Welcome to the world, Baby Jack!

For those of you who know my older brother Michael, you will find this post especially entertaining. And for those of you who don't, you will wonder how I am so normal. Just kidding.

My older brother Michael is quite a character. He is the one in the crowd who wins everyone over with his smooth talking and inappropriate jokes. But he is also a very private person and rarely lets anyone in.

Back in May 2006, Matthew and I took Andrew (six weeks old) to Panera Bread. Who did we happen to run into but Michael...and he was with a girl. He was noticeably flustered and probably irritated that his master plan of keeping a secret got ruined. He introduced us to said girl. Her name was Edie (short for Edith). She looked very professional. I assumed that the two of them worked together and had come to Panera after work. And because the last girl Michael had dated was about ten years his junior, I made the comment to Matthew (after Michael and Edie walked away), "Hmmm.....she's an *adult*." :)

That summer, we got to know Edie and her three children from her first marriage. We quickly grew to love them all. In December 2006, they were married. (We now laugh that I thought she was professional when we first met at Panera b/c she's a stay-at-home mom who, like me, is usually in sweats and a t-shirt.) :)

This past Wednesday, April 15, at 4:12 in the afternoon, Edie gave birth to Jack Michael Crosby. Michael's first child. Jack weighed 7lbs, 5 oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. (Compared to Edie's other three giant children, Jack was TINY!) They are doing wonderfully, and it is quite hilarious to watch Michael with a baby. He is the quintessential first-time dad. Even the nurses at the hospital pegged him as such right away.

I took Andrew and Benjamin over to the hospital on Wednesday at about 1:30 to see Edie, Michael, and my mom. She was induced that morning at about 8:00, and her doctor had just broken her water right before we arrived. Here are pictures of that visit and then some of after Jack was born. (Those are obviously from my mom's camera b/c I wasn't there. The boys and I left at about 2:00.)

Here are Benjamin, Michael, and Edie



Benjamin is blowing raspberries at us.



Michael is taking a video of Andrew (who was confined to the double stroller). (I just posted it on my Facebook wall for those of you who care to go look.)



Michael kept the nurses entertained with his silly antics.



He is in awe of his son.

Here's my younger brother Justin with his new nephew.

This is my very favorite one!

By the time I got to the hospital, it was after 9:00, so I was feeling (and looking!) tired. But being there sure brought back a flood of memories!

The proud new father with his son's footprints on his shirt.

Aunt Angela and Baby Jack

My mom loves being a grandmother!

Big Brother Davis, age six. My mom said that when Davis was holding Jack, he looked down at him and whispered, "Do you want to be my best friend?" How sweet is that??

Big Sister Ashlyn, age nine, being handed her mask b/c she has a cough. LOL

Big Sister Abbie, age 11. I think Jack kind of resembles her.

They came home from the hospital yesterday, and they came over to Mom's house (where they boys and I were). Here are all three boys. Jack, Andrew, and Benjamin. (Doesn't Benjamin look like a monster? He'll be one next Friday, and he is much smaller than most one-year-olds, but next to Jack, he's a giant!!)

Thanks for looking! I'm sure it will be a fun summer!! :)