Parenthood ONL (on 'notha level)

Hello from mama-land. All is pretty well, but two kids is no joke. Some friends take care of their kids full time, and I can see how it'd qualify as a full time job.

Edie's been sick twice since Emmeline was born. On the day she visited us in the hospital, she vomited in the downstairs lobby, the start of a stomach bug. Luckily my parents were able to care for  her and, sadly, keep her at bay from our newborn. This past Sunday she had a runny nose which morphed into a cough and wheeze that requires a nebulizer and meds to open up the airways. She's been home with me and Emmeline this week. Doctors' orders are to lay low, and we can't meet up with friends because I don't want to spread whatever she's got. I'm loving my time with both babes but we're watching more t.v. than I'd like. It is laughable trying to keep a toddler from coughing on a baby. We put a temporary flower tattoo on Edie's forearm; I told her to cough into the flower to make it better.

Edie getting better.

Edie returned to school for half the day, so we'll see how it goes. This morning she declared, "I feel better!" and she sounded better too. As soon as I told her we're going to school, she declared, "But I'm sick!" Funny how quickly they learn to manipulate the situation. Can you blame a girl for wanting to watch Cinderella with her mama and little sister on a dreary day?

Emmeline's a doll; so new and precious. Newborns smell faintly of milk, and it's basically impossible to keep the run-off milk from collecting in their sweaty little necks, even though I bathe and clean her. I'm kinda surprised that I'm so smitten with newborns, but I am. Especially ones who sleep and generally have a good temperament. That could all change on a dime, so every night that I get a decent amount of sleep is a victory. Tonight could be a train wreck, you never know.

Will she take a pacifier? What about a lovey?
Let's ply the girl with comfort objects.

My mom's been a great help. She comes over often and is of service, folding laundry or cleaning up my kitchen or holding the baby while reading to Edie, even if she's here for 10 minutes. What can I say, she's a busy lady. I don't even need to ask, she just looks around, sees, and does. That is the same industriousness that her mom and grandma passed down. My dad has also been here a lot, and he's great day-time company. Being home is nice, but can be isolating. He works in our basement, tinkers around the yard finding projects and weeds to tackle, and we chat while he eats our leftovers. Also, I believe he might've just finished off the gourmet English Muffins that Michelle sent, but I'll let that slide since he does so much to keep our house up. Yeah, I pay my dad in English Muffins.

Memere's got her hands full,
and Edie's got some avant garde bed-head.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dave has been working like a madman ever since his lovely and leisurely paternity leave ended last week. It was fun to hang out without the stresses of the workday overshadowing conversations. I don't think we'd spent that much time together since we had Edie and he had summer's off back in Seattle. We ate delicious turkey sandwiches on soft rolls for lunch (welcome back, deli meat!), and watched Inside Amy Schumer at 2pm.

Now, as the school year winds down, his grad school and work schedule are forming a perfect storm, and once in a while he plays softball (on one league down from an all-time high of three, so it seems reasonable). He recently asked if he could play 18 holes of golf this weekend with some buddies. For the uninitiated, it takes about 5 hours, assuming no beer and burgers post-game. I don't think I responded verbally, just flashed him a look that spoke a thousand words....unfortunately that look will probably make some more appearances in the coming years.

First day getting out the door in one piece.

Over the last few weeks, having two little kids has instilled a fear of commitment. I make minor plans, and attached to those plans is a footnote that indicates we may be late or bail, and please don't hold it against us! Just getting out the door in one piece means it's a successful day.