3 weeks and counting

After Nicole was born I distinctly remember the first Doctors appointment I had to bring Nicole to by myself.  I don't remember how old Nicole was but I do know that she was new enough that I still felt completely overwhelmed by the idea of leaving the house with her alone.  I remember mustering up the energy to get us to Nicole's appointment on time and as I was sitting in the waiting room I saw a mom enter the lobby with a brand new baby and a toddler.  She looked calm and competent even with two small children in tow.  The toddler was declaring to everyone who would listen, "this is our new baby!" while the mom was conversing with the staff at the front desk.  I watched in amazement as the mom dropped off some paperwork, picked up her infant carrier with ease and ushered her toddler back out the door.  I kept thinking about how fragile I felt hauling one tiny baby to the Doctor by myself.  I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to add a second kid to the mix.

I think back to that experience at the Doctors office and shake my head in disbelief.  Two and a half years later, I am now the mom hauling an infant and a toddler from place to place, and I am happy to report that I feel much less fragile than I did back then.  Welcoming Jonah into our family was and is a big transition for all of us.  There have been parts of the transition that have been really hard but there have been other parts that have been absolutely wonderful too.  While I wouldn't ever willingly sign up for the hard parts of any transition, I am grateful that such a significant life event has required all of us to step out of our old normal and take steps towards a new normal together.  With that said, I'd love to update you on how we're doing!

It's only been a little over three weeks since we welcomed Jonah into the world and every single day has contained its own challenges and rewards.  My hospital stay was short-lived (by choice!).  I did end up delivering naturally which meant that I only had to stay at the hospital for one night.  I spent that first night basking in the relief of finally having given birth and soaking up each and every quiet opportunity I had to get to know Jonah.  He was awake and very alert (and super hungry) most of the night which gave way to lots of special moments together.  I was tired but I felt deeply grateful for our precious time alone.   Little did I know that Jonah's pattern of being awake all night would continue once we brought him home.  I hung in there for the first couple of days but then after it had been a week, I was an absolute wreck.

I am happy to report that we have since worked out a slightly better routine, which involves Jonah sleeping for about 2 hours at a time.  The miraculous aspect of our current sleep schedule is that Nicole has slept through all of Jonah's crying.  She has always been a light and reluctant sleeper so we are amazed and thankful that Jonah's very loud crying hasn't disrupted her at all.  Every single morning when she wakes up rested and happy, I give thanks that she slept through another night completely unaware of all of the activity happening right next door to her room. 

If you have ever taken care of an infant than you know that your day pretty much revolves around sleeping, eating and diapering.  This time around all three of those things feel a little more intense and taxing than they did with Nicole, simply because I am doing my best to meet all of those needs while simultaneously caring for a toddler.  My hands are frequently full, as is my lap.  I am amazed that God has entrusted me with two incredible children, but I have to admit that adding a new baby to the mix has required so much more of me than I could have imagined.  Thankfully, Shawn is a fantastic dad and a huge help to me which has made the intensity of this new season a lot more manageable.

Thanks to great teamwork, a large amount of flexibility and tons of prayer, we continue to take steps towards a new normal.  We aren't there yet, but we're doing our best to love and serve one another through each monumental day and long night.

Thanks for celebrating Jonah's birth with us.  We love him already!
Erica