Life With Lili

It's been almost a week, and we are loving life with Lili. For the first few days, whenever Sophie was in her presence, she'd practically chant, "I just can't believe she's my baby sister!" There is something amazing about it. We all knew that I had been pregnant with an actual baby for the last nine months, but the reality of her being here in the outside world with us still takes our breath away.

For the past couple of days, Sophie's mantra has changed into, "She's just SO adorable!"

Emma has been found on more than one occasion just sitting and watching Lili sleep. I have to admit that this is one of my new favourite pastimes too. I can't help but think what a lucky little lady our Lili is. She has no idea how much she is loved. Last night after I read Emma a bedtime story (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig) and tried to send her off to bed, she asked, "Can I please bring a book in here with you and Lili and read quietly until I get tired? I just want to be in the same room as her." Who could refuse that? Later she commented,

"I can't wait to see what Lilianna looks like when she gets older, but I don't want to wish this time away. I just LOVE having a tiny baby at our house." Ah, my sentiments exactly, Emma!

On another note, I am loving my house husband who has two weeks off for paternity leave. I don't know what I'd do without him here, and I have a feeling that at least one of us is going to dissolve into tears when he has to go back to work. Recovering from a c-section is the pits in my opinion, especially after having two natural deliveries under my belt. There are times when I am completely frustrated and overwhelmed with the continuing aches, pains and limitations that I experience. But it is what it is, and I am so grateful that George is spending his paternity leave taking the best care of us, rather than going "down the pub to wet the baby's head" as I am told many British dads do!

The post-partum era does bring much more good than bad. In addition to having a beautiful new baby, I find that I have also suddenly given up the horrible, treacherous heartburn of pregnancy. I no longer have to get up and go to the loo 17 times in the middle of the night. Pelvic girdle pain is gone... never mind that it has been replaced by deep stabbing pains at the incision sight-- we are looking on the bright side here. I can see my feet again. And, if they didn't feel like hot, hard, boulders, I'm sure I'd be completely pleased with the giant set of milk jugs I woke up with on Saturday morning. Do you see how I can never just leave well enough alone by simply describing how lovely it is to have a new baby. I have to include this ridiculous paragraph about things you'd just as soon never read. Sorry about that, but you knew this was my blog when you started reading.