ONE MONTH OLD

Elyse has now been in our lives for a month. On one hand it feels like she has been here forever, on the other hand she still feels so fresh and new and different. We are lucky because she is a pretty easy baby. She is happy when she is held or outside or having naked time. She is unhappy when she is not falling asleep fast enough or not being held. So that means that there is a lot of holding involved with this baby. It could be worse than having to cuddle with a little baby much of the day.

Lauren's behaviour has been less even keel than before. I've been told that this is normal after a sibling is added to the family and it makes sense that Lauren is trying to reestablish her limits and her place in our house. Unfortunately she is trying to make her place the head of the house. Matt and I are trying to keep a united front and be consistent with our expectations with her. Kids are exhausting! 

However, holding Elyse late the other night as she slept, I felt tears come because I realized that I used to enjoy moments like that with Lauren and somewhere along the line she turned into a big girl who goes to sleep by herself in a big girl bed and I don't know when that change happened. Each different season with our girls seems to last so long but then, before we know it, it is gone and sometimes we don't even noticed that the seasons have changed. Elyse is my last child and knowing that makes every moment even more precious. One day I won't hold her in my arms to sleep, I will just be rocking her and putting her in her crib. The next day I will be reading her a story and moving her to a big girl bed. One day she might not even want a story or need me to put her down. So, knowing that these days are fleeting, I will hold her and let myself shed a tear or two if it means that it allows me to stop and enjoy the little moments, the moments free of the blur of exhaustion, and hold my girls tight.