Like Father, Like Son...

This is a picture of CJ with a baby blanket that was handmade by Craig's grandma for him when he was a baby...37 years ago! It's soft and comfy and in perfect condition--my mother-in-law sent it to us a few months ago and CJ seems to have really taken to it. In the evenings, he usually takes a little catnap on my bed while I'm doing Ava's bedtime routine (he needs it to hold him over between his real afternoon nap and bedtime) and whenever I cover him with the blanket, he snuggles up with it and dozes off...I even used to this afternoon to help settle him down for his afternoon nap! SO CUTE. (Yes, I know the rule about no blankets in the crib. I only do this during naps when I can check on him frequently and watch him on the video monitor.)

That's about it...Craig is in California on business and I'm killing time until my brother Mike and his girlfriend Gio arrive for a visit...so excited to see them, I think it's been over a year! They're about 15 minutes away right now. :)

Green Cleaning At Our House

All right, so when you think about things like environmentalism, I'm probably not the first person who comes to mind. ;o) However, a few months ago I made a few changes in how I clean in order to cut down on some of the chemicals around our house, more for our family's health than for the planet but hey, if the earth benefits from it too, great! (Some people are very dedicated when it comes to living an all-natural, healthy, earth-friendly life. I am not one of them, but I feel like something is better than nothing.) It turns out that you can clean and disinfect almost everything in the house with vinegar and/or baking soda: I had heard about using vinegar on wood floors for a streak-free clean, and at work two years ago they started requesting "green" cleaning products and vinegar for cleaning the classrooms. It makes sense if you think about it, I mean, we can EAT baking soda and vinegar so it must be pretty safe, right? (Then again, we eat hot dogs and those things are SCARY. I guess that's why I just try not to think about it while I'm eating them. Hey, I said I wasn't living the perfect all-natural life, didn't I? ;o) Plus, although they disinfect, they don't eradicate every single germ which is actually better: if you are in a completely sterile environment, your immune system doesn't get a chance to develop and you actually get sick more.

Anyhow, I keep spray bottles upstairs and down with a mixture of approx. 2/3 vinegar and 1/3 water and use these for cleaning surfaces. I keep boxes of baking soda near the vinegar, and use a combination of the two to clean sinks, toilets, tubs, etc. It removes soap scum really well and it's fun to watch it bubble and fizz...reminds me of the model volcanoes kids used to make for science fairs. :) I also read today that vinegar can be used to clean stainless steel appliances...wish I'd have read that before I purchased more stainless steel wipes earlier in the week! I still use Pledge Multi-Purpose on the wood furniture, but am going to try a combination of lemon juice and vinegar, which I also just read about today. Think I'll probably stick with Windex on the windows, but seriously, one or two chemical cleaners as opposed to a whole collection of them is great! It's pretty cheap too....I buy vinegar by the gallon and the Target brand is cheaper than a gallon of milk.

It's very possible that everyone reading this already knows these things and I'm just a step behind, but I thought I'd share just in case. Goodnight!

breast vs. bottle, and sleep success

VS.

