So I thought....

When it was just Sophia, I was so busy; taking her here, doing this project, going there...or so I THOUGHT.  Just throw a new baby into the mix! I think I finally got ready for the day around noon. This is a whole new level of multi-tasking.  A whole new level of busy.  I had forgotten how sleep-deprivation can make you caaa-razy (in the Olaf voice).  I had forgotten that sometimes babies won't let you put them down,  (even though he's a great baby, he gets the occasional tummy ache and must be held for 2 hrs straight, lol).  And I certainly wasn't prepared for the guilt!  You know the thoughts....Am I giving Sophia enough attention?  Does she think I don't love her as much anymore?  Is she mad or upset that we didn't fit in a craft today? Is she jealous, does she hate me? haha...  Dang you, emotions!  It's obviously irrational, but we really need to find our "new normal" quick..a good routine fast.  It will come, I know.  Probably when I'm able to get a bit more sleep and have more energy to put towards a working routine.   I'm only 3 weeks in to this 2 kid gig..it's still so new and fresh.  We'll get there!  I hear a lot of moms say you must give it a good 6 weeks for everyone to settle into their new roles.  Overall, we're doing great!  I love my mom life. It helps that Gabriel is an amazing baby, and Sophia is an easy almost 4yo.  It feels like such an accomplishment to have the kids fed and happy at the end of the day..and the past couple of days Soph and I have worked on spelling and fit in a few crafts.  Honestly, if nobody is on fire by bedtime, the day was a success in my book...and if I fixed my hair.

Sophia has been amazing.  She loves to help out a lot, and other times I think she forgets he's even here, lol.  I haven't noticed much jealousy.  I really try to involve her in most things.  She holds him, helps with diaper changes, and I always try to prompt her to sing or talk to him.  It's so cute when she does!

 Did I mention my precious baby boy is 3 weeks old today!  And I can officially drive and take baths again, too. Big day!

I felt complete when we had Sophia, so I don't want to say my heart had a hole in it.  I think God just made my heart bigger when we decided to have another baby.  My heart certainly expanded and made room for my sweet Gabriel Timothy.  It's amazing how you can spontaneously have unconditional love for someone else the moment they enter your world!   I prayed for him..he's a perfect gift to our family.

 "I'm 3 weeks old today!"

Let's all swoon together over this sleep grin....

She's so gentle and sweet with him.

And nap time isn't going as planned here..

Pucker up!

Gabriel has olive skin like dad, and Soph is pale like mom.  Sorry Soph!

And when a baby comes along, mom moves to the backseat.

     

This could get mushy....

But, I'll keep it short with just a quick picture of the greatest dad ever.  Sophia and Gabriel will one day realize how lucky they are to have Tim has their dad.  I love that man.

WE BE TIIIIRED

 

And, unfortunately we still cannot take Gabriel out to enclosed places, because his little 13 day old body isn't ready for this world of germs; Dr advises to wait until he is 4 weeks old.  Therefore, he and I stayed home yesterday while Tim and Sophia went to church.  

 

HAPPY EASTER FROM THE FOUR RICE'S!

 

And just for good measure; Our two little grains growing beautifully in the city, :)

*Written (in about 3.5 minutes) right after feeding Sophia lunch, with Gabriel's bottle on deck.  Second kid's lunch coming right up!  When do I eat, again?  TIM, HURRY HOME!! :)

The last 11 days...

I had Gabriel on Tuesday, April 8 and we made it home Friday, April 11.  We were welcomed home by a super excited big sis Sophia and Grammy (my mom).  Since arriving home we've gone through 2 grandmas (my mom first, then Tim's mom just left today), tons of feedings and diaper changes, showering Sophia with extra special attention with a "Daddy, Mommy, Sophia date night" at a cafe for dinner and dominoes, and constant swooning over our 2 beautiful kids.  We're still in the adjustment period, but Sophia is doing great and loves her baby brother. 

How is Gabriel adjusting to the world?  WONDERFULLY!  Neena (Tim's mom) actually said Gabriel should be in the Guinness Book of World Records for the best baby...and she's had 5 kids! So, I think we've been super blessed with an easy, great baby, :)   Gabriel eats well, sleeps great, rarely spit ups, and is all around content the majority of the time. Thank God! This type of baby is very new to us.  We already had a live-in nanny on stand-by if his infant stage proved to be anything like Sophia's, ;)  Ok, not really, but we were NERVOUS!  My poor sweet baby girl had a rough first year of life.  But no nanny needed here. 

