New Addition - Sometimes

Well, it's official, we started babysitting our friends' little baby (3 months old) this past Monday. Ever since we'd learned she was expecting, they'd been considering having us watch the little guy when she had to go back to work.

I watched another friend's two kids after school through most of October, November and December - occassionally in January and have started up again with them as well for a couple of hours. That makes for a house of 7 kids for between one and two hours on the week days.

This new little guy has had the wonderful blessing of Mommy at home for 12 weeks - that's more maternity leave than most women I know of. Both parents have been very happy to know that the little guy is being cared for here and has adjusted so well. It's made it easier for her to go back to work. She also works in education - though it's a special education - so she has most of the same vacations as Bob - the difference is that she also has a 5 week session in the summer. Still that's something like 9 weeks off when you count up all the weeks and extra days.

C. is so sweet and laid back. He's a nursed baby, so the adjustment on Monday was the hardest, Tuesday went better, and then Wednesday and today were great. That was a lot faster than I had expected for him to adjust. But he loves to be sung to, played with, talked to - and sleeps about half the time he's here (for now). We are really enjoying having him here.

It's been an adjustment in our lives too - though I get to sleep through the night (assuming I don't have sick kids), I still have to rebalance my day in figuring out how to fit in all the things that need to happen. Since C. found his napping schedule (more or less), it's been rather easy to figure that out - or most of the way.