We’re doing great around here, just in case you might be wondering. We’re working out our kinks slowly, adjusting to a new little one in the house. I’m surprised that the stress this time around is minimal compared to when we brought Kate home. Going from 2 kids to 3 has been easy to absorb . . . so far. I fully realize this could change in the next 20 minutes.
Annie Jane is still quite sleepy. She’s giving us good stretches of sleep at night and sleeps through all he chaos through the day. And she’s just so sweet! We are all quite smitten with her. I’ve resorted to setting the timer for the kids to take turns holding her. When Kate’s turn is up, she frequently says, “But I’m not done with her yet!”. She makes the cutest little squeaks and is starting to make eye contact with us. There’s just nothing like a newborn! We love it!
Some of you know that Annie was three weeks early. This happened for a few reasons. You see, all my kids have a history of a dramatic entrance into this world. William came five weeks early. He (and us) had to endure an 8 day stay in the NICU. Not an experience we’d like to repeat . . . so while I’ve mentally prepared for giving birth that early with the girls, we’ve also prayed that it wouldn’t happen. Kate came only 6 days early, but the twist with her was that I was quite dilated for a long time. The two weeks before her birth, I was 5 cm dilated and the doctor warned me that I needed to get to the hospital FAST when I started contractions. She was right– 90 minutes after my first contraction, Kate was born. While I was thankful for such a short labor, it was also quite scary and out of control. This time around, we discovered that Annie was breech. I was also dilating much like I did with Kate. The combination of the two things was not good. If I had gone into labor with Annie, the possibility of an emergency c-section was high. So we settled on a planned c-section, three weeks early. It wasn’t what we had anticipated, but in the end we were glad for a healthy, safe delivery for Annie. And now I feel like I’ve done it all . . . delivered at 35, 37, and 39 weeks . . . natural and c-section . . . boy and girl . . . NICU for 8 days, home the next day, in the hospital for 3 days . . . crazy! We also chuckle to think that Kate was by far our biggest baby. She was 8lbs 9 oz, compared to her brother who was 6lbs 9oz and sister who was 6lbs 15 oz. If her siblings had gone full term, they would have all been about her weight. It’s just that she was the only one who decided to wait until she was good and ready to come!

Annie Jane is named after a few of her great-great grandparents. We’ve carried this tradition through all the kids– one name from Peter’s side of the family; one from my side of the family. Annie was my great grandma on the Moneyheffer side. I dearly loved my grandparents, but Harold & Martha weren’t names that I particularly liked. Grandpa’s step-mother was Annie (his birth mother died in childbirth) and she died shortly after I was born. The only picture of me with her is when she decided to weigh me on the meat scale. She apparently didn’t believe the doctor! Jane is a name on Peter’s grandma’s side of the family. We call her both Annie and Annie Jane. And while William was a little disappointed that we didn’t use his suggestion of “Meece Snow White Damaska” or “Clarabell”, he’s adjusted to calling her Annie. Both Annie and Jane mean “gracious” and “gift of grace”.
We continue to take each moment at a time . . . thankfully the good moments are far outweighing the bad! And right now, Annie is sleeping and Will & Kate are peacefully reading their own books. At times like this, I am totally overwhelmed at the blessings God has entrusted to me!