The brothers three

We were released from UNC on Friday April 23 - Matthew's actual due date. It occurred to me on that day that all three of my children may not have been born on their due date, but all three of them have come home on their due date. Just a little Slavik factoid.

It was exciting for me to sit in the lobby with Matt on my lap and wait for our ride home. I have never been "that mom" before and it was nice to get all the smiles from people walking by!

Matthew has been doing well since he got home. He continues to eat well, and is getting better at sleeping for a few hours at a time. Nate and I tried to tell ourselves before he was born that because we haven't ever really gotten Will to sleep through the night, having a newborn wouldn't be too much of a change for us.

I think we were fooling ourselves.

Will's nighttime antics can typically be placated by putting a pacifier back in his mouth or laying him on his other side to sleep. Over, done with, and back to bed for Mommy or Daddy in less than a minute. When Matthew wakes up at night, he needs to be fed - which typically takes close to 45 minutes and involves some crying while his diaper is being changed. So, we have to admit that having a newborn is making us a little more sleepy than we expected!

Matt had his first pediatrician appointment earlier this week. I had to laugh when our pediatrician - who has been Luke and Will's doctor since they were released from the NICU - saw Matt's size! He was very surprised and pleased to see a 9 pounder! Matt is almost back up to his birth weight, which put him in the 90th percentile for weight. He's also in the 90th percentile for height.

Have you met my other children??? This is amazing, unchartered territory for us! We have been struggling to get Will into the 10th percentile for height and weight forever, and Luke isn't much larger than that. In the end, it makes us chuckle and reminds us how different this whole experience was. Matt didn't exactly enjoy being poked and prodded, though, and flashed us his characteristic scowl as we neared the end of his doctor's appointment. Nate was happy to imitate for the camera.

We have been enjoying the past couple of days at home, relaxing and getting to know Matthew. With each day, he's a little more alert and aware of his surroundings. He has a raspy voice. Although he is over 9 pounds, he doesn't really look like it. He has a big head, a barrel chest, a belly that rises and falls with his feeds, and skinny legs. His thighs remind me of a Shar-pei.

Luke and Will have slowly been warming up to their new brother. Luke has progressed from repeating the statement "Matthew's crying" over and over, to being willing to give him kisses on the head. When we lay Matt and Will next to each other, Will stares at Matt's face as if studying it and reaches over to touch him. It is really sweet. We were finally able to snap a picture of all three boys together this evening!