As I was mentally preparing for the birth of our daughter I came across this profound quote, “having another child is like if you’re drowning and someone hands you a baby.” Wise words from one of the great thinkers of our time, comedian, Jim Gaffigan.
We welcomed our second child, Eloise Matilda into our lives just over a year ago. In many ways she’s different than her brother – needier, bossier, feistier, and overall required more. More. That’s probably the most apt way to describe life with two kids. It’s exponentially more – everything. More work, more attention, more exhaustion, more tears (theirs and mine)….and more love? Yes, yes, yes more love.
Life is chaotic beyond imagination. I pack like I’m evacuating a high risk, disaster zone every morning – I’m carrying my son’s backpack, his sleeping bag for daycare, the diaper bag, my purse and then of course, the freaking baby. Meals are a literal war zone – it’s a constant state of tense negotiation between myself and a tyrant 4 year old who refuses sustenance unless the right terms are established. Our house regularly looks like it’s been ransacked by bandits – things everywhere, on top of everything. I’m also using words like “bandits” in the 21st century because children programming is the only constant at home. Life is firmly positioned at the opposite end of glamorous right now.
But at around 9 PM when the quiet settles and everyone is finally resting, the only thing I want to do is stare at the baby monitors and watch them sleep. Those moments are the definition of blessed. This takes us back to the aforementioned “more love.” And then we do it all again the next day.
