Saturday News

SATURDAY

**Side note, this all happened with the NCAA basketball tournament on in the background:)

Uroma and Great Grandpa Harjes came to visit at 9am. Caleb loves Great Grandpa Bill. They played PlayDough together for awhile. When it was time to go, without prompting ran up to give Great Grandpa a hug. It was very sweet! 

After they left, I got an hour nap. Meanwhile Britta dusted our china buffet. Wonderful!! When I woke it was pointed out to me that I must time travel, or at least pump in the future. See the one that doesn't belong?:) Need another nap?!

Aunt Greta came about 1:00 bearing gifts. She brought a bear and whale stuffed animals for Mollie and William. She also brought me a Mommy Organizer book. 

A little later Uncle Garrett and Aunt Kayla arrived and brought lunch. They had sloppy joes, a veggie tray, chips, beans, and Rice Krispie bars. They stayed for an afternoon visit, loving every minute of baby time.  

After nursing Mollie  this afternoon I used my new camera phone to make use of the great light coming through the window. I'm loving this picture.0

Britta made a delicious spaghetti sauce for supper with plenty to spare for our freezer. Yum! Lauren joined us for supper. From there she went to visit Great Grandpa Alms in the hospital. He was admitted today with a compression fracture in his back. He will be fine, but being restricted is not easy for this 91 year old grandpa. 

Caleb had a lot of energy due to a late nap. Thank goodness Britta was up for some play time! It of course coincided with nursing. This will be harder when we don't have as much help. Here's William snuggled after nursing. 

Today I mentioned to Britta what is covered in the article below. I just happened to see it posted on a friend's Facebook page today. We are blessed with many family and friends nearby, which many offer to help. Sometimes it's hard to ask for help and sometimes it's hard to think about what would be easy enough or helpful to help with at the time of the offer. My brain confuses left and right at the present time!:) I really liked this list (Miller family modified), and hope to pay it forward soon. 

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After the Birth, what a family needs

Posted on October 28, 2008 by gloria

http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=34

Modified list: 

1. Buy us toilet paper, milk and beautiful whole grain bread.

2. Buy us a new garbage can with a swing top lid.

3. Make us a big supper salad with feta cheese, toasted almonds, organic green crispy things and a nice homemade dressing on the side. Drop it off and leave right away. Or, buy us frozen lasagna, garlic bread, a bag of salad, a big jug of juice, and maybe some cookies to have for dessert. Drop it off and leave right away.

4. Come over about 2 in the afternoon, hold the baby while I have a hot shower, put me to bed with the baby and then fold all the piles of laundry that have been dumped on the couch, beds or in the room corners. If there’s no laundry to fold yet, do some.

5. Come over at l0 a.m., make me eggs, toast and an orange. Clean my fridge and throw out everything you are in doubt about. Don’t ask me about anything; just use your best judgment.

6. Put a sign on my door saying “Babies sleeping. Please knock. Or arrange a time to visit."

7. Come over in your work clothes and vacuum and dust my house and then leave quietly. It’s tiring for me to chat and have tea with visitors but it will renew my soul to get some rest knowing I will wake up to clean, organized space.

8. Take my older kid(s) for a really fun-filled afternoon to a park, zoo or Science World and feed them healthy food.

9. Come over and give my husband a two hour break so he can go to a coffee shop, pub, hockey rink or some other r & r that will delight him. Fold more laundry.

10. Make me a giant pot of vegetable soup and clean the kitchen completely afterwards. Take a big garbage bag and empty every trash basket in the house and reline with fresh bags.

These are the kindnesses that new families remember and appreciate forever. It’s easy to spend money on gifts but the things that really make a difference are the services for the body and soul described above. Most of your friends and family members don’t know what they can do that won’t be an intrusion. They also can’t devote 40 hours to supporting you but they would be thrilled to devote 4 hours. If you let 10 people help you out for 4 hours, you will have the 40 hours of rested, adult support you really need with a newborn in the house. There’s magic in the little prayer “I need help.”

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