Arrival

Baby Joey has arrived!

He made his grand entrance last Friday, February 26 at 6:08 pm.

Despite being a week early he outweighed his big brother, weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and stretching a grand 20 inches.

I've had a couple of freak outs, which I figure are expected when you're living in a constant state of sleep deprivation, but besides that, I feel like this whole two-kid thing might be totally doable.

Sleep Deprivation Side Note:

Contractions started in the middle of the night

on Thursday.

I knew I couldn't sleep any more

so I got up and read and had a bowl of cereal

and sprawled out on the couch

making plans for Friday

because I KNEW these were the real

contractions and that Joey was coming soon.

So, I was up all Thursday night.

Then, after Joey was born I was up all Friday

night in the hospital

because you know they come and poke you

or take your blood pressure or

randomly come in just to make sure you

aren't getting any sleep.

Anyhow, I was on two nights in a row

of no sleep and a day of laboring out a baby.

On Saturday a nurse came in to ask more questions

and do more pokes and tests

and who knows what else.

I had several close friends visiting and just prior

to the nurse's entrance we had

all been getting very silly.

You know the kind of silly that only happens

when you are really tired?

Yes, it was that kind of almost hysterical silly.

So the nurse comes in and I am wiping away a tear

of laughter and she asks me my name

and our last name

and all the while I am answering questions

my party of friends and Andy are still laughing.

Then the nurse asks me the baby's name.

I say, "Joseph."

Then she says, can you spell it?

"J. O. . uh."

All my friends stop laughing and look at me.

Long pause.

"No. Actually, I can't spell it right now. Ask my husband."

Andy: "J. O. S. E. P. H."

Doh!

Sometimes you just reach your limit, you know?

I didn't know I named my kid

a name that is so difficult to spell out loud.

Sorry Joey!

Joey is remarkably calm and seems content to have joined this world. He is also a champion eater, getting back up to his birth weight in less than a week. My baby, the over achiever!

Jack is totally enamored with this bitty brother. Randomly throughout the day he will run up and kiss or hug Joey. Very sweet, but also quite scary, as his (Jack's) giant head often ends up totally covering Joey's entire face.

Today Jack was eating peanut butter out of the jar - its a Sunday! A day for relaxing and watching cartoons and eating peanut butter out of the jar! When he was done with his snack he put his spoon in Joey's hand and set the jar of peanut butter in the bouncy seat with the babe. He said, "here baby!"

All in all, life is sweet. Andy is a trooper of a husband and family and friends have been feeding us well. I feel so pampered and so supported! Joey is in for a great life with all the folks who are celebrating the start of his days!

Now on to planning Jack's 2nd birthday. I'm just waiting for our birthday club party planner to come in the mail. I hope it gets here soon; I need that checklist!