Luxury

We celebrated our ten year anniversary last month! We had dinner at a nice restaurant and snuggled our new baby. Grandma graciously babysat, even though she had just kept the big boys for four days because Levi was born. It was such a luxury!

My parents bought a new car, and offered us the one they were replacing. Logan couldn’t believe it because he had been praying that someone would give us a car for about a month before my parents generous offer came through. After ten years of being a one-car family I no longer have to pack up everyone to drop off and pick up Logan from work every day. What a luxury!

I’m able to eat a few more carbs at each meal now that Levi is born. Major cheating has gone from two jelly beans or one small sprinkle of blueberries on my salad to a bun, ketchup, dressing, and two fruits all in one meal! What a luxury!

Six Weeks Old

This guy is growing fast! It’s really true that babyhood goes by quickly. He took a nap laying flat for the first time. He has reflux, so usually he sleeps in a bouncy seat. 

He smiled at Lewis! Lewis sang Pat-A-Cake and apparently he liked it. 

Levi has figured out his arms can stretch up. He lays like this often. 

Everyone wants to help with bathtime. 

We all love his fluffy, soft hair right out of the tub. 

He’s a binki/blankie kid for sure. When I can tell he’s tired all we need are those two things and he’s out. 

I remembered yesterday that we have this super soft mat, and he’s loving it. It’s so comfortable that he falls asleep on it. 

He had his first blowout yesterday. Huge mess, bath, and then a nap because it’s an exhausting experience. 

Elias often gives Levi his own holding blankie (left) to cuddle with. He’s very proud when Levi falls asleep with it. 

Zoo Day

We had gorgeous weather the other day, so we enjoyed it at the zoo! I hadn’t seen the new areas, and they are impressive. I like the giraffe exhibit the most. 

The new stage is pretty cool too. We watched the alligator being shown off. 

For the first time ever we got to play Eat That Fish! You’re given a paddle with one of the penguin’s names on it and then you count how many fish that penguin eats. Hugo ate 17! Lewis did a great job, but we were a little disappointed with the prize for having the number correct...a bracelet. It used to be a free train ticket. 

Luckily, we had train tickets from Runza! Everyone enjoyed our trip around the zoo...even Levi! He made cooing noises the whole time. 

Levi’s Baptism

Levi was baptized on Pentecost!













Our good friends the Chapmans are his Godparents. 

Fr. Hottovy celebrated the sacrament for us. 









Dr. Placek loves baptisms. She says she feels that a baby’s baptism completes her work in helping him come into this world. I’d never thought about it that way. 

We hosted family and friends at home afterward to celebrate. 

My mom made a delicious cake as always, and Kathleen helped with the lovely cheese boards. 

Welcome to God’s family, Levi!

More Funny Stuff

“Mommy? Why those are not raining?” Elias

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Elias came running into the room after arguing with Lewis and said, “Daddy, Lewis litewally just punch me.”

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I was giving Lewis directions at the lunch table and he was arguing with me. Elias said, “Lewis stop complicating it.”

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Elias just measured Levi with a ruler and said he measured “5,  10, 11, M, N ounces and 5 dollars”

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Elias: Mom. I bet Jim Bash is gonna be at Grandma Susan's for coffee because it's Tuesday. 

Me: How on earth did you know it's Tuesday?!

Flowers

I’ve been trying to figure out how to landscape the front of the house since we moved in, but a gardener I am not. I don’t like bugs, or how messy you have to make areas of the yard to create a garden. 

I like low maintenance plants that are big and lush, with vibrant color. I especially like just clean cut, bright green foliage. 

A couple at our parish gave me hostas three years ago for our old house, and I’ve been threatening to dig them up in the middle of the night for transplanting ever since we moved. They’re gorgeous and it makes me so sad that we had to leave them behind. 

I ran into that couple a few weeks ago and told them how much I miss those hostas and they said “Come get as many as you want! They’re completely overgrown again and we can’t find anyone who wants them.”

Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!

It was a fun family project. Everyone enjoyed helping out. Augustine and Logan dug up hostas, Lewis and I loaded them into boxes, and Elias ran around with a small shovel of dirt most of the time. Levi was a dream baby...he slept the whole time. 

Logan’s disciple Grant and his girlfriend Regina helped us too. Grant knows a lot about gardening so he shared his knowledge with us. 
We got hostas planted all across the front of the house on either side of the steps. We’ll fill in something behind them. Maybe lemon grass because it’s easy, taller, and supposedly repels mosquitoes. 

We put more hostas along the garage in the backyard and it makes a drastic homey difference! We also stuck three hostas in random empty spots. 

They’re in a bit of shock right now, so they won’t look great this year. I can’t wait until next spring when they pop up!

Life With 4

I would say going from three kids to four has been the most noticeable for me. I’m not sure it’s harder, but it seems much more constant to me. Someone always needs something more than before. 

Lewis needed a doctor’s appointment in Omaha.  

Levi needed a nap at the Children’s Museum. He did super well while we were there. 

We always need more groceries...even pretend ones. 

Everyone needed to get rid of built up energy. A straight-up-the-wall rock climb did the trick. 

Someone always needs a hug or cuddles. Good thing we’ve got three baby cuddlers to help with that, albeit overwhelming amounts. 

We all needed to celebrate this lovely couple! 



Elias daily needs to read his St. Michael the Archangel book. That page is his favorite. He could talk about it all day long. And does.