One diaper at a time...

so, baby girl is almost 9 weeks old. 9 weeks...?!? i don't even know how to comprehend what has happened in nine weeks. when baby boy shouted his way in to this world i knew our lives were turning in to something we'd never seen before. and it was true. we were new people with new priorities, new pasttimes, and new to-do lists. and you would think that when we found out about baby girl during baby boy's fifth month of life, we would be new people again. but it didn't happen then. nope, we just kept on with our original "newness"...shocked but not AFFECTED. it didn't even happen as baby boy started walking and screaming ;) and becoming a "big boy" or as my belly got bigger. we still kept on in our knowledge of raising only one baby. i don't even know if we knew what was happening the day when sweet girl was born. but i'll tell you now, it HAS happened. we are completely new AGAIN. i mean, if you showed me a picture of myself before babies were born, i wouldn't recognize the girl staring back. there is probably room here for some funny quip about how i've physically changed but let's just smooth right on over to what i really mean. i mean, we operate as a totally different machine--dad's got strikingly new duties, mama is coming up with solutions for things unfathomable to a human pre-2 children, bubba is finding new ways to less violently love on "his baby" (per mom and dad's lessons in, "Gentle, Nolan, Gentle"), trying to understand why he doesn't get held as much as he used to, and is looking for independence beyond his physical limits, and baby girl, she's just taking it all in and spitting it up right back at'cha! --side note--what is it with my babies and reflux and food allergies? there will come a beautiful day, friends, where i will eat pizza and drink a milkshake in one sitting and watch my children swallow their food without an expectant burp cloth awaiting the flood. oh yes, there will.--
And So...i'd like you to introduce you to the armstrongs. we're a wild group. we'll test your eardrums but we'll guarantee you a good time. even if it's laughing while watching us try to take our backpack, diaper bag-laden, epipen, pacifier, burp cloth-holding, baby-carrying selves out of the car and into a restaurant for a little family dinner. "...table for two, one highchair, a sling, and a table away from as many people, peanuts, and dairy and soy items as possible, please..." we're exhausted but we're going to make it. our children are gorgeous and growing and absolutely precious. truly, it pains my heart to think of life without them. we are taking things one diaper at a time here and we're pleased to meet you just the way we are!