"Should auld acquaintance be forgot ..."

I celebrate New Year's Day every day when I look into the sweet, angelic face of my baby girl, who was born just 19 days ago.  

Little Andrea Brooke is our fourth child ... and our first girl, after three rambunctious boys.  (Her brothers are named Asher, Anton, and Adam, and they are two, six, and ten.)  She is absolutely beautiful.

She looks just like me, with a tuft of red hair, and big blue eyes.  She also has my nose and my chin.  She does have her daddy's smile, though ...

I have been enjoying taking care of Andrea, and the boys are getting used to having a girl around.  I'm not so sure about little Asher, though: he doesn't relish the fact that he is no longer my baby; there is a new baby who has taken his place, so he likes to test me by acting up.  Despite that, Asher is a good kid; I have been giving him plenty of extra cuddle-time to soothe his injured spirit.

Andrea does cry in the middle of the night, but it isn't too bad.  She only cries if she's hungry or needs a diaper change.  Other than that, she sleeps quite well for a newborn.  It's fun dressing her up in little-girl clothes whenever we go to the synagogue  or out to eat or to the store: Andrea is probably one of the best dressed baby girls around; people have been so generous in getting me (her) new baby clothes!  People can't help but to be drawn to her and exclaiming: "Awwe!"

I went into labor around 3 o'clock on December 31, 2010; Andrea was born at two in the morning on January 1, 2011.  She was one of the first babies of the year.  The delivery went very well, but I am glad I have delivered her: the last several months felt like I was carrying a bowling ball in my belly! LOL  (When she was born, Andrea weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces.  She was a very big girl.  She was the heaviest out of all my children.)

Doctors pronounced Andrea healthy, which was a huge answer to prayer.  

I know that I am blessed to have four healthy children.  My one sister has a son, Garrett, who has some sort of rare disease (Caravan? Canavan?  Canaan? Don't know exactly the name of it) and is becoming increasingly disabled because of it.  It's really sad to see Garrett, who is now four, losing one skill after another, yet I try not to think about that as I enjoy my own family.  I know the boys are healthy, and so far, Andrea is, too.  I have been praying to G-d to protect her and to keep her healthy, even though she is less than a month old.

Well, Andrea is crying again; have to see what she needs (or maybe it's because it's the start of a new day; she always announces the day by crying).  Just continue to pray for her, and pray that she stays healthy.  I don't want her to end up like my little nephew, Garrett ....