#2625 Back to the local

I’ve been sharing a lot of coffee posts lately… and you gotta understand, it’s this simple thing that has me looking forward to something, no matter how small it may be to others, lately.

But today’s morning coffee was something else.

You see, when I was pregnant (and for years before that) with baby boy and Hubbie and I would frequent our usual Wednesday brunch spot…

We’d see prams, EVERYWHERE.

Mums and prams, mums and prams. Hubbie would joke they needed more prams there because it wasn’t the most spacious cafe to begin with, and so we said once our baby arrived, we would add ours to the mix too. 🤣❤

So happily, today was the day we returned there, to have our usual Wednesday brunch, and add to the pram club. 🙏

And add to it we did. I squashed the pram between our table and another’s and I even had people get up and move when we got up to leave, so tight the front of house is!

But we were there. We came back.

We did it. We came back with our precious baby boy in tow, and if you’d been privy to all our conversations before I fell pregnant, you’d know how much today meant to us. 🥰❤

#2616 Heaven sent

Or just family-sent, but in my case it feels same-same.

I had a really rough night the night before. 2 hours sleep type rough night. Chuck overall newborn sleep deprivation, confusion, hormones, conflicting advice, too much information and overwhelm into the mix, and you end up with a very sad and spent new newborn mama.

My parents and sister came over on the perfect day, the day which was actually the worst day, today.

They provided love, comfort, advice, positive words and validation, support, food and sleep (I napped while they watched baby boy).

I’m now going into the nights with cautious hope, some semblance of confidence, and the knowledge that bad days are part and parcel of this stage… but I am getting there slowly, just as all newborn mamas have gotten there before me.

Moment by moment. Hour by hour. Day by day.

Thank God for people like this. So grateful to my family. 🙏❤😘😘

#2614 Dual newborn gratitude

I’ve happily said this before, but I speak so much from the heart I honestly am lost as to which one means more.

I have two things to be grateful for:

Baby boy gave me a 3 hour block of sleep last night! And if I slept that long, that means HE slept that long overnight. It’s the first time I’ve had over 2 hours sleep since having baby boy over 3 weeks ago, so that is great.

The second one is… I headed out.

With Hubbie’s urging that I get out of the house for my sanity, I went to a local cafe with baby girl AND now baby boy… my first solo parenting gig with both kids! I was probably more excited than nervous, and my positive vibes were for good reason as baby boy slept the whole time we were out – at cafe and the adjacent park!

And although I don’t have the photo evidence of my 3 hours sleep as I do breaking out of the house, rest assured that the prospect of future prolonged sleep spells mean as much to me as uninterrupted coffee time. And if you know my love for coffee, you know that is A LOT. 🙏❤☕😴

#2611 March already

I’m grateful for two big things.

1. Baby boy is 3 weeks old today. 💙❤
2. It’s March!

To think he arrived into the world early Feb, and now we are in March. Most days, and all nights have been long, but the fact that the month has ticked over and he is close to being a month old, gives me hope that some days now will go quicker, pass easier, and bring more smiles than cries from him.

Despite the hardships, I AM trying to enjoy the little moments… him falling asleep on my chest. The way he smiles/laughs in his sleep.

We’re getting there. 🙏🥰

#2607 Nappy changes

The baby blues are a very real thing, and I’m trying my hardest to combat them.

I’m using all my years of practise with this gratitude blog to apply to these difficult days and quite frankly, depressing nights. Cluster feeding, minimal sleep, a crying newborn… no matter how much we wanted a child, the above is a concoction to make any person question themselves while going mad, especially when the above happens night after night.

But, little things, as usual. I noticed something last night during a nappy change, and it happened today too. Baby boy usually SCREAMS THE HOUSE DOWN during these, turning red, holding his breath, breaking the normal decibel levels… you know, the usual.

But at these two occasions, and it was a dirty nappy too both times, I might add… he was not screaming! He was looking around, taking it all in, totally peaceful, just chill, relax… so much less stressful for me! Just amazing. 2, out of 250 nappy changes so far, but still, it’s something.

