Home With You

I guess I should maybe start a few days back...Samuel had his first bath by mom who was assisted by Big Sisters G and Elizabeth.  {Fascinated little helpers they were too!  Iz was a little disappointed that Samuel didn't splash more...}  Since I don't trust either of the mentioned parties anywhere near my camera, the pictures present are those from a later bath, taken by dad, who I trust a little more.  ;)
Here he is mad but getting clean.

Then we tried out his first cloth diaper.  We still have some disposables but I figured I'd better get into practice for those late night changes!  We didn't start cloth with Iz until she was about 4 months old, so diapering a newborn has been a little trickier.  {They're smaller with skinny little chicken legs and very squirmy.}  We must be doing something right though because we haven't had any leaks!  So four cloth diapers {the prefold kind} into the day I'd say we're doing pretty good!  UPDATE:  Day number two of playing with our cloth and I broke out our bumGenius stash {these are the ones I'll use at night because I'm faster with them}.  They're suppose to fit 8 lbs and up but I was skeptical about how they'd fit.  Again though we are five or six diapers into the day and haven't had any leaks.  {Seriously, we have more leaks with disposables in this house than I ever have with our cloth!}

The next is a first for Samuel and me.  Iz was about 7 or 8 months old when I bought a Moby Wrap from a friend {but she was big enough by then I never really used it with her}.  We have something coming up and I wanted to get a little practice in before the event.  So today, I pulled up a how-to video and with four kids watching, tried it out.  It wasn't bad.  It certainly feels secure enough and Samuel didn't seem to mind it.  My only question is how can I possibly nurse without taking the entire wrap off???

New for Samuel but certainly not for J.  J has always been in charge of the Tummy Time in our house and picked it up again like yesterday was Iz's last time.  So far Samuel doesn't seem to mind it.

On a more sad note for this mama, is the idea that all of Samuel's firsts are probably our lasts.  A 6th pregnancy is not life threatening to me and another baby at this point - but the surgeries are taking a toll on my body.  Jason and I were already pretty sure we were ready to slow down or stop completely but after hearing Dr. F's report on my insides we are more certain than ever.  I know it's the wise choice but it still makes me sad to leave this chapter of our lives behind.  Cheers to the future and whatever it may bring us {hopefully a trip to Disney for our kids and their mom and dad's return trip to Scotland!!!}.

I am so far behind on blogging.  You'd think as much time as I spend on the computer {due to what feels like constant nursing sessions for a growing baby boy} I'd get more of it done, wouldn't you?  Ha!  Miss G is holding Samuel at the moment so let me see how much of this I can pound out!

Here is Boppa getting in some last snuggles with Samuel. 

Eli had another wrestling tournament on Saturday February 9th.  He was just coming off a week of being sick and I'm sure he wasn't at 100% but he came out with a fighting spirit.  He won one and lost two but he was never pinned and never gave up.  He also had a crowd cheering for him.  Nana, AJ, Sydney, Aunt Shelly, Boppa and Grannie all came to watch him.  Here's AJ snuggling on Samuel.

Izzy loving on her baby brother.  Two and a half weeks in and he is still the first thing she asks for when she wakes up in the morning.

Jason found this amusing the other night.  I was nursing Samuel {left} while Izzy nursed her "Samuel" {right}.  All of her dolls are named "Samuel" now.

Sweet Samuel sleeping.  Everyone asks how he's sleeping.  Good and "bad".  His best sleep times are usually 15:00-19:00 and 03:00-06:00.  By "best" I mean I can lay him down in his pack n' play and crash until he wakes up.  The rest of the time I lay him down and it's a race to get something done or sleep before he stirs - which never feels long.

Eli doesn't ask to hold Samuel as often as the girls but I try to make sure he gets to when he asks.  Last night he was holding him while I was picking up the house and while I was putting something away in our bedroom I heard him talking to his baby brother.  Not the random things the girls say about how cute he is, but really talking.  I only caught part of it so I when I came back in I asked him what he'd been telling Samuel.  "I was just telling him what sports we could play together when he gets big enough," was Eli's response.  I could not be happier that Eli finally has a brother.

Samuel doesn't get quite the free floor time the other kids ever got.  His time has to be squeezed in during naps or rest times - and that's if he's awake to enjoy it at all.  :)  Here's our bright-eyed 2 week old boy!

Izzy spending a little time with Samuel on the floor.  I'm pretty sure Iz has a picture in her scrapbook just like this but with G laying next to her.

Samuel is all "official" now!  He finally made The Wall.  Jason also got his Mother Teresa print hung up in the boys' room too.  May all the angels and saints be watching over our little ones!

While I was in the hospital with Samuel, Claudine made flowers for the both of us.  It was a very sweet gesture from her and I wanted to make sure she knew how much it meant to me.  I hung my flowers up with their other artwork and I hung the flowers she made for Samuel {his were smaller than mine} from his pack n' play's mobile.  She definitely noticed because she went back and hung them differently later, but I think she was pleased. 

Izzy's nursing expertise is growing.  Today she went and retrieved my nursing cover out of the diaper bag and began to "nurse" her baby.  Her baby must have been fussing a little because she started jigging and "shh-ing" the baby shortly after.

I love how big this girl is getting having a new baby to care for.  She's been acting quite grown up.