Something about that last baby.

It’s been nearly four months since we welcomed our newest little addition.

Bringing him home and watching him grow alongside his siblings has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

And if I’m being totally honest?

It feels very different than the first two times I had a baby.

It almost feels… more special somehow.

I know, I know. That makes it sound like the first two weren’t special, and they absolutely were.

I was just as enamored and obsessed with my first two babies as I am with him.

But there was one big difference.

With them, I didn’t know they would be my last.

With him, I do.

This is the last time I’ll snuggle a newborn through long nights.

The last time I’ll watch a tiny face light up with a smile just because he sees mine.

The last time I’ll have a child who needs my arms to fall asleep, or reaches for me after a tumble.

Every single moment somehow feels more because of that.

And yes, I know my siblings and friends will probably have babies someday. I’ll get newborn snuggles again.

But this one is mine.

Knowing that one day I’ll put down this baby, and it will be the last time I ever pick up one of my children, breaks my heart a little.

It also makes me savor every single second just a little more than I did the first two times around.

I’ve noticed it’s made me a different mother this time, too.

The things that used to exhaust me don’t feel quite so overwhelming.

The long nights still happen, but they don’t feel quite as miserable as I remember them feeling before.

And that baby?

My goodness. If someone could figure out how to bottle the feeling I get when I kiss his sleepy little head, I’d spend every dollar I earned for the rest of my life buying it.

I didn’t plan this pregnancy.

Going into it, we had a lot of fears and worries.

But somehow, having this baby has healed parts of me I didn’t even realize needed healing.

It’s filled spaces in my heart that I never knew were empty.

He’s completed our family in a way I didn’t know it needed to be completed.

He’s become the center of our little world and settled into our hearts so naturally that it’s hard to remember life before him.

So if you’re sitting on the fence about having one more baby…

My vote?

Go for it.

Yes, becoming a mom again at 40 has been hard.

It changed a lot of the plans we had for our future, including our hopes for an earlier retirement.

But I can honestly say this little boy has given me far more than he’s taken away.

And I wouldn’t trade a single second of this, even the really hard ones, for anything.

That last baby?

Absolutely worth it.

---

I’d Love to Hear From You

Do you have a “last baby” too?

Did you find yourself soaking in those newborn snuggles a little differently, or are you still trying to decide if your family is complete?

I’d love to hear your story. Leave a comment below and let’s chat. Some of my favorite parts of blogging are hearing other parents’ experiences and realizing how many of us are feeling the exact same things.

If you enjoyed this post, consider joining my email list! I send out new blog posts, honest motherhood stories, parenting tips, and the occasional book recommendation, all delivered straight to your inbox. No spam, just the kind of content I’d send to a friend.

You Might Also Enjoy

• 10 Slightly Unhinged Parenting Hacks That Actually Work
• Welcome to Mom’s Summer Camp (Where Chaos Is the Curriculum)
• 6 Tips for a Solo Road Trip with Kids (and a Baby!)
• When Sleep Deprivation Makes You Angry at Your Baby

Thanks so much for being here. It truly means the world that you choose to spend a few minutes of your day with my family and me. ❤️