Mama Bean has a(n almost) four week old daughter

Sprout is really cute. I mean, to me. Papa Bean says newborns are only cute to their parents, and maybe their grandparents. So, since I'm her parent, I can say she's really cute. I'm so absorbed in her cuteness that it's taken me four weeks to get around to blogging. Well, that and, y'know, all the other stuff I do. Plus the cuteness.


Sprout's labour was shorter; the pushing part was blessedly shorter. I know an hour still sounds like a long time, and often with second babies it's way shorter than that, but compared to two hours, an hour was lovely. wonderful. perfect. And I didn't tear this time, which, like, wow, I (clearly) have no words. It's that different. I kind of want to buy my midwife flowers for coaching me how to push so I wouldn't tear. My favourite part about the labour was when Sprout came out, and my second favourite part was when the midwife said, "Nah, I don't think I need to stitch you."

My next favourite part was how Sprout latched right away, and nursed from both sides, for about an hour, and hasn't stopped nursing like an absolute champ since. No SNS system, no setting the clock to feed, no stripping the sleepy baby and coaxing it to eat just one more millilitre, no nipple shield. No. Nipple. Shield. Just plain old breastfeeding; like riding a bicycle. Fantastic.

Bean is very fond of his baby sister. He likes to point out her nose, and then her hair. He likes to touch heads with her, which is his way of kissing, and he likes to try and hold her or hug her. He likes to pat her head. And he likes to be the one showing her off when other people are paying attention to her. He thinks Sprout is the coolest thing ever. As for me, I am not so cool in his books (yet.) For about a week after her arrival, he wouldn't look me in the eye, wouldn't really let me hold him, wouldn't hug or cuddle or play with me. It pretty much broke my heart. He's warmed up since, especially now that all our houseguests are gone and it's me or nobody (is that comforting? not... really.) He seems to want to be carried or held more, and is more prone to crying/tantrums if he has to wait, but some of that may be transitioning from two naps to one, and overall he's doing really well.

I'm only taking nine weeks off from work, since I don't qualify for the year of EI benefits most (Canadian) moms can get. Five weeks of that have already flown by (ACK!) which feels so much faster than the eight weeks I took off when Bean was born. She'll be a month old soon! I have so many thoughts and blog posts rattling around, but not a tonne of time to actually type them out, but really want to write. Babies; they're so inspiring! It's crazy to think I started this blog a year ago, when Bean was three months old, and now it's 14 months later, and I have Sprout! We're feeling super blessed and full of love right now, and I'm glad I have this place to document it. Thanks for sharing with me!