Remembering

Since I last posted, we have greeted a new addition to the family by the name of: Samantha Joy Frey! She was born after induction on March 13, 2014 (kind of a fun number combo 3-13-14). She was five days late and I felt like she would never show up! Stephen was amazing at keeping my spirits up as we waited. We took several weekend mall trips to walk out my crazy energy and uplift my dampened mood. He just kept reminding me, "She's coming!" My OB was wonderful and calm and a great, gentle birth coach. My recovery has been so different from my first. Having Caitlin was the hardest thing I've ever done and I think I was a bit depressed because I felt so alone and nursing was very difficult. Things have come so much more naturally this time and I already feel much more in love with this wee one. I had a much harder time with Cait's newborn stage. I am home from work for the remainder of the school year, finding a new rhythm at home with my girls. I love that our family has grown. We are so blessed to have this new little one. It is such a profound miracle to grow and birth and nurture a baby and I feel so lucky to have two. Cait clearly has many emotions to sort through and she has hard moments, but she is so helpful and gentle with her new sister. I can tell she is just glad to have another kid around even if it's a little 2 month old crying, mush ball. She calls her sister "Samanthi" and "Sam Sam" and she says "Aww so cute" about six hundred times a day in reference to Sam's facial expressions, outfits, what have you. It's endearing to the point of almost annoying. Since Caitlin is my main buddy here during the days, in terms of someone to talk so, I wanted to record some of her current interests and funny sayings. A few things about Cait at 4 and a half years old: *obsessive about fashion and creating fantastical outfits/dressing up *is constantly constructing scenarios for play like: balls, dances, weddings, birthday parties, picnics *loving her preschool and will dearly miss it during summer (but there's summer play sessions at park!) *taking swim again (Preschool 2) and feeling cool with her new flower swim suit and mermaid towel (monogrammed!) *plays Barbies, ponies, Calico Critters and is starting to get very detailed in how she dresses them and sets up their little houses *loves to dance and sing constantly (especially to Frozen movie soundtrack or Disney songs on Pandora) *enjoys helping in the kitchen (making the coffee, mixing up pancakes, baking with mommy) and is able to partially help set the table *is very artistic and loves re-using materials from kitchen to make crafts (cereal box houses, coffee can mailbox, you name it...) *started drawing her own people and characters and writes series of letters (mix of upper and lower case), but starting to get the idea that there are spaces between words *enjoys Sunday school most when little friend Riley is there (remembers playing more than the actual lesson) *asks to go out for ice cream constantly since we tried out new Fro Yo place where you make your own...she was in heaven *tears up at least once a day (likely related to new baby stress) *loves walking or biking to the park and is currently into swinging on her belly The other day at lunch she told me: "Mom, did you know that Tinkerbell and Periwinkle wear ripped up baby diapers for underpants?" (totally out of the blue) Samantha is currently learning how to smile and *almost* laugh and the rest of the time she's sleeping or wetting her diapers...ah the life of a 2 month old. We are in love with our little ladies. Thanks for joining us in the journey!