josiah

After a crazy day of hard, irregular labor, a fast, late-night ride to the hospital, a quick time of "transition", and an even faster time of pushing (including a frantic call from the nurse to the doctor to "get in here!",

Josiah Able Oster

was born at 1:04 am two Thursday mornings ago. A big boy-- a full pound heavier than his big brother was-- he was bright red and roly-poly right out of mama and was ready to nurse right away.

He has been both very sleepy and a voracious eater, which is just right for a new baby. Big brother Elias has been doing... okay. Very good with Josiah, not as well in other ways. Some stuff we are chalking up to teething, other stuff with simply being a toddler, and the rest is, I'm sure, from having his entire world flipped upside down. Everyone's world is flipped upside down, and our new normal is slooowly appearing before us. And that's okay. We expected that. We are being patient.

Meanwhile, it's lots of napping and eating and television-watching. Friends are bringing meals, and family is keeping Elias busy. I am healing up well, physically, and attempting to deal effectively with those nagging changes in hormones. Jeremy is bringing up the rear and continues to be the support I need so badly, in this time just like he is every other time.

We are doing well.

Belly too big, lap too small.

And no more room for Elias.

A quiet Monday morning

A mixture of images from this morning:

Elias "playing the guitar" and singing song after song to himself.

Jeremy playing with E for a good long while before coming down to breakfast so I could peacefully drink my morning tea.

Cleaning out the water table for E and accidentally spraying both of us.

A little shirtless toddler running through the hose's spray as I water my raised beds.

Green and pink scribbles with sidewalk chalk.

Bathtime. Bubbles popped by being "kissed".

Snuggly soft boy in his sleepsack, ready for his first nap.