Happy days with Granny here

Mum stayed the week after Philip was born as well, which was such a blessing to me. I was really able to rest and let my body heal.

Philip reminds me of Hope the way he is posed in this picture.

Multi-tasking - eating a snack and holding her baby brother.

Meanwhile, Joy had a snack and a story. The girls love the story of "Moses and the Mean King" and Joy asks for it repeatedly.

And of course, you always take a picture of the baby dressed up for the first outing. :o)

With blizzarding snow and cold temperatures outside, we needed to come up with lots of activities for the girls indoors. Here they are making biscuits with Granny to go along with the homemade beef stew she had simmering in the crock-pot.

Joy's holding routine of Philip generally lasts about 90 seconds - long enough for her to name all his facial parts, pat his tummy a couple times, then she looks up and says "Daddy's turn," even if I'm the one next to her, not Josh.

She lasted a bit longer than that this particular session, probably because she knew Hope really wanted a turn too.

Love how Hope is touching both of them - big sister's love.

Everyone wants to hold Philip's hand. I notice that Philip has shorter fingers and broader hands than the girls did as newborns.

Three-for-one.

Trying to get a good picture of Granny with her three grandchildren.

Yes, Joy, that's his nose.

Are you cute or what, kid?

After naptime snuggle on Mommy's  bed.

And then we got more snow. So out went Granny and Hope again, this time with shovels (which Granny was getting while Hope started brushing snow off the step with her hand.)

I love having winter babies! You have all this marvelous permission to stay indoors and cuddle while the outdoors turns to a winter wonderland before your very eyes.

Rosy-cheeked, extremely happy three-year-old!

"Mom - I'm giving him a Eskimo kiss."

A bit of Joy talking.

I was trying to get a video of how Joy jumps, but you know how it goes - the second they see you pull out the camera they inevitably move to the other end of the room and do something else!