Surprise! Surprise!

So bed rest is officially over, though as I learned today, I still need to rest as much as possible. When couped up for days on end, it's natural to want to bust out at full speed at first opportunity. Natural, yes, but not necessarily best case scenario. Honestly it's not like I did much either...took Madison in for her 2 week check-up (looks perfect by the way), went to the grocery store, grabbed a bite to eat at KFC (neither Neil nor I have had fried chicken in ages), and went home. But I've been paying for that little bit of activity all day.

Anyways totally not the point of my post today. Bed rest wasn't so bad actually. How often in life do you get a doctor's note to rest, really rest? And I have to give major props to my magnificent husband. He really stepped up and took on the role of Mr. Mom without complaint. Literally, he did everything for the boys and myself from sunup to sundown & then some. It just so happened that my "illness" came at a time where we were between family visitors. My mom left on Thursday and Neil's parents don't come until tomorrow. Really, Neil was amazing and still is. Sometimes we forget the merits of the one's we love so dearly. Isn't it so much easier to complain about slight imperfections than to simply enjoy who they are? Bed rest was just what I needed to remember why I fell in love with this man I call my beloved (or mostly just Honey).

Another great thing happened while I was glued to this very couch. I told you that my BFF Jo was coming for a short visit, right? She arrived Friday around lunchtime and she came bearing gifts. Yes, there were some small trinkets for Madison, the boys, and fabulous chocolate for myself...but there was also a much larger gift...my other BF from college, Angela. It's difficult to surprise me. I'm clever like that, but they managed to pull it off. The three of us haven't been in the same room together in 6 years, before I moved to MD, before Jo went to France, before Ang moved to NC. It felt good to be with them again, a little weird to see them waiting on me hand and foot, but a much needed dose of medicine for my soul. There is nothing like good conversation, comfy pj's, and a chick flick to help a woman heal. So thank you Jo and Ang for blessing me with 24 hours of much needed girl time. You guys are the best, and much more photogenic than myself. I love you!

Now if I could just get Madison to calm down and go to sleep (like in this adorable pic taken by Jo) I could stop boring you guys with my rantings and go to bed. Wouldn't that be nice? I guess it was too much to ask for three out of three good sleepers. That's okay though because I finally got my girl, so I'll take her however I can get her, right?

Now I can't leave you without including this simply fabulous pic of Owen and Blake (again taken by Jo). People ask me how they are doing with the new baby around. Blake loves the baby...maybe a little too aggressively. Let's just say he likes to poke a lot, mainly in the general direction of her eyes. Owen gets it. He is the big brother and proud of it. Granted he acts out a little for attention, but we get that it's a phase. It's been worse since I've been on bed rest, but that's understandable, right. Mom's been glued to a couch for four days, and all of a sudden Dad is doing all the things Mom normally does. That's got to be tricky for a three year old. Hopefully life will go back to normal, or at least figure out what the new normal will be like in a couple weeks or so.