These are the Days: Life as Usual

The jump from two to three hasn't been as big of a shock as the jump from one child to two.... it's amazing how Emmy seems to just fit right in to our household. Unless I'm totally missing it, the boys seem to have zero adjustment issues with her here, which is great. We have so many changes going on right now anyways, that a new baby hardly even seems noticeable! The hardest parts are not sleeping through the night, and spending half the day nursing her. I love nursing her, so it's not that I don't want to do it- it's just that you forget how much time it actually takes and any to-do list that I make hardly even gets one item checked off. And as for sleeping, it's probably about as good as it can get for a three 1/2 week old given they still can't go that long without eating. She still doesn't cry much- seems to really only be because of gas pains, which she gets with every feeding. I've noticed heightened fussiness in the "witching hour" and she's a little harder to console then, but still not so bad. I'm working to establish the eat-awake-sleep cycle as much as I can so that as she gets a little older, we can work towards sleeping through the night. Probably the biggest difference for me between the first and the third baby is that in my heart, I am loving every moment with her. I now understand how fast this stage goes by, how precious it is and how totally blessed I am to get to experience it again. While I do look forward to sleeping through the night again, I love having her fall asleep on my chest, and feeling her snuggly warmth in the middle of the night. I love all her little noises and her tiny fingers and toes, her bald head and her soft, perfect skin. I'm less anxious for her to reach "the next stage" and enjoying the moments more.

Highlights from this past week include a visit from Uncle Stewart and him meeting Emmy for the first time, being showered with four dinners from four great friends this week and visits with all, Jack having a blast at "Pete the Cat" Camp week, and preparing for Davis's 6th birthday party at our house tomorrow. Um..... are we really have 14 kids over to our house TOMORROW? I better get to work- there's a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it! Lucky me though, I have Barron who is super dad and super husband, so it will all be ok :)