Mother of Two

Life as a mother of two is quite wonderful. I love hearing myself saying "the boys" or "the kids;" anything that refers to my children as plural makes me smile. It makes me 'one year older and wiser too.' Not that I really am any wiser. I find I am much more relaxed with Koyle because I know more of what to expect or what to look for if something is wrong. But at the same time I find I don't remember as much of when Matthew was little as I thought I did. When exactly did Matthew start...(fill in the blank) I find myself asking. And unfortunately, I remember far less details about Koyle's life than I did Matthew's. With Matthew I had nothing else to do except keep track of his every move. I could tell you exactly how long and how often he ate, slept, and pooped every day. With Koyle, I am lucky if I remember at the end of the day exactly when he slept or for how long. I think it might take us a little longer to settle into a routine because of this. It is harder to recognize patterns of sleep and eating. Granted, Koyle is still pretty random and every day is different.
But life with two children has been much easier than expected. I prepared for the worse, and luckily I didn't get it. I attribute this to two things: first that I am better prepared and adjusted to being a mom and having a baby, and second that Koyle is a better sleeper than Matthew and I think a little better tempered overall. Life always looks brighter when you are not sleep deprived. I also have to give credit to Matthew who has made the transition so easy. He really is so good to wait while I nurse Koyle or rock him to sleep. Many times the boys will nap at the same time in the afternoon and so I still have a couple hours every day of uninterrupted time when I can get things done.
Having another sweet baby boy in my home has truly been a blessing. I think Koyle makes me love and appreciate Matthew more and Matthew makes me love and appreciate Koyle more. When I see Koyle smile or watch him sleep I am reminded of when Matthew was little and I want to treasure him forever and keep him my sweet little boy. And when I am having funny conversations with Matthew and having fun playing with him I am so excited to see what Koyle will be like when he is older and I love to dream of all the fun we will have together. And then I see Matthew holding and talking to Koyle and I already know they will have a great relationship.
Having two kids has felt so natural. Every once in a while when I am trying to get out of the house on time, or need to run some errands I think "gee whiz, this is a little more tricky and difficult with two kids," but most of the time it feels like Koyle has been with us forever. I am extremely grateful that the Lord has blessed me with such a great baby and an easy transition. I had such a hard time when Matthew was a baby and I was truly dreading having to do it all over again. And the thought of having to do the baby stage five or six times was a little overwhelming. But now it doesn't seem too bad. I can honestly report that I am happy and doing well. I also need to give credit to Justin who has been a huge support and help to me the past 7 weeks. I am such a lucky girl.