Laughing at the Days

I don't have much fancy to say because I think I still find myself in a bit of a mommy fog ;). But hopefully I can at least give you a little glimpse into our lives. Salem is now three months, which I can hardly believe. But at the same time it seems like he has been in our lives for much longer than that because he's such an intricate part of our family now. He has become such a happy, smiling, social little guy and we've enjoyed just getting to know his personality. He also seems to be so much more comfortable just watching life go on around him and at least a little bit less velcro'd onto the mama. The girls enjoy getting up close to him and entertaining him for me. They are amazingly sensitive and sweet with him, just naturally. I don't feel like I have to ever worry about them hurting Salem or even doing toddler things to him that would keep me concerned. They just have a sweet love for him and have such a sweet way with him. I'm so thankful for the way our kids are bonding. That reminds me to mention that the girls are now in their big girl beds in a shared room ;). Yes, I think we are crazy ;). When the girls are "in bed" trying to go to sleep they are just so adorable "talking" back and forth with each other, keeping each other from going to sleep. They really love each other. And a new favorite is the four of us holding hands to pray at night. The girls and I are also sorting out what our new lives look like at home and we've been taking advantage of one short Salem nap per day to do something just the three of us. We've found a great bible song cd and are practicing signing, we're making some cute art projects, we're learning one bible verse per week, and we're going to try to cook something once a week too. The girls are at a crucial stage of interest in learning and socializing and I am enjoying having memorable moments with them like watching Grace recognize a song and start doing the signs on her own...or watching their little fingertips organize small craft pieces on a tabletop...or seeing Kanah's mouthfull of teeth as she smiles up at me saying "cheeeeeese." This is certainly the most busy, sacrificial season of our lives, but it's also so full of life and I am just trying to keep my tired eyes open and body keeping up so I can take all of the joy of it all in.

Our sweet son, Salem Chandler Cowan, was born to our family on Monday March 30, 2009 at 12:20pm. He weighed 8 lbs 4 oz, was 20 inches long and had a head full of black hair. I teared up when I heard his first cry just the exact same as I did when I heard Kanah and then Grace cry as they were taken out of the womb. I know he was big, yet with the girls as big as they are at almost two years old, he seems teeny tiny to me. I felt like I instantly bonded with Salem. I don't know if it was something as little as the fact that we could hold him and keep him right by our side right away (unlike our for previous NICU experience for three weeks) or if my mama heart was already so deeply ingrained in me with my daughters that I just easily felt it for him too. Please enjoy our pictures of our first days with our son Salem! Also, visit Jason's blog at www.bythebluelight.blogspot.com 
to read more about our story with the delivery and also the story behind Salem's name.

Yesterday we took the girls to get their first haircut. Forty three dollars later we walked out with me deciding I am definitely going to do the deed from here on out. I couldn't decide if the haircuts had made their hair look more or less like mullets than before we came in. Until today. Today we both decided their hair did not in fact look like mullets (though the pictures disagree...I should have taken a "day after" shot too!). We actually really now have come to love their new dues and they look adorable. The girls did nooot enjoy the experience, which is one more get-stress-out-of-your-life reason to just do it at home yourself and spare the public scene. The only way they would stop crying was to shove a lolipop in their mouths, but that created even more stress for mama because I kept imagining them biting off the stick and something terrible and unmentionable happening with the round candy in their mouths. Although I am going to have to wait a little while to see those cute pigtails again, I am really really glad they will not have to be eating their bangs anymore. You look beautiful, girls!