3 weeks!

My real live baby doll!

5 kids!

it's not about capturing a perfect photo...

but about documenting the fun...

...and real life!

After I clicked, Adrian looked up and said,
"I can tell you're cutting my head off."
Yes, honey, your head and your feet too!
Such is life in our tiny little kitchen.

Adrian, adoring his sleeping baby, took this shot
(as you can also tell by the angle!)

Tessa created this "pillow throne" herself, to hold Orion while playing Dutch Blitz!

In my opinion, you can't spoil a baby by holding him too much.
This little sweetie rarely has to be set down!  

I can tell he likes his sisters holding him,
and  is already studying each of them  individually.

This is what Aaron was doing when Orion was born.
Can you tell I love photos of these 3 together?!
And I love for them to BE together, too.
For some reason beyond their mommy's & my comprehension,
they all behave better & quieter when together!!

worth 1000 words

Mother's Day & More

The day after Orion was born, Adrian asked (probably rhetorically), 

"Why is it, every time we have another kid, we seem to reach a new level of chaos?"  

I answered, "Because we do!"

Every family has a unique story about what number of kids was the hardest to adjust to.  I've commonly heard that 3 or 4 is difficult but after that, not so much.  Now that we've welcomed five, I would have to agree that with baby #4 came the most sudden increase of dishes, laundry, and busy-ness.  But still, the hardest adjustment for me was our first baby.  She was not the typical newborn who ate and slept (which I expected).  She spent much of her first 24 hours crying.  Every feeding was at least 40 minutes long.  I was anemic, and not up to much activity.  I found myself not having time to get myself food, and if I showered, it was through a lot of stress with a screaming baby nearby.  She never wanted to be set down for naps.  She rarely stayed asleep outside of our arms.  She hated the car seat for any length of time.  Stress, stress, stress.  Luckily for her, I was a brand new mom with the aim to do everything right and had all sorts of patience and love for the new little miracle in our lives.  Luckily for me, we got the "hard" baby out of the way first! 


At 2 weeks, Little "O" is a very easy going baby.  He eats a lot quickly, sleeps a lot (through all sorts of noise), and is overwhelmingly cute and content when awake.  Like melt-your-heart, stop-what-you're-doing-to-adore-him cute.  Now when I find myself only eating toast all day, don't shower 'til noon, can't find time to clip fingernails, and let days go by without using the camera -- well, it's just not as much of a surprise as the first time around.  With each subsequent baby, I've learned *more* the value of taking it slow in the first few weeks.  To gaze at my baby and soak him in.  To cuddle, kiss and smell his head.  The tiny-ness only lasts a few moments.  

BrownCowCotton.com
diapers are for newborn skinny legs too!

photo by Elissa

I wish I had photos of Mother's Day.  For me, it was the perfect blend of utopia and reality.  The kids presented me with hand made cards and their Dollar Store picks.  We went to church where moms were honored and prayed for (we need that!).  I took a long nap with my baby.  We went to Washoe Park for our first family of 7 walk (utopia).  The kids scooted or ran blissfully in the summery sunshine.  The sunlight sparkled on Warm Springs Creek while the children were enchanted by wading in ankle deep water, rock throwing, ponds and beaver dams.  By bedtime (reality), we were all tired.  Daughter3 claimed she couldn't walk due to a scraped knee.  Son4 resisted bedtime with arguing, kicking and screaming.  Daughter2 added to the fray by crying about having too many stuffed animals upstairs.  Really?  Mommy's patience ran out long before Daddy's, and so he read them a bedtime story as they all drifted to sleep.  


Still can't believe I didn't take pictures that day.  Or yesterday.  Or line up all 5 of them for a photo, like I've been meaning to do for 2 weeks.  Every surface in our bedroom is piled 2-3 feet high (no exaggeration) with the clothes switching that's going on.  Six laundry loads to catch up from being away; switching from maternity to regular; from winter to summer; from size to size.  There are 6 of us sharing 1 closet and 2 dressers.  Baby's closet is a laundry basket for the 4 weeks we'll all be living in this little house.  We're content and comfortable.  It's home.    

