October 30 – “Welcome home”

The call finally came that baby Luke was officially cleared by the pediatrician.  He was coming home.  And as the time drew closer, things began to get more and more interesting around the house.  Here are a few samples:

Zak – when it was bathtime: “Only Mom can give us a bath.”

Zak – when Mimi was chasing him around the house with her hair gel to pretty him up to go see Luke: “Only Mom can put gel in our hair.”

Sensing a pattern here?

And on our way into the hospital to pick them up, I asked the Newborn Brother Question of the Day: Did Adam and Eve have an outie or an innie? 

Zak’s answer: “I don’t think they had a belly button.”
Nani’s response: “Unless God touched them right there.”  Of course accompanied by a wiggling tickle finger.

Once inside there was time to communicate with Daddy about the events of the previous evening:

Zak – when explaining about a sword fight he and Caleb had: “It was an epic adventure of my world.  ‘Zakary’s Adventures in the Future.’  Caleb was a skeleton and I was me …”  And the explanation continued into a fantasy tale of, well, epic proportions.

Caleb – as he pondered the events of the past week as well as those about to transpire for the rest of his life: “The tables have turned.  Now I’m the big brother.”

Christi – upon returning home and entering her bedroom (aka former home of the errant rat and the overpowering stench): “Well, I think it smells great in there.”

The absence of the rat carcass had much to do with that, but the dryer fabric softener sheets and the scentsy thing Josh turned on had just a bit of influence as well.  We’ll mark that one down as a win. 

Once Christi got Luke settled and secured it became evident that Caleb had missed his Mom.  They played Safari in the Savannah.  Caleb was a baby cheetah.  Christi was … a tourist, I think.  She had an imaginary tour guide and imaginary binoculars.  And with Zak’s help they built a nice nomad tent using the furniture and a sheet.

And Luke did receive his Mickey Mantle card from old DadDad.  It became a tradition a while back for DadDad to distribute some of the wealth of his baseball card collection from his pre-teen days.  Yes, that was ages and ages … and ages ago.  I apparently thought Mickey Mantle was something pretty special back then, so every grandchild has received a Mickey Mantle card as a special DadDad’s welcome-to-the-world gift.  Josh did comment that he thought I would have run out of them by now.  Getting close, Josh.  Which brings up the next question: So what are the plans for the future, my sons? 

Psalms 118:24 says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Father, this has been a good week.  We accomplished a few things around the house that should help out Josh and Christi a bit.  We got to spend good, focused time with Zak and Caleb.  And we got to meet a brand new little person who is beautifully and wonderfully made.  That’s a good week.  Thank you.  Amen.