Mother of Two

2. The number of children I have the task of mother. 2. The number of minutes it took to figure out the chaos we were welcoming into our home by going from one child to two. Life is sure different when your family expands from one child to two. It now takes me a minimum of 30 minutes to go from being mostly ready to head out the door (all that's left to do is brush my teeth, get the older one dressed and get everyone/everything in the car). 30+ minutes to do that. How can it possibly take 30 minutes? Our day is now a balancing act between trying to maintain Soren's schedule which was pretty regular and smoothly-executed and trying to figure out or fit in Mattias' not so regular or smoothly executed needs. Being the mother of two is demanding and exhausting and requires a lot of intuition and learning to find the right balance between the two kids, between attention and neglect, between indulging and surviving.

But being the mother of two, even after just 4 weeks, brings moments of sweetness, moments of pleasure, moments of heart-swelling love. I have watched Soren's tender and hesitant touch on his baby brother's head. I took part, with great joy, as Soren played trucks, even sharing his beloved toys, with Tias as he was lying on the floor. I was even blessed to help my gentle-spirited boy give his baby brother a good night kiss for the first time last night. Oh, what joy to be the mother of 2!

There are times when I am so tired, exhausted by the seemingly relentless demands of two kids, both of whom are dependent upon me for most or all of their needs. And then I get these sweet moments watching my two little boys and I am renewed! I look forward to the day when these two little guys of mine can be buds, playing together in the backyard, imagining up worlds and games together. But even now I can cherish our times together as they get to know one another, as they learn what it is to be a brother, as Soren reaches out to his little brother Baby Tias with love and tenderness (and a little fear) in those sweet moments of love and friendship.

I am trying my best to remember each to reflect on these moments. No matter how frenzied or harried I am (and honestly, that's when it's most important) to take a minute to see the blessings of and joys in having more than one child. It is hard work. It is demanding physically, emotionally and intellectually. It is important to me to have even a few moments alone with each one at some point in the day for a quick snuggle or a story or playing with trucks. But being the mother of two is pretty special. I have a brood. I am the mother of boys -- plural. It is a new identity even to being a mother. And I am learning to embrace this new identity, to claim it each day, when it's hard and when it's sweet, because now I will always be the mother of these two.