I can’t remember exactly why it is Benjamin and Samuel are camped out in the kitchen. I think it was because Jacob was beginning to sit up, so I put blankets and pillows around him, so the hardwood floor wouldn’t be such a hard landing. Sam and Ben got in the spirit of things as well.
Julles’ dog, Ruxpin, is pretty much a fixture in our family life. Wherever the boys go, he goes. Here’s a cute picture one morning of the boys playing on my bedroom floor, with the dog right smack in the middle of it all. It reminds me of my dog when I was a kid. She did the exact same thing. My mom told me that there was a children’s book in the 50’s that had the phrase, “And there was Timmy, right smack in the middle of it all”. So this phrase I use a lot because I heard it a lot growing up!
Oh, how boys love having a dog.
The school has a program every semester (I think) where the dad’s are invited to come and read to their children in the classroom. Children seeing their father read is supposed to greatly increase the odds that children will also be readers, and continued learners. Having the boys see dad reading isn’t a problem at all. Though we could probably improve on spending time reading with them. Sometimes at night during story time, one of us (the parents) fall asleep mid-story. Then in the morning the child who was jipped with the story, insists that their book is finished that very morning.
At this particular Dad’s and Donuts we arrived a bit late (goodness, that’s something else we need to work on). So by the time it was time to get a donut, they were all gone. And when they were reading, they were kicked out of the room. Well, not literally, but were encouraged to leave to go get some donuts. Which had run out.
This was a sweet picture of James entertaining his little brother Jacob.
(If viewing extract, click on the “Read more about…” link below to see the pictures.)
The first few pictures are of Jacob of course, in case that adorable smile distracted you from the name on his shirt. 🙂
I went to the store the night before to get him 3 balloons and the standard “sugar cereal” birthday breakfast. When he woke up in the morning he and his brothers were VERY excited to have the rare Froot Loops for breakfast. (I can’t even bear to stand to type ‘fruit’ because it’s not even close to being in a food group. But that’s just my opinion and precisely why we don’t have sugar cereals. )
Samuel’s 3rd birthday was easy going by little kid birthday standards. Lynette came over in the morning and helped me do his Thomas cake. Initially I wasn’t going to do it at all. When I got the cake pan out of the cupboard the week before to look at it and see if I wanted to even attempt it, Samuel saw it and got soooo excited. For the rest of the week he insisted on looking at the cake pan about every hour, “Where’s my Thomas?” he would ask over and over if I had moved it to a different part of the kitchen counter. I had pity on Samuel, and Lynette had pity on me and came over to help. She did really the lion’s share of the decorating and it was greatly appreciated by me and Samuel! (Julles had let me borrow her cake decorating kit.)
After we finished decorating the cake about 1:00 Samuel said, “is it my birthday now!?!” No, sorry sweetie, we have to wait until dinner time when dad gets home. At 1:10 Lynette and I had a rehearsal at my house with another flute player for a symphony performance next week. During the rehearsal in our living room he got a sippy cup and fell asleep on the couch from 1:30 to about 4:30! So when he woke up he was good and excited for his party! The Lewis’ came in shifts (Brynn arrived from Ballet just as Karalyn had to leave for YW), and LaMont and Matt came over a little after the cake had been served. (The other Leavitt’s were at piano lessons.)
Samuel and his brothers played with a new Thomas set until about 10:00pm. His brothers crashed pretty fast, but since Samuel had that long nap and had a bunch of sugar, and all the other excitment he didn’t fall asleep until nearly midnight!
~LaReita
Jacob smiling – close up
Jacob smiling
Dad holding Jacob.
Samuel’s 3rd Birthday
The Thomas Birthday Cake
My good camera lost its battery, so I had to take these coming home pictures with my BlackBerry. Not the best, but got the job done.
(As told by David Berky, Jacob’s father.)
Because of Samuel’s emergency c-section birth (ruptured placenta previa) LaReita and I decided to err on the side of safety and have scheduled c-section for this baby also.
This was a new experience for us. Our previous 4 boys were all panicked, middle-of-the-night, race-to-the-hospital adventures. This time we had a scheduled appointment (like a teeth cleaning) at 7am Monday morning (November 3rd, 2008).
LaReita had been preparing for this during the previous week and we had everything arranged with baby-sitters, schedules, bills-paid, etc.
