The Pumpkin has been handling the transition to having a baby in the family really well. At least, so far. There are times it is obvious that she is a bit jealous of the attention he gets and that she is upset because he is crying. But in general, she seems really intrigued by the baby.
She loves to look at him and hold him. In fact, she wants to hold him pretty often, while he's nursing or sleeping or getting his diaper changed or even at times when we actually let her hold him (with us assisting her). She sings Twinkle and Rockabye Baby to him.
Just about every time she sees him, she exclaims (loudly, and sometimes right in his face), "Oh, look at the baby!" or "What a cute little baby you have!"
And we do. We have two cute little babies. The Pookie is adorable--an eating, pooping, crying, sleeping bundle of adorableness. The Pumpkin is her usual vibrant, lively, interested, funny blur of beauty.
We are blessed.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Question of the Week - How to Celebrate a Birthday
As I noted last year, July 14th is my favorite day of the year. Because...
It's my birthday!
I love birthdays. It's your own special day, the one day of the year that is all about you! Even when you share it with someone else, you don't share it with many people. It's not like Christmas or some other holiday in which so much of the world shares. It's a special day for you and just a few others. It's the one day of the year on which you know all your friends and family (who remember) will think of you. People call, email, text and post special messages with happy wishes.
Normally, I would take the day off work (I do have that!) and spend the day doing whatever struck my fancy. I would usually top it off with dinner out with my husband at a nice French restaurant (today is also Bastille Day, so I love to celebrate at a French restaurant). But this year, I am a bit restricted in what I can do for my birthday. It's a weekday, so most people (including Londo, who is back to work this week) are at work. The Pookie is one month old today, and with the on demand nursing and without having started pumping yet, I can't go far from him for long.
But for this week's question of the week, I'm wondering:
How do you like to/plan to celebrate your birthday?
For this year, I won't celebrate how I used to, and that's okay. My MIL is staying with us this week, and she made me blueberry pancakes for breakfast. My daughter sang me "Happy Birthday" numerous times this morning. I don't have to go to work, and my MIL currently has my son (Londo is back to work this week) so I can have a break and get a shower and whatever I want. I'm thinking of ordering some Indian food (I LOVE Indian food!) and picking it up for lunch. Londo got me a gift certificate to Amazon, so I'm going spend a lot of the day shopping online for books! And this afternoon, I'm finally going to at least start watching the A&E/BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, which I've had on DVD for a long time but haven't watched yet. (It's long, so I probably won't finish until tomorrow or the next day.)
These are good plans, and I'm really happy that I'm not celebrating in my normal fashion. Because it means that I have my two wonderful children this year, and they are totally worth giving up fancy French restaurants for a few years. :-)
How about you all? Do you like big parties? Small get togethers? Quiet dinners out? Ignoring your special day all together? How do you celebrate your birthday?
It's my birthday!
I love birthdays. It's your own special day, the one day of the year that is all about you! Even when you share it with someone else, you don't share it with many people. It's not like Christmas or some other holiday in which so much of the world shares. It's a special day for you and just a few others. It's the one day of the year on which you know all your friends and family (who remember) will think of you. People call, email, text and post special messages with happy wishes.
Normally, I would take the day off work (I do have that!) and spend the day doing whatever struck my fancy. I would usually top it off with dinner out with my husband at a nice French restaurant (today is also Bastille Day, so I love to celebrate at a French restaurant). But this year, I am a bit restricted in what I can do for my birthday. It's a weekday, so most people (including Londo, who is back to work this week) are at work. The Pookie is one month old today, and with the on demand nursing and without having started pumping yet, I can't go far from him for long.
But for this week's question of the week, I'm wondering:
How do you like to/plan to celebrate your birthday?
For this year, I won't celebrate how I used to, and that's okay. My MIL is staying with us this week, and she made me blueberry pancakes for breakfast. My daughter sang me "Happy Birthday" numerous times this morning. I don't have to go to work, and my MIL currently has my son (Londo is back to work this week) so I can have a break and get a shower and whatever I want. I'm thinking of ordering some Indian food (I LOVE Indian food!) and picking it up for lunch. Londo got me a gift certificate to Amazon, so I'm going spend a lot of the day shopping online for books! And this afternoon, I'm finally going to at least start watching the A&E/BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, which I've had on DVD for a long time but haven't watched yet. (It's long, so I probably won't finish until tomorrow or the next day.)
