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(Click on the images to blow up picture.)
Jack is amazing big brother. And there is no person who Brennan loves more.


Here he is trying to get B's shoe back on as the baby watches the T Ball game.


He let's him play with him even when his baby is being annoying. (Even last night he referred to Brennan as "my baby" ... at almost 5 and B almost 2.)

And he's always, always loved Baby Rex. (Look how much they have changed since January 2008!)

And B has always, always loved "Ack".

Thanks to AEssha (Alisha) for sharing these shots with me from her time with my boys. They spend fun days with her everyday and they experience lotsa love.

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So life goes on. At 1:30 a.m. we learned that Joe's grandmother had passed. And this morning I went to a funeral of my friend's grandmother. And so it goes.

The good news is we'd just visited with her recently. She spent the entire stiff summer afternoon sitting outside watching the boys run and play, smiling as they chased bubbles and she got the chance to hold her Joey's hand for a while. The two hadn't seen each other in far too long, 23 years. A lot has happened in that time. But as they sat together in silence, that time apart didn't matter. There's nothing like that connection.

It was an emotionally draining day for everyone and as we pulled away from her nursing home I knew from my own experiences we'd never see her alive again. In retrospect, I feel like she may have been holding on just for that afternoon.

Since then I've spent time fantasizing about having one more afternoon with my grandparents who died at different important points in my life, at 15, at 18 just starting college and at 22, months before connecting with my future husband. My grandparents never got to experience Brennan's big kisses or Jack's conversation -- what a treasure for all of them.

I am so pleased Joe made the decision to see her. Now he can focus on his happy memories with the grandmother who took a young Joe to the Tigers game -- just the two of them. And in two weeks we'll drive down state to say goodbye one last time

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Baby is the key word around our house lately. The Rexrodes have baby fever!

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with my favorite pseudo-nephew to welcome him to the tribe. He is delicious. I squeezed out as many smells and coos and cries possible to get me through until next time. I even assisted his Nana on a bath and quieted his cries with a humming trick that worked like a charm with my B. But seeing him and my big boy Freddie made me realize: we need a baby up in here.

Nope, I am not preggers. But maybe a new baby will arrive just south of me … maybe in … February/March-ish? I have no information to confirm … just a feeling. :)

Coincidently, Jack announced it was about time for a sister. He comes up with this suggestion about every six months or so. I, of course, deflected him to dad who proceeded to say, “Oh yea? Soon.” Apparently he wasn’t paying attention to the question. I quickly let JTR know that if we decided to have another, it could be a brother. He said it would OK. He was just ready for another baby “around here.’’

So, I am now way into the baby naming game. I can get away with this for only so long with Joe until he says: “Why are we even talking about this?!”

• Because I am baby-named obsessed.
• 1981 Kristina Elizabeth. Yup, I named her. I was 4.
• Diary, ca. fourth grade, lists of baby names (both Jack and Brennan included BTW
• Spanish class, sophomore year I got caught designing a wedding decoration for my daughter Caroline Elizabeth who some 15 years later has yet to be born. (Te veo, Katie! Te veo! … screamed first-year teacher Valerie Swanson.)
• Work notes and my imaginary children’s names.

Sometimes I think half of the reason I want to have so many kids is just to name them. Maybe ‘Stina will just let me name any future babies she may have (hint, hint.)

My girlfriend is having a baby next month and I planted the seed for Elizabeth as a middle. Harper Elizabeth can thank me someday. Seriously, what’s better than Elizabeth for a middle? So classy. Close your eyes and picture it on her wedding invite. Ahhhhh … perfection.

But last night as I was having an internal name debate in my head, it hit me. I have never discussed Kathryn with Joe as a possibility. This was at no fault of him … it just never occurred to me.

The thing is I have always loved my name. Always. Never wanted to change it. Not for a second. I’ve always loved that I was named after a beloved grandmother – I think it set the stage for my love of my family tradition, heritage and culture.

I have loved all the variations. I have gone from Katie to Kate to Kathryn (for a bit in first grade after I figured out how to spell it) back to Katie for most of my life. (Kate is now reserved for only my favorite people like grandparents, aunts and my BFFs who actually call me Kates.) I’ve loved that it’s Irish and that it has a “y”. Kathryn Eileen is a damn fine name. I deserve a junior too.

But what would we call her, my husband has asked. We have so many options I’ve replied and how is it any different than if we named our third boy (who is yet to be conceived remember ) Joseph Cleary … Joseph, Joe or Joey.

Why do the standards not apply? Why does the world continue to be sexist? I have a girlfriend who’s a junior and she’s worn it like a badge of honor her whole life. Kathryn Matvias Rexrode, Jr. Damn fine name. Joe didn’t disagree.

Or we could do Kathryn Josephine Rexrode and call her Joey. He scrunched his nose a bit. Laptop on his lap, Mad Men Season two playing on the TV.

Or we could call her Kate … no one really calls me that anymore.

Or how about Elizabeth Kathryn Rexrode? That opens a lot of options.

Joe slowly looked up from his screen, eyes squinty.
“Wait? What? Why are we even talking about this?!”
Times up, I guess.
Next discussion to sneak in: … Joseph, Colin, Patrick, Malone, William …