(besides “uhts dis?” from penelope. that is the most frequently asked question these days..)

q: How was the big surprise?

a: Best. Moment. Ever. We really enjoyed the anticipation during my pregnancy, but nothing could’ve prepared us for meeting our little fella. I’ll never forget Casey peeking over the curtain in the OR, and shouting “It’s a.. BOY?!” He sounded so excited, and shocked. He leaned back over, almost equally surprised to announce that he had a full head of dark hair.

q: How has the transition from 1 to 2 been?

a: Easier than anticipated. Don’t get me wrong, there are moments of absolute chaos, frustration, and exhaustion every day (sometimes all at once).. but overall, it is going well. We had a rough go of it last time, and I think that really affected my expectations. I’m so thankful to have had the kids in this order :)

q: What does Penelope think? How is she doing?

a: I think her reaction and transition has been pretty typical. Thankfully she has shown nothing but sweet affection for her little brother, and loves to be a helper. We learned pretty quickly that I need to make special time for her in the day, just me and her, like it used to be. It doesn’t have to be much, but hiding ourselves away and reading a story or playing together, without little brother around, has had a huge impact in her attitude and behavior. I enjoy that special time, too.

q: 2 in diapers? cloth diapers?!

a: Yep. What can I say? I find laundry soothing. Especially when it saves me bundles of money, is healthier for my kids’ skin, and fits so well. Hoping it won’t be 2 for much longer, though. I really need to make potty training my next project. Penelope is ready, to a degree that is almost embarrassing.

q: What do you call Arthur? Is that a family name?

a: We call him Arthur, Art, Arthur-Bear, or sometimes just Bear. Not Artie, ever. Never ever. There were a few sleep-deprived days/nights there in the beginning when none of us (Casey, my mom, and I) could get his name right. I have no idea why, but we called him the strangest things. My mom called him Walter like ten times. Walter, mom– really?

Arthur isn’t a family name, but his middle name is after my dear ole dad.

q: So, what’s Arthur like?

He’s content and easygoing almost all the time. When he is hungry, he cries like he is starving to death. He is a mama’s boy. I know that someday soon he’ll only have eyes for Daddy, so I’m enjoying it. To an extent– those early days when I was desperately tired, and he’d only quiet down for me.. those weren’t so fun. Now, though, it means I get the biggest, goofiest smiles at regular intervals. He likes to cuddle, be held close, practice standing, and stare at Penelope. His favorite thing to do is eat. I can’t imagine a baby more different than Penelope is, and was.. so I’m excited to see how they interact later. It’ll be interesting.

q: Getting enough sleep?

a: Some days. But I imagine that’ll be my answer for years to come. Some nights he has two 5 hour intervals between eating, others it’s 2.5-3 hours. His days are settling into a slightly more predictable routine, I’m sure nights will follow. Because he is so quick to go back to sleep after he eats, it really isn’t that big of a deal. Again, I’m probably seeing this through at-least-he’s-not-screaming-for-hours-at-a-time colored lenses, but that’s okay :).

q: Hardest part?

a: Starting my day with an energetic toddler after a long night with Arthur. Or Casey being so busy. That’s tough, too. It’s the difficulty of this season, though, that makes me so dependent on God and the truth of his word. I’m particularly grateful for the newborn stage in that way. It really does stretch you as far as you can go, and then a little farther. No other time in my life have I felt so keenly that I can’t do it on my own. A prideful heart like mine needs that kind of reminder.

…and that’s about all I have time for right now. If I think of more, I’ll post ‘em.. otherwise, feel free to ask. I’ll get around to answering at some point :).

here’s the beginnings of a smile..

and penelope rocking him while we scramble to get out the door to church…

arthur’s second week has been one of great joy and surprise. he remains a very content little guy (unless mama eats lasagna, as we learned last night).

the surprise lies in his excellent weight-gaining skills. he was born hungry (actually rooting around moments after his birth!) and his appetite hasn’t slowed. after the troubles we had with penelope’s weight gain, we made sure to get to know a lactation consultant and utilize her expertise as much as possible in the hospital. she came each day we were there, sometimes multiple times, and called me after our first weekend home. she is incredibly encouraging, and assured me that he was on the right track– that his patience and appetite were just what was needed to make it work this time. we went in to her office on his fourteenth day to do a weight check.. and he was already up to 8lbs 4oz!! Our goal was to get him back to his birthweight by two weeks.. and he gained back the weight he had lost, plus an additional pound in that time!! Without any supplementing! I know that may not sound like a big deal.. but after much struggle and heartache last time… this is huge.

He is almost entirely out of his newborn-sized clothes, solidly into 0-3 months… a feat his sister didn’t accomplish till she was 2.5 months old!

That’s all for now :)

penelope is adjusting pretty well to life with a sibling. she loves him dearly and hates to hear him cry. his cries are often met with kisses or offers to share blanky/sippy/etc. as expected, she’s also using this transition as an opportunity to retest some well-established boundaries.. but she’s coming around :). having my mom here sure helps– penelope is getting all sorts of extra attention while arthur is in the eat-every-five-seconds newborn stage.

i’m sure there is more i could say about her transition.. but as expected… arthur needs to eat again :)

more later!