The rest of April

In some ways, it felt like we just had a newborn (we did, really.)  But having another newborn at home was such a sweet experience, again.  There's really nothing like it.

I am a sucker for a picture of a sleeping baby.  I must have a hundred of Jocie alone.

I made an extra special effort this time to try and soak up every second I could of the newborn phase. It passes so quickly.  I decided that I was going to hold her as much as I possibly could, which isn't super easy to come by with 5 other kids, but while my mom was in town helping, I took full advantage.  If I didn't have to put her down, I didn't.  A sleeping baby on my chest is the best feeling. And I love the sleepy newborn phase where pretty much nothing wakes them up and they are constantly falling asleep everywhere. 

Olivia was such a character right after Jocie was born.  She was so happy and sweet and kept all of us laughing.  She loved wearing my mom's shoes around the house.  She would bring "Nahnah" (as she called my mom) her shoes anytime she wanted Grandma to take her outside.

The infant/toddler chair I pulled out for Jocie after she was born was Olivia's new favorite toy.  Meant for toddlers as well, I didn't mind if Olivia sat in when Jocie wasn't.  This day, she carried the iPad over to it, sat in the chair with it, and played on it like she knew just what she was doing.

Olivia and Grandma quickly became best friends.  With having had a C-section, I was not able to pick up Olivia and carry her.  She was not expecting this and was too young to understand why and it broke her heart (mine too).  Luckily, Grandma was always around to hold her when I couldn't and help her with everything a busy one year old needs.  It was so sweet seeing them together.

My mom captured this picture of Joce smiling at just a few days old and captured both of her dimples! 

Olivia quickly took it upon herself to be the Binky Police.  She would enforce binky time on Jocie whenever she saw fit.  This picture cracks me up- Olivia looks massive and Jocie looks so small.  It definitely fits the description of "David and Goliath."

I went to check on Livy after she went down for a nap one day and found her like this with all her "lovies."

There is just not enough of Miss J to go around.  There is always a willing hand to hold her and always someone in line to get her next.

My birthday was just 8 days after Joce was born.  It also landed on a Friday, which meant Ben had the day off.  I wasn't up for any big activities, but picking up a Costco chocolate cake was a definite must.  And the kids had all picked me out some special gifts.  Chloe and Mitchell used their own money to buy their presents and they were so thoughtful.  31 is going to be a great year with a new baby in a new place.

Chloe was the lucky winner to get to feed Jocie her first bottle.  I always like when my babies will take a bottle so they can be left with baby sitters or with Dad.  Joce was a champ and did great.

Livy found one of Ben's socks and insisted we help her put it on.  Chloe's shoe completed the look.

Later, after getting dressed, the same sock had to go over her pants, and she was able to put on one of the twins' church shoes all by herself.  This girl has style!

Ben, soaking up some Jocie snuggles after the big kids were in bed.  Livy used to do the same "hands up" motion when she was a baby.  We called it the Touchdown move and it meant she was deep asleep.

A rare wide awake moment

Taking pictures on the quilt Grandma Blakeslee made for her.

My mom loves making quilts for all of her grandchildren and does such a great job with them.  This quilt for Jocie was a new pattern that she tried for the first time, with the help of Pinterest.  It turned out very cute and I love the pattern and it's uniqueness as it is not like any of her siblings' quilts.

Jocie, posing with the swaddle blanket that Great Grandma Dewsnup made for her.

A very sweet lady in our ward makes all of the new babies a blanket.  She even embroidered Jocelyn's name on it.  

Most people, including us, think Jocie looks most like Mitchell.  I told Mitch that he didn't get a brother but got a twin instead. :)

Here is Oliva in the same outfit Jocie is wearing, both about the same age.  Livy is noticeably bigger. :)

Of course, Grandma's time with us here had to come to an end after almost 2 weeks.  She never ceases to amaze me with her selfless giving to our family.  She has come and stayed with us after all of the kids' births.  She always cooks, cleans and cares for the kids and makes it look so easy.  Her patience with her grand kids amazes me and inspires me to be better at that.  She truly loves being a Grandma and it shows.  There is very little else that she'd rather do than spend time with her grandkids, and will even offer to stay home from fun events with grandkids to let the adults enjoy grown up activities.  We love her and all of her service!

Real life kicked in after that, kind of.  Ben's family was so sweet to us after my mom left.  They brought in meals and were always calling or texting to ask if they could watch the big kids so I could rest.

The twins and Olivia enjoyed many an outing with cousins and Nana and Papa.  They had so much fun!

Mitch discovered he'd worn a hole in his shoes the last week of April.  That wouldn't be all that big of a deal if the shoes weren't just a few months old.  Mitch received those shoes for Christmas, brand new, and they were completely shredded in less than 4 months.  The knees of all of his Christmas jeans looked the same.

I came across the pictures and notes the kids brought me in the hospital after I had Joce.

I loved the coupon book Chloe made for me.  She has definitely fulfilled her 2 "dipper" changes tenfold. 

And the 10 free holdings have been used up many more than 10 times.  All very willingly too.

Olivia had no jealousy issues at first (I wish I could say that was the same now).  She loved to snuggle Miss J anytime she could.

She insisted on sitting in the chair with Joce one day.  I allowed it for just enough time to get a quick picture. 

 

Ben's Grandma finished the quilt she was making for Jocie.  I got to pick out the material a few months ago and I love it!

Goliath holding David in the choke hold. :)

Tummy time on Grandma's quilt

It turned into a family affair.

Jocie was very yellow for many weeks.  This picture depicts it quite well.  Her bilirubin levels were high in the hospital and we almost had to stay longer to treat her with lights, but luckily after being retested right before we left, they were at a level that was safe to go home.  But we had to go back in to the doctor twice to get her levels retested.  Her levels were always high but not high enough to need treatment, thank goodness, because all Jaundice treatments here have to be done at the hospital and cannot be done at home.  Finally, after a few weeks, her levels started coming down.  The yellowness stayed for quite some time.  Her skin seemed to glow and having the whites of her eyes so yellow was very strange.  We were very lucky to not have to check back in to the hospital for treatments.  

Jocie is a very mellow baby.  Her early weeks were spent eating and sleeping (and lots and lots of pooping- 5 or 6 times a day, every day).  If she was being held, she would never cry.  Even if it had been hours since she had eaten, she was content to just be held.  She took to her binky like a champ, but often wouldn't even need it in the first few weeks.  She is a joy and a blessing and there is so mud love circulating in our house for this small little lady.