Then Monday morning we woke up around 4:30 (at least we got some of the early-morning adventure), got ready at a leisurely pace and then calmly drove to the hospital (keeping to at or below the speed limit this time). LaReita even drove and had me fill out deposit slips, and was giving me instructions of what needed to be done that day.
We joked casually as we sat down at the admittance desk and filled out the rest of the required paperwork. We were led into the preparation room where we changed into the necessary clothing – LaReita in the standard hospital gown, me into a set of disposable surgical articles that went over my regular clothes.
My sister Julles Berky arrived around 7am to be with us and observe the c-section procedure. She also donned the surgical clothing and soon the anesthesiologist arrived to start the epidural. That was probably the most painful part of the entire process (so far – LaReita is still on pain medication as I write this). Not having the pains of labor to “distract” her, LaReita got to experience the full range of sensations as the anesthesiologist inserted the medicine-delivering needle and tubes into her spine – a bit of a scary process to watch.
Once that had been endured and the numbing agents started flowing, LaReita soon lost feeling in her legs and lower body. At about 7:30am she was dressed, poked, prodded, measured, hooked up, and ready for the show – well at least Julles and I were ready for the show. But LaReita had a calm assurance that kept the rest of us feeling confident as well.
She was wheeled into the operating room and prepared for surgery. I sat next to her holding her hand while Julles got to stand near a wall with a “nice” view of the surgical field. I peaked over the dividing curtain set up at LaReita’s chest so she couldn’t see what they were doing to her stomach – and believe me – she didn’t want to.
Luckily all she could feel were a few tugs and pulls every once in a while. She was a trooper as usual and was more concerned that Julles or I would feel sick and pass out than what was happening to her and her body.
At about 7:55 the doctors had the baby’s head out and were suctioning the lungs and mouth. At 7:57 he was fully delivered and rushed off to be cleaned, weighted, measured, poked and prodded as his welcome ceremony to this world.
He weighed in at 8 pounds 4 ounces and was 20 inches long. Scored an 8 and 9 on the APGAR tests (out of 10) and had a healthy set of lungs.
Julles went back in to the operating room to reassure LaReita. I stayed with the baby and took some pictures of his first weighing, shots, etc. Then later brought him in to see his mommy. She was very glad to see him and how healthy and strong he looked. He displayed his lungs for her also.
Julles and I left LaReita to finish the procedure and have the doctors put her back together. Julles and I went with the nurse into the hospital nursery where the new baby was washed (first bath), checked some more, given some shots, foot-printed, and diapered for the first time.
After about an hour, LaReita was back in her hospital room while the baby stayed in the nursery for a few more procedures. Julles and I went to LaReita’s room to give her an update on her new son. After another 1/2 hour LaReita was taken into a new recovery room where she would stay for the next 3 days.
Once settled into the new room, the newest member of the Berky clan was brought to his mother. After shedding some tears and welcoming this new little soul to our family he promptly started rooting for something to eat. After several tries he got the “hang” of nursing and the most amazing of in-born natural reactions took place as he started the innate sucking reflex.
While his parents were still trying to determine whether he was Jacob Kerry or Kerry Jacob, he spent his time creating poopy diapers on a regular schedule of 1 1/2 hours apart and nursing well every 1 1/2 hours. [During pregnancy LaReita had received a prompting while at her Uncle Kerry’s funeral “You should name him Kerry.” And a month before delivery, Dave received a clear prompting, “Jacob is a good name.” So we had to determine which name went where.]
Finally on November 4th, his parents decided that he was to be called Jacob Kerry Berky and began informing the family of his “official” name here on Earth.
Welcome to this world Jacob Kerry Berky!
First Picture
Weighed in at 8 lbs 4 oz. – 20 inches long.
Meeting Mommy
First bath – not impressed.
Mom’s first cuddle.
Opening eyes, “hello world!”
Being held by brother Anthony with brother Benjamin (left) and Grandpa Berky (right) looking on.
Being held by Grandma Berky with brother Benjamin.
First family picture – Anthony, James, Ben, Dad (back), Jacob, Samuel, Mom (back).
Being held by Sam (left) and James (right).
Being held by brother Benjamin.
Being held by brother Samuel.
With brothers Benjamin, Samuel and mommy.
Being held by Grandpa Berky with brother Benjamin looking on.
Being held by Aunt Julles
