Month 2- Grace

Dear Peanut, Grace Potato, Little Bean:

Last week, you turned two months old. These two months went much faster than the last two you were in my tummy. One thing you will learn is how impatient I am- almost nauseatingly so (your father is the total opposite, so it all evens out in the end). You really gave me a run for my money those last three weeks- the constant contractions, the constant discomfort. I suppose perhaps you wanted out just as much as I did.

So far, you have proven to be your brother's complete opposite (aside from the fact that you are a girl and not a boy. You are calm, laid back, and content. We can hold you (sitting down) for a long period of time without you screaming and kicking and wailing. You enjoy bath time- a far stretch from your brothers reaction to the "flesh eating acid water" we were obviously immersing him in. You do not hate the car, which makes traveling that much less stressful. You are just easier, much easier. I think God made the right choice giving us the little monster (I say that with endearing love) first. It was nice that he has been easy on us the second time around. Even when you cry, it is so completely unintimidating.

After experiencing one child's growth from an infant to a toddler, I am excited to see how you will develop and who you will become. I am so excited to share a birthday with you, and I hope that you will feel the same way. I hope we can spend it together doing ridiculously girly things like shopping and getting our hair and nails done. I look at your beautiful little face and I hope and pray the inevitable teen girl attitude years are minimal and that you keep the number of times you tell me how much you can't wait to leave home down below five occasions. Sigh...for now I will soak in these moments when you need me and I can hold you and rock you and smell you- oh man...I forgot how good new born babies smell.

I also forgot how much babies grow and change during the first year of their lives. You are already smiling and chatting in your baby language and developing your own little personality. It seems like just yesterday you were staring up at me with those big eyes soaking in your new world.

Your birth marked a significant change in our family- we went from a family of three to a family of four. You evened us out, and brought us to that next level. Your birth made me a mother of two, and brought me to the realization that I am a wife, a mother, an adult with responsibilities and truly at that next stage in life. Not that I did not know that before- trust me I knew! You just helped it soak in. When over three quarters of your life is spent growing up and figuring out who you are- finding your identity and where you want life to take you, it takes a little bit of time to finally get to the point where you can finally take a moment to realize that you found yourself. You are where you are supposed to be- yeah, it took some time and some trial and error, but you made it. Thank you for that gift.

Thank you, also, for sleep...goodness I love sleep. Those first 7 weeks were down right ridiculous. I felt like a shell of a human being, a zombie at best. About a week and a half ago, you started sleeping pretty much through the night. Screw water boarding, put one of those guys in a room alone with a new born baby day and night and believe me they will talk...they will be BEGGING to talk! In retrospect, it has already gone too fast- and all of those sleepless nights are totally worth this face:




Love,

Mommy