Janey is getting so much easier and is taking a good nap in the morning, knock on wood. I have to set up the crib for her naps in our bedroom-a chore for after Christmas. The bassinet is just too small now. She is still sleeping with me at night, and sleeps very soundly. I hardly ever have to bounce on the ball or pace around doing the little please-calm-down jiggle during the day. She is just the sweetest baby. It just gets SO much easier when they hit the 3 month mark, but I have always forgotten that with each baby, and it seems like the hard stuff will last forever.
I really did stay caught up on my
scrapbooking this year, thanks to a handy dandy little chart I set up for myself by the computer. I knew exactly what pages I had to work on, and just took a few minutes every month throwing them together. My goal is to have my 2012 pages finished for each of the kids by December 31 and I'll need an hour or two which I am counting on when Jeff is home a few days for Christmas. I have had so much fun making Janey's. I am glad I didn't give up on it all. Perfection is the enemy of "get it done" I think, and once I let that go, I just had fun with all these memory books although I cry every time I look at them.
On that note, since Janey has been born I have many many days of being
completely overwhelmed being a mom to six children. With
every baby, the first months have been so hard, and I really had so many doubts and insecurities and feelings of guilt of not being/doing enough and doubting, doubting, doubting all of me. Many days were not easy days (and some days still aren't!), and maybe lots of all those feelings were just due to exhaustion, but it isn't easy working through them. But then suddenly things start coming together and I feel with all the struggles and icky feelings, I was left with this gift of growth. Growth in every way-marriage growth, and personal growth and most of all, parenting growth. Like someone dropped off this big basket of knowledge (completely different with each baby) right in my head-ways I needed to change-change my priorities, change my schedule, change the way I parent to adjust to having six.
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Love your little memory book - where do you find the time? so special to keep though and you are right each one is different.
ReplyDeleteWell said and I love your new family photo! Some of us wait for small things like that! You have a beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteI think you are a wonderful mother and I am so glad you are still blogging! Gives my little family of two with a toddler and newborn hope and reassurance!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed Sarah! Scrapbooking!? Really!? Wow. Even the simplest of pages are hard to pull off during the newborn stage. And your pages are beautiful! They will be so special to you and Janey. Congrats on getting to an easier place! YEA!! Newborn land is about to fade into the background. I know it's bittersweet, but three cheers for regular naps and just generally more sleep altogether! Pat yourself on the back. You did it! :)
ReplyDeleteCan you please share how you made these pages? Do you design them electronically and then print
ReplyDeleteOops! Just saw your link. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteJaney is so cute! The comment that it gets better at three months is helpful to hear, as we adopted two month old twins a couple of weeks ago. They are very cute and we're seeing progress, but we certainly drop into bed utterly exhausted every night - it's nice to know it gets easier!
ReplyDeleteI just had my first three weeks ago and I am ready for the overwhelming feeling to be gone and the growth to set in :)
ReplyDeleteI have been following for awhile but have yet to comment on a post. You are amazing! First thing every morning I look on here to read how you will inspire me. You have a beautiful family and I have just started scrapbooking again and my baby is 17 months, made digital would help!
ReplyDeleteYour pages are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteA friend who is a mom of many once told me that with every new baby you should allot one month per family member for things to be "regular" again. So for your family....when Janey is 8 months old. I always have found that timeline so comforting. She is beautiful...you're a lucky duck!
Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteMy sister has 8 children and always says that each with each child she received a present from God of a gift she needed---patience, joy, humility, hospitality--all sorts of gifts. I only have 6 children, but I've found it true in my life as well.
Sarah, I think about having another every.day. Really. I just get so scared I can't handle it all. I don't feel like I'm doing a great job now! I loved reading this today, it is so true. Hmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to mention, I love your new photo on the side bar. Beautiful family. All 8 of you! :)
Sarah I just love reading your posts, it makes me feel that those overwhelming mommy feelings of I have to do this, and this, and if I don't it won't get done and on and on...are normal and we have to work through them, prioritize, and it just means that we really care. Love your pages for Janey and the family picture too! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteshe looks so sweet and content laying on your bed.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to so much of what you said. I went through some really, really tough days this summer as we brought our 5th kiddo into our family (through adoption). Whew-so glad to be mostly through those days and I love how God continues to work in my heart through it all.
Janey is so cute! Thanks for the magic 3 months reminder! My sweet Rachel is just one month and I sure don't remember this much crying with my first! You have given me hope! :)
ReplyDeleteLoooove your pages! What do you use to scrapbook? Also, would love to see the chart you use to keep,you up to date! Love your blog!!
ReplyDeleteThank you again Sarah. I have been struggling with the overwhelming desire to have a third baby since my 2nd child was born 2.5 years ago. I have been bothered by the thoughts (and comments from others) that I shouldn't have more because I am not always calm, collected and organized. It is helpful to hear that other moms are not perfect saints either, and it doesn't detract AT ALL from being a good mom. I needed to hear that it's okay to have doubts, feel frazzled, get behind. I feel like our family is incomplete, and I don't want to deprive my kids of at least one other sibling because I am afraid of getting behind on housework! I am always happy when you remind us that motherhood is a struggle for everyone!!
ReplyDeleteYour baby girl is just so precious. Love the new family photo! All your kids are seriously cute!
ReplyDeleteCould your little baby girl be any cuter?? Love all the pics of her and your adorable family. And keeping up with scrapbooking too?! I think I need to borrow your supermom cape!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Your friend in CO.
Thanks for your honesty, I really needed it today! I was having a hard time putting away some baby things. I have five kids, and it was easy to look back and wonder where those little ones went! I would love to have one more but I have all the same feelings you do. Each time I have a baby, it takes me more like 18 months to get back to pseudo-normal. In the meantime, I feel like I'm always neglecting somebody. I'm just afraid to say it out loud! So thanks, I'm glad I'm not crazy. And you are such a wonderful mother, it gives me hope that maybe my challenges aren't so crazy after all and I need to give myself a little break.
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