY IF I SIT IN THE KITCHEN? thank you, generous neighbors, for luring me into hanging out exclusively in the kitchen.)

Therefore, recently, the cave has gone rather unused, and thus I feel that I have lost my privileges. As we moved things around last night in preparation for "just a crib", I began my rather disheartened eulogy.

"goodbye, man cave. I will see you in about 25 years or so... i am sorry i neglected you a little bit lately, and i will miss you, but i will see you when we are both old."

"it's just a crib.", Heather interjected, completely interrupting this sacred moment of passing. You aren't supposed to talk at a funeral unless you stand up in front of everyone.

Which I was.

Even Belle was watching. It was a moment.

"it's just a crib ...NOW." I said. "But this is just the first incursion. It's just a crib for the first year or so. And daipers. And clothes. But then he'll need a bed. and he'll have toys... He's going to need his own room before I know it. This is just the first step."

"but... this looks like a dorm room." she replied.

I think she was trying to be encouraging.

I think in her head, that sentence could also have been said "But... the aesthetic nature of this room is going to be much greater than it previously has been! it appears that a penniless beer-pong champion has been responsible for the decor, and now we have an opportunity to improve it!"

close.

in my mind, it was translated: "this awesome room that is totally functional (and awesome) and looks like it was decorated by an awesome guy that everyone would love to hang out with... is about to get BABIFIED."

i didn't cry. and i only argued a little bit about the virtues of a room that "looked like a dorm room".

All in all, i think I handled it with grace, more or less. (you'll have to ask Heather if that last sentence is actually true.)

Compromises were made. Some things stayed, other things had to go.

More accurately, Some things stayed BECAUSE others are making their way to Ebay.

At the end of the day, though. I know. It doesn't look that different now, but the trojan crib has been brought into the cave. The incursion has begun.

-Levi

p.s. if any of you happen to have lost track of your sense of humor today, let me clarify - it's totally worth it. i'm ready to meet this kid. it's just one of those things that happens, like changing diapers and not going to as many concerts. I love him already, and he's welcome into the cave and any future permutations thereof.

Ebb and Flow

2008-12-29T14:02:00.000-08:00

My wife is a saint for putting up with me. I become stressed as events get closer - I heap unrealistic expectations on my ability to accomplish, and I become more and more tense as the event draws closer until I am just about incapable of conversing about or focusing upon anything else.

Then it comes, and for better or worse it is accomplished or at least finished, and I pedulum-swing to the relaxed end, leaving my computer alone for days and declining to answer my phone at all, unsure of what day it is.

I almost just tried to compare this to giving birth and post-partum depression, but let's be honest - I don't have any harrowing stories of physical trauma to regale anyone with afterwards, so there's a pretty stark difference.

The whole point of this is that Heather is saintly for putting up with me, and I hope that I am as big a support to her in the physical/emotional aspect of pregnancy as she is with me in the emotional/stressful aspect of my job.

---PART 2---

We got to spend time with Jordan's little one this week. I thought it would be a bit of a breath of relief, like "OHHHH, this is not so hard after all. psh. i was psych'ing myself out for no good reason"...

...no.

I had no idea what to do.

Hopefully, 11th-hour instinct will be strong with me.

-Levi

Happy Birthday Daddy|Grandpa|Mike

2008-12-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

Today is my dad's birthday!! Happy birthday, Daddy. We love you so much!

ouch.

2008-12-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I slipped on our front porch and fell down the steps:
Pretty, huh?

One minute I'm getting ready for work - in a dress and tights no less - and the next I'm in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the steps with shoes and handbags strewn about and my neighbor (from 3 houses down) yelling in my direction, "Are you okay?!". awesome.

Thank God my shins and left knee broke the fall enough that I didn't land tummy-down or with too much of a jolt. Lincoln's been moving around just fine and everything I've read indicates that the trip was probably little more than a mild roller coaster ride for him. And, Levi's taking good care of me. Last night he rigged up an ice-pack/towel/elastic headband leg-cast contraption that stopped the throbbing enough that I was able to sleep. He's a sweet husband.

