2 weeks young

so this post has been 'in process' for nearly 2 weeks now.

i will figure out how to swing this gig right?? 

for the last three mornings nate has said, "you look overwhelmed already... "  

and i am. but i'm not. and then i am again. 

i'm not when i am just sitting enjoying the lovefest. it's indescribable.

i am when i am trying to do anything else.

like homeschooling.

like cooking dinner.

like keeping the dog from eating dirty diapers out of the trash.

like hearing myself think.

like finishing a blog post. ;)

so lets keep our expectations as low as my word count these next few weeks and i might just be able to post more than once a month. maybe nothing deep and and life changing...  at least pictures and random thoughts. i want to.  i don't want my memories being dropped in the slow fade category.and let's be honest.. i can barely remember yesterday. :)  

the matching shoes that started it all...

all giraffe print. all the time.

it's the new black. :)

we love and miss our auntie desperately. there have been several times where for the lack of a home on this continent i was able to keep the auntie in my storage room/spare bed/couch/ari's princess castle. we like to keep her close. :)

 hello brand new bed buddy. you don't mind if i stare at you, snuggle you and nuzzle your cheek all day and night do you?? :)

arianna and grayson made signs and cards while nella and i rested the first couple of days at grammy's house.

this one got interrupted midway... it was going to announce that

 'the baby is here' but now it says 

'the baby'.... with all sorts of cute little pictures of babies in the letters :)

ari melts my heart with the way she loves us all with her notes and thoughtfulness. nothing happens around here that is not celebrated with an arianna card. :)

penelope and her GG... lovely ladies.

four generations.. grayson is excited about it. :)

after 3 days at grammy's house it was time to come home and face the reality of being a household of 6. and a dog. and a cat. and a post-partum easy weepy mama. i immediately started googling cost of house additions and dreaming of having my own bathroom.

but after some hanging out...

and calming down...

some snugly sleep...

getting  a little 'routine' going on... (this is 'school'.. for babies. :))

after late night reading while the laundry piled up...

and afternoon crash out naps...

i think we are going to be okay. 

i think we are going to fit...barely. 

i think i have pretty much the life i always knew i wanted... 

and it's a crazy covered in love and children kind of life.

and it is so very, very good. :)

i adore the split second face changes of a newborn... topped only by the split second mood changes of her post-partum mommy. :)

and now... 

miss penelope and her biggest fans... 

louie is so proud and gentle with nellaP. :)

she is a perfect big sister.

she walks around with her doll babies shushing and patting while i hold nella..

  saying "oh baby, i s'okay..you hungy? no kying.." :)

sometimes babies look like aliens. 

like the ugliest cutest thing i've ever seen.

they can totally remind me of ET.

and then they grow out of their hairless giant head awkwardness and i totally miss it.

so that is why you photograph them even when they are aliens.

lucienne none too happy that ari joined the picture... :)

grayson is a baby whisperer. 
for as crazy as he is with all other forms of life-- he is gentleness and sweetness and everything soft for babies. 

i wanted to take nella's little diaper off for these pics with him. i saw an example of such on pinterest and tried to prep grayson for being in close proximity to a bare bum baby. he was not impressed. he was sure she would pee on him. he was pretty unhappy about the whole idea and then when i sat her down she kind of rolled into his armpit and he thought she was tickling him.. and i got one of my favorite shots of them together.

 the elusive grayson belly laugh. :)

 

four kids all stacked up. 

 pile-o-babies.

love.

i haven't gotten to do a photo shoot with just nella and ari... 

but she is my right hand and my back up heart. 

she helps and she loves and she holds and she sings. she inspires and she convicts. 

when i grow up i want to be just like ari. :)

baby dreaming on africa... 

for auntie and uncle scott. :)

penelope my love... you are so good to mama. 

you like to sleep curled up right next to me and have cried maybe 5 times in your life. 

your feet are ticklish and you  make alien faces when you need to burp.

you get kissed and loved by your siblings every three minutes.

they can't leave you alone.

the dog likes to lick your feet even though i try to make her stop. 

you fall asleep without nursing when your tired as long as i hold you... i didn't know babies could actually do that.

you have blessed your daddy with smiles that have lit up his heart. 

i love bedtime because i get to snuggle you as much as i want without fighting off all your other biggest fans.

i love you monkey. :)