Week 1 With Adelaide

One week ago yesterday I woke up with light contractions and six hours later I was snuggled up with a brand new baby. We’ve spent the last few days adjusting to life with a newborn, and trying to help a toddler navigate the new family dynamic. This past week has been so very different than our first week at home with Lincoln, but such is life with two. In most ways it has been so much better – everything seems happier and lighter than it did the first time around. Maybe it is because everything is less overwhelming and scary, or maybe it is just because I’ve learned to cut myself some slack. Either way, here are a few things I want to remember about our first week with Adelaide:

• She loves to be upright and to be able to see everything.
• She, just like her brother as a newborn, has a special cry reserved for outfit and diaper changes.
• Lincoln loves to tickle his sister’s toes (although he looks a bit confused on why she doesn’t laugh like the rest of us do) and touch her hair. He’s never been one to use a pacifier but he’s always trying to steal hers 😉
• Adelaide has slept about everywhere. Last night she napped on the couch while we watched White Collar, right now she’s in her bassinet, and earlier she was sleeping in the mamaroo. She also took naps in my arms, my baby wrap, and on my sister. One of these days I’ll get it together enough to start a routine with her.
• The most content I’ve seen her is while getting a foot massage from grandma before she left.
• Last night she fell asleep to my singing while I stroked her head (baby hair is so soft!).
• One of my favorite things this week has been watching how attentive Ben has been to Lincoln. Those two love each other so much. It has also been neat to see how far the two of us have come as parents since the last time we took care of a newborn (we’re not so terrified of breaking the baby anymore and everything seems to come a bit more naturally this time around).
• God answers prayers. This week has been a wonderful reminder that if “ye ask ye shall receive.”
• The first few nights Ben and I took the baby in shifts, never sleeping at the same time. For the last two nights though, we’ve gotten sleep in at least two and a half hour blocks and I feel like a whole new person.
• Lastly, it is kind of awesome to not be pregnant anymore.

^An afternoon with my two babies (one being much lower maintenance than the other during the day – it all switches at night though)

^Ben, Lincoln, and their babies – the day we came home from the hospital (my mom got this little doll so Lincoln has a baby to take care of while we do – his favorite is to feed his baby a bottle while Adelaide is being fed) 
^Mostly Lincoln just loved having his dad home for a few extra days 
^This picture is just to illustrate how wonderful it is to have an in-house chef (my mother) – although I can’t remember if this is one of the meals we had before or after Adelaide arrived
^little squish (and I only have about 3 things that are newborn sized because she’ll grow out of them in the next two weeks…so almost everything is too big 🙂 
^We’ve had a few more faces like this than normal – but overall Lincoln is loving all the extra attention from family members and friends that have been helping out (Ben snapped this while Lincoln was whining about not getting another oreo cookie right away while we waited for milkshakes to be done)
^almost a smile, right? 
^I forgot how much I enjoy babywearing 
^the cutest 17 month old around (who has been subsisting off of milk and fruit pouches the last three days)