Weighing in at 8 pounds 6 ounces, baby Elia was born on September 9th, 2013. She's a bundle of joy and chubbiness as can be seen by this photo, which was taken about 2 hours after the birth. Fast forward six weeks, we are still in the newborn "fog". Poops are often and sleep is infrequent.

Although our first born, Lyla, was only born 2 years ago, it seems like I've forgotten everything about newborns. That could just be based on the incredible fatigue...or maybe it's due to the anxiety that all parents go through. Or maybe it's my age (I'm a relatively new member of the over 40 club). Either way, it's a good thing that resources like babycenter.com and our well-worn copy of "What to expect" are easily accessible.

On the topic of age...I'm willing to bet folks like us who wait to have kids until the last moment physically possible have a harder time than those who have children in their 20's and early 30's. Although I still feel young and in good shape, a 40-year old body is definitely different than a 30-year old one. Let me point to my recent knee surgery as proof of that. The combination of work and other life responsibilities is also greater than they were a few years back (at least for us). No new parents have it easy, though...and having 2 kids is DEFINITELY harder than having just 1. There's no hand off of the kid to your spouse. And there's no sleeping for a few extra minutes while the baby is cooing in her crib. With a second child (especially with a "spirited" 2-year old) there is simply nowhere to hide.

All things considered, we are doing great. Lyla and Olive are incredible big sisters, Elia is getting bigger by the day, and Deena and I are doing our best (as all parents do) to keep our sh-t together.