A Baby and A Doll House

 Baby "Min-Min" (as Sophie calls him) at two weeks old last Friday. Savannah told me the other day that "we picked out the perfect baby brother." But both Emily and Savannah are already hitting me up for another baby brother. Because, according to Savannah, this one is so cute, that the next one will be even cuter.

 I know, there is just nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby... unless it is a soft, warm, sweet smelling baby head nuzzled up against your neck.
Want one of your own yet? Hold off on that and just come hold mine... I could use a nap!

The girls got some wooden doll house furniture from Granny and Grandpa for Christmas this year and they have spent hours playing with it. Several weeks ago I got the brilliant idea that they needed a dollhouse/bookcase to play with it in - because instead of a tiny dollhouse they would grow out of, this could grow with them. When they are too big for a dollhouse, it can be a bookcase. Ummm hmmm. Brilliant.

Except all the ones I could find were expensive. I was talking with a friend and she suggested I ask my dad to build it... he now jokingly calls her "the troublemaker". But as you can see from the picture above, he did a fabulous job that exceeded all of my expectations. There is even a white picket fence on the sides. The girls have spent hours playing with this house and Emily, without any encouragement from me, wrote the sweetest thank-you note to Grandpa: "Dear Grandpa, Thank you so much for the (insert drawing of dollhouse here). I love it to death. I love you. From Emily."

My mama came and stayed for a week to help out and I enjoyed every moment of her visit. She cooked, cleaned, played with the kids, took me shopping, helped me stock up on Blue Bell and chicken during a sale, loved on the grandson, and made countless cups of tea. All good things to help me heal.

Healing is progressing. The surgery was much longer this go-around: two hours instead of the forty-five minutes it has taken previously and I think I have to take that into account for the longer length of healing time.  I was walking around without pain much faster after Sophie's birth. However, I've come to appreciate the pain. It requires me to stop whatever I'm probably not supposed to be doing, sit down and rest.

The pain also helps me to appreciate all those who have stepped in and made it possible for me to take the time to rest. Those who have played with my girls and made and brought meals over - Thank you so much!

The Baby!

I'm so sorry for not posting - my intentions were to post a quick update from the hospital. However, the internet was so slow, I couldn't post any pictures, and isn't that what a new baby blog post is all about?

This was the first time I got to meet our new little baby-person. I was still on the operating table. This c-section took two hours from start to finish - much longer than any of the previous ones. My Doctor said there was a lot of scar tissue to cut through initially and then sewing me up took longer because he found a couple of blood veins that he had to sew again. I was grateful he took his time and did a good job, but it was a long time to be on the operating table.

Friday afternoon the girls got to meet their baby brother. I'm a little worried they are going to love him to death.

Sophie calls him, "Baby! Baby!" and when her turn to hold him is finished, she cries and says, "Mine!"

Emily says, "I like him, so far." But as much as she may try to play it cool, she is crazy about him.

Savannah cannot stop talking about him... "I love our new baby brother. He has tiny ears and tiny fingers and a tiny mouth and a tiny nose. I love his hair, it is so soft. He is so cute." Last night at dinner, she told me, "Mommy, I think we should keep the new baby. Because he is so cute and sweet and little."

I spend my time with protecting the baby from Sophie's love. She wants to squish him when she hugs him. But she is very good at kissing him gently on the head.

Benjamin James was born on Friday, February 3, 2012. He weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz. and is 19 inches long.  He is perfect and beautiful and everyone is crazy about him. We are still adjusting to having a little boy in our realm of girls... I call him, "her" occasionally, and the girls like to correct me.

We came home from the hospital on Monday afternoon. It is so good to be home. Although, last night I told Brian I would like to have one of those nurses... He looked at me with a hurt expression. "No, no, not one of those nurses, I want one of the ones that you call and say, "Hi, can you come hold my baby so I can sleep?"" But last night, he slept much better than I was expecting, so even that, I can't complain. He has figured out nursing very well.

Brian takes the best care of me. And the girls are sweetly following in his footsteps. I opened the back door for them today, so they could go outside to play. "Mommy," Emily said, "You really shouldn't be pulling on things like that."

I'm a lucky woman and I love my "6-family." 

The Big Day!

The big day is tomorrow! Early in the morning Brian and I will go to the hospital and eventually meet our fourth little baby-person.

(This picture was taken this morning - 39 weeks!)

My to-do list is slowly dwindling. The girls are all packed to go to Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw's house tonight. Tiny clothes and tiny diapers are neatly folded in a suitcase. The car seat has been washed and the base is securely strapped in the car. The bassinet is next to our bed.

Very soon a new tiny-baby person will be occupying that car seat and bassinet, filling those tiny clothes and diapers:).

And we will be "6-family"!