1 month

Long time no blog post! You'd think I have a new baby or something. Life is good here- John is back at work full time, and I am adjusting to the element of the unexpected a newborn brings to our life once again. This first month with Anna has been a pleasure. The women in our ward really stepped up to the plate, bringing meals, stopping by to visit, watching the kids, and just keeping an eye on us in general. I love living here, but like anyone else occasionally wish for the comforts of having extended family close, so it has been wonderful to see the women step in to fill that need for love and help. Besides my ongoing struggle with lower back pain, my recovery has been lovely. My biggest challenge has been forgetting that I just had a baby and overdoing it in my everyday activities. Luckily Anna is a wonderfully happy child. She began smiling about 10-11 days ago, and smiles more every day. She has fussy moments, and thrives on being held (in part because with attachment minded parents and 4 adoring sibling she rarely gets put down), but is truly the happiest baby I've had yet. She brings such a sweet spirit to the family, I can't wait to get to know her more as she grows. Life has been busy with finishing up gymnastics and dance, church obligations, and lots of park dates, so I'll be updating with more pictures and video soon. However, right now babe is sleeping and the bedcovers and a good book are calling my name!