Life right now.

We have been home since Sunday, December 9th.

Each day has been an adventure.  Watching the boys form their new bonds has been one of the best parts.  Funniest quotes from the boys over the past week?

"Mom, but I'm just petting him!  He's still asleep!  I'm not waking him up!"
"Thomas, don't pet your brother while he's sleeping.  Can you just leave him alone for a little while?"
"Fine. But then I'll come back and I'll pet him again as soon as you're gone.  You can't stop me! That's what brothers do!"

It should be noted that petting = patting Alexander's tummy and saying, "Hey buddy. You're safe now and you don't need to cry. I'm here and John Paul's here and it's okay buddy.  Go sleepy buddy."

John Paul climbs up the side of the bassinet, holds on for dear life, and looks in on him.  And all he says for 10 minutes straight to his new little brother, "Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi."

I have been slowly navigating the new waters of three boys under 4.  It's been a new challenge for me since I'm forced to stay "slowed down" as I recover from the blood pressure issues in the hospital...one day at at time, sometimes one hour or one moment at a time.

The first night at home ended with Thomas throwing up in our bed not once, but twice,  and Alexander being diagnosed with thrush (thanks to the antibiotics in the hospital)...and Jonathan and I musing at 5 am on Monday morning, "Well, God, that was a good induction to 3 kids at home. Should that be considered our hazing?"

On the whole, Alexander's been gaining weight like a boss: an ounce and a half a day. He had his little boy surgery earlier this week and he is cleared from doctors until his one month check. We're starting to head back to nursing from pumping (thanks, thrush).


There's an insane amount of diapers being changed and multiple loads of laundry every day.  And there's laughter and giggles and chasing and basketball in the living room and yelling and fighting and tears and snuggles and consoling and timeouts and mud and snow and rain and life on the farm.

And in the midst of the occasional insanity of three tiny humans...it all feels just like home.