I’m currently three months deep in the baby phase with our third baby. It’s a stressful and exciting phase that has me thinking back to my previous baby phases. I almost feel like a first time mom with the amount of information I feel like I’ve forgotten. Not to mention how much temperaments change from baby to baby.
First Time Mom Life
With my first baby, I lounged around at home, watching Call the Midwife (SO much crying), and attempting various tasks around the house when I could get a moment of baby free time, unless I could somehow do it with one hand. Nursing was a rough go for the first 6ish months. He was a month early, but perfectly healthy. Still, he had issues latching, and I had a forceful letdown. We struggled on with little help. I had less knowledge of resources available to me then, and the ones I knew about were far away. It all seemed out of reach.
We kept moving forward, day by day. I learned more and more about him, and we slowly moved into a rhythm. It took a LONG time with him to create a rhythm though. He woke every 2-3 hours well past the first year. His nap were sporadic, at best, for months. He wanted to be held constantly, and nursed frequently for LONG periods of time. I practically lived in my nursing pillow.
Looking back, it was HARD. For so many reasons. But it was also just Little Man and me. If I was nap trapped all day, I didn’t have anywhere to be. I could devote my time to him and him alone. We were making it, together.
And a Third Baby Comes Along…
Fast forward to today. Two high energy boys, and a fresh baby girl that wants snuggles all day long and fights daytime sleep. I love the snuggles, and smiles, and the feeling of baby weight on my chest, but I also know I have two little boys who need snuggles and attention, and at least occasionally, food. And by occasionally I mean just about every two hours and only RIGHT after I’ve just sat down. It’s a balance I’m reacquainting myself with. I’ve somehow forgotten a lot of it from when I went from 1 to 2 kids. I remember mourning the loss of time with my oldest while enjoying the snuggles of my then youngest. Once again I’m enjoying the highs and lows of the baby phase, while attempting to snuggle those loving boys, who adore their baby sister in the most precious way.
I wouldn’t change it for the world. They are my precious little ones, and they each complete our family in their own ways. I know the baby phase lasts only a short while, and I hope to soak up all the joys that come along with it. I’m determined to not let the voice of mom guilt let me lose sight of all the beauty of this season in our lives.
This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series “Contrast”.
created by @phoenixfeatherscalligraphy for C+C, 2021
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