Look who's back! I know, it's been about 18 months since my last post... Time flies when you're busy with four growing kiddos! If you're still reading this, I'm impressed. I've obviously dropped blogging from my life, but had to return for awhile at least to document our newest family member: Peter Thornton Sustar! Yes, we have a new baby BOY! It's true, it's true! I've had so many thoughts these past few months as we've anticipated his arrival, and so many thoughts since, and just had to get them down somewhere. So here I am. Plus, I've done an okay job documenting the girls' babyhoods here, and figure this is as close as they're going to get to a baby book (at least for a long long while), so I hope to do the same for Peter.
So... five kids. I never, ever thought I'd have FIVE! Three or four, sure, but five is getting into the BIG family territory. But then you have the babies you plan on having, and you realize how much joy they bring (despite the challenges), and you're about to turn 40, and the clock is ticking, and well, you figure why not one more? And here we are with our healthy newborn son, doing it all over again, and all I can think is "this was meant to be." Such an incredible gift.
As in previous pregnancies, my pregnancy with Peter was fairly smooth and uneventful (probably another reason why I keep having babies!). There were definitely signs that my body is aging, but all in all it was a time to cherish. The last 6 weeks or so were probably the most uncomfortable of my pregnancies, however -- contracting all the time, waking every hour from hip and pelvic pain, just general discomfort. Plus I was having more anxiety this time around about the upcoming birth... Not so much worrying about something going wrong (all of my previous births were very smooth), but just getting through the pain of it all. I'd always done natural births, and after four babies I figured I had nothing left to prove! At least I knew it would likely be a quick delivery. There was also the question of when it would happen, as I had to factor in the possibility that Joe would be at work when I went into labor, someone would need to watch the girls when I went to the hospital, etc. Just a lot of unknowns. The baby's due date was on January 15th, and when I started having regular contractions the evening of the 14th, I was thrilled the baby might arrive ON TIME instead of late like its older sisters. Joe and I went in, spent the morning at the hospital, but it was not meant to be... I was only 3.5 cm and not progressing. We spent a lovely evening at a nearby hotel just in case (our last "baby moon," it turned out!), and returned home. Waiting resumed. Joe's birthday, January 20th, was approaching, and of course we'd all talked about how much fun it would be for the baby to share a birthday with his/her daddy. I didn't actually think it would happen, so I was so excited when I woke up at 2:30am that morning and my water had broken -- the baby was coming, no guessing as to whether or not "this was it!" Joe was getting a baby for his birthday! No need to figure out childcare, no need for Joe to miss extra work (it was a Saturday morning)... it was absolutely perfect timing. And the blessings continued, as I had another quick labor (not pain-free, but I got through it!) and Joe got to announce that we had a baby BOY!! A son for a birthday present! We'd waited until the birth to find out girl/boy, and what a surprise it was. Even now, weeks later, it's overwhelming to me how it all worked out just as perfectly as possible.
Peter Thornton Sustar was born at 5:02am on January 20th, weighing in at 9lbs 7oz (!!) and measuring 21.5 inches long. Winnie brought his big sisters to visit as soon as she could, and they were overjoyed to meet their new brother. It's been hard to keep them away ever since -- Peter is one well-loved baby boy! He definitely resembles his older siblings... Margaret the most, I think. At 3 weeks old he's already well over 10 lbs and could be a big boy! His nighttime sleeping has been nice and predictable, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll be our best sleeper yet. He loves being swaddled and hates diaper changes. He's fairly mellow during the brief periods that he's awake -- we'll see if that temperament lasts! Overall it's just such a gift and a joy to have a baby again, especially since Peter is in many ways our "bonus baby" that I never thought we'd have. I'm just trying to soak up every moment. I've had older friends comment on the unique joy of having a baby when you're over age 40, and I would have to agree -- as a seasoned mom with older kids, you have a bit more time with the little one and a lot less stress over whether or not you're doing it right. So yes, go ahead and have another! ;)
Here are a few photos of our first days with baby Peter:
