Benjamin | One Month

Almost six weeks ago, Charles and I welcomed our second baby boy Benjamin to the family! Life with our boys is enjoyable yet chaotic. You can find us dividing our time between a dependent newborn who needs so much from us and an independent toddler who is ready to do everything we do. The days are tiresome and long, but so good in their own way.

So, what does life look like? Trace is 2.5 years old and loves to do everything by himself. Get his own milk out of the fridge. Put toothpaste on his toothbrush and brush his teeth. Let the dogs outside to potty. Make tea and coffee. Wash dishes. He currently loves garbage trucks, dinosaurs, and his ABCs. And, he is officially a big brother, which was the sweetest part of the last month.

From day one, Trace was excited to meet Ben. Throughout my pregnancy, we read several books to Trace about babies and being a brother, and I truly believe those nights reading helped make this transition more enjoyable for our family. Although Trace has his toddler moments and tantrums with Ben, he is always excited to see Ben. He loves to give Ben his pacifier and burp him. He helps with diaper changes by grabbing diapers and wipes. He enjoys showing Ben his toys and reading books during tummy time. I am so proud of how he has handled this big change in his life, and I am excited to watch these two grow.

And the newest member our our family? Well, Ben is an easy baby. I was blessed with a quick labor and delivery (thank you Ben!), and my recovery went smoothly. From the moment Ben was born, he was ready to eat and had a great latch, which made the nursing journey this time around so much smoother. We are still going strong with breastfeeding. Ben is a great little napper and generally gives us five hour stretches for nighttime sleep. He was born with a little less hair than Trace, but still a great amount that seems lighter in color and possibly with a little curl to it. He gives us snoozing/nursing smiles or smiles while he is sleeping, but we have yet to see a real smile. I am ready for it! Here are some of my favorite memories with Ben this month:

ONE MONTH MEMORIES

• Ben is a chunky monkey. When he was first placed on my chest, the nurse immediately mentioned his chunky neck rolls followed by his double chin and full cheeks.
• With all those rolls, you guessed it… Ben loves to eat! He was a pro at nursing from day one, which has made this breastfeeding journey easier and more enjoyable this time around. Around week three, we were worried he might be colicky, but turns out it was just a growth spurt. He hates when I eat tomato sauce, dairy, and sweet potatoes.
• Ben burps so well after each feeding.
• Watching Trace learn to be a big brother and love on Ben is the sweetest.
• The first time we told Trace that Ben drank milk, he grabbed his sippy cup from the fridge to share it with Ben. It was the cutest!
• Trace loves to “hold” Ben by putting one hand on his head and one hand on his toes without actually holding him. He loves to tickle Ben’s tummy and toes.
• Trace loves to run to Ben as soon as he is crying in his crib, which is always followed by “Mommy, hurry, Ben crying”. Other phrases Trace loves to say – “Ben, hungry.” “Ben, pooped.” “Wake up, Ben.”
• Ben HATES bath time. He screams the entire time. As soon as you put his pajamas on and hold him tight, he is a happy baby again.
• He has pooped on Charles multiple times and peed on me already. Since we potty trained Trace, I forgot how quickly you need to grab a diaper.
• He loves tummy time and watching the fan from his bouncy seat.
• He enjoys being swaddled and is most content when he is warm and cozy.
• He loves riding in the car or the stroller as long as it is moving. The moment we stop, he cries.
• Ben currently sleeps through toddler giggles, gibberish, tantrums AND barking dogs. God. Bless. Him.