One Month In

It’s been a busy month in our house. Busy adjusting to a family of four, busy taking care of a newborn again and busy trying to get used to a new routine. I can’t believe how quickly the first month with Nora has passed!

The first few weeks brought many visitors and many thoughtful gifts and packages in the mail. It makes us feel so loved and so blessed to be surrounded by so many awesome family and friends. Nora is one spoiled little lady and her closet has already doubled if not tripled in size! Wynn has loved all of his 'surprises' too as so many people brought or sent things to celebrate him being a big brother.

I think we were a little better prepared this time around, as we knew what we were getting into with having a new baby in our lives, but I think we’re still just as exhausted, if not more so! Sometimes it feels like there is no downtime or time to relax with 2 kids, both with their unique needs. (It still feels a little strange to say 'kids' plural too!)

Wynn has been an awesome big brother, so very sweet and gentle with Nora. He loves to give her kisses and hugs and asks to hold her. Whenever she’s laying on the floor he likes to lay next to her and talk to her. You can tell she likes hearing the sound of his voice and will quiet when he comes near.  He loves when we all sit on the couch together and asks ‘We a family?' and requests ‘family hugs’ which always melts my heart.

There has almost been zero jealousy problems as of yet. There have been a few times when Wynn will asked to be picked up because he is 'a baby and is crying' while he pretends to cry. I replaced some of Wynn’s pictures with Nora’s in frames around the house and this really has been the only issue to Wynn. He noticed this one night at dinner and had a bit of a meltdown wanting his baby pictures back. We had to assure him that he still had plenty of face time around our house!

Nora has been a great with nursing and has been growing like a weed! By one month she has gained 3 lbs and grown 2 inches from her birth stats. She loves to be snuggled close and rocked. She is not one for sitting still (or alone much) unless she’s sleeping! Her dad is the best at getting her to sleep when she is fussy, so I think she is a daddy’s girl already. Something that almost always calms her down is a diaper change. She just loves to have her diaper changed and also is so calm during bath time.

We’re still trying to work out a schedule with her. She’s been a bit unpredictable, and if you know me well, you know how that must drive me crazy! Some days she’s really sleepy and is hard to keep awake, while others she’s awake for hours and fights sleep with every ounce of her being. I know it will get sorted out in time.

Nora has also been a bit of a sensitive baby. She grunts, groans and seems strained often, bothered either by gas or acid reflux. She also has sensitive skin and has some spots of eczema. Lastly, she seems to be upset by lots of noise and too much light. She definitely prefers a calm, dark and quiet environment, which isn’t always easy to come by with a 2 year old also in the house! For the most part, that means she’s a decent nighttime sleeper though. She still gets up about every 2-3 hours to eat, but goes right back to sleep.

However, also because this is the second time around, we know that all things pass and that most problems are solved with age. My dear friend Shannon had a terrible tragedy happen in her family where a brand new mom was taken from her baby within days of his birth. My heart just aches for her family and it makes me remember to cherish every single moment with my new daughter. Even though this month was a bit of a doozy, I wouldn’t give a single fussy moment back. You can’t take anything for granted and have to remember to count your blessings every single day.