Starting Over

Quick Stats
Name: Kai Vaun Nielson
Gender: Male
Born: Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Where: Jordan Valley Hospital, West Jordan, Utah
Weight: 7 pounds 8 ounces
Length: 20 inches

Wow.

Life sure is different with a new baby in the house! I think all of us were caught by surprise at how quickly everything changed to accomodate the new arrival. A week ago I was under the impression that I had young kids. Not anymore.

At 7 years old Kate is already a mother in miniature, taking every opportunity she's given to help Kai. Whether it's changing a dirty diaper, choosing and dressing him in a new outfit each morning, rocking him to sleep or making sure his pacifier doesn't fall out when he's fussy, she's always ready and willing to lend a hand.



Alder, on the other hand, is already showing signs of manhood. At 9 years old he still has a ways to go before he matures physically, but after observing how he interact with Kai you'd think he was much, much older. Change a diaper? No thanks. Hold the baby when he's crying? I'll pass on that. Pick out an outfit? Nah, just grab something from the drawer. And so it goes. What he has done, however, is help around the house. You know, attending to the physical needs of Mom and baby. Taking out the trash, getting diapers down from the closet, teaching Cami how to use the baby monitor or showing her the features of the new car seat are all things he enjoys doing. And if the baby is happy, Alder is more than willing to hang out and interact.



Cami is an all star. Physically, she's nothing short of amazing. It's taken me more than a week to recover. Even now, as I type this, I still feel some lingering fatigue. Cami, on the other hand, is going strong. Feeling great. Adapting quicker than anybody to the new routines. She was doing simple core exercises the day she returned home from the hospital. When Kai cried from 9 PM to 1 AM this past Friday night, Cami was calm and composed as she comforted and eventually helped him to fall asleep. (I should note that this has been the only occurence of true colic-type behavior. Poor Kai was exhausted after he finally relaxed and pretty much slept for the next 24 hours!)

Me, I'm still amazed that I'm a Dad again. Often I find myself wondering how it's possible that when Kai turns 9, Alder will be 18. Or that when Kai is 7, Kate will be 14. For some reason that really throws me for a loop. It doesn't seem very long ago that Alder and Kate were babies and now that Kai has arrived I'm beginning to realize my time with them is passing much too quickly. Alder halfway to college? Kate halfway to high school? How is that even possible?! Where did the last 9 years go? Yes, having a new baby in the house has been a big adjustment on many levels.