And we’re home! Sybil Adelaide Cole was born on Thursday, August 25th at 1:35pm weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces and stretching 20 1/4 inches long. We were discharged from the hospital on Sunday afternoon and have been settling into our new life.
Motherhood definitely feels different the second time around. I don’t think I fully accepted we were having another baby until our drive to the hospital or maybe even the minute she was born. (Jim captured her birth on video. There’s a funny moment when they are pulling her out and I may have uttered a curse word.) I haven’t felt the intense love and protectiveness that I immediately felt with Lawson when he was born. That’s not to say I don’t love her, but it’s a different feeling that I’m still trying to sort out. Any second time mommas have a similar experience?
I’ll share her full birth story in a few weeks. It was a pretty uneventful c-section, which I suppose is the goal. In the meantime, I have a few random thoughts to share. I can’t quite form complete sentences at this point so here are my random partial thoughts, in no particular order.
I can’t wait to hold both my babies together.
I cry every day, usually late afternoon or around Lawson’s bedtime. I put him to bed many nights and now that I can’t, I find I really miss him this time of day.
Jim said the sweetest thing the other night when we got home from the hospital. He feels like our family is now complete.
Nursing isn’t easier the 2nd time around. My nipples are SORE!
I finally figured out what my swollen feet look like. You know those balloons (or maybe gloves) that look like a hand and when you’re blowing them up the palm area is expanded, but the fingers aren’t. Yep, that’s my feet.
Sweatpants as your main postpartum clothing item aren’t such a great idea when it’s 100+ degrees.
Sybil does not appear to have inherited Lawson’s long eyelashes. Poor girl.
Lawson is such a big boy. Compared to Sybil, he’s a giant. Having a newborn really puts into perspective how much he’s grown and developed the past 16 months. We’re so proud of how he’s handled all of the changes.
I’ve never been as tired as I have the past week. I’ve literally fallen asleep scrolling Instagram or Facebook multiple times. In the middle of the day, in the middle of the night, it doesn’t matter.
Sybil is most definitely going to be a daddy’s girl.
We’re a team. The next few weeks and months will be a challenge, but we’ll get through them as a team.
I’ve been sharing a Sybil picture of the day on Instagram Stories. I’m also contemplating taking a photo of my recovering body each day. Warning: it isn’t pretty and I haven’t “bounced back” like many do. Follow me on Instagram if you’re interested.
Most of all, thank you for your love and support. It really does take a village and we feel so grateful for everyone’s well wishes!