Admittedly I find it kind of silly that the title of this post talks about smiling, yet every photo in here is of my little bug sleeping. BUT! The reason is because (drumroll……) he’s starting to smile!!! They’re fleeting, but I’m not just talking about the milk-drunk smiles that are so adorable in the middle of the night. I’m talking real, actual attempts at smiling! This just started two days ago, and I have to say it’s one of my favorite things (hence the title).
New mamas: newborns can be hard, mainly because it’s hard to figure out their needs, especially in our sleep-deprived state. But those smiles? They totally erase the late nights, early mornings, constant feeding, sore bodies and frustration. For me it’s the first attempts on the baby’s end at relationship, and it just makes everything OK again. Can I get an amen?!
Austin is slowly but surely starting to wake up, which is so much fun. It also means increased tummy time, more wide-eyed wonder, and the fact that we can now see that his eyes are turning bluer by the minute. When he was born he had some burst blood vessels in the whites of his eyes from being in the birth canal for so long, but that redness is almost completely gone now too. It didn’t take away from his cuteness, but it just looked painful to me (although we were assured it didn’t hurt him at all). Now his baby blues are bigger and brighter than ever!
This week he’s also started to stretch out some. He still has what we’ve dubbed “curly booty” when you pick him up (I don’t know, it’s just what we say) and his little legs still stay all curled up and his baby bottom is sticking out. Probably one of the cutest and sweetest things ever, so I’m fine if it stays longer. But shortly after he’s stretching out and reminding us that he’s actually not a small baby at all. I don’t remember if I posted it before, but at 9 days early he was over a pound bigger and almost an inch longer than Wes was at 9 days late…can you imagine how big he’d be if he had gone all the way to his due date?! Anyway, when he stretches out it just blows my mind that he was inside of me just 3 short weeks ago. Apparently we don’t make small kids…
As for the rest of us, we’re adjusting pretty well to having a new baby around. Wes is seriously the sweetest and best big brother ever; I tear up no less than 10 times a day at how incredibly blessed I am to have such amazing boys. He’s always wanting to hug or kiss “Baby Austin,” gives him fist bumps (ever so gently), and when he cries he always holds his hands out and says, “Baby Austin I hold you.” GAH – there it goes – the lump in my throat and eyes tearing up again!
Nate and I marvel at how big Wes seems now compared to Austin. I know that a 3-year-old is quite obviously going to be bigger, but before Austin came we didn’t see how big Wes really is. Now it seems like he grows an inch a day! We are so thankful that he’s so gentle though, even with all of his crazy boy energy. Like I said, so lucky!
I haven’t talked a lot about postpartum recovery on here mainly because I have no idea how things like eating healthfully and working out are going to happen with two kids. I foresee a lot of early mornings in the future to try and at least get a solo walk in once I’m cleared to workout. The other day I went to the park that Wes and I walked right before I went into labor, only this time with two kids and a double stroller. We went super slow, stopped a lot, and only walked a fraction of the usual trail…and I was exhausted by the end. I don’t think I necessarily “overdid” it, but I definitely realized that as good as I feel I’m still not ready to exercise just yet.
The thing I can do to start feeling better though? Eating healthier foods. It’s no surprise that comfort food is amazing after having a baby, and we’ve been so blessed to have amazing friends and family bring us great food to eat. But I’m a little bit of a control freak, and I can’t wait to start planning our meals and making healthier things over the next couple of weeks. I’m obsessively following Lindsay‘s Sunday meal prep inspiration posts for tips and tricks and recipes that will give us healthier options throughout the week. Once I get my head straight I’ll update that and let y’all know how (or if) I’m making it work!
I seriously am shocked that we’re already at 3 weeks in with this little guy. The days are long but the weeks (and years) are short, and that’s only becoming more clear every moment. I’m trying to soak up the moments I get to nurse him, taking in his sweet little cheeks, the way he breathes, and the smiles when I can. And thanking God every minute that I get to live life with these guys of mine!
Love this post:)