I was inspired to post today because I've been perusing the internet (looking for info on boosting milk supply) and once again, I was appalled by what I found concerning the superior, judgmental attitudes of breastfeeding advocates (not all, but a great deal of them). Ava was born a big, healthy 8 lbs, 13 oz: I planned on nursing her during my maternity leave and then pump until she was six months old. Anyhow, Ava was a natural and from the first time I fed her she latched like a pro and loved to eat. Problem though: I had no milk. Everyone--doctors, lactation consultants--told me this was no big deal and it would come in and she'd be fine until then. However, the first night we had her home from the hospital she screamed all night and her lips and tongue were dry. My poor little girl was starving and dehydrated and being a first time mom who was sleep deprived, in pain all over, and completely uninformed, I had no idea until I took her to the pediatrician for a weight check and found out she'd lost a bunch of weight. They gave me an SNS kit (for giving formula while nursing) and put me on the phone with a lactation consultant who was open-minded enough to be supportive of supplemental feeding, and when I got home that day my daughter got her first good meal since she'd been born. She instantly gained weight and stopped screaming constantly, and because the SNS kit allowed me to nurse her so she wouldn't "forget" how to latch AND supplement her at the same time, my milk came in great a day or two later and we had no additional problems: I nursed exclusively until I went back to work, and then nursed her 2-3 times a day and gave her half milk/half formula bottles until she self-weaned at four months. (She did this by biting me--she started getting teeth around two months--and pulling away. My body was ready too, as my remaining supply dried up without any issues of infection or engorgement.) She drank formula for the remaining months until she turned one and could have regular cow's milk, and she was a happy and healthy child, save for an issue with ear infections (which I've known exclusively breast-fed babies to get as well). Anyhow, I have never really gotten over the guilt of starving my child in the first few days of her life, and I advise every mother-to-be who asks for advice to keep an open mind and use an SNS kit until her milk comes in if the colostrum isn't enough for her baby. I also blame the staff and consultants for not presenting me with this option, but I guess they're probably afraid since people are so forceful about the breastfeeding. I'm more concerned about whether or not my child is starving, but that's just me...I personally think it's selfish to be so hell-bent on one idea of feeding that you let your child go hungry in the meantime...how would you like it if you had to depend on someone for sustenance and they withheld it from you, even though you were so hungry and thirsty you were screaming? Why do some women act like those who choose formula are bad mothers? I consider a good mother someone who recognizes the needs of her child and herself and meets those needs in order to make the best possible situation for both of them: for some moms, this means formula and not breast milk.

Anyhow, I felt much more relaxed with CJ: I brought my SNS kit to the hospital, made it clear to the staff (I wasn't rude or pushy or forceful, just straightforward) that I wanted to breastfeed but not if it meant depriving my baby of food. CJ was 8 lbs 4 oz (petite compared to Ava! ;o) so still a good size...the day after his birth, he wasn't latching great and my milk of course wasn't in, so I enlisted the help of the lactation consultant on duty. She was great and didn't discourage me from supplementing, but brought me two different devices and helped with the latching issue. My milk came in fine soon after (I think I supplemented a few ounces over the course of two days) and we've been doing great ever since. My personal goal is to breastfeed exclusively until we start introducing solid food (5-6 months or so) and then when CJ's tummy is used to other nutrients, bring in some formula. I tried doing a half formula, half milk bottle about a month ago and that didn't go over well, he spit up quite a bit, but it was Enfamil: that caused Ava to vomit like a crazy person. (You know what worked for us? Target brand formula for sensitive stomachs. Half the price of the other stuff.) My bigger concern is just getting him to drink from a bottle so last week I tried one with just breast milk and he did great! I'm using Tommee Tippee bottles, which in my opinion have the most realistic nipple, at least from the selection at Babies R Us. Anyhow, after he starts on food and some formula, I still want to nurse 2-3 times a day for a few months. However, I don't have my heart set on any one approach: as long as my baby is fed and happy, I know I'm doing the right thing.  I *am* enjoying it for the time being though, because like I've said in other posts, CJ is our last baby and once he leaves a certain stage, we never get to experience it again.

SNS kit, similar to the one we used with Ava...you fill it with formula and get the baby to latch on to your nipple, then slip in the tiny plastic tube. They feel like they're breastfeeding (and the sucking lets your body know it needs to start producing milk) but are actually drinking formula. 

