Oh, friends, how is it possible that my baby boy will be 3 months in a few days?! How is it possible that my maternity leave is over already?!

I’ve missed you all but I confess I’ve been enjoying a break from the norm and a lot of snuggles. You forget how hard the first few months are with a newborn after a few years but, man, it comes back to you fast!  The first 6 weeks with our boy are seriously a delirious blur of sleep deprivation. Lincoln has acid reflux and until we got it under control he was only sleeping in 2-hour increments and nursing every 90 minutes. That’s not totally unheard of for a newborn but it exhausting for a momma. Then add in the poor thing hurting on top of it from the reflux pain! I’m just glad that there are meds to help him!

So how is it adding a second to our family?

Well, I can happily say that at 3 months all four of us are settling into our new roles as a family of four. I was worried about Lyra’s transition to being a big sister but honestly, she has been a champ! Lyra’s biggest problem is OVER loving her brother! For example, one night she was “helping” me put Lincoln to bed. Tom had to work late so I was on my own. Lyra decides she needs to hug Baby Lincoln. She does not say this she simply runs up and hugs him while he is nursing. Startling us both. Which results in a tired baby now wailing because he was startled and a wailing toddler because she is upset that he is upset and a mom holding them both trying to calm them down. In hindsight, it was sweet and funny! She loves him so much and he loves her. They are just figuring out how to love one another. Seriously, the little man gives her the biggest smiles of all of us. I can only hope they stay best buddies.

Overall, adding a second kid has had a lot of the same challenges as adding the first which I wrote about here but it was also easier in a lot of ways. I wasn’t scared out of my mind to leave the hospital with him because I’d already done it once! I also didn’t have the “mourning” of my old life to deal with because we are used to having a kid now! The juggling both kids is challenging and there is no “sleep when the baby sleeps” when you have a toddler at home too. Our big 3-year-old is 100 miles an hour unless she is asleep!

Really though, the biggest and best difference with the second kid is not having the parenting learning curve to work through! You’ve done this before and it all comes back to you. You know you can do it to because you already have with the first! You know that the sleepless nights will lessen and go away eventually. You know they will start to smile and chatter at you. You know that a new normal will happen eventually.

I think this knowing lets you appreciate the time even more with the second. I don’t love being exhausted all the time but when I’m up feeding our little man, I try to appreciate it because before I know it he will be a Three-nager, and I won’t get to snuggle him so much. Before I know it I won’t get to smell his sweet baby head because he will be running around the house chasing his big sister. Before I know it I will look at his baby clothes and think how it felt like just yesterday he fit them.

Time flies when you have kids. It’s so true. I mean look at that handsome little face. He was about 3 weeks here and already he looks different! On that note, I’m gonna go enjoy my last 2 days with my little man before real life comes back in! Tell me in the comments how it was for you adding a second! and I’ll see you all soon!

xoxo

Kristen

PS All the photos are from Molly at Sugarplum Photography in Berks County! Check her out if you are local! She’s following her dream of becoming a photographer and rocking it!