I've thought about writing a post for weeks, but as you can see, it hasn't happened. It's hard to believe our Katie has been with us for a whole month! We are starting to settle in a little but adjusting to having a new person in the house--one who doesn't understand the rules (primarily the one about sleeping)--has been, well, an adjustment. Malcolm had a hard first couple of days but now seems to be going with the flow. Katie is napping on a more regular schedule which helps me to get a few things done. I'm also starting to understand her cues for "I'm hungry" vs "I'm tired". And we've discovered she really likes to sleep in her car seat. If it means she's not sleeping on my chest, I'm all for it. The sleeping with me was fun for a while but I'm glad to snuggle into my bed without worrying about someone else falling off the bed or getting squished. And I'm also learning how much I love my bed. By the time I finally curl up there anywhere from 10 to midnight most nights I think it just curls around me.

Last Sunday mom and dad kept Katie so Josh, Malcolm and I could go out to eat and just get out for a little while. It really seemed like someone was missing. Katie has just blended into us and is really a part of us. I think she has been from the start. Some parts of motherhood the second time around is easier. Mostly because I know these first few days won't last forever. I mean, she's already 5 weeks old! And some things about it are harder, like explaining to a 3 yr old why I can't just jump up and meet his immediate needs (like another glass of juice) because I'm feeding his sister or changing her diaper.

Anyway, I've posted some pictures on facebook but I wanted to post a couple here as well. So here you go.

And just for fun, here's Malcolm in the isolet. Do they look alike?

I'm pretty sure after last week's OB visit, there's a special sticker on my chart now. Our sweet baby girl, who apparently insists on doing things her way in her time, is still breech. So my dr. started to discuss the "options" last week. We really only have two: try to turn her or have a c-section. Josh and I discussed these options a month ago when we first learned she was breech, and decided a c-section would offer the least amount of risk to the baby. But something about the discussion with my dr last week really sent me off the deep end. Maybe I'm just stressed about the whole finally bringing home a baby thing or maybe it's the lack of sleep and increase in painful contractions that have put me so on edge. And maybe the dissappointment of having not dialated AT ALL contributed. At any rate, it was not a good moment for me. I'm not sure my doctor, who is all business all the time, knew what to do. He assured me that everything about our baby girl looks healthy and normal and even said he didn't want to push me into anything. If turning her scared me that much, he would just put me on the schedule for a c-section this coming Friday, the 11th. I told him I thought that was a pretty good idea. So there it is. We have a little more than three days before Baby Sister arrives. I'm nervous, excited and scared to death all at the same time--is that really possible? We don't have a lot of details so we haven't told Malcolm exactly when Baby Sister will arrive although he must know something is happening because we've been doing a lot of prep work this week. We are about as prepared as possible--which means we'll probably still be scrambling and crazy next week when she comes home, but we've done what we know to do.

So for now, we will count the days--and wait a little longer.

Last night we ate dinner at Outback. As Josh was paying for our supper, I told Malcolm that was where daddy first bought mama dinner. The memory of that night flooded back. A co-worker of ours was getting married and a mutual friend was coming for the wedding. Our friend Joy, her husband and I had planned to go to Outback after the wedding. She e-mailed to see if I minded if she invited Josh. Josh and I were friends and co-workers so I didn't care. I know I told the server at least three times that we were separate. Yet when the checks came Joy and her husband had one and Josh and I had one. Josh snatched up the bill and paid for it with me protesting the whole time. Josh later told me that he paid because he didn't think he'd ever get the chance to buy me dinner again. Boy was he wrong!! I like to remind him how much that one dinner has cost him over the years. :) November will mark 11 years since he bought me dinner that night. I never would have imagined we'd be preparing for our second child together and in our ninth year of marriage. Funny how things turn out, huh? I, for one, am glad he bought that night.