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.

 

 

Let Go and Let God

These are words I have heard often at church, but I have had so much trouble practicing them in real life.  Before kids, I was so busy making money and bettering my career that I didn’t take the time to breathe and really listen to what God was telling me to do.  I was Type A all the way, always taking control and very reluctant to let others help me or take something over.  Then my grandfather passed away.  I thought about how I missed the opportunity to let him be a part of my kids lives and I also realized that family was way more important than a raise or a fancy office.  Something in me changed and I realized that I couldn’t be happy maintaining what I had been doing the past few years.  I started to let some things go – and as I began giving that control over, I realized that little by little I was becoming content.

When kids came, I was not the only one worried about how I would react to the situation based on my past behavior.  Would I be anxious all the time, would I constantly be holding myself to some ridiculous super mom standard?  I was a prime candidate for post partum depression.  Surprisingly enough, I became more mellow when Aubrey got here.  Yes, I was very anxious those first couple of months, but the more that we got into a groove, the more at peace that I felt.   I found myself praying more and feeling more in tune with my spirituality.  Having kids has brought me closer to God, which makes me even more thankful that Aubs and Nick are in my life.  I started following my gut more, which has lead to us deciding to have Nick and also to me staying at home – both changes that have proved to be very positive.  Recently, I got a great compliment from someone who told me that I was Type A, but I have learned to let go.  For someone who has struggled with letting go for so long, it was great to hear.

All of that being said, I decided to write this post after bringing a meal to some friends of mine that just had their first baby.  I found myself remembering that anxiety when we first brought Aubrey home and how we constantly were second guessing ourselves when it came to taking care of her.  With Nick, everything seems so much easier.  I think it’s because we just don’t worry as much – we know that babies are stronger than we think and that no matter what we do right now, we can’t spoil him or damage him for life.  I think you just learn to let go of the things that you can’t control, and do the best you can with those things you can control.

I remember the days when Aubrey was teeny tiny and I would be so proud of myself for emptying the dishwasher because I was so afraid to put her down.  This time around, the day Joey headed back to work I managed 2 loads of laundry, cleaning the kitchen and getting dinner ready.  It’s amazing how things change the second time around.  I do still try to find time to snuggle with both of my babies, and I know that it will be a challenge over the next few months to get a best balance for all of us, but I know Nick's going to sleep whether he's on me or in his swing.

I am so grateful to God for how my life has turned out, and I am working every day to honor Him and please Him in how I live my life.

An 18 monther and a 2 weeker…

We are a little over 2 weeks into this two under two adventure, and I have to say, it hasn’t been that bad.  I know that there are going to be tough days ahead when Nick is out of the newborn phase, but so far it has been a pretty positive experience.  Aubrey loves her little brother and is such a great helper.  There are times of course when I have to remind her to have gentle hands and to not be all over him, but for the most part, she loves being a big sister. 

We had her 18 month check up this week, and she is 20lbs, 8ozs and 32 inches tall – the 7^th and 71^st percentiles respectively.  She looked great and didn’t have any signs of the ear infection that she had a couple weeks before.  She’s definitely not a fan of the doctor, but hopefully that will get better as she gets older.  She got a little upset when Nick was being examined, but we put her on the table and let her watch, which calmed her down.  As far as development goes, she’s babbling up a storm and has quite a few more words this month than she did last month.  Those include Nick, cheese, door, doll and ball.  She of course is sticking with “Nooooo” and also says “oh no” which we find to be very cute.

 

Nick was also looking good at his check up, weighing in at 7lbs 9 ozs (1 ounce above birth weight!) and still measuring 21 inches tall.  He has been a great sleeper during the night so far, which is a huge blessing, and he is a pretty mellow kid over all.  He’s taken on well to nursing and is quite the hungry little hippo.  We shall see how he is progressing at his 2 month check in January.

 

I have gotten to get out of the house a couple of times to get some shopping done, and Daddy has been able to give Nick a couple of bottles successfully, which is great news for when I want to get out for a little bit with my fellow moms.  I can’t wait to see how everything goes the next few weeks!