Eight Months Old!

Here we are at 8 months already!  Well, it was really two weeks ago, but as usual I’m way behind.  Can you tell that Nick is the second kid?  We now have a fully crawling, climbing and pulling up little boy on our hands.  It seems like he is doing these things so much faster than Aubrey did and it is definitely keeping me busy. 

Nick loves playing with his sister and is full of kisses and smiles for everyone he sees.  He is now eating 3 solid food meals a day and luckily is still keeping the tradition of two daily naps.  I don’t know how much longer that’s going to last, but I will take it while I can get it. 

Here are a few pictures from this month!

Seven Months Old

I am of course 2 weeks late on making this post, but it has been quite a journey for my family over this last couple of weeks.  Luckily, life has been somewhat getting back to normal.  This has definitely been a month of changes and new developments with Nick.  He has been pulling up and crawling all over the place.  He’s actually sleeping through the night more often, and we are all feeling better for that.

We have been hitting the pool lately, and although Nick was a little skiddish at first, he’s really starting to like being in the water.

We have been venturing a little more into solid foods, and he really likes blueberries and cheerios.  He still wants to lunge at any food on a plate, so hopefully he will be a good eater like his big sis.

Here are a few pics from this past month:

For the first six months, Nick and Aubs looked very similar.  Things have really changed this month.

Mother's Day Reflections

On my second Mother’s Day, we spent the day driving home from Louisville after my future sister-in-law’s graduation from law school.  I did get a lunch at Red Lobster and dinner from my favorite Mexican place, so it was a good day.  For gifts, I got cutting mats for fabric, a rotary cutter and a “Nick” charm for the necklace that Joey got me last year.  It was a great day and I’m glad that I got to spend it with my family. 

Now that I’m a mother myself, I have developed a much, much great appreciation for my mother and the other mother figures in my life.  I would like to pay tribute to a couple of them.

My mom – Where do I even begin?  I’m one of those lucky ones that has a mom that is also my best friend.  Yes, we have had our differences, but at the end of the day we have the kind of relationship that I hope to have with Aubrey one day.  She has worked so hard to provide me with everything I have needed, but has also instilled in me a strong work ethic and a very twisted sense of humor.  I love her so much and I know Aubs is absolutely in love with her Nana too.

My grandmother – Granny has been my rock.  She’s such an inspiration in her faith and her love for her family.  I love our weekly outings together and I’m so grateful that she is healthy and able to enjoy time with us grandkids and gets to play with her great-grandchildren.  She makes being 82 look easy!

My mother in law – I have also been lucky and very blessed in this department.  Since I have been with Joey since middle school, Helen has been a second mom to me.  She’s always there when I need her, even in the middle of the night and she’s been a huge help in Fridays when she watches the kiddos when I go into work.  She’s the best mother-in-law that a girl could ask for.

My “mom” friends – You know who you are.  Your love and support get me through the hard days – either with something that will make me laugh and forget my troubles or just being that shoulder that I need to cry on.  These ladies come from so many backgrounds and experiences and I’m so grateful that they can share that experience with me.  There are some that I see frequently and others that I have only chatted with online, but they are all so, so important to me.  I love you all and thank you for everything!

These ladies have influenced my life in so many ways and I thank God every day that they are in my life.  They have been with me through hard times and joyous times and I couldn’t imagine going through this journey without them.  Happy (belated) Mother’s Day to all you lovely ladies and to all you mommas out there!

Aubs is Two!

I just can’t believe it has been two years since I became a mom.  There has been so much joy and also some tears, but it has all been worth it to see what a beautiful person that Aubrey is becoming, inside and out.  While there are some days where you can definitely tell that we have reached the terrible twos, the majority of the time Aubs is very sweet and loving and very helpful around the house.  She loves books, puzzles, fruit and her little brother.  There has been a language explosion in the past couple of weeks, and we now have sentences and she is able to let us know when she wants something or what she’s doing.  Several times during the day, I am greeted with “Hey! What doin’?”

Playing with Sam at the park

Since Aubrey loves Minnie Mouse, we threw her a Minnie birthday party.  Since family alone constitutes a large party, we stuck with family and a couple of friends with babies.  Although the weather was terrible, we all had a great time.  Joey was awesome enough to grill out in the pouring rain, and the kids played great together.  Aubs got several wonderful gifts and she also got a kitchen from Daddy, Mommy and Nick.  She loves it!

Cakes made by Grandma!

Our attempt at a group photo with 13 kiddos, 9 of them under 2!

