Like Job?

So, a few nights ago, Bob had to go help his eldest daughter, Aubrey, with some back to college moving. As he left, Robbie began his nightly bought of screaming (actually, he screams every waking moment, so this is really his normal...). As Bob left the house, poor house-bound Ellie started screaming...and I mean screaming. She wanted to go outside for a walk. At 8 p.m. I sighed and started to clear the dinner table while trying to comfort the screaming one in my arms. As Ellie ran into the kitchen and threw herself in hysterics at my feet, I realized my current course wasn't going to work out. I leaned down, picked her up and headed back into the living room to find her shoes for a walk. As I rounded the corner with a baby in each arm, I found Hannah sitting in the living room. She looked at me wide-eyed as I came around the corner with tears in my eyes.

"I keep telling myself this will get easier," I said.

She smiled. See, even in the face of tears, Hannah has a sense of humor.

"It's kind of like Job," she said. "It will all work out in the end."

I guess this kind of wisdom helped get her into college. :) I had to laugh. In comparison to a man who lost everything, yet stayed true to his faith, my screaming kids did seem sort of like a lightweight issue.

But it has been a hard transition. I miss the predictability of the days I had with Jack and Ellie, the easy schedule we had. I miss daily park lunches and being able to drop what I'm doing to read or play with them. For the first time, nursing a baby feels like a chore to me. It's summer, so being inside is harder. I want to jump up and to things, go be in the garden, be playing at the park, be...just doing. Sadly, even dusting is starting to look sporting to me. Poor Robbie. I hate feeling like he's a chore. Poor Jack and Ellie. I hate feeling like we don't do anything together. After the week Bob spent home with us, both of them were moping around looking for him everywhere. Even though I was glad they were excited about Daddy, I didn't want to be shoved aside just because we have a tiny thing like a new baby in the house.

Yet I know this is just a short season. I keep telling myself that soon, I'll have a better schedule worked out for us. Robbie won't cry and be hard to put down for naps forever. There's always next summer.

Somehow, though, I wish that view of the future could help you just a little better through each day.

Anyway, enough of that morose mumbo-jumbo. Honestly, it's going pretty well, all things considered. Robbie sleeps fairly well at night, 3 to 4-hour chunks. Bob has been helping a lot with the kids/dishes/cooking. Sadly, though, he will be gone for TWO WEEKS covering the Democratic and Republican national conventions. That's me, alone, day and night with all three munchkins for two weeks...aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh. (Amee, if you're reading this, PLEASE come visit. I won't even make you cook.)



And, what you're really here to see. Updated photos:

Don't ask me WHY corn is best peeled in the

back of the truck, it just is.

Robbie, just a few days old.


Ellie thinks all baby paraphernalia belongs to her. I'm not sure how much more the bouncy seat can take.

Robbie's biggest threat to life right now is being kissed to death by his siblings. Jack absolutely adores him. His phrase is: "Mommy, I love our baby." Jack is in a major kissing phase, which is driving me nuts. Robbie just sort of stares at him with the same cute, but confused, gaze he greets the rest of the universe with.

Hanging out on Mommy's bed looking cute.

Goodbye Auntie Mary. We miss you! Please come back! Our Mommy cried for a week when she realized you really couldn't stay with us forever.