*Update on Gloria: Thanks to those who are praying. She still hasn't had her baby, but for the last few days has been having a lot of pre-labor going on. So, something is happening. Please keep praying that labor will kick in, and soon! She's scheduled to see her midwife tomorrow, but hopefully will be having, or have had, her baby by that time.
It's hard to believe that our little Raphael is nearly four weeks old already. Even as I typed that I was doing the math in my head; could it really be four weeks? Already he has grown and changed so much and it's hard to imagine life without him in our family. Knowing how quickly they grow up, I've tried to really savor the precious moments of him being so tiny and new and have spent many sweet hours with him snuggled up against me. Mama and Baby, content just to be together. I'm trying to remember the little things, the way he feels in my arms, his sweet smell, the little sounds he makes, because I know how quickly it goes by.
Erik was able to take off nearly two weeks and that greatly eased the transition for all of us. Also, friends brought meals over for the first few weeks, which was a huge blessing. Overall, I feel like we're doing really well. The kids, of course, have their moments, but that's to be expected. I have my moments too, but feel like the I'm doing much better than after giving birth to the other kids. I didn't lose as much blood this time, and have had a lot more energy. I'm tired much of the time, but not exhausted, and don't feel like I'm having the extreme emotional swings I've experienced postpartum before. (I attribute this, in part at least, to taking a better supplement this pregnancy, as I had much more energy throughout.)
Peregrine and Poppy are liking Raphael very much. Peregrine can hardly walk by him without saying something along the lines of "Oh, isn't he just the cutest little baby in the world!" And they both like to hold him any chance they get. Peregrine sings to him when he cries, and Poppy strokes him and says "I can comfort him down!" Peregrine was "petting" the top of his head one day and cried out in great excitement "Mom! Mom! He has a crater in his head!" I'm always glad when the soft spot in those little heads hardens up. Or, in other words, when their "crater" goes away!
Raphael is growing quickly; at two weeks, when they're supposed to have regained their birth weight, he'd already put on 1 1/2 pounds. He's a pretty content baby and is sleeping between three and five hours at a time at night. I usually only nurse him twice at night so I feel like I'm getting some rest. Our days are going well too; I feel like we're settling back into a bit of a routine. With the weather (finally!) getting nicer the kids have been able to be outside more and we're starting to go for walks again too.
Like all babies, in our family at least, Raphael is already subject to lots of silly nicknames. I started calling him Rumblebuffin at times on account of the many rumbles that come out of him. Peregrine somehow added Ferocious to that, and often refers to him as the Ferocious Rumblebuffin!
So, there's a little update on life with Raphael, aka the Ferocious Rumblebuffin. My heart is filled with gratitude when I look at this family God has given to me. My greatest desire was always to me a wife and a mama, and God has given me a wonderful husband and such precious children. I thank you again for praying for us and rejoicing with us!