There was black frosting everywhere!

Aubrey had her well visit this week and she’s growing like a weed.  She’s 23 lbs (10^th% - finally), 34 in tall (67^th%) and Head circumference is 49cm(95^th%).  She HATED the doctor’s office and I am so glad I decided to bring my grandmother with me to hold Nick.  Hopefully the next appointment will go a lot better.  

Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that noggin...

Bathtime with Bubs

 She was not amused with a screaming Nick

Six Months Old!

It’s so hard to believe that we are at the 6 month mark.  Nick has changed so much this month, and his little personality is really starting to come out.  He’s just the happiest baby and he always has a smile for me or anyone else in his path.  He loves giving us all slobber kisses and hugs, and has started to realize when Mommy has left the room.  He loves playing with Aubrey, and Aubrey is working really hard on sharing.  It doesn’t always happen, but I really haven’t had to get on her too much about it, she continues to be a loving and helpful big sister.

Nick has started sitting up regularly this month and that’s usually where he likes to be.  He scoots all over the floor and has no problem nose-diving to get to a toy that he wants.  We don’t want to wish time away, but it will be nice when he can crawl and get around to what he wants.  Aubrey and I are constantly handing him toys that are just out of his reach.  You can tell he just can’t wait to get going so he can play with Sis and Sam.

It has continued to be a little difficult on the sleep front, but things seem to be getting a little better, with fingers crossed, he’s only woken up once for the past couple nights.  There is just so much going on with growing and development at this point in time, and I know sleep is affected by both.  We are starting to get longer stretches out of him though, which really helps.  Nick goes down for naps in his bed now and goes right to sleep when we lay him down at night (we did have to do a little CIO, but he responded to it well thank goodness).   The transition to bottle feeding has also gone well.  I thought I would have a hard time with it, but it really has been a smooth transition.

We had a pretty good doc visit this week.  Nick is 16 lbs, 6oz (25^th%) and 26.5 inches long (40^th%), his head circumference is 46 cm (90^th%).  He is meeting all of his milestones and doing just great.  I'm so thankful to have such a healthy and happy baby boy.

5 Months Old

I am of course running late on posting.  I have just been so busy lately that when I do have some down time, I am just trying to rest or catch up on the news and my TV shows. 

Nick is doing great.  Sleep is pretty much hit or miss these days, but he’s getting there.  There is just so much going on at this age, so I am hoping in a few weeks he will get into a good routine.  Other than the sleep issues, he’s just a chubby, sweet and happy boy.  He can melt your heart with his smile and he just loves his big sis, and she loves him. 

We had to go to a sick visit a couple weeks ago, and Nick was close to 15 pounds.  Such a little chunk!  He has been working on sitting up and is able to sit unassisted for longer and longer each day.  He just gets down on the floor and spins around and scoots backwards.  I never know where he’s going to end up when I put him down, he’s going to be into everything before I know it!  I guess it’s time to re-visit on baby proofing as we have become a little lax as Aubrey has gotten older.

We have also been trying some food.  I waited for about a month longer than we did with Aubrey, and it has really made it easier.  We started with oatmeal and he has now tried a couple of different fruits and veggies.  He really likes squash and apples so far.

Also on the feeding front, I have decided to go ahead and switch over to bottle feeding.  Nick seemed to never get full and it was getting exhausting for the both of us.  It’s been a difficult decision for me, but I think it will be the best in the long run.  

That’s all that’s going on now!  Stay tuned for Aubrey’s two year post and Nick’s six month post.  Big milestones ahead!

Four Months Old!

I wrote this post two weeks ago, and I'm just now posting it if that tells you anything... 

This post would have been completed sooner if we weren’t in the middle of a sleep regression/teething/learning to roll fest at our house.  Yes, I said teething.  We got a little scare when we saw what we thought was a back tooth.  It was hard and white, but it appears that it was just a cyst and it has recently popped on its own, although there are 3 little bumps on the back of the other side of his gum, so who knows.  He has also started rolling back to front and front to back, which wakes him up several times in the night.  His sister has decided to stop sleeping too, so this mama is tired.  Hopefully, everyone will be back to normal soon and we will be getting some more sleep.

Update: He finally started sleeping better the past couple of nights, and so has Aubrey, which has really helped.  I was starting to turn into a zombie.

At his official weigh in at his appointment, Nick was 13lbs, 14oz and 25.75 inches long and he had a head circumference of 45cm.  He is in the 25^th, 71^st and 98^th percentiles respectively, such a big man! 

