hello again

Friends, I'm back! Although, life with a newborn affords one no guarantees, so we'll see what regularity comes to look like.

Let's recap.

Friday, July 18 we were given the go-ahead to move into our new rental next door. Turns out this was the one weekend this summer most everyone we know was out of town - or at least that's what they told us when we told them about the move. Hmmm. Either way, we wrangled a few suckers helping hands and began the move. Overwhelming to say the least. We are forever indebted to the friends who came - it was a lot. Saturday, July 19 my mom came to help maintain sanity and she'd stay through our hospital stay. Because yes, Friday, July 25 I was induced and our new baby boy arrived that afternoon. That was horrific, but a story for another time.

So, it's been quite an eventful couple of weeks. We were working our tails off the week between the move and the baby to settle in as much as possible. And then last week we had a fourth person living here so forget every single other thing besides sleep and painful nursing and playing "nanimals" with Surrey all day every day. This is the first afternoon Surrey is napping pretty much since the move (it got so bad we switched the door knob around and locked her in there - but no need to call CPS) and the boy is, too. So here I am. Hello again.

Knox Braddock was born Friday, July 25 @ 2:23pm, coming in at a hefty 8lbs 5 oz and much longer than his sister at 21". He looks exactly like Surrey did though, aside from a darker and more thick head of hair. He championed the hospital, hallelujah; however, hasn't been quite as easy since. He's far more manageable than Surrey was - or else we're far more empowered this time around. Either way, we'll take it. You guys, yesterday we even got to church on time and showered (even Knox got a bath)! I don't think I entered back into public civilization with Surrey until her half birthday.  I don't say this for a pat on the back, I'm just saying it's a whole different ball game with the second. You can't let the sleep deprivation or the post-pregnancy body insecurity in. If for no other reason, you've gotta maintain normalcy for the sake of your poor oldest child. I have to keep telling myself she will be resilient, she won't be traumatized. Right? Thankfully, she is totally in love with the boy and hasn't started a full-fledged rebellion as of yet.

The plan is to snap a weekly photo of Knox for his first year just like we did with Surrey. Two lessons learned though: (1) We needed something to maintain constant in the photos for scale purposes - Surrey took up as much of the frame week one as she did week fifty-two. Hence, the clipboard. Don't fall off your chair from that burst of creativity. (2) Ain't nobody got the cash to buy a new fabric each week so poor second child will be getting random blankets and some fabric from Surrey's and who knows what else. 

And as we part, I'm telling you I jinxed it. Surrey is up already. But hey, at least she can't get out? Jesus take the wheel...