Darr Family Blog

Weekly Happenings: Well, we survived our first real week in our new routine (Paul at work, Joseph at school, me taking care of both kids solo during the day, etc). I managed to get Joseph to school on time every day and I even managed to take Abigail grocery shopping by myself. Some fun family things we did were take a trip to the library and go out to eat as a family to one of our favorite burger places (Bobby J’s). Paul also made sure to take Joseph out yesterday for a fun boy’s evening. We’re trying to make sure he doesn’t get lost in the fray that is life with a newborn. They went to La Cantera so that Joseph could play at the playground and even went to Barnes & Noble so that he could pick out a new book. A special treat for a very special little boy. Other than that, we pretty much hung around the house.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been interesting, to say the least. The cold weather was only around for a few days. Most of the past week was warm for January (in the 70s) and sunny. The past few days have been rainy, but also warm.

What Paul’s Been Up To: Mainly school and work, with Scouts tossed into the mix. He’s also been doing the bedtime routine with Joseph each night, since I tend to be pretty busy with Abigail in the evenings.

What Sarah’s Been Up To: I already mentioned my first solo trip to the store with the baby (which seemed like a big deal, all of a sudden, haha). I also managed to make dinner a few nights this week (another big accomplishment in my post-baby book). Other than that, I’ve basically been working at keeping the mini-humans happy and thriving.

What Joseph’s Been Up To: At school they are doing more work with math, which is good for him to get more experience with. He’s still a great help with Abigail, getting me things when I’m busy with her, making sure she has her binky when she’s sad, etc. He also likes to do little things that he thinks entertains her (like dancing for her when she’s in the swing). He’s overall a helpful, patient little man.

What Abigail’s Been Up To: Eating, sleeping…well, you know a newborn’s routine. I’ve managed to capture a couple smiles on camera, though I don’t know if it’s more than just her experimenting with facial expressions. It’s amazing to think that in a few days she’ll be a month old.

This Week in Pictures:

Weekly Happenings: We pretty much stayed at home this past week. Joseph started back to school, so there was the usual ferrying him back and forth, but other than that, it was a pretty home-body week. On Friday night, we did go downtown to meet up with Tracy’s husband Ted. He was in town for a convention, so we picked him up and took him out for dinner at Augie’s (a pretty good BBQ joint that’s close to the zoo). It was nice to see family, even if only briefly for an evening.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been really back and forth. We are constantly switching between AC and heat. Earlier this last week it was warm enough to not even need long sleeves, but the last couple of days have struggled to get above freezing. Then this next week is supposed to warm up again…oiy. That’s Texas for ya’!

What Paul’s Up To: He started back with school this past week, but had the week off from work. He goes back tomorrow. I’m not sure I’m ready, but he’s got to do it sometime, right? I’m sure we’ll all be fine. During this past week, aside from homework, he painted an accent wall in Abigail’s room and went with me on my first grocery shopping trip with Abigail. It was a huge help!

What Sarah’s Been Up To: Basically a rinse and repeat of last week: keep the tiny human alive and the medium human happy (without forgetting the needs of the other adult human in the household). It’s a balance for sure, but I feel like I’m slowly getting into a groove.

What Joseph’s Been Up To: He loved getting to go back to school and to show his friends his new baby sister. I’m glad he’s back in his routine because I didn’t realize before just how much those three hours mean. He’s being entertained and educated and I can play catch up with Abigail or run errands without feeling like he’s getting pushed to the wayside.

What Abigail’s Up To: Sleeping for three hour stretches during the night, eating, and all the other baby basics. The big news this past week was that her umbilical cord fell off, so now she has a normal belly button. We also took her to the doctor for her two week check up and found out that she gained seven ounces in a week alone. That’s my good eater!

This Week in Pictures:

Weekly Happenings: We spent this last week mainly getting used to being a family of four. There were doctor’s appointments, small family outings to stores and such, and lazying around the house. Paul has been awesome with Joseph: taking him to the zoo, the park, etc. to make sure he feels like Abigail isn’t getting all the attention. He’s also done a great job taking care of me so I can care for Abigail. The craziest night was last night: New Year’s Eve. Our neighborhood sounded like a war zone from about sun-down to one AM. Joseph slept through the worst of it and Abigail seemed to take comfort in nursing…which she did almost non-stop from 8-midnight. She then blessed me with a 4-hour stretch of sleep. The highlight of the week was definitely today: we blessed Abigail at church. The main thing that stood out in her blessing was that Paul blessed her to have the patience and strength to deal with challenges in her life. While my Momma-heart doesn’t like to hear that she’ll face challenges, it’s comforting to know she won’t do it alone.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been crazy to say the least. Warm days mixed with cold. We have to check the weather report every day (and sometimes multiple times a day) just to figure out what to wear. Crazy!

What Paul’s Been Up To: He’s been handling dinner every night, taking care of Joseph, taking care of me, and helping immensely with Abigail at night, making sure I get a break every now and then. He starts back with school tomorrow, but still has one more week off of work. Yay!

What Sarah’s Been Up To: Mainly trying to heal and keep a tiny human alive, haha. Not much else, in reality!

What Joseph’s Been Up To: Loving on his sister, playing with new Christmas gifts, and enjoying his break. He goes back to school tomorrow, which he’s looking forward to. He can’t wait to tell his friends that he’s got a new sister.

What Abigail’s Up To: Eating, sleeping, getting diaper and wardrobe changes (which she abhors), and making us all fall swiftly in love with her. She’s the perfect caboose!

This Week in Pictures: