At home with Ben

I love Fall, and it is especially wonderful when I have such a wonderfully snuggly baby to cuddle up with. There are a few downsides- the occasional screaming, the spoiled milk smell that gently wafts from every textile in my home, etc. But obviously, I find that the benefits far outweigh the downsides. Otherwise why would I keep having babies?


Oh right, because my friends bring me dinner for a couple of weeks. That is recompense that should not be underestimated. Also, the forced sobriety every three years ensures that I will yet again be a cheap date this New Years. It's time to party like a half glass of wine with dinner puts me to sleep! WOOOO!


Look at him. He's like "That's right. I slept for five hours last night. Go ahead and get your hopes up. I might do it again. Or, you know, I could take exception to that brussel sprout you ate and gritch and grumble inconsolably every 45 minutes. Who knows?!"


He's lucky he has such a devoted fan club. Jane watches over him, worries when he cries, sings and shushes him, and of course, asks to "pet the baby" anytime it would be most inconvenient to allow her to do so.


Overall she seems to be adjusting to the role of big sister pretty well. We've had our ups and downs, as she processes such a huge change. And Wren, in her typical introverted way, seems to be working through it in her own fashion. Mostly through childhood insomnia. Chase, an occasional insomniac himself, bought her a reading lamp and a stack of chapter books, and we're calling it fixed.

Putting yourself to sleep is a life skill. I am currently the one person in this family who needs no help going to sleep, but someday that will change. I will be sitting up worrying about curfews and boyfriends and girlfriends and sex drugs and rock and roll. These days I am going to be so grateful to have all these wakeful bodies home under this one roof, for this brief moment, even if sometimes it's easier to wish for a tranq gun and better aim.