Mercedes

Life has been a bit of a roller coaster recently. Some days I get so much done and really feel like I have a handle on things, and other days I can barely get my house straightened up before I go to bed. The addition of Mercedes to our family has made housework a thing of lesser priority, and I am determined to clean my bathroom at some point today.

Mercedes is a pretty typical baby so far. She is fussier than Joshua ever was (Joshua was just SO good at pooping, farting, and burping--you know, boy stuff). I think Mercedes has a harder time with gas, which means she can be fussier. It's nothing unmanageable, or unbearable for that matter, but it does cause some pretty sleepless nights... and doesn't everything seem worse at 3 in the morning when you want to be sleeping??? When she does sleep well, and if by some chance I am still awake, I am sometimes graced with the opportunity of watching her laugh in her sleep. I LOVE it when she does this. Joshua did it too. I don't know if it is gas tickling her belly, or if she's dreaming about something, or if it's just an involuntary muscle spasm type thing, but occasionally she will really and truly laugh in her sleep. It's way cute. Yesterday, I swear she gave me her first social smile, I know the books say she's too young for that, but I was singing to her and smiling at her and she gave me solid eye contact and then a solid smile. It was brief, but nonetheless, it was indeed there. Somehow, smiles and laughter really do make the sleepless hours more pleasant.

In one of the pictures, Joshua is playing with a new toy that I got at a garage sale for Mercedes before she was even born. He disappeared for a few moments, and then I heard extreme laughter. I came in to find him in this toy. He was so excited, the poor kid never had a toy like that for his very own. He had one at his grandma McAvoy's house, but never one of his own. I thought it made a cute picture. In another picture, Joshua is laying down next to Mercedes. This is exactly why I can't ever put her down, and why I can never leave her unattended even for a moment. Joshua LOVES LOVES LOVES his little sister... it's smothering, literally. But, I am glad he likes her so much! And, finally, the other pictures are our new family pictures. Nothing professional, and my hair isn't even done, but there you have it! Getting us all to look in the same direction, at the same time, was frustrating.