Tennessee-Mom

Wow, long long time between posts. Things have been crazy here at times, good some days, bad others. Amanda has adjusted very well to Ethan now, and she loves him and can’t get enough of him. And Ethan is doing well also. We had a few very tough weeks with him screaming non-stop. I’ve eliminated flavored coffee, caffine, garlic and some vegetables out of my diet, and he is doing much better now. Lately he’s been staying awake all day, from 7am-midnight one day, and yesterday from 6am-5.30pm. He can take in so much more of the world now, I think it’s exciting to him, and who can blame him? He had his 2 month dr’s appt a few weeks ago, he was 13lbs! He’s obviously nursing well We are in cloth 100% of the time now, we are using all the Fuzzi Bunz that we used on Amanda, petite toddler and larges fit him well. Here’s a series of pictures taken over the past few months.

Loving Two

I walk along holding your 4-year-old hand,
basking in the glow of our magical relationship.
Suddenly I feel a kick from within,
as if to remind me that our time alone is limited.
And I wonder: how could I ever love another child as I love you?

Then he is born,
and I watch you.
I watch the pain you feel at having to share me
as you’ve never shared me before.

I hear you telling me in your own way,
“Please love only me.”
And I hear myself telling you in mine,
“I can’t,” knowing, in fact, that I never can again.

You cry. I cry with you.
I almost see our new baby as an intruder
on the precious relationship we once shared.
A relationship we can never quite have again.

But then, barely noticing,
I find myself attached to that new being,
and feeling almost guilty.
I’m afraid to let you see me enjoying him — as though I am
betraying you.

But then I notice your resentment change,
first to curiosity,
then to protectiveness,
finally to genuine affection.

More days pass,
and we are settling into a new routine.
The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast.

But something else is replacing those wonderful times we shared,
just we two.
There are new times — only now, we are three.
I watch the love between you grow,
the way you look at each other, touch each other.

I watch how he adores you — as I have for so long.
I see how excited you are by each of his new accomplishments.
And I begin to realize that I haven’t taken something from you,
I’ve given something to you.
I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love openly with
both of you.

I find that my love for each of you is as different as you are,
but equally strong.
And my question is finally answered, to my amazement.
Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you — only
differently.

And although I realize that you may have to share my time,
I now know you’ll never share my love.
There’s enough of that for both of you — you each have your own
supply.

I love you — both. And I thank you both for blessing my life.”

author unknown