Since Dash wasn’t able to come home from the hospital, I was able to go to our ward’s Trunk Or Treat with my other two kiddos. This year, Scout is a police man and Icka is a prisoner. I would love to show you a picture of them together, but those two found friends and never stopped. So here are the few moments I was able to capture.
Officer Denison.
The little convict.
Micah made our trunk a little too scary for the little ones.
But not Icka — she must be used to that mask, because she just scared Micah back, and then he took the mask off and they had a good laugh.
Dash Kei Denison
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(Kei sounds just like the letter K, and he shares his middle name with his Dad and Scout.)
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Not to be outdone by his big brother who had the cord wrapped around his neck, or his sunny-side-up sister, this little guy came as a cord-wrapped-sunny-side-up special!
And I’ll take it!
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His newly-shaved dad is smitten.
(I am smitten with the lack of facial hair!)
His siblings are in love.
And our new family of five is pretty happy at the moment.
(The baby is there, but doing the skin-on-skin hour that Mission now encourages.)
The hospital stay was perfect.
The doctors were perfect.
Dash is perfect.
But instead of coming home, he has a little date in the NICU desert for a few days.
I avoid pictures like the plague. But in an attempt to keep a record of my third baby, I had Micah snap a few pictures right before we headed into the hospital. This was at about 11:30 pm, and then we headed to In-N-Out to get our nurses some grub during our shift (and bribe them a bit), and then checked in at about midnight.
Once we got there, we had a rather long check in (due to a chatty nurse), then my cervix-softening pill and two hours later, we were heading to dreamland. Too bad for me, our chatty nurse was also the “I hate to close the door because I want you to hear everything that is going on at the nurses station” girl, and the noise kept me awake most of the night. No biggie, and because I was up, this same nurse started in on my Pitocin at about 6:00 am. I followed my Pitocin up with an epidural at about 9:00, just so I didn’t have to feel ANY pain whatsoever! I was fully expecting to have my baby at about 4:00 pm because my last two were like clockwork, and both happened that way. Well, at about 11:00, I was checked and was dilated to about a 5.5. When I told my nurse just a few minutes later that I could feel my contractions, she checked me again and I was already at a 9.5. The immediately started dialing Theiny, as I dialed my Mom, Tristen, Megan and Trilby. They stopped the Pitocin which gave us a little break for everyone to arrive. But within minutes of Theiny arriving, I was pushing, and about 15 minutes later, I had my baby! (Sidenote: Have I ever mentioned that Theiny is the best doctor in the world? My baby, who had the cord wrapped around his neck, and was sunny side up didn’t even concern me because Theiny didn’t allow it to. He is the calmest and most at ease doctor on the planet. I seriously had many pow wows with the nurses about the best OBGYN’s, and Thein was at the top of every single list!)
Right before I started to push, my photographer showed up and never stopped snapping! Here is a picture of yours truly and the best pushing helper on earth. He is convinced that he doesn’t need my help at all next time!
Here is some of the “party” that is in my room each time! I wouldn’t do it any other way!
Some of the cousins were there to support and babysit!
Aren’t the Brockbanks the best!!!
Grandma and Grandpa were in the waiting room also, and brought treats for Scout and Navy!
About ten minutes before the baby came, I wanted my kids to see what was going on, so they came in and kissed me before their brother showed up.
And then at 12:38 pm, the slimiest yet sweetest little thing in the world came out to join in on the fun.
(I kid you not, Navy came out spotless clean, so I could not believe my eyes when I saw this little mess!)
They immediately put him on me so we could spend an hour skin on skin. Scout and Navy came in to greet their new brother, and Scout even brought him his coveted baseball trophy. It was the sweetest gesture I have ever seen, and really did bring tears to my eyes.
When Micah tried to take Navy away, she wouldn’t even consider leaving her “new baby”.
She ended spending most of the afternoon on the bed right beside me.
It wasn’t an hour until they weighed him. We all had guesses in, and I hit it perfectly. He was 7 lbs. 11 oz. and 19 inches long. Scout was only 6 ounces heavier than Dash, and Icka was exactly 1 lb lighter.
Don’t you just want to suck those little lips up!
He wasn’t into being measured.
Or into getting his footprints done, but tradition was in full force as Micah got his stamp!
And this time around…he got both feet!
That is one sweet little face, but we were all surprised that he doesn’t look like Scout or Navy at all.
It turned out that his bath wasn’t his favorite time either.
But when he got all cleaned up, this sweet thing was as perfect as a little angel.
Even when his older sister just smothered him with kisses.
And when we were trying to get a picture of the three kids.
Or when the cousins were all taking their turns adoring him.
(Can you tell my other two kids were running off of fumes at this point?)
