This little guy's first!
Per tradition, we went down to Raymond to spend Canada Day with Kyler's family. We only stayed a couple of days (I wanted to sleep in my own bed with my not quite 1-month-old as much as possible!), but we had a lot of fun.
Also per tradition, we took attempted a cute sibling picture.
I am not sure it is possible to get a picture with everyone looking at the camera, not blurry, and smiling.
Still, we tried.
After struggling to get pictures, we had a little time before the parade.
Naturally, a music-less dance party was in order.
Then, it was off to the parade.
We waited a little bit as the parade slowly came to us.
Kiddos were pretty patient, though. Plus, they did have cousins to play with.
And to watch for in the parade, too, like Jarrett!
Though Caleb didn't really watch any of it.
Craig only got nearly run over once - I chased after him and grabbed him quickly enough.
After that, he stayed a little closer to the curb.
Calista, though, got in on the action.
She was pretty successful, too.
After the parade we headed to a baseball game.
Specifically, one that included this guy.
Another cousin! Yay, Carter!
While trying to explain the rules to Calista, I realized just how strange baseball is. Oh well. Since there were cousins to play with, Calista and Craig liked it.
Even Caleb got in on the family/cousin action, since we played a bit of pass the baby in the ballpark.
When the game was over, Calista was thrilled to learn that Carter's team won. She kept chanting, "Our family won! Our family won!"
The game was so exciting that the ride home was pretty quiet...
Yup, they all fell asleep on the way back to Grandma Maria's.
Craig stayed asleep for a little bit, but Calista woke up, and got invited to go with some cousins to get slushies.
Then they headed to the town party, where there was a bubble pit.
Just in the street! What fun.
And to increase the messiness, they also played in the sand.
After all, is there a better way to celebrate Canada Day than as a sand angel? Probably, but it was still fun.
We ended the day with fireworks and more friends and family (though no more pictures). And, since it is now July, Calista's count down to her birthday (it's my birthday month!!!) has begun...
Calista played soccer again this year, and she loved it.
When we signed her up, I told her I couldn't be her coach this year because of the baby - I was due 2 weeks before the end of the season!
So Kyler volunteered to be her coach instead. She loved that.
This year, her team was black. When Kyler asked the kids what was black, one yelled, "polka dots," and somehow that was the name that stuck. So we all cheered for the black polka dots.
While Kyler coached her, I mostly followed Craig around the field
and the playground.
It was redone since last year, much to Craig's delight.
He loved Calista's soccer days.
...even if it doesn't look like it.
Calista improved in her skills, in addition to having fun.
And of course, ran around until she was exhausted.
Calista also had a much improved attitude from last year: no tantrums, and no tears unless she was hurt.
As silly as it is to have a preschool graduation (it's not really possible to flunk out is it? So what accomplishment are we celebrating?), when the time came for Calista's, of course we were there.
Even if some of us slept through parts of it...
They had a cute little program, where they sang cute little songs.
No surprise to us, Calista and her friend Nolan were by each other the whole time.
Calista did such a great job, and clearly was having a blast.
The she got her little certificate, and of course a picture with her teacher, Mrs. Waldof. Calista loved her, and gave her a big hug before we left.
Mrs. Waldof had previously asked each child what they want to be when they grow up. Calista said, "A scientist who studies all the bugs and all the things."
If that's what you want to be, baby girl, we support you!
Calista has grown up so much in the last year, and we are very proud of her. Kindergarten, here she comes!
Sometimes, Craig is crazy. I'm pretty sure all kids are, right? One of the ways Craig is crazy is his sleep. Aside from the fact he sometimes doesn't fall asleep until 10 PM (or later...), when he does sleep, it's usually a little... odd.
Of course, there are the times he skips his nap, and then falls asleep wherever he is.
Like after playing in the pool,
while eating snack.
Or while watching a movie
and folding laundry.