The bottles I'm using with CJ...or will be using in the future

So on to a different topic: SLEEP. For a few weeks now, CJ has been sleeping from 10pm until 5-6am without waking. He hasn't had a set naptime and I've been letting him nap all over the place: on our bed, in the swing, in his Boppy lounger, etc. However, for the past few days, I've gotten him to do a morning and an afternoon nap in his crib (with catnaps in between since he still needs tons of sleep)...I'm trying to get the AM/PM naps established in his schedule and it looks like we're well on our way: not only has he napped in the crib but he's gone from awake to asleep in his crib! (As opposed to only sleeping when I have first soothed him to sleep.) I just have to get him to a very relaxed/dozing state and he drops off to sleep on his own. WOOHOO! He's taking an afternoon nap now, and I'm trying to get Ava to have some quiet time (lay on the couch and rest while watching a movie...how difficult is that?) but it doesn't really seem to be working, what a shock. Praying we find an opening in a preschool soon!!!!!

Random Thoughts and Some Twilight Bashing

I'm thinking we may be on our way to getting on some kind of a schedule around here: CJ has been down for nearly two hours for a morning nap, and did about 1 1/2 hours for an afternoon nap yesterday. Of course he'll still have additional catnaps since he still needs so much sleep, but I really want to establish an official morning and afternoon nap. Of course, it will have to be tweaked if Ava actually gets into a preschool: we've had no luck so far. Since people around here reproduce like mad (it IS a great place to raise a family) and there are a lot of stay-at-home moms (and probably quite a few like me who feel that their kid is going to drive them insane), preschools are in high demand. I didn't know how far in advance you had to register, like probably five minutes after getting the positive pregnancy test would have been good. (Seriously though, they registered back in JANUARY for this upcoming school year...I didn't even know I'd be staying at home at that time and never even dreamed that it would be impossible to find a preschool. INSANE.) Anyhow, now would probably be a good time to clean the house but other than keeping it straightened up and throwing in a load of laundry, I'm waiting until Thursday when a sitter will be coming in to help wrangle the kiddos while I scrub this place from top to bottom. My brother Mike and his girlfriend will be arriving on Friday from Florida...woohoo! I am SO excited to see them, I think it's been well over a year. A few days later my mom arrives. I look forward to spending time with family and handing over the kids so that Mimi, Uncle Monkey, and Gio can dote on them while I escape, even if it's only to take a shower in peace. ;o) Of course, Craig and I are going to have our belated 8th anniversary date, which will most definitely include going to see the last Harry Potter movie. SO. EXCITED. I know, I'm a nerd...and I'm also watching all the movies this week in preparation. (I don't have time to re-read the books these days, plus that would just draw my attention to all the details they didn't cover in the movie, which is always frustrating.) Anyhow, anyone who's ever met me knows how much I despise Twilight, so naturally I was pretty amused when I came across the following Harry vs. Edward pictures...enjoy! (Or not, if you're a big Twilight fan. ;o)

I'm a Barbie Girl...

As promised, I'm taking a break from the usual babbling about my offspring to deliver a snarky commentary on some Barbie dolls I spotted on a recent trip to Target. I don't necessarily buy into the whole idea of Barbie dolls being responsible for young girls having low self-esteem, setting a standard for beauty they can never reach, yadda yadda (although some of the dolls are in serious need of adequate clothing). But some of the more "modern" Barbie products kind of scare me:

 Yes, the packaging says to "Swap heads!" Ummm....creepy much?! And what are they wearing?! It's like the Headless Hooker series or something...

Oh Ken, what has happened to you? Hand in your man card....NOW. You seriously should've stuck with the painted on hair, and DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE SHIRT. No. Just...NO.

This is Teacher Barbie. If I wore something like that to work when I was teaching, I'd have gotten fired, or arrested.  And those glasses...yeah. If they were going for the "smart and sexy" look with those glasses, they failed.

This is Kid Doctor Barbie. You know, in the real world we call those people pediatricians. It may be a big word, but I'm pretty sure kids could handle it...my 3-year-old has been using a lot of big words--and using them correctly--lately because we don't dumb down our conversations with her.

