Welcome, Teddy!

I'm happy to blog-announce that our Peapod was born Friday, July 5th at 8:06am. The C-section was no fun for me, but recovery hasn't been too bad. Brian got to see the doctor pull the baby out of me, which he said was cool. He weighs 8lbs. 14oz. and is 21 inches long. He came out with a mop of thick black hair that includes at least three cowlicks, so that will be fun for him. The nurse who bathed him gave him a mohawk and it has pretty much stayed that way for three days now.

We named him Theodore John, and we call him Teddy. The John is after my dad and Brian and I both just really like the name Teddy. We figured Theodore also gives him options for when he is older if he decides he doesn't want to go with Teddy: "Theo," "Ted," "TJ, "The Odor," etc. Brian is already enjoying calling him "The Odor," actually. He isn't exactly named after the Nationals racing president, though that Teddy is dear to all the hearts in our household as well.

My sister-in-law came to the hospital when Teddy was about an hour old and stayed until he was about seven hours old, armed with her photography gear, and came again yesterday to get pictures of the three boys. So she has somewhere around 500 pictures that we'll eventually get sorted out and I'll post my favorites. How awesome to have an eager photographer in the family!

Teddy and I will be in the hospital for another day or two. We've introduced him to his brothers, his stuffed turtle that Cal and Clark gave him, lots of aunts, uncles, Gammy, Poppy, baseball on TV, and some friends. He's a very calm little fellow and has taken to nursing like a champ. Teddy also loves gazing at his Daddy while he sings him funny songs. We're all in love.

The boys are already protective. They keep telling people who hold him, "That's our baby. You can't take it home with you." They're also in love with the idea of being big brothers. It means they need to eat more meat to get big strong muscles, Clark explained. Calvin took on a baby persona and has been talking like a baby and curling up in laps sucking his thumb in order to keep up with the attention Teddy is getting.

Here are the two favorite pictures so far.

Firm Full Names

Occasionally Brian and I will use the boys’ middle names to be firm. To be frown-y. To show we’re serious. The usual way people use middle names. I didn’t think the boys were even noticing our use of their full names until the other day when we were climbing up the stairs after a walk. As usual the boys were dallying near the bottom (where the swarms of mosquitoes wait for their supple toddler skin). I belted out a nice loud, echoing, “CLARK!” since he hadn’t moved a muscle. Both boys stopped in their tracks and yelled back, almost equally as loud, finishing what they assumed to be the rest of my reprimand “…Aaron Crosson!”

It has happened a few times now with, “Calvin Kenneth Crosson!” or Clark Aaron Crosson!”  being shouted by one of them after we start talking firmly. It’s funny but it also completely undermines whatever we’re trying to get them to do at the time.

This morning Cal was perched up on the counter, proudly helping me add vanilla to the French Toast batter, when he decided he needed to show off his position of kitchen-authority to the little girl I babysit, Alexandra, whom we all affectionately call Baby Alex.

“Hey, Baby Alex!” he belted in the general direction of where he assumed she was. Clearly, the freshly-turned one year-old was not going to answer or come sprinting to him, as he envisioned.

“Hey Baby Alex, come see me!” he demanded.

Still no acknowledgement.

He lowered his head and frowned.

“Baby Alex Aaron Crosson, come see me now!”

I love toddlers.