Our First Week With Baby

Well, what a difference a week can make eh? I have gone from very grumpy, having been in prodromal labour for almost a month, to super happy mama indeed with baby being born at 6.31am on Wednesday 7th September. I will write up my birth story when I have a minute – I’ve taken photos of my birth notes so I don’t forget anything! Besides a little drama at the beginning he arrived safely and I still just can’t get over the fact he is finally here!!

This week has gone so quickly, I think partly because G has been back at school and so we haven’t had a chance to sit still. I have been itching to get back to normality though and so have pushed myself to get back into a routine and be a little bit more of a mum to the girls. Hard when you are strapped to a baby for long periods of the day but still, I have been pregnant for a third of LJ’s life so I want to be me again, for the both of them.

He is such a good baby (so far haha) so actually he has slotted in really well- he is feeding brilliantly which makes such a change from my experiences with the girls who were quite honestly a nightmare in the early days. But, as much as he has slotted in well, the girls have been affected by his arrival. Obviously this is to be expected but it is still hard to see your children calling out for attention. G has been the most affected – playing up and refusing to do things when asked. It isn’t like her at all as she is normally so laid back, but she has been really defiant and erratic in her behaviour. LJ has been acting differently too, but more in a way that has seen her revert back to baby-like behaviour. I think she is just overwhelmed to be honest with you.

As the days have gone on they have both settled a little and hopefully they will get used to the change. Not that they have been at all resentful about him being here, they absolutely adore him!! In fact it has been another thing to bicker about – who gets to hold him first and who has had the most cuddles. So business as usual really! I knew they would both love him, just from the way they have been towards by bump over the last few months. LJ in particular has been so loving towards it so to see her with her brother now is just so lovely.

Mr F is completely smitten, a little boy to balance out the household a little haha! He was actually a little anxious towards the end of the pregnancy as he wasn’t sure what it would be like to be a dad to a boy when all he has ever known is girls. Those fears are all gone now that he has arrived – a baby is a baby after all. I know he is so excited for the coming years, taking him to football and doing daddy son things together. I was sent this gorgeous sleepsuit a few months back from the Essential One– it is part of a pack but I chose the set because of this one in particular. Mr F has high hopes for this little man and so who knows, one day this photo might appear on Match Of The Day!

I have been keeping an online diary of how I have been feeling and actually talking to camera every day has kept me quite cheery and given me a focus. In fact just having my blog (although I’ve been on IG and FB more than here the last week) has helped massively. With the girls I had nothing to focus on besides them – which obviously isn’t a bad thing but I mean in terms of giving me a focus other than a crying baby or endless night feeds. You know? I used to sit and feel so alone in the early days with both my girls, but this time is different – I am able to reach out to other mums in the middle of the night or share how I am feeling and get real mums coming back with support and ideas.

Today is a prime example – I reached out on FB about the fact I had been shopping and failed miserably at getting some nice tops for feeding. So many lovely comments and suggestions on where best to shop online. So much so that I have just spent a fortune on a few new outfits! Hurrah for online shopping – nobody needs to stand in front of a changing room mirror at 6 days post partem!

Here are my diary entries if you want to see how I got on this last week:

I am going to use this next week as a trial run for being in charge of 3 small people. I have one more week with Mr F at home before his paternity leave ends and I am thrown in at the deep end. I need to be able to rally the troops and get out of the door to get G to school every day and I am slightly panicked at the thought of it all! Breastfed babies are so unpredictable so I am worried that I will either be late getting her there or will have to drag a screaming hungry baby out of the house to make it in time! Not fun!!

So, big changes but all totally worth it. From the moment he was plopped onto my chest I was completely in love and all the waiting and frustration melted away. He is completely adorable and I can’t believe he is mine! A mama to a boy – I certainly didn’t ever imagine that! To think that this time last year I wasn’t even thinking about babies and here I am, a mama to three kids- crazy!