Happy Halloween

On Thursday we went to Jesse's office to join the other HOPE kids in "Trick or Treating" around the cubicles. Josiah was excited to wear his Thomas the train outfit again from last year (which was big on him back then but fits great now), and we dug up a bandana and overalls so Will could be the train engineer!

Of course, the picture I really should have is from last night when Josiah went around the neighborhood for candy. Out of the blue he decided he absolutely did not want to wear his Thomas costume again; he wanted his kangaroo outfit instead. That's the costume he wore two years ago, when he was just barely a year old! But...he'd have it no other way, so we dug it out and squeezed him in. The sleeves came half way up his arms, the hood was so tight that he appeared to have no neck, and since it was short, the tail didn't hang down to come off of his bottom but instead stuck out of his back, looking more like a dorsal spike than a tail! It was pretty funny, but he was happy, and I guess that's what counts, right? :)

Thank You!!

For these first 3+ weeks of William's life, we've been overwhelmingly blessed to have one grandparent or another with us almost nonstop, providing attention for Josiah and help for me as I've tried to be really careful in following post-op instructions about not lifting, reaching, etc. I've realized my only photo of Tillie was from the hospital (already posted below), and here are a few pics of everyone else...

We love you so much, and we're so incredibly thankful for your help and energy and love and effort, driving hundreds of miles and playing endless crashes with Josiah and making meals and doing laundry and...the list could be endless.

Family of Four

Finally...

It's taken us the better part of a month, but at long last yesterday we got a photo of all of us together. Of course, Josiah was only interested in making crazy faces, so this is the best of at least eight shots, but hey, it's something. Will is already growing like a weed. He looks bigger than three weeks here to me, especially considering he was born over a week before his due date!

It's a tough life...

...when your cheeks need to be propped up by your collar!

(He's 3 weeks old today. Big boy!)

On how to be a good big brother:

We've had a few issues over the past two weeks, but overall Josiah has done a fantastic job adjusting to his role as Big Brother. William's arrival has coincided with the end of Josiah going to day care (for the next 15 months), with Mommy recovering from surgery and being unable to lift him and do several of her "normal" things, and with a rotating set of people in the house helping us out. Certainly we tried to be smart about how we prepared Josiah for these changes, and we're also trying to be intentional about giving him very special attention and one-on-one time...but...little is as it was just two weeks ago...so we're pretty proud with how he's coped, being all of 37 months old himself.

Josiah was ecstatic upon first meeting William. Two weeks later, he still daily comments, "It was a special day when my baby came out! I love my baby!"

I pumped a small amount of milk one day last week so that Josiah could help with a feed. Josiah was delighted at the honor of giving Will his very, very first bottle ever! And Will, being an incredibly accommodating infant, sucked the ounce down in 60 seconds flat, despite the dreadful awkwardness of delivery. :)

Josiah loves helping with various baby jobs. He assists with almost every diaper change (his primary task is to get a diaper and open it all out ready). He especially enjoys helping with Will's sponge baths, taking his job of washing down various assigned body parts very seriously!

He constantly asks to hold the baby. "May I cuddle with my brother?" "Can I kiss my brother?" "Can I see my brother?" are frequent refrains in the house.

Josiah also enjoys singing to the baby. Enjoy this video of him singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to Will. It was an encore performance once I'd located the camera, so it's not quite as sweet and heartfelt as the first time he sang it on that particular occasion, but you get the idea. :)

I know my boys will be normal boys who fight each other, tease one another, and all the rest. But for now, while it lasts, I'm enjoying watching them enjoy one another. I'm one lucky mommy.

On the road again...

Jesse is off to Boston until Sunday...for our 10th reunion at ENC and to receive an alumni award there this weekend, among other things. Nannan is here to help us as I'm still taking it easy and am not permitted yet to drive, being not quite 2 weeks out from surgery still. So that he doesn't forget what this new little guy looks like, we'll be posting pictures daily through the weekend—just as we always used to during Daddy's travels.

This afternoon Josiah and I frosted the rolled shortbread cookies we'd made on Tuesday, and Tim and Holly joined us for dinner, so it's been a pleasant day in the end, in spite of the cold, dark, rainy weather and the departure of our much-loved daddy!

Our little family

It's Sunday, William is 2 days old, I'm beginning to heal, and we're hoping to get hospital discharge papers tomorrow. We're delighted to share that Will is an absolute cherub of a baby! He's cuddly, sleepy, and content...he's equally amenable to lying in his little hospital bassinet when we need to rest as he is in someone's arms...he's nursing wonderfully (my milk's already in)...and he's just an all-around breeze so far — especially compared to Josiah, who came into the world crying and spent his first 10-12 months getting over it! (We've spent this entire pregnancy steeling ourselves with anxiety for a repeat year of exhaustion and difficulty, and we welcome the promise of these first, special 48 hours.)

That said, we're also delighted to share that Josiah is an absolute cherub of a big brother. He is utterly in love with "his baby," wants to hold William all the time, sings sweet songs to him, and is perfectly gentle. He's disappointed to be unable to help in the feeding department, though, and is planning rapidly to grow up to "be a Mommy and have nursie things to give Baby Will his milk."

Of course Jesse and I couldn't be happier with our little family. Hopefully by next report we'll all be home and settling into our new lives and roles.

Announcing William Henry James Casler! He was born at 1:59 p.m. on October 2nd. He weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. He has dark curly hair and is just wonderful. Krista is doing just fine, and everyone is healthy. Praise God for a healthy baby boy! Enjoy this initial installment of pictures.