He did start to fuss a little, so Nonnie grabbed him to work her magic.
And it was only moments before he was calm and back to sleep.
It turns out that even though I was the one who pushed a baby out and didn’t seep a wink the night before, it was my husband who died out. The poor guy fell asleep in the sitting position — smack dab in the middle of the room!
On his way to the NICU, our poor little guy didn’t have a name yet, so he went in as “Carruth”. Although I like that name, I am glad the baby namer (Micah) made it official the next day with Dash Kei Denison. Not after the Incredibles. It has nothing to do with the Kardashians. I am not sure where it came from….but please keep in mind that Micah ran a huge race just a week before, and there seems to be a theme in his life lately. So Dash it is. I like it. I wasn’t a fan of narrowing it down in the hospital, but that is kind of our M.O. But I will say it here and now…..there will be NO bet next time…..there will be no negotiations! I will be the namer of our next baby. END. OF. STORY.!!!
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I literally don’t have a clue what I have written down as of lately. But there have been a few things lately that I don’t want to forget.
Such as:
1. The other night, as usual, Icka ended up sleeping in my bed half way through the night. Micah was out of town, so I love the little body all snuggled up next to me. When she woke up, and I was still in dreamland, I heard, “Turn over…..turn over……Mama…turn over!” I was literally still just waking up, and hadn’t turned over when she finally said, “It’s not Daddy….turn over…it’s not Daddy, it’s me!” So when I finally did turn over, and did the whole surprised-it-was-her act, she said, “I’m better than Dada…huh?”
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2. Sweet Scout, who might be the pickiest eater in history, is constantly asking for “big dinners”. Talk about the guilt I feel as we came off summer with very few family dinners. So I told him that he will have a big dinner (one with all of the characters around the table) at least four times a week. The other three consist of weekend nights where we go out and the day the cleaners come and we usually head over to Brit’s house. So far, so good. And nothing beats his excitement as he walks in the door and gasps, “Huhhhhh….Icka, we are going to have a big dinner tonight. YAY!!!”
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3. Poor little Scout has had a fever, and what we think is the flu all day. I have tried to get him to eat and drink, but he resists both. By almost 6:00 he finally said that he felt better and that he could finally think of something that would make him feel better. I was so excited because I keep wanting him to get something in his stomach. So I asked what it was, and he said, “Mom, I think sugar will make me feel better.” I asked what kind of sugar — was it a candy he wanted, or some oatmeal with brown sugar? No. He said, “Probably just a handful of sugar would make me feel good.” Maybe it would….but handsome little boy, I have some limits!
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4. The same time Scout was sick, Icka was pretty cute. She really tried hard to take care of him and had him lay on her lap while she played with his hair. When I brought out the Tylenol, she talked Scout into taking it. She told him it was, “Yummy, and good for you, and is purple.” (Not red — the kind both don’t like.) After he downed his dose, she then informed me that she needed some also. I told her medicine was only for sick kids, and she told me her “tummy hurt”. When I told her that I would need to put her to bed if her tummy hurt, she told me that her “head hurt”. I told her rest was the best medicine for that. She went through a few more, but didn’t like the repercussions of any of the illnesses, so she finally came up with her best yet. She said, “Mommy, I need medicine ’cause I have the hiccups!” Sorry Sis!
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5. Amazingly enough, Sissy did get sick the next day with the same little fever that Scout had. When I tucked her into bed, she asked me to “cuddle her” for a “really long time”. I obliged for a few minutes, and the following one-sided conversation took place. Icka told me, “Mama, B, Ka, NayNay, Nonnie and me are all gurls. Scout is a boy, and so is Baby Sumo. But when Baby Sumo is born, I am going to turn him into a princess.” I asked how she was going to do that because boys aren’t princesses. She said, “I am going to get him a pink bear, not a black one like Scout. And I am going to love him SO much.” Well Sissy, I am SO pleased that Scout is going to trump everything you said….and more importantly, that you like being the solo princess with what will now be TWO knights in shining armor adoring you.
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6. Tristen was talking to Brit who was having a bad day. So she went and picked up Grey for an hour or so, and asked if she could take Grey’s buddy Icka. I said sure, and they all headed to the Dollar Store and then went back to Brit’s to hang out. I was really surprised when Tristen came home about four hours later, since I thought it was an hour jaunt. But I wasn’t surprised when she came in, plopped down on the chair and said, “I am beyond exhausted….and your little girl is HORRIBLE!” I told her I understood the exhaustion, but what was this thing about horrible? I guess she spoke the truth because I would call my niece horrible too if they had taken crayons and colored all over Brit’s playroom wall, and then spilled a huge glass bottle of purple juice all over the same room’s carpet. Tristen said she was humiliated, and didn’t understand how naughtiness could just ooze out of Icka’s pores. I had to be a little defensive, and asked what she had been fed for dinner. When the answer was, “She might be hungry”, I replied with, “No nap and no food equals major naughtiness!” So Tristen — although I feel for you, I also blame you!
