'what's up' weekly.

This week was a bit more of the same thing from last week: the kids were all in love with Callista, Todd was home to help me out, and I spent most of the week sitting on the couch and trying to nap when I could.

Because we do a year-round schedule, it was only our first official week of summer break, and the kids had a lot more discretionary time than normal.  They spent most of it outside or coloring at the table.

Penelope was so excited for summer break to start, so she could stop doing school and start... well, reading just as much as we normally do.

Rocco spent much of his time wearing a tiny straw fedora and getting into everything.  He has reached full-on 'toddler' stage at this point, which means lots more talking and communicating, which is so fun, and also lots more climbing on things, temper tantrums, and general activity, which can be hard to keep up with.  (Do I need to mention that later this same day, he fell from his perch up here, hit his head on the china cabinet, and bit his tongue in a pretty gnarly way?  It's as though toddlers don't care whether their choices are good and safe.)

Callista spent her time sleeping, eating and voicing her opinions on various topics, such as: Being Cold, Being Tired, Being Gassy, Being Wet, Being Bored, and Being Manhandled by the Bigger Kids.

Here's how Todd feels about being a dad of a half-dozen kids:

Photo by Penelope

And Penelope lost a top tooth and is now on her way to being a full-fledged adult.  Those top front teeth make such a big difference in their smile - she looks so grown up!  I already miss her crooked little baby-tooth smile, but this one is pretty, too!

And yesterday, my mom came down and picked up the five big kids to spend a week at Camp Ya-Ya, to help me with the transition now that Todd is back at work.  I spent the first five minutes that they were gone reveling in the unusual freedom to throw away whatever 'precious pieces of artwork' (read: scraps of notebook paper covered in various crayon scribbles) covering my kitchen counters, dining room table, and floors.  After that catharsis, I was super bummed and bored and stir-crazy with all the quiet.  It's too chill around here without the kids.

So I spent most of the day working on homeschool planning for next year, finishing up the kids' portfolios from last year, and working on a few assignments in an online drawing course I'm taking.  I also spent a lot of time reading (!!), and some time watching Netflix while my hands were occupied nursing Callista.  I even got in a nap and a shower.  So while the day was mostly spent on the couch, it was full of good, restful, productive things.

And as for today, it should be more of the same thing: Priority #1 is to nap, Priority #2 is to continue to sit as much as possible.  And those are probably about the extent of what I'll be able to accomplish today.  Should be a good day!

one week in: how we're doing overall.

We have now survived a full week at home with Callista, after being discharged from the hospital last Wednesday.

When Todd and I arrived home, we were greeted by handmade signs from the kids.  They were all so excited to have Callista home for good, and they've spent the week snuggling her (and/or poking her, as in the case of Rocco) and being generally enthused about the whole transition.

Todd and I are holding up pretty well, all things considered.  It's been so nice to have him home to help, and it's been good for him to have the week off of work to rest when he can during the day, since it definitely doesn't happen overnight. 

For all of Callista's glowing, amazing qualities, 'excellent sleeper' does not go on the list.  She does not sleep well unless she's on her tummy or being snuggled, and even then, two hours between feedings is about the absolute most we can expect at this point, and it's often closer to an hour.  Two nights ago, she ate four times between midnight and 5 a.m.  It's been pretty exhausting.  Thankfully, Todd has been great about making sure we're able to find time during the day for me to nap, so it hasn't gotten ahead of me (yet).

Once Todd goes back to work, my mom will take the big kids for a few days so that I can slowly transition to being on my own during the day with just the baby, which I'm so grateful for.  My goal is to continue to find time each day to nap while I can - once I have all six on my own, I'm not sure if I can make that happen as easily, so I'm going to make it a priority for at least the next week.

Recovery is going well.  I had set a goal to sit/lay down/rest as much as humanly possible for the first four weeks.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it that long, but this last week has been a success in that regard.  I have wonderful friends bringing meals most days, I've started having Amish products just delivered to the house, Todd has been on Big Kid Duty while I'm wrangling Callista and her monstrous appetite, and I seriously just change from one pair of jammies into the next pair of jammies.  So it's been a success in that regard.

(And I just have to take a moment to brag: on Thursday when I took her in for her next-day weight check after we were discharged, she hadn't gained any weight.  So the doctor asked us to come back on Monday to make sure she was gaining by then.  And thanks to her voracious eating habits, she gained nine ounces in those four days.  You grow, girl!)

All things considered, one week in and we're doing well.  I'm always anxious to get the first six weeks behind me because it seems to get easier from there, but things are at least headed in the right direction.  Now, if we can only figure out the magic code to turn her sleeping mode to "Very On," we should be all set.  Because isn't a sleeping baby the very best sight?

mommy date day.

This day took place a couple of weeks ago, and there is probably more pressing news I could be reporting on today, but there is ALWAYS pressing news with a newborn (such as how adorable she is when she sleeps, or how I'm just dying to tell you how good her head smells).  So I figured it's probably best to write about it now, before months fly by and I totally drop the ball on telling you about it at all.