This morning, back in action, I won the battle with the porch steps (wootwoot). Here's to hoping that you too defeat any pesky stairs that you come into contact with this slippery season.

27 Weeks

2008-12-15T20:09:00.001-08:00

Snow!

2008-12-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

When I left my office yesterday I found my car like this:

SNOW!! The huge flakes were falling so fast that within a few minutes the ground was completely covered and everything looked beautiful. Feeling festive on the drive home, I turned on Christmas music for the first time this season and made big plans for our evening involving Christmas decorations and hot cocoa. Traffic was crawling, but I made it home just fine, where, to my dismay, there wasn't even a hint of white wonderlandness. So, instead of spreading good cheer we watched the Dark Knight - maybe we'll get decorations up this weekend. Maybe tonight. Josiah's coming over to hang out with us. You might remember him...

It's too cold to ride bikes and we're fresh out of guns - glass ornaments and tree lights will have to suffice. Watch out.

Dr's Appointment - 27 Weeks

2008-12-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

We had our 27th week doctor's appointment today. Between 25 & 28 weeks, they run a test to check for gestational diabetes, which means that before my appointment today I had to chug a syrupy sugar-drink that they sent home with me after my last appointment. They drew blood (to see how my body is processing the sugar) and I should have the results in a few days.

Levi and I got to hear Lincoln's heartbeat, which is always breathtaking, and the doctor says my tummy measurements are right on (so, apparently huge is exactly where I'm supposed to be). She also assured us that the discomfort I've been feeling around my ribs is normal - due to my ribcage expanding to accommodate my lovely new "barrel shape", and the shooting electrical-shock-like pains that I feel periodically are simply nerves that are disgruntled by this new said shape of mine.

Otherwise, everything looks good! We'll start having appointments every 2 weeks now that we're in our third trimester. Crazy, huh? I can't believe how quickly the first two have gone by. Thanks for your continued prayers!

Still no luck finding the camera, but we'll take one with the phone soon so you can see how much Lincoln and I (and Levi) have grown.

Lots of love!

We finally got to meet Jhet!

2008-12-09T09:36:00.001-08:00

Home for Steph's Shower

2008-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I was able to travel to Texas for my sweet sister, Stephanie's, baby shower. Noah Michael will be joining us in February - we can't wait to meet him!

Congratulations, Stephanie - we love you!

So cute!

Haley is going to be a wonderful big sister!

Catching Up...

2008-12-03T07:12:00.001-08:00

Sorry - I have been terrible about posting for the past couple of weeks! To catch up, here are some highlights:

Levi kicked off another leg of his on-going fall/winter tour at the CMJ music festival in New York City. A member of the festival staff attended his show and posted this review on the official CMJ blog.
Q4 is a crazy time for my company, so work has kept me going non-stop. Other than that, I've just been busy getting HUGE (our camera has pulled a disappearing act so we won't have photo updates for a while. Hopefully it will make it's grand return soon...).
Levi drove through the night after a show in Detroit and finally got home (after being gone for 3 weeks) at around 8am. He put his hand on my tummy to say hi to Lincoln, who responded by jumping around like never before - so sweet! Apparently I wasn't the only one who missed Levi!
We drove to Ohio to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family (we have so much to be thankful for!). My parents, along with Stephanie and Haley, drove up from Texas, so we had a huge group including my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My cousins, Emily & Nathan, invited all thirty (yes, 30) of us to their home for a delicious meal and a wonderful time. It was great to see family that I don't get to visit often enough - and it's so much fun for me to share Levi with them (my grandpa even talked him into a impromptu living room show :)).

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The English language is tricky

2008-11-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

This page was scanned from a magazine that is distributed to our soldiers overseas. It's full of inspirational anecdotes, well-deserved praise, and heartfelt letters of encouragement from elementary-aged kids.

See if you can spot the part that made me laugh until I cried:
Here's a hint:

Cat / Bag?

