Welcome Jack William!!

Our household has certainly been a lively place since I last tapped out an entry.....in May.....





Camille had hamstring release surgery on May 29th and was in Gumby-green casts for four weeks.





We moved into our new house on June 19th. Woo hoo! We are absolutely loving it.





But, undoubtedly, the best event of the summer came on June 12. At 9:44 a.m., Jack William O'Neill came into our lives weighing 8# 8 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches long. He is the new man in our lives and he is a completely amazing little individual.





The birth of a child is a surreal experience. You would think after meeting my five children in the last five years, I would be used to it; however, I find no anticipation more heart-fluttering than wondering what it will be like to see my child for the first time, to know what he looks like, to feel her soft skin and to begin that bonding experience which results in one of the most of complicated endeavors of a person's lifetime.





So, that's where I've been. Of late, I have given up the blogosphere for late night dates with my wonderful little Jack, knowing full well that these days will be gone in a whiff and I will never get them back. But, the time has come to introduce him to the world, in picture and in word. So, here are my favorite things.





His name. Jack William. It is so sprouty. So lively. So full of possibility. With a name like Jack, he will certainly have a spiky cowlick as a little man. Named after my Uncle, John (Jack) Raymond Rademacher, I can picture my grandma smiling down at his name, the name she gave her own son. And though Jack is my first child that Grandma Irene has not gotten to meet in person, I can see her rocking him and commenting on his nice ears. Also named after his Daddy William and his Pappie, Frederick William, how can he go wrong in life?





His yawns. How can a yawn be so exaggerated and so cute except in a baby?





Okay, this is so cruel, but I love that game I can play with him when he is so hungry. The rooting reflex is such a curious thing. When it's time to eat, all I have to do is poke around his mouth with my finger and he chases it around with his head and pants like a little puppy and gets more excited than I do in Archiver's or Hobby Lobby.





Undoubtedly, the best feeling is the world is having him fall asleep on my chest, curled up in a little baby ball. Baby breathing should be captured for relaxation therapy.

Baby snores. How can something so annoying in adults be so endearing with babies.

Baby burps and toots. Ditto.

Snoozing together and burning the midnight oil. In the past three weeks, we have managed to learn everything about Michael Jackson by watching AC360 and Larry King Live, sometimes
two or even three times in a night as they repeatedly re-run themselves on CNN. (What can we say---it's better and cheaper than infomercials.)

I love you, my little man Jack. You are already growing up way too quickly but I will promise to try to savour every moment as we grow together. Thanks for curling up with me as you become a part of mylittlespace.