Thursday, May 10, 2018

Introducing Gummy Bear

She's feistier than she looks
I'd like you to meet Gummy Bear, the latest addition to our biological series, which just officially got bumped from a trilogy to a saga. She was born on Wednesday, April 18, at 1-2-3-4 p.m., weighing seven pounds, five ounces and measuring twenty inches long. The delivery went really well, and so far, my recovery has gone really well, too.

Having a newborn again has been a little surreal. Even though we knew what to expect, we weren't mentally or emotionally prepared deal with a screaming tyrant who patently refused to sleep. Thank goodness for caring friends and family who've brought us meals, held Gummy Bear while we napped, ferried our other kids to school, and even straightened up our kitchen. The Christlike service they've performed will not be soon forgotten.

One thing I'm trying to do is savor this time with Gummy Bear. Though I can't say for sure that we're well and truly done, I CAN say for sure that this one feels like the last, so it's very possible that these are the last times I'll change diapers, get puked on, and bounce a baby up and down--and up and down and up and down--in the middle of the night. Hopefully, this perspective has made me more compassionate, more patient, more at peace. It's so easy to get lost in the throes of parenthood when you're down there in the trenches, but caring for a tiny person who can't yet take care of herself is one of this life's greatest and most rewarding honors.

There, that's more like it

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations again, Krista! And I love how you wrote this announcement, from trilogy to saga :). I can't imagine returning to those baby years myself, but I wish you all the joy of those precious moments cuddling Gummy Bear and experiencing every new first.

JeffO said...

Congratulations to you and your family, Krista! I wish for good health for all, and plenty of rest! She's beautiful!

Ben Spendlove said...

Congratulations, Krista! I felt much the same about our fourth baby. I still kind of do, and he's starting kindergarten in the fall. I've also found I'm less worried about milestones and development and more accepting of his personality quirks and timeline. (He's mildly autistic.) No wonder youngest children get a little spoiled.

P.s. I just pre-ordered EARTH TO DAD. Can't wait to read the whole thing!

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Thank you, Anon! We couldn't be happier that this particular trilogy became a saga:)

Thanks, JeffO! Now that we've gotten a couple of months under our belts, we're all doing a much better job with life:)

Aw, thank you, Ben, for the well wishes AND the pre-order. Good luck to your little guy when he goes to kindergarten!

Kayeleen Hamblin said...

I saw your newest book somewhere and realized I haven't checked on you in a while. Congratulations on all the things! I live in Las Vegas now, so I pass through Mesquite frequently and think of you.

Krista Van Dolzer said...

So good to hear from you, Kayeleen! We moved back to the Wasatch Front almost three years ago now, but I definitely left a piece of my heart in Mesquite. I hope you're loving Las Vegas!