Everybody loves the baby in their own special way.
I sing to him

The Dog sniffs him and licks him

That Guy I Married makes faces at him

Gramsie talks to him

MC spoils him

Dedo shows him off

Debbie cuddles him

Uncle Chris burps him (and makes fun of his little noises too)

I’ve been crocheting. A lot.

This is the one I’m most proud of, it took me a year to finish because I was learning as I went.
This was the prayer shawl that I poured my heart into.

With these to match:

This one, that I made to bring Ducky home from the hospital in, was a total disaster. It was WAY too small for my 7 lb 13 oz baby.
I got the pattern from Bella Bambina’s website. It’s really easy, and it only took me three hours to make.
I’m too ashamed to post the picture of him wearing his going-home outfit. The only thing that fit him were his socks. I’ll laugh about it later. Maybe.

I’m working on the last few rows of “Kelly’s Sweater.” I increased the size by 50 percent, I’ll post a picture when I’m done.

and he’s already a pro.

I just can’t get enough of watching these two hang out together.

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Why do I put up with this?

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Ducky has been with us for one week, one day, one hour, and ten minutes. Right now, Daddy is walking him and The Dog. In just a short week, I had forgotten quiet. My ears are scanning the empty apartment, looking for something to listen to.

The only thing I can hear is the unfamiliar West Wind. Today the wind is bigger than the City of Angels. I’m lost, and a little frightened by it. I feel caught in a parachute, tossed about, even behind the safety of my window. This wind is a completely different beast than the East Winds that have comforted me throughout my life.

The East Winds blew around me, and over me, like a warm towel left out in sunlight. A sweet respite after a cold swim. The West Winds blow through me, and unsettle me. I feel unbalanced because I usually find comfort in wind.

I fed him every hour this morning before dawn, we dozed on the couch as the sun rose, and then we snuggled up with Daddy for a couple of hours. I pulled the baby close as the wind blew and told him not to be afraid, told myself not be afraid. We’re safe now, the three of us; our family snuggled up in bed.

It occurred to me that the West Winds will be as familiar to him as they are foreign to me. It makes me sad, not to share the East Winds with our son, save for a few visits to Grandpa’s house. Our life is here now. His life begins here, in this big city, with these cold winds and rare moments of quiet.

That Guy I Married just couldn’t resist. Our very own Lolcat picture:
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The baby came Friday. Internet, meet Ducky.

A few more pictures below the fold.
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In a flurry of “we almost didn’t make it”, Ducky has joined The Douglas Clan!

Born at 12:28pm Friday October 3rd, at 7lbs 13oz and 20.5 inches of all-boy, this little fella is gonna break a lot of hearts!

Elizabeth said I was allowed “one freebie” to get back at her for anything she’s said about me on her blog. Aww, just one?

In all seriousness, being a part of the action, seeing everything she went though, seeing the pain (despite the incredibly short labor) of a natural childbirth without an epidural, I couldn’t possibly say anything to disrespect my favorite person in the whole world. I’ve got a new-found respect for Elizabeth, on top of the unconditional love and almost-never-ending patience that I try my very best to show every day, that only the circumstance of giving birth to a new human being could bring.

I’ve been speechless at a lot of things in life: sunsets, the Grand Canyon, etc., but THIS… wow, words utterly fail me at the beauty of seeing a new life being born in a bed you stand beside.

Hon, you did amazing! I’m so proud of the way you handled everything, the blood, sweat and tears, and the many months you were impatient with waiting (”is it OVER yet?!”), and comments of “YOU be pregnant, it’s YOUR turn…” and discomfort and lack of quality sleep in the past two months, and all of your organizational skills of getting his stuff together, taking care of your own body, and everything else that has gone into carrying our little Ducky into this world.

I love you with everything in me. Smoochies.

This is a couple of weeks old, but I thought I’d share.