I am sat here with a spare moment to actually sit at the laptop and give my poor blog some attention. My husband is at work, Beastie is taking a nap and Baby Beastie is also taking a nap snuggled up next to me (in between feeds)Â so I have a window of opportunity which needed grabbing with both hands. Will I finish the post I wonder? He’s stirring.
As most of you will already know I became a proud Mum once again to a beautiful baby boy nearly 4 weeks ago and I am still trying to find my feet. I am learning how completely amazing it is to have two gorgeous children but also how impossible some days can be to meet their demands. It’s early days I know and I know that I will adapt just like I adapted when Beastie was born. A month has flown by and already life has changed so much.
I feel pretty much back to normal in myself, recovery wise from my caesarean. I have had some healing issues with my scar again but nothing too serious. All I need to do is to start driving again to feel fully normal and have my independence back again. I remember the daunting experience of taking Beastie out on my own for the first time, wondering whether I would manage to fix the car seat properly or whether I would have a fight on my hands with the pushchair. This time I have double the trouble, although my three year old is becoming increasingly useful. All I know is that first day being set loose with the car keys I will be leaving myself plenty of time to get wherever I plan to go, it could take me a fair while…
Of course what is different this time is that I simply can’t devote all my time to the baby, which is all part and parcel of being a Mum of more than one child. Luckily Beastie has really taken to his little brother. I wasn’t sure which way it would go but I am so proud of the way he has handled having to share me. He has not been without his tantrums and defiant behaviour but none of his anger has ever been directed towards his little brother. My heart swells when I see him tenderly stroking his head and holding his hand. It’s particularly cute when he goes up to him and says ‘hello darling’ or holds his hand when I am changing his nappy uttering ‘it’s ok baby, it’s only a poo’. This morning he was so chuffed to see his little brother with his eyes wide open that got up close to him and rubbed his nose against his. It’s incredible to see their bond developing.
Baby Beastie is thriving well and surprised us all with his weight gain. With each weigh in he has always put a decent amount of weight on and had no trouble getting back up to his birth weight in the first week. I am breast feeding again and like last time I wasn’t sure at first whether he was getting what he needed from me. He is quite a lazy feeder and has a tendency to ‘snack’ so it has been great to know that he has been getting the nutrients he needs. Having breast fed before and knowing the pitfalls and unpleasantries has made it all the more easier this time. Once you ride through the sore nipple stage and latching problems it’s much plainer sailing. It feels established now and that makes for a much happier Mummy. I always knew that I wanted to breast feed again and was always going to give it my best shot but you never know how it is going to work out second time around and no two babies are the same.
Having said that no two babies are the same, I think part of me thought I would get another little carbon copy of Beastie. When I heard Baby Beastie’s first cry I thought it so strange to hear a different cry to the one I have been used to, it was alien for those first few moments. That all changed almost immediately and now the cry is as familiar as Beastie’s was because he’s my child, just a different one. It’s sometimes hard to remember back to what we were doing three years ago and whether we have forgotten certain aspects, I am sure we have but I also know that there are a lot of differences this time. This time I have a very clingy baby, which is both lovely and extremely restrictive. So much so that in the last couple of weeks I have realised I am going to need a baby sling to wear around the flat and it wasn’t even a consideration last time. Beastie was fairly contented wherever we left him, not this time, Baby Beastie will scream blue murder if I leave him for a few moments. I also have a toddler to keep my eye on and as grown up as he might be, when I am out of the room I can never be sure of the babies safety. So it’s led me down the path of ‘baby wearing’ which I have never really had to think about before. There are lots of advantages and of course disadvantages but for this point in time I need to keep my baby close to me if that’s what he needs. I will also keep my sanity and be able to move around the home with two hands. Happy baby and Mummy hopefully. Let’s see how I get on…
Here are some photo’s of my boys 🙂
Ps. Baby Beastie is still asleep (success).
So lovely to hear how you are getting on Hannah. You’re right, it’s so gorgeous seeing the bond between two children. MC keeps saying “Oh E, you are SO adorable” and stroking his head.
Do you feel up to driving? I’m back driving again. I checked with my insurance and they are happy for me to drive again so long as me and my midwife are happy. I just wear my caesarean belt. Having independence back really helps with those ‘meh’ days so I hope your insurance lets you get back behind the wheel soon.
MC has had some ‘selective hearing’ and strops but they are directed at us and not E too. I think it’s just them adjusting to sharing mummy and daddy.
