Here Comes Jack!

A week ago today, my birthday, we welcomed Jack Edwin Kaetzel into our family. I've got loads of photos to follow, but here's the first few:

Mark getting all geared up to go into the OR:

The long walk to the OR. I was a huge mix of emotions at this point:

There's our boy! 7lbs. 6oz.

A happy, relieved Mom holds Jack for the first time:

Heart and Soul

"Mama?"
"Yeah Sweetie?"
"Before I was born, was I nowhere?"
"What do you mean, Buddy?"
"Before a baby is born, where do they live? Are they nowhere?"
"Hmm...well, I guess I would say that before you were born, God already knew you and He put you in Mommy and Daddy's hearts as little bits of love."
"But how can one body live in two hearts?"
"Well, you didn't have a body yet, just a soul and before that soul was ready to be born, God let you live inside our hearts. Even before we knew who you were we loved you so very much. Where do you think Baby Jack was before he was in my belly?"
"Hmm...yeah...I think you're right. He was in our hearts."

Ho Ho Ho

For some reason in my crazy pregnant mind, I had to make some garland this week. I have a list of things to do a mile long, but this is what I obsessed over. So for three days while Gus napped I cut, stitched and glued...and here's the result. It turned out pretty cute although I'm not thrilled with where I've put it. Looks a bit funny on that wall, but oh well.

Decorating the Tree

We got the tree all decorated and it looks really nice. We got to add some new ornaments this year that came from Granny Crane's house, which made it extra-special. When I told Gus that the ornament he was putting on the tree came from her house he said, "Hey, I remember her!" Kinda breaks my heart knowing that someday he really won't remember her, but it renewed in me a desire to keep her memory alive for both boys through stories, pictures and the many treasures that I'm blessed to have.

A Trip to the Tree Farm

We went to the Red-Wood Tree Farm today to pick out our Christmas tree. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery after just a couple shots, but the ones we got are pretty cute. We found a sweet little tree that looks just right in our house. Mark and I were laughing that the bigger our family gets, the smaller our tree gets. It's getting a bit cramped in our house!

Meet Keagan

My cousin Amber had a sweet baby boy on November 5th and I finally got to meet him this week. He's so tiny and sweet. How fun that he and Jack will be so close in age!

Welcome to the family Keagan!

The First Christmas

Peter was a fisher boy

Helping with the haul;
Pilate was a shavetail
Leading troops in Gaul.
Judas was as innocent
As little child can be;
The wood that made the crucifix
Was still a growing tree;
Unminted was the silver
That made the traitor's pay;
And none had yet commercialized
The spirit of the day.
-Keith Preston, 1929