Mr. Jones and me

... and Mom, and Levynn, and Lincoln.

Yes, the Chambers Family Four will be at Louisville Slugger Field on Friday night for the aforementioned Rock 'N' Roll Triple Play 2007 concert featuring Counting Crows, Live, and Collective Soul. The tickets are bought!

No one objected to our previous post teasing this possibility. So this is what you all get.

Fear not. Since children under the age of 12 get in free and the playground areas in the stadium will be open, we're confident this is a family-friendly show.

But we are looking into baby earplugs, grandmothers.

Van Levynn

Our little artist, before, during and after her session this afternoon. She explained to Mom afterward that her images show "a couple of lobsters, a sparrow and a wiggly worm slide." How creative!

Speaking of baseball

Today was the baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Two of the biggest stars in the sport went in and if we didn't just have a baby, you can bet we'd have been in Cooperstown to see Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken. I mean, we even considered such baseball names as Camden and Wrigley (maybe we'll save those for our imaginary twins).

However, locally this week there is a concert with Counting Crows, Live and Collective Soul at ... drum roll ... Slugger Field. Nathan says he'll go by himself if he has to, but I say, why not all four of us? Surely they won't charge for our young fans, right? How cool (or crazy?) would that be?

Oh, also, Mom wants to say that she successfully put on Levynn's socks and tied her shoes yesterday WHILE HOLDING Lincoln. And that she promises never to take advantage of the fact that Levynn can hold up her head by herself (important when balancing six library books and a 3-week old with a poopy diaper), or that Levynn will (usually) put her arms and legs where you want them to go, such is in shirt sleeves or through the car seat's straps, a skill Lincoln is still learning.

Going, going, gone

Morning

Evening

We've been anxiously waiting for Lincoln's leftover umbilical cord to fall off, because the pediatrician said she wasn't going to be as patient as they had been for Levynn's to fall off. She didn't get rid of hers until she was about six weeks old or so and since it can be hereditary for the delay, the pediatrician said she would give Linc a month and then send him to the surgeon. Yikes!

So Dad's been vigilant about dousing it with alcohol and this morning it was just barely hanging on. And then tonight, ta da! No more black leftovers!

Levynn and Lincoln at the library

The Library Champion visited her Wednesday stomping grounds for the Summer Reading sendoff this afternoon. As you can see, Lincoln joined her! It was his first time at the library but, as we all know, surely not his last. He'll be a Library Champion someday, too.

Dad's not the only one

Overheard V

We do have this for you, though.

During dinner, Levynn said, "You're a lucky Dad."

It wasn't the first time she said that today. But this time Mom asked her why Dad is lucky.

Her reply?

"Because I love him."

We haven't forgotten about you

It's just that we're not about to have a baby and we haven't just had a baby. So the excitement has been few and far between.

Lincoln is great; he seems to be growing rapidly (see below). Levynn has a slight eye infection, but it's being treated. Mom just had a haircut and looks like her old self again. And Dad's just Dad, as always.

The Show

Levynn couldn't tell you what "creative movement" means, but she'll show you what it is in this snippet from her first career public performance at the Louisville Ballet School today. She was awesome!

Mom and her (sleepy) kids

First walk as four

Yesterday the weather was perfect for our first walk as a family of four. Lincoln loved the stroller and watched everything all around the block.

Overheard IV

Dad gave Levynn a bath this evening, and Mom figured it would be helpful to put her hair in a ponytail while it was still wet to make it easier to do it again in the morning.

But Levynn had other ideas.

"Unfortunately, I don't want to do that," she informed Mom.

Fortunately, that articulate little lady soon changed her mind.

It's going to be a big week at ballet school, after all. During the Tuesday class, her group will be filmed for the Fund for the Arts, which raises money for many of Louisville's arts organizations. Then, during the final class on Thursday, The Courier-Journal will shoot her group's performance. We're very excited!

We're also happy that Grandaddy, Mammy and Pap will be here to see the show.

Deja vu

with Lev

with Linc

Siblings

Though Linc is a little distressed, you can see that Lev is pretty happy with her brother. She kisses and hugs him all the time and when she sings him Baa Baa Black Sheep during a fussy diaper change, he calms down.

Also, amazingly, neither of them has awakened the other during their own fits or excitement. Lev can run and jump and yell (or clomp around in Mom's shoes) and Lincoln might just startle, but stay mostly asleep. And he can scream at 3 a.m. for a bottle and she will continue to sleep soundly in her room, just feet away.

