snippets

It has been eleven days now since we welcomed our baby, can you believe it? Time is, however, still running slow in our household – we are trying to relax, to adjust and to take one step at a time.

Giving birth the second time was, indeed, easier than the first time although we still spent around 15 hours in the delivery room (or waiting outside) until the baby (I still need to find a nickname for the blog) finally joined us. We went for walks in the middle of the night, passed sleeping sheep and were almost run over by a badger (my first, wild badger!). I spent a considerable amount of time in the bathtub, with dimmed light and jazz music in the background – would have been almost romantic if it wasn’t for the labour pains (in the meantime, Karsten was sleeping on the delivery bed…). I was also spared all the uncomfortable actions to speed up the birth, and when I finally decided that I can’t bear it any longer and that I would rather quit giving birth, our son decided to join us as quick as possible.

He and myself spent the following days in the hospital. While the little one, my mother and Karsten were fighting a cold at home, I was fighting the noise and the restlessness that comes with a multiple-bed-room (and mothers who suddenly start to watch soaps on their iPhone at midnight, without earplugs). I was also fighting painful breast engorgement and some hormone-driven feelings, but all in all, we were well taken care of. However, we were glad to be able to go home after three days.

Home! What a wonderful place to be with a newborn! The baby seems to feel very comfortable around here. He is a happy little fellow anyway. His voice can be enormously loud, but he quickly calms down once he gets something to drink. He sleeps a lot, even during the nights, which gave me the chance to recover a bit (something that took me about three months after the little one was born). So far, his only weak spot is between 8pm and 10pm when he starts to be a bit grumpy. He looks pretty much like his sister, with some small exceptions. And the smell….mmmh. I must admit, I truly enjoy feeding him and cuddling up with him (well-knowing that it’ll only last as long as I have the support of Karsten and my mother who are taking care of the little one during these days).

I also truly enjoy the pregnancy to be over. I fit into my shoes again. My carpal canal syndrome is gone. I can bend down again. I am eating plenty of smoked salmon, soft cheese and air-dried meat again. And I can finally sleep on my back again. Aaah, so good!

And the little one? So far, she is absolutely thrilled about her brother. She pets him and talks to him and looks after him (with me looking after her…) and is, as far as I can tell, quite happy to be a big sister. It is really heartwarming!! Let’s see how it’ll work out once it is just me, her and him at home (I try to ignore that this day will come sooner rather than later. So far, I am not sure how I am supposed to handle a newborn with unforeseeable feeding times and a sometimes rather froward little one at the same time. But I am sure it’ll work out somehow. Others have done it as well, right?). And gee, with a newborn on the lap, the little one suddenly appears to be so grown-up and big – she must have grown at least 5 cm during the three days I was away!

So, as you can see, everything is well. We are pampered by our friends with cakes, pumpkin soup, tartes, diapers and many lovely offers to help whenever we need something (chocolate, for instance).

And with the birth came the change of the seasons. It’s suddenly autumn outside and I am so glad to breathe the fresh air and to see everything change. The weather is a bit changeable too, with wind and rain in the morning and glorious late-summer-sunshine in the evening. I am making plans that include lanterns, acorns, and candles. And psssst, even some christmas preparations, gifts and handicrafts already. Let’s see how much I can actually do and how much has to be postponed…