A first as a family of four

Life with a newborn again entails being at home for the most part, which I've embraced for the time being. Not only is it more practical to care for the babies at home, but because sleep is also short-lived, being in close proximity to bed for naps is vital. Nevertheless, I started feeling a bit stir crazy over the weekend. Alex decided we needed a breather and took us out this past Monday on our first outing as a family of four (we went to Ikea and the grocery store before this, but errands don't count). We didn't put much on the agenda since we never know what might happen with a 19-month-old toddler and a 3-week-old newborn in tow. We just went down to the bay to bask in the sunshine and amble along the sand. Serene loves the "wawa" (water) but is terrified of the sand so we gazed at the rippling waves from afar or with her attached to our hips. Then we got cupcakes because I've had the most colossal sweet tooth since Valor's arrived. We also strolled along the shop-lined streets and enjoyed a tasty dinner at a local restaurant before calling it a day.

After being out and about for a few hours with two kiddos under the age of two, I'm thankful we can say that we survived. God granted us abounding mercy because it wasn't as stressful as we imagined. We left for the bay after Serene napped and after Valor nursed, so that she was well-rested and so that he was full and content. Serene loved being out and about, pointing and squealing at people, puppies, and the like. When she wasn't walking, she was in the stroller. Meanwhile, I wore Valor in my ring sling, in which he napped soundly most of the time. When he woke up to nurse, we happened to be at the cupcakery. While we nursed there (in comfortable air conditioning!), Serene had a cupcake and books we brought from home to entertain her. I remember only one meltdown happening that afternoon (!). At the restaurant, we sat outdoors for an al fresco dinner in a relatively noisy, kid-friendly ambience. Serene loves eating out (even if she has not cultivated patience to wait for food to arrive), and Valor slept in my sling the whole time. We were blessed to enjoy one another's company and cultivate memories. I'm thankful Alex and I are a team, which make nearby adventures with the kiddos, and parenting in general, easier. The next endeavor would be going out with both babies by myself. I totally don't feel ready for that yet, although caring for Serene and Valor by myself at home during the day has been going well; praise God for His sustaining grace. Grateful that our new routine is feeling more normal as the days pass, which I shall share on this space soon.

P.S. We went out for the first time as a family of three after Serene was born when she was two weeks old, which is just a week younger than Valor is in these pictures. I wore her in my sling that day too. I'm comparing pictures because when Valor was born, Alex and I were convinced he looked just like Serene did when she was born.