Friday, October 30, 2009

1 month update

Little Sister had yet another follow up appointment today. I am VERY happy to report that she gained 14 ounces in one week. Yes, almost a whole pound!

She is now 8 pounds, 8 ounces! Hip Hip Horray! We don't have to go back until her regular 2 month visit.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

One Month


There's a post that goes along with this picture. But, in true baby fashion...she just woke up. Later.....

Letters to My Girls

Dear "Little Sister",

Wow, you are a month old today! It seems like it has gone by so quickly, and yet, that you have been a part of our lives forever. I am finding it hard to remember what it felt like to be pregnant with you. As I struggle to remember those sweet little kicks, I stare at you and am amazed all over again at how much of a miracle babies are.

It's been a month of ups and downs. We've been back and forth to the doctor quite a few times this month because you have been a little slow to gain weight. And, while it's been worrisome, I'm sure in 30 years you'll look back at this and wish you had trouble gaining weight. But, you are doing well now, and have gained almost a whole pound in this last week.

You have also started to experiment with your voice a little. I can't wait to hear more of your little coo's. It's the sweetest sound in the world. You have also become much more alert and aware of your surroundings. Toys are starting to interest you, and you love to watch your big sister play. (She loves to play with you, and especially loves to bounce you in your bouncy chair.) You are starting to get better control of your head, and are able to lift it up briefly when on your tummy. Once you master that, you will have a lot more fun!

Happy 1 month, "little sister"!

Love,
Mommy


Dear Mini Me,

So, how do you like being a big sister? Not really what you thought it would be, is it? Despite all the visits to the midwives, the books we read, the class we took, and all the plans and preparations we made, there really was no way we could have possibly conveyed to you all the ways that your life was about to change.

But, you have handled it better than we could have ever hoped for. From unexpectedly having to be in the delivery room in the middle of the night, to having to share mommy and daddy's attention and even being asked to share your brand new 'big girl' room, you went from being an only child to being the older child.

You are at an age where flexibility and patience are not really your top priorities. You what what you want, and you want it now. That's understandable. You are becoming more independent and want to try out those new wings. I hope that we are doing a good job supporting you to try to do things for yourself, but still giving you the love and security of knowing that mom and dad are always there to help you...even if you have to wait a few minutes.

There are moments when I have felt frustrated because I cannot devote 100% of my attention to both you and your sister. It breaks my heart to see you act out for attention. You are an amazing little girl and so much fun. You are smart, funny, and very outgoing. Having a little sister has certainly changed so many aspects of your life. I am very thankful that you have been as understanding as you have been. I promise that in the next couple of weeks, life will start to seem more 'normal' again.

My "mommy guilt", however, is overwhelmed by the amazing feeling I get thinking about the relationship that you and your sister will have. Soon, she will be able to play (the day we brought her home from the hospital, you asked her to walk and play with you. Soon, she will be able to!). I can't wait! So, while there are still rough patches ahead, there are also many fun things to look forward to. I hope that someday, you will be just as happy to have a little sister, and we are to have both of you beautiful girls in our lives.

Love,
Mommy

Little Baby Sparkles

No, it's not the hot new trend in Christmas gifts... It's my child.

My little baby sparkles...literally.

Yesterday, I had Mini Me in her costume for some pictures and playtime. The costume is very glittery, and my house now sparkles, not because it's clean, but because there is glitter EVERYWHERE. Including all over my newborn.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Sneek Peek

Here's a little sneak peek of Mini Me's Halloween fun:










Monday, October 26, 2009

Two Words

Mastitis SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, October 23, 2009

At least she's polite....

Here's the scene:

I'm in the bedroom rocking Little Sister to sleep. Mini Me and daddy are in the playroom. I overhear this:

Daddy: In 10 minutes, its going to be time for bed.

Mini Me: No, thank you.

Daddy: Yes, in 10 minutes its going to be time for bed.

Mini Me: I said, no thank you!

5 minutes later:

Daddy: In 5 minutes, its going to be time for bed.

Mini Me: No, thank you.

5 minutes later:

Daddy: OK, it's time for bed.

Mini Me: No, thank you. I'll just hang out a little more.


