Happy Healthy Beginning

Isabelle is just shy of 3 weeks old and all is going well. Similar to her brother, Isabelle is a great baby. Feeds and burps well. Does #1 and #2 on an ongoing basis. Alert when she's up. Sleeps very well. Not fussy. Rarely cries - only when I don't anticipate her feeding, which is rare because she puts herself on a regular feeding schedule.

Each baby is a blessing but I thank God everyday that - so far - she is a "low-maintenance" baby. I hear stories from friends, acquaintances, co-workers, nurses, strangers, etc. about their infants and although each baby is a blessing, I'm very blessed to have babies that are happy and routine. At the hospital, there were babies in two rooms to the left of my surrogate's room and another baby to the right. I stayed overnight of course looking after my daughter but the all the babies around us were crying a lot, sometimes for long stretches. It's very normal for babies to cry and you roll with the punches, but I will admit that for me, having babies that don't cry a lot makes my days and nights more pleasant and enjoyable.

There is a slight adjustment with having two kids especially as a single parent. Although my son is the perfect big brother, helper, and independent self-entertainer, there are times I feel some guilt because I can't give him sole attention anymore. Not that it matters to him because (1) he's not a needy child, (2) he understands someone has to take care of his little sister, and (3) I still spend focused, quality time with him. So the guilt is unnecessary and self-induced for sure. In fact, I have signed up my son for swimming, skating, and gym this season, and plan on participating in the swimming and learning to skate (my bad especially being Canadian).

I also wondered if I could love a second child. The answer is definitely yes! It's different though for me because I have had five wonderful years with my son. There is a deep bond and love there. With my daughter, the bond and love is there for sure but not as deep given the newness of our relationship. For some parents, the depth of love happens ASAP and for others, the depth develops over time. In the end, it's all great.

Hope everyone is doing well! Thank you for letting me share this part of my world with you!