Or at Calista's preschool graduation
(which was scheduled during regular naptime).
Or sometimes when I get him up from his nap...
...but he's just not quite ready to awake.
But even if we discount those, there are still a ton of ways Craig is weird when he sleeps.
Sometimes it's just sleeping in Calista's bed.
But other times...
He recently decided (for days at a time) that the floor is superior to his bed.
Every night, he moved his pillow and blanket to the floor, next to his dresser.
Every morning, I put them back on his bed... and he'd move them again come bedtime.
While Calista was in Idaho with my parents, he decided to sleep in the playroom, on the floor...
...under the table. We didn't understand, but decided not to fight it.
And even when he manages to sleep in his own bed...
Caleb Murdock Rasmussen has arrived! Born 4 June 2016, at 2:23 AM. Weighing in at just under 8 lbs (7 lb 15 3/4 oz) and just over 20 in (20 1/8"), he made his debut in somewhat dramatic fashion.
You'd think, being my third kid, I'd know when to go to the hospital. I was really trying to avoid my previous mistakes: going in too early with Calista, and waiting a bit too much with Craig. Well, in trying to avoid those mistakes, I ended up doing both!
Friday, June 3: I wake up feeling... off. I repeatedly remind my stomach that Grammie May isn't here in Calgary yet (she'll get here Saturday noon-ish), so baby can't be born today.
Morning: I go grocery shopping with the kiddos, doing normal Friday things.
A little before 1 PM: I start having contractions. They aren't terribly strong yet, and about 10 minutes apart. Early labor??
5 PM: I let my midwife know I am in early labor, as contractions are still coming about 7 minutes apart. I also eat dinner of pizza. Yum.
7 PM: I start to feel nauseous. Another hallmark of me being in labor. I go take a bath and try to relax.
7:30 PM: I cuddle my baby boy for the last time as my youngest child. Calista gets a snuggle for good measure, too.
Kyler perches on the couch next to me, starting up a computer game for "us" to play. Really, Kyler ends up playing by himself as I continue to time contractions and am not up for paying a ton of attention.
10:45 PM: Contractions are closer together and lasting longer, so I call the midwife again. We agree to meet at the hospital at 11:30, giving me time to call up an awesome neighbor to come sit in the house. I am uncomfortable and needing to breath through contraction.
11:30 PM: Kyler drops me off outside labor and delivery, goes to park, and then both he and my midwife meet me in triage to assess my labor.
I am dilated to... not even 3 cm. My midwife is pretty sure this baby will come this weekend, but I'm still considered early labor. Sigh. So I take some tylenol and we head back home.
Saturday, June 4:
Midnight: We are back home, and try to lay down and sleep. Kyler falls asleep for a while, but tells me to wake him up if I need him. I try to sleep, but contractions prevent me from doing anything better than dozing for a few minutes. I refuse to look at the clock, because it's just going to frustrate me. At some point, the contractions get more intense and I begin to shake during each one.
1:30 AM: My shaking wakes Kyler up, and he gets a little concerned, holding my hand or arm during each contraction.
1:55 AM: Kyler decides to call up my midwife and our neighbor again (such a big thank you to her!), and we head to the hospital once more.
I am shaking and moaning at each contraction. Sitting down is incredibly uncomfortable. I feel pressure and shooting pains at my cervix.
2:10 AM: Kyler drops me off again and goes to park. I head up to labor and delivery... again. But this time I'm moaning (loudly) with each contraction.
2:15 AM: I get to the L&D desk. They ask if I'm feeling the urge to push... and decide for themselves I am and need to get me in a room now. They want to make me take a wheelchair down the hall to the room, and I try to sit, but I can't. I insist on walking instead.
2:19 AM: My water breaks as I climb onto the bed. The nurses are paging OBs (an attending and a resident, to see if anyone will answer!) because my midwife is not going to make it in time.
