Go Huskers and Kapaun of the Day

Kapaun shot of the DAY.  Actually, this was last week, but in an attempt to document his daily life I hope to catch up by at least just putting a picture of him each day.  His first time to wear a polo shirt.

I know I blog a lot about just our daily life.  Daily life is very important to me.  It is very mundane and usually extremely unexciting, but each day we spend together makes up our life together.  So, I look to capture our moments of dressing for Husker games or finding them all coloring together at the table and see how beautiful and wonderful our simple life is.  My friend Lucy was admiring Kapaun after mass this evening.  She said it so perfectly about life with a newborn.  She said, "It is all so completely wonderful and completely miserable."  It really is.  How can we be so enamored with somebody that just entered our home 12 days ago?  I cannot put him down and really do just want to sit and hold him, but life will not allow for that as I have other children who need my attention as much as Kapaun.  I told my sister half joking and half crying after Kapaun was born that I can't believe I fell for it again.  WHY am I so in love with someone else again leaving my stupid self so vulnerable about somebody else?  We laughed about how we fall for it every time.  Kapaun has stolen my heart already. 

How sweet these days are of them all at home under one roof.  How sweet these days are that they are excited to watch the game with John and I and look forward to the fun food we buy to celebrate the Husker games. 

It really is the simple things in life that make life great.  I still get giddy about new coloring books and fresh crayons.  They love when I sit and color with them.  I remember my own mother and how she would trace her pictures with a darker color first and then shade the inside.  Rose especially loves these details. 

Kapaun's Baptism Day

Kapaun Joseph Mary Boever was baptized today at St. Teresa's Catholic Church. Our newly ordained assistant pastor, Fr. David Gayhart baptized Kapaun. He was so thrilled to hear we named him Kapaun as he recently read about Fr. Emil Kapaun. I want to remember about Kapaun's baptismal day how wonderfully peaceful the whole day was. We took our time getting the kids ready this morning and preparing all the party food. Kapaun slept the whole morning which was something we have never experienced especially the morning of a baptism so John and I really marveled at our peaceful baby.

The best gifts of our marriage

Kapaun received a nice morning bath in preparation for his spiritual bath.  Between the smell of baby soap and the Chrism oil used on his head, I sniffed him all day.

We chose John's sister Mary and her husband Mike as his godparents.  They very much wanted to be in attendance, but had a family wedding in Florida.  We let our Dominic and my sister Damaris stand in for them.  They were both so honored.

I think Clairvaux has stolen my heart all over again since Kapaun's birth.  She will not leave him alone since he arrived and has matured 100 times over.  She was just precious when she came up to the hospital to see him and I will never forget her wondered look at coming in the hospital room.  She was enamored from the beginning.  I finally captured a photo to document why my neck hurts.  I sit and stare at him all the day long.  I am glad I know to do that as time goes by us so quickly these days.

I am pretty sure our family photos will favor this variety from here on out.

She began her day with him and ended her day with him.

Although, the entire family is enamored by our little boy.  I love this picture.

Introducing...

Our new SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It really is true.

Kapaun Joseph Mary Boever
8 lbs. 13.7 oz.
Born Wednesday, September 18, 2013
2:17 PM
His first name is pronounced K-Pin.  He is named after Emil Kapaun, a priest whom we read about this summer.

He has an wonderful story to tell about his labor and delivery.  We arrived at the hospital at 1:30 PM and he was born 47 minutes later.  I went to my regularly scheduled doctor's appointment that morning and was dilated to 5 centimeters.  My intention was to wait until that evening as I usually labor very slowly.  Kapaun had different plans.  I called John around 1:00 and said that contractions had really picked up and were painful.  We headed to the hospital and found I was dilated to 7 centimeters.  I walked the hall twice and felt so much pain so I headed into my room where I knelt beside the bed.  I wasn't intending him to be born on the floor, but everything happened so fast and within minutes I felt so much pressure and pushed once and he was born.  It was really fast and amazing.  Then, they handed him to John who was standing behind me on the floor and I heard, "Lindsay, It's a BOY.  It's a BOY."  They told me I said "Really?" one hundred times.
I want to write more details later, but wanted to document a little of our first few moments with our new son.  

Discovering your mother

I remember finding items that belonged to my mother when I was a child.  I loved her small butterfly earrings and vowed when I got my ears pierced that I would wear them everyday.  She kept them in a small container on the bathroom ledge that I looked at every time I used the bathroom.  I loved looking through her wedding photos.  I remember a black Sacred Heart prayer book she kept on a top shelf that I loved looking through to find the prayer to St. Joseph.  I remember her keeping a Bettsie Gussman art book that we weren't allowed to look through without her.  Oh, I loved when she would let us.

