Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Tyler. {one week}

  


  One week! You guys. That is blowing my mind. Maybe it's because he came so quickly and unexpectedly or because the transition to two kiddos has been really smooth {knock on wood!}- but it really doesn't seem like Tyler is a week old already. Or that I was still pregnant just a week ago. Or that I gave birth a week ago. Super surreal!
  This time around, Justin and I are both a bit more relaxed about things. We don't keep track of how long/how often Tyler eats or how many dirty diapers he has each day. We don't have the monitor turned on full volume at night while he sleeps in his crib and we haven't obsessed on how yellow he does/doesn't seem. I find myself not holding as tightly to so many things- I just know that my job is to love and care for him and not to worry about every single thing that could come up. I started learning that lesson when I was pregnant with Caleb, and God just keeps impressing it on my heart. 
  It might be safe to say that I'm loving the newborn phase even more this time around. It probably has something to do with how simple our hospital stay and first few days at home have been. Mostly, though, it is because of the perspective we have with a toddler running around. Newborns are squishy and snuggly and full of so many unknowns. Now that Caleb is a toddler though, we know how fun it is to watch a baby's personality unfold and see them grow and develop like little sponges in the first year. We know how sweet the first smiles, giggles, scoots, and words are. I am absolutely not in a hurry for time to pass, but it is so exciting to know that it somehow gets sweeter and sweeter the more time we spend together!
  When the chaplain at the hospital did her routine visit to our room, {and after learning we had a 1.5 year old at home} she made a point to remind me that when it comes to life as a stay at home mom to little ones the days are long but the years are short. Amen, sister. This first week with Tyler has been really sweet and, if I'm being honest, pretty easy. He is a great sleeper, eater, and is generally content as long as he's not being changed or forced to wait a minute before eating. Caleb loves him SO much {a little too intensely at times} and we've all started to settle into a routine. But I learned with Caleb that time does pass quickly and I really want to soak it all in.

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  I've been feeling a push to step back from social media {read: my phone} for a few months and now that Tyler's here, it's time. I have a part time job managing social media accounts for different clients and that means I'm usually on my phone or computer during every single nap and in the evenings. Its a great job and pretty perfect for being a stay at home mom. But it makes social media draining for me and I could use a break {couldn't we all?}. I'm on maternity leave from work until February and it seems like the perfect excuse to step back personally as well. I have two sweet boys and a husband that deserve my attention so much more than those little squares on Instagram. There's a book floating around called Hands Free Mama, and while I haven't read it {or really know anything about it besides the title}, it sounds completely in line with the tug I've had on my heart lately. As a mom, but really just as a person. I want to be present with what's happening in front of me. I think I miss so many lessons God is trying to teach me and little bits of joy with my family that could easily change my days if I only paid attention. I want to declutter a bit and become more intentional with where I put my time and attention. I once heard someone say that we all have three things we can spend: our time, money, and energy. I don't know about you, but I could do a better job with how I spend all of those. Deleting Instagram and putting my phone down more is just a small step in helping me refocus how I spend my time and energy! 
  So, while I won't be posting on Instagram for awhile {already deleted from my phone!}, you will see me blogging here. And probably a lot! I love this blog and it's become just a really great way for me to keep track of life, our family, milestones for my boys, and all the ways God is growing me. I have loved being able to look back on my posts about Caleb and want to do the same for Tyler. This blog is a great place to jot some thoughts down and then be able to shut my laptop and walk away.
  So, stay tuned for Tyler's birth story {tomorrow!}, another holiday gift guide, some thoughts on Bible reading for 2016, and even a little recap of our cooking club's annual Favorite Things exchange! You won't see me on instagram but I hope that doesn't mean I won't hear from you at all. Stop by the blog! Leave some comments! 

2 comments:

Whitney Tomlin said...

I was JUST working on a social media post. I deactivated my facebook yesterday because I found myself looking at it every free second I had! Ugh. I want to be present, especially in the Holiday season! Good for you girl. Congrats on baby Tyler. He is precious!

Anonymous said...

I'm so looking forward to hearing about Tyler's birth story. I'm kind of obsessed with them right now as I await to see how the birth story of my little girl will unfold.