11 Wonderful Reasons -By Wife

Everly is almost 11 days old! Here are 11 fabulous things we have been doing since this new babe rocked our world.

1.  Cuddling and loving on our big, sleepy girl.

  The kids are so wonderful with her.  Every morning Boy runs in a says, "Look at that cute baby.  I love that baby, Mommy."  

2.  Getting our fill of baby snuggles.  Ev loves to sleep...anywhere at anytime.  The kids like to have her lay in bed with them before nap and bedtime and she is most content snoozing on Mommy or Daddy's chest.  So snuggly!

3. Wearing non-matching comfy clothes.  Our calendar is not as full and we have been spending a lot of time at home...that means sweats for mommy and whatever the kids can put on themselves is what they get to wear.  Girl has worn her purple polka dot pants at least 3 times this week!  We are so proud of Boy, he is finally turning the corner on having any desire/ability to dress himself...such a big boy.  Daddy is the odd man out and actually showers everyday and gets properly dressed...show off;)

4.  Spending a lot of time at the doctor's office. Since Everly was born we have been to the doctor's office 4 times (in 10 days!).  Thank goodness for health insurance!  And, thankfully, I have only had to take all 3 kids once...that was quite the scene since the kids had to get flu shots that day.  Not fun!

5.  Sponge bathing. Ok, not everyone...just the teeniest Munchkin.  Everly's umbilical cord fell off when she was one week old, but it still needs just a bit longer to totally dry up. We can not get it wet yet, so she gets sponge baths until that has healed.  She loves relaxing and getting a nice rub down.  The kids are very helpful getting me towels and wash cloths.  The first time we gave her a bath in the kitchen Girl helped wash her hair and Boy actually video taped the whole thing...he did a great job too!

6.  Spending a lot of time awake in the wee hours of the morn. Little Ev likes to snooze all day and has her most awake period between 2 and 5 am.  It is so sweet to get to spend alone time with her in the morning...the challenge lies in the fact that Boy and Girl have been getting up around 6 due to the time change.   Yikes, that makes for an early morning for mommy and daddy

7.  Napping!  When the kids nap...mommy naps!

8.  Listening to sweet coos and little snortles.  Everly seems to be taking after her big brother in the snoring department.  She has a little snortle when she sleeps.  She also makes sweet little coos and gurgles sometimes.

9.  Watching hopefully for quick smiles and little laughs.  Everly did her first smile when she was 4 days old.  They are fleeting, but oh so cute!  I am dying to catch one on camera soon.  She even did a little laugh at 6 days old.  She only did it twice, but luckliy Mommy saw one and Daddy saw one.

10.  Cherishing the interaction between siblings.  Girl is literally a second Mommy to her little sister.  She helps me with diaper changes, gets Everly dressed (seriously, she watched me gently take Ev's arm out of a onesie and emulated me exactly with the other arm-so cute!), and knows more about nursing and pumping than any other 2 year old on the planet!  She also loves to make up new nick names for Everly.  The other day she called her "my munchkin", "angel pants", "sweetheart" and "biscuit".  And Boy, well he has literally blown my mind with how well he slid into the role of big brother!  He loves this baby and will let everyone know it.  He wants to kiss her and hold her or hold her hand all the time.  He will be playing trains and run over to me while I am holding the baby and say, "I love you baby!", kiss her and run back to the train table.   It is truly amazing!

11. Adjusting to our new normal.  E and I are over the moon to be parents to 3 little Munchkins! On one hand, we can't believe our sweet girl is here and on the other hand, it is already hard to remember life without her.  

We love you Sweet Child!