The weekend before my due date, Todd and I arranged to make Saturday "Mommy Date Day" for the kids.  Todd held down the fort at home, and I got to take each of the kids out one at a time.  I started off the morning with breakfast with my biggest buddy.  I got an insanely good omelette (which is saying something, because I mostly hate how everyone else in the world cooks eggs).  Atticus got "Birthday Cake Pancakes" with frosting AND whipped cream AND sprinkles.  Also, he added syrup.  Also, a giant hot chocolate.  I about died from diabetes just watching the waitress set it on the table. 

But the fastest way to a man's heart is through food, and he felt looooved.  It was so fun, sitting in that booth and chatting away.  He's quiet and thoughtful and wants to serve in the military when he grows up.

Then Miss Penelope got a turn to head out with me.  She'd been begging to get to check out Barnes and Noble, so we browsed books and got Starbucks and she is absolutely my mini-me in so many ways.  (And absolutely her own amazing person in so many other ways.)  I am sooo excited to have a book-loving gal pal to mix it up with for many years to come.  And she's going to be a self-sustaining farmer-slash-author when she grows up, so you know I'm going to be tagging along and reading all her books and eating the bounty of her harvest and hoping to be just like her one day.

Finneas got his turn next, and he wanted a burger.  So we bypassed McDonald's (thank the good Lord I was able to convince him to go somewhere else) and headed to "Shakin' Bacon," as Finneas kept calling it.  He spent all of his time coloring and offering me his lunch and asking if I needed anything.  He has such a sweet, generous, caring heart.  He ordered sliders, but barely ate any of his food - he filled up on his shake and called it good.  But you know what?  Who cares.  Mommy date days are ones in which you throw insulin to the wind and party like it's 1999.

And then it was this tiny girl's turn.  She wanted ice cream.  And how.  So we went to THEEE Local Frozen Custard Place.  And she sat in silence, devouring her strawberry shortcake sundae.  Like, literal silence.  But once we got back in the car, girlfriend got chatty.  I love listening to her itty bitty voice, learning to voice such big-girl thoughts.

And with as little as Rocco is, he didn't go on a one-on-one date with me.  Basically every day for him is a one-on-one date with me.  He had opinions about whether or not I should be leaving the house without him, though.

Apparently, I owe him a Mommy date soon.

It was so wonderful connecting with each of the kids individually!  They're all so great, for so many different reasons.  I really, really love spending time with them - I like being around them.  Such great buddies to have!

the best thing about it all.

After I had Penelope, I had a (presumably) well-intentioned individual tell me that, now that I had a boy and a girl, I was free to stop having children!  I thanked her for her granted permission, then went about my merry way getting pregnant with Finneas.  She could not believe that I would want three whole children - THREE!  Then when I got pregnant with Laurelai, she reprimanded me for having more children than I could reasonably care for.  After all, a child can't possibly receive enough love and attention in a family that size!  It was pure irresponsibility on my part. 

(Luckily, by the time I got pregnant with Rocco, I think she'd just written me off as a nutcase and didn't say anything further.)

While her comments were the most direct I've received, I think that's a common misconception about large family life: that the kids are missing out on love and attention because there is apparently a fixed amount of those things, and the larger the number of kids, the smaller their individual slivers of the pie chart get.

The argument doesn't hold any water.  None whatsoever.  Because the thing is, love requires an object.  It has to be directed at something in order to exist at all.  It's miraculous that way - it isn't fixed; it grows as there are more objects at which it can be directed.  The more kiddos, the more love available to each one.  Children don't get lost in intentional large families; they get seen in ways they wouldn't have gotten to otherwise.  They get to love more, and they get to receive more love.

When Atticus was born, he got to come home to two people who were completely in love with him.  When Callista came home, she came home to seven people who are completely in love with her.  How is that worse?  How is she at a disadvantage?  I see my children shine when they have new objects of their love.  I see sensitive, excited, nurturing parts of them come to the surface.  I see their selflessness and compassion grow.  Just look at how they welcomed her here.

Penelope was head over heels to meet her baby sister; she even asked, "Do we get to keep her forever?!"

Laurelai is constantly asking to hold and cuddle Callista, and is dying to know when she can carry her around independently.  "When I am five, can I hold her not-on-the-couch?  When I am six?"

Finneas goes all quiet and awestruck around her.  He is such a to-the-hilt kid in every regard, but he gets so quiet and contemplative just looking at her.  He also asks to hold her frequently.

Atticus' name means 'fatherlike.'  He is chief of the tribe of the Mini Minivan Voorsts.  And he takes that seriously.  He watches over her and is completely enamored.  I just love the look that comes across his face when he looks at her.

Rocco is Rocco.  I honestly wasn't sure how he'd take to her, but he is GIDDY.  As soon as we walked in the door from the hospital, he started screaming, "BABY! BABY!" and running laps around the living room.  He's often so excited around her that he gets really rough.  (She's already been beaned in the head with an excellently aimed and well-intentioned, but underappreciated whiffle ball.)  But I love seeing the pure, innocent excitement of a brother loving on his new baby.

There is nothing like someone new to love to bring out the best, most loveable parts of the veteran members of the family.  It's why, when people ask me what I like best about large family life, I'm honestly able to answer that, hands down, the best part of it all is how many people there are to love, and how many there are who love you back.  It's a full, full life we live and I'm grateful for it.