baby

And baby makes five.  We are thrilled to have our family complete and this baby girl has done that and more.  In honor of tradition, since monkey bear named my buddy, I will let my buddy name the baby.  He currently calls her "Rara," so rara it is.

I have been known to say that I don't enjoy the newborn phase, but I am really enjoying it this time.  Rara is so sweet and there is nothing like a good cuddle with such a little one.  I think with the first baby you are so terrified and things are so scarey.  Every little thing seems like such a big deal.  And then with my buddy, there were all the doctors visits and Birth to 3 and the worries that go along with that.  I hardly had a chance to fully appreciate his babyness.

It was a bit surreal being in the same hospital where my buddy was born, walking by the special care nursery, being flooded with all the memories.  I was so worried that something would go "wrong" and things wouldn't end the way I wanted.  I pretty much grabbed the baby and ran as soon as they would let me.

Every day my heart melts when I see monkey bear loving rara.  Monkey bear wants to hold her all day long and always checks on her to see how she is.  Monkey bear told me the other day that she just can't believe how much she loves her sister.  The rare times that rara is on the ground, monkey bear is right there holding her hand, talking to her, gently rubbing her head.  It is so sweet.

My buddy loves rara as well, but is having a harder time adjusting.  He does like to kiss her her and hold her hand, but he requires a lot of supervision.  Rara can't be put down or left alone in a room that my buddy is in.  Even when you are watching, my buddy has been known to throw a thing or two at the baby.  In all honesty, my buddy has been throwing EVERYTHING.  I feel bad because he isn't getting the attention he is used to and doesn't know how to express how this makes him feel.  Ultimately I think this will be good for him.  I tend to cater to my buddy too much.  I hope that in expecting him to be more self sufficient he will step up to the plate.

All in all, things are going well and we are all managing the best we can.  I am trying hard to write things down and take lots of pictures so I can remember the sweetness of a new baby.