Nick is such a happy kid, which makes the lack of sleep worth it when I get one of those big smiles of his.  He loves his big sister as well, and she has been great helping with him and trying to calm him down when he cries.

Here are a few pics!

Playing with Sam

Happy Boy!

Best buds

Here's a little 4 month comparison of Nick and Aubrey...they still look pretty much the same.

3 Months Old!

So much has changed since last month!  Nick is really developing a personality and he is just an absolute sweetie!  He’s always full of smiles and brightens even the dreariest of days (and we have had a lot of those lately).  He loves his big sister and breaks into a huge smile whenever he sees her.  He’s also getting better at head control and likes sitting in the Bumbo for short periods of time.  He’s also logging about 7-8 hours a night still, and naps pretty well during the day.  According to the unofficial weigh in, he’s about 12.5 pounds.

We went to Sarasota for a family gathering and both kids did really well in the car during the long drive.  Nick is so laid back and takes a paci pretty well, so that made everything a lot easier. 

We are really getting into a groove around here and I have even begun spending the nights Joey is out of town by myself.  We have been running errands and getting things done around the house, which was hardly ever in the cards when Aubrey was this small.  The second time around is so different!  Yes, Nick is a different baby than Aubrey was, but I know I’m a lot different also, and the changes have been good. 

Here are some 3 month pictures:

End of Year Evaluations

In my past life as a career gal, every year we got evaluated on our job performance and based on that, we could get raises or even bonuses.  Now, there are no evaluations because my bosses can’t talk, so it’s hard to know how I’m doing or how I can improve.  I just thought I would take a little time to evaluate the past year and to get down some goals for the future.

Over the past few days, I have been really been observing the kiddos and I’ve decided that I’m at least doing ok for now.  Aubs is proving to be a smart, happy and very loving kid.  She’s always got a hug or a kiss for us, and she is very good with her baby dolls, making sure they are fed and entertained.  She’s even tried nursing and pumping, which I thought was so cute.  Hopefully that means I’m setting a good example for her, even though some days I am far from the “Mother of the Year”.  She loves puzzles and her tea set, and is even starting to use the potty on occasion (with no prodding from me, I had no desire to go down that road for at least another 6 months to a year).

Nick is a happy and mellow little boy, which has been a saving grace as we tackle the rigors of 2U2.  He’s good to chill in his rock and play or swing, and he nurses like a champ.  He’s also been sleeping really well at night, which makes for much better days for all of us.  He lights up around his big sister, as she does with him.  I pray that they will be best friends and playmates, and so far things are going well.

As far as me, I’m working on getting some of this baby weight off and managing my diet a little bit better.  I went to the OB for my follow up glucose test, and it turns out that I am now a pre-diabetic.  My sugars aren’t terrible, but they aren’t in the normal range either.  I’m hoping that with diet and medication, I will be able to reverse what’s going on and hopefully push back diabetes for a little bit longer.  As part of living a healthier lifestyle, I’m working out more regularly, and will be running a 5k in March.  I am also getting the household more organized and we are falling more into a routine around here, which has been working pretty well.  I have also been able to get out of the house a couple days a month to do the book keeping for the Craniofacial Foundation of America, so that has been a nice little diversion and some treasured adult time.

Although there is no monetary reward for being a stay a home mom, there are so many other things that make me very grateful for this opportunity.  To watch my kids grow and change every day is such a blessing.  I may be paid with hugs, kisses and cuddles now, but I wouldn’t trade my new career for the world.

2 Months Old

2 Months Old

Nick was 2 months old on Tuesday and as usual time just seems to be flying.  At his checkup, he was 10 lbs 11 ozs and 23.5 inches tall.  He has been feeling like a bigger kid than Aubrey, and I guess that our suspicions were true.  We have been getting quite a few smiles out of him, and he has started going longer in between feedings.  He usually gives me an 8 hour stretch at night, which has been very helpful for this tired mama!

He's perfectly content to just hang out in his swing or on his play mat, and just beams when Aubrey comes to give him hugs and kisses.   Here are a few pics from the 2 month session, as well as the 2 month comparison of Aubs and Nick.  You can tell that Nick has a little more of Daddy in him.

2U2 Musings – Newborn edition

With this being the second time that I am caring for a newborn, I have found that the second child is a much different experience than the first child.  Yes, I know we have heard that all children are different, but I have also found that this time around that I am different as well, which affects how I approach caring for Nick and Aubrey now that there are 2 of these little ones around.  A friend of mine posted about tips for 2 under 2 and it got me thinking about the differences between my two kids and what I have noticed on my own 2U2 journey.  Here are a few things I have noticed from taking the newborn journey a second time and doing it with a very inquisitive and hilarious toddler.

