Zofia is one month old today already! She had her check-up with the pediatrician this morning and is doing well. She's up from her birth weight of 6 pounds, 8 ounces to 9 pounds, 1 ounce. She has blocked tear ducts, so her eyes have been a bit goopy on and off for the past few days, but hopefully that will resolve on its own shortly. Joe had one blocked duct until he was eleven months old. We were just about to have to consider having the minor surgery to open it, when it cleared up on its own. But, everything else is going well. She's been a fairly easy baby so far, and we're really enjoying her.
We were worried that having another baby would require so much attention, that we'd feel like we were neglecting Flo and Joe's needs. It's been exactly the opposite. Flo and Joe require so much time and energy, that poor Zofia just gets shuffled into the mix. She's very agreeable, though. I'm breastfeeding, so we just make time for that in between activities with the kids, and if someone's having a meltdown, I just set Zofia in her crib or swing, deal with it whatever drama or emergency is occurring, then come back and continue feeding her. Doing school work with the kids is much the same. We just have to work around everyone's needs, and get stuff done when we can.
Anyway, we've been busy the last couple of weeks with new homeschooling activities and getting into a new daily routine. Flo and Joe are enjoying having a baby sister, though they are proving to be a real challenge with each other. Sibling rivalry, I guess. Parenting is my biggest challenge yet. Never has anyone caused me to reflect so intensely on the consequences of my own behavior, as have my children. It's definitely growth-inspiring just navigating the day to day activities while realizing that everything I do, and that we do together, provides the framework for their view of the world. Not too much pressure!
My cousin and his wife had a baby girl just a little over a week after Zofia was born, my other cousin had a baby girl in March, and Darren's sister is having a baby girl next month. So, Zofia's going to have some cousins (maybe once removed, or whatever) quite close in age as she grows up. Of course, we don't live near one another, but maybe they can be pen pals. My cousin, Katie, and I are about six weeks apart, and we were quite close growing up, despite only living in the same town for one year during our teens. So, much of our communication was done through the postal system, and these days, it's e-mail.
So… aside from the introspective look at parenting, not much else to report for the moment… Off to catch a few hours of sleep.