This Is Your Life, Laura

Today Clare, Danny and I ventured out of the house to take Laura to her first check-up at the pediatrician (rescheduled from last week due to the Snowpocalypse). She was pronounced in perfect condition, despite the angry red mark on her face that resulted from a rogue fingernail.

On the way home, after a quick detour to Target for cat food and other necessities, the kids were in the back, each with one earbud listening to "The Lonely Goatherd" on Clare's iPod. Out of the blue, Danny shouted, "Mommy!" "Yes, Danny?" "Laura is just like Anakin!" "How so?" "She has a line on her face, which looks just like his scar!" I swear, Danny has never been more in love with his baby sister.

Snowbound Bonding

It's day 4 of the Snowpocalypse, as we locals have taken to calling it. In truth it's really an Icepocalypse, as the ice on the roads has wrought mayhem throughout the city. Tim returned to work yesterday, so my perception of our time at home was a little less rosy, but overall it's still been nice. It's only a "weather event" like this that would force us to slow down this much and really spend time together.


It has provided plenty of photo ops, too. Not that Laura's days are any different than they would be in balmy weather, but the kids' exposure to her has been much more extensive than it would normally be. As you can see, they're still smitten.

I've always found the changing table a good place for pictures. I emailed these shots of Laura to a few family members earlier in the week, and a couple of people commented that she looks to be full of personality already. Which just makes me laugh, because so far she just sleeps. And sleeps. And sleeps some more. Which is about the most endearing quality one can find in an infant, but doesn't quite scream "personality!"


Below is a picture of Laura and her friend, Abby, a.k.a. Clare's doll. The doll she received when she was 21 months old and never played with much until Laura's arrival. Clare has embraced these days off as opportunities to continue to take care of her doll!

Sledding

It's day two of our snowcation (snowconfinement, depending on the hour), and Tim had a stroke of genius while outside with the kids: using the long plastic container lids from the basement as sleds. I was inside nursing Laura, but I could hear the shouts of delight and "That was awesome!" from my cozy spot on the couch. Clare, ever the more intrepid snow player, outlasted Danny and earned some video footage:




Meanwhile, we had two of the Atlanta Hawks skid to a stop in our driveway this morning, so it's been an exciting day! Turns out one of them lives at the top of the monster hill, and another was trying to give him a ride to practice. Never a dull moment these days!

Cocooned

Winter is proving to be an ideal time to have a newborn. The weather is so conducive to just staying nestled at home, relatively idle (a state that admittedly does not come naturally to me). I was a bit apprehensive going into this week, now that my parents (a.k.a. babysitters/personal chefs/grocery shoppers/laundry masters) are gone. Mother Nature evidently took pity on me and decided to douse Atlanta with a blizzard, effectively shutting down the city today. Not only are the schools closed, but Home Depot HQ is, too! So I was treated to yet another morning of not rushing around to get kids ready for school, another glorious afternoon nap, and one more day of the van remaining in the garage.


Of course, the prospects for getting anywhere tomorrow aren't much better, and at some point this is going to become a problem. But today it's all good. One of the positive things having an infant around will remind you is how to take life one day at a time.

And I Thought Photographing Two Kids Was Challenging

In honor of her (almost) one-week birthday, plus the brief visit by Grandpa, I decided that yesterday was a good time to dress the kids in those cute sibling shirts. Particularly since Laura's is a newborn size, and I give her days (or even hours) before she has outgrown it. It took some cajoling to get Danny out of his pajamas, and he also insisted on including his LEGO knight in the picture. Let's just say the overall effect isn't quite what I had in mind when I bought the shirts...just more justification for people like Crystal to be in business!

Nevertheless, these are our three (!) blessings. May they always be so willing to proclaim their place in the family.

Siblings

When we first told Clare and Danny that we were expecting another baby, we expected surprise, caution, and even a negative attitude. Which was why we planned to tell them about our (then-upcoming) trip to Disney World at the same time. From the get-go, though, they surprised us by being happily excited.


Now that their baby sister has arrived, their excitement hasn't diminished, either...at least, not yet. Danny is most definitely uncomfortable when she cries, but always eager to take his turn to hold her. When Sebe and his mom, Sherry, arrived this morning to take him on an excursion, he was bursting with pride and couldn't wait to show her off. He frequently proclaims his love for Laura, and pointedly asked one of the nurses at the hospital, "Do you love her?" As if, how could anyone not?


Clare, meanwhile, relishes every moment of holding Laura and is eager for opportunities to help give her a bath, read her a story, and put her to bed (which, don't get me wrong, isn't really happening yet). She has also repeatedly commented, "It's so exciting to have a real baby in the house!"


Considering this relationship is only five days old, I know we have some major ups and downs ahead of us. For right now, we're looking forward to the ride.

Now We Are Five

Laura Brooke Seymour joined our happy family on Sunday, January 2, 2011 at 11:15 a.m. She was a robust 8 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches, which explains the vast amount of comments my pregnant belly elicited throughout my pregnancy. She is, as you would imagine us to say, perfect.