This post is written in partnership with Kolcraft. All words and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Lydia's crib: Roscoe 3-in-1 c/o Kolcraft

Animal prints: c/o The Crown Prints

Picture Frames: Hovsta, from Ikea

Elliott's crib: Murray crib by Viv + Rae (discontinued)

Rug: Mack & Milo Area Rug

Elliott's crib sheet: Tillyou Crib Sheet

Lydia's crib sheet: American Baby Company

Lydia putting a square-shaped hot pad over her feet and jumping across the living room floor with it like a gunnysack in a relay-race. (Should I mention that she was 100% naked otherwise? 😂) 

Each time Lydia started a sentence with, "When I'm bigger bigger..."

Watching Elliott nuzzle into his pillow with one arm around his stuffed dog and the other thumb in his mouth, situating himself for his morning nap. 

BabyBoy getting the hiccups multiple times a day just like his big brother.

Lydia handing me the balloon and saying, "Happy Birthday! Let's have some cake!"

Elliott humming while he ate his cheesy bread for lunch. 

Lydia taking a bite out of her graham cracker and saying, "Look Mom! It's a dress!" 

Lydia telling me, "Maybe we should save the new sippy cup you got for the new baby."

Edit: I'm updating this to add one more from this evening.

Stephen and Lydia were going to walk to the park and Elliott and I were going to stay home. Right as Stephen and Lyds started walking away Elliott started crying. 
Me:"It's like he knows!"
Lydia: "What?! He has a cold nose?! We need to get him a jacket!"

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Some might say that my definition of "joy" is too broad, but I feel certain that I have experienced more joy in the three years since becoming a mom than I have during any other time in my life. And guess what - my kids still cry and throw tantrums and do all the things that normal, developing children should do.  

So please, next time you're talking to an expectant mother remember this: Most people are already (painfully) aware that "motherhood is hard." Perhaps a lot more of our time and energy could (and should) be spent expressing "motherhood is joy." 

_ _ _

In Stephen's defense, the playset has continuously proven to be a hit and the injuries have been very minor (so far 🙈). Lydia's excitement to have a swing in her very own backyard has definitely been worth it. 

I'm can't wait for all of the many (hopefully positive 😂) memories to come with these two new family members!

_ _ _

han.

By the time Stephen left for basketball at 9:00 pm, I was READY for some time to relax and get caught up on a few projects (and over-story, as is my typical Tuesday night custom 😜) and juuuust as I was getting in the groove, Elliott woke up. I checked his diaper, fed him, burped him, and put him down again, sure he would fall back asleep without a problem. Wrong. I decided to let him ‘work it out’ and try to fall asleep on his own, but after a solid hour of him “crying” (I put crying in quotes, because he doesn’t really cry, it’s more like a whine haha, he’s a saint) I had had ENOUGH. Annoyed that I hadn't been nearly as productive as I had planned, I went into his room (aka our closet😂) and was determined to get this stinkin’ baby to SLEEP, dangit! Needless to say, I was a liiiittle bit grumpy😬, but Elliott didn’t notice. The second I walked into the room he stopped crying and the moment I picked him up he gave me THE BIGGEST smile followed by he cutest, happiest, jolliest giggle, AND I MELTED INTO A PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR. In an instant he had taken me from grumpy to grateful, madly in love with this suddenly PERFECT baby 😂. 

Instead of putting him down again and continuing the battle of wills, I took him out of his crib and we played. At nearly 11 pm, after a REALLY long day, we spent a solid twenty minutes staring at each other, giggling and smiling, playing peak-a-boo, and babbling back and forth. 

Sometimes I feel guilty for how little one-on-one attention he gets from me. I know that comes with the territory of being a second child, but I feel like it’s a little more extreme in his case because he is SO chill all the time and will contently sit in his little play-chair for hours while I’m busy doing a million other things (and also because Lydia is quite good at demanding my attention these days 😂). 

I don’t dwell on this guilt often because I know there’s not much I can do about it, but I’m realizing more and more just how fleeting this stage of motherhood really is. People always say that, but it really is so true. It’s crazy! Those squishy, baby-soft cheeks and thighs won’t last forever. Every part of motherhood is just a phase - the good and the bad, and it will all be over before I know it. Last night served as a little reminder for to try a little harder to cherish the sweet moments when they come - even when they are inconvenient and mean leaving my ever-growing to-do list for another day.