Baby Henry, day four

By 6:00 this evening, Henry will be four days old. Henry is the sweetest baby and I am enjoying his precious "quiet, awake and alert" moments. His little lips form an "O" shape and his eyes get wide and he looks straight into my eyes. It's pure magic, really. I've only heard his little cry two or three times, and only for about a minute, but it was pretty adorable. Right now, he spends most of his time making sweet facial expressions, sleeping next to me in bed, and nursing. Aside from the lack of consecutive hours of sleep, (which, to be honest, isn't the end of the world as Evelyn already taught me how to function on broken sleep), after pain, and engorgement, I have never felt better. I was unprepared for how absolutely happy I would feel after Henry's birth. I'm not shell-shocked or totally overwhelmed the way I was when Evelyn was born. I feel more relaxed and I'm able to just enjoy being in love with this sweet little boy.

Evelyn is doing really well in terms of adjusting to a new family member who occupies most of Mama's time. I am so glad that we gradually shifted our routines during my pregnancy so that Evelyn's bedtime and breakfast revolve around Chris. These are times when Henry and I are either nursing or catching an hour or two of sleep. Chris has been taking Evelyn out for special morning trips: gymnatics, the library, and the farm. She is already a loving sister. She likes to know what Henry is up to and if he's ready to nurse again. She's also very interested in keeping him bundled up in blankets and hats. We've also discovered that asking Evelyn to show Henry how to brush teeth/ take a bath/ eat dinner is a great way to encourage her to do the things she needs to and still feel connected to her baby brother. Henry plays the role of "eager spectator" very well . . . even if his eyes are usually closed. I "talk" for him and Evelyn seems to like that.

We have also had post-partum help from our doula a couple of afternoons this week and it has worked out very well! I love our doula and trust her completely (she was, after all, present and supportive during the births of both of my children). I am able to rest with Henry, Chris is able to rest a little, and Evelyn gets loads of attention from someone who is engaged and energetic. Our doula has a lot of experience and training in pregnancy, birth, and post-partum support, so I can ask her questions about almost anything that comes up. She has also been keeping up with the laundry and dishwasher which is a huge help! Especially because our families are on the opposite coast, it has been a sanity-saver to have a little help these first couple of days while my body recuperates and we get into our groove as a family of four.