some thoughts...

Some thoughts on life with 2 children... 5 days in...

This was the scene in our kitchen last night... Ruby is counting, no, SCREAMING to ten while Daddy hides in the other room, she yells "Ready? Coming Daaaadddddyyy!!!". I'm loading/unloading dishes and running the garbage disposal. Ruby screams in the other room when she finds Josh and runs to "base" i.e. mama's legs - all the while screaming and laughing. I'm yelling to Josh "Can you start Ruby's bath in 10?" and then I look down... Eleanor is and has been sound asleep during all of this in her little lamb's chair. I mean OUT. It was then I realized that Eleanor and Ruby have had and will have very different experiences in these early days...

"Peaceful, easy feeling" - Eleanor has been (love) poked and (kindly) man handled by Ruby. She has been fed on the go (i.e. baby on the boob when I'm chasing around Ruby outside). She has slept through noises and cries and screeches I didn't think was possible. Don't get me wrong - she gets PLENTY of love and hugs and PLENTY of mama cuddles and daddy hugs (Josh took the week off so we're able to each man a kid during this week...), but it's just a different start compared to the quiet, tranquil, peaceful home Ruby would nap in as a 3 day old...

"No" - I'm very aware of how often we are telling Ruby "No" lately.... "No Ruby - don't touch her eyes" "No, mama has to feed Eleanor right now - you can hold her later." "No sweetie, daddy can't pick you up right now, he's holding Eleanor"... and it makes me sad. I mean. Yes. There are things she cannot do... poking her sister's retina is one of those things... but I'm trying to tap into the different parenting resources of my brain to turn these "no" moments into more teaching moments and then making "down time" super special. For example - when she tried to poke E's eyes, I turned it into a "while we can't touch her eyes, why don't you show me her ears..." moment. And when E was sleeping and Ruby was getting stir crazy, I said "Ruby! Let's make cookies!!" Just trying to make her "big girl" status something exciting... I think I'll get better with time...

"So Big" - Ruby is HUGE. I know it's all because now that I'm holding a 7 pound baby, a 30 pound toddler seems huge. BUT. Seriously. She. Is. Huge. I teared up at the hospital when Ruby first came to visit because she's not a baby anymore! All of her features are little girl-ish... not baby-ish. AND, she's talking up a storm. I was in the kitchen and she came in and said "Mama. Dad need you." What??? Did my daughter just relay a message?? It's crazy.

"I think we got better..." - Ruby was an easy baby. I mean, not the best sleeper at the beginning, but overall pretty chill baby. Eleanor. My word. She. Is. Chill. Let it be known - 5 days in - she is CHILLLLLL. She sleeps A LOT. She's a great eater. She is just content wherever you put her. She'll fall asleep on her own or just look around... and patiently wait for you to pick her up. Or not. What??? I mean - I could give the credit to Eleanor, but just because it's day 5 and I've already blogged twice, I'm gonna give the credit to me and Josh... :)

My heart is full. So, so full.