I have noticed our girls discovering their mother.  They ask me more and more questions about my own childhood and what my parents did when we were little.  My mom and I talk frequently on the phone each day and I have noticed my girls laying around me when we talk.  When I ask them if they need anything, they always reply "I just like listening to you talk to your mom."  They hear every story and ask more details when I am off the phone.  My mom told me her grandfather always wrote her back if she wrote him and would send her one dollar.  They love that story. 

This past summer, their movie of choice was John and I's wedding.  We would laugh as they would watch it over and over again.  Then one fine morning...they discovered my preserved dress under one of our beds in the basement.  Can you imagine the excitement?

 They also have been wearing my shoes all day.  They pick their pair out in the morning and clomp around all day.  Zellie asked me yesterday what I think God wants her to be when she gets older.  I told her my thoughts once again on vocational callings and she said she hopes God wants her to be a mother because it looks so fun. 

Fall Pre-Baby portrait

Keeping with tradition, we've always taken a picture of our family when I am 8 months pregnant.  I really do enjoy showing the kids each picture and telling them which one of them was inside at the time.  The weather has been crazy here so of course today was very windy and a little chilly for picture taking.  Moreover, Damaris was terrified of our friend who was taking the picture so we didn't really capture a jewel.  None the less, it is the reality of family life and especially picture taking with children.  I don't even expect anything in that regards anymore.  If two or three people look okay, I am good with that.

I haven't gotten the photos from my friend, but I was able to take a few pictures with my camera just of the kids.

I was 39 weeks yesterday.  I cannot believe that we are due in less than one week.  I think I just realized last week we were having a baby.  I know it is close because I am doing the weird cleaning.  You know, scrubbing carseats, scrubbing blinds, neurotically cleaning bathrooms like I won't be able to clean them again for another year.  I know the time is near when I begin that mode of nesting.  I told my sister if she came by I might scrub her car engine with a toothbrush.  I took 12 bags to the thrift store today. 

Pinnacle Bank Sports Arena Tour

I don't want to glamorize an event by describing it as amazing or breathtaking.  This is only worth documenting as we watched the huge sports arena being built from the first vote to completion of the whole project.  Every Friday morning, we drove by the arena during construction and would take note on its progress.  It was fun to take the kids inside to tour.  The new $179 Million 470,400 square foot building impressed the kids to no end probably because they had jump houses set up for the open house and we ate fun food from the concession stand.

At the very top.

Looking down from the very top...makes me dizzy.

This was probably the highlight of the evening.

Clairvaux and The Lord of the Rings

I took Clairvaux to her 3-year-old well-child check today.  It was just her and I and she knew it.  She was acting extra mature and sophisticated.  After a series of formalities, our doctor began asking her the standard questions.  Do you like to ride your bike outside?  What is your favorite thing to eat?  Do you like to read books?  Her typical pretend shy self was left at home, and she stepped right up to the plate and hit a home run.

Two of the questions she answered very seriously, but cracked the doctor and I up.

Doctor:  "Do you help out with chores around the house?"
Clairvaux:  "Yes, I pick up books and pay with Chachy." (play with Damaris, but she calls her Chachy).  The doctor proceeds to look at me like what the heck is a Chachy.  I translated which made me look really intelligent.

I laughed about this one all day and couldn't wait to get home to call John.

Doctor to me:  "Does she watch a lot of TV?"

me:  "No, she isn't really interested in it yet."

Clairvaux:  "Wes I am."  She says her Y's like W's.

Doctor:  "What do you watch?"

Clairvaux:  "I wike Word of the Wings."  She informs him that she likes Lord of the Rings to which she has seen no part of, but has only heard constant conversation about from her older siblings.

Doctor:  "She likes onion rings?"

Me:  "No, she says she likes Lord of the Rings, but she has never seen it."

Clairvaux:  "Wes I have.  I wike Gollum."  Who the heck is this child?

Doctor:  "Oh, so she has probably seen bits and pieces of the movie." 

Me:  "NOOOO.  She has just heard about it from her older siblings."

Doctor:  "auuh."  Right, lady.

It was great and I love how she sat on the child-size chair conversing with the doc and I.  Her feet were crossed at the ankles and her hands rested calmly in her lap.