And I'm recovering well and fast.  Much faster than the 1st c-section.  I already feel like I'm about 70% recovered, and I'm only taking prescription Motrin at the point.  Is it because I HAVE to recover quicker since I have another child to tend to?  Maybe.  But this delivery experience is world's apart from Sophia's, so I attribute my easier recovery to the great experience this go-around (besides a few minor things like a bad reaction to the morphine...ugh, talk about itchy and constant nausea!).  

Pictures over the last 11 days of Gabriel's life.  From the hospital to home...

P.S.  How is my baby boy already 11 days old? And Sophia is almost 4...  Time slow the heck down!

Welcome, Gabriel!! You're a gift from God.

We welcomed Gabriel Timothy Rice into the world on April 8, 2014 at 12:48 pm, with joyful hearts and elated spirits.  Neither Tim nor I can believe the wonder of it all, as this experience stands diabolically opposite to Sophia’s birth.  Before I continue, I should start with a photo of our little tyke!

Gabriel Timothy Rice

I apologize for the delay of online photos, but one way to celebrate everything going well this time around was to capture these precious first moments in an extra special way.  So we got a professional photographer..!   We had so much excitement about Sophia's first glimpse of her much anticipated brother, so we had to make it just right.  Thank you all for your patience, and continued patience since we’re still waiting on most of the photos.  

 Sophia arrives to the hospital, with congratulatory balloon in hand.  No sister has ever been so eager to meet their little brother!

 Here is Sophia's first glimpse of Gabriel.  She was curious and also relieved to learn he was real.  :)

 With Sophia’s birth almost four years ago, I had an emergency c-section to a slightly premature baby who was immediately intubated before I could hold her, and had to stay in three different hospitals over the course of 30 days, recovering from pneumonia, persistent pulmonary hypertension, pneumo-paracadiam and an early-developed addiction to morphine.   

Given this experience, suffice it to say Tim and I are in complete shock and overcome with joy that we just had a full-term baby by a planned and normal c-section, and there is no need for the NICU, much less three of them!!  In fact, for the past three weeks, Tim and I had unspoken anxiety that Gabriel would come early.  But as God would have it, Gabriel waited patiently.  (I hope Sophia forgives me for referencing these unhappy memories; obviously she’s perfect today so the past is behind us..!)

 Soph continues to gaze in astonishment.  

 Grammy gets some quality time with an already-spoiled Gabriel.

 Yesterday, I woke up at a decent hour, knowing ahead of time that my 39-week full-term baby would arrive by c-section around noon that day.  I took a shower, washed my hair, put on my make up, and Tim and I bid our farewells to Sophia and Grammy for the afternoon, one last time as single-child-parents.  Instead of driving in pain to a hospital 20 miles from home, as happened with Soph, we took a leisurely 3-mile-drive from our new house in Baltimore to a city hospital called Mercy Medical Center.  

We used valet parking upon arrival at Mercy, as if we were going to see a movie on date night, and were quickly checked in to make preparations in the PACU which lasted about 2 hours.  Tim was perturbed with our nurse at first because he asked her what “PACU” stood for, and she skirted the question.  It turns out she was actually quite nice, and perhaps she was merely trying to save face because she forgot the words “Post Anesthesia Care Unit”.  (Thanks to Eric Pope for clarifying via text message).  After walking into the operating room (again, distinguish this from having to be wheeled in under emergency circumstances), I was happy to see my regular doctor in a cheerful mood, making me laugh with stories about her own childbirth.  My anesthesiologist had great bedside manner as well, and he reacted quickly when I felt nauseous after he administered the spinal block.  Tim was allowed to enter the room soon after as he took a seat by my head.  Probably because of nerves, I peculiarly asked him to massage my hand “really hard”.  I later learned that Tim’s hands started cramping after five minutes, but he courageously powered through, thankful that he wasn’t having a c-section himself. What a sacrifice! 

Thirty minutes later, after a nerve-racking but otherwise smooth operation, there arrived a healthy 7 pound, 2 ounce and 20-inch-long Gabriel Timothy.  There was only happiness to follow.  The nurses didn’t turn their backs to us like last time, slapping the baby’s back in efforts to spur breathing.  Nope.  Gabriel was showing off his lung power all by himself, just like it’s supposed to work!  The nurses placed him in Tim’s hands within five minutes as the doctor completed the operation, and I got to watch my little son start acclimating to his new environment.  Beautiful skin, shy hair, curious eyes and a vocal yet modest cry.  Heaven on earth.

Thanks to all of your for your thoughts and prayers.  We will do our best to stay in touch, but let's be real... We'll see you all in about six months!