Given the topic of today's post, it's only right that I leave you with this gem from back in the day:

Two Month Stats

We had CJ's two month checkup today, and I have one healthy and (usually) happy little boy! He weighs 12 lbs, 3 oz. (55th percentile) and is 22 inches long (20th percentile)...teeny tiny! Well, teeny tiny compared to his sister: at her two month checkup, Ava weighed in at 13 lbs, 11.5 oz and was 24.25 inches long--both 97th percentile! WOW! Anyhow, CJ got three vaccinations today (one oral, two shots) and the doctor said this could cause him to be a little fussier than usual. "A little fussier" apparently means "screaming bloody murder for most of the day." Poor baby! Not only was he obviously in pain from the shots, but the doctor confirmed what I suspected, he does seem to be teething. Too young for Tylenol or Motrin (and he can't have Orajel either) so he just has to tough it out. I spent the majority of the late afternoon/evening wearing him in the Moby, he in his diaper and me in just a bra (skin contact is supposed to be soothing, it seemed to help) and that calmed him somewhat but he still had crying/screaming fits. I did get him down to sleep at the normal time, so now I'm going to soak in the tub and have a small glass of wine....my nerves are shot and my body aches from cooking and cleaning while wearing a baby, even if he is only of moderate size. ;o)

Not much exciting going on here, but if you check back in the next few days I'm going to have some snarky commentary (with pictures!) regarding Barbie dolls I saw at Target today. All I'm going to say is that they made me want to weep for the future of humanity....

Ava and CJ at Two Months

So, I was snuggling CJ to sleep this afternoon (I know, it's not a good habit, but he's super-fussy due to the teeth and I think he's too young to take anything for the pain, so I'm spoiling him) and looking down at him I realized two things: first, he looks a lot like Ava did as an infant, and second, I remembered holding her in the same position while she slept at about the same age. So I took a picture of him...here are both pictures, aside from their noses (and the obvious feminine/masculine attire), I think they look a lot alike! It's the mouth and the eyes, and the squishy baby cheeks.

 CJ--2 Months

 Ava--2 Months

Tempting Fate

Last night I tried a new schedule with CJ: normally in the evenings, he is somewhat fussy but tends to doze off, usually falling into a pretty good sleep sometime around 8pm (when Ava is in the middle of her bedtime routine and I can't actually take care of him since I'm usually by myself)...this means I have to wake him up around 9pm to bathe and feed him: he then goes down easily at 10:00. I figured, hey, why don't I just bump things up a few hours so that CJ is going to bed at 8:00 when he's falling into a good sleep anyhow? I could bathe and feed him between 7-8 when Ava is watching her TV shows and then put him down right before it's time to read/say prayers. Sounded good in theory but he would. not. sleep. On the upside, he did hang out in his crib with very little fussing while I was doing the reading/prayers with Ava, so I was able to complete that part of her bedtime routine without juggling him as well. Afterwards, I fed him again and he FINALLY pooped (yeah, I know that's gross, welcome to my world)...which could have been a big reason why he wasn't going to sleep. At any rate, I was lucky because all that happened was that we ended up on our regular schedule (he went down at 9:45), and I didn't totally screw him up. So, either stomach discomfort is to blame or the change in routine was a stupid idea...I mean, he already does pretty well going down at 10:00 and sleeping until 5 or 6 the next morning. I just thought it would be nice to not have to wrangle two kids during Ava's routine and to just be done when she went to bed.  I think I'll give it a shot tonight and if it doesn't work I'll leave it alone...his schedule will be constantly evolving over the next few months anyhow, and I don't have to worry about getting up for work so it should be fine either way.

I'm also considering tempting fate today by taking the kids to the mall. By myself. Oh, did I mention I'm kicking myself for not buying a double stroller? If Ava had an ounce of sanity or common sense she could walk beside me while I pushed CJ in the stroller but I'm not sure I see that happening...I'm going to give the Moby a shot for CJ and stick her in the stroller. We need to get out of the house but it is insanely hot with suffocating humidity this week (heat index in the low 100s) so outside is not an option. UGH.

