The past two weeks have honestly seemed like two months. The days are long and blend together and it seems like life with just the two kids was weeks ago, rather than just a few days. We love our Ledger, though! He's a pudgy, cuddly one and I can't help but hold him much too often. I have to force myself to put him down. This sleepy stage is over too fast and I want to enjoy it while it lasts!
The photos are just the random modpodge of day 7-16 of his life, in no particular order. That's sort of the theme of our lives right now...no semblance of order.
Ledger had his two week check up and was topping the charts at 10 1/2 pounds already. He lost about ten ounces by day four, so that's nearly two pounds gained in about ten days. Not a huge surprise, since this kiddo wants to nurse constantly if he's awake.
Hinder and his mini! It's uncanny how much Ledge looks like H as a newborn. I can't wait to see these brothers interact over the years, see the similarities and differences. Hinder adores him and is a huge help to me each day. He can't wait until they can share a room.
Vyla is having a hard time not having the attention she has become accustomed to, but luckily, she doesn't seem to hold a grudge against L for that. She wants to "old 'um" (hold him) every fifteen minutes, but only for about ten seconds at a time. She loves to look at him and lay her fluffy-haired head right next to his. She's a wonderfully loving older sister already. Sometimes her loving gives me anxiety since she is also notoriously clumsy and has more than once tripped a little too close to the baby for my liking. V is also giving us a run for our money! All the recent changes have wreaked havoc on her sleeping. She's waking up a least once or twice at night (really bad timing...) and can get out of her crib effortlessly.
Riley hasn't seen much our little newborn, except on the weekends. He just finished his midterms of this semester and has six, intense weeks left before the semester ends. It's been hard on everyone. I'm so grateful I had Davi here for a bit to help me recover, and we miss her desperately.
But we can do hard things! I just have to remind myself of that.
Ledger seems to have a lot of Killian characteristics. The nose, chin, dark hair (we'll see if that sticks around). His eye shape seems more like Riley, and I suspect he'll have blue eyes. I'm guessing he's going to be on the taller side, because he has the largest baby hands and feet I've ever seen. He'll be palming a basketball in no time!
L sleeps a lot during the day still, but when he's had enough, the entire house knows it. He usually wakes up with an angry scream, but can fall right back to sleep after one cry. He's very patient during the day...his feedings often get interrupted by some pressing need from H or V. But we make up for that by spending plenty of quality time together all.night.long. Sleeping for more than two hours hasn't happened yet, but I'm looking forward to it. A Lot.
Overall, the most amazing thing about the last two weeks, and the thing I most want to remember, is how much the love I have for each of my children has grown since we've brought Ledger home. I look at Hinder and Vyla, and I feel like my appreciation and love for them has doubled. I don't know why, I don't know how to explain it, but my capacity to love has increased each time I become a mother again. Perhaps it has to do with the sacred nature of mothering and how it draws my thinking more toward an eternal perspective. I'm not sure.
But I know it helps me serve these babies each day with a little more patience and gratitude.
That's such a gift, because I need all the help I can get.
