Finally a free moment (she said, pausing as she heard a mutter on the baby monitor, but no, all is still quiet) to post an update. Things are good but busy. This week has been the kids' short spring break from school so it has been even more hectic than usual. The big kids are off on their traditional holiday two-nighter with our parents at the moment, so it's just us and Stephen in a big, empty, clean, quiet house.

I miss them. But not enough to be totally devastated at having a day partially to myself.

They have had a good holiday, I think, despite our not being out and about as much as we usually are in the holidays. We have had lots of friends over, including some good family friends of ours (the ones who never leave) who came for afternoon tea and stayed till 10pm. They really are comfortable friends by this stage, and I paid them the enormous compliment of falling asleep before they left. I only do that if I really like you.

Stephen is doing well, getting more plump and cuddly every day (limbs beginning to accumulate some padding and lose their newborn sticklike appearance). I can't be bothered to take him for weighing but he seems to be growing. Did a very scientific weighing operation this morning on our bathroom scale and he seems to weigh 5kg now which sounds about right for his starting weight and age - almost four weeks old now.

Stephen is probably the most relaxed baby we have had so far. He has his stressed times though. I'm not sure whether it is due to my being older but I seem to have more perspective this time around. I have never enjoyed a brand new baby quite this much before. It has always taken me a little longer to get there.

I guess the gut feeling that I have had, on and off over the last decade, that four kids was the right number for us, was right. I feel incredibly - something. Blessed? Lucky? Grateful?

However, and this is MOST DISTRESSING, I have a suspicion that Stephen is upset by chocolate milk. I can't be sure yet though. Perhaps (and this is in no way related to the untouched bar of Lindt in the pantry) some more research is called for.

Lauren (who has career plans of being a baby sitter) is putting in lots of work experience at the moment. She is amazing with Stephen. She will willingly hold him and rock him and sing to him when I am busy doing something else. Perhaps she will become a famous child care expert, teach thousands of parents how to calm their babies, make a fortune, and we will all retire and buy an island somewhere.

The boss awakes...

And sleeps...

The other, furrier, baby is enormous now. She is a lovely little dog, but quite nippy. Hopefully this is just puppy high spirits and she will not be too rottweilerish in temperament when she is grown up. Sammy the cat is having a bit of a challenging time. He thought the puppy was quite a fun new toy a few weeks back; he didn't realise the new toy would soon be bigger than him. So far he is holding his ground and has not yet turned tail and run. The puppy thinks he is most amazing fun. Perhaps she thinks this because of the way the cat wags his tail whenever they are together. Benjy (Milo's "Unca Benjy", as we refer to him) is loving having a new friend to play with. They spend hours chasing each other around the place. I think it is the most fun he has had in ages.