Life with Two

So here we are, nearly 4 weeks into our new life with Reagan! I have to admit that I am loving every second of it so far, and that includes being awakened at 4:00am for a feeding and having my hand pooped on too many times to count. I don't know what it is, but I am just unbelievably happy. Did I say that I don't know what it is? Okay, maybe I do. I have been so blessed with these two little girls and I just feel so lucky to have 2 happy and healthy children.

Adding Reagan to the family has been so amazing. She's a wonderful addition! I was so worried about the trauma adding a newborn would cause, but it has been relatively easy. Jocelyn has been adjusting nicely, and to tell you the truth, I already believe that she doesn't remember a time without Reagan around. She went through a short phase of super-charged "terrible twos", but has now calmed herself back down a little bit. She loves to help me take care of Reagan. She wants to hold her and burp her and help change her diaper. She kisses her all the time and has even proclaimed that she "love baby". I just can't wait until they can play together and giggle together!

For me, labor and delivery was rather easy, recovery went quickly, and Reagan is (so far) a really easy baby. She is eating every 3-4 hours, nursing well (no more pain there for Mama either) and has given me nice stretches of sleep at night. The past few nights she has slept 6-hour stretches! The sleep makes all the difference for me! She is a happy baby, usually only crying when she needs fed or is tired. I am counting my blessings for sure, and hope that she stays as easy as she has been so far!

I don't know if this is the case for everyone, but for me, bringing Reagan home has been so much easier than when we brought Jocelyn home. Having your first baby is such a life-changing event. You can't even imagine how it changes your life until it happens to you. It's almost not even worth trying to imagine until you actually bring that baby home from the hospital and are experiencing it directly. I was a mess in those first couple of weeks after Jocelyn came home. The hormones were crazy and the change was very hard for me. I can't remember when it all started getting better--I'm guessing it may have been around the same time that Jocelyn started sleeping better at night--but it did get better, I adjusted to my new life and really started to enjoy being a mom. Flash forward 2.5 years and I am doing it all over again. Although this time it is much easier. I think it's because I have more confidence in myself as a mom since I have done it once before and have a 2-year-old child to show for it. The hormones didn't rage, the change wasn't as big, the nursing was MUCH easier. Reagan started out a pound heavier than Jocelyn and I think that may have led to better sleeping right off the bat. Anyway, it has just been a lot easier and I am just so happy with our little family. I look forward to experiencing all the things we experienced with Jocelyn all over again--the first smile, the first babble, first holidays, first steps. Plus I look forward to experiencing new things, like watching the love of siblings, watching my girls learn and laugh and play together. I can't wait for it all to start, but at the same time I am enjoying Reagan as a newborn because I know she will be 2.5 in the blink of an eye.

We are happily a family of four! We couldn't be luckier!