Happiness

My living room looks like it imploded on itself. My kitchen is a disaster. It's 9pm and my not-even-two-yea-old daughter is wide awake, making kitty noises through the monitor. Her dinner tonight? Mac & Cheese from a box and two bottles (yes, baby bottles) of breastmilk. I haven't had more than an hour's worth of consecutive sleep in many nights, but I'm overcome with happiness tonight, because at last, my two babies are under one roof where they belong.

The best shot we could get of our two kids together! Blame the toddler...

I'm so grateful. So thankful that our boy is healthy and free from the wires and monitors which kept him at the hospital, thankful for the incredible hospital staff who walked with us through our stay, and thankful for the modern medicine which surely kept him alive when he was in such respiratory distress. Most definitely I'm thankful that the hospital we've been camped out in is not only 7 minutes away, but one of the best in the country for it's NICU.

I'm thankful for my big girl, who is smitten with her baby brother. She's protective of him and seems pretty darn in love with him already. She's been such a trooper for the last 11 days, and despite some pretty epic meltdowns, she's done amazingly.

What I came home to the other morning. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree(s)!

I'm thankful for my husband who has held our family together, rocked me to sleep and recognized my stress and reacted appropriately and kindly. Thankful for my family who have stepped up every day with whatever we've asked from them, provided meals, childcare and support.

Grandma-mama and her two babies

The gang toasting Dash's arrival. Party at our house, without us!

I'm thankful the sun was out today when it was finally our turn to walk our new baby out and put him in the car under the watchful eye of the nurse, as her last official duty before we drove away.

And I'm so thankful for this little guy, who filled a gap I didn't know I had.

So happy. So happy.