Life with a newborn: 2 weeks old

Well, we have made it two weeks. 

What can I say about this little man? I have forgotten what work a little baby is. I have forgotten how quick the routine is....he eats, he is up for a little bit, he sleeps. Once I get a second to just breathe, it's time to eat again. I also have forgotten how sweet it is to have a precious baby snuggled up in your neck and that sweet clean little baby smell. The way they grip your fingers and make sweet little sounds (I'm not talking about the screaming here). 

Ben is doing well. We have switched from using the Haberman feeder to the pigeon nipple (more on that in another post. I plan to do another feeding update after we meet with the feeding clinic next week). He is pretty consistently eating every 3 hours. We haven't confirmed it yet but think he is dealing with silent reflux. That is making sleeping a challenge. But it is definitely better now than it was last week - when he screamed for hours on end in the middle of the night. That wasn't fun. 

He is loved around here. His big brothers and sisters are constantly asking to hold and touch him. Rousing choruses of "Twinkle twinkle little star" and the alphabet and "Angels we have heard on high" can be heard in 4 big kid voices if he starts to cry. Spencer is enthralled by his pinky finger. Ella loves to see what he's looking at. Kate just wants to kiss him all over.  Josiah continuously says, "Aw, mommy. Baby Ben cute!"

We have been so fortunate to have family with us for the past two weeks. Stuart's parents were here for a week and my mom was here this week. Friends in our city are taking care of meals for a little bit. We are blessed for sure. It seriously does take a village!

Ben has been out of the house a handful of times. He went with me first to get my staples taken out. Then another day we went to the hospital to have his hearing test redone (passed this time, go Ben!). Today Mom and I took the kids to chick-fil-a to play and eat. We were on the third snow day so it was dire we get out of the house. So I survived my first outing with all 5 kids ....and 5 blasted car seats. My (almost) 7 year old is a HUGE help!

All I can do is take it one day at a time! Apparently Ella is worried that once my mom leaves there will be no one to help me...she has said something to Stuart twice now. "But who will help mommy?!" I guess at some point my feet will have to hit the ground in full gear and figure out this new normal!