Abandonment

I've been stricken today with a culmination of somber thoughts that have been forming and developing for the past few years. I'm not sure I can do them all justice, but you would probably be wise to continue only if you have the fortitude to consider some emotional topics.

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Peter’s First Month

Peter will be a month old in a few days, and the time is flying by! Below are photos of Peter at 5 days old and just over 3 weeks.

You may or may not be able to tell that he is starting to put on a little chub around the cheeks and chin, though his arms and legs are still (in my words) little chicken wings with no meat on them. He regained his birth weight before the 2-week mark and is continuing to grow, but every time I pick him up I am amazed at how small and light he is. He does seem to be growing, but I think it is mostly that he is stretching out his arms and legs instead of keeping them tucked in close to his body. Then again, my mother likes to remind me that I weighed 18 pounds by the time I was three months old, so he may take after his dear old dad and start really bulking up!

Cherishing the Rest

Yes, it has been a while since we posted. And yes, it's attributable to the adjustments going on in our schedule with Peter. He slept well, and then he didn't. He nursed well, and then he didn't. And then he did, again...

Overall, he has really been doing very well, but he's not even 2 weeks old, so what else could we expect?

I know this is nothing new to parents who have had newborns, but it is a first for us. It has been nice to be home to help Amy while soaking up time with both Sydney and Peter, though I do have to go back to work at some point. The folks from church who have brought us meals may not have any idea how helpful they have been. Actually, I guess all of them have been through this at least once themselves, so maybe they do. Just let me say "Thank you!" here for all to see, and know that you have helped us get over some of the early hurdles until we get this thing called a routine worked out.

Well, that's all I have time to say. Three of the four people in this house are asleep right now, and I think I'm going to add to that number before it starts dropping again. That's actually what got me to post in the first place, looking back at our photos of Peter and seeing the above picture of him sleeping so peacefully. Those moments are priceless, are they not?

"Ar-One-See-Emma"

Many people have been asking how Sydney is adjusting to being a big sister and having us occupied with her little brother. The answer is that she has done wonderfully! She loves to see him when he is awake, and tiptoes around whispering when he is sleeping (when she's not singing at the top of her lungs, which is par for the course!) She loves to pat and kiss his head, to "shush" him and say "that's okay" when he cries, and his toys (which are mostly her old toys, naturally) are exciting and new as she talks about "Baby Peter" wanting to play with them.

The best part of all of this is that she is still a growing little girl who is constantly learning, listening, and surprising us with her abilities. For the first time today (since I'm usually working) I took her to a gym class that she attends each week with a number of other little boys and girls. Her physical aptitude and dexterity amazed me as I saw them for the first time in an environment where she could really run freely and let it all hang out.

She amazed me yesterday too, in a very different setting. While having lunch a bit on the late (and tired) side, I was trying to keep her on task (turkey and cheese, if I recall correctly) when she began staring at me intently. After a moment that I attributed to fatigue, she pointed at my sweatshirt and said "Ar... One... See... (pause) Emma!"

Not impressed?

I realized as she was pausing before the "Emma" that she was staring at my RICE sweatshirt! She spontaneously, and for the first time Amy or I knew about, was starting to spell out what she saw with the letters she knows. I can't fault her for thinking the "I" was a "1", and I was truly tickled when she didn't know the name of the letter "E" and instead used a word (the name of her cousin, in this case) that started with the letter. After I picked my jaw up off the ground, I lavished praise on her for a while and walked her through some more letters while she beamed in recognition of her achievement.

Parents out there will surely recognize my pride, which was naturally enhanced by the fact that she chose the name of my alma-mater to spell first. I guess it's a good thing I didn't go to someplace like Gonzaga or Rensselaer, or that my sweatshirt didn't say "The William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art!"

I can't believe how fun childhood is!

Warm and snug at home

Amy, Sydney, Peter, and I are all warm and snug at home again, after what seems like ages.

I don't have any new pictures yet, but wanted to let everyone know we are home and really glad to be all together as a family again. I'll post some new pictures of everyone soon.

Thanks for all the kind comments and well-wishes!

Peter Hudson Bredenberg!

Peter Hudson Bredenberg was born yesterday, April 12, at 9:45 a.m.!

Weighing in at 6 lbs 5.7 oz, and measuring 20.5 inches long, he is doing wonderfully and is a delight to all of us already. Amy is doing very well, recovering nicely from the process and hoping to come home tomorrow from the hospital. She did an amazing job under very different circumstances than we had imagined, and I couldn't be prouder of her.

I am floored at God's mercy and blessing, and in awe of the little tiny baby he has knit together and brought into this world! We are both so thankful for the many people praying for Peter's well-being and Amy's health and safety through the whole pregnancy and delivery. Both of our children are such clear testaments to God's amazing providence and blessing, and we just want everyone to join us in shouting from the hills that we serve a mighty and loving God!

Read on for more details and photos...

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Things that should induce labor…

I'm sure everyone reading this who has either been pregnant or has been waiting for a little one to arrive in this world has been told a million and one things that can naturally induce labor. I know there is at least one website devoted to listing ideas for naturally inducing. Things like:

• Brisk walks
• Spicy foods

and yes, even
• curb-walking

Obviously, whatever ideas Amy and I have tried so far have not made any progress towards triggering the labor of our little one. I've come up with a second list though, this one of things that I wish would induce labor:

• Long naps (like I need an excuse!)
• Ice Cream (mmmm...)
• People calling to see if we have gone into labor yet (we've gotten enough of those to trigger labor for an entire hospital full of expecting mommies!)

Those are just a few of the things on my list, but I would really like to know what kinds of things our readers have either done to induce labor, or wish would induce labor, so comment away! Just remember to keep it family-friendly!