On becoming a mommy... again

When I was pregnant with Katie, I wasn't exactly looking forward to going back to life with an infant. After coming so far with Ellie, the thought of changing diapers and not sleeping through the night again couldn't be more undesirable. I wondered how I would juggle playtime with Ellie and tending to Katie's needs and keeping up with my chores and maintaining my sanity.
It's been a little over a week, but I can honestly say that none of those things matter now. The first week, my parents were here and helped immensely. The past two days it's been just me and my girls, and I find myself surprisingly zen about everything. I feel like I have time to take things slowly instead of running around feeling like I can never complete my to-do list. I knew that life would "stop," in a sense, with her birth, and it did. It slowed down, reorganized, and now I find myself quite content.
Ellie has taken it all surprisingly well. Sure, she has her moments of frustration and rebellion, but they amount to her being annoyed when I can't play the instant she wants me to and her use of the silent treatment, which we learned to deal with before Katie was born. On the other hand, she loves her little sister very much and is eager to help and play with her and love on her at every chance she gets. It fills my heart with joy.
I also love seeing Paul with Katie; he's different this time around: more patient, more comfortable in his role as a daddy of a baby... probably because he's already been there, done that. Maybe that accounts for my relaxed attitude too. We've done this before, so it doesn't seem as daunting. Whatever it is, I'm enjoying this time. In a few weeks, dance classes and preschool will start, and life will get busy and complicated again, but right now I'm going to relish the calm and bask in the beauty that I get to care for every day. God is so good.