Our Family: Last day of August already!?!

What a month this has been! When I think back to the last day of July, I can't believe how different today is compared to then. On July 30, Amanda and Alaina were still in Wilmington with their mom. They had only been gone a little over a week and we still had to wait several weeks before they would be home. I was still pregnant and oh-so happy about it! I was nervous about how Nicholas would react to the new baby and felt so guilty for how his life was about to change. Also, I really really really wanted our baby to be born in August and did little more than relax (at least as much as I could with Nicholas running around) so that I could hold off any chance of putting myself into labor before 8/1/08. I had already completed most of the things on my "to do" list, the house was ready for company, and we were pretty much ready for Avery's arrival. In general, things around here were pretty quiet...

Fast forward one month and we have a baby that will be 4 weeks old in just 2 days!!! Avery is spending a lot more time awake than she was right after she was born, which is making it tough to get a lot done. Her favorite activites are eating, being held, messing her diaper and sleeping (in that order). Amanda and Alaina are back home with us and have started back to school. They are both settling into their "school day" routines and are busy making plans with friends in all their spare time. Nicholas has adjusted pretty well to the arrival of his sister. He loves to push her in her swing (scary for me!), give her kisses, cover her with his blankie, and share his snacks. Keith and I are just trying to keep it all together and not lose our minds in the process! Here are some pictures from the past week...