2008-11-13T22:49:00.001-08:00

Heather mentioned it in the last post, so I presume it's okay to let you all know we've decided on a name:

Lincoln Shea Weaver.

(this is what we get for keeping a dual-blog from thousands of miles apart.) :)
-Levi

Dr's Appointment - 23 Weeks

2008-11-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

Lincoln was moving around so much today during our doctor's appointment that we picked up all kinds of crazy sounds on the Doppler. Even with the extra commotion we were able to hear his perfect heartbeat (such an incredible sound!). He's started moving so much that I can see my tummy move - mostly in the evenings - it's so much fun. I can't decipher which body part he's jabbing me with, but I can definitely tell that he's getting stronger and more coordinated. The doctor says everything looks good and that baby and I are doing well. I feel tremendously blessed to be enjoying such a wonderful pregnancy. Thank you all for your prayers!

xoxo

Jhet is a week old!

2008-11-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

I'm an Uncle?

2008-11-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

I was an uncle when I got married. And, I've known Haley since she was born, so that's a nice dimension to have had, marrying into a family I already knew and loved.

But I didn't know *when* Haley was born that I was eventually going to be her Uncle. When i was like 19 or 20, she was just "my friend Stephanie's kid". 19-or-20 year old guys do not think on a very deep level about this sort of thing. "my friend had a kid. *shrug* cool."

So when I got married, I became Husband and Uncle all at once. (Thanks, Haley for breaking me in, and being an easy neice to get used to the idea of Uncledom to.)

But the other day, when little Jhet was born, it was a little different. Maybe because I can talk to Haley & interact & communicate, and I knew about her long before I became her uncle.

Maybe it's just because it's Jordan's son, and I remember when Jordan was born.
Maybe it's because Heather and I have our own addition on the way,

but man. what an overwhelming experience.

I was en route to Winooski, VT when it became official, and I got to talk to Jordan a couple hours afterwards, just before I went on stage. Mom was sending me pictures via phone (long live the digital age, eh?)

it was such a weird realization of like "2 hours ago, that kid was just like my kid, sort of. He was totally a human, but the way the rest of the human race experienced him was 100% expectation. He was like... He existed in future-tense, almost.

And then all of a sudden, he's out, and breathing air, and making noise, and like *present-tense*.

wow.

I think this was the final tipping point of making me 100% excited and ready about March. To see someone else, especially my brother who I have known for literally his whole life, make that transition from future-tense "holy crap what is going to happen" into present-tense "it's okay. it's amazing. he's a human being". I think that makes it all okay for me.

So thanks, Jordan and Lacey, for doing it first. Thanks, Jhet, even though you can't read yet. (right? because if you can, i think i am back to apprehensive about my own parenting skills.)

Our nephew: Jhet Cadyn Weaver

2008-11-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

We've been told that our beautiful new nephew is "very serene and adult-like" - just calmly looking around, taking in the world. We can't wait to meet him!

Here are a few more pictures from Grandmother:

We have a new nephew!!!

2008-11-06T15:28:00.001-08:00

Lacey and Jordan welcomed their son into the world around 4:40 today. He weighs in at 7lbs 6oz and is 20 inches long (which just so happens to be the EXACT prediction I made this afternoon!). His name is coming soon, as well as more pictures...

In the meantime, here's a picture that was sent to me from proud Grandmother Anna's phone. He's just perfect, isn't he?

Jordan, Lacey - we're so happy for you guys. Wish we were there; we can't wait to meet our sweet little nephew. We love you!!

22 Weeks!

2008-11-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Corporate Attire

2008-11-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

Marie (my lovely coworker/carpool buddy) and I have set a goal to workout at the Y by our office 2-3 days a week before work. We've been at it for about a week, and even though it means that we have to leave around the time that I'm usually rolling out of bed, so far things have gone relatively smoothly and mostly as planned. So far, that is, until today:
Yes, I am sporting my white 'Just Married' flip-flops (turned shower shoes) at the office today. At least I remembered my pants this time.