Day at the Zoo

Fridays are always family days for us. We had been planning a trip to the Houston Zoo for some time and were sure the girls would love it. This past week, Charlotte had been under the weather so my mother in law (she's so wonderful, I thank God for that woman) said she would keep her while we took Peyton. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was great getting to focus on just Peyton for a little while.

Before having Charlotte, I wondered how Peyton's and my relationship might be affected. For the past 3 years, it had just been the 3 of us. How would the dynamic change? In the beginning it was a little rough. Balancing nighttime routines was probably the hardest. Charlotte demanded a lot of attention as a newborn. Peyton didn't understand it right away. There were nights where she would cry for me to read her a book and spend time with her before bed. But Charlotte needed to be fed and rocked to sleep. Let me tell you, as a mom, guilt will try to creep in and make you feel like you're failing your child.

Fast forward to Charlotte being almost 5 months old and we have gotten the hang of things. Peyton has grown so much and her perspective on things have changed. All this time she has been watching me be 'mama' to Charlotte and that has made her more aware of others around her. Today, she asked me if I was drinking enough water and had genuine concern that we all hadn't "had lunch yet" when she saw others eating. It's as if a miniature adult had popped up right before my eyes.

 Watching her excitement enjoying the splash pad reminded me that she is just a 3 year old who needs to know she is still loved and cherished. Don't we all need that from time to time?

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Becoming mom, again.

With my first daughter Peyton, I freaked out about everything from daycare to sleep. The truth is that with your first child you just don’t know know what to expect...it's a brand new experience. With Charlotte, things are a little more smoother.

I lost sleep every night waiting for her grunts to turn into cries.

With my second, I allowed things to just be. When Charlotte makes noise, I knew from experience with Peyton that eventually she’ll just go back to sleep. Sometimes babies just make noises, with my girls, it’s usually just them trying to pass gas or rustling in their swaddle. That still doesn't stop me from checking her baby monitor though, I just don't run to the crib and scoop her up like I did before.

I didn’t send her to daycare until she was 1.

We hired a caregiver to watch Peyton at home. With Charlotte, she was in daycare at 3 months. 

Day-cares are also not quiet facilities, which means Charlotte has to nap despite noise.When we are home,  Peyton can understand quiet for about 5 mins then it’s back to singing loudly and rummaging through her toy box. Charlotte has to adapt to noise and that's a very good thing!

Fevers were super scary

With Peyton, any little fever she spiked I would be at the pediatrician's office. Sometimes that meant sitting with super sick children with green boogers and snot hanging down their face. Meanwhile Peyton was calm, eating and drinking okay and certainly not in any distress. But she had a fever and I was so worried! 

And don’t get me wrong, fevers are still concerning, but they aren’t bad! When Charlotte’s temperature registered at 100.3 at 11 weeks I called her pedi right away. They had me monitor her at home to see if it rose. She had no symptoms at all. No cough, she was drinking every oz in her bottle and even sleeping well. After a few hours, the temperature started falling and I felt very relieved. Her body was simply fighting off something (I’ll never know what is was).

By the second or even third child, you won’t sweat the small things... you’ll be happy just to see everyone alive and well. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. 

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