Isaiah Joseph Elmer Malecek

 

5 days past the magical due date... induction is scheduled.

Baby #4, just like Baby #2 and #3 does not want to come out.

Maybe it has something to do with them all being BOYS!!! They just want to stay in where is it warm and snuggly.  See Baby #1 was a girl, and she came all on her own!!

I am told I need to be at the hospital at 5am on Friday December 6, 2013. We live about an hour from the hospital and the driving conditions were not the greatest as winter had already begun. Temperatures were in the sub-zero's.  Everyone teased as this is the reason the baby doesn't want to come out... it is just too cold!

So 4am Marty and I start this journey to having our 4th baby. We are old pros at this already. We know where to park, we know where to check in, Marty knows where the cafeteria is and the bathrooms (that's what the guys think about you know!), we know what to expect and we are just ready to get this show on the road.

Baby warmer and bassinet is all ready to go - just need a baby!

To my amazement I was starting a few contractions at home already Thursday night. Nothing to painful or regular, but when the nurses hooked me up to the monitors she confirmed it.  I have never had contractions at home... so this was something new to me.

Dr. Antkowiak came in about 8am, and since I was already contracting a small amount, and I was dilated to a 3 - he broke my water.  I was sure this would get everything rolling and baby would be here by noon!

To my disappointment that didn't happen. The magic medicine of Pitocin was started about 10:30am to get things moving.  Marty and I walked the hallways and walked and walked and walked. Still nothing. We watched a movie in the morning (see we know how this goes, and the movie helps pass the time before things get to painful).  I have this thing were I don't want an epidural - I am able to feel the contractions and by mid-afternoon they were started to come stronger and harder. Dr. comes and checks me about 3pm and still only a 6.  So more walking we do and more and more. Then it starts to get 'really' bad. Things are progressing now.  4:30pm Dr. comes back and we are ready to roll.

4:57pm little Baby Boy Malecek is born.

He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 22 in long.

He came out with a cry! We cuddled and loved him up

The nurses doing their thing.

Daddy's first hold.

Gosh you are beautiful baby boy. Now to get you a name.

Amazingly it is always hard. I always think we will know immediatly upon looking at the baby what the name should be. The options for first name were Grant or Isaiah. Middle name options were Joseph or Elmer.

We choose Isaiah Joseph... of the first 2 days. Then day 3 came and I just had an unsettled feeling that the name wasn't quite right, so we changed it. See my Grandpa Elmer Sohre (the best Grandpa EVER - see previous posts) had passed away just a month earlier. My heart was telling me I needed to include him.  I needed to keep his presence alive in my new boy. So we made an announcement:

NAME CHANGE:  Isaiah Joseph Elmer Malecek

Isaiah means Salvation.

Joseph is after Marty's middle name, Grandpa Joe's first name, and my middle name, which is Jo.

Elmer is after my Grandpa Elmer Sohre.

Lots of meaning flowing out of this name.

Now is sounded right. Everything was complete.

Visitors Saturday morning were Grandpa and Grandma Malecek. They brought the 'troops,' Gracelyn, Zachy, and Jared. Oh, they were so excited to meet and see the baby. They wanted to kiss him, hug him, and hold him. Even little Jared wanted to hold him. Our busy life was getting even busier!

Such a blessing to have such a beautiful and wonderful family.

Grandpa Joe getting his first hold.

Grandma Betty's first hold.

Momma's new crew.

Grandma and Grandpa Sohre come for a visit in the afternoon on Saturday.

Little Isaiah trying to take a rest! Such a busy weekend.

Mommy and Daddy with new baby getting ready to go home on Sunday, December 8th.

Baby bump progression - Baby #4

I thought it would be kinda fun to see the progression of the baby bump for Malecek #4.

So here it is....