Meanwhile, I'm trying me best not to laugh and wake an almost sleeping newborn. But...seriously. I was dying inside.

Chatterbox

How quickly I'm having to post about another milestone!

During the night, after throwing up half her bottle all over daddy's shirt (hey, at least it was formula and not breastmilk that got wasted...), Little Sister was snuggling with me as I comforted her.

She looked at me and and tried to vocalize. Heart=melted! It was really the first time she has made a sound other than crying/grunting. I can't wait for more coo's and her first little giggles. So sweet!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

I want that monkey!!!

So, today was the first day that Little Sister really interacted with Mini Me and the world around her.

During one of her still rare awake periods, she was laying on her activity mat. Mini Me was playing with the toys, because, ya know---at almost 3 years old, nothing says 'fun' like a toy meant for an infant. But, then I noticed that Little Sister was staring intently at the monkey dangling nearby. I could tell she was looking at it, rather than just randomly staring into nowhere. Then, she actually tried to reach for it several times.

Now, yes, it looks very sporadic, and I would have thought it was a fluke. But, she continued to do it for quite some time, and has again today.

Awww, our first little milestone. :-) (And, I was actually able to capture it on video!!!!)

For your heart-melting viewing pleasure:


A pictoral comparison

Big Sister Sleeping


Little Sister Sleeping


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Appointment Updates

So, yesterday I spent literally half my day in a doctor's office.

Little Sister had her 2 week check and Big Sister had an appointment with an orthopedist. Here's how it all went....

Little Sister: Only gained 2 ounces in a week. That's a problem. The pediatrician said she looks great, and she's 7 pounds, 5 ounces, which is more than her birth weight. But, she would have liked to seen her gain more. There is some concern about her eating style...snacking as opposed to eating, which is leaving her hungry and mommy frustrated. So, I'm pumping and giving her the milk in a bottle, which seems to be going well so far. Not sure what our final plan will be, but she seems content. She's just lazy and not wanting to work for her food: taking it from the bottle is easier than getting it direct from the source. :-)

Also, just to be an attention whore and brag about my little one..... She is an awesome sleeper! She went to bed at 7:45 last night and didn't wake up until 2:30 this morning. She ate and went right back to sleep until 5:30, ate, and went right back to sleep until 9am. Woot! Woot! I know our luck may change, but at 2 weeks old, I feel like a million bucks with all the sleep we're getting. AND, Big Sister has miraculously decided to sleep in until 7:30ish, so after I feed Little Sister, I actually can go back to sleep if I want...or shower...or have a cup of coffee in peace. I'm loving life right now.

Big Sister: Saw the orthopedist. I am very happy to report that he declared her perfectly fine. He said there is nothing structurally wrong with her back, hips or legs. He said that she just has some bad habits, and gave us some tips to help her break them. He did say that if she doesn't improve her walking style by next fall, she will have to have walking casts on for 6 weeks, which will force her to walk properly. He also suggested ballet classes. Umm...I can see her in dance class, but something tells me ballet is probably not her style. Regardless, he wants to see her next year, just to follow up, but all is well with her.

I'm sure there are a million more things I could post about, but I'm going to go enjoy a few minutes of quiet time while both girls are napping. How awesome is that!

Gordon's Blue

As anyone who has met Mini Me knows, she is a Thomas and Friends fanatic. Almost everything in her universe relates in some way to her favorite engines. Hence, this interaction between her and daddy:

Hubby and I generally consider ourselves political junkies. Is Mini Me going to follow in our footsteps? Ummm, my guess is no.

Mini Me loves to read magazines with us. While sitting on Daddy's lap "reading" The Economist, Mini Me saw a picture and asked, "who is that, daddy?"

Daddy: That's the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown.

Mini Me: No, Daddy. Gordon's Blue...

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The New Edition is HERE!

Forgive my lack of updates...Mini Me's little sister has arrived!

Little Sister was born on 9/29, and we are now home settling in. All the details are over on my other blog. In the next week or so, I hope to wrap up the other blog and solely maintain this one.

Mini Me is doing fairly well as the big sister. We've had a few "moments" and it took her a couple of days to start talking to me again, but I think we are on the right track.

More posts and updates coming soon!