Our First Week

...as a family of four!

Without jinxing myself, I have to say that things have been relatively smooth in the transition from one kid to two. Henry has proved himself to be a good sleeper and a great eater--both things I was worried about when thinking of going back to the newborn stage. We've been getting reacquainted with explosive newborn poop and have gotten a crash course in diapering little boys.

He had his first appointment on Tuesday with the doctor and she was pleased with what she saw. For one, he has already gained back the weight he lost prior to leaving the hospital--and then some. He currently weighs in at 8 lbs, 13.5 oz. (He was 8 lbs, 3 oz when we left the hospital). Technically that means that he has gained 10.5 oz in the 4 days we've been home. Jason doesn't think that's possible, but given the amount this child nurses, I think it is.

The rest of the appointment was pretty uneventful. All looks good and I need to start him on Vitamin D drops. She commented about his good disposition after he didn't even raise an eyebrow when we undressed him and the doctor checked him all over--cold stethoscope and all.

Interestingly, I specifically remember going into Amelia's first check-up with a list of at least 10 questions/concerns (two of which were: she never cries and she sleeps too much). I didn't even HAVE a list this time and didn't think twice about taking him in by myself so that Jason could pick up Amelia from school. (I didn't go to a doctor appointment by myself with Amelia until she was like 8 months old). I hope I am that much more laid back with ALL of the parenting this time around.

And, its funny how all of a sudden I think coming home with one baby (and no older child to care for already at home) would be SO EASY.

We've been pretty much laying low this first week. We've had some visitors come to the house, but have spent most of the time getting to know Henry. And we are pleased that he seems to like his sleep as much as we do. In fact, he is really only waking up to eat once a night. Granted, this is only the first week and I'm quite sure that things can and will change at a moment's notice. But for now, we cannot complain.

And, Jason has been off work since well before his birth as well. Having him around has been so nice. I'm sure when he goes back to work, things will be running very differently than they are right now. He has been cooking, keeping the laundry caught up, and taking care of Amelia's every need. He even had to make a 4 AM run to the 24 hour Walgreens located 15 minutes from our house.

And if you are wondering how the big sister is adjusting, well, the jury is still out on that one. She is, without question, thrilled with her baby brother. She loves to "hold" him, pet him, and sing to him. She is willing to help out in any way needed. In fact, she even disposes of dirty diapers laying around without being asked to do so. She loves to pick out his clothes, help with his bath, gather necessary supplies, and "help" him play with his toys.

With that being said, she is also still out of sorts. The first few days with Henry home she wasn't napping well and by the evening she was a crazy maniac. The last 2 days, however, have been glorious. She napped each of the last two days and was a completely different child. Thankfully she doesn't seem jealous towards Henry, but she is obviously still trying to figure out what all of this means and how it affects her.

So, as they say, life is good.