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.

Nesting and all that...

I'm suffering from full-blown nesting madness. Have been for a while. Well, actually, it doesn't take more than a teeny poke to tip me into an organizing, cleaning, working, and crafting frenzy; I think I'm actually just using the baby as an excuse. :) It doesn't hurt, time-wise, that this pregnancy has brought about terrible insomnia. I mean, I wish I were sleeping more, but having more hours in the day (or night, I guess, more accurately) is the silver lining, right?

On the work front, I've gotten through an insane number of major, time- and head-intensive projects in the past 8 weeks—and I won't bore all the non-university types with the details. But I'm pretty sure it's the academic's version of nesting, as I wrote to some friends the other day, as I prepare to turn in the professorial robes for spit-up encrusted nursing jammies for the foreseeable future. Manuscripts written, courses prepped, letters sent, studies up and running, human subjects requests submitted, proposals under review, research students set on cruise control for the time being, etc. etc. etc.

At home, recent days have seen junk drawers purged, linen closets organized, the fridge and freezer cleaned out, and an unseemly number of cheap plastic trays and bins from the dollar store brought into the house to tidy up any number of disheveled areas. There's nothing like the instant satisfaction of vacuuming out under one's onion bin, no?

And in response to several requests (not to mention promised to Kara the other day!) here's pictorial documentation of the boys' rooms. Josiah moved up to his big boy room during the summer, and then the nursery received some of the attention it never got two years ago when we moved to this house. Pretty much everything in both rooms consists of hand-me-downs, thrifted items, gifts, or things we've made ourselves, so I'm foolishly pleased at how cute they look and how they nonetheless cost next to nothing. I think I like the boys' rooms as much as any area of the house!

Nursery pics first:

After making the flag bunting for Josiah's birthday party, I couldn't resist sewing a permanent one for Will's room! The woodland animal pictures on the wall Josiah and I made together. He painted big sheets of paper in colors that I set for him, I cut the animal silhouettes out of those sheets, and together we glued the shapes to backing papers.

The mobile is another DIY. I used the same animal shapes but cut them from wool felt, blanket stitched the edges and glued on bead eyes, then made hanger bars from old wire clothes hangers. It looks cuter in person, and it dances and spins in all directions with the slightest movement in the room, so I think it'll keep the baby's attention. Josiah and I both can stare at it for ages. But...maybe that doesn't say much about the quality or complexity of our minds! :)

Mom made all the crib bedding for Josiah three years ago, after I bought the fabric and fizzled out of steam before making it myself. (I'm still grateful, Mom!) The crib used to belong to cousins Jaron and Bryn.

Every piece of furniture in here was pre-loved before it came to our home; most items were handed down to us, and the dresser/hutch we bought from a second-hand shop before Josiah was born (we updated the hardware). Pretty much every book, toy, blanket, and clothing item was a gift from some sweet friend or family member. We feel so fortunate! Thank you!

And now Josiah's "big boy room."

First up, a very poor photo of the room overall. The curtains and Thomas pillow on the chair are my work. And the IKEA chair itself was actually a new purchase (although on a great sale)... Josiah's train table and much of the train gear are used from Craigslist. We really should be naming this new baby Craig given how much we utilize that crazy site!

Dad built the lovely oak bookshelves for me when I was in college. The toys are all gifts and hand-me-downs, I think with the exception of the drum, which Jesse bought handmade from a man in Dominican Republic; Mom painted the wonderful Thomas watercolor picture; the desk used to be Tim's 20 years ago; the terrific Welly boots under the desk are a gift directly from England; the hobby horse was mine as a child (made, again, by Mom).

The bed? Craigslist too, as was the side safety rail. We bought the letter 'J' at a local store, and the big picture of a boy waiting at a train station came from a rather junky antique shop in NH! The four cute engine pictures I cut out of a used copy of The Little Engine that Could. The real highlight of the room is the incredible quilt my mom made for the bed. We collaborated on the design, and it needs to be seen in person to appreciate what she did!

