I am a survivor

No, I am not a breast cancer survivor, and frankly I don't ever hope to be, but I have survived having a second child. The last 6 weeks have passed in a blur. Who thought having a second could be so much more difficult that having one? Not me, but fortunately we had wonderful help along the way with Mikes mother and my sister Angela coming out for a week each to help.

It seemed each week since Aubrey's birth has brought new changes and adjustments:

Week 1- a second child is born and Mike starts a new semester
Week 2- Mike gets a new job
Week 3- Mike gets called as executive secretary
Week 5 - Natalie gets calling and visiting teaching assignments (5 months after we moved into the ward...)

"Normal" is something we have lost touch of, assuming we ever new what it was... However, 6 weeks and 3 bouts of illness later, I feel a little normal. Not the showered, put together normal, but the not exhausted-wanting-to-crawl-into-a-hole normal. We have gotten out a bit here and there, such as the zoo (where some one stole my hooter hider- who would steal a hooter hider?). And today we are doing a play date. It is nice to be reminded that there are other people on this planet, and there is other scenery besides our boring white walls.

The cool part of the last 6 weeks is how much more I appreciate Mike as a father and husband, and how fun it is to have another person to love (Aubrey, of course). Unlike Elena, who I felt that deep motherly love after a few months, I could feel that same love for Aubrey instantly, because I already new what it was, I guess. Aubrey has a calmness to her that I need myself. Elena is definitely my personality (emotional, high strung), but I think Aubrey is more like Mike (chill). For the first few weeks it was feed her-set her down to sleep-feed her-set her down to sleep. Frankly, Elena still got tons of attention. Aubrey has started wanting to be held, which is a nice change. Holding a newborn is better than therapy, and dare I say a back rub.

Here are some things I love about Aubrey:
She gulps when she eats- you can hear her across the room. We dont burp her, we belch her.
She learned to nurse unlike Elena. There is something so sweet and cute about a nursing baby.
She has a major double chin. When she relaxes her jaw it is all wrinkles from collar bone to her mouth.
She has a huge cow lick on the right side of her fore head.
Her cry, which a stranger described as husky, is not that painful to listen to and she rarely uses it for reasons other than hunger.