That's My Girl

     I cannot get over how quickly time flies when you are a new mom!  Paul Matthew is going to be six months old on November 27th. I am amazed at how blessed our lives are.  Of course, there have been some challenges. When Paul was four days old we had to go into the hospital for jaundice. He was put in his own little tanning bed for 12 hours until all of the toxins were washed from his system. That was very scary but now he is doing great. He is a little tank and full of smiles and giggles for everyone. He lights up when daddy comes home, he has a special laugh for my mother-in-law; he truly cannot contain himself when he sees her. He just busts up into this adorable little belly laugh which brings tears to our eyes. Such joy emanates from this child. It would be wonderful if a bit of that joy were in every person in the World.  Our home is a very happy place. It always has been but since this little guy arrived, the laughs, smiles and giggles just keep coming.

     Bella was very put out at first and actually got herself into a bit of a bind. When Paul was about 3 weeks old, Bella was annoyed by his little noises infants make and decided to investigate a bit closer than I was happy with. The baby emitted a high pitched cry which set Bella off and she actually barked and growled about 4 inches from the little ones face. Needless to say, she ended up on her chain outside for a better part of the day. Over a month or so, she came around to love him as much as the rest of the family.  I think the initial sound hurt her ears and she was not sure if Paul was something to bite, chase or protect. She settled on protect which is a good thing for her sake.

     She was cautious getting too close to him because I won't allow it. I do not like when she tries to lick his face; but he giggles. The first time she did it, he let out a little cry and those big eyes were full of surprise. He was not sure what to make of this giant four legged creature but he has decided she is pretty cool. He enjoys touching her fur now. He sits on my lap and leans over to reach her if she is on the couch with us. He also tries to grab her tail if he is in his saucer when she is playing on the floor. It is very cute.

Bella's rules changed quite a bit since Paul got home and it took her some time to adapt but she is doing well. She is more calm in the house, does not run around in big circles in the living room unless he is sleeping in his crib for a nap upstairs and she does not get up on the couch near me anymore if he is with me. She sits on her blanket at the designated end of the couch. She seems okay with it. She has adopted the little one as another of her wards. She is as protective and caring with him as she is with Brie.

     Speaking of Brie, her and Paul are going to be quite the twosome! I can already see the wheels turning for Brianna.  She is so excited to have someone she can teach all sorts of things to. She reads to Paul and Bella pretty often. She tries to pick books that the baby will like. She goes for lots of color and big pictures with very few words. Bella enjoys it very much when Brianna reads to her. It is the most adorable thing to see a giant dog flopped out on the floor with her little girl sitting next to her rubbing her belly and reading her a story.

     What a life we have!!!  I cannot wait until Paul is toddling around after Bella and the rest of us.  Now Suzie is another story. She was trying to figure out what the baby was far longer than it took Bella to figure out. She chattered at him repeatedly in his first couple of months; like she was ready to pounce. She spent some time in her crate, needless to say. I think her thought process is changing since he has gotten much bigger and he can swat at her pretty accurately. She no longer sees him as prey but as a threat to avoid.  Once he starts booking around she will be hiding again, just like when Brianna was little. That cat came out to eat, drink and do her business. Other than that, she was hardly ever seen.  Sometimes I think people thought I was lying about even having a cat. That is how elusive she was when Brie was small. I think she is starting to see Paul in the same light.

     As for my other four legged child - she is doing great with the newest addition to our clan. Baby George and Lady Bella are going to be just fine regardless of how worried this old mama was at first. All is well and I think it will stay that way.

Bella has proven again that she is just a big loveable child herself and why I love her so much.