Both boys are actually napping at the same time – a luxury that seems to rarely happen. I figured I would spend a few minutes dusting off the blog now that I am beginning to find my bearings with two little boys in the house.
For starters, Arthur Gabriel was born completely healthy on June 27 weighing in at a surprising 8 pounds 13 ounces. I do tend to have big babies, but I was convinced that Arthur was a bit smaller. Surprise! My c-section was relatively uneventful. I am quite thankful for the skilled OBs who brought Arthur into the world and for the wonderful anesthesiologist who played music while he was being delivered. My anxiety level was really high going into the c-section. It is amazing what the cries from a strong set of little lungs and some calming music can do for an anxious mind.
There are so many other people who helped Arthur’s first weeks of life go smoothly. My mother-in-law and father-in law hung out with Mark while we were at the hospital. My sister-in-law and her 3.5 kids were also in town to meet Arthur and hang out. Mark absolutely loved all of the attention. He doesn’t get to see his cousins frequently, so he had an absolute blast. My amazing in-laws then drove Mark to the beach with them to hang out for a week so that I could have a chance to recover without an energetic toddler running around.
After we were home from the hospital, my mom drove into town to cook meals and keep up with the constant laundry that seems to accompany newborns. I am not sure what we would have done without her. My dad popped in mid-week for a quick visit to meet Arthur before heading back home as well.
Several friends brought delicious meals for us after Mark returned, which definitely helped ease the challenge of feeding the family with a newborn in the house.
Last but certainly not least, there was my fantastic, faithful husband who was at my side through the entire surgery, changed all of Arthur’s diapers for the first few days, and helped me walk for the first few days. He’s taken Mark on countless excursions around town to give me time to relax and has definitely pulled some extra weight around the house. I’m a lucky girl.
Raising kids truly takes a village, and I am very thankful for mine. The transition from one kid running around the house to two kids in the house has certainly been made easier with the support of family and friends.
As the weeks moved forward we began to slowly settle into a new routine as a family. We had Arthur baptized on July 21 at our home parish. Many of our friends and family were able to be in town for it, including Arthur’s godparents who visited with their five kids from across the country!
A few days later, we celebrated Isabelle’s fourth birthday on July 25 – two days shy of Arthur turning one month. It was strange to think that their due dates were only a couple days a part. However, Isabelle was almost two weeks late, and Arthur was two weeks early. Although it was challenging that my pregnancies with Isabelle and Arthur progressed on the same timeline, I feel like they share a special connection because of it. This year we continued our tradition of watching a Christmas movie on Isabelle’s birthday. (She was born on July 25th– a perfect day for Christmas in July). Mark appropriately picked Arthur Christmas as our movie this year. If you haven’t seen it, it is definitely worth checking out. It is a family favorite in this house.
Isabelle’s birthday is always a challenging day for us, but her brothers are a beautiful, comforting reminder that there is always a rainbow after a terrible storm.
St. Isabelle Clare – Pray for us!
Although life is a bit more sleep-deprived and it takes us twice as long to get out of the house, we are loving life with two kids in the house. We are slowly falling into a new routine and embracing the everyday challenges. Thank you for your love and support! I hope to update the blog a bit more frequently now that things are settling down.