The bookshelf is Salvation Army thrifted (painted with leftover wall paint); obviously the clothesline of photos, cards, and art is all Josiah's work; the Chinese lanterns were ordered online for a few dollars apiece; and the alphabet cards running all around the room were a proper purchase.

I love the silly alligator mirror. That's IKEA too...

...as is the puppy dog tail hook, which is perfect for Josiah's new bathrobe!

And last but not least are the wonderful Noah's ark animals my Mom has been making for us these past few years. We get a few at a time, and they'll be cherished for a long time to come.

Jesse and I really do love that these spaces are filled with people's handiwork, gifts, and love. And we're so thankful that even Josiah already appreciates that too. Many nights he goes to bed commenting on how much he likes certain aspects of his room, and he knows who made or gave almost everything. Due to that, he's already quite good at keeping his items tidy and well-kept (for the most part, anyway!). Thank you, thank you!

Snack

So, last evening the three of us were headed out on a quick errand. In his car seat, Josiah was enjoying a little treat—some fruit gummies—that he'd received from a birthday girl in his class that day. Jesse and I were talking about this and that, when Josiah interrupted (politely), saying "Excuse me, Mommy. Um, Mommy, I think this says 'snack.'" He held out the wrapper and pointed to the letters.

S-N-A-C-K. Yep, it said snack.

What??? How??? Good grief. I mean, he knows his letters and we sometimes point out sound-letter correspondences...but...???

(Of course, lest we run the risk of becoming too impressed with the boy, he followed this by wanting to race like a wild child around the store we entered shortly thereafter, and before bed he recited all of his favorite potty words with great relish. He's oh-so-very three. And he's socially smart, so I'm sure his "reading" was heavily assisted by some savvy guesswork.)

The photo is from when this blog began as "The Daddy Countdown," back in spring 2007, when Josiah and I photographically counted down the days until Jesse returned to us from an especially long trip. The regalia photos were taken that day in honor of Auntie Kara's graduation with her MSW up in Boston!

Quality time

Jesse's had several very long days away from us this week, including a HOPE board meeting that will last much of the day today, so Josiah and I have been enjoying some one-on-one time. A week from now the baby will be here and everything will change, so it's been nice to have this special time together (although regrettably I have to admit that I'm exhausted and frequently in a lot of pain, so there's been more video watching than I'd prefer). Anyway, a few highlights...

On Monday we packed a picnic and spent the evening at a nearby park. Sorry, no photos. We ate our food perched inside the engine of a wooden train, pausing every few minutes to pretend to shovel more coal onto the fire and blow the whistle. Josiah kept stopping to say emphatically, and with a big smile, "Mommy, this is so nice!"

We stopped at a roadside farm stand the other afternoon and bought some great produce, including a tiny pumpkin Josiah wanted for his room. Here, later on, he's thoroughly enjoying our corn on the cob (he ate two complete ones). The best quote from this event? "Mommy, did you know I love corn on the cob? I love it. And Mommy, did you know I love you?" Josiah's nothing if not a sweetie, and a verbal one at that! :) As Jesse can affirm, rarely a meal goes by where he doesn't say, "Mommy, thank you for making this delicious dinner for us," or something to that effect.

We've been doing plenty of slow activities and projects, since chasing and crashing are 100% out of the question for me right now. He really enjoys painting. And a few days ago we made a paper chain with the right amount of links to remove one each day to count down to Baby Will's homecoming. That hasn't worked out quite as planned as Josiah won't let us damage his chain in any way!

This morning Josiah and I attended a sibling class at our hospital and had lots of fun. We learned all about babies, the special water bubble they live in, and where belly buttons come from. We practiced holding babies (dolls) the right way and putting on diapers. We even got to have a tour of the maternity ward and nursery, so we saw real babies plus found out where all of the cool big brother spots are -- including a playground! They took every child's photo; these get posted on a bulletin board in the maternity ward until the sibling goes to collect it at the time of birth in order to put in the baby's hospital bassinet. A snack and some art activities rounded out the morning. Josiah really enjoyed it!

