Trio

Delaney already seems like a very strong girl—even at a day old in the hospital, she would lift her head up off one of our shoulders and hold it for several seconds. With her alert periods now extending, we had time to have some tummy time this morning. And although she lasted only a few minutes, I think she actually didn’t mind it so much…

Her smile says it all--Franny is no less than thrilled to be a big sister to Delaney. She is unquestionably a great big sister to Cole, as well, but it is much different with Delaney. Franny is very protective, and will literally jump to tell me that D is awake or crying; she is always very concerned if she is hungry, cold, tired, or needs to be changed. Not surprisingly, she has appointed herself Delaney’s fashion consultant; thankfully, there are only three sleepers to choose from right now. And, in contrast to the rough and tumble affection she showers on Cole, she is incredibly gentle with Delaney, without the slightest prompting. She is a great big sister!

Cole has seemed to have not skipped a beat since Delaney joined us at home. Franny has been very excited for her birth, but over the last nine months, it’s been much harder to gauge how much Cole understood. Franny, naturally, had a period of adjustment to the arrival of Cole when she was about the same age, which was very difficult to see her work through. A similar reaction with Cole was my one anxiety about Delaney’s arrival. But, so far, he seems to be as happy and well-adjusted as ever. He is very interested in her, likes to gives her kisses, and wants to know where she is and what she is doing. I wish I could see into the future and be able to take comfort in knowing that Cole and Delaney will have the same strong ties that he and Franny do. But, I guess that would take the joy out of seeing it all unfold.

Unstructured, continuous sleep—one of the sweet and peaceful joys of the first days of the newborn. And, for the most part, this is exactly what Delaney does—she sleeps, sleeps, and then, sleeps some more. She will wake up to eat, and then she may or may not even open her eyes before she drifts off again for another extended nap. It is a very special moment when we see her with her eyes open for an extended period of time, although she is starting to have more of them as the days progress. From my perspective, her sleep does make for an easier transition into learning to balance the needs of three children—a task that, I know, will become exponentially more challenging when Delaney decides to abandon her deep sleeps. But that is a worry for another day. Today, we remain in our blissful honeymoon period, where we all have time for a good nap!

After much anticipation, on June 19th at 7:37 am, Delaney Reese finally joined us. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 19 3/4 inches long. Upon her arrival, this amazing little girl immediately stole our hearts, and every time I see her sweet little face, my heart melts over and over again.

Special thanks to big sister Franny, who shopped for, selected, and packed with the utmost love and care, very special clothes for Delaney to wear home from the hospital, as well as a cozy blanket to keep her warm!

1 day old and preparing to head home