What will the New Year bring?

   No one really knows. But New Year's Eve is time to ponder new beginnings and possibilities, as well as to reflect on the past year and all the things that happened, good or bad. For many people it's time to set ne goals and make New Year resolutions with the hope of bettering oneself. I love the feeling that I get entering the New Year. It's the feeling that anything is possible and anything can happen.

   Last year for New Year's eve I was really hoping that I would get pregnant and have a baby. We just decided that we were going to try for a forth child and I was full of hope that it would happen. I remember trying to imagine what being pregnant again would be like. I tried to envision what our next child be like. Would it be a girl or a boy? Would they be born in August, or October? Would they be born naturally, or would I have complications in childbirth that would result in our child being born via c-section?

So you're having a boy ...

   Let me preface by saying that circumcision is a topic of heated discussions in many parenting circles, I do not intend to get into it here. I would just like to present some facts to parents who just found out that they are having a boy. Circumcision is a surgical removal of foreskin from baby's penis. It dates back to Ancient Egyptians in recorded history, but it might have been practiced even before then. It is routinely preformed in Jewish and Islamic religion, as well as it is performed in many African tribes. It has also been performed routinely in North America between 1890's and 1970's for hygienic purposes. It has since been abandoned as a routine procedure and the choice whether to circumcise their son is left for the parents to decide.

'Twas the night before Christmas.......

 ....Merry Christmas to All

And to All a Good Night!

Life with a newborn.

   Baby Monkey is going to be 3 weeks old this Friday. It really seems like he has been here longer. It actually feels like he has been part of our family since the beginning. That could be a sign that we are all adjusting very well to having a new little person in the house.

Baby Monkey's birth story.

   I am happy to write my birth story here in little spare time that I have now. For the last few weeks I was getting really anxious about Baby Monkey not arriving early. For some reason I was really convinced that he was going to be an early baby. And I had lots of Braxton Hicks daily to convince me that maybe I was right. But then this horrible sickness invaded our family and we all got very sick. It started with Girly Monkey and then Little Monkey got it, and then Daddy got super sick and finally me and Funky Monkey got it too. It was a really nasty bug that made all of us miserable. Most of us would have coughing fits that would lead to throwing up. I am suspecting that what we really went through wasn't a case of flu but a case of whooping cough, at least the symptoms fit the diagnosis.

Sunday Snapshots - Welcome Baby Monkey!!!

   Guess what happened Friday? Friday, the 29th, Baby Monkey's Due Date! At 7:28 am, after 24 hours of labor (5.5 hours of active labor) Baby Monkey was born. He was 8 lbs 13.5 oz, and over 21 inches long. His labor was a hard one, and just like my other monkeys he was stuck in his shoulders so I am pretty bruised up. But we had a wonderful home birth and both Baby Monkey and I are doing very well. We are all so in love with him! Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Well hello there Baby Monkey

Meeting his siblings

Daddy and Baby sleepy

Meeting Big Brother

Meeting Big Sister

Meeting Little-Big Brother

Rest time

Meeting Grandma

Grandma and 2 Monkeys

Bath time

First bath

Not liking bath at all

More first bath

Proud Daddy

Breaking into Advent Calendar

Meeting Great Grandma