Busy Life, Family of 5

Nostril shots are what you get when you let the 5 year old snap pics on your walk.

Magda smiling plenty these days!

S, E, and G shooting model rockets at the park. Good times with small explosives!

Life continues to be busy. I'm not sure some days, just where it all goes. I keep trying to consider it all, is it a BAD busy? Am I rushing through life not taking the time to smell the roses? But no, I don't think so. Our days are full of food, school, work, books, stories of each others days, a growing, smiling baby and big kids who adore her. Magda and I have been to two births now and have done plenty of prenatal visits. Thankfully, she's done remarkably well and has kept quiet or slept when needed most. I also have a great apprentice who is doing a lot of primary under supervision work, so hopefully it's a win-win for all of us.
Some days are difficult and leave me exhausted, but I'm trying to strike some sort of balance.

I think I will plan to take M to births with me until the new year, and then only to prenatal/post partum visits. We'll see how it goes. I get the feeling my mother can't wait for me to leave M with her longer than my daily 40 minute drive big kids to school and back!

In the meantime, just starting to think about the holidays. My mom bought S a beginner's sewing machine, my MIL is gifting S a sewing box of her own full of cool, miscellaneous stuff, and I'm giving her two months of sewing lessons from a local woman. I can't sew more than buttons and S is way into hacking up old clothes and fabric, tacking them back together to create some new piece. She also loves design books, so I'll be on the look out for those too.
As for little E: his big thing is drawing. He's filled at least 5 notebooks in the last month with his drawings and "stories". He's all about sounding out words to narrate his pictures. He also loves dot-to-dots and mazes. So I think his gifts this year will be doodle books and maybe some fresh drawing supplies.
Baby M will get a few small things to satisfy her big brother and sister!

All right, off to do laundry before heading to the office...

One Month, Already?!

Actually, our girl is a little over a month old now. Wow. Time is flying. Life is so full!
I can't even say "busy" because that sounds negative. It's just FULL. And that's okay. I'm trying to wrap my head around how to keep up with kids, husband, meal planning, cooking, chickens, garden wrap-up, school projects, theater practice, reading to E, helping S study her times tables, and being back to work.
It's nice being back in the office. It's nice being back at work and enjoying it again. Those last few weeks of my pregnancy left me with little empathy. For shame, I know. It's just where I was emotionally folks. And no, I didn't like feeling that way. Is it strange to say my hands have missed feeling pregnant bellies/babies? Well they have. I love talking with the women and their families and feel blessed as always to be a midwife.
On a side note, I've been taking M with me to prenatals and she's been awesome. She's our youngest apprentice yet. ;)

I've stayed up late on a Saturday night to order pictures via Snapfish from my pregnancy, M's birth and her first month on the outside. Last year, my friend Kate gifted me a gorgeous photo book for my birthday. At the time, G and I had just secretly started trying to conceive. I knew as soon as I received the book that I would use it for the baby we were trying for. Now it is time to fill it with pictures.
Blogging and Facebook are nice to share digital photos, but I still love to have actual prints in frames and books to thumb through and enjoy.