Introducing....

Zachary Shane Bell
Born December 27th
7 lbs, 9 oz
20 1/2 inches long

There's a new man in my life, and I'm head-over-heels in love. Zachary came to us two days after Christmas, and he's the sweetest little addition to our family. Even Aidan, who isn't quite 17 months old, adores his little brother. I only hope that Zach can survive the "love" of his siblings, who aren't always as gentle with him as I think they should be.

It's been two and a half weeks, and I haven't even found the time to blog. Life is a little crazy with 5 kids. Right now I'm trying to be satisfied with just getting the kids where they need to go - to school in the morning, doctor and dentist appointments, music and dance lessons, etc - and keeping everyone clothed and fed. The house is staying reasonably clean, mostly because of my sweet, hard-working husband. But I should be straightening up right now and trying to tackle something on my gigantic to-do list. Instead, I'm taking a moment while Aidan and Zach are both sleeping to update my poor, neglected blog.

I have to admit, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed still. Aidan is teething, and doesn't usually sleep through the night, so my nights are a juggling act. If one baby isn't awake, the other one is. John was such a huge help for the first week while he was home, but now I'm trying to take care of things so that he can work without falling asleep. There are days when I'm pretty sure I'm not going to survive, but luckily there are good days, too. I'm so sleep deprived, and still not feeling 100%. But I really love being a mom. Each of my kids is so special to me, and they bring me so much joy.

I have so much more I want to say, but the baby's ready to eat....again! At least I got some pictures on. Hopefully I'll have time to post again before he reaches adulthood.....