Camp Gargano

Dominic participated in a seven day long boot camp at Camp Gargano led by Doug Barry. Doug is often seen as a host on EWTN's Life on the Rock. If you have sons, I cannot recommend this camp enough. You can find more information at these sites: Camp Gargano and Mary Victrix. They are pushed physically, spiritually, and mentally to become men of God. Most days began with a talk by Doug about virtue and real strength in Christ. Their motto is "Strength and Honor." As exhausting as the camp was, Dominic was eager each day to get out and complete the task and improve his times for the different events. Doug challenged them to the memorize the "Magnificent Seven." These include the Corporal Works of Mercy, the Spiritual Works of Mercy, the Ten Commandments, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the eight Beatitudes, and two more I cannot remember right now.

"Before my Divine King I kneel. His will for me I trust. As a sword in His hand is my Soul."

The diocese of Lincoln is overflowing with spiritual gifts and opportunities.  We are so grateful that our children are exposed to such men like Doug Barry and have opportunity after opportunity to grow in their faith.  I pray we use our gifts wisely and for His glory. 

The three big girls go on retreat with Uncle Dominic

I went on retreat a couple weekends ago with my mother and sister.  We had a fabulous time.  John grew up attending Fr. Hardon's retreats most of his high school years so he always pushes me out the door whenever I am able to attend a retreat of any kind as he remembers how spiritually refreshed he was.  All the kids, especially Lillie, overheard us talking and must  have picked up on the excitement.

We received our diocesan newspaper and what do you know she noticed a retreat offered by the Marian Sisters for girls ages 7-11.  The ad specifically stated, "Spend the day playing games, making crafts, learning about your faith, and having fun with your dad and the Sisters."  It was specifically geared toward Fathers and Daughters.  She really did about come out of her skin with excitement and asked over and over if she too could go on retreat.  To her dismay, John had been booked out on Saturdays for quite a while so he couldn't take off.  The idea came to me to ask my younger, college-aged brother Dominic if he could take the girls.

He is a senior this year at the University of Nebraska and is carrying a very heavy load while working most of his waking and sleeping hours so I knew it might be a long shot.  He originally popped into my mind as about a month previous he was over and we were talking about child-rearing.  He was emphasizing to me the role our own aunts, uncles, coaches, and other adults played in his life and inquired how he could be of assistance to John and I in the lives of our children.  It was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture.  He offered to take Dominic to the Newman Center for Mass at night and wondered if he could take our girls out on dates individually.

So, I sent him the following message via facebook.

Me:
Hi Dom! Do you have plans for Sept. 7th? The girls really want to go on this Father/Daughter retreat with the Marian sisters, but John has to work. Is there any way you could go with them? They would never forget this time with you. Thank you so much.

Dominic:  
Literally just posted on Craigslist under tab "men searching to sacrifice whole Saturday".. Count me in. Might need a few details but other than that my car can't fit 7 car seats so figure that out and I'm in.

Me:  
Really, Dom???? You are the best. It would just be Lillie, Rose, and Zellie. They want to go so bad. It is a fun day with the nuns playing game, making crafts, etc. You would be perfect. Lillie especially has asked me to go. You could be influential!!!!!!!!!! in their convent going!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dominic:  
Oooo crafty nuns!! My fave

I mean, would you have felt any cooler than going on retreat with your uncle?

He is this big muscle man and it really touched my heart that he would spend an entire Saturday from 8:30-4:30 with our girls at a Father/Daughter retreat.  He told me when he returned that he was wanting to get "some grace."  

Rose was so tired she couldn't even open her eyes.

The girls probably didn't sleep the night before because they were so excited.  Dominic was here bright and early to pick them up.  I was a bit anxious all day thinking of him out at the retreat center with about a hundred men talking girl things.  BUT, when he pulled up and filled my ear of the entire day and how much he learned, I was just in awe.  He went to two conferences given just to the men about being a man and what kind of role they play in the lives of their children.  Dominic shared detail after detail about how important it is to connect with your children and how motivated he was to implement these things.  When the girls hopped out of his car, they were each holding a gingerbread house.  Dominic gave me play by play about the construction of each house and the excessive amount of frosting used.  He filled me in on kick ball details, capture the flag triumphs, mass, and taking Lillie to confession.  I was overly impressed with his maturity and filled with much gratitude for his very sacrificial and joyful ways. 

Next year, John plans on taking off for the event, but for this year it truly was perfectly aligned by God as it was supposed to be.  My college brother took more home from the event than all of our girls combined.  Isn't God funny that way.