I had a tough time after Vivi was born (more here).  The post partum period is a hard thing to put into words sometimes, and after talking with a lot of mama friends here and there, it seems that it varies greatly from person to person and baby to baby.  It's amazing that you can have a completely different experience with each child; I suppose that each one changes you in a new, way, though, so perhaps it makes sense that you might feel differently with each addition.

Bedtime was hard for me with Vivi when she was a newborn.  It felt like such a long and drawn out unfamiliar process and I felt isolated as I did my best to get this tiny creature I didn't understand to go to sleep.  I read often that an evening bath was the best way to introduce a routine and calm a baby, but it was hard for me to do.  It felt like a lot of work to my exhausted mind, and doing it every night was just too much for me.

The third time around, though, I was happy to discover I felt like myself when we got home from the hospital.  It was, and has been, in short, amazing.  I am so thankful I have gotten to experience this version of postpartum; now I understand why some women cherish and gush about the newborn season.  It doesn't have to be so dark.

One thing that I have particularly relished is giving Ellie sink baths.  What once felt like a chore now feels like a pleasure.  Since she has been born, I have loved putting her in that sink and washing her  (I used this bath support when she was tiny, and it was so helpful to keep her supported and safe!).  It was one of my favorite parts of those blurry newborn days; gently wiping her down and singing to her before swaddling her into a little burrito.  It calmed both of us down before the long night ahead, and I made sure to do it every night.

It's even sweeter now that she can sit up, and it's especially nice having the sink close by to just put her in right after meals.  She loves getting to splash around while I was her hair and scrub her down, and it's also fun to have the big sisters help.  It's just the perfect height for Vivi to reach her, and, fortunately, Ellie doesn't mind getting the water in her face too much.

There is nothing like a snuggly, sweet smelling baby, and picking her up and wrapping her in a hooded towel is just my favorite.  I've also been loving the new Aldi Little Journey baby wash.  I keep it by the sink for her after supper bath, so it is always within arm's reach.  It smells so sweet, and the pump is easy enough for a big sister to use when helping wash Ellie.

I have been cherishing these sweet, chubby baby snuggles so much!  Before I know it, she won't fit (or stay) in that sink anymore, so I'm soaking it in while I can, and I'm so grateful to have this perspective this time around.  I also have a feeling the smell of that baby wash will bring to mind this sweet season with her that I am loving so much.

Thank you so much to Aldi for sponsoring this post!  I appreciate you supporting my sponsors, so that I can continue creating inspired content here.  Find Aldi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and on their blog.