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Last night was one of those nights that “new” parents dread.  Of the four of us at home, not one of us slept.  Seriously, I spent more time out of bed than in my bed.  Good thing my early riser (aka Jack) was waking up his cabin leader this time — so I got to more-or-LESS sleep until about 9 this morning. 

At one point, around 5:15, as I lay on Will’s floor using a stuffed cat as my pillow, I had to pretend I didn’t hear Sam squalling in his bassinet back in my room.  I had just fed Sam, put him in his bed, carried Will from my bed back to his own room (and discovered a whole bottle of water dumped in his sheets), fixed up a blanket for Will to sleep on the floor, and finally lay down next to him.  I guess the baby had a dirty diaper & it woke him back up almost right away.    Brad had to take Sam-duty that time.  That was pretty much the story for most of the night — not one of our best.  Definitely part of the territory of having a newborn at home, though.

We are tired but doing ok today.  We went to the store and Will got to go pick out a toy to keep him busy while the big kids are at camp so mommy can get something done as a reward for being so patient while I change & feed Sam.  Sam is taking a good nap so I can do the dishes & fold a little laundry. 

Here are some pictures of Will & Sam, just to make you smile:

He’s got “stinker” written all over his face — when he’s not hiding his face from the camera!

Sam is losing that newborn look — he looks too much like a little boy already!

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Jack and Margaret left today for church camp.  They will be home Wednesday around 5 PM.  Jack went to camp last year and had a great time – this is Margaret’s first time to go.  They both were pretty grumpy this morning, so I know they were a little nervous.  Jack had an unbelievably hard time saying goodbye to Sam — he spent a long time bent over his baby brother talking to him quietly & giving him kisses.  What a sweet big brother he is becoming. 

The kids and I gave Sam his first bath this week.  I knew I’d have my hands full, so I gave Margaret the camera & assigned her photography duty.  She’s pretty good at taking pictures — here are the shots she got of Sam’s first bath at home.  Seriously, plus about a dozen more like these!  Did she just forget to take pictures of the baby???

Please pray for Jack and Margaret to have a safe, wonderful, life-changing experience at church camp.  For updates on what they are doing at camp, click HERE to view the website our Kids Pastor set up for camp news. 

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I was emptying the dishwasher when I heard, “Take our picture Mom!” from the living room.  So I grabbed my camera and . . . .

Margaret and Jack love Sam so much that they spent part of the morning arguing over whose turn it was to hold him.  So we settled on a compromise of laying the baby on the couch between them — each got to hold one of his hands.  Oh, to be so loved. 

Will is having some struggles getting used to the baby.  Of course, Will has been the baby of our family since he got here, so it’s a hard transition.  Brad and I have been taking extra time to spend with him by himself.  And he is learning how to interact with his new sibling at a slower rate.  His specialty:

Peek – A – Boo!!!

Sam is a still a pumpkin, although he has become a little more vocal lately.  And his cries aren’t so tiny anymore. 

Although, even when he’s fussy, our little Sammy is still adored by all.  And a sure solution to end Sam’s grumpiness is to stick him in the baby carrier.  He’s usually asleep within minutes and I can play with Will or do laundry or just rest for a few minutes.  Brad and I both forgot how exhausting the first few months are with a new baby. 

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I keep thinking back to the days when we brought Will home.  We knew it would be busy.  We knew there would be challenges.  But nothing can prepare you for the changes your family will go through until they actually happen.  We are happy, noisy (with all the construction), and sometimes a little bit crazy lately.  But life is good.  My mom has been such an enormous help.  I don’t think I could have stayed sane this past week without her.  And, WOW, can you believe that Sam was a week old yesterday? 

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We are home and doing very, very well.  Sam is such a little pumpkin, and we are all crazy about him — how did we ever get by without this little tiny love in our life?  In all seriousness, there was a line to hold him yesterday.  But then Sam had a hard night & would not sleep in his bed last night.   Spoiled much?  Ok, more likely over stimulated.  So today Mommy has changed the rules a bit — if Sam is sleeping he needs to go in his bed.  He is also a big fan of the swing and bouncy seat (thank you sooooo much Ashlyn!). 

There’s so much to say, but I’ll just start by sharing a few of my favorite photos from our few days as a family of 6. 

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

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