Maternity Leave

Hello to all, we are back after a brief maternity leave! Here is a photo of Baby Sean for your viewing enjoyment. Isn't he wonderful?!

What an amazing two weeks this has been! Sean's birth on December 12th signified the official beginning to our holiday. We still had a bit of shopping and planning to do, and certainly plenty of wrapping--but part of welcoming our new son meant giving ourselves plenty of grace in the details. A big, big thanks to the many families that made sacrifices of their own by bringing in meals for us so that we could concentrate fully on resting, healing, and loving our baby without getting bogged down by our basic needs. We have been so touched by your generosity.

Hope you all experienced much blessing this Christmas! I feel grateful this year to be given a better understanding: The celebration of Christmas has always been about the birth of a son. Sitting here in my warm house, nursing this sweet baby in the dark hours of the night....I feel like I finally get a glimpse of what Christmas really means. I hope your holiday was just as wonderful, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!

New Things

Today I taught myself a new blog trick--crossing out words. Allow me to demonstrate:

"This afternoon I am busy making pumpkin bread to bring to the hospital and stuff my face with eat daintily during the midnight nursing sessions, when there is no food available but my body is screaming for calories. It will also provide a handy snack every hour on the hour, when the nurse barges in peeks in quietly with the purpose of cramming on my stomach interrupting our scattered sleep making sure we are all doing okay."

Pretty cool, huh? And who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?

Waiting For Baby

I sent the boys downstairs to play earlier so that I could make their lunch "sans chaos". When I finally called them back up and we were sitting at the table eating our sandwiches, I asked them what they had been playing downstairs.

"Until Reuben comes down," says Cole.

I think for a minute and realize he must have misunderstood what I was asking. "No, what were you playing down there?"

"Until Reuben Comes Down," says Cole.

It's dawning on me at this point that this is the name of the game.
Dare I ask? "What's that?" I say.

"Oh, you know," he shrugs. "We just play whatever we're playing.... Until Reuben Comes Down. Then we run and hide."

Oh, I think, poor Reuben. And this from the same boys that dubbed their littlest brother The Evil Pirate and created a game where they play happily in my room until he goes to search for the source of the fun---whereas they shout, "THE EVIL PIRATE! THE EVIL PIRATE!" and slam the door in his face.

The thing is, it's not that they dislike him. (That's not true. I think Reese actually dislikes him.) It's just that they more love the idea of having someone to play the villain--you know, the whole Cops and Robbers mentality. Because really, what fun is all the warring if you don't have a fall guy? Isn't that what little brothers are for?

It is December. We are in our last 12 days now before Baby is due. I keep hoping that God, in his greater wisdom, is giving us this new brother to even the playing field a bit. I'm suspecting that will be the case. Somehow just the idea of two sets of bunks side by side is a more calming thought than the two big boys plotting in their room downstairs, and Reuben alone and helpless against their ploys in his crib upstairs....