Babyfully Topsy Turvy

A brand new baby.  What joy!  What exhaustion.  Remember how that very first little one turned your life completely upside down?

(Here's Brooklyn, just minutes old, with my Ob-Gyn Dr. Gamette)

Two weeks ago I was still in Puyallup snuggling baby Eila.


I miss that pretty babe already!  (Good thing she's coming to visit next week.)

I'd almost forgotten how teeny tiny newborns are, scarcely filling their car seat.

So sleepy!

Adam has transitioned marvelously into his new role of devoted father.  It's amazing how quickly these wee ones establish the ground rules of who's really in charge.  :)

Of course, it's always important to give extra love and attention to the older siblings when welcoming a new baby into the house.

I had more chances to bond with Zoe during this past trip than ever before, mostly because my lap was available.

Zoe was very cooperative during our pug photo shoot.

Aw, too adorable!

"Despite my graying whiskers, I'm still the cutest pug ever."

Eila, on the other hand, did not much appreciate of our photo staging.

We tried cookies...

And we tried flowers...

And then we wised up and scheduled a professional photo shoot.

Even if Eila had a few sad moments, my week in Washington was admittedly relaxing and rejuvenating--so much so that I felt a little guilty for leaving my family behind.  I worried most about abandoning Annika since she was still nursing before we parted.  Fortunately, I knew she was in the best of hands with Grandma Susie and Grandpa Charles.  From what I can gather, they had a marvelous time together.

Annika came home with a new word--Jump!  Jump!

Taking Grandma's new shoes for a spin.

Our little cutie has a wide assortment of nicknames: Annie Mae (Jason's choice), Bubba (the name Brooklyn made up), and even Trouble (most often used by Eli.)  Personally, I find myself constantly referring to Annika as Baby Girl.  When Charles and Susie texted me these pictures, I suddenly realized that my little girl simply isn't a baby any more.

It's hard to see my baby baby grow up.  Exhausting as childrearing may be, I feel melancholy leaving young motherhood behind.  I let Annika nurse longer than any of the rest, simply because I wasn't prepared to break that bond of emotional closeness.  To be completely truthful, this morning I let her crawl into bed with me and suckle one last time.  Even though she may not physically need me, I missed it and needed one last chance to bid farewell to infancy.

On the positive side, our munchkins become more and more entertaining as they grow, constantly amazing us with their creativity.  When Annika and I arrived back in Omaha (I picked her up during a three hour layover in Salt Lake), the big kids surprised us with a welcome home party.  Not only was the house immaculate (thanks to Jason), but we were greeted by multiple posters.  (The small text on this one reads, I love you Mommy!  And you, Trouble.)

Best of all was the performance, complete with acrobatic entertainment (courtesy of Talia) and original vocal compositions (thanks to Brooklyn, who wrote new lyrics to "Let it Go.")

As all my babies grow up, life seems a bit topsy turvy once more.  Guess I'll just have to learn to be more flexible.