I Love My New Bath Seat

Thanksgiving in (4) Photos

It's not so easy to blog from my main computer where all of my photos are stored. I have to decide between: a shower, quick house clean up, feeding myself, dealing with industrial quantities of laundry, or blogging.Luckily I have a boppy and a sweet guy who can hang out like this in my lap while I type one handed.

Sebby has already come out of that wonderful always-asleep phase that newborns go through, and since he was in the hold-me-24/7 phase since moment one, my productivity is hovering somewhere between zero and one percent.

On to Thanksgiving! I took 4 photos during the entire dinner and didn´t get any food shots.

 Here is dinner in action. Things like beautiful Autumn centerpieces, and Pinterest worthy place settings were not present  at our Thanksgiving, but all the basics (minus the pumpkin pie, of course) of a good Thanksgiving were there, and most importantly, it was the first Thanksgiving I´ve had with my sister since 2002.

 Tinna did Zita's hair in a beautiful bun thanks to new hair accoutrements from  Claire's boutique.

 This is the only picture I got of Freddy who is putting on a funny face, but it's such a typical Freddy expression that I had to include it.

Oops- we didn´t even light the candles.

Things to note:

We are back to the " I´ll hold the baby while you eat, then we´ll switch " charade.

Deciding that it was too much hassle to come up with an activity for the little kids was the wrong move.

Moojie was a super help and even served all the adults tea and chocolates in the sala after dinner.

It took us two days to finish the clean-up. Next year I'm splurging on some kitchen help.

This was the first dinner ever where our large nice white linen table cloth did not get spilled on or stained.

Nothing broke.

My sister got our Christmas card picture taken in the kitchen in 5 minutes before dinner. Now that is something to be thankful for.

3 Weeks

Zita in the Kitchen

Zita clipped a recipe for apple tart from the American Girl Magazine and made it by herself! A more detailed Thanksgiving post to follow...

Celebrating Thanksgiving

We're celebrating Thanksgiving today and all is set except for the pumpkin pie. The cats struck again and ate a quarter of the pumpkin pie :(  I´m grateful for innumerable things, but family is always at the top of my list.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Auntie's here!

Just in time for Thanksgiving!

Out of space...

... For now.

I've used up all of my free storage on blogger so I can post as soon as I get organized enough bring my credit card upstairs to buy more storage.

2 Weeks

Sunday Snuggles

Our little Sebby is chubbing up in the cheeks. It's a good thing he is since there's nothing better than a baby with chubby cheeks.

Christmas Cards

Christmas card season is upon us, which means the inevitable failed photo shoot looms. Remember the failed photo shoot? This year, my sister will be here to act as chief photographer, briber, cajoler, threatener (we do what has to be done) and helper. Three kids was hard enough, but now with a baby prone to lots of spitting up, I'm pretty sure we are doomed.

I did some browsing on tinyprints.com and there are a lot of good cards, but I find myself picking cards that look exactly like last year's card, and the card from the year before, and their new stuff is just so loud and bright. I found a few good ones, but it turns out that all six of our names exceed the character limit in the "insert family member's names here" field. Who knew the problems that having a large family could bring?

I started to get worried until I went to minted.com. Oh how I love minted.com. They are more expensive, but I could easily throw a dart at their web site and be happy with the card it hit. It's that good.

If I had two blonde boys, this would be my card.


Of course there is a whole new section of possibilities with baby Sebby on the scene. I am dying to pick this one, but they don't give me the option of adding more stockings. With 6 hanging stockings, this would be our card.



This is very similar to our 2010 (2009?) card, but I like that it covers the Happy New Year message since I'm not likely to get cards out in time for Christmas.



Card options are plentiful, it's just the right photo that I'm missing. Tinna- I hope you're up for the challenge

:)

Hospital Photos That I Love

I love this first shot of Freddy because he's finally getting to hold "a baby of our very own." Plus, look at the contrast of their hands.

The second is one of my favorites because that's my new crew- Pai and the 4 ducklings.

Getting all four kids in the same room and cuddled around me was a highlight of my life. I expected chaos when everyone piled into my room, but those first hours together were so peaceful and quiet.

This shot of Pai in the delivery room makes me smile for two reasons. 1) I always thought he would make a handsome doctor 2) even though we can´t see his smile through the mask, it's obvious by looking at his eyes that he's deliriously happy.

This last picture needs no explanation- these are all my babies together for the first time!

Backing Up a Bit

Before Sir Sebby was born, we spent the afternoon in Sintra's Parque da Liberdade. One can´t go wrong with a family afternoon in any of Sintra's parks, but I particularly like this one for its fantastic animal props.

As I took this picture, I told the kids that it would be their last picture together as a sibling group of three before their brother was born. I was right. The next time they posed was in the hospital with baby brother in Freddy's arms.

I really don't know what this black animal is. Freddy was not going to hang around to find out.

We adhered to our Fall tradition of collecting chestnuts to later roast at home.

We headed home after a small picnic of Sintra's famous Travesseiro cakes.

I could do a whole post on Sintra's beautiful gates, but that will have to wait until Sebby starts school.