These are good plans, and I'm really happy that I'm not celebrating in my normal fashion. Because it means that I have my two wonderful children this year, and they are totally worth giving up fancy French restaurants for a few years. :-)
How about you all? Do you like big parties? Small get togethers? Quiet dinners out? Ignoring your special day all together? How do you celebrate your birthday?
Monday, July 13, 2009
DC Area Meet Up in August
My DC area friends, how about we meet up in August? I'm thinking the first or second weekend, which would be August 1st, 2nd, 8th or 9th. I was thinking we could meet up in Rockville Maryland's Cabin John Regional Park Just off of I-270. It's got a fantastic playground and great picnic area, which are completely shaded by trees. It also has... a miniture train to ride!
I'm thinking as long as we meet early and stay in the abundant shade, we should be okay. What do you guys think?
I'm thinking as long as we meet early and stay in the abundant shade, we should be okay. What do you guys think?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Not My First Rodeo
The infant stage is not easy. Having two kids is not easy. Being at the edge of baby blues/PPD is not easy. But Londo recently pointed out that I'm actually handling the Pookie's infant stage better than I did with the Pumpkin.
With the first one, I understood what was involved with having an infant... in theory. In actuality, the first child has thrown everyone I know for a loop--especially if it is a high-needs child like the Pumpkin was (and is). I clearly remember at the end of the first two weeks, during which Londo or I had to hold the Pumpkin all day and all night, I cried to both my sister and my sister-in-law and begged them to tell me when it would get better. My SIL said it gets better at about 3 months. I think I died a little. My sister said that it does get slightly better after the 6-8 week period, but that SIL was right and it really gets better after 3 months.
I didn't know what I was doing, and that lovely daughter of mine was especially needy. I didn't know what was normal and what wasn't. I didn't know how much to feed the child ("on demand" does not provide any quantitative answer, which I thought I needed) or how often.
So I recorded everything. I had a little log book in which I wrote down the time I feed her, which side and how long on each side, in addition to other details I thought might be important, like when she was super fussy or when she would sleep and for how long. I was seriously obsessed with it all.
With the Pookie? I totally get "on demand" and that's what I do. I don't bother to write anything down or worry about how much he is getting or even which side he fed on last. I'm not worried about his sleeping or his fussies or how often he's pooping. I'm not obsessed with tracking any of it. I know that he is normal, that the breastfeeding is going well and that we are doing just fine getting through these tough early weeks.
I also don't second guess things like keeping the Pookie next to me in bed when he's nursing all night (insteading of trying to stay awake to put him back in the cosleeper a few inches away). I don't worry about having a cup of coffee a day (although I'm not ready to also have an afternoon cup).
Most shockingly to myself, I don't usually freak out when he cries, even when he works up to that fire-engine-siren cry that means he's REALLY upset. When the Pumpkin would start fussing and working up to crying, I would feel this overwhelming need to grab her to me and comfort her and nurse her, even if it meant ripping her out of the arms of her very loving father. With the Pookie? It's like I have a delayed response or something to his cries and am willing to wait and see if he will settle down or can be calmed by someone else. At least until a certain point when I know nothing but nursing will calm him--and even then I don't drop everything to stick him to my breast, but finish what I'm doing and settle into a spot to nurse him.
I think this last thing is not just because I've been through the infant stage before, but also due to the different temperaments of children. The Pumpkin would go SO quickly from a little fussy to crazy upset (we called it "screaming bloody murder" and made all sorts of jokes about the bloody murder she was yelling about to keep our sanity) and take forever to calm down. The Pookie doesn't seem to get as upset (he's only once yelled about the murder which was bloody) and is generally easily soothed.
So we can all make it to and through the 6-8 week period, and then on through past the 3 month period. I will be back to work just before he turns 3 months old, and things should get easier all around by then. And right now? He's asleep in the swing, looking peaceful and letting me shower and write a blog post. We can do this. And before we know it, he'll be 2 and playing so cutely and even sleeping through the night on occasion (like the Pumpkin did last night, woo hoo!).
With the first one, I understood what was involved with having an infant... in theory. In actuality, the first child has thrown everyone I know for a loop--especially if it is a high-needs child like the Pumpkin was (and is). I clearly remember at the end of the first two weeks, during which Londo or I had to hold the Pumpkin all day and all night, I cried to both my sister and my sister-in-law and begged them to tell me when it would get better. My SIL said it gets better at about 3 months. I think I died a little. My sister said that it does get slightly better after the 6-8 week period, but that SIL was right and it really gets better after 3 months.
