Luther: One month!

We have an official one month old as of April 10th. Some people might say, "wow, I can't believe it's been a month already" but in looking back, thankfully I'd say it was a seemingly slow month and didn't "fly by" like they do sometimes. (In a good way.) With a new baby in the house, I like the idea of time moving a bit more slowly so we can soak it up and enjoy it rather than have it whisk by us in a blink of the eye.

(Both taken April 11th)

We packed a lot in and had a lot going on, but in some ways March 10th feels like a very long time ago. It's been both challenging and rewarding transitioning to our new routine.

Challenging things...

• Getting all three kids dressed and ready in the morning. 

It's not so much the "getting ready" part as much as the timing of it all. Basically I need to be the first one up and ready and then the rest falls into place. Or doesn't. And I've become ok with the bigs staying in jam jams all day some days.

• Getting out of the house. 

This just requires a lot of physical energy on mommy's part. Thankfully Gwendolyn and Conrad are well behaved in stores and parking lots, it's more the process of actually getting out the door.

Go potty. Nurse Luther. Make sure no one pooped their pants and needs a diaper change. Do you have enough diapers and a change of clothes, just in case? Grab the water bottle. Do we need coats? Gwendolyn - you need socks. Coats on. Shoes on. Where is my phone?! One more drink of coffee. Ok, out to the car. Don't fall down the stairs. Load 'em up. One car seat at a time. 

I've only taken all three to dance lessons, Bible study, play dates, the post office, and the library. No Target or grocery shopping yet. Although if you've ever been to the Woodbury Post Office, you'd know that was no easy undertaking. (Long lines.)

• Getting a shower. 

I've discovered this is most likely to happen right after dinner clean-up while Tom is playing with kids rather than right before bed because I'm often holding a fussy or sleepy baby or exhausted and wanting to head to bed. Tom is so great about this though if I just ask him..."Sure! Go ahead." have become some of my favorite words from him.

• Having conversations with my husband.

We attempt to talk to each other, but it's often interrupted by questions, jabbering, or crying. Thankfully we laugh about it and like I told Tom, we'll talk again in 10 years. Jk. But seriously. (But honestly....we need to work on a more regular date night schedule asap as obviously this is an area no couple should let get too out of control.)

• Running errands.

With kids? No thanks. Without kids? Absolutely but WHEN??

I have the best of intentions every Saturday morning to get out and accomplish a few things, but then life just happens and before I know it, the bank is long closed and it's just about time for dinner.

My list of errands was really starting to bother me, but I was able to get out for two hours yesterday and get a hair cut AND return a few things to two stores. (I had just finished nursing Luther when I called about a hair cut and they fit me in 10 minutes later...that's my kind of appointment!) I also decided to just buck up and take all three kids to the post office to mail a couple of packages. We all survived and it felt so good to cross a few things off of my list. One foot in front of the other, Sarah....sometimes that is all it takes.

• Getting enough sleep.

I feel like this one is just obvious. (I should be sleeping right now...)

• Keeping up with the blog.

I've always struggled with this, but it's harder now than ever before. It'd be easy to throw in the towel, but I like to have it updated for "history's sake."

In a perfect world, I'd wake up at 5:00 am and write and post because I think that's when I work best and am least distracted. Oh wait, I already am up at 5:00 am....just with a little one month old latched on to me....

• Keeping my focus on what is of utmost importance...my relationship with Christ.

Nursing mandates sitting down, which is wonderful and I love using that time to read my devotionals. It's just often cut short (Luther is a quick nurser) and at times sporadic. I'm also veeery behind on my Bible reading plan. Although, I recently read a post by Barbara Rainey that touched my heart. She shared this....

Children brought so many new and unpredictable interruptions into my life, and my pattern for meeting with God became impossible to plan for. I would get into a routine only to have it fall apart within a few weeks. I struggled with this issue for years.

Finally I decided to quit trying!

Understand that this was not a decision to quit growing but simply to stop expecting myself to fit the mental picture I had of what a spiritual Christian was supposed to look like. I still prayed every day--but not in the same way for a certain amount of time. I still worshiped and feasted on the Word--but not on a set routine schedule.

It wasn't long before my sense of oppression simply fell away. I learned that being busy as a mother didn't have to rob me of being intimate with God. It just required me to look at things in a new way, allowing my time with Him to wrap around the life He had sovereignly designed for me.

Everyone goes through seasons of added responsibility. Some are harder and longer than others, but each of them comes with new opportunities for growing in grace and drawing closer to the Lord ... as long as our so-called "right way to do things" is replaced by a relationship with God that's less rigid and unrealistic.

