Once more, I am in awe of life. The past six weeks have been all about re-learning, snuggles, poops, sleep-deprivation, balance, and adjustment. We arrived from the hospital to an anxiously-awaiting household. Anxious to meet their brother, anxious to meet their grandson, anxious to meet their nephew. Meanwhile, I had my own anxieties. Anxious to know what life would be like with two children.
Life with one child was a major adjustment. Even so, that was almost ten years ago. Throughout pregnancy, a major concern was what life would like once a second child was in our home. How would our firstborn adjust? How would we travel? When would I have time for myself? And, could I even handle two children? To some, these issues sound trivial, but quite frankly, these issues are vital to my sanity.
In our first week, we received help from our extended families, which was wonderful! But, I knew it wouldn’t be a true depiction of our future. This was with extra hands. It would end.
The second week, our oldest was away, enjoying some fun in the sun and spending time with relatives. I missed him, but I knew he was safe, and I didn’t worry. However, I knew this wasn’t a depiction of our future either.
Weeks three-through-six were a blur. Both kids were home, and we’ve slowly made adjustments into our new lives. At week six I can say the journey has only just begun. Most days I wake up exhausted, but each day I wake up amazed by my beautiful gifts. Amazed by their growth, their personalities, and pretty much everything about them.
In contrast to my first postpartum period, where I was hurried to lose weight and “snap-back” to my prior-self. I’ve focused more on wellness, healthy recovery, and patience with all things around and including myself.
Honestly, two kids is a doozy. But it’s doable. Definitely, a learning experience.
So far I’ve learned:
Expect the unexpected,
Being over-prepared is better than being under-prepared,
You might not remember, so put it on a calendar,
You can’t pour from an empty cup, so take care of yourself
Breathe. Take your time. It will be okay.
Fifth of October 