Also, I think CJ is teething. Yes, it's early. Ava and I both got our first tooth between 2-3 months of age so if he is, it's not a shock. He's fussier than usual, even during the morning when he's usually happiest, and drools like crazy. I think I feel a bump on his gums but I can't really tell.

Finally, here's a picture taken yesterday of my crazy kiddos...Ava asked me to take a picture of them. :) They are so adorable!!! (What an obnoxious "mom" thing to say, huh? It's possible I'm a little biased. ;o)

Ava-isms

I really should post more of the things Ava says and does, because she is absolutely hilarious right now! If I can keep up this more frequent blogging thing maybe it'll actually happen...anyhow, here are a few of her more recent funny moments:

• Last night she burst into the bathroom when I was about to step in the shower. First she informed me that she could see my butt. Then she said, "Mommy, you need to put clothes on or Daddy will see you naked!" So I told her, "Daddy has already seen me naked, sweetie." So she said, in an I-dare-you tone of voice, "Go out there!" (Meaning into the bedroom where Craig was watching TV.) So I did...Craig, of course, glanced up and went back to watching TV. Ava stood behind me having a giggling fit at the sight of Mommy standing naked in the same room as Daddy...it was pretty funny. 

• She told me the other day she wanted to be Shrek for Halloween. I told her I didn't think I'd be able to find a costume for her. She sat, silent for a moment, and then said, "Okay, then I want to be Rapunzel!" From Shrek to Rapunzel....? Okay...

• She frequently throws parties for her stuffed animals and dolls...in my bathroom. So I do have a pretty awesome bathroom, but party-worthy? Hmmmmm. She also commandeers CJ's baby equipment for her own babies and frequently reminds us to be quiet when they are sleeping, or has us help change their diapers, etc.  And when she names something, she incorporates what it is, or uses her own name, or both. For example, the snake that lives somewhere around our house is Snakey Snake. The turtle Craig found is Turtle Turtle Ava Turtle, and likewise one of her dolls is named Baby Baby Ava Baby. (Her other babies, named last year, are Baby Lauren, and Baby Tasha. She did name her boy baby "CJ".) The exceptions are two baby birds that were born and raised in our hanging fern plant: she named them Mr. Julio and Mr. Pedro.

• A few days ago I made us smoothies. (both of us need more fruit...this is a good way to get it. Frozen fruit, yogurt, low-sugar juice, and honey.) I gave Ava her smoothie and she said, "Mommy, could you make a smoothie out of....POOPIE?!" Umm...gross. I guess this is the age where kids start really asking about bodily functions and genitals, huh? (And to answer her question, I guess you could make a smoothie out of just about anything, but why would you want to?! We'll stick with fruit.) 

• A couple of months ago, she was giving us all titles: My mom and I were princesses, Craig was a prince, my dad was a human, and my brother Mike was a peanut. Ava declared herself the queen.

• When she first saw me feeding CJ after he was born, she thought it was hilarious. For the next few days, she tried to nurse her dolls...since then, she's gotten used to seeing her brother eat, but a few weeks ago she lined up her dolls next to me on the couch while I was feeding CJ and told me I had to feed them next. When I asked her how I was supposed to do that, she looked at me like I was a complete idiot and said, "With your boob!" She might as well have thrown in an eye-roll and said, "DUH!"

All right, that's about all I can think of for now, even though I know I have missed quite a bit! I'll end this post with some pictures...they were actually taken last October, so nearly ten months ago--Ava looks so different now! However, the pictures are adorable (and were taken by a sweet girl I used to baby-sit who is now all grown up and a very talented photographer)...enjoy!

