2005 Journal Entries

We brought Kit home from the hospital Saturday, on a sunny, cool fall morning. It took a team effort to earn her discharge orders. Her respiratory issues were resolved early last week, but we had to give her time to recover and regain the strength she needs to feed herself. I spent Friday with Kit, working with her nurse to ensure Kit finished all her bottles, and her father spent the night with her doing the same. Now she’s home, a pound slighter than Jack, but every ounce as dear.

Jack is a Moore baby through and through. His broad, round face and coloring are identical to his father’s. My parents say Kit looks like me, with deep-set eyes, prominent cheek bones and an olive-colored complexion. Kit is dainty and delicate; Jack seems thick and substantial in comparison. Two babies born at the same time, but each distinct unto themselves.

Archie likes to watch his siblings. He smiles sweetly at them and every so often reaches out to stroke their face or head, hold their hands. When the babies drink their bottles Archie names their action with his sign for the same. He is observant of them and patient with us as we spread ourselves thin, trying to meet everyone’s needs at the moment they need met.

This morning the weather is just as cheerful as it was yesterday. Golden leaves are replacing green leaves and the wind carries with it the scent of autumn, the sun seems farther away. The babies are asleep in their baskets. They’ll stir soon and will root around for food. Archie is upstairs, listening to his Creole music collection and getting dressed with his father. Every now and then I hear his sweet, sweet voice float down the stairs, resting upon the notes of the whiney violin. “Dada,” he says, and I know without seeing what his face looks like when he says it. We are a week out from Archie’s next treatment, before we split our days between home and hospital again. But John and I try not to think about that today. Today we five are all under the same roof. Today we are all home. Wouldn’t it be great if it could be like this all the time?