Going Home

We came in on Thursday morning at 5.30a and left on Sunday afternoon. Ray had recovered well enough, and Levi was strong enough, so we got the boot.

We were warmly welcomed home.


After Jude got up from his nap, we were excited to see his reaction (Jack was pretty mellow as expected - excited to see us and ho-hum about Levi. He probably realizes he's moved 1 more rung down the ladder). Jude on the other hand, was more excited about "new presents" from Levi than anything else.And thanks to Aunt Nona for these "new jammies". Jude wanted them on right away. I couldn't get him to stand still to get a picture.

Pampered in the Hospital

So not exactly the Ritz, but a close second - even the food was good (not passable... GOOD). We are big fans of Exeter Hospital, the nurses, and our wonderful midwife Vicky. We were pampered over and over again - especially Rachel. What a blessing it was to be in such good hands throughout our 3.5 day stay! (Though, I'm sure Levi could do without all the pricks, probes, and IV next time.)


Aunt Joey, Aunt Marsey, Grammy, and cousins Eleanor and Gemma were doing such a great job distracting Jude while we were away. Thanks everyone!

Despite being exhausted, we loved having family come and visit us. It was a great way to break up the day.

Levi day 2

Not much sleeping last night as Levi was not so settled in his new environment. He has a bit of a mucus build up, which has constricted his breathing a bit. So we caught cat-naps while we could.

While the honking/snoring while he's sleeping is somewhat enduring, all that mucus clogged his breathing. Despite the small scare today of labored breathing (nurses and doctor rushing around, blood work, xrays), Levi is doing alright now.

First bath

Levi wasn't a fan, but our nurse gave him his first bath. Soon after though, Joel changed the diaper and got peed on - welcome to fatherhood (again).

Big brother Jude

Jude has already been a great big brother. He came into the room today with a big smile on his face and was happy to see us. (Grammy and Aunt Joey have been taking great care of him.) Jude was so interested in Levi - wanting to touch him and even share his new motorcycle with him.

Levi is here!

Well, we still haven't figured out a moniker just yet, and we're still somewhat in awe/bliss with the whole thing, and we're somewhat sleep-deprived, but Levi Charles came out this morning at 8:04a with a full head of hair (which thanks to the Dutch will soon change to blonde) and great cry! For those of you keeping track of stats, he was 7 lbs, 9oz. and 20 inches long. APGAR scores were 9 and 9 (with 10 the highest - so apparently quite good). He bats right, throws right, and probably will have long eyelashes, be on the smaller side, and surprisingly he's got a bit of curle in the hair. Rachel is doing well - recovery well, regainging strength, and getting feeling back to her lower extremities.

Jewel Weed aka..Jude Weed

Jude's last hurrah as an only child was a trip to Wagon Hill Farm. On our voyage down to the water we discovered a few patches of jewel weed. Jude found the popping surprise of the seed pods hilarious. We were getting eaten alive by the skeeters as Jude was cracking up laughing at the weed. Too much fun!

Grammy Time....Jude was showing off his reading skills.

Jude and Joey's Party

Tuesday, Triple J and Ray and One on the Way drove up to the Caswell's house to celebrate both Auntie Joey and Jude's birthdays. More chocolate frosting....Jude got to fully indulge in another celebration. With all of our parties as of late, Jude thinks that there is always another gift waiting for him in the wings. It's going to be a sad day when he realizes that it's not his birthday any more. For now, his birthday chair remains decorated and the gifts keep rolling in... (he eats better in a special chair).

Three generations of Retsema ladies

Snack-Time...yummy watermelon!

More presents?

Talkin'

I had just gotten off the phone with my sister Marsey, letting her know that we were on our way for a visit. Jude was upset that he didn't get a chance to talk. I gave him my phone and he proceeded to "call" her back.

Garrison Elementary

We've discovered that there is a great playground just down the street. It won't seem long before Jude starts school at this elementary school.

A Battle Lost, A Battle Won

I'm not exactly sure who won the battle, but the final outcome was a new haircut. It was either a haircut, or putting barrettes in Jude's hair. Jude's hair was getting so long that he was going to have difficulties seeing through the mop. It was time!