It’s all good fun but it’s great being a mummy of two 🙂
xx
Ah that’s so cute what MC says! Well after seeing your comment it spurred me on to go out driving, as I told you. Feel much happier now, haven’t got the car today but have a few places to go tomorrow! xx
ahh I love the pic of the 2 of them where Beastie is sucking his fingers…it’s like Baby Beastie is reaching out for him.
Jack was a very clingy baby, he would sleep happily on me for hours but the moment I laid him down he would scream – not something I was used to. I found a swing to be a godsend but it’s not as easy when you have a fiddly fingered toddler around!
I’m glad you’re finding your feet again & you will soon be back in the swing of things when you’re driving again & Beastie is settled in Nursery xx
We actually got an expensive swing for Beastie that I had to sell on eBay because he was having none of it! It seems that it would probably be a godsend this time round though! typical….xx
Totally scrumdiliumptious! What two beautiful boys you have! I have not had clingly babies but then with the twins they didn’t really have the chance to be as the poor neglected things were left to their own devices a of of the time!
The sibling bond just melts hearts. It is amazing. You have such fabulous things to come. xx
Ah thank you Kerry. That made me laugh about your neglected twins! I can’t wait for what is in store 🙂 xx
Ahhhh, what a lovely honest post. I think in the lead up to having number 2 you tend to hear lots of stories about the extremes; people either coo about how lovely it is having two or they complain about how hard it is. I think you’ve done a good job of showing both sides of the coin. 😉
I remember the first time I went driving with my tiny baby in the car, it felt like such a huge responsibility. And I can imagine not being able to drive is a big pain as I often found it easier to take the little guy out in the car places and then stroll around that to sit at home. Fingers crossed for you that you can get back behind the wheel soon.
And all those pictures are just adorable. As is everything you say about watching Beastie and BabyBeastie together, having a sibling is such a gift and it must be precious to watch their relationship grow and develop. X
A lot of people were saying how hard it is and I never for one moment doubted it. I just think you can only prepare so much…the rest you have to find out for yourself. It’s just a new juggling act and if we can master it first time then we can second, third, etc etc. Soon enough I’ll be reading your posts about it 🙂 xx
What a lovely and honest post Hannah. As a mummy who potentially is thinking about having another baby sometime soon, it is really interesting to read how you are getting on. I often think about how you would adjust with two babies, but I guess it is just the same as adjusting to having one- life changed dramatically with one and it will change dramatically with two too.
I love hearing about the bond between the Beasties, it just warms my heart to hear that he is so caring towards him. The photos are just gorgeous. I never did baby wearing, I didn’t need too but if it gives you two hands free I am all for it I say.
Your family is gorgeous and you are a lucky lady, I hope you get back to normal with the driving soon. I know with my c section that made me get back to normal and get on with things once I could drive again.
Lots of love xx
This is a beautiful post. I found and still find it very difficult since having Addy. I had thought it would not be much of a change. I also had a clingy baby number 2 but by 7 mths she is the complete
Opposite. I wish I had got a sling for when at home.
The pictures are beautiful. I love hearing of the sibling relationship it must be so beautiful to watch x
Thank you Kara 🙂 That’s interesting about Addy not being clingy now, does part of you miss her being clingy? I know it’s restrictive but I know they are little for such a short time that we need to cherish every moment, sometimes easier said than done! xx
Gorgeous! Are you glad you have the age gap that you do between them? I know there’s a lot of mums on twitter with a close age gap, but I couldn’t imagine anything closer than three years at least!
Thank you 🙂 I think the age gap (for us) is just about right and like you I wouldn’t have entertained a smaller gap. I hold my hat off to the Mum’s that do!
beautiful photos – beautiful baby.
enjoy the highs and the lows. Well done you X
Ah thank you Gemma 🙂 x
Finally managed to comment again but I bet it won’t be as good as my last one! I was saying that this is a beautiful post because it does show you being brutally honest- it is really interesting for me as someone who is hopefully going to be trying for my second baby soon to see what it is like with two. The bond that is already forming between the Beasties makes my heart melt a little bit. Your boys are gorgeous and you should be so proud. x
Aaahhh this post has just made me so excited about having another. The early days are difficult but sounds like you are doing really well and little beastie is taking to his brother really well. Gorgeous pictures, I especially love the one drunk on milk hee hee. Looking forward to reading more x
Ahhh they are so sweet together! I think once you have mastered the art of going out with two kids things will get easier, then in a month you will be a pro! Dad2BabyInsomniac’s sister has just had her second little boy and said she felt such a sense of achievement the first time she took them both out. Ahhhh I’m so broody! x
Congrats Mrs Beastie xxxxxxxxx
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