Gabriel's been home 7 weeks now. Something magical seemed to happen at about the 6 weekmark. I think I saw the heavens part. Nah! But - WOW - things have seemed to really start to fall into place. Figuring out a newborn and his schedule. Figuring out breastfeeding. Figuring out how to function on 6-7 hours of sleep (someties 4-5 hours). Figuring out how to work out our homeschooling schedule. Figuring out LIFE as a family of seven! All of this seemed to click into place much better at about the 6-week mark. Not that things were horrible for the first 6 weeks (o.k. maybe there was more than one day that I spent much of the day in weary tears). I'm very thankful for where we are now...
In slower times (but who likes slower times, anyway??? way over-rated!), each of these topics would likely each merit their own post...but one big 'ol random topic post will have to suffice!
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We got our tax return. Yes, our NEXT tax return. Within two weeks of having (finally!) received our last tax return...we received our current return. Sorry, no picture of us doing the happy dance this time...we only do that when we've been waiting 12 months!
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I have now officially lost 5 pounds since I began nursing Gabriel. Nothing to cheer about, except I haven't overtly done a thing to help that number, and it has still gone down.
I haven't stepped foot on the treadmill one time since Mr. G came home (re-read the part up top where I talk about getting 6-7 hours of sleep, and sometimes 4-5, if you want to know WHY I haven't been getting up at 5 a.m. to do my treadmill like I used to!)
And quite the opposite of restricting what I'm eating to help lose weight...I have been eating more than ever before because I. am. ravenous. Case in point: our weekly pizza night on Friday night. I normally eat 2, maybe 3, pieces of pizza...on Friday night I ate FIVE pieces of pizza! Ravenous, I tell ya...
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Gabriel's hair and skin. It is different than my hair and skin. It is different than my Chinese children's hair and skin.
As with any new topic that I want to learn about, I'm throwing myself into learning all I can about it.
I have started following a new blog (you can find it over on my sidebar): Chocolate Hair/Vanilla Care. Wow, I've had a good time reading back through some of the archives. And - wow - I've got a lot to learn.
I have e-mailed and talked in person with other parents. From one of these parents I got the recipe for Body Butter that I recently mixed up and having been using on Gabriel. Equal parts Shea Butter, Mango Butter and Coconut Oil. With some Orange essential oil thrown in, just so he will smell yummy. He does!
I have joined a Yahoo e-mail group: "Adoption Hair and Skin Care", whose purpose is to educate clueless parents like myself!
And I am SO buying this e-book I just found, put together by a mom of two Haitian princesses, trying to fundraise for her next adoption!
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Mr. Daniel achieved a big milestone in school this morning.
He is DONE with all of his guided readers.
He will now graduate to reading "real library" books (as he refers to them).
He is DONE with all of his guided readers.
He will now graduate to reading "real library" books (as he refers to them).
He's just a little excited.
In fact, when we got some of the "real" books down to look at a few that he'll be reading soon, he wanted to start one today...
...and just skip his last lesson in the reader. (We didn't skip it, btw!)*******************
Speaking of reading, I've been doing some of that lately too.
I mentioned here on January 17th what I was currently reading.
And then...Gabriel was born on January 20th. And all that reading of those books came to a screeching halt!
Well, I limped through the remainder of my James bible study...but the rest of the books have been put aside.
I have strictly been reading books on my Ipod Touch. Why? Because it is SO easy to carry around. And the only time I'm reading lately is when I'm nursing Gabriel...and I need something small and easy to hold onto, since I'm multi-tasking. Right now Gabriel is eating 6 times a day. Each feeding session takes a minimum of 30-40 minutes, sometimes longer. When the other children are awake, I just feed Gabriel (using My Brest Friend, which actually is a nursing mom's Best Friend!) wherever we are and in the middle of whatever we're doing (eating breakfast, doing school with the children, etc.). But I still get quite a bit of reading time in every day....
Over the past 7 weeks I've...
Finished Jane Eyre.
Read Treasure Island.
Read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Seriously. It was already on my device, so I thought I might as well give it a shot. It was SO interesting! He was so interesting! He was one very intelligent, very multi-talented guy!
And now I'm reading the Count of Monte Cristo. This is a lonnnngggg book. But I'm really enjoying it. And like with all books that I enjoy reading, I really don't want it to end!
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