One Week

Yesterday Henrietta celebrated her one week birthday. Despite all the waiting and anticipation, I am still wrapping my head around the fact that we have a new little baby and we are now a family of four - a family of four who needs a good 45 minutes (at least) to get organized and out of the house (seriously, we get Oliver all bundled up and ready to go and Henrietta decides it is time to eat. I feed her and then find that Oliver has taken off all his clothes. We get Oliver dressed again and find Henrietta needs her diaper changed. We change her diaper. Dress Oliver for a third time. Feed Henrietta again, dress Oliver again...)

Oliver continues to be infatuated with his sister. He is still sharing all of his special toys with her and giving her kisses and asking for her to snuggle with him at night. Last night he actually asked if we could move her bed into his room so they could share a room (I hope he still feels that way in another couple months when we plan on moving her in with him). So really, all is going well. Well, all except for bedtime. We'd gotten bedtime down to a science of sorts (at least for us and our continued struggle with sleep) - all told (books and snuggling) it would take me 30 minutes to get Oliver to sleep. Since we brought Henrietta home it has been taking me between an hour and an hour and a half. Of course, it is right at this time that Henrietta decides it is time to eat. Davis and I have been trying to coordinate, scheme, test out different interpretive dance moves - anything to try and make bedtime better, but no such luck yet (we keep reminding ourselves it has only been a week and we'll get it together at some point.

Henrietta is proving to be a very low key baby. Lots of eating and sleeping. The last couple days she's had her eyes open a bit more which has been fun. I've been trying to get in lots of snuggle time with her as I am reminded when I look at Oliver at how quickly they grow up.



I think the most difficult thing about this past week has been trying to figure out time with Oliver. I spent a good portion of all three trips to the hospital to have Henrietta crying about Oliver - that while I knew he'd be excited about a sister, he also hadn't been consulted in the decision to have a baby and that a new baby would profoundly change his life. Anyway, this past week, while I've spent time reading, playing trains and snuggling with Oliver, our routine is gone, and while I know we will fall into a new one, I am still sad about losing our old one (although at this point, I seem to be the only one - he is very happy).

(Wondering what is in the blue bag in his hand? Trains - surprise, surprise - this boy loves his trains!)

Another difficult thing - the night before last I turned to Davis and said - I could really use a good night sleep. He laughed and asked if I'd had a good night of sleep since Oliver arrived - nope. So really, that good night of sleep - probably another 3 years away (unless Henrietta proves a champion sleeper - please, please, please).