Life with Baby - Week One

Lillie ready for her first outing - going to Easter services...

I can't believe a week has passed already...isn't it funny how time seems to stand still when you are anxiously awaiting an event and then once it is here and gone, time just slips away from you. Lillie is doing really well - the boys are doing really well, a bit emotional (Huston's whining and crying is about to do me in) but all in all everyone is adjusting smoothly. Lillie spent her one week birthday in the drs office for her one week check-up. She is already back to birth weight, and everything else checked out perfectly. The dr. asked if we were getting any sleep at our house and I told him that we really aren't doing too bad. I was up more with Avery last night than I was with Lillie - Avery has never been a good sleeper. Lillie had a bottle at 9:00 then slept until 2:00 and then until almost 7:00 this morning. Pretty good, I am certainly not complaining! She no longer wants to have awake time during the night - she is heading down the right roads.

The boys have been super. The other question the dr asked me yesterday was if the boys still liked her. I told him that even Avery seems to really be glad that the "baby sister" is around. He thought that was quite amazing. Isaiah is still the very protective and sometimes an "overwhelming" big brother. He absolutely loves her, he loves her outfits, he loves to nuzzle her and talk to her and help her in anyway he can - sometimes he's on the verge of overstimulating her, it took a good portion of the first half of the week to convince him that babies this young do not want to be constantly touched and loved on. Huston is not as demonstrative in his affections toward her, but shows no ill will toward her either. He enjoys helping me too and is very proud of himself when he plays the big brother role. He speaks of her sweetly, and wants to hold her once in awhile, but basically he just goes on with his day and gives her some space. Avery comes to sit next to me when I am holding Lillie quite often and gently puts his cheek up against hers and then pops up to say "baby sister hug" - yesterday as I was getting her into her car seat and packing some things away for the the dr. visit, Lillie started to fuss. Avery went over to her and gently rocked the car seat and then patted her head and said to her "it ok, no cry" - I was shocked. I was pleased too, he was the one that I was most concerned for, but he seems to be ok with his new role. I have been trying to make special efforts to give some focused time to each big brother, and the boys also do a good job of loving on and taking care of each other too.

Today the kids were watching a Veggie Tales about baby Moses and Miriam. The theme was about having compassion for the new baby in the family (we've had this dvd for quite awhile, the theme was just a coincidence). At one point in the show the Miriam character said that she wanted a dog, but she got a baby instead and that was pretty disappointing to her. Isaiah heard that and said, "Are you kidding, a baby is more fun than a dog!" I think that is pretty high praise coming from a six year old boy!