(Picture from our recent field trip.)
Scout has always been such a saint. Icka has always been such a stinker. But the two of them together is usually a dream. They adore each other, play well together, are each others best friends, etc. That is until Scout became the “cool guy” that goes to preschool. He loves school to death, but has picked up a few new habits from having his little bit of independence. About two weeks in, I was shaking my head after Scout’s third timeout of the day. I didn’t know what caused his little shift from perfection. Then my Mom….the voice of reason….simply said, “It is just a stage. He is going out into the world for the very first time, and he is just testing the waters a bit. Don’t worry. Just stay on top of it, and he will come around quickly.”
So I heeded her advice, and she was completely right, and has come around. He is respectful again. He is nice again. He is sweet again. But one thing that didn’t come back around was his tolerance for his sister’s stinkiness. She was born a tease, and teases everyone including her best friend Scout. In the past, he just disregarded it. Now days, he gives it right back. I don’t blame him one bit, but man did I love the days where he just ignored the teasing. I guess it allows me to teach my son patience, and my daughter her distaste for time outs.
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Going along with what is happening in our household is a simple illustration. Both kids know that I won’t allow them to call the other any sort of name. So to get around the rules, Icka started saying, “Scout, you are a bad word!” This is where Scout would have told her that saying that wasn’t nice, but instead, he has hopped on the band wagon with, “Yeah right Icka…..YOU are the bad word!”
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Don’t worry, I put a stop to this. But when this exact interaction took place a few days ago in the car while Micah was with us, I stopped the ordeal and then asked Micah, “Can you believe these weasels!?” His response…….”I think it’s kind of funny.”
Funny?
Well, so is me walking into man night with lingerie on.
But some things, my main man, are inappropriate and just shouldn’t be tolerated!
Scout had his first field trip to the petting zoo. Icka was lucky enough to tag along, and they both had a blast. Scout cruised the place with his buddies, and I stayed behind with Icka to make sure the animals around her were safe.
Scout who I wouldn’t consider a huge animal lover has warmed up over the years. (Probably thanks to B.) He liked holding the guinea pigs — but truth be told, Icka who is the true animal lover, had to round one up for him each time.
Here is the class getting instructions on how to hold the animals.
Icka mustn’t have listened, unless I didn’t hear the part about choking the animal being correct.
Scout loved the “corn box” (that is in place of a sand box). It really is a genius who came up with this no-mess alternative.
He also loved riding the “biggest horse in the whole universe” according to him.
The place is set up for Halloween, so Scout got in on the action.
But little sweet thing wanted nothing but the petting zoo part with the bunnies and the guinea pigs. Every time we left, she would say, “But Mom….I want to go back with my friends.” Needless to say, we spent most of our time with “her friends”. She would go in and round up as many guinea pigs as possible, and then get another to hold, and then just sit and pet her pig. She would honestly sit there for forever, and as soon as other kids came and messed up her little entourage, she would just start gathering again. It was pretty cute until I had to explain that the high pitched yelp that was coming from some of the pigs meant that she might be hurting them. She informed me that she wasn’t “hurting” them, but that they were just trying to talk. Unfortunately, the other mothers and the zoo keepers didn’t quite see it her way.
For Family Night this week, we headed to a local pumpkin patch. There were two huge blow ups that my kids were loving. Micah honestly thought that the slide in particular would scare off our kids, but I knew better. We have little dare devils on our hands, and they proved me right.
After his first run, he was hooked and went on it about eight more times.
Icka got tossed around like a rag doll on her way down, and although she claimed “it was scary”, she headed right back up.
Our action shot.
The spectators minus me who is always snapping away.
Poor Icka kept returning to this same pumpkin, but I finally had to tell her, “These people hike these prices WAY TOO HIGH. We’ll get one at the grocery store tomorrow.” That seemed to suffice, and she headed back to head up the slide for one last go around.
Women — I am warning you — reading this story might jealous you up a bit!
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Micah relayed the following story to me last night.
(Background - I am 9 1/2 months pregnant, look as big as a house, super uncomfortable this time around which has allowed more complaining to escape my lips, and am scheduled to deliver on Oct. 26th which is a week and a half away.)
