Jack Rogers Lounsbury-Decker

Jack Rogers Lounsbury-Decker was born on November 14th, 2019. He was born whole and healthy at 8:30pm, 7 pounds 5 ounces and 20 inches. Katie pushed like a champ for 3 intense hours!

In the hospital, I had tremendous anxiety leading up to Jack’s birth. PTSD is a real thing and I was reliving JJ’s nightmare birthday fearing that terror and loss would strike again and I would lose Katie and/or Jack.

Once Katie started pushing though all those anxieties dissipated. Sharry had never made it to that first active stage so it was completely new territory for me. Katie was a rockstar and pushed through the evening and we were able to meet our new beautiful baby boy. He was welcomed to this world embraced by love and tears of joy and gratitude.

Almost five months have gone by and here are some of the highlights of our Jacky boy who we adore completely.

The consensus is that he looks more like Katie...thoughts? To be clear, in my book that is a very good thing!

Jack is not the best sleeper and he is keeping his mama exhausted but she is fueled by a potent combination of love, passion, and caffeine. We’ve decided he has inherited some of our worst genetic traits in that he is light sleeping Lounsbury and a troubled bowel Decker. It makes for some particularly great 3 AMs.

Fortunately to counter those two less desirable traits he has a heart-melting smile and when he’s not struggling with gas he has a very easy-going temperament. My very favorite thing to do with him is holding him cheek to soft baby cheek as he watches his mama or crazy big brother run around. Katie loves greeting him after a good nap (when we are so lucky) to find big bright eyes and a glowing smile of joy.

Jack is JJ’s biggest fan. I think his very favorite past time is watching his big brother run around like a maniac and I’m sure he cannot wait to join in. JJ, in turn, has exceeded our expectations as a new sibling. He is patient, gentle and loving. He has never expressed any kind of jealousy and only minimal frustrations. It makes me verklempt watching him hold Jack’s hand and doing his unique flavor of baby talk, “Jacky boy, I love you so much I just want to eat you to pieces” or some such variation.

I will say this Jack (and JJ for that matter) are two very lucky boys to have such an extraordinary mother in Katie. Her love, energy, and skills as a parent know no bounds. She is a fun playmate, excellent teacher, and patient caretaker. Being quarantined, I’m positive, we would all lose our sanity if it were not for her. I love and am very grateful to her. We, three boys, build our lives on the foundation of an incredible and capable woman.

In the last few months, I also completed my tattoo set that began with Sharry on my right arm, followed by JJ on my right leg, then Katie on my left arm and now Jack on my left leg.
Jack’s tattoo follows the JJ video game theme. My very favorite video game franchise is The Legend of Zelda and in case you’re not familiar with those games, you essentially level up your health or power by collecting hearts. Jack has grown my heart, love, and spirit in this life even as, at least for now, he has absorbed my energy.

Just this week Jack had two big milestones on the same day in that he had his first “real food” and went on his first hike. What a big boy!

Finally, during this time of quarantine, I wish you all health, peace, love, and sanity in the face of cabin fever and a world gone mad.