3 weeks

i'm free of my umbilical cord

daddy and s exhausted after a long week

s has her first real bath

this isn't too bad

i changed my mind

okay, i'm fine now

aren't we cute?

the proud big sister

this is becoming her "smile" more and more often

papa gets in on the action

absolutely precious

chilling out before a diaper change

heading out for a walk after dinner

rafe holding "susanta" as he calls her :)

c showing off her sis

c's beautiful "smile"

touchdown!!

okay, mommy, leave me alone!

well, we've got three weeks under our belts now and we're doing great! i now know i can actually do this on my own and survive :) i've even managed to stay on top of the laundry and i cooked once this past week. actually, john grilled, but i baked potatoes in the oven. doesn't that count? i can't say that i was able to shower or put on makeup every day this week, but my children were fed, clothed and well taken care of. that's success in my book these days!!! we went back to the doctor this past wednesday for a check up for s. she's growing and gaining weight fairly well. here are her stats at 2 1/2 weeks....

weight: 7 lbs 7 oz (25%)
height: 20.5 inches (50%)
head circumference: 35.2 cm (25%)

i was hoping she would be back to her birth weight (7lbs 10oz) since i'm breastfeeding. the dr doesn't seemed concerned. she just told me to add a feeding during the day and not let her go more than 4 hrs between feedings at night. the night before this appt, she went 5 hrs and i was loving it, but oh well. it's more important that we keep putting meat on those little bones.we're getting into more of a groove every day, but man am i missing the free time i used to have. i think i've had one hour to myself since i had s and that was a miracle when both girls managed to nap at the same time. motherhood is not for the selfish or the faint of heart :)

2 weeks

aunt rachel and uncle danny

abby and caroline

big sis reading to susanna

smothering little sis with kisses and love

joshua benjamin, my friend staci's baby

susanna's first sponge bath

what are y'all doing to me?

all done, nice and cozy

aunt kristen holding susanna kristen

aunt kristen, susanna, me and andrew

susanna is now 2 weeks old and boy am i tired!!! you forget how all consuming the newborn phase is once you've been out of it for a couple of years. thank goodness my parents have been here or i would have no clean clothes, food or a clean house :) caroline has been in georgia since tuesday getting spoiled by the fortney side of the family. i'm hoping she wants to come back home. i can't imagine why she would with all the attention she's gotten. this week should be interesting when she's stuck with just me and susanna! this past friday, susanna's umbilical cord fell off, our first big milestone. we had already given her the first sponge bath, but now we can give her a real one. i'm breastfeeding her, which is going reallly well, but is a whole new world for me since i wasn't able to breastfeed caroline very long. whew, it takes a whole lot of time, energy and commitment. i'm going to start trying this week to begin getting susanna on more of a schedule with waketime and naptime. i'm looking forward to getting this first little phase behind us, this is definitely my least favorite part!!

aunt rachel, uncle danny and abby came to visit last weekend and we had so much fun. it was great for caroline to play with abby. we even made a trip to downtown charleston to hyman's :) my sister and baby andrew arrived this past friday morning and are staying until monday afternoon. it has been so wonderful to have her here with me. she's been so encouraging and helpful! i wish she could stay with me a couple of weeks :) everyone leaves me tomorrow so i'll be on my own. i'm sure there will be some tears on my part. but, no time like the present to see if i can do all of this on my own!!! i remember feeling the same way with caroline once everyone left. keep me in your prayers :)

caroline's quote of the day

my precious girl!

caroline: mommy, your tummy is little now
mommy: (bless my wonderful child) yes, you're right
caroline: now you can hold me

we're sleepy, but doing good!

headed home

we're home!

first night in papa's cradle

sweetheart

sisters hanging out

this is what happens when you have a big sis

even more pictures

our friend sheri

our friend staci...she's due with a boy in a week

sweet girlfriends

aunt connie

melting mommy's heart

cousins kaitlin and bekah

caroline and kaitlin

very proud big sis

another family shot

my sweet friend allison...she had baby evan 5 wks ago

susan...our pastor's awesome wife

crying shot

body shot

foot shot

one last crying shot

hope y'all aren't getting sick of pictures yet...i can't help it! we're having a wonderful stay at the hospital and susanna is just a joy. caroline is being an awesome big sis and loves on her like crazy. our families have been amazing helping out with big sis and showering us with love, flowers and gifts.....aunt kristen, here are a few shots without the hat. susanna wasn't in the best frame of mind so imagine her with a sweet, angelic look :)