Tales from the crypt...

These days we are not traveling so light ha.ving three children means we are now using the 7 seat option in our 5-7 seater car, not because of the number of children we have, more because of the size of child car seats. You just can't get 3 that will sit side by side in the back of a 'normal' car.

Demoting the 2 eldest to the boot seemed like a great solution at the time - they're further away so quieter and can't faff on with windows etc as there's nothing adjustable in the back. It worked until today when our middle child decided it would be an excellent idea to quietly take his seat belt off. Of course his older sister tattled on him straight away, just as we were driving down a dual carriage way approaching a police car. Faced with this I resisted the urge to vault across the car and grab his throat Homer Simpson style and instead growled through gritted teeth to sit very very still until we can stop and re-do the strap in the interests of avoiding a hefty fine for transporting an unrestrained child.

Middle child has much to thank his sisters for as his hungry + cranky newborn sister saved him from being made to walk the last mile home which is usual punishment for fiddling with seatbelts while we are driving.

Watch this space to see if we end up walking home tomorrow!

Our first week as a family of 5!

Last friday saw the arrival of our third bundle of joy and she is now over a week old already! Though a week is a very short space of time its been such a journey already and we've had lots of challenges and cherished moments already.

The advantage of having a planned C-section (we thought) was the ability to plan many aspects - childcare, introducing the new baby to siblings, coming home as a family of 5 to a thanksgiving at our church.. Actually none of this happened!

With less than 48hrs to go before being admitted our son develped a vomiting bug and that meant that if we respected visiting + infection control procedure our carefully planned introduction could not take place until 48hrs after his symptoms resolved.

Her delivery was longer + more complicated than imagined but the biggest surprise came when she was weighed, our prediction of 8-9 pounds was smashed + she tipped the scale at a massive 11 pounds! This had staff from all over the department calling in to see "the huge baby". We both slept through most of the afternoon and evening and became nightowls together when the ward was meant to be quiet.

Saturday was very exciting, I had no tubes left in, was fairly mobile + had had a shower and was looking forward to heading straight to church the next morning, however that soon started to unravel too! Bethany failed her hearing test meaning we would have to wait to repeat it the next morning (she did pass the re-test) + we would probably be late leaving. That evening our oldest daughter looked decidedly green while visiting so we removed her downstairs for the risk she might vomit + spread it around the maternity ward, just in time as she was sick in reception. As there are lots of other children at church we cancelled the thanksgiving to keep our germs to ourselves and came home as a fragmented family as biggest sis was forced to hang out with Grandma for infection control.

So it was a busy weekend! Topped off in the middle by me catching the same virus as the kids and having to plod on breast feeding. Fortunately I had a lovely husband to look after me!

So she's a week old already and we're so in love but she has already changed so much! I want to remember everything about her forever. Right now she always sleeps with an arm under her head, after feeding she pulls herself off and lies across my stomach with her hands splayed across my skin, she giggles in her sleep + smiles at her brother, wonder how long that will last!