Beauty: One Month Old

It is tradition that we take a photograph each month of the boys with their "Ragedy Andy" doll, for the first year of their lives.  So thankfully my MIL was able to find a "Ragedy Ann" doll and bring it with her before Amber's one month photograph above.  How precious is that outfit?!  We are thinking of framing it, my friend brought it back from Puerto Rico with her, it's just too adorable.

I thought of calling this photo "Beauty and the Beasts" for fun, but my boys are certainly not beasts, active "yes" but not beasts.  "Beauty and her Beauties" is a better caption :-)

Amber is a healthy growing girl.  At her official two week check-up, they expect them to gain between 8 and 14 oz, my healthy girl gained 21oz, which means her feedings are not in vain. I always worry my milk supply isn't enough and Chris always points out the proof is in the proverbial pudding.  We also found out that day that me eating eggs does not agree with her.  She was up screaming for about twelve hours 9pm to 9am the next day.  Unfortunately, that has really limited my protein sources, so I'm back to eating meat, which is both inconvenient and expensive.  Also for fun that night I messed up my wrist carrying and patting her and had it in a brace for a little over a week.  Boy, am I old and falling apart.

Back to Amber, after she was born everyone agreed that she looked just like Jared but already after only a month she has changed to look more like Titus.  So I'm sure it won't be long till she'll only look like Amber.  She is already trying to keep up with her brothers, holding her head up very well, smiling and enamored with each of them.

The boys are just as interested in her.  Lance is her protector, Jared tells everyone he "can't keep his eyes off her" and Titus said before anyone else when we dressed her above "She looks like a princess".  Titus is really interested in her, wanting to constantly interact with her, which is both adorable and dangerous.  For instance, we brought out the swing last weekend and he instantly tried to send her into orbit, so we quickly put the swing away :-)

We welcomed Grandma Elaine and Auntie Susie for a 10 day visit ending the Monday before Thanksgivng.  It was helpful having extra hands around to hold Amber and play with the boys, and let me do my own thing for a minute or two.  Thus why its taken two weeks to get this post up since they left.

While they visited we celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary on November 16th.  Needless to say we didn't do anything special.  Amber has me on a very short leash both time wise and what I can eat, so even going out to dinner was out. But our family is gift enough and we'll have plenty of time alone together when we are old, right? 

Since they left I've trying to figure out what our new routine will look like and how to make it happen. 

For Titus it means convincing him to sleep in his brothers' room.  At first he was sleeping through her nightly feedings but now he seems to have become very sensitive to her waking up.  Cute as he is, a two year old with little sleep is not the most pleasant thing, especially since he won't take a nap.  I'm setting up a bed in the boys room for him today, he seems excited, we'll see what he does tonight.

As I first started typing this I was going to say:

"For Lance and Jared, it means moving most of our school day to the afternoon.  Amber seems to like to sleep from 1pm to 4pm.  The boys of course have traditionally been unable to focus after 2pm in the past.  Hopefully if they can play hard in the morning, do some "Move to the Groove" and/or "Tae Bo" so we can make it work."  

Of course Amber's "schedule" has already changed.  I guess the key will be flexibility on everyone's part.  One thing I've learned is I need to be prepared when those teachable moments happen.  I can't waste her precious sleep time preparing their school work and I don't have time to prepare at night either if I'm to get any sleep.  So I will need to get the schedule for the whole week and supplies all lined up over the weekend.  I failed at doing that last weekend, we'll see how things go today and tomorrow.

There just isn't enough time in the day to treasure each of my four wonderful children the way I would like to each day.  To sit and talk with Lance, play out fantasy games with Jared, to play games with Titus and cuddle/nap with my little girl trying to imprint her image in my mind.  I have consciously been making the choice to spend time with my boys and let the house work fall behind, its obvious.  I just keep remember a quote from an older wise woman "No one remembers how their mother kept their house as fondly as those special moments she devoted herself and time to them."  Hopefully our new iphones will at least help me to capture and remember those special moments....like Titus' telling Lance yesterday "Oh, that stink is me!" :-D  

Happy Holidays to everyone, may the reason for the season bring you great peace and joy!