10 Things I've Learned in 10 Days

1.  I really can love them both.  Before H was born, Ellie was our sunshine.  She was inside all the time, played with all the time, and was the center of our world.  When H came along, she became a mostly outdoor dog.  I guess I wondered if something similar would happen when M was born.  I couldn't believe I could love anyone as much as I loved H.  But I can.  And I do.  It's amazing to have so much love in my heart.

2.  It's good to have lots of diaper changing "stations".  I had forgotten how often newborns fill their diapers and between H and M, I feel like I'm changing them constantly!  So I have a changing pad, diapers and wipes in the living room, the changing table, diapers and wipes in H's room, and a changing pad, diapers and wipes in my bedroom for nighttime changes.  It makes things much easier to not have to walk across the house every time one of them needs changed.

3.  Resting isn't as easy with two!  I know they tell you to "sleep when baby sleeps".  Unfortunately, with two babies, it becomes, "sleep when both babies are sleeping".  But then, when you FINALLY have a moment with both babies asleep, you look around and really want to get a little picking up done.  Or you realize you haven't eaten in a few hours and are starving!  It's just not as easy to rest in general.

4.  Having family support is critical.  When H was born, Brian's mom and sisters cooked up a storm and filled our refrigerator before we came home from the hospital.  My mom came over while we were in the hospital and cleaned the house.  They all pitched in and helped with H after she was born.  This time, it'd been a little different.  They were both busy with H while I was in the hospital and M arrived right during a very busy time for both sides of the family.  They have still been so supportive and helpful though and I don't know what we'd have done without them.  I can't imagine being in a dysfunctional family and praise God for the wonderful family He has given me.

5.  What I do is important.  H is imitating me so much more than she used to.  When I rock M, she sits down and rocks her baby.  When I burp M, she puts her baby on her shoulder and pats her back.  H is watching my every move.  It really makes me want to watch what I do more carefully.

6.  Childproofing should happen before baby #2 arrives.  Yeah.  Blew this one.  Right now, there are plastic baggies all over the kitchen floor.  H is not supposed to be in the baggie drawer, but there is also no lock on it.  I knew she was in the kitchen, but I also knew that I hadn't heard the cabinet door open that holds the trash, so she couldn't be getting into too much trouble.  I was nursing M, so I couldn't get up and check on her and I didn't want to tell her to come to me because if she didn't I would have to get up and get her.  It's a little frustrating.  So, next time I go out, I'll be purchasing cabinet locks.  I can't stand living without them anymore.  I also need to get a few other things out of H's reach and go around and make sure all the electric outlets have plugs on them.  I should have done all this before M arrived.  Silly mommy!


7.  You CAN nurse a baby and hold a 15 month old in your lap at the same time.  This was something I'd wondered before M was born and yes, it can be done!  Getting the 15 month old up into your lap is kind of a pain if you've already started nursing, but that can be done too.

8.  It takes a really long time to get a newborn and a 15 month old loaded into the car.  I thought before that it took a long time to get H ready to go and into the car.  I hadn't seen anything yet!  I haven't even done it by myself yet, but Brian and I took the girls a couple places this last week and it was an adventure.  I'm sure things will get faster, especially as H gets a little older and can follow commands more easily, but for now, I'm going to have to allot myself quite a bit of time to get out the door.

9.  I am stronger than I once thought.  In the next couple days, I'll be posting my birth story.  After going through a completely natural childbirth, I am amazed with how God made our bodies.  I was amazed before that a baby could come from basically nothing.  It's incredible!  But now I'm even more amazed that I was strong enough (and that God gave me the strength) to birth that baby with no interventions.  I didn't need drugs to help things move along.  I didn't need a doctor to help things along.  I didn't need anything to help with the pain except for my wonderful husband and the will God gave me to get through.  It's an incredible feeling.

10.  Being a mom only gets better.  When Brian went back to work, he had lots of people ask him if we were done having kids now that we had two.  Why on earth would we be done???  Are we destitute and can't feed the ones we have?  That's the only reason I can think of that we would stop and even then, it'd be temporary.  Now, I'm no Michelle Duggar, but the scriptures say "children are a heritage of the Lord...His reward...as arrows in the hand of a mighty man...happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them."  I can't imagine being done.  Not when this just keeps getting better!