ONE MONTH WITH PETER

month cards  //  onesie  //  blanket

Well, one month and eleven days because I’m still very much finding my footing over here. 😉 Peter will be six weeks old on Friday and he is really such a good little baby. I can’t tell you the relief we feel after his time in the NICU — I was so shaken by that experience that to have him home safe and in my arms truly feels like more than we could ever ask for. I think between his NICU stay and a better appreciation for how fast the newborn phase passes after going through it with Teddy, I’ve been savoring this period even more the second time around, letting him nap on me during the day and breastfeeding on demand vs. on more of a schedule. I know there will come a time where I’m anxious to get us all in a more predictable routine, but for now we’re just taking each day as it comes and thanking our lucky stars that we have such a happy, healthy little guy on our hands.

one month baby recap

one month baby recap

one month baby recap

striped onesie

I’ve been asked whether 0-1 kids or 1-2 kids has been a harder transition — something I definitely googled ad nauseam during my pregnancy! — and as of now, I would say 0-1 was harder for me personally for two reasons. (Very much knocking on wood as I type this!) First, my postpartum recovery has been infinitely smoother than it was after Teddy’s birth, a combination of having an incredibly positive delivery experience, not having an episiotomy the second time around, and knowing exactly which postpartum recovery essentials work best for me having been through it once before (this slightly TMI list has everything you need if you’re researching the same). Second, I’ve had an even stronger support system this time than after Teddy was born: my husband is now working from home, my parents now live with us, and we have an amazing part-time nanny who adores Teddy and has given him a sense of routine during this period of transition. Don’t get me wrong, having two under two is still an absolute circus at times, but it’s been made so much more manageable with an easier physical recovery and a veritable village of people to love on all of us while we figure out our new normal.

one month baby recap

one month baby recap

Teddy’s sweater  //  Peter’s onesie

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write these monthly recaps again with a second baby, but I’ve found myself referring back to the monthly updates I wrote during Teddy’s first year to jog my memory about schedules and milestones and I love being able to look back at pictures and memories from each age. (I’ll link all of Teddy’s monthly recaps at the bottom of this post!) It’s funny how different our day-to-day feels the second time around — Teddy and I practically lived on this playmat for the first several months of his life whereas with Peter, we’ll toss a blanket on the floor and he’s content to look around while Teddy goes to town with his beloved cleaning set. Life with two feels busy in a way that life with one simply didn’t, whether that’s because Teddy and I spent so much time alone at home together in his first few months or because a global pandemic took precedence just as I was feeling ready to be out in the world again. It could also be the difference between having a baby at the end of fall going into winter and having a baby in the middle of spring leading up to summer — I find myself more eager to go on walks, head to the beach, and plan little outings and adventures for Teddy and Peter’s generally happy to be along for the ride.

one month baby recap

Love this little outfit despite its 9,732 buttons!

one month baby recap

one month baby recap

Teddy (left) and Peter (right) during their first baths, 18 1/2 months apart — don’t they look identical?!

I wrote about this a little here, but I’d say Teddy’s transition to life as a big brother has been pretty neutral. He’s neither obsessed with the baby nor angry that he’s here; he’s kind of just doing his own thing and taking occasional notice of the new addition. He’s started showing a little more interest as Peter’s become more alert and our nightly bath time ritual with both boys has become my favorite moment of the day. Teddy loves helping fetch diapers or a bath towel for Peter but then goes right back to his books or trucks or cleaning supplies, haha. I’m excited for him to take more notice of Peter in the months to come — I’m sure I’ll look back at this post someday hardly remembering a time when they weren’t attached at the hip!

one month baby recap

sweater  //  blanket  //  pacifier

one month baby recap

onesie  //  bib

one month baby recap

This feels like such a light and fluffy update compared to what I wrote about our first month with Teddy, but I guess I feel a little more confident this time around and I know all the things that feel hard right now are such a flash in the pan in the grand scheme of things. Of course I have moments where I’d give anything to sleep through the night, where I look in the mirror and cringe thinking about being in a swimsuit a month from now, where I wonder if I’ll ever get back to writing six blog posts a week and feeling truly productive. But then I look at this little baby who’s already come so far since those two nights in the NICU when I would have given anything in the world to have him next to me and think: my most important job right now is to love on these two little boys with my whole heart. Sleep and exercise and productivity at work will return when they’re meant to, and in the mean time I’ve got it pretty damn good. ?

Shop the post:

More baby and pregnancy posts you might like: