June 1, 2009

• These Beautiful Days…

   

  I find I have much less time on my hands these days than what I was accustomed to… Between feeding the baby every two hours during the day, changing her diaper (Ben calls her the Poo Fountain, he is quite amazed at little babies all over again!), and running after Zoe’, I have very little time left for anything else! But that’s okay, I love this career of motherhood!

  As of now, Zoe’ is down for an early nap, after having a rough night last night. Between Zoe’ and Olivia, I think I saw every hour on the clock all night long. But Zoe’ is sleeping, the baby is fed, and after a quick little update I shall go rest myself.

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  This week is a big week for our church family…  Our dear friend, Mary, wife of our deacon, passed away last weekend. She was dearly loved by everyone who knew her, and was one of the most life-giving and fun-loving/happy  people I have had the privilege of knowing…

  I’m struck by the paths of life given to each one of us. For our little family, we are celebrating new life on earth with the arrival of Baby Olivia. For our friends, they are grieving life that will be no longer on this earth. All this reminds me once again that there is so much more to today, to Life, than what I often live with. Eternity is real, and although Mary’s passing is an incredible loss to those who have known her, she is living Life more fully than she ever did before!

  Ben and I were talking about all this, and he said how that we often view life through the perspective that we’re in the land of the living, going to the land of the dying. But the reverse is actually true – we are in the land of the dying, and will go to the land of the truly living!

  Our love and prayers are with the Overholt family…

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  Adjusting to a new little person in the house has gone so well! Far better than I expected, really.  Olivia is a dream of a baby, nursing well (every 2 hours during the day and spaces to 3-4 hours at night), and cries only when hungry and tired. She is such a teeny-tiny baby, I just love it!

  [getting ready for the one-week checkup]

  

  

  Although I feel sleep-deprived, I know it could be much worse, and the day will come when I will sleep again! So for now, I am enjoying this newborn stage so very much! I remembered that I was just overwhelmed with the beauty of a newborn baby with Zoe, it was such a wonderful experience for me to have a newborn child! And now with Olivia, I fall in love all over again…

  [our "angel", Lois, whom the Lord arranged to have with us at the car birth]

  

  [Aunt Bekah was playing outside with Zoe']

  

  These precious little baby noises, little hands waving in the air, little head bobbing around trying to hold itself up, little poo explosions… I just love it all! Okay, maybe the explosions aren’t just grand, but it is a sign of a healthy baby!

  [my mother, with her second grandbaby]

  

  Zoe’ has done superb with the new baby. I have been truly amazed! I expected some negative emotions from her regarding the baby, and so far there have been none! She did have one really rough day shortly after Olivia was born, and it was probably partly the newness of the baby in the house, but I think more so the lack of “normal” in her schedule for over a week, due of being gone several days while I had midwife appointments/was in labor, and then quite a few people in and out of our house.

  [my father, who adores babies]

  

  But to the baby herself, Zoe’ gives completely adoring affection. Her first waking word is “Baby?” and we must run to say good morning to the Baby. I have found that I must watch her at all times, lest she smother the poor infant with her love…

  

  [Daddy overseeing the affection given by Big Sister! Uncle David was Zoe's hero when he was here for a few days]

  

  [This was so dear, and unimpressed Baby had no idea!  One evening after supper, Zoe' ran to the bookshelf and chose, " Guess How Much I Love You", then came back and "read" the book to the baby! She'd "read" for a bit, then show her the pictures, saying, "See? See?" When the book was finished, she placed it right by the baby, then ran to get "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Zoe' has also been known to furnish her with cell phones and such things...

  

  As for me, I am so grateful to be recovering so well and so quickly. Although I had a 50 hour labor, I only pushed for two minutes, as opposed to a 17-hour labor with a 2-hour pushing time with Zoe. Somehow I feel incredibly better after 10 days this time than I did after 2 months with Zoe. I am so so grateful - it would be very difficult to be bedfast while attempting to care for a 22-month old at the same time!

  I have looked back and seen the hand of the Lord so clearly  over the whole birthing experience... The timing of when the active labor started; Ben being on the phone with Lois at that same moment; Ben being at home instead of at work (!!); the active labor and delivery time being almost one hour exactly (I was so exhausted by that point I don't know if I would have had the strength to do it had it been longer); there were no complications (the back seat of a car 20 minutes from hospitals and birthing center would not have been an ideal place  for complications); Olivia's head was a full 2 inches smaller than Zoe's was at birth, and she was 1.5 pounds lighter, which made birthing her much easier)... Although I was dreaming of a water birth, by the time Olivia was born I was just so grateful that she was born I didn't care where it was!

  [My dad and his two sons (my brothers) with the two grand-daughters]

  

  People have been blessing us so much too… Ben’s sisters and mom who have helped clean the house, prepare some meals; my mom and dad and two brothers who arrived a day after Olivia was born and stayed for a long weekend; and other various visits and meals by friends! My sister, Ervina, is arriving tomorrow and staying till the weekend, and I am more than excited about having her here! I have felt so cared for! And so undeserving!

  [Sleeping Darling... Ben is worried I'll spoil her, I just love to hold her!]

  

  [I think I have been the most surprised by this feature: two deep dimples! Neither Ben nor I have dimples, but have siblings that do. Amazing how this gene pool works!]

  

  [Love from Daddy, even though Baby looks a little distressed ]

  

   

  Still haven’t done a real photo shoot, but I’m thinking when Ervina is here we may tackle that project together. Somehow the idea of me trying it myself seems rather chaotic.

  So much for a quick post! Turned out longer than I expected.

  Wishing you a lovely, blessed week!

  -clarita

   

  • 12:56 pm
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