fun at the library

...boas abound!

 

you lookin' at me?

2 week stats:

22" 8 lbs. 14 oz.

potluck

Each year our Bible study has a family potluck.

This year, the drinks had a hitchhiker!

Photo by Robyn

St. Gianna, pray for us!

smiles

 

baptism

 The baptismal gown my Aunt Mary made from my wedding veil.

Augustine Frank, baptized on the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury,  Pentecost this year!

...in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Receive the Sign of the Cross both upon your forehead + and also upon your heart + take to you the faith of the heavenly precepts, and so order your life to be, from henceforth, the temple of God.

Godparents Ian and Lisa bearing the light of Christ

Sleepy big brother Leo

 

 

 

 Welcome to the family of God!

 

celebrate

Celebrating at Texas Roadhouse with a meal fit for a first grader: hot dog, mashed potatoes and gravy and lemonade (plus a fry or two)!

last day of school

-Leo, where is your brother?

-Making mischief!

happiness

-How do you feel when you are happy?
-Like there is a smile in my heart!
:) Joseph

happy baby

 

going home

Gus had ointment for his plugged ducts applied just before we were discharged, so the nurse pulled his cap down over his eyes so he wouldn't rub his hands in the goop.

He totally reminded me of this character from Fat Albert!

Home we go!

Proud big brothers announcing the newest neighbor!

Learning to play with a baby!

 

storytime

Gus received this book about a rhinoceros named Gus and his friend Ned the giraffe building a snowman.

He also received a giraffe!

Big brother Joseph had the honor of reading him his first book!

 

birth story

I had been having fairly regular contractions nightly for the last few weeks only to wake up in the morning and think...nope, not today. Our ultrasound due date came and went. Tired and on edge, I went to bed early after tucking in the boys. A text message alert announcing the assistant pastor would be staying at the Newman Center woke me up a little after 11. I was still contracting, about six minutes apart, so I packed my toiletry bag and continued to time. By 2 am I was starting to bleed and the contractions continued getting closer, between 4 and 5 minutes apart. This is the first time I began active labor without my water breaking! Jude called our doctor and said I thought we should be going to the hospital, to which he replied, "Then you go!" My dear friend Robyn came over to stay with the boys and we headed out...

Final belly shot, in between contractions

I was dilated to 6 cm.  The contractions were pretty manageable, although every third or forth one I really felt the back labor.  We walked the fourth floor and continued to dilate steadily, but you would not engage.  The charge nurse thought we should break my water, but Lisa, my labor nurse, just helped us though the various birthing position to get your head situated first.  I went through transition and then stalled-you still weren't in position.  I was concerned that this did not bode well for you head size :)  Lisa joked that you were just waiting for the sun to come up (on your original due date no less!).  What finally got you turned was "climbing" the separated bed on my knees to open up the pelvis.  We were ready to push!  My water still had not broken and so they prepared a "splash pad" of plastic and warned me that it would be a "slam dunk" with your head most likely breaking the water as you emerged.  Sure enough, you came out with the membrane still fairly intact, like a sheet of latex around you.  Weird.  They laid you on my chest and removed the membrane.  You looked up with your strong little neck lifting your head! 

A boy!  What a beautiful sight!  What a miracle!  Praise God!  Thank you St. Philomena!  We named you Augustine Frank, a child of so many prayers after a saint of so many prayers, St. Francis and your great-grandfathers Maurice Frank and Frank.  Later we found out your great-great-grandfather's name was Gus (August) too! 

 

 

 

Momentarily disappointed not to have a sister, Leo fell in love quickly!

Joseph took Leo's hat off when he first met him too!

First family photo

Voting day

Our fabulous doctor

Joseph filled in the family tree: Mom, Dad, Joseph, Leo, Gabriella, Michael, Nickalos (sic) and Gus

Jude relaying the news to his Grandpa Frank in Ohio.