.....it has been 12 blissful days with our baby Brody and there is a lot that we are lovin' right now as we cherish family and the season of new life.....and because these days begin to blur, just a bit when the feedings are around the clock; we take our 3-4 hour chunks of non feeding time and try to make them special......so in keeping up with the theme of hourly intervals, here are the glimpses of our joyful 3-4 hour chunks of precious moments.....
Spectacular walks to Central Park
.....despite more rainy and cold days than we would prefer this time of year, we inhale and treasure the gorgeous spring days in between......
My blooming first born
.....we have a ballerina turned gymnast in the making after meeting a seven year old big girl in the park......this big girl had Elsie smitten right away with her cartwheels and backbends......and my girl clung to my leg as I suggested she go and say hello, shyly retreating.......until she mustered the courage to say hello, my name is Elsie......and this big girl replied by telling my sprite she had a pretty name.....and that was the last I saw of my first born for 20 minutes........Chloe, the big girl was teaching Elsie her tricks......and now all I hear about is how Elsie needs to take gymnastics class.......
......and saying goodbye to Chloe also included begging for her to come home to play, having a sleep over, eating dinner at our house and all of the splendid things that little girls love to do......and that's just it......my oldest is turning into a little girl......it's so bitter sweet......
......and the fashionista is finding new ways to wear her biggest sister dress day after day......layered on top of another favorite dress appeased a Momma who wanted her to have on layers for the chill in the wind......it wasn't the kind of layer I was thinking of, but I choose my battles these days......and she looked too cute to argue.....
Spending the week with Daddy
.....Stefan took off this week to help out with Brody and the girls......and he makes everyday feel like a weekend, so it's been really fun for all of us to have him home......it's pretty special when the 3pm snack time becomes homemade vanilla milk shakes; opposed to the fruit, cheese or yogurt standby that I often offer.....
....three sets of hands helping to make the most incredible milkshake I have ever tasted.....
......and I will leave out the amount of them I have consumed this week.....at some point, I will have to stop relying on the old, I'm nursing excuse justifying the extra calories......but for now, I am enjoying them fully......and so are our girls.....
......Daddy also makes great suggestions.......like tuning into Tangled on a rainy afternoon.....nothing like a 4pm matinee.....
......and my favorite part of having him home is catching these sweet moments that he has with our children.....
.....peeking in the girls room to see if I was needed for bedtime.....Stefan had it covered......
......and my heart swells for this man and I am thankful for a husband who not only pitches in, but does it all with love and compassion......
Baby Brody
......and just as all Momma's say after the birth of each child, we couldn't imagine our family without him.....cliche, but oh so true.......he has already given us so much joy and we have fiercely protected him from the love his sisters adorn on him each day......
......and although it's only been a week and half, this baby boy is such an angel.....he sleeps, he cuddles, he eats.....his peaceful and mellow demeanor is so sweet and I simply can not get enough of him.....if I didn't have the girls to take care of, I don't think I would ever put him down.......he's pure and delicious.....
....his sisters wanted to make sure he got a gift that was left at our door as soon as he woke up......
Easter Eve
......although this Easter, in terms of the commercial side of the celebration, is a much lamer effort on our part then it was last year, we still have made a feeble attempt.......
......the note on the bar next to the Easter baskets I whipped up from the dollar bin at Target right before Brody arrived tells my children that because of all the rain, the colors on the Easter bunny's eggs washed off.......so the bunny took all of the eggs that didn't get ruined to church and we can find them there in a hunt after Sunday school......pretty sorry excuse for not having a hunt in our own home.....and as much as we wanted to dye eggs, it just didn't make the priority list for the things we wanted to do with our sweet chunks of time......Luckily, we dyed eggs earlier this spring with our building family......
......so we opted for an after dinner snack of mango and kiwi and read the real meaning of Easter before bedtime.....and that was a fulfilling use of a segment of non feeding time......and put in perspective that my lame attempt at Easter this year doesn't matter......because tomorrow we will celebrate the real meaning of the season of new life......
......and that is a perfect way to start the new week ahead......
....Happy Easter.....
