I'll tell you, it's a struggle. There are definite perks to having a summer baby versus a winter baby, but it's been HOT and RAINY out lately, so we haven't had much of a chance to take Gavin outside to play. As a result, he's been a bit stir crazy. (Haven't we all?) On the days we manage to get outside, things tend to go MUCH more smoothly in the Dowd household. Taking Gavin to BabyBees has certainly helped -- and because it's not flu season yet, we've felt comfortable taking Baylor with us to Kids First, restaurants, etc... We feel good about our decision to have a July baby. :) Today, it's in the mid-70's and sunny, so we put together our double stroller and plan to take both babies to the park after naps.
Gavin is pretty obsessed with his little sister, which is both a blessing and a curse. He doesn't fully understand what it is to be gentle, though he definitely tries, so it's a challenge to make sure he is never in contact with her without Stephen or I standing guard. He is especially fascinated with Baylor's eyes and ears. Still, it warms my heart when he reaches for her bottle to help feed her or actually tries to put one of her purple binkies in HER mouth versus HIS. He's such a good boy...I'm looking forward to the fall, when we've all settled into our roles a bit more and I can really give him the attention he needs again. Plus, pumpkin spice lattes will give me the caffeine jolt I need to get through this newborn phase...
Baylor is actually sleeping alright, all things considered. She's going three hours between feedings -- the challenge lies in that sometimes she doesn't go down easily after a diaper change and bottle. If she's up at 1:00 am for a bottle, is finished at 1:30, and doesn't go back down until nearly 3:00 (which has definitely happened before)...there's only an hour before she's up and hungry again. Having learned our lesson from Gavin's newborn shenanigans, Stephen and I take turns sleeping on a mattress on the floor of Baylor's nursery while the other tends to Baylor in our room. That way, we're promised at least 4-5 hours of consecutive sleep, which is enough to function (though not well). It's not a long-term solution of course -- we plan to move her to her own room in a week or two -- but for now, it's keeping us FAR more pleasant and productive than we were with Gavin. (My parents have been super helpful as well, coming over in the evenings so that I can take a shower while Stephen puts Gavin down for bed, or taking Gavin in the afternoons so Stephen and I can take naps or get work done while Baylor sleeps. Thank goodness for them!)
Anyway, we're surviving. Baylor is gorgeous, and everyone swears she looks just like Gavin. Her temperament is far more mellow than Gavin's ever was, but that's probably typical of a second baby. Stephen and I feel very blessed to have safely brought two beautiful children into the world, and it's been fun to show Baylor off and introduce her to so many friends and family members in these past few weeks. I could sit here and write all day about the joys, frustrations, and lessons learned since Little Miss joined our family -- but there are bottles to be cleaned, laundry to be put away, toys to be organized........