One was great; two is grand.

Cabin fever

OK, so since Grandy left, we haven't been too adventurous. To tell the truth, until this afternoon, Mom hadn't gotten out of the house since Thursday. So today it was time for an adventure. We had to have wipes (going through a ton with a boy?) so Lev and Mom took a trip to Target, a great treat. We even got a front row parking spot so the quick walk through the rain shower to the door wasn't too bad.

Next up, an appointment tomorrow with Mom's OB/GYN to follow up on the bladder issue. Wish us luck.

We are what we wear?

Before and after

This morning

This afternoon

Until this afternoon, Mom was continuing to answer questions about when she was due to give birth. A visit to the doctor found that the only real complication from her 10-pound delivery was a pinched bladder, which has now been "relieved."

Class is in session

Can you spot our little ballerina?

Dad drove Levynn to her first ballet class this morning and only stayed (within her view) long enough to shoot three pictures of her with the group. For the rest of the 2 1/2 hours, she was on her own - and she did great! Dad just couldn't have been more proud of his big little girl as he watched from behind a one-way mirror, and she can't wait to go back.

From it all, we can conclude at least one thing: She's growing up fast.

Lincoln beats the bilirubins

On Friday morning before leaving the hospital, Mom and Dad were pretty concerned when the nurse brought Lincoln into the room hooked up to a strange machine. She explained (rather nonchalantly) about jaundice and that this "biliblanket" light machine would help it. It was kind of like a heating pad, but it glowed blue.

Throughout the weekend, we had visits from a nurse who drew blood and waited for her call back each afternoon to let us know Lincoln's bili level and whether or not he had to stay on the blanket. It made for a long weekend being tied to the machine.

But today we had a check-up with the pediatrician, who raved that Lincoln looked great and seemed to be very healthy. She did send us to the lab to check his level once more, though. And when the call came this afternoon, his number had dropped (as we wanted it to do) greatly and they said we could come off the blanket! Yay!

So this afternoon we were able to go from this (hooked up):



to this (playing on the floor with Lev):

First bath

We got Lincoln all clean for his first visit to the pediatrician's office tomorrow morning.

Lovin' that baby

Is this a Chambers boy or what?

Good to be home

Forgive us, but we've had other priorities since we arrived home on Friday afternoon - when this picture of a peaceful Lincoln was taken. We're playing catch-up tonight.

We'll have more pictures - many, many more - in our Picasa album soon. In the meantime, here's Lincoln's "official" hospital photo and personal Web page.

Lincoln meets his big sister

Grandy says, "EVERYbody has been grinning." And that says it all. Lincoln's second day has just been awesome. That boy is as healthy and peaceful as we ever could have hoped, and Mom is recovering wonderfully. Oh, and Levynn and Lincoln met face-to-face - and lips-to-cheek (of course!). This time tomorrow, we all should be in the same house together. Yay!

15 minutes

Levynn has landed on the Louisville Free Public Library's Web site. Dad's picture from a couple weeks ago made it onto Grandy's personal library blog and there was discovered by the LFPL director this week. He asked to use picture to promote the LFPL's summer reading program, of which Levynn has been a lifelong participant.

Levynn's little firecracker-brother

Lincoln Timothy
Born at 4:50 p.m.
10 pounds, 0 ounces
20 1/2 inches

Yes, that says 10 pounds. But Mom is recovering fine, and Dad is just happy.

More pictures

If anyone is interested in seeing a little more than we're showing here, check out Grandy's relevant Flickr page.

Labor humor

Mom is enjoying red popsicles out of the nursing station freezer throughout this labor process, and each stick has a joke on it. After three popsicles, the first still has produced the only laugh - but it was a good one, reminding us of Gram and Uncle Moose.

"What did the dentist give the marching band?"

"A tuba toothpaste."

Ha!

Baby says, "I will come on my own!"

We're at the hospital after Mom experienced regular contractions overnight and her water broke early in the morning. Dad and Grandy are here with her, waiting to move to a delivery room. We'll post developments as we can. Happy Fourth of July!

Countdown

Earlier today, the doctor said Mom was making progress and gave us the option to induce on Thursday at 41 weeks - if Baby doesn't come sooner. So that's what we're planning to do!

The support system is in place - Grandy, Christina, and Clark are here - and we're ready to go to the hospital whenever the time comes.

So stay tuned...