Looking forward, looking back: Mothering an infant (or two).

As we get closer and closer to baby being here with us (5 days until due date:), the reality of having another little being in our home and family is settling in a bit more. A BABY! To love and care for and feed and bathe and diaper and rock and sling and hold and pat to sleep and feed, and diaper...oh goodness!:)

As I look back to when Sam and Amelia were infants, things are a bit hazy! Here is the gist what I think of when I think of them (post NICU, I don't really feel like I started mothering until they came home) as teeny babes. I think of being together. Always. I had little stations around the house and we would move from station to station throughout the day. Their nursery for diaper changes and time on the floor and nursing, a quilt on the living room floor for a change of scenery, outside in the back yard on a quilt for another change of scenery, in their moses basket on the front porch swing, in the kitchen in their moses basket while I cleaned, made food, what have you, our bed for sleep. The reason we were together. Always. was because there was almost never a time when someone didn't need to eat, be changed, be held, etc. and so I found it easier and less frustrating for all if we just stayed together. If I tried to "do" much of anything else, thing just seemed to fall apart. Having "just" the two of them meant I could do that. There were no other little ones needing my attention, etc. We also lived in a neighborhood where we could walk everywhere and I feel like we did. To the grocery store, the library, the bakery (ahem), the parks, to get take out, etc. I love those memories.
This time around will be different, obviously. I will have two four year olds as well as an infant and in some ways that will be trickier. We live in a neighborhood where there are no real "destination walks" for one thing. I will have an infant in winter, for another. Still, nursing *one* infant and getting *one* infant to sleep will surely be easier, right?! :) Though, on the sleep note, I have been thinking about how I almost *never* woke them up from naps, skipped naps, etc. when they were babes. Though I am in no way a strict scheduler, from about 6 months on they have always been on the same sleep routine (thanks to Sammy's ability to go to sleep even if he wasn't as sleepy). With a third, I know there will be times when she'll have to wake up in order to be on the move with us and I really can't imagine that yet! :)
All in all though, I know we'll be ok. Thankfully, I now have some idea what I'm doing with an infant and not much has changed as far as my "mothering philosophy" of responsive or attachment parenting. Feed the baby when she's hungry, let her sleep when she is tired, respond to her cries (yes, even in the middle of the night:), wear her close as much as possible, etc, etc. See, so simple! Hee hee. Though it is exhausting work, there is no work I would rather do in the world than nurturing babies. Seriously! It's how God designed me I guess and I'm thankful to Him for giving me the privilege. And yes, you can remind me of this when you see me haggardly walking out to the minivan (more on that soon!) with my three little loves, with bags under my eyes and a squalling babe in arms.
Ready or not, she is coming soon and another season of our life will begin! Here are a few pictures of our little punkins four years ago!







All for now,
Jen