Motherhood Reflections: Welcoming Number Two

(I am always wanting to blog thoughts and feelings on different things, like I used to, but it's so hard to find the time to get them typed out. So here is to trying to find time! )

Leading up to Grady's birth, I wondered what it would be like to have two kids. As all people do, I couldn't fathom loving another child the way I love Griffin. But I know that every mom of two or more had told me that it's just a natural thing that your heart suddenly doubles and you somehow love both just as fiercely, so I wasn't too worried. And in some regards I would say yes, this is totally true. I now have a love for both boys that is unexplainably deep and equal.

However, so many had said as soon as number two was born they could not imagine their families without them. That suddenly their family felt perfect....

Gotta be honest... the transition to two children was just not this way for me.

I struggled. For starters, I had a spinal headache the first week. So I was too miserable to really deal with people in general, much less a three year old. Once that passed, I just had a hard time feeling like everything was so much harder and life was so easy with just one. Why did we do this, I asked myself. Life was different, and my immediate response during the sleep deprived and hormonal first weeks was to long for life as I had known it. I tricked myself in to thinking that life was sooo easy before Grady. News flash, it wasn't.

But life with Grady was different. And I am resistant to change. So my natural instinct is to long for the way things used to be. I did this when griffin was born too. I remember longing for the days when we could go anywhere we wanted whenever, when I could sleep all night and sleep in, when I had the energy to stay up and watch movies with my hubby. And then eventually I got the hang of our new normal, and quit longing for the old days. I gained confidence in the new and let myself enjoy it.

So when Grady was born and I had these same thoughts, I just told myself it would pass and I would get the hang of it. And you know what? I did. We did. And now I find myself hugging him tightly and thanking God for adding him to our family. I find myself being unable to imagine life without him. It just took some time to get there.

So if you are a new momma to two, and you are feeling guilty for not feeling the immediate bond like so many share about, just give yourself grace and time. We are all different, and we need to quit comparing and let ourselves do our own thing. You will get there. "He who has promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23)" and He knows His plans for you.



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Christmas 2014: Gallatin Celebrations

After we finished Christmas morning at our house, we headed down to see my family. It was a pretty big morning because my oldest niece is turning 16 soon, and she got a car!












After all the car excitement (it was hidden at my parents house so we all got to see the big reveal!), we are breakfast. Every Christmas my dad makes delicious breakfast, and it's one of my favorite parts of the holiday. Then we opened presents. It was a bit chaotic and rushed bc we got a late start, so everyone opened at once and I have no clue what everyone got. Ha.

This one laid there just as content as could be...





These two were excited to see a new cool chair (Livvi) and a power wheels (griffin)!


Ridin in style...





Then we immediately changed and headed down to my Aunt Alecia's to celebrate with my dads side of the family. This is typically the only time of the year we see all of them, so I love to catch up. My cousin Amy had a beautiful little girl, Brooklyn, just a week or two before Grady so we had two tiny ones to celebrate with!

My dad and his siblings...

















We let Griffin take a short nap afterwards, and then we practiced some driving before heading to my sisters for game night. After that we loaded up and headed back to home sweet home.



For some reason we like to drive with the door open?! Ha






Merry Christmas everyone! And now to rest!! Whew!

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Christmas 2014: Christmas Morning!

We got home around 10pm Christmas night, put the sleeping children in bed and got to work! We put out Griffin's three Santa presents, filled his stocking and then hit the sack!





He is still young, and we have not pushed the Santa thing. He loves the idea of Santa though. We let him sleep with us so we would know when he had woken up. He didn't remember it was Christmas right away, so I had to remind him.

He was excited to see everything, but not quite as excited as I thought he would be. He was still taking it all in I think. Santa brought him a huge frozen tent, basketball goal, and frozen little castle thing.








After Santa gifts and his stocking, he opened his gifts from us (arts and crafts supplies, games, and frozen play dough set).

Then we packed up and headed to Gallatin to continue the family celebrations.

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Christmas 2014: Louisville Celebrations

We headed up to Louisville the day before Christmas Eve this year. We got to spend some time that day with Papaw, Grandma, Uncle Ed, Uncle D and Uncle Shelly. We played, finished some last minute shopping, and drove around to look at lights that night. We didn't head to the Caverns this year with such a small one, maybe next year again. We drove forever and didn't find much until on the way home we went thru the neighborhood next to Mr.Pates families. They had tons! Gotta remember for next year.














On Christmas Eve, we headed to Aunt Lisa's to celebrate with Papaw's family. I apparently didn't take a single picture, err! We had a blast. We play dirty Santa there and it was a great one this year. Griffin and the other younger ones put on a dance show as well. Ha!

Then we headed to Grandma's for Dinner and presents!








This was Griffins immediate response when asked who should open first :-)


Love his surprise faces!


Uncle Shelly got some grown up practical gifts now that he is an old college grad! Haha








I love our group pics! I am going to do a post of the Christmases past sometime soon.

After this we loaded up and drove home so we could be at our house Christmas morning. It's the first year we have done this and actually celebrated at our house with Santa. We were excited!

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Smiles!

Grady started smiling regularly the week before Christmas, and boy is it cute!












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Christmas 2014: Opryland Lights!

We had our annual Opryland visit the weekend before Christmas this year. We doubled our group this year, adding two babies and Dustin and Rachel to the mix. We had dinner at Rainforest Cafe first, then headed over. We got to sit in the very middle of the restaurant, which was pretty neat when the storms started bc you could see all of the animals going off. Griffin still loved it this year!









Then we headed over to Opryland. We went on a Friday night this year, so it was sooo busy!! Finding parking took like fifteen minutes at least. Blah. But the lights were pretty. This year they had a parade of trees, which was a fun addition. Famous people had decorated a tree and coordinated a package for people to bid on for charity. Brenda Lee had her head on top of her tree, Reba had a bunch of ornaments from her charity on hers, Leeann Rimes had gorgeous silver peacock ornaments on hers and the Dooby Brothers had a really cool guitar tree topper.


Since it was a week night, we got a late start and didn't make it through all of the lights because it got so late. But it was a good little trip.



Griffin was terrified of Shrek when we saw him, then talked about him all night.





It's a race!








This is how you travel with two infants and a three year old :-) (thanks Uncle Fred and Aunt Robin for the awesome stroller!)











Until next year!

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