we're getting by

Everyone is asking how we are doing, so I thought I'd post a quick update. All things considered we are doing really well. I am able to get around more now that my pain has significantly subsided and I am getting much better on crutches. Andy is unbelievably busy taking care of breakfast and dinner every day, doing laundry, bathing everyone (much as he is nervous bathing the little slippery baby, he thinks he's a better candidate for the job than I), cleaning up the kitchen, putting the kids to bed and carrying Isabel anywhere that she needs to go. Oh, and he's working full time too. The boys are both being very helpful, but their help is sometimes terrifying. Today Devin got a band-aid from the bathroom cabinet for Alex. When I went to the bathroom a little later I discovered that he reached the band-aid by climbing on a stool that he put on top of the toilet. While I have to give him props for his ingenuity, I clearly have to review with him which items are acceptable for climbing.
The person most enjoying my lack of mobility is Isabel. She loves hanging out on the couch with Mom. She even takes all her naps on the couch, since I can't carry her while I'm on crutches. Any guilt that I was feeling about her getting shuttled around to all the boys things and spending too much time in her car seat is long gone, since she is getting more time with me than I ever thought my third child could get. I think we are both enjoying that though.
I am extremely grateful to my friends who have been absolutely wonderful about helping us. We have friends who are driving my kids to camp and swim lessons, bringing us dinner, inviting the boys over to play, picking up groceries for us, and even coming over to help me get Izzy into the car when I need to go somewhere. While Andy and I both feel bad about being so needy, we recognize that we truly cannot manage on our own right now. Even though we have babysitters coming daily to help with lunch and things around the house, we still rely heavily on our friends, and we feel so lucky to have made some wonderful friends in such a short amount of time.
We are calling in reinforcements this weekend though - Grandma is coming! Andy has to travel next week, so my Mom moved her trip up (she and Dad were planning to come later in the week) and has extended her stay until I am (hopefully!) off crutches. I hope that she is able to give Andy a little breather, since he has been pulled in a lot of directions lately and he definitely needs (and deserves) some down time. I know that I'm not the only one counting the days until I go to the ortho again.