Third week blues

Isaiah is 3 1/2 weeks old. There is something about entering that third week that hits me hard. I have been a big fat crying mess. The past week was just hard. Like, oh-my-goodness-I-have-no-idea-how-to-be-a-mom-to-4-kids, I-need-like-4-of-me hard. 

So I've been just a tad bit emotional and it is very unpredictable what will set me off crying. I know I get like this after giving birth so I was expecting it, but it has still been hard. I know it gets better, but the lack of sleep combined with changing hormones just makes me a mess.

And then I had an infection that made me pretty much unable to do anything but lay on the couch (and cry - I know I'm a big baby) for three days. I had a fever and the chills. One afternoon I was just so cold that I turned the heat WAY up in the living room and soon Joel and all the kids were sweating and shedding clothes. So Joel (very nicely) asked me to go to our bedroom and turn the heat on if I wanted to sit in a sauna. And so I went to our room and sat in front of the heater and -wait for it - started crying. Yes. I did. I cry when my very sweet and reasonable husband asks me to leave the room to keep himself and the kids from passing out from heat exhaustion. But you know what? Joel found me blubbering in front of our space heater and said, "Honey, I'm so sorry, come back to the living room, we'll turn the heat back on, I don't want you to be all alone back here." So he brought me out to the living room and all the kids took their shirts off and I sat huddled next to the heater with about 10 layers on. Oh, the things my husband does for me! Now that is true love, my friends.Then in a few days I got better. The end. 

But anyway, all that to say I am feeling in better spirits this week. I'm trying to soak up as much of this newborn stage as possible. With Colson and Vienna I remember being so excited for the next stage (sleeping through the night, smiling, crawling, walking, etc) that I missed out on enjoying the stage they were in. So I'm doing my best to remember that these sleepless nights and lots of crying (from me, that is, not Isaiah) won't last forever and I'm trying to snuggle Isaiah as much as I can. Yes, that means my house hasn't really been cleaned in 3 1/2 weeks, and you know what, that's okay! He will only be little once and I don't want to miss out on it.

The view from here

Getting ready to go on our first outing. And where were we going? Why to the American Consulate, of course, to apply for Isaiah's passport and birth certificate. Isaiah is pretty big stuff, he has important places to go and people to see. And can I just say how much I LOVE the moby wrap? I wear Isaiah in it all the time and he loves it. I actually found instructions on how to make it online and Joel made it for me. My husband is awesome like that - and pretty crafty too, which I am not at all! Sorry ladies, he's taken!

I love this picture of all my boys. They are the best!

Yohanis and Colson just love Vienna so much! She's one lucky girl, she has two amazing big brothers that look out for her and take care of her!

I just love this picture. And I still can't get over Yohanis' smile. He just has the BEST smile. And I love when he smiles so big that his nose crinkles!

Vienna has been an amazing big sister to Isaiah. She is always asking to hold him. And she has been so helpful with throwing away diapers for me or bringing me other things I might need. She's just been super helpful and I'm so proud of how she's handling the change of having a little baby brother that gets lots of attention.