Life with five children

Now that Lucy's birth story is finally finished, I feel free to move on to other topics!  I'm sure you are all relieved.  Here are some pictures of Lucy from her first week home through Christmas.

This is sweet Lucy during her first week home.  I love her sweet little, gas-induced smile!

 Lucy and mama

 Lucy in the outfit Anlynn and I picked out while I was still pregnant...totally gender neutral!

Lucy looking so cute with a lovely "I'm chilin'" smile.

 This is Lucy as we tried to get an artsy Christmas picture.   I thought it would be cute to get one of her in a stocking...but she was too big to fit in one!  In this picture she's in a big mitten decoration.  At least the bow is cute!

We have enjoyed our time with Lucy so much.  She is a wonderful baby.  She goes with the flow, she's happy and content, and she doesn't cry very often.  I am so thankful she is such a good baby.  She has an easy smile which started on November 10th (one month old).  She's been cooing and chatting for a while too.  We have gotten her close to a laugh a few times, but we're still waiting for a real chuckle.  Lucy sleeps well at night.  I've been blessed with 7 hour stretches of sleep!  Her napping is a little less predictable.   Sometimes it's just a short power nap.  Other times she'll sleep three hours.  She loves to be swaddled and sleeps best wrapped up tight in her swaddle blanket.

The big kids all love Lucy.  However, a couple of them like her more than the others!  Anlynn and Isaac adore Lucy.  Isaac holds her every day.  He tells everyone, "That's my Lucy."   Anlynn would raise her on her own if we would let her!  She begs to hold her all the time.  She has changed a few diapers and even got her dressed one day.  Seriously, I am a lazy mama.  But I promise it was Anlynn's idea to dress Lucy, not mine!  Anlynn can't wait till Lucy is a bit stronger so she can carry her around the house.  Anlynn is so easy and calm with Lucy.  She is a natural when it comes to babies.  She doesn't get roused or upset if Lucy cries.  She talks to her gently and rocks her.  I can't wait to see how God uses that tender, mothering instinct in her as she grows up.

Life with 5 children?  Surprisingly, not as hard as you would think.  Sure, there are moments of craziness, but I remember those kind of moments when there were just a couple of them!  The older kids are so much more self-sufficient because of their ages.  They can dress themselves and shower on their own.  They are helpful to each other and to me as well.  They play well together and entertain themselves as well as Lige and me!  Let me confide this to you, a lot of times five children doesn't feel like that many.  That's not to say we're planning number six, or anything.  However, when strangers at the store comment on how many children we have and how busy we must be, I can't help thinking that's it's really not that bad.  I look at each one of my babies and can't imagine my life without them, each and every one of them.  

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD." (Psalm 127:3a)