Something they don't tell you about being a parent

If you were anything like me as a kid, you were somewhat of a nerd and was rejected by the prettier, more popular girls at school. I specifically remember an incident in fifth grade: one of those girls sent a friend of hers to inform me that I was "ugly, unpopular, and would never have a boyfriend." That's a direct quote. Fortunately, even though those things were hurtful, I realized that I would eventually go on to middle and high school and meet good people--which is exactly what happened. Anyhow, I'm getting off topic...yes, my feelings were sometimes hurt. But it doesn't even hold a candle to how it feels when you see it happen to your own child. Ava is only three years old, and I'm appalled that already I have had to witness catty behavior towards my daughter. I know I've had trouble with her lately, but when it comes to other kids, Ava thinks everyone between the ages of two and twelve is her best friend. Today at the pool, there were some significantly older kids but nobody Ava's age, so she was thrilled when a girl of about five showed up (only a year and a half older). Ava immediately asked the girl to be her friend and although she seemed reluctant at first, they ended up playing together. Awhile later, another girl showed up who was clearly friends with the first girl...immediately they started playing together and absolutely refused to have anything to do with Ava. My little girl sat on the steps and just stared down at her lap. I asked her what was wrong and in the saddest little voice I've ever heard, she said, "Nobody wants to be my friend." I almost cried right there at the pool (yeah, I'm crying now). I know I cannot force people to be decent and spare my daughter from that kind of hurt and rejection, the best I can do is try to give her a thick skin so it doesn't bother her much. I can't even describe how badly that ripped my heart out. Fortunately, another girl who is actually Ava's age showed up and they played together and she seemed to forget about the other girls, which is good.

This will not be the last time something like this happens...I have no idea how I am going to do this. I guess I just have to remember that I survived it without any lasting damage and if I raise my kids to be strong, independent, and self-confident, they'll survive it too.

Finding CJ

So, I went to Kohl's a few days ago and scored the above Carter's outfit for CJ for $1.60...sweet! What caught my attention was that the predominant colors (orange and navy blue) are Chicago Bears colors. Cute, right? So I put it on CJ and, even though I think he looks pretty adorable...is it just me or does he look like Nemo? *sigh...*

8 Years and a Birth Story

Three blog posts in 24 hours...wow! Anyhow, today is mine and Craig's eight year wedding anniversary...hooray for us! We're celebrating the momentous occasion as only we can...this means he's  out of town for work, and I'm at home taking care of the kids and the house and slowly going insane. ;o) Ah well. My mom will be here in a few weeks so we'll go out then, which means dinner and the final Harry Potter movie. Yes, we are huge nerds. Yes, we are okay with that. It's mostly for me but I suspect he enjoys the movies more than he lets on or we wouldn't have seen all of them since #4 in the theatre. Oh, and he saw #1 by himself at the theatre back in the day...can't remember when it came out but we may not have even been married yet. ANYHOW, it has been a great 4/5 of a decade (yes, I just used a fraction...I'm a nerd, remember? And a math nerd at that.) ...ups and downs, lots of changes, but overall I can't complain. I got the love of my life, who is my best friend and a fellow nerd out of the deal along with a move to North Carolina seven years ago which resulted in seven years at an awesome job and lots of great friends, and not to mention two adorable children...even if one is sort of evil. ;o) I should probably mention that my soulmate/love of my life/best friend/father of my children/partner in crime also forgot about our anniversary this year. *sigh* I am giving him a pass (after I give him some minor grief about it ;o), only because he IS super-busy and he finally knows my birth date and usually I try to save him the embarrassment of forgetting (because every year I know he's going to forget) by saying things frequently in the preceding weeks/days like, "Hey, honey, what do you want to do for our anniversary, which is next Tuesday?" or "I know we cannot go out on the 12th which is, of course, our actual anniversary, so what would be a better day?" I didn't do that this year, just because I wanted to see if he'd remember. Nope. Ah well.

CJ's Birth Day
So, if you've been reading this blog since it's beginning--back when I was pregnant with Ava--you no doubt remember the horrendous story of her birth. If not, well, chances are I've told you at some point. If not, you can find it here: Ava's Birth Day
You might want to avoid it though, it's graphic and disgusting. (Okay, so I find childbirth in general to be a pretty disgusting miracle...sorry, I'm pretty squeamish when it comes to those things!)

