Hello, March!

February has been quite the month.  Persephone was due on 02/16, but as expected she made her entrance into the world early;12 days early. 

On Monday -- February 4th -- I was on my first day of maternity leave.  I spent that morning reading up on the confirmation of Richard III's discovered grave. I took a short nap.  Then I sat.  The kids were at school and Sam was at work and I just sat at the house staring at the wall. I told Sam on his lunch break that I felt like my brain was liquid and I just wanted to sit.

At 2:30 I decided to rouse myself and do something.  I busied myself with tidying the house, bent over to pick something up and whoosh...... my water broke at 2:40.  I had a midwife appointment at 3:30 so I waited and had Sam drive me to the office.  I never had one iota of a contraction. My midwife sent me to the hospital for a c-section.

Persephone Jane Roper was born that night at 9:11pm and weighed 9lbs, 12 ounces. Sam and I treated this birth very differently from Atticus's birth: we did less social media and texting and calling and visiting with friends and relatives.  During our stay at the hospital my mom, Sam's mom, the kids, and my friend Shannon were the only visitors. It was quiet and peaceful.  I focused less on snapping pictures and more on staring at her beautiful, squishy face. 

Persy Jane will be my last baby, I had my tubes tied during the c-section, and I really wanted to just sink up all the baby newness. 

So what has February been like for the Roper family? Stressful at times due to a very jealous toddler Atticus.  But on the whole it has been marvelous.  I hold Persy every chance I can (which is a lot).  I've colored and baked with Atticus quite a bit. Now that he is a big boy he really takes pride in helping in the kitchen.  Hope turned 13 and is smitten with her baby sister.  Sam and I have watched gobs of X-Files and movies together. My friend Catherine -- who is responsible for these beautiful pictures-- has come for a visit several times; I love it when she visits (and not just for the excellent scones). We talk about everything and her enthusiasm and wit brighten my days.  I've done very little reading and knitting and baking... I've just been taking things slowly and basking in life.

I hope to be checking in once or twice a week now.  I feel like life is getting back to a rhythm and so far Persy has been a very easy going, cuddly baby so I anticipate blogging will enter my life again.

I hope everyone has been well while I've been away.  I've read every post in my Google Reader in February and didn't comment on a single one.  Eh? I'll do better.

Okay... time for baby cuddles.

Happy March!