in the interest of full disclosure

Lest there be any confusion on the matter, motherhood is not always my favorite job.  There are some things that are terrifically unenjoyable.  Case in point:  pregnancy.  Who enjoys being pregnant?  Not I.  And then, when it's over, you either get to enjoy hours of labor pains and birth, or major abdominal surgery.  Sometimes, if you're really lucky, you get BOTH.  Your progeny thanks you for bringing her into the world by requiring your around-the-clock care and feeding.

At this point, it has been over a month since I have slept more than three hours at a stretch.  I'm constantly being sucked on.  If I'm not wolfing down a meal in the ten minutes Naomi chances to sleep, I'm juggling her on my hip while I sort laundry.  Evenings are particularly ridiculous, as I usually end up holding a baby in one arm and making dinner in the other, while playing referee to late-day whining from the big kids.

At the end of the day I haven't accomplished much beyond getting to the end of the day.  I haven't done anything beyond the minimum, really.  As exhausting as it is, I have only done what I am expected to do, what mothers everywhere are expected to do.

Especially frustrating to me at this point is the job of breastfeeding.  While I know it has innumerable benefits and I'm committed to it, I simply don't like it.  I'd love to take a little vaycay and NOT be the one who has to be on-call for the baby every time she's hungry.  Not be the one who is confined to the couch for each evening's four-hour marathon feeding/fussing session.

But every once in a while in these long, early-baby days, the fog clears and I am reminded that the blessings of motherhood far outweigh the inconveniences.  The way Naomi has no idea who I am or what I've done for her, yet she knows it is my arm she wants to hold her, and my chest she wants to snuggle into.  The fact that Lily whines and rages when I don't have enough time for her--not because I enjoy it or even because it's acceptable behavior--but because it means she needs her mommy, and nothing else will do.  The way my baby's eyes slowly close and she gives a sigh of ineffable peace as she settles against me to sleep.

Being so important has its drawbacks, but I'll take them.

Gus is a Gussie!

So this has admittedly been a long time coming, but... we have a baby!  Naomi Claire Hewitt was born September 7, at 9:38 a.m.  She weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz, and was 19 1/4 inches long.  

Daddy hanging out with Naomi in the hospital room

Getting ready to go home!

Gemma and Grandad were on call for the birth, and came up and spoiled took care of the twins while Scott and I were in the hospital.  We were so grateful for their help!  Noah and Lily had a great time with them, and it was fun getting to see their reaction to the new baby. And then about 30 seconds later they were ready to go home... thank goodness for electronic entertainment to keep them busy!

 Grandma also came to stay with us for a couple of weeks, and got to do a lot of fun and exciting jobs around our house, including:  laundry, dishes, cooking, and cleaning.  She also managed to be a surrogate mother to the twins for much of the day while Scott and I stayed busy with the new baby.  She got in some grandbaby cuddle time too, though!

Noah saw Grandma snuggling with Naomi, and decided that she needed several accouterments for her nap.

Dan and Emily have come to visit a couple of times.  Here, Emily snuggles the baby while Dan keeps himself busy reading from one of the various parenting books strewn about the living room.

I think she was a week old here.  She already looks so tiny in this picture!

Preschooler shenanigans continue in the Hewitt household.  The kids love dressing up, so there is usually one or more character running around.  Firefighter Noah apparently loves to do Princess Fairy Lily's hair...

The kids also LOVE to love the baby.  I feel terrible, but I'm always having to tell them to get out of her face, stop pulling on her arms, etc.  Dakota, however, has no such limits and has often served as a stand-in when the baby is inaccessible for torment.  In related news, Lily insists on dressing herself most days--hence the crazy pants.  Her idea of matching is dressing herself in head-to-toe pink as frequently as possible.

Scott has stayed crazy-busy since Naomi's birth, not only helping take care of her and the kids and growing his family-leave beard, but also making several improvements to the house.  He fixed up the kids' playset by revamping the sandbox and building a new rock climbing wall.  They have spent hours every day since playing outside.

Naomi seems to be a pretty happy baby so far--no colic or excessive fussiness yet, anyway.  She smiles all the time in her sleep (and, lately, at walls and thin air...) so I'm hoping she'll be a happy, smiley baby.