Life with a newborn third time round

BritMumInNZ

A neighbour dropped round the other morning and brought with her every new Mum’s most desired gift – a large coffee. As I gratefully sipped the fuel of latte we chatted about life with a newborn third time round. She also has a baby – a few month’s older, as well as two other children around the same age as Charli & Sophie. We both agreed it was fabulous; despite the sleep deprivation. At this tender age of snuggles and milk spills the sleepless night’s are a little easier to bear thanks to baby slumbering most of the day peacefully away. There’s no food to make and clear up, it’s all ‘ on tap’ (so to speak), teething has yet to make our wee ones grizzle, they can’t move yet or talk back and they simply reward us with windy smiles and eyes full of adoration and love (after all, we are the givers of milk).

With our other children being a little older and out for part of the day at school and kindi, we get some precious one on one time with our newborns. It’s like those quiet times as a first time Mum, but without the anxiety. I feel so relaxed this time round. Long gone are the days of needing to read baby books at every opportunity. Restless night’s will soon pass and each phase of a child’s life comes with its joys and challenges – this I simply accept and embrace. The joys I treasure. The challenges I face head on. Sometimes I do well and give myself a huge hi-5; other times I fail miserably with an over-tired mind and short-fuse. I forgive myself and move on.

I’m loving that Dan is starting work a little later; so that after the school and kindi drop we can have a peaceful coffee together, whilst Alice sleeps. It reminds me of the early days when Charli was a baby and I used to meet Dan for lunch or frequently drop him into work and then take a walk along Oriental Parade with Charli in her pram.

Of course, it’s not rosy all the time. I have my moments when the tiredness gets to me and my patience levels aren’t as good as I’d like them to be. But on the whole we’re doing pretty darn well. I am thankful that my body has recovered from the birth so quickly and I feel so fit and healthy. I’m loving being able to exercise easily again and roll around on the floor with the girls. Yesterday I was doing various yoga exercises, with Sophie alongside me. She was mostly showing me up with her superior stomach muscles!

I am thankful to my family and blogger friends for the super supportive comments, e-mails and cards we’ve received over the past couple of weeks. They’ve really put a smile on our faces and touched our hearts.

I loved having my folks here for the last few week’s of the school hols made life so easy and we had the most incredible time. My Mum being here to share in Alice’s early days and ‘shadow’ my every move with her immense love, patience, understanding was fabulous.

And I’m loving my Natures Sway sling. Alice falls asleep within seconds of being placed in it and I can type blog posts and e-mails with two hands – now we’re talking!

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Finally, I love having this blog to look back on and remind me of all the good times; when on the rare occasion it all gets too much. Last night I sat up in bed, at least four times, feeding Alice and watching the minutes tick over on the digital clock. I forced my eyes away from the ugly, red glare of time ticking on and focused on my precious bundle feeding in my arms. Her small, velvet soft head, her shell-like ears and her grasping, tiny hands. I shall look back on the quiet moments in the midst of the night and forget the feeling of sleep-deprivation. I shall remember only her little squeaks, grunts and murmurs; her soft head brushing against me whilst she feeds; her sleepy smiles of windy bubbles which I pretend are happy dreams.

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12 thoughts on “Life with a newborn third time round”

  3. Oh yes, your focus is so right to ignore the clock, it’s too easy to get frustrated when we realise how long we’ve been awake in the night! Those multiple night feeds are over all too soon, even just a few months down the track (and still getting up once myself) they just don’t have that same powerful mummy and baby bonding time as in the early days and weeks when baby is so fresh and new…enjoy it as much as you can.

    You certainly sound extremely relaxed about this journey of motherhood, what a great example to follow!

    p.s. I’ll bring some of copies of Mindfood magazine for you when I visit 🙂

  4. Takes me back to watching the dawn break whilst feeding M and listening to radio 4 in the wee small hours and the classic sailing by tune before the shipping forecast! All precious memories to cherish whilst he slumbered and I watched him, never knowing that I’d get to be a mom after wanting it for sooo long. It is about being present in the moment which babies and children are experts at, that we as adults all too soon forget. Glad to see how wonderful you are looking on it too – beautiful and precious – hugs to you all Rx

  5. So lovely to read this today and know all is well.We are so proud of you and Dan and also the young ones.All seems to be going well and good to hear you are being spoilt by friends and all….know how much you love your coffee and indeed these precious first few weeks are just magical.Just so lovely to have been there for a short while and wouldn’t have missed it for the world.Take care precious family !!

  7. I’m so with you on the delights of number three – I used to love my night feeds, it was the only time I had the baby truely to myself and I can never remember thinking oh-no not again (a bit weird but hey, from the post above seems I’m not alone!). I think it’s because after two you realise how quickly things change.

    I remember a friend with her first saying how much she enjoyed spending time with us because we really enjoyed the moment. Her other first-time-mummy friends were always looking forward to the next stage. So the moral of that one is when chaos reins around you take a deep breath and enjoy it!

    Lovely posts recently (I thought you were taking a blogging holiday?!) – have enjoyed reliving the joy of the new family of 5. have fun xo

  9. You are doing such a fab job, especially as you are still finding the time to update us all on your blog…I know I would be vegging out at every opportunity I got! Must be so nice to enjoy your little one without any of the anxieties that us mothers have first time round…keep up the good work, keep smiling and make sure that the coffee is on tap! 😉

  10. Sarah, I havent been around much so sorry i havent said this earlier:

    But congratulations 🙂

    And hugs to you all 🙂

    hxxx

  11. Welcome Alice !! Welcome to the world !!
    Its great to know another February born baby.
    I’m born on the 11th of Feb… err… that makes me 5 days older than you but then you sure looks bigger than me
    Hopes everything will be great from here on and wish your mom a fast recovery and your dad a happy sleepness nite… he..he…he… just like my dad.

    Ok till next time Alice
    Lets us enjoy our new world

  12. Congratulations, she is lovely!
    I love the way you have described life with a third, you have captured it so well. Isn’t it delicious, you know enough to appreciate what to enjoy and not sweat the small stuff too much. My only complaint is it feels so bittersweet and fleeting at times at times, especially when you know it is you last one. I just want to somehow stop my little one from getting any bigger 🙂

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