I didn't know what I was doing, and that lovely daughter of mine was especially needy. I didn't know what was normal and what wasn't. I didn't know how much to feed the child ("on demand" does not provide any quantitative answer, which I thought I needed) or how often.
So I recorded everything. I had a little log book in which I wrote down the time I feed her, which side and how long on each side, in addition to other details I thought might be important, like when she was super fussy or when she would sleep and for how long. I was seriously obsessed with it all.
With the Pookie? I totally get "on demand" and that's what I do. I don't bother to write anything down or worry about how much he is getting or even which side he fed on last. I'm not worried about his sleeping or his fussies or how often he's pooping. I'm not obsessed with tracking any of it. I know that he is normal, that the breastfeeding is going well and that we are doing just fine getting through these tough early weeks.
I also don't second guess things like keeping the Pookie next to me in bed when he's nursing all night (insteading of trying to stay awake to put him back in the cosleeper a few inches away). I don't worry about having a cup of coffee a day (although I'm not ready to also have an afternoon cup).
Most shockingly to myself, I don't usually freak out when he cries, even when he works up to that fire-engine-siren cry that means he's REALLY upset. When the Pumpkin would start fussing and working up to crying, I would feel this overwhelming need to grab her to me and comfort her and nurse her, even if it meant ripping her out of the arms of her very loving father. With the Pookie? It's like I have a delayed response or something to his cries and am willing to wait and see if he will settle down or can be calmed by someone else. At least until a certain point when I know nothing but nursing will calm him--and even then I don't drop everything to stick him to my breast, but finish what I'm doing and settle into a spot to nurse him.
I think this last thing is not just because I've been through the infant stage before, but also due to the different temperaments of children. The Pumpkin would go SO quickly from a little fussy to crazy upset (we called it "screaming bloody murder" and made all sorts of jokes about the bloody murder she was yelling about to keep our sanity) and take forever to calm down. The Pookie doesn't seem to get as upset (he's only once yelled about the murder which was bloody) and is generally easily soothed.
So we can all make it to and through the 6-8 week period, and then on through past the 3 month period. I will be back to work just before he turns 3 months old, and things should get easier all around by then. And right now? He's asleep in the swing, looking peaceful and letting me shower and write a blog post. We can do this. And before we know it, he'll be 2 and playing so cutely and even sleeping through the night on occasion (like the Pumpkin did last night, woo hoo!).
Monday, July 6, 2009
Question of the Week - Cheer Up
I don't think there is an exact line where the baby blues becomes PPD. I think there is a big gray, murky area that's in between the two. I'm there. In that big gray, murky area. I know a huge part of how I'm feeling is the lack of sleep I'm getting, in addition to the crazy hormones and stir-crazy feeling of limited mobility due to healing from the c-section. But I know depression. And I know I'm at that edge.
I need to do things to help myself, to keep myself from going to the PPD side of the the big gray, murky area. I really don't want to be depressed. I don't want to feel that way or put more burden on Londo, who is always doing soooooo much for our family.
Don't get me wrong, I've had some great moments and beautiful times already. I am completely in love with my daughter and my son. These three weeks have been amazing. But also really, really tough. My high-needs first child still requires a lot of our time and attention, and she is still needy and fussy and not a good sleeper. And we have an infant, who is, you know, an infant. He constantly needs to be feed and held and rocked and changed.
It's tough, and I need to do things to cheer myself up so I can get over these baby blues and enjoy my summer and maternity leave.
Which is this week's question of the week:
What do you do to cheer yourself up?
For me, getting out of the house is probably the most important thing to do. Especially when it's summer and sunny. We've been starting to take walks and hanging out in the backyard. Today Londo, the Pookie and I went to a local baby store to shop for some things (we got the Citi Mini double stroller, and I'm so excited to take it on a walk tomorrow!). I'm planning a trip to Target in a couple days, and a bookstore too. Londo goes back to work next Monday, so I'm planning on going out even more that week.
Eating sweets helps me feel better too. Partly because when I'm depressed (or even just getting depressed) I tend to lose my appetite--except for sweets. So if I eat chocolate cake, sugary cereal or ice cream for dinner, at least I'm eating something.
