One Week

Today we have been home with our little man for one week. He is 9 days old. Gage Michael is a good baby. He is not a fusser, he loves to be held but is content to sleep on his own. He is healthy and doing very well. He becomes more alert every day, and spends more and more time awake and staring at all of our faces. Ella Bella is adjusting to her new life. She loves her baby brother. She refers to him as Gage Michael Jackson. I have to assume she got this from her Aunt Robin, or Papa Bob, because otherwise I'm not sure how she would know that there was such a thing as Michael Jackson. It cracks me up when she says it, because she thinks she is so funny. Whenever she wants to visit with him, she says hi "Hi baby brother I'm your sissy". She wants to kiss him and hug him and hold him all the time. Our doctor says this is the toy stage, I guess next is the I want nothing to do with you stage. All of the anxiety I had about having two children to love seems like a distant memory. Everything I read about loving two or more children while I was pregnant said that you love all of your children as much as the others, but that you love them differently. I didn't understand that, just as I didn't understand how much I would love Ella before I had her. Now that I have Ella and Gage to love, I understand that I love them equally but differently. Because they are different. One of the things that changed instantly, upon Gage's arrival, was going from being a "new mom" to just being a mom. Everything comes a lot more natural with Gage than with Ella. Its so cool to know what you are doing, instead of being scared that you are doing the wrong thing. I still learn new things everyday about Ella Grace. And I learn new things about Gage Michael too. But things seem a lot more relaxed with your second child. I feel like I got a promotion to manager, or that I moved from amateur to professional. I am so blessed to have these beautiful children, and I am so thankful every moment for them. Even during the sleepless nights, or the three year old tantrum moments, I am thankful for my children and thankful for absolute most amazing gift I have ever been given. The gift of being their mom.

Enjoy the photos.