Luisa's first weeks of life...

It's almost time for Luisa's 3 month old update.  Yet, I want to set apart her first few weeks in a blog posts all it's own.  The weeks following her birth were a precious, encapsulated time.  Our family and home were in a state of flux and she was the joy  that brightened our lives. 

Of sweet significance was Tony's full week of vacation following Luisa's birth.   He was not able to be with us for longer than a few days after Sophia and Vincent's births, returning to work the day after we came home from the hospital.  Not so, this time around.  He was there to take the kids to school and on special "dates."  He gave Luisa her first bath, stole naps with her on the couch, went grocery shopping, and even cooked pounds of chicken to freeze for future meals. 

I would say that with every addition to the family, Tony and I's love has deepened on some level.  For example, after Sophia was born there were months of endless crying.  She was colic.  We were first-time parents and we clung to eachother in the midnight hour as we bounced her on an exercise ball or blew white noise from the hair dryer.  It was Vincent's labor that drew us even closer.  Without planning to do so, we labored at home for the majority of his delivery.  I relied on Tony so completely to carry me through those first few painful stages of labor.  He rubbed my back and whispered, "You can do this!" when I needed to hear it most.  And now with Luisa, it was the precious week after her birth that deepened our relationship.  We were a finely oiled machine, a team, a family.  No exciting trips were on the agenda that week.  We just worked alongside one another, bonding us in a unique way.

Here are a few more pictures and milestones from her first few days of life:

 {Meeting big sister and big brother for the first time!}

 

 {We've been like peas and carrots every since....}

 

 {Heading home.  We checked out a day early and returned home exactly 24 hours after giving birth.}

 

 {When we arrived home the kiddos were in the backyard pretending to be scarecrows pointing the way inside.  Vincent had a little broom on his back and Sophia had a large crayon.  Too funny....}

 

{Sophia and Vincent could not get enough of their baby sister in the weeks after we arrived home.}

 

{Her first outing to Nabeels.  One day when the kids were at school Tony and I headed out to Nabeels for a little date with Luisa.}

 {Lindsey came to visit and even helped Tony with giving Luisa her first bath.  Sweet Lindsey had been in a car accident only a few days before.}

 

{Luisa did a lot of sleeping those first few days.  Day/night confusion was alive and well....}

{Mimi and PawPaw came for a very brief visit.  They took the kiddos to the local park for a fall festival while Luisa and I slept.}

 



{Our Sunday School class showered us with meals, gifts, and lots of love.  They truly exhibited Christ's hands and feet in our lives.  We miss all of them terribly!}

 



So many posts still to write.  Christmas, our move, updates on the kiddos, 2012 summer trip to Texas.  Life will go on and little people need juice and snacks, nursing sessions, and diaper changes.  Yet these mundane chores are but the fodder that keeps this blog space going.  So now, back to life.....