When Lacey woke up this morning, she came into my room just as I was about to get into the shower. Lawson was still asleep in the bassinette next to our bed, mom was still snoozing in her room, and Brian was already downstairs. Assuming Lacey would want to eat breakfast immediately, as she usually does, I said, "I really need to get in the shower, but Daddy's downstairs." To my surprise she climbed up onto my bed and said, "OK. I'll watch Lawson for you." Amazed by her maturity, I went along with it. After a few moments, I heard him crying. Lacey came running into the bathroom shouting, "Mommy, Lawson needs you!" I told her I couldn't get out yet and she'd have to figure it out. In classic Lacey style, she raced to her bathroom to get her stool, dragged it down the hall, climbed up, and gave Lawson his pacifier; crisis averted! Every day her grace and acceptance of her responsiblities as Big Sister astound me! 
We are all still adjusting to our new version of normalcy. I'm still pumping every 3 - 4 hours. Lacey is absolutely indispensible. Brian is totally stepping up to the plate and vying for Dad of the Year. (Seriously, those of you who know him well, would be shocked and impressed! lol) My mom is starting to talk about when she should leave. Although we don't want her to leave - ever, we realize that at some point she will and when she does, our 'normal' will change once again. One thing that is certain currently, is that I will not be returning to teaching for at least a year. The team of doctors at Duke who saved Lawson's life were clear in their recommendation that, if at all possible, he should not enter a daycare setting until at least his first birthday due to his susceptibility to infection and need for individualized care. Not to mention the numerous follow up appointments we will have over the coming year. We already have 3 scheduled over the next month. So needless to say, staying home is a no-brainer for us. I mean seriously, how could you leave that adorable face!?
Honestly though, I find that Teacher is a role I just can't shake! It's a good thing that Lacey has a voracious appetite for learning! I took her to the library and lunch at Jersey Mike's today, just the two of us, to show her how much I appreciate her help with Lawson. We found ourselves sounding out and labeling the things on our table- bag, cup, lid, chips, napkin, etc, with the Sharpie I just happened to have in my purse. When class let out, we arrived home just in time for Lawson's bottle and medicine administration, so I assumed my role of Nurse. Staying home with my children is definietly a role I've always wanted to take on, so I'm pretty excited to gain the title 'Stay Home Mom'. Although I'm not sure the logistics of the term . . . do I still get to call myself a Stay Home Mom if I'm technically on leave? If we look at semanitcs, I am, in fact, staying home. So I think I'll go ahead and claim that title, at least for a year! ;)
