Cousins

Yesterday, Victor and I got to visit the Katterson cousins for Gwyn's 6th birthday party. It is so fun to see those little tykes so curious and interested in their new little cousin!



Over last weekend, Victor also got to meet cousin Hudson... who was likewise very curious (which made his mommy a little bit nervous for Victor's well-being)!





We skyped with the Laser cousins, and can't wait for them to meet him face-to-face too!







I am so glad these little ones get to grow up together!

Meeting the Family

I am so thankful for the family we have brought Victor into. Having grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who love him and care about his life and faith is a remarkable gift.

Introducing him to the fam has been one of the best parts of having a baby so far.

1 Month Old

2 weeks old

1 month old

It's amazing to think that you have been here for a month now. In some ways, it feels so much longer. In some ways, I'm still looking around for your real mother to come and take you home.

We're learning more and more about you...

- You love having your hands up by your face and head. You strike the craziest poses sometimes, and the victory fist up in the air is the way you stretch to wake up pretty much every time.

- You like to take your mealtimes real leisurely. About 50 minutes, all told. On occasion, you have a near-death experience while eating, trying to breathe while you swallow and coming up spluttering for air. You had about 2 weeks of crazy spitting up, but now you're mostly keeping your tummy contents contained. With the great exception of last night... when you had a near-death experience (but kept gulping slightly too long) and emptied your entire belly onto yourself and me.

- You take after your father in making funny noises, especially while eating and sleeping.

- You mostly eat every 3 hours but are starting to give a few wonderful 4 or even 4 1/2 hour stretches at night. Makes me so proud.

- So far your primary outings have consisted of a few meals out to eat, some trips to the office, 4 Sundays at church, and some visits to friends' homes. You don't care for your car seat at all and normally start hollering while we strap you in (who can blame you?), but you settle pretty quickly. We had a rollicking time at a little Super Bowl party and have already made many friends at church.

- You are generally real smiley and perky after eating. It just tickles me to see you kick and wave and charm. Sometimes however, you are just a Grumpy Pants and not so thrilled about life.

Your daddy likes to call you Bert the Squirt and I generally call you Peanut, Sugar, or Dumpling.

And we love you more and more every day. Happy 1-Month, baby.

Photo Shoot

When Victor was 2 weeks old, a friend came down to do a little photo shoot for him. What a treat! (If you'd like to see more about her work, see Kelly Burson Photography on Facebook.)















You can see the rest of the photos here and here.

First Bath

All the mundane things of life are exciting when you're a baby and have never done them before.

Here is Victor's first real bath. He met the endeavor quite serenely, until we took him out of the water. (Brr)






(And I love that belly...)

The Name Albert

Choosing a middle name for Victor was a lengthy decision. For months, Ben and I had been talking about options, and we were generally narrowed down to two favorites... but it was over a day after Victor was born before we really landed.

Albert.



My mom's dad was Albert Vaupel. He was a farmer (raising corn and soybeans and beef cattle) with hard, leather-like hands and a tender heart. Growing up, I loved visiting my grandparents' farm--climbing the hay bales, playing with the kittens (if we could catch them), and helping Grandpa with chores.

Grandpa had a bald head and round face that broke easily into a smile. I picture him in well-worn overalls with a cap on his head (so it wouldn't get sunburned). He was a hard worker--up in the morning at an unimaginably early hour to start chores, and busy all day until he sat down in the recliner after supper and nodded to sleep with Wheel of Fortune playing in the background.



He slathered his bread with butter and dunked his cinnamon rolls in his coffee and saved all the scraps from the meal to feed the many untamed cats who patrolled his barns for mice.

He could make friends with anyone. For being a pretty soft-spoken man, he loved meeting people--at the roller skating rink or on mystery trips sponsored by the bank. He wore a pressed, button-down shirt to church and trusted Jesus with his whole heart.



He was married to Grandma for 63 years when he died in 2006. They still held hands when they walked together down the gravel road near the farm.

Humble. Diligent. Kind. Generous. Patient. Hard-working. Happy.

Victor Albert, your great-grandpa was a special man. I pray you grow to be like him in character and follow his God with all your heart.

Happy Birthday, Ezra!