In the morning she has to be one of the happiest babies in the world.  She wakes up, cuddles up, nurses up and then beams smiles across the room.  After which she awaits the giggles and excited brothers and sister who all will make their way to us piling one by one on the bed with the overwhelming need to give her more love than seems possible to fit a room. This has become our morning ritual, the start to the rhythm of our day.

Before she arrived I would have the occasional moment of worry (the moment that would cause me to stop in my tracks and have that big pause) about how the kids would adjust to having a new sister and how would she adjust to being part of this big bunch.  Turns out those moments were for not. She feels like she has always been here and they cannot imagine their world without her (Mike & I agree! we can’t imagine it either!).

And she’s 8 weeks old now…8 weeks already!

Last night it was so quiet before bed.  I was surrounded by sleeping children, nursing the baby down and Mike was working on a project late into the night. He would come up from the basement every now and again to talk with me and to share in the quiet moments of the night.  It was simple and reminded me of the beauty in slowing down. In just being.  Not rushing to throw in that last load of laundry or run behind everyone else to see what needs to be put away.

I just was.

It turns out I have been pushing myself a little too much since the baby was born.  Not emotionally but physically.  I had my postpartum checkup and was reminded that I can slow it down some.  I didn’t think I was moving too fast.  In fact, quite the opposite I feel like I have been taking it too slow!  But my body decided to tell me otherwise by giving me the cues a new mother, no matter if she has just had her first or 52nd child (could you imagine!), has to let her know she needs to take her steps wisely. With going back to work, activities restarting and the rushing of the new season I may have jumped back in with too much gusto.

So, last night I took the advice to take a step back.  And I did just that. I rested, feet up, baby nestled close and the sounds of the night starting to filter all around me. While I was sitting there I realized I also haven’t been taking enough time to feed my soul lately.

I haven’t been taking the time to grow in my passions, to be thankful, to be prayerful, and to enjoy the simple pleasures around me or to simply be.  However, I am also reminded that with every season whether it is the fall arriving with its harvest moon or welcoming a new life into family a new beginning is awaiting.   A beginning that takes time to refill, refresh and reinvigorate the soul with the fresh cool breeze of Autumn.