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It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since our sweet baby girl arrived and made me a mom of TWO! This is still sinking in. Two kids, most days I find myself saying, “What were we thinking??!” but of course we are absolutely loving this beautiful new addition to our growing family.

Keeping it real though, it has definitely been a challenge because I feel like I’m so busy with the baby that I can’t enjoy Harrison. Then I’m trying to make time for him so I’m not allowing myself to enjoy Evelyn either. I’m probably being too hard on myself, as usual, but every day is getting a little easier. I have had a lot of help from the grandparents and now my husband is home on paternity leave so that has been a life-saver! It truly is a great time for us to bond as a family of four.

Big Brother

Speaking of big brother Harrison, you might be wondering how he’s adjusting. Do you want the good news or bad news first? I always go with bad first. He’s two and a half so the tantrums have escalated quickly. I think it’s a combination of the new baby and his age. You can tell he is dealing with a lot of emotions and being a toddler, they have a hard time handling those big feelings so that usually results in some kicking, crying, and laying on the floor. Send me all your advice, please!!

Good news is, he is still doing great with the potty and we have seen zero regression there! So thankful for that, so many people warned us otherwise. He did decide to climb out of the crib when Evelyn was about two weeks old so we put the mattress on the floor of the crib because I am not ready for him to be in a bed. He is very sweet with the baby and asks to hold her and helps “shh” her. I can tell he’s going to be a really great big brother….when he’s FIVE 😳😬🤣.

Eat

I had to have another c-section and Evelyn had to go to the NICU right after birth so I was not able to nurse her for over 24 hours. This had me panicking. I started pumping right away as soon as I got into the recovery room and continued to do so every 3 hours until I was able to nurse her. Getting her to latch was not easy. I think it was a combination of me not feeling great due to the surgery and with her being hooked up to all the wires and monitors. She could sense my stress, but with the help of the nurses we got through it and now she is doing great!

She has gained over two pounds since we brought her home from the hospital. At one month she weighs 7lbs, 11oz and at birth she was 6lbs. When she takes a bottle, she drinks about 3-3.5 oz. My favorite bottles are the comotomo. They have a really slow flow perfect for breastfed babies and they don’t leak at all. Very easy to clean as well. She is eating 8 times a day in about 2.5-3 hour increments.

In the first few weeks she seemed to be struggling with gas pains. I over produced in the beginning so I think she was getting too much foremilk. In order to help with this, I used the Haakaa to catch the initial letdown on the other side (about 1-2oz). That way when she went to nurse on that side she was getting more of the hindmilk. It seemed to help. It’s really a guessing game in the beginning. My doctor told me not to cut anything out of my diet unless she is having worse symptoms. All babies have gas and it takes some time for their digestive system to develop. Anyway, more on the gas topic at month two 🤣.

You can read about my experience with D-MER here, which essentially is anxiety during letdown. This time around, I have not experienced this much at all (thank goodness). I have had some nausea during feedings and a bit of anxiety primarily during nighttime feedings but nothing compared to what I experienced with Harrison.

Sleep

You know that I am a Babywise fan, and I followed this book to a T with Harrison. This time around I also read Moms on Call. I plan to write a detailed comparison of the two books. (Let’s be honest I plan to write a lot of things on this blog but I’m the worst at making time for it.) The Moms on Call schedule for 2-4 weeks only has baby eating 7 times a day and I just didn’t find that to be realistic. I tried it but she needed at least 8 feedings. Here is her current schedule:

• 7:00am wake & feed
• 9:30am feed
• 12:00pm feed
• 2:30-3pm feed
• 5-5:30pm feed
• 7:30-8:00pm feed
• 11:00pm dream feed and back to sleep, let her wake naturally
• 3:30am she usually wakes to eat again

Naps are typically 1.5-2 hours. I try to lay her down awake when I can, but slightly sleepy. Sometimes she wakes early and needs her pacifier or a little help getting back to sleep and if I have to I’ll hold her so she can get her full nap.

Favorite Things

I am LOVING this portable white noise machine. It’s rechargable and lasts a long time. You can hook it onto the stroller, car seat, wherever. I use it for naps during the day when she is downstairs with us. I didn’t have this with Harrison but now when I am out and about I am noticing all the moms have it!

The DockATot is one thing that everyone raved about but I had a hard time justifying the price. I actually found a brand new one secondhand on Mercari. (You can use my invite code here to get $10 off your first purchase when you sign up!) Turns out Evelyn is a big fan. I love that it’s a portable safe place for her to nap and lay flat. We do not co-sleep, she sleeps in the halo bassinet in our room at night and the DockATot actually fits in there perfectly. I don’t think this is recommended but I feel comfortable with it while she is swaddled and can’t move. I honestly feel that it’s a safer option than putting her in the bed.

This Sleepea Swaddle by Happiest Baby has become my new favorite swaddle. I have lots of others that I love but this one is very easy to use and she cannot get out of it.

Harrison never took a pacifier but this girl loves them. This brand is my favorite because it’s lightweight and the shape allows her to keep them in her mouth. Also they come in lots of fun colors ☺️.

This baby bundle from Beautycounter comes with a baby wash, balm and oil perfect for sensitive newborn skin. All the products are free from fragrance and other harmful ingredients. I use the balm all the time because Evelyn’s skin is constantly peeling, it’s especially effective for dealing with cradle cap.

My Body

Recovery from the c-section was easier than I expected it to be. The hardest part was not being able to take care of Harrison like I was used to. I couldn’t bathe him, or put him in his crib and the first night home he cried for me and I sobbed reading him books before bed. I told him mommy has a big boo-boo and I wouldn’t be able to pick him up or carry him but I could hold his hand. My blood pressure went up after delivery and at 10 days postpartum I went back for a check and they decided to put me on medication. The medication is working and the doctors are hoping to be able to take me off of it around 6 weeks.

Emotionally I am feeling okay, just trying to take it one day at a time. Some days I break down crying for no reason at all but that is getting less frequent. It’s easy to feel like you’re not enough when the baby is crying, the house is a mess and you are running on no sleep. When I am feeling down, a long walk and a hot shower helps put me in the right mindset. A glass of wine at the end of the day is nice too 🍷🙌🏻. I am walking 2-3 miles a few days a week and I can’t wait to get back to working out. I know I have some degree of diastasis recti that I will work on healing and I might go for some physical therapy this time around to be sure I am doing it correctly.

Somehow this post turned out way longer than I expected, I love sharing my motherhood journey with all of you and I hope you find it relatable. Time to feed this baby (again!), thanks for stopping by.

Love,