The battle took place in the living room, in front of the T.V., while watching Jude's favorite DVD (Bear in the Big Blue House). He was lurred into Joel's lap via lollipop. When the clippers showed up for the fight, the screaming started. Once the scissors came into sight Jude was calmed with a new truck (a deluxe truck...the doors even open). The conflict was finally resolved once we couldn't hold the little wiggler still any longer. (Don't look closely, there are many long locks left on his little bean.)

Who actually won this battle???

Preparing for Thursday

Planned to arrive on Thursday, we've been getting things settled for bringing baby #2 home. We thought it only fair to give Jude a week or so to adjust to some of the changes that are going to take place. We put the cradle in our room and set the swing up in the living room. Immediately, Jude crawled into his old cradle and gave the swing a push. Hopefully, Jude will be a helpful big brother....

Still Celebrating....

Tuesday, we had a long overdue dinner with our previous neighbor Christian and his mom Georgia. It was so great to see them! They surprised Jude with some birthday gifts.... Jude's becoming a pro at unwrapping presents.

A New Dump Truck

Thomas the Train Tub Toys (Jude's been sleeping with these nightly..)

A Fire Truck....complete with siren and ladder (Jude's not freaked out by the noises...Yay!)

Saturday, Jude woke up from his nap and found that another present had arrived in the mail that day. Uncle Ed and Aunt Grethchen were thinking of Jude long before he even turned 2. When they were vacationing in New Zealand they found the perfect t-shirt for Jude. Awesome Kiwi local animals....

And the Party Continues.....

This morning we enjoyed about 45 minutes of swimming at Kingston before we were warned off the beach by toxic levels of bacteria. Liv and Andrea had joined us on our excursion and surprised Jude with a birthday present. As soon as we got home Jude said, "New Present?" He is ecstatic about his new car carrier.... Thanks so much to the Warrens!

(I had a tough time pulling him away from his gift when it came time for lunch. He's sleeping with a few of the new cars....although there isn't much sleeping going on during toady's nap. Jude's been in his bed for just over an hour, but keeps talking up a storm....at least he's getting some quiet time.) Oh well, that's what makes birthdays so special...it's a break from the norm.

2 Year Check-up

Moving up in the world, Jude is now using the "Big Boy" scale at the Dr.'s office.

When Jude woke up this morning, I told him that our morning outing was going to the doctor's office. He seemed o.k. with this...since he loves going to Daddy's office. We told him we were going to see Dr. Lamm. He has difficulty pronouncing his L's, so he says, "Dr. Ham." The nurses thought this was great, Dr. Lamm is a goofy guy.

Joel was able to go to our visit too... We all agree, Dr. Lamm has a passion for working with children. He's great! Jude was even laughing as he was checking him over. (He's usually very shy toward strangers.) And it appears that we have a very healthy 2 year-old. Luckily, no shots at this visit. (Thank goodness....this will make all of the upcoming visits for the baby much easier, Jude won't be afraid to enter the building.)

Jude has been progressing in his growth. He now weighs 24 lbs. and is 34 1/2 inches tall. Jude is now between the 5-10th percentile for weight (much better than the 3rd percentile that he was at 18 months). He's around the 50th percentile for height.

All in all it was a terrific visit!

Jude's 2nd Birthday

This year we decided to have a low-key birthday party for Jude. With relatives coming soon for the birth of Jude's little brother, we knew the celebrating would continue over the next few weeks. We made a birthday poster and decorated his chair.....and of course there were chocolate cupcakes.....


Jude sitting in his special "Birthday Chair."
Eating a cupcake off of his special "Birthday Plate."


Opening one of many gifts......
When I got Jude up in the morning, I told him that it was his birthday. His response was...."New Bus." We had gotten a toy magazine in the mail weeks ago and Jude was fixated on the school bus....for a jolly price of $100.00. I told him that maybe he'd get a new bus for his birthday....little did I know that he'd remember this a few weeks later. Needless to say, Joel and I made a quick stop to a local RiteAid after church to pick up a "New Bus."
Unfortunately, this toy already made it back to Toys 'R Us. Jude is scared of the noise of the automatic wheels (they sound like a drill). We knew it was going to be a problem before the truck even made it out of the box. At least we were a success with the bus.
That evening, we had dinner over at the Doucet's house. We waited until we got home before Jude opened his gift from Ben (in order to avoid jealousy issues). He opened his new truck right before bed.....a bit of a mistake on my part, Jude didn't want to go to bed that night.