Us Five

There's getting to be a lot of boys around here these days. :)

We are settling in nicely as a household of five (six, actually, since Mom is here for a week). The boys really enjoy their new baby brother. Gabe, in particular, loves to hold him and to "help". He talks about how nice it is to have a new brother, and informed me that he doesn't really have time to help with Israel now. :) He clambered right up into the hospital bed when Mom and Dad brought the boys in on Friday evening and very eagerly and proudly held Zion close. He calls him "Ryan" sometimes. When I corrected him the other day, he told me that it was the same thing as Zion. He just loves him, and talks about how cute he is.
I found Gabe padding out of our bedroom on our first full day home, and went in to find three very carefully and lovingly arranged pacifiers right where the baby could get to them if he so needed. :)
When Israel first saw Zion, his eyes were kind of big and he was just not quite sure about things. Somehow, someway, he could tell that there was a significance to his life in the fact that Mommy was holding a baby. He wanted to stay with Grandma at first, and didn't want to hold Zion - until a few minutes later when he was ready. He loves to climb up and watch when I change or feed Zion. He is a fascinated observer.
Here he is with a day of familiarity. I love this picture!
Mom is a huge help as usual. Here she is giving Zion his first bath at home.
He HATES baths. And diaper changes. Although a post-bath paci helps. :)
It's nice to have her around to help not only with the practical things, but also with the boys as a buffer to the change that is happening. There is someone else around to dispense TLC as needed. I think that both boys - but especially Gabe - are adjusting to Mommy having less time. Gabe is pretty Mommy-needy anyways...so this has led to more acting up. Sigh. But it's ok - it's just part of the adjustment.

Zion did not really go to sleep soundly until around 3 AM for the first two days, and then he slept for 3-4 hours. The past several days he has switched into more of a schedule, and I have had to wake him to feed him. That's a nice change!! He was been kind of fussy, until I rediscovered gripe water and changed up some things in my diet - like black tea :( :( :(. I will sorely miss it's absence. I feel pretty tired...but otherwise good.

Zion is already starting to fill out his baggy baby skin. :) That would be because he is a champion eater, that son of mine. He's doing great. He also (praise the Lord!!!) is taking a pacifier. I LOVE pacifiers!!! (Israel never would take one.) They are such a great soother. His umbilical cord fell off at 4 days - that is the fastest for any of my kids.

Here's two humorous Gabe observations to leave you with. When Mom and Dad had brought the boys into the hospital that first night to visit their new little brother, Gabe asked with furrowed brow - "Mommy, is this the baby that was in your tummy?"

"Yes, Gabe, it is that baby."

He gently touched my stomach. "Is there another little baby in there now?" :) Apparently I still look a "little" pregnant. Heh heh.

He is also very interested in how he could also nurse the baby. Today he was musing that perhaps if he drinks a whole lot of water that he would have milk for the baby. Such a downer for him when Mommy informs him that this is not possible. :) He is really sweet with Zion.

And here's a bunch more pictures of the "new new baby".