I know working out helps, what with the endorphins and all that. But I just don't have the time or ability (or am physically capable) to work out now. Not even yoga yet. But I'll keep walking. That's something, right?
How about you? What do you do when you are feeling down? How do you cheer yourself up?
I need to do things to help myself, to keep myself from going to the PPD side of the the big gray, murky area. I really don't want to be depressed. I don't want to feel that way or put more burden on Londo, who is always doing soooooo much for our family.
Don't get me wrong, I've had some great moments and beautiful times already. I am completely in love with my daughter and my son. These three weeks have been amazing. But also really, really tough. My high-needs first child still requires a lot of our time and attention, and she is still needy and fussy and not a good sleeper. And we have an infant, who is, you know, an infant. He constantly needs to be feed and held and rocked and changed.
It's tough, and I need to do things to cheer myself up so I can get over these baby blues and enjoy my summer and maternity leave.
Which is this week's question of the week:
What do you do to cheer yourself up?
For me, getting out of the house is probably the most important thing to do. Especially when it's summer and sunny. We've been starting to take walks and hanging out in the backyard. Today Londo, the Pookie and I went to a local baby store to shop for some things (we got the Citi Mini double stroller, and I'm so excited to take it on a walk tomorrow!). I'm planning a trip to Target in a couple days, and a bookstore too. Londo goes back to work next Monday, so I'm planning on going out even more that week.
Eating sweets helps me feel better too. Partly because when I'm depressed (or even just getting depressed) I tend to lose my appetite--except for sweets. So if I eat chocolate cake, sugary cereal or ice cream for dinner, at least I'm eating something.
I know working out helps, what with the endorphins and all that. But I just don't have the time or ability (or am physically capable) to work out now. Not even yoga yet. But I'll keep walking. That's something, right?
How about you? What do you do when you are feeling down? How do you cheer yourself up?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Things I'd Forgotten About Newborns
I'm working on the Pookie's labor and delivery story. But for now, I will leave you with some things I had forgotten about having a newborn...
-How much they poop.
-How much laundry they create.
-The constant nursing.
-The delicious baby smell.
-How small they are.
-The mewing cries and noises they make, like a kitten.
-Did I mention the laundry?
-The smell of spit up, fresh and that one or two day old crusty stuff that you hadn't realized got on your shirt or the baby's shirt until you are snuggling and breath deep to inhale delicious baby smell and instead smell that stale, gross crud.
-How much my breast leak.
-The cluster feedings (OMG! I forgot just how tough those are!), and it's partner: cluster poopings.
-Having to be Mom's All Night Diner.
-Those early smiles for seemingly no reason, especially the ones while they are nursing when the corner of their mouths turn up around the mouthful of nipple.
-That undefined, dark blue eye color they have before it settles into the color they will be.
I'm sure there are tons more, good and bad, but that's all I can come up with right now. It's an exhausting and wonderful stage.
-How much they poop.
-How much laundry they create.
-The constant nursing.
-The delicious baby smell.
-How small they are.
-The mewing cries and noises they make, like a kitten.
-Did I mention the laundry?
-The smell of spit up, fresh and that one or two day old crusty stuff that you hadn't realized got on your shirt or the baby's shirt until you are snuggling and breath deep to inhale delicious baby smell and instead smell that stale, gross crud.
-How much my breast leak.
-The cluster feedings (OMG! I forgot just how tough those are!), and it's partner: cluster poopings.
-Having to be Mom's All Night Diner.
-Those early smiles for seemingly no reason, especially the ones while they are nursing when the corner of their mouths turn up around the mouthful of nipple.
-That undefined, dark blue eye color they have before it settles into the color they will be.
I'm sure there are tons more, good and bad, but that's all I can come up with right now. It's an exhausting and wonderful stage.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Question of the Week - Holding Pattern
The Pookie is now 2 weeks and one day old. There are ups and downs. A newborn isn't a walk in the park, and neither is a toddler in the throes of The Twos. Add them together... Well let's just say that there have been moments where I've wanted to run screaming from the house.
But I can't. I'm still limited in what I can do because of healing from the c-section. The first week home, I was doing the stairs once a day as allowed. But I had a little relapse (or maybe it was going off the pain killers), so I spent about three days stuck upstairs, mostly in bed. Can I tell you how boring and frustrating it is to be stuck on one floor/room/bed for days? Those of you who have been on bedrest--wow! I have such sympathy! It would drive me nuts!