In his words….”Babe, Caren (our friend) is doing work in our office so I see her every once in a while. And the craziest thing happened when I saw her the other day. She came up to me and was asking me if I was so excited for the big day. I told her that I really was, and could barely wait. She then asked me if I was ready to go and completely prepared. I told her I thought I was as ready as I was ever going to be. Then she asked if [Lindsey] was ready. I didn’t know how you would or would not be ready, but I told her I thought you were. And then when she finally asked if the kids were excited, I started to catch on that we weren’t on the same page. I didn’t know how the kids would be so excited about my upcoming Ragnar race, and then it hit me and her at the same time! She was talking about the new baby, and BABE — IT DIDN’T EVEN OCCUR TO ME!!! I was pumped that she was so into Ragnar.”
I guess things were really weird when he told her that her brother was going to be there (were are talking Ragnar — not the delivery room).
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So here I sit and type one of the prouder moments of my life.
And now I show you possibly the proudest moment…..
The facial hair that goes along with the race.
As if the story wasn’t bad enough — I have had two months of nasty facial hair. And because he has a really lame friend who says, “Dude…it is the most awesome stash I have ever seen”, he thinks it just might be his “new look”.
(This picture is before he shaved it down — but I try to crop him out of as many pictures as possible, so I didn’t have a huge selection.)
So then I pose one simple question.
“Do you really want to take advice from a guy who loves it, or all of the women you know (including the ones who hold their children’s hands tighter and make rude faces when they turn a corner to see you) who are telling you the truth?”
I guess time will tell us who he’s trying to impress.
At 9 1/2 months pregnant, I thought I got a free pass on decorating this year. But according to Trilby, her house always got decorated — pregnant or not. I then reminded her that “I don’t remember you making a blanket for your son, or a Halloween costume for your daughter, taking constant road trips, making dinner for 10 on a regular basis, or anything of that sort when you were over nine months pregnant.” Then she said something obnoxious like…..”Maybe not, but my house always looked good!” So the guilt in me bubbled over, and we pulled out the stinking decorations and got going. We also purchased some ghosts and spider webs for our front tree when Daddy got home.
Scout and Icka both put up five ghosts on our front tree.
Icka was wondering who the stranger holding her was. (It is always a surprise to see what Micah looks like each day, as his facial hair has evolved from homeless beard, to rapist fu-man-chu, to the current Dr. Mario stash.)
Then the kids started to stretch the spider web.
Here they are helping Daddy get it up.
I was trying to get close ups of the kids, and Scout did his “I am too cool” facial expression that I think is funny.
You would hope that she is embarrassed when I snapped this shot. Instead, she immediately said, “Let me see” and came to the viewfinder to see the shot. When she did, she smiled ear to ear and walked away proud.
Then in an attempt to see more shots in the viewfinder, she just kept showing me every dead worm she could find. And there were a lot because we are in the middle of a boiling hot heat wave.
But when she started to tell me how cute they were, and then started kissing them, I had to put a stop to her worm obsession.
So we put the weasels to work by cleaning up the front porch.
On top of being the biggest weasel in history, my little Icka is smart! Just like Scout — but in a different way. Scout has a memory like you wouldn’t believe. He is constantly reminding me of things from years past (keep in mind that he is only four, and we are going back to when he was barely two), and I can’t believe that he remembers them. He is a little scriptorian. He knows everything I have ever taught him, and picks up things extremely easily. He can figure things out, he excels in school, he can reason through things, his memorization skills are amazing, and he literally potty trained himself in a morning.
That being said….Icka is equally as smart. But it is completely different. She is quick and witty, and is always about two steps ahead of anyone. She can manufacture situations to get the outcome she wants. She can charm anyone — if she wants. And she can make a very strong case for anything with her ridiculous vocabulary and facial expressions.
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I think extreme smarts can create the heroes or the villains of life. I already know Scout is on his way to heroism. Sadly though, at times (and too often) Icka seems to enjoy being a villain. I guess my work is cut out for me as her mom. (If I could write all of her antics she pulled at the mall a few days ago, this might be even more clear. But it is literally too humiliating — especially the part where my classy mother stooped to chasing the taunting little girl around the Nordstrom shoe department.) But, I saw a glimmer of light just yesterday. We were all sitting at the table for dinner, and Bella said, “Boys and girls…..”. Icka immediately corrected her improper use of boys plural and said, “No Bella, there is only one boy here….it is boy and girls!” When everyone oohed and aahed over her smart observation, you could see a little smile creep up her lips. And then it hit me. If I have an all-out party every time she does something smart that is good, and she just gets inundated with positive reinforcement on being a “hero”, she might like being the hero.
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So everyone….raise your glasses….and let us toast to a lot of praise and excitement over the next 16 years….in hopes of creating one of the world’s greatest superheroes of all time!
Super Icka!!!
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