As I was looking through my pictures to try to find one to post along with my post pregnancy update I quickly realized that there aren't many of Liam and I together. It was a little reminder that I need to get out from behind the camera every now and then! But for now, this picture will have to do. It's one of us in the hospital during the time that Liam was being treated for jaundice. I was only able to hold him during meal time.
So, here's the part where I give a little update about life on the other side of the belly. I've already shared the birth story. Click here if you missed it.
As with most moms of newborns, my main symptom is definitely fatigue! Although Liam is a lot less fussy than Silas was, he still has times (especially in the evenings and sometimes into the early morning hours) where he just won't be put down. Thankfully, I'm dealing with the fatigue MUCH better this time around. With Silas I was so unprepared for the lack of sleep (shocker!), but this time around I knew what I was in for.
As I've mentioned before, I dealt with some postpartum anxiety and depression after Silas' birth. This time around I've had minimal symptoms of either- praise God! I believe the main reason, of course, is LOTS of prayer. I also believe that other factors that have made things easier are (1) Liam is a healthier baby than Silas was, (2) I made the very difficult but wise (for our family) decision not to breastfeed early on instead of dealing with the stress of low milk supply, (3) I made a conscious effort to get out of the house a lot sooner than I did when Silas was born, and (4) I have Silas at home keeping me busy- life must go on!
I've also recovered physically much quicker than I did after I had Silas. I guess my body wasn't as shocked the second time around!
Overall, going from one child to two has been a much smoother transition for me than going from zero children to one!
As I've mentioned before, I dealt with some postpartum anxiety and depression after Silas' birth. This time around I've had minimal symptoms of either- praise God! I believe the main reason, of course, is LOTS of prayer. I also believe that other factors that have made things easier are (1) Liam is a healthier baby than Silas was, (2) I made the very difficult but wise (for our family) decision not to breastfeed early on instead of dealing with the stress of low milk supply, (3) I made a conscious effort to get out of the house a lot sooner than I did when Silas was born, and (4) I have Silas at home keeping me busy- life must go on!
I've also recovered physically much quicker than I did after I had Silas. I guess my body wasn't as shocked the second time around!
Overall, going from one child to two has been a much smoother transition for me than going from zero children to one!
That's not to say that there aren't significant challenges to adding a second child to the family. My greatest challenge has been learning how to manage it all. For instance, Silas is watching more TV than he usually does (I'm slowly learning how to deal with a fussy baby and an active toddler without defaulting to TV); we're all eating a little less healthy (I'm slowly learning how to organize my days/weeks in such a way that I actually have time to grocery shop and cook balanced meals); my home is not getting cleaned nearly as often as it used to (I'm slowly learning how to balance my need for down time and my responsibility to keep my home tidy); and I'm struggling to be patient and kind in the midst of it all (I'm slowly learning how to cling to Jesus when I feel like I'm spinning out of control).
Little by little I know it'll all come together, but for now I'm just taking it a day at a time. My Mom recently gave me a devotional book called Jesus Calling. It's not specifically for moms, but it's the perfect little devotional book for moms of little ones. I've found it to be just what I need to keep things in perspective as we tread through this season.
