#2636 The 6 week blessing

Today we ventured across town to the church where hubbie and I married, as well as baby girl got christened in, for baby boy to receive a special 6 week blessing.

It so happened we had to wait for a christening to finish – that of a fellow baby boy. It took all of 5 to 10 minutes, but once we left we felt a sense of happiness and calmness.

Baby boy was now invited to be baptised following the blessing, and I couldn’t help but stare extra hard at the cross the priest used, willing it to bestow extra blessings on baby boy so we could get some good sleep!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

#2635 Advice that is ‘something’

Sometimes the right advice or perspective can change your life.

I read a lot of newborn/baby articles and posts at the moment. Consequently I get recommended a lot of videos and reels on the same topic. I read one such blog post today, centring on a mother’s perspective looking back on the newborn days, missing them (😲) and what she would tell her younger mummy self.

Her first piece of advice is the best, and is something i really needed to hear/read.

It read that you’re not going to die from lack of sleep, no matter how sleep-deprived you are. Keeping track of hours slept per night (something I’m super guilty of) won’t help either… just accept feeling like a zombie and move on.

Not the most hopeful piece of advice, but nonetheless real, and it gave me strength in realising I was not alone in this.

And sure, easier said than done now that she’s passed it… meanwhile I’m in it, unsure of when the end is. That is the tough bit.

But it still offered me a bit of perspective. Sure, there are nights where I am exhausted beyond belief. Actually who am I kidding, even a 6 hour accumulation of sleep in one night leaves me tired because 6 weeks of sleep deprivation can’t be fixed in one night.

However, hearing from those on the other side that it’s normal to feel this way? Well, it’s something. Still freaking hard. But something.

#2629 Happiness in 3s

Number 1. After a not bad block of sleep to start the night on Friday night (about 2.5 hours) baby boy continued the trend and started Saturday night/Sunday morning with 3 hours 20 minutes! Yes! 💪

Number 2. We had another group of friends come over to meet our baby boy, and it was a beautiful afternoon that we shared together. The catch-ups are well and truly beginning. ❤

Number 3. After meeting in bed (once Hubbie had put baby girl to bed and I had put baby boy to bed), he told me that as he kissed her goodnight, he’d told her that she was being amazing and “doing a great job” at home, helping us, despite the often trying times.

And she’d whispered back to him “you are too.”

Awww. ❤🥰

Then he told me that I was doing an amazing job too, before I told him that HE was doing an amazing job supporting us all, and then we closed our eyes to sleep.

Happiness Sunday. 🙏❤

#2628 My little big helper

I definitely feel better when I have something to look forward to, someone to see, somewhere to go. Sleep or no sleep (obviously sleep PREFERRED 🙌) it’s these things that keep me sane and moving on, keeping on.

I headed out with baby girl and baby boy today. Just to the Main Street, to check out some stuff, buy this, see that. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, since baby boy cracked it as soon as we entered the shopping centre.

But I had my helper, my mini me with me. 🙏❤ She was there to help me out, push the pram, pass me this, hold that down, so on and so forth, so that baby boy eventually went down for a nap in the pram and we got our shopping done.

It was made more apparent to me how much I relied on her, and what great support she was to me, when at the start of our shopping trip we got into the lift with another mum and her toddler in a stroller. She heard baby boy crying, and said sympathetically “poor baby.”

I told her that we were still in the newborn stage, and she joked she didn’t miss thst time at all (who can blame her?) before telling me I was doing well to be out at all, that she’d be too scared to have done the same.

It was baby girl’s support. She made all the difference. ❤🙏

I don’t know what I’d do without her, where I’d be. 🙏 (Not at the shops with a 5 and a half week old, that’s for sure!)

#2623 Indian Summer

I lay on the couch, eyes closed, with the faint sounds of Oscar nominees being called out from the nearby TV.

I was trying to do the good thing and sleep, because baby boy was asleep. Trying to switch off from the outside world, when every bone in my body argued it didn’t want to, I’m not a day sleeper.

But at this stage of my life, I HAVE to.

And then the winner for Best Actress… “Michelle Yeoh.”

I nodded to myself, pretending I wasn’t listening, knowing full well she was a big contender leading into the awards. I know this because when you sit on the couch and breastfeed for so long and so often, you hear a lot of various news, both factual, worldly and celebrity.

I felt the beginnings of light sleep start to tickle my senses, but so too did the winner’s words, as they crept into my sleep space.

“…And ladies, don’t let anyone tell you that you are past your prime.”

To loud cheering applause, and a sleepy SmikG who had to smile in appreciation and agreeableness.

If anyone knows about the Indian Summer, it’s me. 🙌❤

#2621 The first visitors

Today we had the first of our baby boy visitors roll in.

(The first visitors after our immediate family of course).

And while many of our fam and friends will wait another week or two before coming over, I was super happy to welcome two of my closest friends over today.

The kids played together, both young, and a bit older… the adults caught up, had d&ms, discussed the past, present, and the all-important future…

And it was a really good space to be in, for me personally. A couple of weeks ago I would have said “I need space” while simultaneously proclaiming “I need to see people!”

But today it was a definite, I need to see loved ones. 🙏❤ It filled my soul and provided me with much-needed clarity and hope for the future, and now all I need is one more thing, that everyone who saw me today will attest to…

SLEEP. 🥱😴🤣🤣

#2620 Pram and car love

I love the pram and my car.

Because they easily put baby boy to sleep where I clearly can’t.

Unless he is at my boob, it’s proving extremely difficult to get him to sleep, resulting in some super trying moments during the day.

Enter the vehicles. His and mine. 😉

Just this morning after trying unsuccessfully for hours to keep him asleep, I quickly packed my bag and some things into the car, and lo and behold his frustrated crying was soon replaced by…

Hold on. No wait… what is that sound?

That’s right, the sound of silence. Of a newborn child at peace. 🙏

And he kept sleeping as I transferred him to the pram, and all was well with the world. ❤🥰

And just because, here’s tonight’s sunset:

Beautiful and bright, hopefully like the future. 🙏❤

#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. 🙏❤😘😘

#2615 A new family coffee time

Within this never-ending cycle we seem to be in –

Crying changing feeding.
Sleeping.
Not sleeping.
Crying changing feeding.
Awake time.
Crying.
Sleeping.
Screaming.
Beetroot face.
Tears.
Nap.
Crying changing feeding.
Look, he copied our tongue!
Screaming.
We’re now crying too –

We had to change the pace today while baby boy was napping. We quickly put him in the car while still in the asleep part of the cycle, for some afternoon interjection of coffee.

Finally, out with my whole family! It really is the little things. 🙏❤

Then back home, and back to the eat awake nap scream cycle we went…

#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. 🙏❤☕😴