Sweet Jack

 I cannot wait to find the time to share Jack's birth story.  He came in a very unexpected and unusual way ~ for me, anyway.  All my other babies have come when they were ready.  But, we had to force sweet Jack out early for his own good.  My doctor caught me completely off guard.  I didn't see it coming...

But, it, or "he," rather, did come, and all was well and good.  He came safely and was healthy, and we are so thankful!!  I went in for a regular appointment and left the office with a dead cell phone and a promise to meet my doctor again in a few hours in a labor and delivery room.

Now, little Jack is home.  And, slowly but surely, we are learning what our new normal looks like.  Today was my first day home alone with 5 boys.  I am happy to report that we made it.  It was not without its challenges, but we made it.  Jack is an angel.  He sleeps, eats, squeaks, smiles, and lays in his moses basket with wide eyes taking it all in!

His brothers adore him to no end!!  They are happy helpers ~ especially when the helping involves their littlest brother!  I have busy, active boys, so it amazes me how they can calm down and be so gentle and sweet with their baby brother.  They are such good big brothers!

I have two phrases that I am repeating to myself these days...

At night I say, "I can sleep when I die, I will only be able to hold my newborn baby Jack for a short time." (If I've learned one thing in my 8 years as a mama, it is that they really do grow up fast!  Everything is a phase, merely a phase, and soon it will be but a memory. )  I am trying to soak up the opportunity to hold my sweet newborn!!  He is still frog legged and tiny, but, oh, how soon, and he will be plump and full and sleeping all night!

And, during the day I say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."  I used to sing that to myself when I worked as a night nurse, and I am needing those words again now!!  I do fine playing outside with my boys.  I even played one on one basketball with Joshua outside today.  But, don't make me sit still and listen to a little boy read!  Please!  If I sit still, it hits me like a ton of bricks!  I do much better on my feet!!

But, all in all, we are doing well.  And, if I can make some progress on my mountainous list of thank you notes that I need to write, I will sit down and write Jack's birth story before I forget it!  Ha!  These are happy days!  They are sometimes hard, sometimes stressful, but they are always good.

I am thankful for:

* Flowers blooming everywhere
* For little boys who play together underneath bushy trees out back...
* For the opportunity to spoil silly my favorite three year old on the planet!!
* For the squeaks and grunts of my newborn
* For a moses basket filled with life and love again!
* For early mornings with a hungry babe
* For dwindling Dogwoods and Lilies of the Valley pointing to Easter
* For a Savior Who loves without condition
* For a selfless husband, with eyes ever outside himself, who sees, who notices, when his wife has given all she has to give, and who faithfully, time and time again, comes to her rescue....
* For the anniversary of the day I gave myself to a man who points me to Jesus by living example day in and day out, year after year....