6 weeks 

9 weeks 

10 weeks

13 1/2 weeks

15 weeks

18 weeks

19 weeks

22 weeks

24 weeks

26 weeks

27 weeks

29 weeks (Chicago anniversary trip)

32 weeks

35 weeks

36 weeks

37 weeks

 39 weeks

40 weeks: Due Date!!

Due Date + 5 days

And our precious little Isaiah Joseph Elmer Malecek is finally born on 

December 6, 2013 at 4:57pm.

Mommy and Daddy needed to be at the hospital in Willmar at 5am to start the induction of labor.

He weighed in at 8lbs 8oz and was 22 inches long.

So glad you finally came little guy. We immediately fell in love with you. You look a lot like your siblings!

Grandpa Elmer Sohre

One of the hardest posts I have had to write. 

Probably one of the reasons I have waited so long to write it. I am crying while I write this.

When these pictures were taken I had no idea it would be the last time I would see my Grandpa alive. I had no idea that it would the last time I would give him a hug and kiss and say "love you Grandpa, see you again soon" and he would say "well you never know I might not be here next time" and I would say "oh, Grandpa, sure you will". I had that exact good-bye many, many times with him. But in the past Grandpa was always wrong, and I was right. He was always there the next time I visited.

I had no idea that 2 1/2 weeks later he would be called home to Heaven and get to meet Jesus face to face.

See this was the same day Gracelyn, Zach, and I randomly decided to drive to Mom and Dad's on a Sunday to see all the family, since they would be home.  It was a last-minute decision. I was 7 1/2 months pregnant and uncomfortable - but something told me I better go drive the 2 hours to visit. Marty said he would stay home with Jared, so make the trip easier. Everyone was home and it was a gorgeous fall harvest day.

I will be forever GRATEFUL I went. I truly believe Jesus was telling me to go. And Jesus told Darrin to randomly come home to help Dad with harvest. See there is always a purpose and a plan. God up above knows this, we just gotta believe it.

On this visit Shelly talked Dad, Darrin, and Grandpa into gathering up to take a generation picture.

This lead to snapping a bunch of pictures.

See Grandpa is 98 years old and on this particular day we just never knew how long he would be with us on Earth.  We all truly felt is would be a couple of more years.  We had no idea it would only be 2 1/2 more weeks. 

Grandpa Elmer Walter Sohre  

Born: August 2, 1915  

Died: October 31, 2013

Just a little less than 2 years short of 100.

He told us he would be sure to make it to 100 - so naturally we believed him. He even had the day's counted down on his birthday this year in August.  I really couldn't have seen it happening any other way. He was a wonderful man. The best Grandpa a grandkid could have.

I love him dearly and even though it has been over a month I miss him dearly.

I find myself talking about him a lot. I find myself thinking about him a lot.

He was an inspiration. Always had time for me. Always had a little sense of humor to share. Always could talk to me or Marty for as long as we liked. He would always let my kids sit on his lap (if I could get the kids to do it! So bashful they are.) Marty never knew his Grandpa's so this was kinda his Grandpa too for the last 13 years him and I have been together. As a kid I probably saw him weekly or at least quite frequently - even if it was only shouting "toot toot" across our back yards. See our farm yards touched each other, so we were within walking distance to each other (or shouting!). He was a constant in my life. I don't think I ever saw him get mad. I don't think he ever yelled at me.  Doesn't mean I didn't deserve to be yelled at as a kid!!  I just don't think he ever did it, he must of taken a different approach or maybe in his presence I did behave pretty good, maybe he had that influence on me and my siblings!

Here is my siblings with Grandpa on that beautiful fall day.

This is Grandpa's normal attire:  flannel shirt, hat, jeans - out on the farm.

This is how I knew him the most.

My Dad and my Grandpa. 

Two of the most treasured men in my life.

One hard working farmer to another. 

Passing on the treasure of family farm living.

And this is how two well-seasoned farmers talk - they are always looking down on the ground - I never could figure out as a kid what they were looking at!!  I guess it doesn't matter - it is the million of conversations that have occurred in this pattern - it is the mutual feeling of respect between two men - the feeling of love and comfort of being next to each other - knowing they both mean to world to each other.