As soon as I get on the bed, I am so ready to push. So I begin to. Kyler tells me that this isn't going to take four hours (exaggeration - Calista only took 3.5 hours of pushing). He is right.
2:23 AM: Caleb is born. The resident OB delivered him, because the attending didn't answer the page and my midwife is still on her way.
I get stitched up and deliver the placenta while Caleb is laying on my chest.
2:30 AM: My midwife arrives! She takes the notes written by the nurses (on scraps of paper, because they didn't have time to make me a chart) and tells me I am a rockstar. I feel like it, and much more comfortable that I did 10 minutes earlier.
We chill, baby eventually gets weighed and measured
(7 lb, 15 3/4 ounces, and 20 1/8 inches long), I eat some peanut butter toast - my midwife had to spread the peanut butter with a straw because there were no utensils! - and apple juice (my labor nausea was gone, yay!), and Kyler gets to hold his son, too!
5:15 AM: We head for home, stopping for a quick bite on the way. We say a BIG thank you to our neighbor who gets the first peek at the baby. Proximity has its benefits.
5:30 AM: I go take a nap. Kyler says he's going to play a computer game, but decides to take a nap, as well. It's been a long day already.
9:00 AM: The two older kiddos get to meet Caleb for the first time.
They are thrilled and adorable.
Kyler and I are exhausted and happy. Life is good.
Some quotes from the kiddos meeting Caleb:
Calista - "I'm going to take good care of him. He's so tiny! Awwww!"
Craig - "He's so cute!" "Caleb, we made a quilt for you!" "He's wearing pajamas, just like me. But he's little, and I'm big!"
Caleb, welcome to our family. We already love you so much.
This is probably, most likely (though we make no promises), the last child for Kyler and I. We will be done after this. Done with babies, diapers, carseats, and all of it... eventually.
I'm trying to make my belly as big as possible for this picture
Which means, as I approach this coming baby, I'm excited for all the firsts. The first smile, the first laugh. The first time he sleeps through the night. The first day of school. First tantrum - okay, maybe not so excited for that one...
But I'm also faced with the reality that these firsts will be the last. This will be the last time I feel a baby moving inside me. The last time I cuddle a milk-drunk newborn. The last baby quilt I make for one of my children. The last time I rock a child to sleep, tuck him in, sing a lullaby. Eventually, it will all stop, They will all grow up.
Though maybe not quite as tall as the sauropod leg...
Some lasts are bittersweet. Some are definitely more bitter, and some more sweet, though even the lasts I'm looking forward to, like no more diapers!, also has a downside: no more time spent focused on that one child at the changing table, sometimes wrestling but other times tickling and giggling and singing.
Calista is starting school, real school (kindergarten!) in the fall. Craig may be starting preschool (we'll see, but CRAZY, right?). They are growing up, becoming independent, and leaving me. Slowly at first, obviously, but they are leaving me. This is a good thing. But before I know it, they won't be leaving me for just the morning, but all day. And they'll spend nights away from me. They will go off to college... and I will miss them.
And their cute smiling faces.
It also makes me realize that I need to be more in the moment, most of the time. My email, Facebook, or whatever silly things on my computer will still be there in 10 minutes, or an hour, or tomorrow. Will my child still want me to cuddle, read, play Legos, color, look of pictures of shark bites, or talk to them then? Hopefully yes, at least the last one, forever.
Hopefully they will like each other forever, too.
You’ve got to grind at that grindstone, though childhood slips like sand through a sieve. And all too soon they’ve up and grown, and then they’ve flown, and it’s too late for you to give...
It's not too late for me. It's not too late to enjoy my children, their firsts and their lasts. So, I sit here, while Craig is napping and Calista is at preschool and a baby wiggles inside me, enjoying those wiggles while I still can... and looking forward to when my ribs stop hurting in a few weeks, too.
Kyler and Jeanette got married on the 25th of August 2007, after knowing each other for four years and being each other's rebound date. It's a healthy relationship.
