One Week Old

It's been a week already! How did that happen? God has apparently taken pity on me and is making up for sending me Benjamin The Whirlwind. Little Isabella is quite possibly the calmest baby I've ever seen. She just sleeps! All the time! I think she has slept more this past week than Benjamin has in the past 22 months. Even the night Benjamin was born he was up for hours. Isabella wakes when she's hungry and sleeps when she's not. That's basically it. I've been trying to get some pictures of her, but how many "this is Isabella sleeping" pictures do I really need? I am counting my blessings and enjoying this time immensely.


I also can't get over how good Benjamin is being with her. People tell me this will stop, so I'm making the most of it now. But I just have such a hard time believing things will change drastically when I see how incredible he's being with her. When people come over to look at her, no matter what he's doing, he'll run over to my side and stand next to me, glaring at them warily, as if guarding her against them. "Just try and mess with my sister! I dare ya!" He seems to say. We took him swimming yesterday and it took forever trying to get him ready because he was always rushing back to her side when someone I knew from work would come over to see her.


Today he brought her blankets, shared his toys, held her, held her bottle, and even held her hand and rested his head on her lap while she was crying for food on the way back from the playground, all without any request or direction from me. It was so cute watching him try to get her to play with him. He'd put the toys on her chest or face or head and stare at her, waiting for her to take them and play. He was also constantly shouting "Bella" and dashing into her room. Occasionally he'd close the door behind him and have little secret moments with his sister. I have to watch those carefully, though because there have been times when I've come in to find him handing her tools he snuck out of Kelly's tool bag or "tucking her in" by putting a blanket over her head. Most of the time, though, he'd just be standing at her crib-side, shaking it a bit, trying to wake her. He's also run to her for consolation after he's been scolded for something. "Bella!" he'll shout, sobbing, seeking someone to commiserate with over the cruel burden parents can be. He also loves to hold her hand, examining her fingers. Sometimes he'll just kneel beside her and stare at her, stroking her. It's adorable. They are going to fight, as all siblings do, but from what I'm seeing, I expect he's going to be a very good big brother and very close to little Bella. To all of you out there with multiple children, please refrain from telling me I'm delusional and all this will change dramatically very soon. I'm enjoying the honeymoon phase. :)

Benjamin the Giant!


Goofing off with my kids. :) I love how Bella's over there flashing gang signs.


My sweet little girl as she begins to doze off.