Can I get an amen??

Ahhh, the freedom from guilt that came with reading that.

Rewarding things...

• Providing all of the nourishment our sweet baby needs to grow and be strong and healthy. 

I look at nursing Luther as such a privilege and gift especially since I know it's not easy for all moms to do so. I love our time together and holding his little body in my arms.

• Seeing our three children together. 

There are three of them! And they have so much love for one another that is such a direct answer to our prayers.

• Spending my days with the kids and caring for the home.

Managing the home (even when messy) and raising these children (even on difficult days) makes me feel like super woman.

This house, though small, is a gift from God and I find great joy in washing it's floors and counters and doing it well.

Of course not all days are a walk in the park (especially those first two weeks) and I have to dig reeeeally deep for patience and gratitude, but I've been amazed at how looking at things a bit differently can make the tough stuff so much more rewarding.

• Making it through each night!

I wonder when that feeling of "we survived another one!" will end?? :) There's a lot of up and down and moving around that goes on. All silently. While in the dark. Completely alone (or so it seems.) You just never know what they will hold. I start each one with so much hope that it'll be better than the one before. In some weird way, it's exciting to try new things and see if they do the trick (the "trick" being to get more than two or three hours of sleep.)

Naps are wonderful, but they can backfire if taken advantage of. (FYI: 15 minutes is weirdly refreshing while two hour naps are too long...)

(Taken April 13th)

• Getting anywhere looking somewhat presentable on time or only a few minutes late.

Thank goodness for my easy mommy wardrobe that greatly simplifies the decision about what to wear every day. And hair that doesn't need to be washed that often. And make-up that only takes 3 minutes to apply.

• Fresh air and/or ice cream.

I can get through any tough/tiring day knowing I have a family walk or trip to DQ in front of me!

Life just keeps moving forward, and each day I feel more confident as a mom of three little ones. I've realized that it won't all get done the moment I'd like it to (dishes and laundry), that some things just aren't necessary (cleaning up the floor after every meal) or worth fretting over (dirt on Conrad's pants), and that naps have to take precedence over just about everything. We've had some fantastic days and some very tiring days, but thankfully 4:45 pm always comes one way or another and daddy saves the day at just the right moment.

(Taken April 12th)

Tom and I still randomly say to each other things like, "we have THREE kids" and "did we seriously have a baby?!" I also can't believe we have boys. It's plural. There's more than one now. Brothers. This is crazy! I can hardly wait to see how they're similar and different. Gwendolyn says she has two brothers to "protect her" and that she'd maybe like another one for her next birthday.

#nothappening

(Both taken Easter Sunday, April 5th)

Luther is loved, loved, loved. There is so much we've learned about him over the last month and 10 days, and yet still so much learning left to go. Having a newborn is like having a present that doesn't fully open. Ever. You just remain constantly surprised and in wonder and awe. Babies are such fresh gifts from God. His wonders are all around us, but seeing them in a tiny human stirs up such reverence in my soul. God designed him perfectly in His image second by second over the course of nine months. One day we hadn't met and the next day he was safely in our arms. All ours.

He's a mama's boy and for really having just met, I get him. We're on the same page. I don't always agree with his demands (Tom thinks he's going to be a tenor with his high pitched crying), but I try to meet his needs quickly to assure him that he is heard and never alone. We're his people. Forever.

We made it through the first month and 10 days with a lot of prayer, patience and joy. (And a few tears.) I look back mentally and hope I can lock in so many memories of him first coming home, the big kids running to the chair to hold him, meeting family and friends, his first bottle, family adventures, walks, his first Easter, our nights together spent side by side, wearing him throughout the day in the carrier, and the list goes on and on. He's drawn me closer to the Lord in these first few weeks both out of desperation and a desire to be the best mom for these three kids that I can be. I just know he's going to change this family.

He already has!

What joy these walls hold. Can not wait to see what the next 11 months hold!

(Taken March 16th)

(Taken March 18th)

(Taken March 18th)

Comparison of the kids....

The boys. In the same outfit.

One is Conrad at 9 days.

One is Luther at 18 days old. 

Who is who?!

We get a lot of "who do you think he looks like?!" questions so I thought it'd be fun to put them side by side.

I honestly don't think they look a ton alike and I'm thinking our little Lute is looking a bit more like his Sissy.

But then again....Luther may just be his own little guy. And maybe all that dark hair that fell out will come back RED. Who knows. :)

Luther: 4 weeks old

Luther turned four weeks old last week on April 7th. Four WEEKS. (He's actually 5 weeks old today.) It's so amazing to think of a small little newborn being only a matter of days and then weeks old and having their whole entire life ahead of them, Lord willing.

