The Mom Life + Beau at 2 months
WOW. It’s been months since I have even opened up my blog to even look at it! No reason in particular - I haven’t been trying to take a break… and I haven’t even been that busy really ( I mean yes having a baby and living that newborn life is busy but I’m always on the couch with my computer and phone and I could have easily written blogs everyday if I felt like it. ) I just… haven’t.
I guess in a way I have felt a little confused on what my “purpose” was with this whole blogging thing and haven’t felt moved or inspired to do much with it. Waiting for a day that I truly felt I had something to say before I clicked on that “Create New Draft Button”.
I had a conversation with Brandon a few days ago - about how I REALLY missed having a creative outlet and didn’t even know why i took this unplanned break to begin with. He encouraged me to get back into it - just to start SOMEWHERE and not worry about the specific vision I had for it and just do it. The rest would fall into place if I just started. (aw shucks, thanks supportive husband!)… Does anyone else freeze up when they don’t have a plan together? I function so much better with bullet points and a calendar!
SO HERE I AM!
WHAT was I moved to write about today? …. it’s a topic that has been on my heart since Beau was born.
Motherhood!
I LOVE BEING A MOM.
I was very much prepared to be stressed and worn out and exhausted when having our second baby. I was prepared to hate the newborn stage of waking up through the night, and feeling stuck at home, and lonely during the day. Now, not to say that life isn’t crazy, or stressful, and that I’m not tired…. but I actually REALLY LOVE this time of life. Maybe it’s born out of delirium and my time spent in “survival mode” some of the days - but the chaos that comes when balancing a toddler, and nursing and caring for a newborn I LOVE IT. I feel so very blessed to have these tiny people who depend on me and am owning this title of mama. I welcome the early wake up calls, the poopy diapers, and the non-stop requests for “chicken nuggets and poo-pize (french fries)” Adding our second child - FOR ME - has been an easier adjustment then going from 0-1, and I am very thankful for that - whether it be my mindset - or maybe it’s the fact that Beau is a great baby and taking it easy on me. Whatever it is, I am one happy boy mom. I needed to write this post to savor this moment in time. To have it on the record that right now all is very very good.
LIFE AS I KNOW IT CURRENTLY - Beau at 2 months
We have found our way into a groove… sort of… I feel like Beau and I have had two good months of getting to know each other and I feel really at ease knowing that at least 50% of the time, I know what to expect from him. I have had a fair share of days where Brandon has been gone for work that I also feel confident in getting through a daily schedule with both kids - let me tell you… each time I get them BOTH successfully into bed for the night I feel incredible and also sort of like I deserve a medal, or a spa treatment or something.
Beau is still coming out of a cold for the past SIX WEEKS of his 8 week life. That means I know what sick Beau is like much better than what healthy Beau is like. Even with the coughs and stuffy nose, this kid is just the sweetest. He definitely loves to be held and cuddled, but the more awake and aware he becomes, the more content he is just hanging out and watching the world around him. Contrast that to Jett at his age who wouldn’t sit contently for more than MAX of 20 minutes, and did not like to be held to comfort! Then I just thought thats the way things were, but now I am realizing that was just his personality and this now is Beau’s. He has become a champ at falling asleep on his own in his bassinet - sometimes with a little fussing - but will give us one good 5-6 hour chunk and then another 4 or so hour chunk. About a week ago he was waking himself up coughing or congested every hour or two so I feel like our sleeping habits will continue to get better as his cold clears up! On the nap side of things, we try for one or two bassinet naps a day- typically in the morning, as I just want him to work on learning to fall asleep independently (and morning naps seem to come easier for him) the other times he naps on me or out and about when I’m running errands. Jett loves “baby brother” and loves to touch the back of his head and laugh and say “funny baby brother” with a big grin on his face. This morning I caught him trying to feed Beau some toast: the only time I have ever seen Jett initiate a sharing gesture. So even if I have to lunge after him and say “baby brother can’t have toast, but you are SO sweet to share” I am happy that he obviously feels positively about Beau, enough to share his own food!:) Beau’s little smiles and coos make my days so filled with joy and he is just the perfect little addition to our family. We love him so!
One more thought!! : MOMMING’ on social media
Soo many thoughts on this topic of sharing your personal life with strangers on the internet.. I will just share a few:)
I will admit that while YES I do share our life and a bit about both our happy and not-so-happy times…at the same time, I definitely keep a lot of things close. With fear of judgement, or potentially receiving not-so-nice comments, I haven’t been as open as I WISH I could be. Which is silly - you know how many “mom-shaming” comments I have received the last 2 1/2 years? ONE. One! I know thats partially because A) I don’t put myself out there that much .. other than a few cute videos of my kids, and maybe a workout clip or two B) Most everyone that pays any attention to me online are a group of super supportive people. I read a blog post recently by a very popular blogger/influencer discussing mom-shaming at length and it seems she receives A LOT of hateful messages. It made me both thankful I haven’t run into that, yet also envious that she is brave enough to share A LOT about her - even things that may stir up judgemental conversation.
What I do know, above all, is that I freakin’ love the community of people I have connected with on social media. I love that I can ask questions and get amazing recommendations- or just encouraging comments that REALLY help me. And what I love even more its sharing things I learn with everyone else. Whether thats dinner recs, or ideas on how to get toddlers to nap in a big boy bed - Collectively, we’re all in this together and Instagram can be a huge POSITIVE resource for all of us. So many of you have Influenced ME and I am so grateful.
( sidenote…this term “influencer… yuck - I don’t know whats better but I really hate the word. I feel like it assumes I know everything about everything and really I don’t. I consider myself a “jack of many trades” - knowing enough to get me by on a variety of topics, but an expert on anything I am not!)
Well thats what I got friends - a couple of random thoughts about motherhood - kicking off my return to blogging more consistently. It feels pretty good if you ask me! Thanks always for reading!!
Meg