Oh, and check out Josiah's new specs in the photos. It's the first time we've changed frame styles since we first had to choose a pair when he was 11 months old!

Puppy Love

Anyone in the market for a new black lab puppy? Our friend Kevin has nine sweet little beauties for sale. They're just three weeks old right now, and although we're most definitely not looking to add a dog to our family, Kevin graciously agreed to let us come and visit them on the farm for a little while yesterday evening!

The Big Day

I'm not sure how it's possible, but I think today may have topped yesterday in greatness! Josiah and I started the day with a sweet little snuggle in his bed, just chatting about this and that. After a few minutes, I asked if he remembered what day it was. In a split second everything launched into high gear as he, with complete delight, realized that yes – finally – today he is three!!

He got to open his first present at breakfast, a train of course. :) Then it was off to church with Jesse, Jim, Tillie, Jaron, and Bryn. I stayed back to take it easy and leisurely get dinner and party things together.

Our little family party was everything he wanted, as far as we can tell. He loved ripping into his presents, loved the decorations (including a Thomas-style flag bunting I sewed up for the occasion), gobbled up his meal, and – phew! – was absolutely delighted with his cake. (He's been asking for a train cake for at least two months, describing in minute detail how it needs to have "buffers, a wheel bar, a driver, portholes, a bell and whistle..." and so on and so on. In addition to that being beyond my skill level, this week hasn't been the best for me with this baby so close to coming, so we crossed our fingers that a basic train would suffice. Bryn – see previous post – was instrumental in helping pull it all together last night. The crushed Oreos in the cargo car for coal was her idea!)

Thanks to everyone for the gifts. He's already been busy making his new puzzles, reading new stories, finger painting, and playing with trains. Before his nap this afternoon, Josiah asked Jesse, "When I wake up, will I still be three?" Upon learning that yes, three is here to stay, he immediately began discussing plans for turning four (describing his next train cake, naturally!). He also has been asking if Baby Will is coming today, as we've been saying to him since February that the baby will come when he's three. :) I was obviously on my feet too much yesterday and this morning as the last several hours have seen me completely out of commission with more Braxton-Hicks contractions and a lot of cramping. So...we *hope* Will isn't coming quite yet! He's still about a month before his due date, and about three weeks before his scheduled c-section. It's been a lovely day, but one birthday on September 13th is quite happily enough for our little family!! :)

The Big Weekend

Josiah turns three tomorrow. Mama Caz and Pop Pop decided (quite some time ago) to come to Lancaster for the weekend to help us celebrate. When we told Josiah, he immediately asked, "And Jaron and Bryn, too?!" These are his cousins who, like Jesse's parents, live in Rochester. There was no reason not to have them join, so it's been with great anticipation that we've been awaiting this weekend! Today was not even yet the Big Day, but it certainly was a great one, fulfilling all of Josiah's excited expectation. Jaron and Bryn have been fantastic, non-stop playmates for Josiah, as have Jim and Tillie. (And I'd be WAY beyond remiss if I didn't furthermore note that Tillie has been cooking and cleaning up a storm, as this past week has seen me put on a sort of modified bedrest... She's been wonderful!!)

Just a few highlights of the day – not depicting Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast, making forts, endless games of playing hide and seek, playing with trains, lots of baking and cooking and cleaning and sewing and errands and more:

The grandparents took the cousins to the Hands On House, a children's museum in Lancaster.

Josiah played his first Uno game, assisting Mama Caz as a teammate. One turn, Jaron and Bryn found it pretty amusing when Tillie asked "So, do we have any green ones we can put down?" and Josiah oh-so-covertly replied, "No. We only have blue and red cards!"

Pop Pop, Bryn, and Josiah made lovely music.

Josiah wanted Bryn to help him get ready for bed, who sweetly complied.

