. . . And Baby Makes Four

Welcome, Alastair Joseph! born on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, and i am so very awed that he gave our baby such a gift. i also am delighted to have another boy!
Alastair: Irish form of 'Alexander'; 'defender of men'
Joseph: for St. Joseph, naturally
6 lbs, 7 oz, 19-3/4 in.
as with Finn, the majority vote was "girl"; everything was completely different from Finn--pregnancy, labor, delivery, post-partum. he seems a very mellow fellow, crying only briefly upon birth and straight away settling into contemplation. Finn loves our baby, especially his nose:

already alert

Finn, can you say "Alastair"?
Nose!
Al-a-stair.
Bee! (baby)
Al-A-Stair.
Losh!
so baby "Losh" (sort of between "Lash" and "Losh", really). we are all well and happy, and i have thus far concluded that one main purpose of second babies is to let us know that, despite our vast experience as the mother of ONE child, we actually know nothing at all.
because let me tell you, feeling like one can be a "good mom" is *easy* when there is just one child involved. Finn is such a good, sweet, gentle, obedient boy, but he is still a boy, and a toddler. Alastair is a very laid-back baby, but he is still a baby, and i already see clearly how easy it is to become obsessive about mothering, demanding of myself that i meet every need of each child instantly. the reality, of course, is that at times one or the other is going to have to cry for a few minutes, that one is not going to be able to have momma, that both will have to realize that he is not the center of the universe and instant gratification does not, in fact, actually exist--especially  not in this family!
in other, slightly sadder news, our very brief dog days are at an end, as "Warla" learned she can jump the fence. my poor darling spent well over an hour chasing her around Fredericksburg yesterday, through construction zones and across busy streets and over the railroad tracks. which means not only that she must go, but that she will have to stay inside (excepting potty on a leash) for the next week. fun times. and so sad. i have wanted a dog for so long, and so very badly wanted my boys (boys!!) to grow up with one. it was such a gift for me to have that as a kid. c'est la vie . . . at least they'll have each other!