And Then There Were 4
Posted: 06/27/2011 Filed under: Ginnie, Life unscripted, Natty, Parenthood, Sisters, Uncategorized 1 Comment »Virginia (Ginnie) Kelly Cooper is just under a week old. I say “just under” because in about an hour and a half, she’ll be exactly a week old. Seems like it’s been a lot longer than a week since we went to the hospital with me in active labor, dropping off Natalie at a friend’s house at 1:30 in the morning and Ginnie making her debut at exactly 11:00 a.m. But we did, and here we are, home.
We’ve actually been home since Wednesday, but learning to juggle two daughters has been nothing short of a balancing act and I’m so incredibly grateful to my amazing husband for taking charge and handling things around the house more or less perfectly. I am also grateful that his job will allow him to do that without any issues but I have to admit, it will be nice when my mom arrives tomorrow evening and JJ can go back to work and there will be some semblance of normal functioning around here again.
I’ve been marveling over this new little life that’s so dramatically burst into our lives. We’ve all adjusted well, but, and this is to be expected, the two girls are so different already. Natalie was laid back, easy going, the very definition of an easy baby. Ginnie is demanding and loud, but very task oriented in her demands. She never cries for no reason, always she’s hungry or cold or has a dirty diaper. Natalie wasn’t the biggest fan of being rocked, she liked to be wrapped, laid down, and left alone. Ginnie loves to be held and rocked to sleep. Natalie slept … and slept … and slept. At first Ginnie did, too, but come to find out that was probably a side effect of some mild jaundice. Now she’s awake and alert probably 3-4 hours a day. Nights are not too terribly different, except Ginnie’s involve more noise. This morning I was actually thinking that maybe Natalie’s nights were easier, but on closer inspection, I don’t think that’s true. I think Natalie’s nights had less noise involved – she slept until we woke her to feed her, changed her, and then kept sleeping. Although Ginnie will cry and demand food, I think that overall, we’re not up any more hours, we’re just up via baby alarm rather than alarm clock.
Natalie’s c-section was definitely easier. I don’t know if that’s because I don’t remember most of it, or because it was the first one. I know with this one there was lots of pain and anguish and I remember it ALL. I would sooner just not remember it. That’s all I’ll say about that.
Natalie is the most amazing big sister. I expected more trouble from the transition than we’re getting from her. On the other hand, it’s only been a week. Perhaps I ought not speak so soon. But she runs up and down the stairs (which I can’t) to get things for us, she gives hugs and kisses and wants to hold her sister (but knows she can’t without permission), she alerts us to her sister’s every need (Mommy, she’s crying, Mommy, I think her diaper is wet, Mommy, she’s hungry AGAIN!) and is learning the ins and outs of new babydom. I’m proud of Natalie’s ability to adjust.
But for now, we’re 4. And will be.
Congratulations!! She’s beautiful and I’m so very pleased for you all. I hope things are still going as smoothly as when you wrote this. It made me laugh when you wrote how the first week seemed longer. I remember posting a picture of Corinne in the hospital holding her pacifier and I captioned it “Only 3 days old and already holding her pacifier!” Someone commented: “3 days. Has it been that long?” It had totally only been like 18 hours. LOL Good luck with everything!!