One Month Down, A Lifetime To Go

I find it amusing that Matthew is already one month old. How did we get here? I am not really sure! Somewhere between feeds, diaper changes, rocking Matthew back and forth, trips to the grocery store, doctors appointments- all the while keeping the household up and running, we have made it. In the blur of a month, we find ourselves in love with our little guy and more comfortable and confident in what Matthew needs from us.

Within the month, we have all learned a lot. I learned that amnesia is not only related to pregnancy (pregnancy amnesia) but is also directly related to having a newborn. I forgot what dedication and patience it takes to walk a baby around at 3 in the morning while ignoring my burning eyes. I forgot how frustrating it is when your baby gets the hiccups in the middle of the night. I forgot how predictable it is that as soon as you change your baby's diaper, they poop in the new one. Yes, I forgot a lot of things, but my memory didn't fail me in remembering all of the wonderful things that come with having a newborn, too.

I think the biggest thrill to date is the way Matthew reminds me of Michael and Claire when they were newborn babies. Certain smells, gestures, or even the sound of Matthew's cries catapult me to the long newborn days with my other two. Before I had Matthew, I had a hard time remembering the newborn stage with Michael and Claire. But just as I assumed, it all came crashing back to me and there's not a day that goes by when I don't remember the way it was. Being that Matthew is Baby#3, I am so much wiser in many ways. I find that I don't sweat the small stuff. I am not overly concerned with his weight gain because I know that the newborn stage is gone in the blink of an eye. Instead, I enjoyed looking at his little skinny legs because by the next day, they are already chubbier. I enjoyed his month long hibernation; because I know he will soon be awake a lot of the day. When Claire was a baby, I worried a lot that she was sleeping too much during the first month. I laugh at my being so paranoid back then and am trying to stay more rational and calm about Matthew's sleep routine.

All in all, this was a great month. We survived the pregnancy, the birth, the NICU, jaundice, an infected umbilical cord, sibling jealousy (which there was very little of), getting used to very little sleep, eased into breastfeeding on-the-go, and now find ourselves a very happy and content family of 5. And while Claire is still convinced that Baby Emily (the name if Matthew were a girl) is still on her way, we are more than satisfied with how everything turned out in the end.

Here's to surviving another month with three children. I will continue to thank God for naptime, for coffee, for Tivo, and for blessing our family with Matthew.