What a week!

Is it possible that it was just about exactly a week ago at this time that I started feeling contractions in some kind of time-able fashion?  How is it that one week could hold so much - it feels like the week is completely running over with cuteness, sleepiness, and oh so many precious moments.  So in light of Terah's almost one week birthday, I thought I'd note a few highlights of this week while she is completely sacked out on my lap. Oh how I long for the point at which she sleeps this solidly in the middle of the night.  But she'll figure it out and in the meantime I'll do my best to savor those little eyes looking at my intently at 3 in the morning!

Let's start with a few outdoor updates; most of those do not include Terah.  However, she has gotten out four days in a row with me, Mom, Kali and Alida for nappy walks.  All have been successful in getting naps for both Alida and Terah.  The day my midwife told me just to go as far as the mailbox and back, I very obediently followed instructions.  I figured by the next day I could venture farther! Today I did, however, discover my current limits. We walked the two miles much faster and it felt great and then I got to suffer through about a half hour of pretty intense contractions when we returned and I was trying to take a nap.  Live and learn, or in this case walk too fast and learn!

I was also up and about more today doing some outdoor pre-frost tasks. I was getting the herb/spice garden all tucked in - harvesting all the remaining hot and paprika peppers and chopping up the plants; harvesting several bags of feathery dill to freeze (thanks to Mom being here I now know that it freezes well!) and use fresh; harvesting a bunch of parsley (though it is likely to make it through this frost); and chopping up the basil plants that failed to produce any seed and were looking pathetic.  It felt nice to be outside and walk around the gardens. I snacked on a few white raspberries and figs and also meandered to the main garden for some flat leaf parsley, oregano and garlic chives to add to our lentils for lunch.  I'll miss those harvesting routines, as much as I'm also eager to hunker down next to a fire in the wood stove (we haven't needed one since the night of Terah's birth but I think we might tomorrow).

Jason has been busy this week working to get some crops harvested before frost (grain amaranth and corn most recently) and some cover crops seeded (barley, rye, and oats to name a few).  I believe he is feeling more or less ready for frost.  What remains to be done is less urgent and not as frost sensitive.  What I think that means is even more baby adoring in Jason's future!  He has gotten little stints of holding her this week and also took some time one evening to finish up her lullaby (which is lovely!), but there have been a lot of arms pretty eager for this little gal to fill around here this week!

Having my mom around all week and my dad for part of the week has made all the difference in the world - on the quality of food we have eaten, the number of games I've been able to play with Alida and Kali, the amount of sleep I've gotten, the cleanliness of our floors, etc...  Dad has also helped Jason out with chicken chores on multiple occasions and they took the girls to soccer, freeing Jason up to finally rid our garage of many bags of trash and glass recycling that had been building up for way too long! They have also got in some good baby holding time!  I've been so very, very grateful and wondered if the little emotional dip I had the other day was in part me looking ahead to their departure Sunday and wondering how we'll gracefully go through our days without them!

I also think it will be healthy for the five of us to start to establish some routines, if that is even possible with a one week old in the house.  And I think Jason will actually be grateful to have his assistance needed some indoors as I know he enjoys every chance he gets to connect with Terah.  Normally right now there is a line up of folks eager to hold her. It is obvious she knows her big sisters and has gotten quite comfy in Kali's arms on numerous occasions. I see many book reading sessions with a little gal on Kali's chest.

A few things to note from Terah's week.  As of this morning her dried cord stump came off!  Cheers all around for that.  That has never been a milestone that comes too soon for me or Jason.  I'm always so relieved when it comes off and there's been no major irritation at the site.  It seems to be healing just fine!  And now cloth diapering will be even easier - not that it has been a problem. We once again can't imagine doing anything simpler.  It also appears that Terah may follow in Alida's footsteps in getting a good and early start on potty training (just right now it is "sink training"). On her second day of life she woke up dry after lots of nursing. I figured I might as well take her to the sink and see if she wanted to go out of her diaper.  She did. I was impressed.  She has done it at least a dozen times since and now clearly associates me holding her over the sink and asking her if she needs to go potty with doing just that. I make a little sound and she grunts, bears down and often gives the sink a good spraying.  Yes, I am washing it well in between times.

All around, I'd say that Terah is adjusting wonderfully well to life outside the womb.  She is even starting to give off some really good smiles (both in her sleep and when she is awake).  I even got a few on camera today so that no one could doubt it - my goodness, could anything be sweeter?  I hardly want to look away from her for fear that I'll miss one. But I imagine there will be lots more coming.  I think she recognizes that she has a pretty good life and that her needs will be met just as soon as we figure out what they are - which most of the time she is pretty good in letting us know.

She has not been able to keep up with the amount of milk my body is producing - which is nothing very new for me.  Alida has been very fascinated with me pumping and she is now a big fan of her morning cup of hot chocolate, made with the surplus Terah can't make use of. I have to say I got a little thrill out of Kali noting last night that she might like to try it.  So as of today, the hot chocolate has to be divided into two mugs.  I'm not at all disappointed to see all three of our gals getting a little daily shot of antibodies.  I know it seems weird to many (but that is nothing new for us). I happen to find it odd how surprised people are, but very few think it is odd that we drink milk from a cow.

Ok, it's about time to get dinner on.  We have been eating so well and still enjoying so much fresh good stuff.  Supper tonight is potatoes and nettle biscuits with summer gravy (corn, squash, onions, and garlic) over top.  We'll then have the very last tomatoes with some fermented beets and homemade mayonnaise (that flopped, by the way, but is still edible).  I'm also doing a trial run on a cranberry pear rhubarb crisp - I didn't want to try to make a new recipe for our small group on Tuesday so I'm trying it out on the family first.  It smells and looks quite edible.  It was nice to do just a tad bit of cooking today to ease my way back into it. Now we'll have to see if I still remember how to do dishes!