Little things, for a little boy. 💙

#2604 Worth the weight

Well all those sleepless nights and cluster feeds are actually amounting to something.

Today we had baby boy’s 2 week check-up with the maternal child health nurse. They really keep a close eye in the early days and like to make sure that babies are taking in breastmilk/formula and putting on weight.

He has grown a few centimetres.

In only 5 days, baby boy has put on 220 grams!

And if we look at his lowest birth weight since being born (which naturally happens days after birth) he has put on 410 grams since.

Wow! I had noticed his face was looking a bit fuller, but I certainly didn’t expect that.

The nurse was happy. We were happy! Baby boy MUST be happy too (with all those feeds).

As for me getting up at night? It’s a bit easier now knowing that it’s helping him.

We might just leave it at that. It is a gratitude blog after all…

#2601 My ‘stronger’ list

Almost a week ago I knew I had to do something different.

Something to help me get by.

Being my second pregnancy, I felt more confident and assured when it came to certain things.

The problem with knowing what lies ahead though, is just that – you know what lies ahead.

I knew labour would be hard – and it was.

I knew childbirth would be hard – and it was.

And just as some parts of recovery have been easier, including adapting to our sweet baby boy…

I know about the sleepless nights. I know how unpredictable it all is in the beginning. I know about the fatigue.

And so it was.

And so it IS.

I was mentally struggling with all of this knowledge in my haze of fatigue and roller-coaster of post-partum hormones, when I realised I had to make things better somehow.

First, I needed to mix things up at home.

Second, I needed little things to look forward to, no matter how small.

Third, I needed to train my brain to the positive, and look at more gratitude, not lack of, in the position I was in.

Fourth – I had to somehow keep score.

So, I made a ‘stronger’ list.

Tonight is night 5. Or so it will be after the night is over. In the morning when I get up, I add the date I just survived onto my list, plus a tick ✅ and then the shortest notation on how the night went. Something like “hard ’til 3am. I got through” or “slept between feeds, first time!”

My goal is to get stronger with this list. As it grows and I add to it every night, I’ll be able to see that no only have I gotten through another night, but see that things do get better, easier, and they pass.

And when there is a harder night, I’ll be able to deal with it better, knowing I’ve dealt with it before.

It’s still early days, but the concept is working. I’m going into the nights a little mentally stronger, and honestly, at this stage, it means so much for my well-being.

💪💪💪💪💪

#2596 All the sweet things

Today was a sweet day. 😁💞

It was Valentine’s Day, the due date of our sweet boy, who we got to enjoy as he’s been with us already for 6 days. 🙏

But Hubbie did a tiny special thing for me today, that actually meant the world.

He got us some sweets to enjoy on this love-filled day, including nutella doughnuts, something I haven’t been able to enjoy during pregnancy… but now I’m on the other side!

He called me into the kitchen to show me – including the 4 roses he’d cut from our garden and arranged so beautifully.

4, for each member of our family now. 🥲🥰

Oh, I cried. It was the sweetest sentiment, so thoughtful and full of love, and it gave me all the feels.

Such a special Valentine’s Day for us. I think, the best so far. No fancy dinners, expensive presents or overpriced bouquets.

So, simple, so sweet, so full of love.

😍😍🙏🙏

#2593 Happiness in arrivals

When a new arrival comes into your family, blessing you with happiness and love, often it leads to more arrivals.

It’s called abundance. 💞

And today, whether it was in the form of nipple balm being delivered by a caring friend, flowers being sent from another one, or close family coming to visit our special man, one thing is certain…

Like attracts like. 🙏

#2591 Coming home

Today we left the hospital.

With our baby boy. 🥰

I got super emotional as we walked out the main entrance gates. Then I heard an older woman say to a security guard “I love seeiing newborns.”

I just started crying. I was so happy and grateful. Passersby smiled at us. One woman said congratulations.

What a beautiful day. 🙏🥰