Sweet Shorties

A random collection of observations, quotes, photos and mini-stories:

1) Raegan's Cuddle Bear, one of her two sleep friends, made his way downstairs the other day and she decided that CB had to join LT for tummy time. When we later tried to hand the bear back to her, she got very serious, shook her head while saying "No!" and pushed it back to Lincoln. It has yet to return to her bed!

2) For the love of Pete. I thought Link (Linc? - seriously, someone tell me what to do w/ this) was a questionable nickname. But now Harrison has taken to calling the baby "Linky" in this very high pitched way and wow, I am not a fan. Please! Do not encourage this nickname! I will take back my reservations about the previous one (even if I don't know how to spell it) if we can make this one go away!!!

3) I love having babies in Hastings. I mean love, love, love it. I have had three wonderful experiences at Mary Lanning both during delivery (OK, pufferfish still takes the cake on "Are you kidding me?!" but I'm over it. Maybe.) and after. I really, really like my OB and I've always had fabulous nurses all around to take care of me and each new babe. I think they like me, too, because the last two times (after LT and RL), the nurse who accompanied us to the vehicle hugged me and said, "See you next time!" :) Anyway, I've always wanted to do something to thank them for being, well, them, and after three beautiful babies born there, I finally made a Thank You gift for the nurses' station. We took it up a week after coming home from Lincoln's birth - a basket full of goodies for the general station and an extra little gift/card for my two favorites from labor and post-care with Lincoln. They all totally deserve some love for all the love they give and help bring into this world.

4) I bow down to the superiority of my husband's diapering skills. Yep. He's kicking my butt. Friday, when I did 4 or 5 of Lincoln's diapers in a row, I got peed on 4 or 5 times in a row after the fact. Well, leaked on, but same difference when it requires a full wardrobe change for the baby and a new shirt for me every single time. Ben does the diapers and we don't have those issues. I guess this means he's not getting fired from that job any time soon!
*Update: since first writing this, one of Ben's diapering jobs leaked & two of mine did not! I'm still not firing him.

5) Parenting Fail: it took us a week to let the older two children hold Lincoln. Whoops. I don't even know how that happened except that we got home and every day was sort of a whirlwind of survival and visits and activities for HD & RL and nursing and naps and yeah. We just didn't get around to it until Lincoln was a whole week old. Harrison's reaction when we asked if he'd like to hold Lincoln on the Boppy on the couch? "Finally!!!" Apparently the umpteen kisses to the top of the head and waves of hello to the sleepy babe in the swing that he and Raegan had been doing just weren't cutting it. He really was pumped to hold his baby brother and Sister loved it, too.

6) Newborns get the hiccups. I know this. In the past, a hiccuping newborn has never bothered me. But there's something about little Lincoln's chest when he hiccups that freaks out his mama. It looks SO violent when his diaphragm sucks in that I now cringe whenever he starts up a round of hiccups. Did I not see my other two naked when they had them or something? Why is this suddenly so disturbing?!

7) Harrison has decided that we must change Lincoln's name to Exeter because the baby needs to be named after a town (Harrison and "Ragan" Nebraska both exist). Exeter is a tiny town on Highway 6 that we drive through on the way to Grandpa & Grandma Welsch's house. When he first said this I laughed at his town of choice and then thought to myself, Ooooh. Poor LT. No town. Then my obviously less tired husband chimed in and said, "Hmmm...Lincoln in Nebraska. I think we're covered for having a town to go with the name." Face Palm, my friends. Total Face Palm. At least I didn't say it out loud!

8) Lincoln has the most adorable and most unique extra wrinkle of cartilage in his tiny and precious little ears. I have no idea where this comes from but they are totally matched and totally wonderful. Relatives, don't be surprised if you find me scoping out your ears in my attempts to discover where this originates.