~ 2 Weeks ~

Subtitled: The Good, the Bad, and the Pretty

Here's the Good

Well Baby E (I just absolutely love calling her Baby E) is officially 2 weeks old now. I really can't believe how fast time flies. At two weeks, she is still wearing newborn diapers and mostly all newborn clothes. I estimate her being around 8 lbs. She is a champion nurser and burps like a grown man!!! She has starting spitting up a little in the past couple of days, and I'm pretty sure it's because she over eats! :) She sleeps pretty good too. We are following the same bedtime ritual that we've used with all the others, and are hoping for the same results since they've all been/still are excellent sleepers. We aim for putting her down around 11:00 PM, and we try to get in bed at that same time. She usually wakes up the first time at around 3:00 AM and then again around 5 AM. Lately she ends up staying in the bed with us after that 5 AM feeding. That makes Wesley a little bit crazy, but I just can't help it. I was getting up and nursing her in the living room, but I kept falling asleep and spending the next few hours in the rocking chair. So I just gave in and started nursing her in the bed, and well I fall asleep there too of course!!! We usually get up for good at around 7:30 AM. I nurse her again at around that time and then all the little people get a turn to hold her while we get the day started. She does not like to be swaddled. Swaddling just makes her mad, and she fights her way out. :) We are finally starting to see her eyes. She's starting to be more alert and stay awake for a little while after feedings. This morning she was up for about 1 1/2 hours after her 8 AM feeding. A lot of times she watches us with just one eye which has led to me nick naming her "one eye". :) After a little working with her, we've got her using the "Nuk" pacifier. In the hospital, she was given the "Soothie" paci and she preferred that type at first. However, we did not. It's just a personal preference, but we like the Nuk better and feel like it is better for babies mouth and teeth. So we've now successfully made the switch. Although if we just left her along, she would totally be a finger sucker. We are trying hard to avoid that. :) So she sleeps, nurses, soils A LOT of diapers (we've gone through I think 5 packs in these 2 weeks), and enjoys being held and cuddled by the "minor" crew quite a lot!!! Elizabeth is just a sweet, sweet easy baby, and we all love her to pieces!!!

Now for the Bad

Don't be fooled though! Everything around her is not peaches and cream. Life is awesome, but it's also awesome HARD! I wouldn't trade these days for anything and am so, so, so grateful to have a new baby in my arms, but it's not without a lot of adjustment. My house is a total wreck (yes I know that doesn't really matter, except it does matter to me), homeschool has been hard (I'm learning to like the classical approach more and more since I can read to them or listen to them read while I'm nursing) (Heather I see you smiling, I see you!), we are watching a lot more TV than before, and Bella Peace uses Elizabeth's feedings to create havoc and chaos (BP is going to be the death of me!!). We are in desperate need of a new schedule and routine. Some structure. I feel like I need a paper bag or drugs or a straight jacket every time Wesley walks out the door for work. I'm sure I flash him puppy dog eyes which say, please don't leave me here alone with all these children, with this chaos, with this messy house, with all these school books! I know that I do, because he looks at me as to say I'm sorry I'm leaving you but I really have to go we have to pay for all of this. :) Does anyone else out there know what I'm talking about? It's like this is so totally my dream life, but that doesn't make it easy. I know that there are some who have the total misconception that if you have a big family you must be supermom or you must have it all together. My family and close friends know that's a lie!! I'm not supermom and I don't have it all together. Most days I'm barely hanging on and praying that God's grace and mercy covers over my many mistakes!

And finally, the Pretty

No ugly, only pretty. Pretty pictures. These pictures are all from the past week.

I think Elizabeth is going to like mirrors as much as the other Minor girls. She loves to look at her reflection in the mirror when she's on the changing pad. Vanity, already!!




Big Sister Bella Peace giving Baby E her pacifier. In this picture, I think Elizabeth looks a lot like pictures of my younger brother.


Here's "One Eye" at 2 weeks old



Wide Awake!!


The kiddos have enjoyed several field trips lately. In 4 days, they went on 3 different trips. Last Friday Wesley took them to see Columbus ship replicas, the Nina and the Pinta. The ships are on tour and in our area for a stop. Saturday was free museum day so of course we took advantage of that. And yesterday, they went to a local farm/pumpkin patch. This many field trips is not usual for us. It's just worked out this way lately. I've hated to miss out, but I have to admit that I've enjoyed the time to lay around and cuddle with Elizabeth. Here are some pictures from yesterday's trip.


Is he a country boy or what!?!