Life with Wiley

37 weeks 1 day pregnant with Wiley!

 I've been absent from the blog...for almost 40 weeks I've hardly written. It's been a difficult pregnancy and I've sat down to write a few different times and have a few different meandering blogs written, none of which made it to print. I wasn't quite sure how to put this pregnancy into writing. It just seemed difficult to get the words onto the paper. 

Today is Wiley's due date. We've had him here with us for just over 2 weeks and I can no longer remember life without him. I CAN remember how miserable I was toward the end of my pregnancy (or the entire thing...let's be honest), but I vividly remember the moment he was placed on my belly and I fell totally and completely in love with him. I remember awhile later when they took him over to weigh him and warm him that I realized I felt completely better physically as well. It was literally that fast. Once he was born my body started to feel "normal" again. Of course, I then started the recovery of delivering a baby, but I'll take that over the awful sick feeling of pregnancy any day!

There is nothing like snuggling your newborn. Nothing like cuddling him close touching his tiny soft toes, hair, nose. Nothing like listening to the little grunts and noises as he settles into a really great nap. 

Life with Wiley is wonderful. 

There is no other way to say it. He fits into our family perfectly. 

I was so nervous about how Ginny would react to me snuggling a baby, nursing a baby, holding a baby. She is quite possessive of me with her older siblings. She has gladly and willingly shared me with Wiley. She does demand my attention and my cuddles, she often comes over to whisper a secret in my ear and give me a kiss, she'll stand outside at the door crying for "mama open it" until I can get to her to let her in, screaming at anyone else who tries to open the door for her. She is still demanding of me, but she's sharing with Wiley and for now, that is all I can ask of my sweet Ginny girl.

Murray "just loves him, he's so cute". This is what Murray tells me over and over again throughout the day. He is just head over heels in love with his brother. I look at the way Murray is with Ginny, so gentle, so loving and helpful and I can just imagine what Murray and Wiley will be like as brothers as they grow up together. I can imagine the lessons they'll learn together and the mischief they'll find. Murray already likes to joke around with Wiley and likes to hold him and talk to him. What a wonderful gift God gave Murray in giving him a brother!

Lucy...ahh Lucy. My oldest sweet girl. She has taken quite well to the "motherly" role that has been assigned to her. Some days it's a bit too motherly, but she is quickly learning. While I was thankful she had school to go to during Wiley's first weeks, I think now I am thankful she is home for summer. Settling into an all day routine with her siblings. Learning to balance playing with them and playing without them. She's eager to help and finds Wiley absolutely adorable. She's also learning to take on more responsibility and helping out around the house more...here's to hoping this lasts! I'm thankful Lucy gets another chance to have a baby in the house. She just loves babies, loves cuddling them, singing to them and caring for them. All too quickly they grow into squirmy babies who wiggle out of a big sister's arms and become more of a "bother" in play than a "doll" she can play with. I'm thankful she gets another chance to enjoy this newborn stage. I also am thankful that it's showing her how "big" Ginny actually is. She's learning ways to include Ginny in her play and noticing all the times that Ginny and Murray are copying her every move. 

Now onto Wiley. 

Wiley, I just love you. I think back to the moment I found out I was pregnant and the weeks that followed and I am SO incredibly thankful that God determined what was best for me and our family and didn't leave it up to me. I'm thankful for the way you worked your way into my heart. Thankful for the many ultrasounds we had that let me see you, made me anticipate your arrival to see if you would have lots of dark hair like your sister...you don't have quite as much, but you do! I love that as you grew in my belly my love for you continued to grow and as I said earlier, the moment you were placed on my belly I knew I'd love you unconditionally forever. You are my little man and you now own a piece of my heart. 

You've been an easy baby so far. I've had lots of help with the "big kids" so we've had lots of time to snuggle. I love the few times a day you open your eyes, I can't quite tell what color they'll be just yet, but if I had to guess, I'd guess they'll be blue. It seems to me they're getting a little more blue each day, a bit like Lucy's did. Only time will tell. 

You nurse like a champ! You had no issues learning how to eat and you enjoy every minute of it. You eat A LOT, just like your big brother and I love to look down and see milk dribbling down your chin as you eat, you can be a messy eater already and you're only nursing! 

You're definitely still a "sleepy newborn". You sleep most of the day and have started giving me longer stretches at night which I'm thankful for. But, I do love snuggling you in the quiet of the night, sitting in your room just imaging "my boys" and what each of you will grow into. 

Your daddy and I are so thankful for you. You are our exclamation point, our "bonus baby" if you will, and we can't imagine life without you in it. You've been such a gift to us already, completing our family and giving your daddy and I lots of time together to talk and catch up as we take you to the doctor. You're strong and healthy and that's all we can ask for, we're so thankful for that. You were born at 37 weeks 6 days and weighed in at 8lbs 15oz (a runt daddy said since you didn't quite make the 9lber club). BUT you showed your daddy who was boss because by Monday (you were born on a Thursday) you were weighing in at 9lbs 7oz, same as your big brother when he was born! You are 21.5 inches long. While I had contractions for days leading up to your birthday, I can never hold your labor over you...so don't let me! I didn't have regular contractions until 6:30 am on Thursday May 30th. Daddy and I went to the hospital around 8 am and you were born at 12:03 in the afternoon. It was relatively quick and since I decided to get the epidural it was a pleasant labor experience. 

We decided on your name for sure the morning you were born. Grandma Koschmann sent us the history of all the Williams on her side of the family, that combined with the Williams on my side of the family sealed the deal. You would be William Reinhardt. A strong German name for my strong guy. Our doctor loved it, and even started coaching me in German. I love your name William, but I also like to call you smiley Wiley :) I was so thankful you arrived in May! It would have been fun for you to be born at 38 weeks 2 days like your brother and sister were, but the doctor wanted you out. Your kidney was getting larger and he hoped that once you were born it would get a little smaller (it did...just a little, but it still did), and mommy wasn't doing super great with the pregnancy either. If you hadn't decided to arrive on Thursday we were going to evict you on Friday...I am SO THANKFUL you decided to come on your own. Much easier on Mommy! Also, now each of my 4 beautiful children has their own month for a birthday! We'll spend the spring and summer celebrating all of our birthdays, starting in April and ending in July! 

We love you William Reinhardt!