Our First [Work]Week With Ansley

Last week was our first full week with our baby girl. The boys have really enjoyed her, and we have been very blessed with lots and lots of visitors who came bearing some delicious food! On Monday, Misty Magill came to meet Ansley, and left us with lasagna, Texas Toast, and brownies!

On Tuesday, our Couples Sunday School Class came with salad, baked spaghetti, bread, and banana pudding. Yum again! They stayed for a while, and it was good to talk and share labor and delivery and newborn stories.

On Wednesday...(I'm beginning to feel like the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar--which is one of my absolute faves, although I think if I remember correctly, someone told me that it's supposed to be a chrysalis instead of a coccoon. But I do LOVE that book!) Anyway, on Wednesday, Elaine and Leslie came over with roast (my favorite meat entree!!!), mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and some delicious blackberry cake. I am going to get a recipe for the roast and cake! (I still have yet to ever cook roast, and I love it!)

On Thursday, I got to see my coworkers! It was soooo good to see them and I miss them dearly when I'm at home! I miss having lunch with them, chatting at recess, and just being around them in general! They brought over some good 'ol KFC with all the fixins :) and also some chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Kimo and Susan also came over that night, and brought Ethan, Macy, and Callie with them. The boys were so glad to have some playmates over!

On Friday Mona and Lucille from our Disiciple Training class came over with lots of pizza, cheese sticks, and chocolate dipper sticks. It was so good! They also left us with a Cracker Barrell gift card from the class.

My mom and stepdad also came over nearly every night to come and see Ansley. They were fully prepared to bring food, but there was always too much already here! So they brought us dinner on the weekends. It's so good to know how much Ansley is loved! Riley's teacher Mrs. Cates even had the entire class make cards to welcome Ansley. And 1st grade drawings and handwriting are just adorable!

So needless to say, we have now been spoiled. Tomorrow will begin our 2nd workweek with her, and time to really begin getting into a routine. Ansley is beginning to have some spurts of being awake and alert now, which is just wonderful. She likes the mobile in her crib, loves her brothers, and is really a peaceful and happy baby! She is beginning to let me lie her down some while she sleeps, and I am resisting the temptation (sometimes) to just hold her anyway. I do have 3 sons, and it's really not best to just act like a mattress, I don't guess....But I do love to hold my baby girl. It is right now my favorite thing to do. Besides talking to her and kissing her. Oh she smells so very good!

Yesterday is the first time I have broken down into tears about returning to work. I did twice. The thought of leaving her is already stressing me out! I realized that I've never left a baby all day long before. Spencer only had a babysitter for 3 hours/day his first year of life, and I simply stayed at home with the other 2. So the idea of leaving my baby girl all day long is killing me. I realized, she won't even be able to sit up when it's time for me to go back. How sad is that? She will still be so little. It tears me up. But I'm going to try not to dwell on that.

Today's news: Ansley's cord came off! 9 days old and she has an outtie for now--but I believe it will be an innie later, like the rest of them.

Here are some pictures of my favorite people in the world--hanging out around the house.









I took some newborn pictures of Talan in this very same basket, and have a picture of it framed in his room. I loved how they turned out, so I decided to do the same with Ansley. Then I added some baby girl flair with a tutu skirt and of course a headband. I like the way the color brightens up the picture. I didn't get a good face shot of her with the skirt and headband, so I've been trying to get back out there to do it again...but she was fussy twice, then on another day there were too many bugs, and then the last two nights it has been way too chilly. But hopefully one day very soon I'll get her back out there and finish up the pics!