Saturday, June 13, 2009

Saying Hello to Jacob

Jacob Alexander Baum was born at 5:49 pm on June 1st (8 lbs. 3 oz., 21 inches long). It was a long day, especially for Cheryl. Our family of four has become a family of five. I think we're a lot more relaxed about this baby than the other two. Jessica was our first, and like all new parents we were nervous and worried about everything. We had learned to relax a little bit by the time Jason arrived, but the combination of an infant and a four year old was more stressful than we had anticipated. Not that I'm complaining - it was probably easier than when you have two (or more) kids in diapers at the same time, but at the time it still seemed very chaotic.

This time is different. Jason and Jessica are old enough to take care of most things themselves in a pinch. In fact, Jessica has already been a big help with Jacob. I'm also taking more time off from work and hopefully we'll get a good routine established before I return to work.

Like any newborn, Jacob primarily eats, sleeps, and poops. And I'm happy to say that he excels at all three of these activities. Part of me is really looking forward to the fun of the toddler stage, but on the other hand I don't want to be in too much of a hurry to always get to the next phase. Looking over at Jessica reminds me that it will inevitably go by faster than you want.