Luther....

• Started having his fussy time in the evenings at 2 weeks. I was hopeful we'd avoid the "witching hour" like we did with Conrad, but nope. Some nights are worse than others, and thankfully he's not crying for three hours straight or anything like that, but it certainly makes it difficult to get much done when you have a little one who needs quite a bit of love. We just switch positions often, offer his paci, pat his bottom, pat his back, gently jiggle him, bounce him, cluster nurse, etc. He almost always has several burps and poos at least once. Once he's out, he's out and can be put down in his rock-n-play, but he sometimes plays tricks on us and we'll think he's asleep and then 15 minutes later, his little eyes will pop open. Awesooooome. :) I'm grateful for the excuse to spend time with him and snuggle even though he has a veeery high-pitched and loud dramatic cry that is completely unnecessary.

• Has lost just about all of his hair on top. I think he's officially rockin' the "grandpa do".

• I think it's safe to say his love language is "physical touch." Unlike the other two, he doesn't completely pass out in his car seat and would prefer you hold him. We've been able to rock him back down a few times, which would be my preference, but he can be a bit bossy sometimes. It's not that I don't loooove holding him, but there are times and situations (church) where it'd be nice to have my hands free. I've been getting lots of use out of our carrier and a sling I have!

• Due to his fussiness in the evenings and my crazy milk supply/let down, I talked to the lactation consultant (she's helped me with all three kids) to see if she had any suggestions. She said Luther is "lucky and unlucky"....mommy has plenty of milk, which can make it hard to keep up. She suggested more burping throughout the day and baths at night, which apparently can help if their little tummies are upset. He seems to be doing better and I'd say our evenings are improving.

• Takes a wonderful 3-hour nap each afternoon timed almost exactly with naps for the other two kids, which means MOMMY NAPS too! This has been a lifesaver, but means I'm literally getting nothing done. My to do list has a to do list.

• Is in size 1 diapers now.

• Having a new baby means receiving meals from church family! What a blessing they've been. We've got eight more dinners coming through May 6th. There are so many things I need to take care of, and not having dinner to worry about makes my life that much easier. Not to mention, our bank account is getting a bit of a break from big grocery shopping trips! Frozen meals from our moms and super simple basic dinners have filled in gaps as needed.

• Answers to "Luffer" (Gwendolyn), "Lussa" (Conrad), Bud, Lute, Luther Thomas, LT, and Baby.

• Celebrated his first Easter with a visit to the Easter bunny and a couple of Easter egg hunts. 

• Is sleeping decently well. I'd actually say he's our best sleeper, but yet I'm the most tired I've ever been probably due to my age and the fact that I'm caring for two other kiddos. I wouldn't say I'm completely sleep deprived, but I'll take any chance I get to sleep in and I love my coffee. He often does 3+ hr stretches (at times) and has fallen asleep a few times completely on his own (rather than nursing him to sleep.) Just because it's fun to look back and remember how crazy these early days are (and how we survived), here is the recap of the last couple of nights....

April 11th:

Nursed at 10:40 pm

In bed at 12:30 am

Nursed at 2:50 am

must have fallen asleep

Nursed at 4:40 am

Put him down in Rock-n-Play at 5:50 am

Nursed at 7:20 am

April 12th:

In bed at 11:45 pm (asleep downstairs for about two hrs)

Nursed at 1:50 am

fell asleep holding him

Put back in bed at 2:10 am

Nursed at 4:15

fell asleep holding him

Put him in bed at 5:10 am

Nursed at 6:30 am

April 13th:

In bed at 10:30 pm

Nursed at 12:50 am

In bed again at 1:10 am

Diaper change at 4:20 am

Nursed at 4:30 am

Held him on my chest and layed down with him at 4:40 am

Nursed at 7:00 am

April 14th:

In bed at 11:00 pm (asleep downstairs for awhile)

Nursed at 2:40 am

Nursed at 4:40 am

Nursed at 6:30 am

(held him from 2:40 on....)

We'll laugh about this someday. :)

• Gained 2 pounds in under a month. Once again, the boy shocks me. 

His one month stats were:

Weight: 11 pounds, 2.5 oz - 85%

Height: 23 3/8" - 99%

Head: 15 3/8" - 95%

He'd have to gain 4 pounds in the next month to catch up to Conrad's size at his 2 month check-up. Will it happen?! Highly doubtful. Can't wait to see how these boys are the same and how they differ. :)