CJ's birth was, thankfully, NOTHING like Ava's.

I went in for a prenatal visit on my due date, which was May 17th...since there was no sign of impending labor save for the fact that I'd been walking around dilated 4.5 cm for a few weeks, my awesome doctor went ahead and put me on the schedule for an induction on Friday, May 20th, even though policy is that you have to be at least one week overdue before they induce. She has my undying gratitude for this. ANYHOW, they called me around 5pm on the 20th to let me know they were ready...I showered, grabbed my bags, and Craig and I took off for the hospital, both of us ready to get that baby out! Poor Ava stayed behind with my mom, completely unaware that her life was about to totally change. We got to the hospital, were checked in to a labor and delivery room, and just chilled out for awhile, watching TV. I don't remember the exact time frame but I think it was around 8pm when the doctor broke my water. This started hardcore contractions...I can't even describe them, but they were bad. After three of them I got an epidural because I'm no hero and last time I checked they weren't handing out awards for suffering through a drug-free delivery, so yeah. I'm all about some drugs. Unlike the epidural I had with Ava, this one worked, and it worked GOOOOOOOD. I swear, it melted my brain a little, and not in a bad way. We watched more TV, I got a few injections of Pitocin in my IV to keep the labor progressing. I dilated quickly and shortly after midnight, the nurse asked if I was ready to push. (I said, "Honestly, who's ever really ready for that?" She wasn't amused. Okay then.) I pushed twice, felt nothing, she called the doctor in. I pushed two more times, felt nothing. The doctor told me to push one more time...I did, I felt nothing, and CJ popped out. It was AMAZING...I was laughing and crying and as Craig pointed out, didn't even break a sweat. I look pretty good in the pictures taken just seconds after delivery, if I do say so myself. ;o) When Ava was born, I kind of looked like I belonged in a body bag. It was BAD. The post-delivery healing was just as bad: I ripped again and had stitches and it seemed like it took forever to recover, but my second born--although smaller than his sister--still weighed in at 8 lbs, 4 oz. and that does a little damage, no matter how fast the delivery. Overall though, it was a MUCH better experience for which I am extremely grateful!

 Just a few minutes after birth!

Mommy and CJ when he was just a few minutes old...I'm happy and relieved at such an easy delivery!

DA BEARS!

 Sweet baby boy

 

CJ with his bili-light: both of my kids had jaundice as newborns, but CJ's was bad enough to earn him a few days wrapped up in a special light. He looked radioactive. Poor kid.

A few recent photos

As promised...enjoy! :)

CJ at approx. one month...love it! He's starting to look like an individual now instead of what my mom calls "generic baby." ;o)

CJ at five weeks (this picture and the next three courtesy of Kelli, who visited us recently).

Mommy and CJ at the coffee shop. 

Kelli and CJ....this is a funny picture because he's crying, but in reality he enjoyed being held by her, which was a big help for me! 

Kelli and I at the farmer's market with CJ.

Daddy and CJ--he's starting to warm up to Craig a bit, but is still in that baby stage where Mommy is his favorite, simply because I'm the source of food. ;o) 

Ava and CJ...funny picture, but really he does like her: often if he's fussy and she starts talking to him, he'll smile. 

One of CJ's first smiles at about six weeks...he smiles and coos a LOT. Ava was a much more serious baby.  I'm hoping he'll be more easygoing than her (not that I can say anything, she gets her temperament from me.)

Ava in her "America dress" from Grandma Pat. 

A baby turtle Craig found in our backyard...lots of nature around us! We actually found two baby turtles this week, so mama turtle must have laid eggs somewhere in our yard.

