These three little A-named ladies were all born within three weeks of each other and will undoubtedly be spending much time together in the coming years. Newest to the world is Miss Amelia Grace (left) and is daughter of Rachel and Edward. She's exactly a week younger than Avery. Sweet Aubrey is in the middle. It's hard to believe she was even smaller than Amelia just a few weeks ago. Avery Roo is on the right, showing off her legs due to an explosive poo a few minutes earlier. This shot is from our playgroup last week. Not pictured are Walker, Gracie, Charlie, and Charlie's soon-to-be sibling. Good times and good people.We're having a blast around here. Gracen is still handling the transition of familial growth fabulously. She has her moments, but I've found if I can just throw in as many extra hugs and carries before she asks for them, she's less likely to ask at inopportune times. We've probably watched more TV than should be allowed lately, but we'll be banning it altogether shortly (or perhaps save it for the weekends). I'm in the process of setting us a more organized daily schedule that will be including some Montessori-based homeschooling. Though I am highly annoyed by scheduling, I know that I work better and am more effective under those restrictions. And I have to find a way to get everything done from taking care of and teaching Gracen, to housecleaning, to blogging, and to Avery.
Oh, sweet Avery.
As relatively easy as Avery is as a baby, she really is only so because the umbilical cord was never really severed, thus the nickname "Roo." This child is physically attached to me at ALL times. Periodically, I am able to pass her off to another, if she's in a very deep sleep or has a very full belly. Otherwise, she's strapped in the Ergo while I try to continue parenting Big G. With the exception of the first night in the NICU, she has slept next to me in direct contact every night since. If I dare move her four inches away to escape the heat, she wakes and fusses until she is back in place. As sweet as the closeness is, all day and all night, I am beginning to feel a need for some separation. It would be nice to go to the grocer alone, gym alone, wash dishes alone, pee alone...
Napping peacefully (was removed from Ergo five minutes before pic was taken)...
Sister comes to visit and wakes me up...
Something is wrong...I'm not attached...
And the universe starts to crumble...
(back in Ergo 30 seconds later)
Aves and her Ghi-ghi. She slept there for two whole hours!! Please come back, Ghigh.
Pops and Ghi-ghi came to visit this past weekend. Gracen had a fabulous time bossing them around. Hopefully, we'll see you later tonight!
Aunt Hannah and her boyfriend Kelvin came to meet Avery the other night. (We like this boy!) Sadly, Hannah was sick right after Avery's arrival, so she's been staying away to prevent contamination. Gracias. It's a shame because the girl has mad skillz at getting babies to sleep and I could have used her babybounce many times before now!
I have spent the past FIVE days writing out our birth story. I had left the post "open" on the computer because Blogger was refusing to save, so I was just adding bit by bit since I seem to be lacking time (
Funny that Adam and I go out of our way to have a non-hospital birth, yet end up in the hospital BOTH times with perfectly healthy children. The problem seems to be that I push too quickly--Gracen 12 minutes and Avery 8-9 minutes. I assure you that this DOES NOT make the process less painful. Babies, apparently, need to have their little lungs squished a little longer, and I don't give them ample opportunity for this. All this really means is that they breathe a little fast at first and the oxygen levels take a little longer to settle. This is not a problem and doesn't mean they are sick at all. However, these are the same "symptoms" that a child would have if they were brewing an infection, thus the hospital transfer. It takes 48 hours for the blood cultures to return, so "just in case," the kiddies are hit up with massive amounts of antibiotics while we wait for results. In the end, NOTHING was wrong with either. With Gracen, she was admitted to the pediatric floor, and we were able to stay in the room with her. With Avery, policies had changed, and she had to be transferred in an ambulance (without her parents!) and admitted to the NICU. They admitted me as well to postpartum, just so I would be close by to breastfeed, which she has done nonstop for 19 days. It was a little funny to see this nearly 10 pounder resting between a 2 and 3 pounder. And the poor thing was hopelessly swollen as well from such a long labor and crazy head position, which made her look even bigger next to them. It truly did look like I had birthed a toddler.
But all is well, and this new phase of life is fabulous. Avery looks and acts exactly like Gracen at that age. She sleeps well, cries rarely, and eats like a champ. She is a bit clingier than Gracen was and is really only happy when physically attached to me. I don't mind; it's good for my ego. And I'm hopelessly in love with this new little person, so she's welcome to stay attached as long as she likes!!
Gracen is handling the transition well. She loves to help out and give her little sister hugs and kisses. She even lets Froggy cuddle up with her. I also need to report a huge milestone today:
The only thing that I put much effort into was finding the right readings and song. The following still remains my favorite poem of all time and is even more true to "us" now than it was on that day.