The beginning of the end

I had a mixed-up emotions kind of day. With Kevin out of town and Mary Cate turning 6 weeks old, I started the morning in that postpartum feeling of being "stuck." Having a newborn is (yes, snuggly and wonderful and amazing but also) just hard and makes things complicated. There are lots of things I need or want to do. Like get a gallon of milk, get my haircut, go to the eye doctor, and go shopping for some back-to-school-after-having-a-baby clothes. And I just don't see how any of that is going to happen. Leaving the house takes half a day. Also, FIVE KIDS. I know it doesn't last, that all of this will get much easier in a few months, but it seems like an awfully long time from now. Then again, this is the last time we'll be in this stage, which makes it more manageable.

It's also why, however, a short time after bemoaning the difficulty of life with a newborn, I found myself packing up maternity clothes with more than a few pangs of sadness. You wear the same favorite things so much when you're pregnant that certain items feel like old friends. It was a little surprising, actually. They're not even baby clothes or anything, and I didn't think I was the type to get too nostalgic about things like that. I love getting stuff out of the house! I guess that's what having your last baby is like, though--so glad it's the last of the hard stuff, so sad it's the last of the good stuff.

Mary Cate, one month

Mary Cate is now weighing in at 9 lbs., 8 oz. and is 22.5 inches long, though Dr. Luginbill says the nurse measures long. :) She smiles regularly and "talks" to us when she's in a happy mood. She loves to be held and likes to be outside looking up into the trees. All the other kids are great at calming her down and entertaining her.

There's a sweet story behind the little pink teddy bear ("Betty Bear") in the picture above. This summer, I was a presenter at a weeklong curriculum training/conference. It was my first time presenting, and I was working with very experienced and amazing teachers. In the days leading up to it, I worked endlessly to prepare. But by Sunday I was in a near-panic, wanting so much to do right by the participants and my co-presenter. I just prayed that I could play to my strengths and share the things I'd learned over the past few years.

The week was intense but amazing--I learned a lot and we had a great group of teachers. On the last day, one of the participants presented me with this bear (I was 7 months pregnant). She told me that while she was on the plane Sunday heading to East Lansing, she decided to do some crocheting but couldn't decide what to make. She felt the Lord was telling her to make a pink teddy bear. So she did, though she didn't know anyone who needed a pink teddy bear. When she met me and found out I was going to have a girl, she said she knew it was for me and that God wanted to bless me in a special way. And it was such a blessing! I will treasure this bear and remember how God remembered me and Mary Cate that week.

Tired

Today I read DJ The Napping House, then he wanted to act it out, as he does with most things we read or watch these days. I was the "snoring granny," Mary Cate was the "dreaming child," and DJ was the "dozing dog." During our second time through, laying on the couch with my eyes closed and Mary Cate sleeping on my chest proved to be too much for me. Midway through reciting the rhythmic text, I sort of dozed off directly into a dream about something that involved giving someone directions (teaching? war? Harry Potter?). I jerked awake when I realized I was talking out loud. I opened my eyes and DJ was looking at me, confused. He just said, "Mom, I think you need to read it out of the book," and handed it to me.

"Hey, Mom. You can call me Cap."

Did my son just give me a pick-up line?

First days of school

It was a long-awaited day. Annie was in tears at the end of 1st grade because she didn't want to leave school. DJ was terribly disappointed to learn that he didn't start 4-year-old preschool the day after his last day at 3-year-old preschool. And when Nellie learned it was August 1st, her response was, "it's only the first? I want it to be the 30th!" I'm glad these kids like school so much! As an educator/mom, I enjoy the easy pace of summer so much that I'd probably stay there forever.

First day of 2nd grade

Classic

First day of 4th grade...Eddie really wanted to go, too

First day of 4-year-old preschool with Mrs. Tilden

Eddie, age 2

Oh, this is woefully overdue! Eddie turned two on the last day of the school year--cue "summer mode" and I never did an interview or anything. And it appears we have zero pictures from his small, impromptu party at Fitzgerald Park. I'll just describe it--trains. Lots of trains. Here are his responses to his much-belated two-year-old interview:

What is your favorite thing to play?
Choo-choos?

Do you have a favorite choo-choo?
My big choo-choos and big tunnels.

What is your favorite color?
Yellow and pink and blue.

What is your favorite food to eat?
Chicken. Elephants go "phwwwwwt." (I would have said juice and goldfish crackers and applesauce pouches.)

What is your favorite thing to watch on TV?
Choo-choos. Thomas.

Eddie had a delightful two-year-old summer. He asked every day, multiple times, to go to the park. Any park. It's his favorite place to be, other than around the train table. Seriously, I have never met a person with more single-mindedness around a particular activity. Except maybe Kevin and hunting, now that I think about it. This summer, Eddie learned that nothing terrible will happen to him if he puts his bare feet in the grass or sand. He started to like swimming. He started (mostly) sleeping through the night in a big-boy bed. With Thomas sheets and blankets, of course. He loved playing outside, mostly pushing around his Cozy Coupe, and swinging in the "car swing" that he got for his birthday from Grandma Linda.

Beginning-of-summer Eddie

In many ways, he's our same adorable Eddie. He still disappears for long bouts of time (to play with his trains) and we're often asking, "where's Eddie?" But being two has brought a whole new attitude--Eddie knows what he wants, and he'll let you know about it! And the summer brought at least one major change for Eddie--being a big brother!

End-of-summer Eddie

All about Mary Cate (as of 11 days old)

• Two perfectly cute dimples
• Faint "storkbite" birthmark on the tip of her nose
• When she's awake (which still isn't much) she's generally pretty happy and remarkably alert. When she was born, she spent her first two hours of life wide-eyed, looking around, taking it all in. 
• Because of that, we are a little worried she'll be a fire-cracker, but so far she's very easy-going.
• So smiley already! We've caught some genuine smiles starting at just a few days old, usually when we're singing to her. Eddie was the same! 
• Likes being held, and eating.
• Doesn't like getting her diaper changed, being naked, not eating when she wants to be eating. Very reasonable, really.