And after he was in bed? Bryn and I got to work on Josiah's train cake for tomorrow's party! More to come on that soon. :)

Pride

This is the urchin who greeted me at pick-up time at day care the other afternoon. The picture doesn't begin to do him justice, somehow failing to show that he was absolutely blackened with grubbiness...dark streaks all over his face, dirt in his ears, grit throughout his hair and in every exposed crevice. At Josiah's school, the outdoor playground is more of a natural place "space," and someone had the bright design idea to incorporate a lot of mulch into the area. It's very clearly the bane of the teachers' lives; the children delight in the many, many play opportunities afforded by mulch, naturally. Let's see...there's mulch digging, mulch throwing, mulch collecting, mulch transferring to the grassy areas, mulch eating... The other day Josiah brilliantly struck on the idea of adding "mulch body art" to the list. His delighted statement upon running up to his teachers shortly before I arrived? "Look!! My Mommy's going to be so proud of me!!" That's my boy! :)

While our so-so camera failed to capture his black-streaked visage, it certainly was capable of portraying the rest of his appearance. Most days he comes home looking basically as he did at drop-off in the morning. But this day? First there was the utter grubbiness. Then there was the Christmas ensemble, since his navy shorts apparently had gotten really wet at the water table midday and had to be swapped for his extra pair of red ones. Best yet, the shorts were on backwards, the drawstring ties undone and hanging down his bottom. Here he's showing his bandage too, as he'd gotten a really, really nasty scrape and cut on his knee the evening before.

Wouldn't it be nice if we all were as innocent, happy, and unconcerned about life and appearances as a two-year-old!?

Due date update

Baby continues to be impossibly breech, just like big brother before him, and I'm told by women who know these things that it's hard enough to push these little people out when they're positioned vertically. So, our horizontal, hammock-lovin' little man will enter the world surgically (unless by chance he finds a way to turn between now and then – doubtful given the state of my insides; I'll spare you the personal details). 

The upshot? We have a firm due date that shaves a week off of the wait: October 2nd. Unless I happen to go into labor naturally before that, in which case they'll do the c-section immediately, he is slated to arrive sometime that afternoon. The countdown is officially on! 

Quotes

Our friend Becky has a lovely camera and an even lovelier desire to have fun and practice by taking pictures of family and friends. A few weeks ago she offered to take some photos of us. Thank you, Becky! 

We met her at 7 p.m. (sadly, it began to drizzle off and on at 7:01 p.m., with 100% humidity, so we're a curly family for sure!). But in any case, being a post-dinner event, we gave Josiah a bath right before his meal. In order to protect his nice orange shirt from spills and spots, we decided to have Josiah get fully dressed after dinner rather than before. Jesse ran this by him while toweling Josiah off...

Jesse: "Is it okay if you eat your macaroni and cheese in your underpants?" 

Josiah, with furrowed brow and a look of puzzlement: "Ummmm, no." (pause) "I'll just put it in my mouth."

Meeting Micah

Last month, while up in New England, we enjoyed getting to know Micah (my sister Kara's new baby). Josiah was really sweet and gentle with him, which we hope bodes well for when Baby Will arrives in a few months! Micah was just adorable and squishy and all those wonderful baby things. :)

By the way, we've been enjoying the development of Josiah's own baby. Months ago he announced one morning, unprovoked, that he was eating a breakfast that was "healthy for his baby in his tummy." His sympathetic pregnancy has apparently been keeping pace with my own. His baby is also a boy, named Baby James; he wiggles and kicks frequently; and at times (during tickle fights, for instance) we're admonished to "be careful of my baby!" 

What not to say

With a couple of months yet to go, here are the things being said to me on an almost daily basis that I'd rather not hear:

     "So...any day now..."

          "Are you going to have that baby here on the street?!!"

               "Haven't you had that baby yet?"

Go ahead and pat my tummy, smile at me, say congratulations. But please don't rub it in my face (albeit unintentionally) that no, actually, this baby is NOT coming particularly soon. I grow a prize-winning belly, I realize. But the baby in there is not even 3 pounds yet; we only hit the three-quarter mark (30 weeks out of 40) a few days ago. There's a long way to go.