Yeah, that might be a little TOO much nature. A four foot long harmless black snake that apparently claims our yard and porch as his territory. On a good note, from what I've heard this will keep other (poisonous) snakes away, and hopefully pests like large insects and small rodents as well. 

CJ at approx. one week old...one of my favorite pictures!

Two recent pictures of my beautiful firstborn child...I cannot believe how fast she's growing up!

Stay-at-Home Mom of Two: Week 7

Yeah, I'm pretty much going to stop promising to keep the blog updated because once again, it's been awhile. ;o) Since I'm no longer teaching and have also removed our last name from the blog, I've gone ahead and relaxed the privacy settings a bit so that more people can read it (if anyone even cares). Maybe I'll update more if I think people are actually reading. Maybe not. We'll see. Anyhow...here's life as I know it right now:

CJ...
...is a sweetheart.  At one month (so, roughly three weeks ago) he weighed in at 10 lbs, 6.5 oz...placing him in the 70th percentile. Compared to Ava, he's petite! :) He naps well during the day, usually in his swing or in his crib, and has slowly but surely been doing better at night--Ava had better nights faster, but his days are a little less fussy so it all evens out. Last night he slept from 10:30pm until 5:45am! Ava had a meltdown at 3am (probably stemming from a nightmare) and then I was in major pain from going so long between feedings that I didn't get any more sleep than normal (normal = 4-6 hours total) but I was ecstatic to see him sleeping longer either way! After I fed him at 5:45 he went RIGHT back to sleep so I crashed from 6:15 until Ava got up at 7:45. Good stuff!
Anyhow, my second born is very smiley and very vocal...we love "talking" to him and making fools of ourselves just to see that huge grin of his. We are definitely done having children so I've been soaking up every moment and just enjoying my last baby. Not that I didn't enjoy Ava's infancy, but it's different. I'm actually not sad at all about not having more kids--the thought of going through another pregnancy and another newborn phase makes me want to cry-- and we feel so incredibly blessed to have two beautiful, healthy children and think that two is just right for our lives: we can easily care for and provide for them, both financially and emotionally.

Ava...
...is going through an extremely difficult phase right now. The combination of no more day care, a new baby, being at home with Mommy, Daddy out of town constantly, visitors in and out, being three years old, and her strong-willed personality are a lethal combination. I am trying to be as consistent as possible with her and am trying to make sure I praise and reward good behavior, but it's a challenge. She usually lashes out the worst when I'm nursing CJ--probably out of jealousy and because she knows that while he's got my undivided attention it's hard to deal with her properly--and she'll physically attack me. Depending on the offense, she's either placed in her room or spanked and placed in her room until she calms down. Yesterday we were at a friend's house and she didn't want to leave, so she expressed this to me by screaming her head off, scratching, biting, and pulling my hair. I gave her a spanking and then I had to just bear hug her until she calmed down. I almost feel bad for her because I don't think she means to get so out of control...after the bear-hugging, she just sat in my lap and hugged me and said she was sorry. Hopefully this blows over soon (I'm hoping that by her fourth birthday she's calmed down), I'm currently trying to find a preschool program for her because I think that having structure and authority figures and friends outside of the home will be great for her (and for me)...she's also very bright and loves learning, and there's only so much I can do for her. I've found three that look promising, one in particular that I'm interested in--I've called them to see if there are any openings and if not I will call the other two.

Craig...
...is busy with work, studying for his GMATs (in a few weeks...pray he does well so we can put some of the craziness behind us!), and finishing up his undergrad degree so that he can (hopefully) start the MBA program he's interested in next April. Even when he's home we don't get to spend much time with him, which is difficult on all of us, and I am pretty much on my own with the kids. We're just trying to hang in there for about the next six months and then it will start to get better!

Me...
...I'm exhausted, but am slowly adapting to a new version of normal and am trying to find my groove. It'll happen eventually. :)

All right, that's all for now...I'll post a few pictures ASAP but if you are on my facebook page, you've likely seen them already. Duty calls....