"It's the end of the world as we know it...

...and I feel fine."

I felt like we were in a sci-fi film or like Superman was going to fly in at any moment.  When a German told us that it was a camping fire, we were a bit confused.  It turns out that a warehouse (Lager in German) had caught fire. The newspaper reported it as looking like the end of the world.  All the while, Ivy slept blissfully during her first trip downtown until she woke up at our friend's violin concert...with a smile.  

6 Weeks

This post's for you, Melissa.  Ivy thought her new headband was so cute, she couldn't help but smile!
Carly and I thought it was pretty funny the other day when a nurse drawing my blood called Ivy a cute, little man (in German).  Luckily, Carly was polite enough to wait until we were outside of the doctor's office to say, "Was she blind, or what?  She was wearing a onesie with pink and white flowers on it!"  So, hopefully now with her stylin' headbands, there will be no more confusion.

Yesterday was my first day back to help with English time in Macy's class since Ivy was born.  (The grandmas were nice to cover for me while they were here).  Anyway, when it was time to leave, Ivy was sound asleep, the breakfast dishes were still in the sink, and I hadn't made it into the shower yet.  With a bit of a sigh, I grabbed Ivy and dashed out anyway. 
When I peeked into the door of Macy's classroom, I could see that her teacher was reading a chapter book to the kids.  The moment she saw that it was me with Ivy in the stroller, she put her book down and started talking to the kids in a soft voice.  A complete reverence came over the room as she let them come up a few at a time.  It was completely silent the whole time as they bent over her, smiled at her, admired her.  It would've been neat to have had a video of it, but even trying to do that would've ruined the moment.
So, alas, it was more than worth it.  And, many thanks to a husband who helped pick up the slack when he got home.

Ivy May--a growing influence

 

I can't complain.  Ivy normally sleeps really well at night.  But, somehow, her last feeding usually works out so that I get back to sleep about a half an hour or so before it's time to be up for the day.  So, this morning when I woke up to it raining buckets, let's just say I definitely had the thought, "Maybe we should just stay home."

While attempting to get things ready in the kitchen, Macy looked up at me with wonder and asked, "Are you and Ivy coming with us today?  For the whole time?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Oh, that's so wonderful!" she exclaimed.

Of course my decision was made.

The girls were super excited to help her get on her Sunday best.  They first put on a onesie she'd worn just a few days before only to discover it was now too short to snap.

We were ready to run just in time to catch our train...and just in time for the clouds to part.

Some people say they like to leave the hospital as soon as possible after having a baby.  I've always been glad to stay as long as they'll let me.  Besides not having to cook or clean, etc, I've recently thought about what it really is that makes me want to stay.

After baby number 4, I think I'm finally beginning to catch on.  When a baby is born, time has a way of standing still.  Babies bring a unique peace with them.  The moment I step foot outside the hospital, everything is already in motion, and I'm whirled right back into it again.  There's so much going on, so much to do, so much to remember.

I'm grateful for a seven-year-old's genuine joy, the first onesie thrown into the too-small-pile, and a dry dash in the middle of a storm as reminders of that peace and the one who sent it with her.

The German Baby Schlafsack

Isn't this baby sleeping bag a great idea?  The baby can't squirm out of their blankets at night, and they're just so cute.

 

Bad News, Good News

Bad News:  hard time nursing again, back in the hospital with mastitis
Good News:  the girls think it's super fun to get to feed Ivy a bottle while I'm pumping/supplementing

 

 

 

Not the case

They say the 3rd or 4th child will have a lot fewer pictures than the 1st or 2nd, but this is definitely not the case with this 4th child!  Maybe it was more true before digital cameras.  Here are just a few fun moments the big sisters have caught of Ivy and of each other lately.

 

 

Macy's 2 front teeth started growing in while I was in the hospital (the 2nd time).

They used jam to stick these eyes on Grammy.

I think this one is so pretty of Robyn taken after Grammy had french braided her hair.

A bit blurry, but a great Mother's Day moment.

Tiny cute feet.

A reminder that Ivy is already past that newborn stage.

You know how in The States people call babies things like, "Cute little bug?"  Here, they say cute, little mice.

Fun with Grammy

We were so glad to have Myles' mom come visit.  The timing worked out perfectly--about a week before Ivy decided to arrive, the 3 times we had to leave in the middle of the night for the hospital, and about a week after.  Everyone agrees we should have babies more often if it means Grammy gets to come again!