Baby #2. My Sweet Logan Olivia.
She’s finally here. What a blessing this baby is! It’s amazing how loved a brand new child can be when they haven’t done a single thing for any of us yet. They can’t say “I love you,” or “Thank you,” or even offer a smile to let us know they like us. But something happens when they are born, that their parents and all who meet them simply fall in love with them.
There was a time when Dave and I weren’t even sure this baby was actually going to happen. A few years after Riley was born, we knew we wanted to have another child, but after a year of trying to get pregnant, we were feeling pretty defeated.
By the grace of God, we finally got pregnant with Logan in January of 2017. We were SO excited! And so was her big sister. Dave and I swore we were having a boy but Riley knew all along the baby was going to be a little girl.
Being pregnant was honestly a joy for the majority of the time. My only complaint during the first 7 months was sciatic pain- which at times, I’ll admit, was quite miserable. Around month 7 though, she lifted off of that nerve and things became a bit more comfortable. I was pregnant throughout the summer this time around and I LOVED it! While I complained sometimes about being hot even when the air conditioning was blasting, I spent a lot of time in the pool and on the beach. I loved my pregnant belly this time (unlike when I was pregnant with Riley) and for the most part, I stayed in good shape and was a fairly pleasant person!
Then month 8 came around and I got really busy with work. It all ended up being a blessing because I was distracted from any pre-labor anxiety and restlessness and Dave and I were able to make some extra money. Things finally settled down the week before her due date. We were ALL ready. Her room was done, our house was clean, and the freezer was stocked with dinners. I swore she would come early because I had been having false labor contractions for weeks. Well, turns out Logan had other plans.
Her due date came and went. And with each day that passed, I got more and more cranky. There’s something about the last days of pregnancy that makes each day feel like 15. Also, being only 5’2″, the baby was jammed so high into my ribs making life super uncomfortable. My doctor said he would schedule me to be induced a week after her due date but I didn’t think we would ever actually make it that far.
Well, we did. A week after her due date, on October 19th, we headed to the hospital to get the show on the road. It just so happens that as soon as I got hooked up to the monitors and got all cozy in my hospital bed, I started having contractions on my own. I guess she just wanted me to get to the hospital first!
The doctor came in and checked me and I was 2 cm already. They gave me some pitocin to keep things moving along and progressing and before I knew it, I got an epidural and the doctor broke my water. I never even got to the “hard” labor. It was pretty fantastic.
I laid in that bed all comfy and cozy and numb and those contractions just kept on coming. About 5 hours later, I was still happy as a clam in my bed and my nurse was down the hall with another patient. And then something changed. Like the flip of a switch, I went from being calm and comfortable to anxious and scared. I started to shake and feel light-headed. I couldn’t catch my breath and I started to cry. I knew something was happening but I couldn’t explain what exactly I was feeling. My mom went out into the hallway to find a nurse to check on me. Sure enough, I was 10 cm and totally ready to start pushing. The nurse actually told me I would feel better if I started pushing so I did. Only thing was, my doctor wasn’t even there yet! I had to wait a half hour (which felt like a whole lot longer) before I could really start pushing her out. Once I did, it only took about 10 minutes for her to be born and instantly, I felt SO much better!!
I was so happy and she was so cute!! Mostly I was relieved that she was FINALLY out of me! We spent about a day and a half in the hospital and everyone took such good care of us.
It wasn’t until we were driving home that it started to sink in that Dave and I were now parents to TWO children. All we wanted to do was sleep but we were so excited to come home and see Riley and she was excited to see us (especially her baby sister). Luckily, my mom hung out that afternoon to hold Logan and play with Riley while Dave and I took a nap. For the next few weeks while I healed, we received visitor after visitor, all bringing yummy dinners for us to eat. It was amazing. I didn’t cook for 3 weeks! Seriously, this is the best gift you can ever give a new parent.
She’s eating like a champ, even though nursing is one of the least enjoyable activities ever. And she’s sleeping about as good as can be expected for a 3 week old baby. Waking up during the night is never easy, and you never really get used to it as a parent, but we’re riding it out.
I am so grateful Logan has such a loving and nurturing sister in Riley. She just LOVES her baby sister and is so helpful in taking care of her. I was so scared she would feel left out or neglected when we brought the baby home, since the last 4 1/2 years have been all about her. So far, there hasn’t been a trace of jealousy or annoyance in her arrival. She’s so proud of her sister and she’s become independent and grown-up almost overnight. As much as it makes me a little bit sad, it’s exactly what any parent hopes for when having another child. The girls won’t be super close age-wise, but I think Riley will always love Logan, take care of her, and want to play with her.
Logan and her daddy are already best buds. Dave has seemed to bond with her super fast this time around. He’s apparently a professional burper and she loves nestling onto his chest and taking a nap. He’s crossing his fingers she will be his football-watching buddy as we have been watching a ton of football this year now that the Eagles are finally playing well!
I honestly don’t know how parents with more than two kids do it, as we are still figuring out how to juggle two. But we do have some serious respect for all of you parents out there who make it work. And the working mamas out there, I pray for you all each and every day! Knowing I can work from home has been such a settling feeling with this baby, even though it’s hard to force myself to rest when a big part of me can’t wait to get working again. How great is it that I actually like my job enough to feel this way?
Even though there ARE days when I don’t even want to turn on my computer or look at my phone and instead just stare at my sweet baby and play with Riley. I’m trying to let myself do this, and know that you guys will all be here when I rejoin the blogging world.
So to all of you parents with more than one little one at home, I have two questions for you:
- What are your tips for entertaining the older sibling when you’re feeling the effects of being up all night and they are raring to go?
- What are your tips for getting some quality time with your spouse when there seems to be a kid to take care of or entertain at all times?
Comment below with any advice! Most importantly though, I just want to say a special thanks to all of you who support this blog and support me personally. Dave and I are so blessed with this family God has given us and for careers we absolutely love and are passionate about. While I still feel like an infant myself when it comes to this blog, your encouragement and support keeps it fun and worth-while. So thank you!
Photos by Serena Rose Photography