Family Update with Baby #10 Along for the Ride

Rebekah is 10 days old. It seems as if she has been here for much longer, and as if she just got here too. Everyone loves their new little sister. She has quite a throng lining up to hold her, checking on her every whimper or squeak, and talking to her any time she is awake. 

Overall, the kids are adjusting pretty well. The older kids (Makayla, Joseph, Emma) are used to new babies and just keep up with their own interests and routines. The middle boys (Daniel, Oliver, Caleb) are more likely to bicker with each other but that is more a factor of being stuck in the house for a couple weeks with illness before baby and now staying close to home for these first weeks after baby. We're trying to offer interesting activities when we notice they need a distraction from each other. The younger boys (Mason, Samuel, Tobias) have been pretty good playing together and with the older kids. Tobias has realized that if Mom or Dad is holding Rebekah he's got an opportunity to get into things he shouldn't because we don't move quite as fast to stop him. Typical 2 year old behavior. 

We had some family over on Sunday to celebrate Valentine's Day. Then we had our own little surprise party on Valentine's Day itself with just our kids.

We passed out candy conversation hearts, heart sticky notes, and blank books. Each child put their name in their book and sticky notes on the pages of their book. Then we passed books around and wrote messages to each person in the family in their book, helping the younger boys as needed. After that it was time for ice cream sundaes - yum!