Brothers - a friendship that is made to last

So many people warned us that the transition from having 1 child to 2 is far greater than it was going from 0 - 1. And although they were right in certain instances I wish they would not only tell us about the bad stuff, but also emphasize the good!!!

Anton, now 2 years and 2 months, and little Hendrik, a mere 2 months and 2 weeks currently dictate how my days and even my nights run and they decide when I can have a quick cup of tea, eat lunch and sometimes even when I can take a shower. BUT with the demands of these two little creatures comes entertainment and dialogue that NEVER fails to please. OK, no dialogue from Hendrik yet, but his constant smiling when Anton is around does indicate that he can see the clown that is his older brother.

Like I say - never a dull moment with these two and this is only but the beginning. I am excited when I think of the fun and laughter these 2 will still have, the battles they will face together, the games they will play and the fights they will have to settle. As a mother I have the privilege to experience this relationship firsthand and I am grateful for every moment that I can share with these two. 

  

 
It is my daily prayer that my two boys will laugh more than they will cry, play more than they will struggle, live full lives and, most importantly, enjoy each other and treasure the special bond that only siblings can have!

Happy mama

I know its been a while since my last post! Yes my life is a bit fuller since the arrival of little Hendrik, but I certainly can't blame my lack of writing on him. I think I have just been caught up in life - the kids, the husband, work, running a household and savouring every precious moment with my loved ones - specifically my 3 boys!

I cannot put words to the happiness that I experience everyday. Yes there will be times when I want to run away and hide under my bed until the storm is over, but these moments are only faint blips on the rose coloured canvas of my life. My boys are entertaining, challenging, funny, demanding, dependent, loving and oh! so lovable! I cant imagine a life without these three in it!

I am not always content in thinking that my life has changed so drastically in the past 3 years, but I am happy! I am happy and I am grateful! Today I am thankful to be a mama and to be a wife. xxx

progress report_ being a mama of two, the experience so far

there is something very special about a night feed... its just you, your babe and the night noises and i find this to be so peaceful and tranquil that i almost don't mind the terrible hours that i have to get up for a night feed!

tonight is a bit eerie though as there is quite a strong wind blowing outside and due to some windows being open this is causing all our internal doors to rattle and shake. the rest of the house however is dead quiet and still, so i'm loving it!

so far Hendrik has been a good nighttime babe and we have sailed smoothly through our first several night feeds - i know this might be fuelling the strange sense of euphoria that i might be experiencing right now. it's still early days and i know this sweet little angel lying in my arms tonight can easily transform into, what seems to be, a fire breathing monster that eats away at precious bedtime hours at any point in time. for now i am grateful for every good night though.

so far (and i am aware that its only been 10 days) my whole adventure with Hendrik has really been pain- and hassle free. what a lucky mama i am, our little prince really is setting the bar high for himself for the coming weeks. like most new mamas out there i have that precious 12week milestone in mind- this is when things usually start to get a bit easier for babe and ultimately for the parents.

big brother Anton is also slowly getting used to the fact that baby brother is here to stay. i won't  say that he's surrendered the battle of trying to get our undivided attention, all the time, just yet, but i suspect the change is starting to become his normal. this transition period has definitely brought with it it's own set of challenges! dealing with a newborn, a feisty and strong willed two year old and recovering from surgery is not an easy task, but it helps having some extra hands available to diffuse the "volatile" moments. thanks to the husband and my mom even this potentially difficult introduction has run relatively smoothly.

ok, the little guy seems to have fallen asleep again, let me also try to catch some precious sleep. more on how we are settling in soon!

have an awesome monday and great week dear readers, xoxo

Our latest addition

those of you following me on instagram are by this stage well aware of the latest addition to our family! little Christoffel Hendrik Petrus Derksen was born on thursday 26 february 2015. what a special and wonderful day this was. from the moment we set foot in the hospital at 05:00 everything went smoothly and quickly and when they put Hendrik in my arms at 07:35 i felt nothing but love and immense feelings of humble appreciation for an awesome God!

to hold such a small, little perfect being for the first time is an act you cannot really put words to, all i can say is WOW! the immediate love for this little boy is indescribable! the connection between the husband and i as the nurse gave us this little wonder is a bond that seems impossible to break. the realisation that we are to care and look after this person for the rest of his life is a responsibility that feels too great to really comprehend. but the motherly instinct that immediately kicks in is real and wonderful and very, very natural. i am in love with our latest addition to the family.

From here

Progress report _ motherhood

Little Anton Christiaan Derksen was born on 12/03/203 and is now just about 15 months old and it is hard to imagine that he was not always a part of our household! The past 15 months have been all consuming with immense love and devotion to this little prince of ours! He is my happy-go-lucky, smiling paw paw and even though he is a bit like a tornado meets hurricane I love the life he brings into my life!

Motherhood came very easily and naturally for me, but this does not mean that I didn't face a few challenges and obstacles along the way. Relationships changed, work changed, routines changed, ultimately I changed and suddenly my life had to revolve around keeping a little baby happy and healthy. A task I did (and still do) with 100% enthusiasm and love. A task that became my way of life and that made me reconnect with who I am, where I want to be and what I want to do, because suddenly I had to prioritise and plan well if I wanted to do something or go somewhere. 

 Apart from the extra amount of love and warmth that Anton brought into our lives, he also brought a change to our household dynamic.The husband and I have been together for almost 10 years now and ultimately we had to learn a new dance too. As parents I would say we are doing a good job and I am certain that our relationship has, since Anton's arrival, also blossomed into a more mature "grownup" companionship. As I mentioned in my previous post - he is still my one and only, my most favouritist man.

I so often think back to the time that I just found out that I was pregnant, seeing the first scan of this new life, feeling the baby moving and kicking for the first time and giving birth to a beautiful, perfect little boy and all I can say is WOW! what an amazing experience, but when I thought that there could be nothing better than that experience I could not have been more wrong!
Anton is an ongoing work of art, a little miracle, a ray of sunshine, an entertainer, a bundle of joy - my crown prince and I absolutely LOVE being this little creature's mother!