Wonderful birth assistant Elissa adoring Orion, along with Bentley & Jaci!

Day 10

I am soooo ready for the weekend!  My handsome husband has worked 10 hour days out of town this week, so our weekend begins this evening.  Only 1 hour until he gets here (can't wait until this long commute is over)!!  I've missed him extra, extra much at this point in time.  I can't wait to see him, hug him, watch the kids delight in seeing him, and just relax!

  

A huge thanks to Gramma Mary, Aunt Sandy and Taylor for all of their help this week.  I couldn't have done it without all three of them.  They all helped me around the clock with the children, meals, and laundry.  I have soooo appreciated the extra sleep and refereeing the older ones in order to have the much needed rest to make a full recovery!

do you think she adores him?

does anyone know how to turn photos in blogger?

#1 kid helper

Our 2 boys!!

Aaron is ready to show little guy the ropes.

I think Tessa looks so much like her Aunt Audrey in this photo!!

A bed, a Bible and a baby ~ I have enjoyed these 3 many times this week!

new & old

It's not difficult to be losing some sleep, 

when you wake up to this...

 ...and this!

lucky little 5th baby even has some new clothes for himself! 

 Girls' tea party orchestrated by Aunt Sandy; 

attended by special guestsTaylor & porcelain dolls!

Jaci insisted on some bike lessons...

though she is only three...

though the bike we have here is too big for her...

After 3 trial runs with Daddy holding onto the hood of her sweatshirt...

she announced, "You can let go now!"

She is now a 2 wheeled bike rider!

 Earlier, still waiting for Orion:

A day down on the farm...

 Coy, Bentley & Kase's NEIGHbors are almost 

as much an attraction as their house is!

 Mini horse delight

 manes blowing in the wind!

 We love to see dandelions after a long winter!

 National Take Your Child to Work Day!!!

 It gives me such joy & satisfaction to see these little ones growing up together ~

j, c, b, a

...and there are two littler ones that will soon join in all the fun!

We welcome with love...

****Update!!!****

We just got a call from some Wisconsin / Indiana family, and discovered that school children across the U.S. are taught different pronunciations of "Orion", depending on region!

So, to clarify: this little boy's name is "oh-RYE-un".

His middle name (ben-NEEG-no) is the Spanish word for "kind".
It was also the middle name of my friend Angel (1979-1999).
~Anna

Days 1 & 2

Here are some snapshots of our little guy's first 2 days.  Just realized I don't have photos of the one who is holding him the most: Ella. Will have to "focus" on that today!  :)

I am soooo thankful for this blog & being able to share these precious moments with so many people across many miles!!

I am MOST thankful to God for this unspeakable gift.  I keep looking at the baby and thinking, "Wow.  I can't believe this beautiful child is mine."

I am 2nd MOST thankful that Adrian is the amazing husband & daddy he is.  He is probably stiff & sore from helping me through a long, difficult labor.  He was there for me every second.  Now that we're home, he is completely taking care of the older children & house chores, so I can just take care of baby & me.  That means a couple of naps a day for me, which has me feeling great!  For him, it means lots of food prep, cleanup, entertainment, toy pickup, dishwasher emptying, clothing, bathing, diaper changes, book reading, extra discipline ... and yes, I do know just how much work that all is!  He even baked us muffins the first morning, which I am enjoying as snacks!!  WOW, Adrian!  You amaze me!

Aaron was somber, excited, and proud to meet baby Wed morning!

"A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need."  Proverbs 17.17, NLT

"little guy" hangs out most of the time with this peaceful, contented look on his face

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE baby feet!

cuddle bug.

...and just in case the closeups make him look big, he really isn't!

WOW God, what a beautiful creation!!!