Life with 2 kids

My feelings on life with 2 kiddos…

Definitely a lot busier, but truly can say that I am also a lot happier.  I look at this picture and still can't believe that Annabelle and Paxton are all mine…that I have 2 bundles to take care of!  The first couple of weeks home with the kids was a bit challenging because Jeff could only take a few days off before he had to go back to work. I am glad that we had made the decision to come straight home from the NICU and not stay in Phx longer.  I felt very strongly about getting home and figuring out our own routine and getting Pax used to the house and not being in the hospital all day long.

Of course my biggest struggle that ultimately turned me into a grouchy Mom was that breastfeeding was a huge ordeal with Paxton.  The pain with breastfeeding him seemed to last a lot a longer than it did with Annabelle.  He was just so confused with having been bottled in the NICU and then when I brought him home I had been using the nipple shield for about 6 weeks.  It was conquerable though and I'm proud of myself for toughing it out once again.

Pax has always been a pretty good sleeper during the day and I think that it has to do with him being on such a rigid 3 hour schedule in the NICU.  For awhile I was able to get him and AnnaB to both go to sleep around noon but these last couple of weeks in July Annabelle has been phasing out of her naps.

It's such a HUGE blessing that Jeff is able to be home by 3:30 almost every day.  As long as I let him take his motorcycle gear off,  and get a snack then he is content in helping me to watch the kids right when he gets home!

Annabelle is such a wonderful big sister. She never hesitates to help me out with anything…she's always the first one to get me a diaper for Pax or a little toy for him to play with.  Lately she has been doing awesome at entertaining him for me too, she loves to sit there and play with his feet, tell him stories and offer him toys. 

I can clearly understand now that Annabelle was supposed to be the first kid in our family.  She has a maturity about her that I forget most of the time that she is only 2.  She still has a memory of gold and is such a smart little girl.  I think with her quick instinct and ability to understand people and how to help them it makes it easy for me to depend on her.  I'm thankful she's my daughter and that she likes to assist me with the laundry, putting the dishes away, taking out the trash, watering the plants and cleaning up her toys.

Pax is usually awake from 5:00 til bedtime and can be fussy, but if you catch him in the right moments he is the happiest kid.  Jeff and I just can't get over how much he smiles sometimes, it's like he doesn't know what else to do but smile!

When I sit here and really think about being a Mom I'm just thankful that I was given the opportunity to parent Annabelle and Paxton.  They've given me a reason to dig deep inside myself and find more patience and love for someone other than myself.  I try and take the time each day to really look into their eyes and see life how they do.  I've also realized how important it is to turn the TV off and put my phone somewhere else so that I can spend quality time with my family. Annabelle still loves to read books with us, do puzzles, play go fish, play with her kitchen toys and build castles with her legos.

As a family we've been enjoying eating In and Out together and watching disney movies.  I feel so humbled knowing that my Heavenly Father knows me well enough that He knew which kids to specifically send to our home to make Jeff and I better.  Our life is filled with more love and memories.