At a visit to my OB at the end of the week, I was assured that the incision is healing fine and I don't have anything to worry about. It's just a painful thing, major abdominal surgery. The muscles and tissues and all that other stuff at the sides of the incision were pulled and stretched in order to get the 7 lb 12 oz baby out of my uterus.
Wait, there was a point somewhere...
Oh yeah, so I'm starting to do the stairs twice a day now, and I'm trying to do more and more in general. But I'm still not able to do a lot. So I don't get out of the house except occasionally the backyard. I feel stuck at home. I feel like I'm just hanging around waiting. Waiting to go out and do things. Waiting to pull out my sling and travel with the babe. Waiting to go on walks with the toddler and baby (and husband). Waiting to run out to the store to get things. Waiting to visit friends and family. Waiting to shop for more shorts for the toddler, who currently has about 5 pairs which means she needs her laundry done more often--just what we need now, more laundry!
In addition, the Pookie's umbilical cord hasn't fallen off yet. (Shouldn't it have fallen off by now? Or else fall off really soon?) I'm not comfortable putting the boy in onsies or the cute little pants and shorts I have for him, or slipping him into a sling or other things that I am looking forward to doing with him. Londo is particularly looking forward to kissing his belly all over.
So, the point... I feel like I have things on hold. I feel like I'm just waiting for life to move forward. And it's frustrating!
The Question of the Week is:
What do you feel like is on hold in your life?
Between kids, work, finances and goodness knows what else, we adults tend to have to put certain things on hold for a variety of reasons. Londo and I have put on hold building a deck, fixing up an area for my office things and crafts, going on vacations, throwing parties... I could go on and on, but the real big thing right now is I feel my life and life with the newest addition has been in a holding pattern until I'm more healed and his umbilical cord comes off.
What about you? Are you waiting for something? What's keeping you from doing/having something you are looking forward to? When do you foresee being able to more forward?
But I can't. I'm still limited in what I can do because of healing from the c-section. The first week home, I was doing the stairs once a day as allowed. But I had a little relapse (or maybe it was going off the pain killers), so I spent about three days stuck upstairs, mostly in bed. Can I tell you how boring and frustrating it is to be stuck on one floor/room/bed for days? Those of you who have been on bedrest--wow! I have such sympathy! It would drive me nuts!
At a visit to my OB at the end of the week, I was assured that the incision is healing fine and I don't have anything to worry about. It's just a painful thing, major abdominal surgery. The muscles and tissues and all that other stuff at the sides of the incision were pulled and stretched in order to get the 7 lb 12 oz baby out of my uterus.
Wait, there was a point somewhere...
Oh yeah, so I'm starting to do the stairs twice a day now, and I'm trying to do more and more in general. But I'm still not able to do a lot. So I don't get out of the house except occasionally the backyard. I feel stuck at home. I feel like I'm just hanging around waiting. Waiting to go out and do things. Waiting to pull out my sling and travel with the babe. Waiting to go on walks with the toddler and baby (and husband). Waiting to run out to the store to get things. Waiting to visit friends and family. Waiting to shop for more shorts for the toddler, who currently has about 5 pairs which means she needs her laundry done more often--just what we need now, more laundry!
In addition, the Pookie's umbilical cord hasn't fallen off yet. (Shouldn't it have fallen off by now? Or else fall off really soon?) I'm not comfortable putting the boy in onsies or the cute little pants and shorts I have for him, or slipping him into a sling or other things that I am looking forward to doing with him. Londo is particularly looking forward to kissing his belly all over.
So, the point... I feel like I have things on hold. I feel like I'm just waiting for life to move forward. And it's frustrating!
The Question of the Week is:
What do you feel like is on hold in your life?
Between kids, work, finances and goodness knows what else, we adults tend to have to put certain things on hold for a variety of reasons. Londo and I have put on hold building a deck, fixing up an area for my office things and crafts, going on vacations, throwing parties... I could go on and on, but the real big thing right now is I feel my life and life with the newest addition has been in a holding pattern until I'm more healed and his umbilical cord comes off.
What about you? Are you waiting for something? What's keeping you from doing/having something you are looking forward to? When do you foresee being able to more forward?
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