The photo is provided for those who have asked (several times) for a "belly shot." Know that I must love you lots, because as I routinely say to Jesse, I don't really feel a great need to publicize this look! I stood at ever so slight an angle to visually trim off an inch or so, hopefully inviting lots of morale-boosting comments that I actually look lovely and small. Please take pity and and play mind games with me until I believe that surely these last few months will be a breeze!  :)

Tin and Aluminum

Wow. Our 10th anniversary today. If we weren't officially old already, we definitely are now! We're not doing much of anything to actually celebrate today -- both at work with busy agendas -- although I think we remembered to say "Happy Anniversary, Honey" as we parted ways this morning...

We celebrated two weeks ago at the conclusion of our holiday time up in New England by spending two nights at the absolutely amazing, wonderful, beautiful, restful, opulent (in a very old-school way) Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH. This was the first time Josiah has spent any nights away from both of us simultaneously, so honestly, I suppose we could have stayed at a truck stop and been content; it was so refreshing not to arrange everything around naps and toddler interests! That said, we delighted in our gorgeous surroundings and took full advantage of time to read books, play Scrabble, eat out, and wander the grounds and beautiful, antique-filled rooms. (The one tiny downside was that the temps were in the 50s and 60s with a good bit of rain, so I didn't get to bob my heavy belly for hours in their lovely outdoor pool as hoped. That cold in JULY??)

We completely splurged on their rather exclusive afternoon tea when we first arrived. I was giddy with the beauty of our storied surroundings (indoors and out), the amazing delicacies we had to eat, and the knowledge that two child-free days stretched ahead! 

Our serene room looking out toward Mt. Washington.

We were incredibly surprised to find this waiting in our room the first afternoon -- a personal note from the hotel manager along with anniversary treats. We don't drink, so the wine has come home with us. (I'm thinking now, actually, that we should start a tradition. We STILL (yes) have the bottle of wine given to us at the B&B where we stayed during our honeymoon ten years ago up in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Does the age make it gross, or vintage? I have no idea. Anyway, perhaps I should find a very special anniversary recipe to cook up with the old bottle this weekend -- and save the new bottle to celebrate on our 20th?! If anyone has suggestions on the wisdom or insanity of this little plan, I'd welcome your comments...)

We dodged the raindrops (at times with the help of an umbrella) to take a bit of a walk along one of their extensive bridle trails. Just lovely, notwithstanding the chill and damp.

Thanks a dozen times over to my parents who kept Josiah while we were away. I don't think he even noticed we were gone, a testament to their wonderful care. 

And thanks even more to my wonderful husband who has loved me these past ten years (a full-time job in itself)...  I love you, Jesse! Where have these years flown?

Vacation in New England

I haven't posted much lately. Chalk it up to turning the corner this month from comfortably pregnant to exhausted and enormous! I'll try to get up a few pictorial updates in the next few days.

July 4 - 15 we enjoyed some much-needed family vacation time in New England. We began in Onset and Quincy, MA.

"Back Beach" in Onset on July 4th.

Enjoying ice cream on the "Front Beach" in Onset.

Waiting for our lobster alarm to tell us our fish and chips were ready on Wolly Beach in Quincy, July 5th.

We then stayed up Alton Bay, NH, where my parents live. We had a wonderful time with them -- they graciously allowed us to use them as home base for several events and excursions through the week. 

Playing at Ellacoya Beach near Alton, NH.

(yes, that's my still-in-the-2nd-trimester belly)

Enjoying cars and trains with Uncle Tim.

Riding the swan boats in Boston.

Riding the T in Boston. Josiah loved being on a real train!!

The cousins: Meg, Micah, Josiah, and Nick

Taking Dad's ATV out for a quick spin! (Okay, I actually tucked my rotund self behind Jesse, who drove us up, but we thought the picture was funny.)