The Value Of Cheerfulness: October 2012

{ Image curtsey of the ever lovely Andrea of Take Joy Designs }

She's been here for a little over three weeks now. Three wonderfully sweet, Ruby-Grace filled weeks. She is an easy baby. And when she does make a peep, which isn't very often...she is easily calmed. She has been smiling at us since one week old. She was born at home at 9:50 p.m. on Sunday September 9th...our first bedtime baby as our other three were all born in the morning...and it was so special to get to crawl into bed with our freshly born baby and just soak her up in all her tiny newness and glory and to fall asleep with her in my arms and to get to sniff her soft little head all night long. She is our smallest baby, at 7lbs 5 oz + 19 3/4 inches long, and I have loved getting to dress her for the last three weeks in NB sized clothes. She's small and delicate and has captured our hearts. I love that she is so mellow. So mellow that she was born asleep. I love how she snorts when she's hungry. I love how much she moves in her sleep, which through me off, because I thought all the movement before she was born meant she was going to be hyperactive.I love that her Daddy calls her Lucy's skinny twin, because she is so easy going like Lucy was as a newborn. I love how downy soft she is. I love that she smells sweeter than than any perfume. I love that when I brush my fingers across her eyes, she falls magically and instantly asleep.
I love how her little feet are long and skinny like a rabbits foot and can fold in half lengthwise.

Annabelle, Jack and Lucy came home to meet her first thing in the morning. They had stayed with their Auntie Roo who they love and adore the night Ruby was born. We all do. She's is amazing and beautiful and such a huge help to me in every way. I don't know what I'd do without her. They tip-toed ever so quietly in to the room and were so sweet and gentle holding her for the first time. Jack is just so tender with her, he has a sweet little crush on her. Annabelle is such a big help to me with baby and so capable. I love it when she sings to Ruby. And I have taken hundreds of pictures of Lucy kissing Ruby because it's just that sweet. She is crazy about her. She calls her sis-sis. And comes running to tell me " wah-wah...wah-wah..."the second she starts to cry. I love to imagine how close they are going to be. Never having a sister myself growing up, I am so excited for them.

David was only able to take one day off after she was born but we were blessed to have Debs come Monday evening, and stay all week to help us and make it possible for me to truly be off my feet. It was an incredibly special to have that time with her and while she was here she deep/spring cleaned my house and went through and organized every drawer for me and matched up all my missing pairs of socks, hauled off bags to the thrift store because well, she's just amazing like that. It took a village to care for us that week as David's other sister Rachel, bless her beautiful heart...stayed home and took care of Deb's three littles, so she could come take care of us. Thank you girls. More than I can say. Your and the moms are right up there with Granny Annie, on my list of the most wonderful women that I have ever known. Deb, I'll never forget that week with you and how you so willingly cleaned up all that poop, ~~even~~ especially poop of the not so newborn variety. For talking Annabelle to school. And the morning the mouse jumped out of my underwear drawer. For how you love to kiss and love on my little people as if they were your own.
And I cried when she left but thankfully my Mom had just arrived as Deb was leaving and I had her wonderful company and help and cooking for the following week. And for two days both Moms were here. Which really was too special for words for me and my kids to have both grandmas at once to love on us in every possible way. Mama B. brought Mums for my front porch and tucked chocolate away in the cupboard with my name on it and spent the day with Annabelle at school, kept up on the laundry, read to Jack, grocery shopped, mopped my floors all in a days work. Every morning the week my Mom was here she would wake up early with Lucy and let me sleep in. It was a sweet tradition for the two of them that included sharing a blueberry lara bar...I have these amazing ladies to thank ( including some really dear + amazing friends who have scrubbed my house until it sparkled and fed us along the way and blessed us with treats and and brand new amazing triple stroller ) that I was able to rest and recover fully and helped ease us through these first weeks with David gone working long hours until dark and Saturdays.