Busy, busy, busy as bees

Taken tonight before bedtime

Thank you, thank you, thank you

First, thanks to the readership for all the advice that has been pouring in on how to avoid diaper blowouts. The most practical has come from my sister Joan and our friends Beth and Erika who all told us to double check that the frilly elastic seal on the diaper's legs are properly sealed around Margaret's legs. We have been doing so and have so far been achieving good results.

My favorite piece of advice, however, comes from our friend Mushtaq, who wrote, "...keep your mouth closed while you change the diaper. Trust me."

It has been said that the sagest wisdom is that which has been hardest won. This man truly took one for the team.

Shades of the Merlion

From the, "different but the same" problem department comes our experience from last night. Margaret had an especially difficult night last night and spent the hours from about midnight to 4:00 AM completely awake. We tried everything and went through three changes of clothing, several diaper changes, many feedings, etc to get her calm (we did have one pee leak and more than one soaking spit-up).

At around 2:30 AM, I'm in the living room trying to get Margaret to settle and have her sitting/laying in my lap, facing me with her head in my hand. Then, in something straight out of "The Fly," a powerful jet of spit-up comes flying full force out of her mouth, against the force of gravity, about a foot and a half, to splatter directly onto my chest. The impact was impressive and the stream mind-bogglingly well directed and coherent, like something out of the business end of a super-soaker. I was incredibly impressed at the amount of pressure that must build up within her to create these geysers from both ends of her body. We're now burping after meals with new vigor.

The Weekend

These past few days have been busy in a fun way with us receiving our first visitors - our friends Molly and Sylvia who both came on Friday afternoon after school.

Then yesterday evening, my mom, sister Joy and her family came over for a visit. Everyone was fawning over Margaret so much that I was worried that she might get a big head!


Joy, George et al plus Margaret


The kids plus Margaret

The kids were great with Margaret with each taking turns and wanting to help in every way possible. Everyone was gentle and loving and Margaret is lucky to have such wonderful cousins! Sarah even tells me that Samantha was especially helpful. After watching just one diaper change, she assisted Sam in the next one by preparing the diaper, wipe and all else perfectly without prompting.



This morning, my mother came over early to help us take care of Margaret and for a nice visit where she helped prepare SAM's lunch and snack. These days have been busy and it is a great help to have family nearby who are so loving and wanting to help. Tomorrow, mom comes over again to help prepare the Chinese herbs for Sarah's post-pregnancy recovery. I am super glad for this because I have no clue how that will work.



In the afternoon, after my mom left, Lindsay and Graham came over with Fred and we all six hung out and enjoyed an early dinner. There were cookies and caramel ribbon brownies but the sweetest two were new fast friends Fred and Margaret. Here you see a photo of the two babies born only three days apart.

Now, as I write, Sarah is asleep in bed and Margaret is swaddled and asleep in my lap. A bundle of joy and warmth if ever there was one.

It's a quiet end to a busy day. It is these times to myself, with my loves nearby when I can sit and be grateful for all the incredibly wonderful things that have come my way.

Truly, insanely, great.