There's a first for everything, and parenting is full of them. But we weren't expecting so many "firsts" the third time around! That's exactly what we've been given with little Chloé though. I joked about this all throughout my third pregnancy - how nothing was the same as it was the first two times and how she was sure to keep us on our toes. Well, it's only three weeks in but she sure has!
On the one hand, it's really hard. We figured by the third time we knew enough, had experienced enough, and paid our dues enough, that she would be our easiest child. We wouldn't second guess ourselves, we'd remember what to do, we'd know warning signs and tricks of the trade and ways to avoid trouble. We thought we had this parenting a baby thing down. We were wrong.
Chloé is unlike Lily and Oli ever were as newborns. The first 24 hours after birth babies (at least my babies) sleep for about 20 of them. Not Chloé. She was probably awake for 20! She wanted to nurse all.the.time from the minute she was born. She was crazy alert and such a mama fan. She slept in my bed or in my arms the whole time I was in the hospital - it was the only time she would. And just for the record, I've never been a co-sleeper. Nothing against those who are, but it wasn't our thing. And now, out of desperation at times, it's kind of become our thing. I don't do it often and don't plan to continue, but there have been times where it's the only way Chloé will FINALLY fall asleep after hours of awake time. Something so foreign to me in my experience with newborns.
And speaking of desperation. Oh the desperation. So often I find myself doing things with Chloé that I never did with the first two, simply because with three little kiddies, life MUST go on and so you do whatever it takes to make it so. The first two had a bassinet in our room, and never slept anywhere else. Chloé regularly spends nights and naps on the couch, in the nursing pillow, in her vibrating chair, in our arms, occasionally in our bed, the list goes on. Likewise, Lily and Oli never had a soother. I did try with each of them but neither took it. With Chloé, I've tried almost anything to get some sleep including the pacifier, and wouldn't you know, she's my one child that will take it! I always said I was glad in the end that the older two wouldn't take it, because it meant I didn't have to deal with attachment or dependence on the soother. This time, I'm just glad she's soothed!
As crazy as it's been, the important thing is our family unit has remained mostly the same. Our older two, who are in so many ways still babies themselves, have normalcy and that's been so important to me.
She sleeps the least, eats the best, cries the most (but thankfully the quietest!), and in a different way than our first baby, has us utterly dependent on one another and the Lord. With Lily we were that way because we simply knew NOTHING. With Chloé, we're that way once again because she's humbled us as parents and thrown us some curve balls we weren't expecting. And on that hand, it's really great.
On the one hand, it's really hard. We figured by the third time we knew enough, had experienced enough, and paid our dues enough, that she would be our easiest child. We wouldn't second guess ourselves, we'd remember what to do, we'd know warning signs and tricks of the trade and ways to avoid trouble. We thought we had this parenting a baby thing down. We were wrong.
Chloé is unlike Lily and Oli ever were as newborns. The first 24 hours after birth babies (at least my babies) sleep for about 20 of them. Not Chloé. She was probably awake for 20! She wanted to nurse all.the.time from the minute she was born. She was crazy alert and such a mama fan. She slept in my bed or in my arms the whole time I was in the hospital - it was the only time she would. And just for the record, I've never been a co-sleeper. Nothing against those who are, but it wasn't our thing. And now, out of desperation at times, it's kind of become our thing. I don't do it often and don't plan to continue, but there have been times where it's the only way Chloé will FINALLY fall asleep after hours of awake time. Something so foreign to me in my experience with newborns.
And speaking of desperation. Oh the desperation. So often I find myself doing things with Chloé that I never did with the first two, simply because with three little kiddies, life MUST go on and so you do whatever it takes to make it so. The first two had a bassinet in our room, and never slept anywhere else. Chloé regularly spends nights and naps on the couch, in the nursing pillow, in her vibrating chair, in our arms, occasionally in our bed, the list goes on. Likewise, Lily and Oli never had a soother. I did try with each of them but neither took it. With Chloé, I've tried almost anything to get some sleep including the pacifier, and wouldn't you know, she's my one child that will take it! I always said I was glad in the end that the older two wouldn't take it, because it meant I didn't have to deal with attachment or dependence on the soother. This time, I'm just glad she's soothed!
As crazy as it's been, the important thing is our family unit has remained mostly the same. Our older two, who are in so many ways still babies themselves, have normalcy and that's been so important to me.
She sleeps the least, eats the best, cries the most (but thankfully the quietest!), and in a different way than our first baby, has us utterly dependent on one another and the Lord. With Lily we were that way because we simply knew NOTHING. With Chloé, we're that way once again because she's humbled us as parents and thrown us some curve balls we weren't expecting. And on that hand, it's really great.
She reminds me so much of my daughter when she was born! I used to say the same thing about the 20/4 hours of sleep. It was like that every day. We also took her to sleep in our bed quite often in the beginning though we hadn't planned to. Looking back, I'm glad we did, it didn't last for long, she doesn't remember it, and we do remember that as precious moments! Also, talking with other moms who had similar babies, these are usually very curious babies/children! Praying for you, I know it is very hard. "This too shall pass". xx
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