Love you Grandpa.

I know you are enjoying Heaven and you very much deserved to go as you more than served your purpose here on Earth - but gosh I miss you soo much!

Can't wait to see you in 50 to 60 years. I hope I am as wonderful as Grandma to my grandkids as you were a Grandpa to me.

And here is a tribute the grandkids all wrote and was spoken at Grandpa's funeral:

I think it sums up wonderfully what Grandpa meant to all of us.

HI Grandpa.

We were all at the farm the other day and something wasn’t right.  You weren’t sitting in your chair in the kitchen. 
So we started looking for you………..

We looked for you down in the basement and you weren’t down there fixing the couch or cracking walnuts.  You weren't upstairs watching I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver or the Vikings game.  You weren't at the table drinking coffee with your boys, reading the Free Press or listening to the markets on the radio.

So then we thought we’d look outside.  You weren’t in the barn feeding Grandma’s kitties, burning trash, fixing the lawnmower or mowing the lawn.  We checked the chisel plow tractor and you and your lunch box weren’t in there.  You weren’t in the garden either.

So….we guess we have to accept the fact, that as hard as we search, that we are only going to find you in our memories BUT you will never leave our hearts.

So, how are things in Heaven?  We miss you Grandpa.

Here are just a few of the things you have taught us;
That you don’t have to talk all the time and that the best conversations don’t need words.  Even though you didn’t tell us that you loved us all the time.  We always knew.
The quiet times that we remember are;

·       Sitting on the school bus bench in the garage

·       Husking corn

·       Watching TV with you

·       Walking to the barns and checking the piggies

·       Counting your hats

·       Fixing the H tractor

You’ve taught us how to work hard and pinch our pennies.

·       We’ve learned how to patch with duct tape…..our slippers, shoes and flannel shirts.

·       It is important to keep track of the gas price at the Good Thunder station and to only fill up when the price was low.  However; that haircuts are important and it is ok to splurge on a trip to Amboy for a haircut from the barber.

·       Don’t waste the morning brew.  Coffee made at 8 am is still just as fresh at 8 pm.  Just microwave it!

·       Don’t throw away a good shirt or socks just because there are a few holes in them.  That’s good air conditioning!

You’ve taught us how to be farmers.

·       By showing us how to plant potatoes on Good Friday.  Rain, shine or snow.

·       How to know when sweet corn is ripe and that to scare off the raccoons you should play talk radio, overnight, in the patch.

·       How to pick apples, strawberries, peas, beans and raspberries with patience and care as to not smush or bruise.

·       How to butcher chickens.  Enough said.

·       Touring the pig barns with you was like a trip to Hollywood.  A walk down the pig aisle was like walking the red carpet.

You’ve taught us how to enjoy our food Grandpa style.

·       That ice cream on cereal in the morning is fine.  Just don’t tell your Mom!

·       That cookies at 5:00 before supper are ok too.  Just don’t tell your Mom!

·       You should put Cranberry sauce on pumpkin pie.

·       That Pickles go with every meal.

·       That you should Split a beer with the person you love.

·       And that the Coffee is always ready by 9:30 am and the more the merrier!

You had a memory like no other.
You remembered everyone by name. Whether we were a Grandchild, a Grandchild’s spouse or a Great Grandchild.  We could always count on you to help us remember everyone else’s name. 

This is one big family that you and Grandma created.  Your legacy will continue to live on.

You had a prenominal life Grandpa!

·       You’ve taught us patience.

·       You’ve taught us kindness.

·       You’ve taught us to live simply.

·       You’ve taught us to enjoy life every day.

·       You’ve taught us to be humble.

·       You’ve taught us to love unconditionally.

You didn’t quite make it to 100 Grandpa.
BUT you got pretty close. 
Well done.
You were a treasure to have as our Grandpa.
We Love You.