Getting in a Groove...

We arrived home from the hospital mid-afternoon on Friday.  After spending time with some visitors, we had dinner and attempted to get some sleep.  Attempt was the key word.  We had a laundry list of things to take care of before we could hop into bed: give Cayle some attention (huge priority!), get food, put away all the hospital gear, verify we were actually ready for Lindy's first night at home, etc.  
Cayle got to bed late, so we didn't get to start putting away the hospital stuff until late.  Once we felt we had everything settled, we tried to start some kind of routine with Lindy; meaning, trying to use her little bed we got her (a Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper), establish where we'd keep diapers and wipes to use overnight (since she's sleeping in our room to start), have things ready to nurse in the middle of the night (the Boppy, burp rags, etc). 

Lindy's night got off to a rough start.  We couldn't get her swaddled very good because of the bilirubin light blanket she had to wear.  So she never got settled in her sleeper.  Due to exhaustion (not sure what else to blame it on?), we took her downstairs to rock her.  She cried for a very long time (30 minutes straight would not be an exaggeration!).  Then, we finally figured out that the poor child was hungry...due to eat, oh, an hour or so ago???  Once she ate, she went to bed.  So we carried everything that we had brought downstairs with us back up to the bedroom.  Lindy slept well the rest of the night, only getting up for one more nursing before sun up.

The glowing lights were her bili lights

Saturday was a busy but fun day.  Lindy had a dr appt, where she was cleared from having to wear the bili blanket anymore...yay!  When we got home from her dr appt, Ronnie, Michelle, Ethan, and Lexi had arrived to spend the day with us.  It was a most uneventful day - Cayle and Ethan played outside in the sandbox, rode bikes, etc.  Lexi enjoyed spending time with Sophie.  Lindy was a good girl and mostly hung out with grandma.  At one point, we had all four kids down for a nap.  It was amazingly quiet for having 4 kids 3 years old or younger in the house!  Nick and Ronnie headed out to Costco and picked up some rib eyes to have for dinner.  All of us had dinner on the back porch (did I mention it was a gorgeous day?) before Ronnie and family headed back to Co Springs.  I headed for bed as soon as they left, so I honestly can't tell you what else happened that night :)  Nick and his mom did an awesome job taking care of both kids and getting them to bed.  Lindy had a much better night sleeping, which her mommy and daddy super-appreciated!

Cayle and Ethan giving knuckles before saying bye

Today Cayle was excited to go see "Jesus".  It's what we do on Sundays :)  Nick, Cathy, and Cayle headed off to church, while Lindy and I stayed home to rest.  The rest of the day was filled with lots of relaxing, Nick taking a bike ride, Cayle getting a much-needed nap, and me doing some organizational things (like sorting through the numerous boxes and bags of girl clothes we were given!).  Melinda, Mack, and Macy came over to visit late this afternoon.  Nick hung out with the boys outside, while Melinda and I chatted and chilled out with the baby girls.

Lindy and her friend Macy (who is 1 week older)

What's in store for us next?  Nick returns to work tomorrow :(  Since he only works part-time, he will be around in the mornings to help out with everything.  Cathy doesn't leave until Friday morning, so I won't be left on my own with the kids for a few days yet (whew!).  Nick will be taking next week off of school as his paternity leave.  Lindy has a check-up with her dr tomorrow to check her weight and her bilirubin levels again.

Goals?  Help Cayle feel secure and happy with the idea of having his new sister around.  He is exhibiting some behaviors we don't usually see from him, so we keep trying to remind ourselves he's just looking for some attention and love and is probably feeling pretty insecure about things right now.  With Lindy, we just want to make sure she is getting the food and sleep she needs.  It will take some time for us to get everything working like a well-oiled machine, but we'll eventually get there!