First Few Weeks as a Family of 6

We came home with Reed on a Wednesday, and Jess took off Thursday and Friday.  I love those first days with a new baby, and with Jess home with us.  It goes ridiculously fast though, and I'm sad when he has to return to normal life and his job.

Jess tried to find a balance between relaxing and enjoying our baby with me, and taking care of us/unpacking and settling us into the house.

Somehow we got lucky AGAIN, and there was no sign of jealousy from the next youngest child.  Neely ADORES Reed, and begs to hold him.  She comes up and rubs his head or cheeks, while cooing at and baby talking to him.  She likes to copy the exact things I'm saying to him.  I'll say "You're such a handsome guy!" and she'll immediately go, in a high-pitched voice-"YEAH!  You're such a handsome guy!" and so on.

Reed didn't cry often, but when he did get upset, he'd instantly be really mad and cry out loudly.  For the first couple of days, Neely would start crying every time.  It was weird, she'd say it scared her.  She still doted on him constantly though, so I don't know if she was scared FOR him or what.

Also, Reed potty trained Neely for us.  I was beginning to think she'd NEVER go on the potty.  Probably the first day we brought him home, he was crying and Neely asked what was wrong.  One of us jokingly said "I think he wants you to go on the potty."  Suddenly, Neely went from never using the potty(and in fact getting mad when you mentioned it) to fully potty trained.  Instantly.  So awesome.

Now then, I've been keeping a list of things Neely has said lately that I meant to post about.  One that makes me laugh, from before Reed was born, was when we were trying to bribe her to go on the potty:  It was one of the rare times she willingly sat on the potty for a minute.  She didn't actually go, just sat there and then got up and excitedly told us "NOW, all we have to do is get me an candy!"  Speaking of which, that's one of my favorite things she says-it's always "an" not "a", no matter what she's saying, "an toy" or "an apple".  Doesn't matter.

Also prior to potty training-I told her she needs to go on the potty because she's a big girl, not a baby anymore.  She goes "I'm a grown-up baby."

Instead of "good guys" and "bad guys" she says "happy guys" and "bad guys".  I love that one.

This one is on my list, and I can't remember the context AT ALL.  She asked us "which one is a friend in the room?  Ice or Kent?"  Ha.  So weird.

She likes to ask us if we're sure about things.  Like one day when she asked "Daddy, are you SUUUURE Reed's a baby?"

Yesterday she told me "I have one sock on.  That's because I don't have two socks on."  Haha.

Reed is doing great.  

He's such a sweet baby, and like his siblings before him, sleeps roughly 23.5 hours per day.  UNlike his siblings, he lost weight.  At his first checkup he'd lost about 14 ounces.  They weren't worried at all, but I couldn't help but worry a little.  Paige gained a pound her first week of life, and the other two pretty much maintained, so even though I know it's typical, it hasn't been for us so it made me worry a bit.  We asked to bring him back in at two weeks and he was back up to 8 lbs 5 oz, so he was gaining it back plenty quickly.

When he was awake he spent his time eyeing us suspiciously and looking all over the place, trying to take in as much as he could.

During his fourth week of life we thought he smiled at us a few times, but we weren't sure if they were real.  Today though, he was FOR SURE giving me and Cason a bunch of smiles.  All day long we got them.  Such a good boy.