It's so much nicer to be four

Wow... life! The sun is shining, the room is warm, little Landon is snug as a bug in his boppy chair, and has been most of the day. Samara is down for her afternoon nap. Steve and I had lunch, outside, together, in the sunshine. Lovely. Times like these it feels so easy, so perfect. Landon has been a perfect little man. Feeding so well, sleeping all day and finally last night having something of a good night, waking just every 2 hours to feed, instead of being up from 10:30-4:30 feeding constantly like the 3 previous nights. Of course, it was last night that Samara had a rotten night and cried on and off for hours. She has been so sweet, so patient, so sisterly, but is also acting up a little, doing crazy things like rolling around on the floor like a dog, saying 'no' a fair bit more and resisting her crib. You can't blame her...we have rocked her world, but I look forward to my special times with her so much. This morning, we left the two boys at home (Landon was fast asleep) and we went shopping and to the toy store. So fun. But similarly, I cherish these incredible first days with my little boy. Oh, it is heavenly. I feel so much calmer than I did with Samara. The feeding, the sleeplessness, the crying during diaper changes, it doesn't faze me like it did. I am so in love with him already. I thank God for this maternal adoration that has kicked in so fast. There are moments, like now, when it seems all so simple, minutes and hours when it seems just so hectic, but all the while, we feel perfect. I knew it would never be the same... no longer just me and Sammy D home together (and sweet hubby too) but I also hoped I'd never look back and I really, truly haven't. Sure, it's only day 5, but gosh, I love this little boy, and boy, I love my big girl. Oh...but yes, suddenly she is so big. I worried about the stairs and carrying them both, but now she doesn't need me to carry her... I worried about her finding things to do but she reaches up on to our high counters, opens and closes the porch screen door, and carries her giant toys (dolls houses/picnic tables) from room to room as desired...and without warning. None of these happened until we got home on Tuesday, and goodness, does she seem big, heavy, wise, but she is funnier, sweeter and more jubilant than ever, while her feistiness and cheeky grin are more apparent, too. Landon has brought out the best in us all. Steve and I feel closer than ever. Oh, it is so wonderful to have him home, and wow, we experienced something so extraordinary together. I sort of, truly dread him returning to work a week from Monday, but for now, I'm soaking it all in, loving our big, little family and thanking God for the blessings in every moment, calm, crazy and in between.