Transitioning from 1 to 2
Maybe I psyched myself up a bit, as the interwebs often allow us to do. I read so many articles about how having two children is like having 5...a much harder transition than your first...being outnumbered in the most impossible way. At first I allowed this to creep in and make me fearful of what was to come. Then I reshifted my mindset, and thought about the love I have for my sister, how much fun they will have playing together, how there will be another human besides me to get attention from during the day. This allowed me to make space for positive outcomes, and that is exactly what I have found.
After 1 month in being a mother of 2 is... just like being a mother of 1!!! Honestly, it is like Marin has always been here. Maybe this will change a bit as they get older, but I can’t help but think that as Morrison continues to grow he will become even less reliant on me, which will allow more space for me to give to Marin. One of our biggest unknowns was how Mo would react to having a sibling, and he has really been a rockstar. This has helped tremendously as he really has had almost no jealousy issues at all. Aside from having a truly sweet disposition, we showered him with extra attention from family and have purchased quite a few cars and gifts for him since Mo has become a big brother.
Another great thing for me has been many less postpartum issues than I had the first time around. I have healed physically much faster this time, but aside from that a lot of the emotions I had haven’t existed. Obviously transitioning from being me to mom was huge. The first time around I struggled with a human touching me all the time, not having any alone time, and there was a shift in my relationship with my husband. All of these factors contributed to the year or so of uneasiness I felt as a first time mom. This time all of this has been resolved making me a more confident and happy mom from the start.
The other difference with this baby is that I don’t have to go back to work. After my 6 week maternity leave with Morrison I went back to my job for the first year of his life. Deep down I knew that I wanted to be home with him, but it took time for me to let go of my ego and allow myself to do what I was called to do in order to be fulfilled. I know that I am truly blessed to have been able to make that choice, and I’m grateful for it everyday.
Overall, I am sure that the mindset work I have done over the last 2+ years has given me a much more positive outlook on my life and what I have chosen to do with it. Both of my kids have been the greatest gifts and I feel privileged to be able to be home with them. Mindset is everything when it comes to making and accepting change in life. When you embrace it, beautiful things happen.