On The Go Again

We're headed out the door for Sebby's first check-up. Then we're coming home to re-fresh and re-group for our first school run. I have it all organized- I'm getting the little kids (now medium kids?) first, and driving them straight to the market next to Moojie's school. I'll send them in with cash to buy dinner and after school snacks, and then we'll swing around the corner to get Mooj.

The plan could work, or we might have Tuesday night gummy bear night. Whatever- food is food.

This will get us home just in time for my 5 o'clock I'm-so-tired-I-could-die moment, which will hit right when dinner needs to be made, homework will have to be done, and don't forget little Sebby who will need lots of cuddles after so much car time.

We only got 2 hr stretches of sleep last night and from 5am it was party time, so forgive me if I sound frazzled.

Here's our guy on the way home from the hospital.

Siblings

Lately it might seem from this blog that I have only one little baby boy. It's true that my days and nights do center around this little baby boy- temporarily- but let me assure you that his big brothers and sister are very much part of baby care, and I'm still embedded in all things to do with the big kid´s lives.

Our room is the only room in the house with the heat on max so Zita and Freddy have busied themselves on the floor around our bed doing homework, painting, drawing, playing, reading, and keeping me company. Of course there is a lot of cuddling-up-in-bed-and-hold-the-baby time as well.

Sebby tore off his own belly button with his leg, so we had a 4 person team to give him his first bath at home. These two are so sweet with their brother. For the record, Sebby hated his bath

This white board has been carted all over the house. It keeps getting re-decorated and put in new spots.

Mooj has been a rock star helper. He´s been filling in on a lot of Pai's normal duties while Pai fills in for me, on top of work and everything else. Everyone here has been shocked that we are getting by with no cleaning, babysitting, or outsside help of any kind, and my answer to that is always "we have three internal helpers." We've also had very generous meal drop-offs from friends.

Zita jumped right in for a diaper change when he was just hours old in the hospital.

Freddy is doing "This Little Piggy Went to Market" on Sebby's fingers.

I think Zita got at least two years older and grew two inches in the last week ( I think Mooj did too!). Suddenly they all seem so grown up. The biggest change in both Zita and Freddy has been their independence level in the morning. Can I get a hallelujah?

I told Freddy a "secret" in the hospital that newborns love skin-to-skin contact. Freddy now nuzzles his still baby soft cheek against Sebby´s when he holds him. He is so careful, proud, and earnest in his new role as big brother.

It's so sunny today that the water looks golden from my bedroom window. I think golden is the absolute perfect word to describe these days as a new family of 6.

1 Week

My plan is to post a weekly picture in this format for the next year. Time will tell if I manage or not.

*Blogger has not been cooperating and I couldn't rotate this picture.

Newborn Yawning

Is the anything more precious?

40 Weeks

Happy due date sweet baby!

He Slept Through!

That was my first child to ever sleep through the heel prick.

Now he's snuggled up with Zita, waiting for the bathroom to heat so he can have his first bath.

We are all so ready for a cozy weekend at home without school and work, and all six of us under one roof for quiet family time.

On The Go

We're going on our first outing today at five days old to get to heel prick blood test, and another blood draw to check his bilirubin levels. My sister in law just had a look at him at home and thinks he's just too yellow:(

One would think vaccinations and blood draws would get easier with each child, but it certainly doesn't.

Who Says 4th Babies Get Forgotten?

Up Close Look at Sebby Bear

We had what I consider to be another great night last night. He gave us one 4 hour stretch, which is all we can ask for. I don't begrudge that he peed on me, or that I had to change his PJs three times, or my own twice (pee, spit up). Any baby that will give me a little REM sleep is entitled to as many PJ changes as he wants.

It was the kid's school picture day yesterday and Freddy went dressed in Zita's sweater from first grade. What is it with our family sending our boys to school is miniscule sweaters on school picture day?? I have no idea how Zita's hair was, but I can only imagine. Mooj went to school today without his gym bag and today is the big physical evaluation test for PE. The kitchen looks like a search warrant was issued, and I haven't left my yoga pants. Despite all this, we continue to live on a cloud of newborn bliss.

Check out the tray that Zita delivered to my bed after school. There is a strong tray gene in our family.

She baked the cookies herself.
and the tray delivered to my bed in the morning by a friend

Good Morning Little One

While the world watched the US election news coverage, you slumbered happily between your Mummy and your Pai for 4 straight hours.

We can't believe you're finally here. You're just a perfect soft little bundle who was destined to join our family. Pai got some good eyes open alert time with you this morning before he got your three siblings ready and off to school, and then headed for work.

It's just me, my little baby Seb, a well stocked night stand, a warm cozy room, and these best best days of doing the newborn dance. Oh boy are we in love.

Our Sweet Pea is Home

I went out of my room for a few minutes and when I got back, Zita had changed Sebby, put him in his sleep sack, and put him in his crib.

He's the star of the show that's for sure.

I'm tired, but so so happy to have everyone together. The line of the day goes to Zita when she said "we are such a lucky family" while looking at her new brother.

Moojie has now taken him to the sala to watch election news.