sweet cousins.

Last year I took the above two pictures of Mara and Claire Helen laughing and enjoying each others suppertime company. Apparently Sonna has been looking at those pictures and before coming to Minnesota kept saying that she wanted to sit by Claire Helen this time. I think she could tell how much fun the older cousins were having together.

But this year, Sonna and Penny won the suppertime picture series. I love how much these cousins all love each other!

our most important role

I think the thing that has surprised me the most in motherhood is how much deeper in love I have fallen for Rory. I knew I’d love our little baby, and I do. But I cannot get enough of Rory lately. Watching him snuggle and love Ivar, watching him keep his cool while Ivar protests another outfit change, having him insist I take a nap or get in the tub when a good moment presents itself, having him walk half-alive into the nursery during the early morning feeding and sit on the foot rest while laying his head on the boppy pillow on my lap…these are precious moments to me. I absolutely cannot fathom doing all of this without a faithful husband.

When we were in the hospital Rory was holding a swaddled Ivar and got out his Bible. He read to Ivar from Jeremiah 31:31-34, telling of the new Covenant that would come in Jesus. Rory told Ivar that the very most important hope we have for him is that he know is savior and love and obey Him. We cried together as Rory read the nativity story to Ivar, realizing more fully than ever before the love that God has for us in Christ Jesus. Rory read the chapter and there was a holiness as we began to live out our greatest responsibility as Ivar’s parents.

good morning everybody

Ivar slept until 10 am this morning, which means Rory and I did too. It was glorious. I told Rory it felt like a Thanksgiving miracle. It means that I got eight hours of sleep last night! Not uninterrupted, but I feel incredible today and Ivar woke up in a happy mood too. This is going to be a good day. (except that my text is centered and it refuses to left align. but whatever.)

I am starting to get the hang of my new normal. In the middle of the night I figured out that each day I am spending 6 to 8 hours nursing (each feeding takes a while trying to rouse little man back awake so he can get a full feeding. Plus, if you add a diaper change that almost always turns into two or three diaper changes because Ivar has a thing for waiting to fill his diaper until he has a clean diaper on...well, it just takes us some time to accomplish all of this, and each feeding/changing can be anywhere from 45-60 minutes. And it turns out you can't rush a feeding or a changing...)

When I figured out the hours going into nursing, and then added the hours spent rocking and snuggling and bounce walking in circles around the house, it really does make sense where all of my time goes each day.

All that to say, I am letting myself off of the blog hook for while. My hope is to post a picture each day, but maybe no more than that. Because that feels sane and wonderful. Plus, I just downloaded Picasa 3, and with one click of a button I can pick the picture I want to post on my blog for the day. Super simple and fast and wonderful and at this point (after 16 hours as a Picasa user) I'd highly recommend the free program...

Ivar is sleeping again and I just sorted through all of the mail. It is incredible how good it feels to accomplish little projects like this!

my boys

my sister is here!

I have not been patient in waiting for this day, but the day finally came! It has been two long months waiting to get to meet her baby Svea, and on Tuesday Annika and I were finally introduced to each other's babies!

The last time I saw Annika, we looked like this:
That picture was taken at the end of June! And now those babies who were growing on the inside are here on the outside. So, so amazing.

Their arrival caused a bit of a family gathering at our house. My aunt Louie and cousins Kathy and Mark came for dinner and we enjoyed a house full of company. We ate chili, passed the babies around shared some hard laughs. Precious family time.