melted smoosh

  dear George, true to form, I am writing this post belatedly -- you turned six weeks old yesterday! the first month of your life has felt a bit like a fever dream, with all the noise and mayhem of large family life punctuated by quiet vigils in the wee hours, or afternoon naps when your sisters are at daycare. somehow, each groundhog day of diaper changes and feedings has rolled into the next until suddenly you have grown out of your newborn clothes and your little toes are stretching the limits of your newborn swaddle pods. you've also woken up out of the newborn fugue state where you would sleep anywhere, and you much prefer to take your naps in your own bed (or in the car -- praise the Lord, we have lucked out yet again with a baby who loves the car).  baby's first trip to Target you were very dubious during your first full bath ...and oh so cozy afterward! you usually drink six four-ounce bottles of pumped breast milk in a 24 hour period, straight from the fridge, which m...

welcome to the world, George Nicholas! our fifth baby was born two weeks early, completely upending my previous delivery pattern -- all of his sisters were born just before or up to 10 days after their due dates, except for Victoria with a scheduled induction at 39 weeks. a 39 week induction was the plan for baby boy too, and our dear friend Amy had requested the day off work to come doula for us again, bless her! my coworkers kept telling me I was going to go early with him and I kept confidently responding, "oh no, my babies like to stay cozy in here!" as I left the office on Friday (at 37 weeks 2 days pregnant), I told them, "see you Monday!" they all looked at me and said, "well... maybe!" and I reassured them that I would be there.  the last "bump" photo I have, on July 4, just 9 days before baby would make his appearance!  Amy texted me that weekend to see how I was feeling. baby boy was definitely sitting lower and I was having some inter...