Rock Baby

Momma Post: Willa's now a week old and we're settling in nicely. It is definitely much easier as second time parents. Breastfeeding isn't as stressful. There are no unrealistic expectations as far as sleeping through the night. If anything, we're slowly learning how to engage in "man-to-man" defense". Last night both girls were fussy at bedtime, so Matt and I were exchanging tactics and swapping girls for ultimately a successful night of sleep. Although, Ruby did score an overtime victory at 9:30pm, which involved a bowl of cereal and watching Dad combat fellow video gamers (sometimes Mom's just have to turn a blind eye to maintain the peace).

Ruby has surprised us all and how wonderful a big sister she is. We were hoping the transition would be a relatively smooth one. Several dollies were introduced throughout my pregnancy. And, a co-worker of mine gave us the best big sister book. If anything, Ruby is a little possessive of Willa and we are now trying to introduce the idea that Willa is "our" baby, rather than just Ruby's sister/baby. Ruby's favorite saying of the moment is "rock baby", meaning she would like to hold her sister - very endearing.

We've had several visits from friends and family, which is a reminder on how lucky we are to be surrounded by such thoughtful loving people. Grandma Joan was a life saver. She flew out from Washington D.C. on October 27th and stayed until November 10th. Joan and Ruby further bonded, alternating between our house and GG's (Great-Grandma Alice's). I cried while saying good bye to Joan, but now have a sweet memory of Joan's last evening and all of us watching the beginning of The Wizard of Oz. I've never seen Ruby so enthralled, while the rest of us were reciting lines and singing along.