It’s officially been two weeks since sweet McKenna made her entrance into the world and we became a family of four. The first few weeks after giving birth are always an adjustment in many ways. You’re getting to know a new person while watching your body transform once again and doing your best to survive on little sleep. It’s easy to feel extreme forms of emotion: both exuberant and blue, in a single moment.
For me, the bigger adjustment has been balancing my babies and reassuring my toddler that he is still loved just as much as he was before and certainly as much as his sister. A regular morning at our house includes several meltdowns but it also includes the sweetest of snuggles, double as many!
I would be lying to you if I said that this adjustment has been easy. It has been anything BUT that. But I will also mention that I’ve never felt such a deep sense of happiness like what I’ve been feeling lately. I have two healthy adorable sweet babies! I’m a MOM- what I’ve always wanted to be! Since this isn’t my first rodeo with a newborn, I know those sleepless nights will disappear and soon my baby will be running around the house like her brother, squealing with joy while running a vacuum or eagerly showing me all the fans. I know that whether or not she is a picky eater or a child who crawls late or doesn’t speak any words at 15 months, that she will be just fine.
And I know learning to share mama and wait his turn is only a great thing for Charlie. His sense of disruption will be short lived and he’ll never remember a time before McKenna.
I’ve been focusing a lot on my attitude lately and waking up with a positive approach to the day. Even if I’ve been up every hour, I crawl out of bed, hug my kiddos, kiss my husband, pour a large cup of coffee, and tell myself I have a new opportunity to make the most of my day. It’s not always easy (in fact, it can sometimes be really hard), but I find myself appreciating the little things much more when I think this way. It’s an important reminder that we have some control in this life about how things play out for us. And that control lies in our attitude.
Maybe you’re a new mama or maybe you’re experiencing some blues and that’s totally normal and exactly how I felt with my first baby. But I found a new sense of confidence and calm with my second. Everyone always says how fast things go by and it’s so true (even though often not something you want to hear after a sleepless night with a fussy baby). I just want you to know that it gets better and each phase seems even more incredible and special than the last.
One of the most important things you can do for your family after you have a baby is take care of yourself! Whether that’s getting a babysitter so you can go out for date night, scheduling lunch with a friend, or getting a manicure, you deserve a break. We all need balance and we’ll only be better people and parents if we give ourselves a bit of self love.
So that’s my postpartum update and insight right now. It’s messy and chaotic at our house but it’s beautiful too- just like motherhood.
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