adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

And Then There Were Three

We've been so lucky to have my Mom in town helping us out these last three weeks.  My recovery has been long and painful, so I'm honestly not sure what we would have done without her!  She cooked, she cleaned, she shopped, she rocked, she bathed, she swaddled.  Initially her trip was only planned for two weeks.  My Grandma hasn't been doing so well, so there was even a point during her trip when we thought she might have to go home early.  But then Grandma took a turn for the better and my Mom decided to extend her trip by an extra week.  Hallelujah!  That third week with her was just what we needed to help us get into the the groove of parenting before taking off the training wheels.  And, I suspect, my Mom was very happy to have that extra week with Ramona too.

She made all of my favorites:  Baked Ziti, Stuffed Peppers, Pot Roast, Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brownies, and more!  She did the laundry, she did the dishes, she organized closets.  She took the night shift, she took the day shift, she let me cry when I needed to and then cheered me back up.  She was Wonder Woman.  THANK YOU MOM!!! You are amazing!

I can't get enough of this picture. Our goofy little Candy Corn

Don't worry, we did let her out of the house a few times to go to the market and do some shopping.  Plus, since she was so kind to spent her birthday here, Michael even took her to one of our favorite wineries to celebrate!

Birthday Treats!

My Mom left this morning and is currently somewhere over the Atlantic.  While Michael and I are so sad to see her go, we are looking forward to figuring out a routine of daily life for the three of us.  The Baby Vacation is over and now real life begins!  Our Little Miss has her days and nights mixed up and no matter how hard we try, we just can't seem to flip her.  Her fussy time is between 1am  and 5am, so we're pretty much vampires now - awake at night and sleeping during the day.  From what we read and hear, the first 6 weeks are the hardest and we're excited to be a little more than halfway through it!  Even though little Ramona is turning us into night zombies, she is just so sweet and precious that we don't really care.  When she is a bit older, we'll start to work out a better schedule for her but for now, at just 3 weeks old, we're letting her do what she needs to do to adjust to life on the outside.

how our Princess spends her days

trying to keep her awake

what usually happens when trying to keep her awake

you can tell it's night time in this picture because her eyes are open

wide awake at bedtime!

I have so much to tell you all about our hospital experience here.  We were definitely labeled as the "crazy Americans" during our 6 day stay and Michael even got a peek at our file which was filled with "notes."  I can only imagine what they said.  Along with getting Ramona into a routine, I'm hoping to get back into a blogging routine next week so that I can tell you all about it as well as finish up some more travel posts that I have sitting in my drafts folder.  For now, we're planning to spend this weekend figuring out life as a new family.

Figaro - not so sure about this new family

14 Responses to “And Then There Were Three”

  1. Tori Wasik says:

    I totally remember this feeling as mom was wonderful enough to stay with us for 3 weeks as well! Brighton was a little night owl just like his cousin but they do eventually figure it out & it does get better!! I know it might be hard when you are on ZERO sleep & Ramona’s screaming in your ear, but you really will miss these moments one day so cherish them! Brighton’s barely over a year & I already miss those days when I would have to rock him to sleep. Keep the posts & pictures coming! I love getting updates on my sweet little niece! And by the way I absolutely LOVE the last picture of the three of you! Love & miss you!
    T

  2. jen says:

    There are 2 pictures that just are magnificent – the one with you and your mom and Ramona in the park and then the last one in the same place with Michael and Ramona.

    You all look beautiful – it’s hard to tell you are sleep deprived!

    Love you guys!

    • Natalie says:

      Thanks Jen! I love those pics too – the light was so amazing and we were so excited about the pictures…then we got home and realized you couldn’t see Ramona’s face! Ha! Oh well, next time :)

  3. Jessie says:

    so great! she’s just such a beautiful little girl! love getting the updates and can’t wait to see you and the new addition. it’s great hearing all these stories now since it’ll be us in the not too terribly long future :)

  4. Greer says:

    I would never know that you two are sleep deprived! You all look great! Like Tori, I always look forward to your pictures, blog posts and updates…it makes me feel less far away from you all. You both are incredible parents and I am sure the training wheels have come off just fine! Xoxo

  5. Sabbio says:

    Love the pics and love to read all is so well! Cherish the moments, even when trying to find the routine, just follow the flow would be my piece of advice ;)
    Sending you three extra love though you’re already showering in it! ^^

  6. Donna Keady Ludwig says:

    Those first few weeks are hard especially after a C-section since you are also recovering from surgery! But she will settle in so you can mostly sleep. Relish the fleeting moments with her as much as you can!
    And, do you think your mom can come spend some time with me??
    Thanks for sharing these special moments. What a beautiful family!

  7. Mom says:

    Thanks for the kind words Natalie. It was truly my pleasure to be there to help any way I could and to be part of Ramona’s first few weeks of life. I was the lucky one!
    You and Michael will be just fine. You are both already loving and caring parents. Ramona will sleep through the night – eventually! Just be patient and keep on loving her as you both are.
    Thank you darling daughter for letting me into your daily life for 3 weeks and still liking me!!
    I miss you all and can’t wait for the next visit!
    Love and kisses to everyone!

  8. Aidan says:

    She is beautiful, so many congratulations. And your Mom! I had a hard time telling her from you in some of the photos. Genes, baby, you’ve got ’em!
    I hope you are feeling better and that you enjoy this time to be just the three of you. It is such a precious moment for your new family and its memories will be with you forever. If you need anything, let me know.
    Warmest wishes,
    Aidan x

  9. Sorry we didn’t get to meet at the blogger luncheon…but you have one BEAUTIFUL reason to have not made it! She’s a beauty. Having 3 girls myself, I remember those early days – days/nights…never quite knew the difference – it does get better! She’s so adorable – and boy, do you look like your mother! Have fun and continue to enjoy her – I look forward to reading more!

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