Welcome, Sweet Baby Boy!

We are delighted to announce the arrival of our little boy, Finley Reid! Born early yesterday morning- and on his due date at that- he has been the star of the show ever since and we are all enjoying him so very much!!!

Finley weighed 7 lbs and 12 oz, which makes him my smallest baby yet, and even though it's really not all that tiny, he feels like the perfect size to me and I like how well he fits his newborn outfits! This small stage lasts so briefly, and when they start out just a teeny bit smaller, it's seems like it might last a teeny bit longer!

Everyone wants to know about his hair, and after three redheads, I was certainly curious, too! For starters, he has the most hair of any of my babies, and while it basically looks dark brown, there are some red tints to it, and I am saying that it's more on the auburn side of things, although time will tell what he ends up with. One thing is for sure: he fits right into the family, although we can't really agree on whether it's Elasa, Gavin or Parker who he favors the most, and apparently this means that he is a fine mixture!

Finley was born at home, and while I wouldn't want to do it again anytime soon, the birth went very smoothly and we feel extremely blessed about that.

As said, we are all enjoying having a baby in the house so much! I can really tell a difference with Elasa being 8 years old this time, versus five when Parker was born, in how well she can hold and handle the baby, and I think that's going to be a big help. Part of the fun of having a baby at this stage is how much the children are enjoying him, and while it can be harder to have quiet times, their joy is worth the noise and constant clambering on the bed to get another peek!

Today I was rocking the baby in the nursery for the first time and Parker came in and announced that he was going to read to the baby. He got a small stack of Eric Carle books out of the night stand, settled himself on the ottoman and, using my lap for a table, began to read out loud.

"A big, tall bear can eat you up." This from a picture in Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and apparently just the beginning of all the information a big brother is responsible to pass on to a little brother! Thankfully, he sweetens this task with a lot of goodwill and kisses!!! Oh, yes, and Parker also calls him Friendly, which, if one is going to mispronounce Finley, is probably one of the better ways to do it!

And now- time to give the little man his first bath! Caring for a newborn is quite the cycle of feedings and diaper changes, and right now there isn't anything I would rather be doing!

Finally...the waiting is over and the baby is here!!!