Recuperation and family time

Well, it's been a while, although I'm sure you all understand. It's been a little bit hard this third time around to bounce right back into the swing of things, although I know that I still have it easier than some. Can I just say, if you've never had to fill a prescription for "proctofoam," count your many blessings.

Also, many,many thanks go out to Kendra, who took the older kids for a few days; Gerald and Nedra, who helped out so much in the week before she was born; my mom, who spent two weeks taking care of me and the other kids; and everyone from the family who helped watch the kids this last weekend in Junction so I could sleep and not have a breakdown. Thank you, thank you. I appreciate all of your help so much.

Rachel is contributing by being the best little baby possible. She is very content, sleeps, eats, looks around, eats, and sleeps. And poops. She is a sweet, sweet little baby. The other kids still love on her a lot, Caleb especially. He has decided that we need to have 100 babies in our family because they are "so cute." Although he doesn't understand why we had boy, girl, girl. It should have been boy, girl, boy in his mind. But he's planning on the next one being a boy and is already thinking of names for him. I've tried warning him that it will be a while, but to no avail. :o) Caleb keeps a pile of diapers handy for me, picks out new clothes for Rachel to wear, and talks to her all the time. What a good big brother.

Ella, for her part, prances around in her princess dress most of the day. She really eggs Caleb on sometimes, so she has started spending her share of time in the corner, which is new for her. Nothing like adjusting to a new baby, eh? She comes up with some pretty funny things to say, though...after visiting me and Rachel in the hospital, Kip was driving them home late one night and the kids were wild, yelling at each other, you know. Kip told them to quiet down, and Ella responded by saying she couldn't because she left her quiet teeth at home. She only had her noisy teeth. Funny what their little minds come up with!

I've attached a few pictures of Rachel... I loaded 64 images onto the computer! But you know how it is with newborns - you take 64 hoping that 4 or 5 are decent. These are 3 that were pretty good. I can already tell how she is growing!