Aubs loves her water table, which has been winterized with beans

 

1.       You can put your newborn down –Newborns sleep a lot, way more than I remember from the first time.   I find myself wondering what I was doing while Aubrey was in this stage.  I remember sitting on the couch for hours on end, just letting her sleep on me and watching reruns of Gilmore Girls and Everyone Loves Raymond and not getting anything done around the house.  This time around, I am more confident in laying Nick in the swing or the sleeper so I can chase Aubrey or read her a book or get the floor mopped or to just sit down and breathe.  By the way, it’s a lot easier to clean the house when a toddler isn’t around "helping" you by "accidentially" beating you with a broom handle and throwing a dust pan at your face. 

2.       Savor the “newborn-ness” – In the midst of all of this "getting things done", I have had to tell myself to sit down and let Nick sleep on me sometimes like Aubrey used to since I can’t get those hours on end back.  I put Aubrey down for her nap by laying with her and Nick and reading books, which is the best part of my day.  I try to soak in the squishy-ness of it all and enjoy it while I can, because soon he will be a toddler too, in cahoots with Aubs and running around throwing things and climbing on my kitchen table and I will have to go back to my memories of my sweet little babies to keep from blowing a gasket or just melting into a puddle of tears in the floor.

3.       Use your village – Your village can be parents, grandparents, friends or teenagers down the street (trustworthy ones of course).  As a mom you need a ton of help physically and emotionally.  New moms need to know basic mechanics and tricks of the trade for their new little ones, and second time moms need coping strategies and the occasional extra set of hands.   All moms need a break every now and then, even if you just need to get to the store for a gallon on milk for an hour or two…alone.

4.       Take time for yourself – Last week when I ran out to Joey’s office to drop off food for the community kitchen while my mother in law watched the kiddos, I realized that I hadn’t been completely alone in 5 weeks.  Yes, I had gone out with my mom or Joey without the kids, but I hadn’t been totally by myself.  I realized how important it is just to be with your own thoughts, even if it’s just for a half hour. I guess this is the only child in me coming out, but I cherish my alone time.  Before kids, I took that time for granted, and now I do what I can to savor that time and get centered so that I can be the best me for the kiddos and Joey.

5.       Hormones are a b**** - Now that I’m at the 6 week mark, my hormones are starting to even out and I’m beginning to feel like myself again.  There’s a rough 2-3 week period where you are no longer running on new baby happiness and you are dealing with a toddler and your hormones aren’t quite back yet, and you feel like a crazy monster and you are just tired of yelling and crying all the time.  Well, I did anyway, so now that things are getting back to normal, I’m in a much better (less weepy & fuming) place. 

6.       You’re doing it right – I read an interesting article the other day that was very encouraging.  The basic premise was that as parents, we need to provide food, shelter and love to our babies, and as long as you have those covered, you are doing just fine.  It doesn’t matter how you do these things, just that you are doing them.  Moms are held to such high standards today and are expected to do it all without any help or support.   I know I personally have felt like a failure on serveral occaisons when I haven't met the supermom standard that is set by society. Worst of all, it seems like moms like to turn against each other and can be downright hateful when someone doesn’t agree with them or their parenting style.  I say all of this to say that as long as you and your family are happy and healthy (the majority of the time of course, let's be realistic), you are doing it right.

Those are my thoughts on 2U2 so far, and I am trying to gain more insight every day.  It’s getting easier right now, and I know it will get hard again, but I feel like we made the right decision to have kids so close together.  There’s something special about the combination of a toddler and a newborn that can be frustrating at times, but can also be magical and amazing as you see that bond forming between your kids.

And this is how we feel about the play mat

Nick is One Month Old!

I just can’t believe I have a one month old already.  Time seems to have flown twice as fast as when Aubrey was the same age, and the difference in these babies is huge.  We have been blessed with a better sleeper this time around, and although he’s “woken up” from being born, he’s still a pretty mellow little man.  We got our first smile today, and it’s just as amazing as it was the first time around.  It seems like he’s getting bigger every day, and I can’t wait to see what progress he’s made when he goes for his 2 month check up next month.  Since there’s not too much else to report, I will just leave you with a few pictures.

 

Just for fun, here's a little comparison to Aubs.  I will try to do this every now and then so that we can see how much they are alike.