Man to Man

As much as I anticipated Hunter's arrival, I also was a bit anxious and fearful. I vaguely remembered what life was like as we transitioned from being childless to having Leah, and that was not a pretty time. Those first few weeks were filled with many tears (mine, not hers) and much insecurity, not to mention the repeated mantra of "I don't think I can do this" (again, mine). To put it bluntly, those days were beyond difficult.

And now we have Hunter. We're now in a "man-to-man defense", as a friend told Scott. This was going to be exponentially more difficult, right? Thankfully, no. For some reason, despite the lack of sleep, a gassy baby, and a busy and sometimes trying two-year-old, this transition has been 100 times easier than the first.

I'm not exactly sure why this has been easier, though I can speculate. Perhaps it's because my recovery has been much easier (so much so that I often forget that I had major surgery). Maybe it's because I had a better idea of how little sleep I'd be getting (I do not function well on lack of sleep... at all). Possibly Leah's acceptance and adoration for her brother have helped, too. After all, caring for a baby is easier when his sister doesn't feel like she has to compete for my affections. Not to mention that she loves doting on him. Let's not discredit the power of prayer, either. Maybe this transition is easier simply due to God's grace.

All I know is that I'm much more confident this time around; I remember waiting until Leah was almost a month old before venturing out with her solo. And now? I've already managed two errand excursions, both to multiple locations. The thought of taking them someplace fun (i.e. the sprayground) isn't so daunting, either. (Granted, I haven't done so yet, but that's due to the extremely hot weather; I know that Leah and I would be fine, but I don't want to risk Hunter's health.)

So, as we approach the one-month mark on Sunday, I'm happy to report that we are smoothly easing into this new chapter in our lives. Thanks to God's grace and mercy, life is better than expected and getting better every day.