It is definitely has been more tiring having a second kid. Entertaining and caring for a two year old while having this needy and helpless newborn is a balancing act. Some days I feel like I am just getting by but thankfully there are days that I feel like we are thriving. There are the moments of pure joy looking at these two precious children and then there are the times when I wonder what did we get ourselves into. Managing to get out of the house in a timely fashion deserves a medal, with extra bonus points if everyone is clean, dressed, and hair brushed.
Writing this entry is case in point. Cooper is in the swing on and off crying trying to fall asleep. Hannah is trying to force a cup in my mouth asking if I want just a little juice, spilling some on the recliner. Duncan is throwing his Kong in my lap every five seconds begging for me to play with him. Now Hannah is banging on my arm yelling "mom" repetitively asking "can I just have a little bit of mommy juice in your cup." over and over again. I don't even know what that means! At this point with Hannah I was writing weekly updates with some other blog entries thrown in about fun things like Valentines Day all while we were packing up and moving into a new house. As a wise person once said so eloquently, "ain't nobody got time for that!"
Now on to the real reason for this post, Cooper Alan, our little dude. He already seems so serious. I am curious how that will shape out and what his personality will mold into. It has been hard to be patient through this newborn stage because I find myself wondering and questioning what he is going to be like. I have trouble remembering to really soak in this precious time of sweet newborn cuddles because I am anticipating all the fun smiles, babbling, and playing. He is already growing so incredibly fast, weighing in at 10 pounds 10 ounces, gaining over 2 pounds since birth. Maybe it would be okay if he slows down just a bit after all. This little guy has some of the cutest faces. Waking up is such a dramatic production. Cooper may be the gassiest little dude ever, poor guy. He has been such a sleepy kid but I have been really working on waking him up more during the day and getting him in a bit of a routine. We have gone with the whole eat/wake/sleep cycle and it has seemed to help him out both at night with sleep and also being more content during the day. When he is awake he sometimes can be a bit of a grouch. Its almost like he seems bored and can't figure out the point of being awake. He has seemed more happy and content as we have working on the new routine though. He had his days and nights a little confused there for awhile but things are getting much better. Cooper though, that guy can be so loud at night with his grunts in his sleep. I think this kid is going to earn a ticket to his own room pretty quickly.
I find myself comparing our two kids a lot. Even though Cooper can be a little discontent at times, he is really easy to calm down. I feel like Hannah was a much happier little baby but when she was upset she was tough cookie to calm. In fact she is still like that. Unlike Hannah, Cooper so far seems to thrive off of routine. He is happy to be put in his own bed for real set naps and will go to bed around the same time every night and wake up generally around the same time. These two siblings, though already so different look so much alike as newborns. We have put pictures of the two side by side and it is hard to tell them apart. I wonder if little Cooper will end up with wild blonde curly hair too.
Speaking of these siblings, that has been the most fun and joyous part. Hannah is so so sweet and adores her little brother. She hasn't shown any jealously towards him and is always concerned and caring for him. I am really looking forward to seeing their relationship bloom and hope that they will grow to become really good friends.
As a mom, these days with two has been fun but a challenge. I often find myself losing my patience too quickly and speaking more harshly. It is hard to find quality time with everyone, especially Brian. I think we are all doing good considering the changes. Though it is tougher to get out the door we are doing it. We are making it. I just hope we can all appreciate these times more. I think it is that way a lot in life, you know: the tough moments, the precious times, the frustrations, the joys, often all blended into one day or even one hour.
I am grateful for my family, I am thankful for these kids, and I am honored to be their mother. They fill my heart with love and I am so happy to have Cooper join us in our family. I am so looking forward to seeing him grow and change. I pray that we can guide him, love him, and raise him in the way of the Lord. I also pray that God will protect his little heart in this world. We are so far from perfect in our parenting but one things is for sure, we will always love this guy. How could we not, he is just so cute and sweet. Happy one month little dude!
Now on to the real reason for this post, Cooper Alan, our little dude. He already seems so serious. I am curious how that will shape out and what his personality will mold into. It has been hard to be patient through this newborn stage because I find myself wondering and questioning what he is going to be like. I have trouble remembering to really soak in this precious time of sweet newborn cuddles because I am anticipating all the fun smiles, babbling, and playing. He is already growing so incredibly fast, weighing in at 10 pounds 10 ounces, gaining over 2 pounds since birth. Maybe it would be okay if he slows down just a bit after all. This little guy has some of the cutest faces. Waking up is such a dramatic production. Cooper may be the gassiest little dude ever, poor guy. He has been such a sleepy kid but I have been really working on waking him up more during the day and getting him in a bit of a routine. We have gone with the whole eat/wake/sleep cycle and it has seemed to help him out both at night with sleep and also being more content during the day. When he is awake he sometimes can be a bit of a grouch. Its almost like he seems bored and can't figure out the point of being awake. He has seemed more happy and content as we have working on the new routine though. He had his days and nights a little confused there for awhile but things are getting much better. Cooper though, that guy can be so loud at night with his grunts in his sleep. I think this kid is going to earn a ticket to his own room pretty quickly.
I find myself comparing our two kids a lot. Even though Cooper can be a little discontent at times, he is really easy to calm down. I feel like Hannah was a much happier little baby but when she was upset she was tough cookie to calm. In fact she is still like that. Unlike Hannah, Cooper so far seems to thrive off of routine. He is happy to be put in his own bed for real set naps and will go to bed around the same time every night and wake up generally around the same time. These two siblings, though already so different look so much alike as newborns. We have put pictures of the two side by side and it is hard to tell them apart. I wonder if little Cooper will end up with wild blonde curly hair too.
Speaking of these siblings, that has been the most fun and joyous part. Hannah is so so sweet and adores her little brother. She hasn't shown any jealously towards him and is always concerned and caring for him. I am really looking forward to seeing their relationship bloom and hope that they will grow to become really good friends.
As a mom, these days with two has been fun but a challenge. I often find myself losing my patience too quickly and speaking more harshly. It is hard to find quality time with everyone, especially Brian. I think we are all doing good considering the changes. Though it is tougher to get out the door we are doing it. We are making it. I just hope we can all appreciate these times more. I think it is that way a lot in life, you know: the tough moments, the precious times, the frustrations, the joys, often all blended into one day or even one hour.
I am grateful for my family, I am thankful for these kids, and I am honored to be their mother. They fill my heart with love and I am so happy to have Cooper join us in our family. I am so looking forward to seeing him grow and change. I pray that we can guide him, love him, and raise him in the way of the Lord. I also pray that God will protect his little heart in this world. We are so far from perfect in our parenting but one things is for sure, we will always love this guy. How could we not, he is just so cute and sweet. Happy one month little dude!
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