Lily and the Hat

Lily does not really like to have things on her head. As the mom of a girl, I was super excited for her hair to get long enough to put cute bows in it. It would figure that every time I put a cute little barrette in, she immediately pulls it out. I got two pigtails in her hair, two seconds later *poof!* gone. She also cried. She is a little more flexible with hats. If you tell her we are going outside and she has to wear a hat, she is all over it. She loves to go outside, so convincing her she needs to keep her head warm is relatively easy. Given her great hatred of things on her head, it was a bit surprising when she decided that she HAD to wear a newborn knit hat for the better part of the day...

Wearing the hat while pushing a stroller.

Wearing the hat while playing with magnetic letters with grandma.
 

Sometimes, I really want to know what goes through the mind of a 21-month-old. I really, really do. I imagine it is probably something like a car race- little ideas speeding around faster than you can capture them. As evidence of my theory, I cite Lily's activities the other day: look out the door, run to the toy bin, grab a toy, run to the shoes, try on dada's shoes, run to Fred's crate, try to coax Fred into the crate, run to the toy bin, show mama another toy, run to the door, recite every outdoor thing you can think of, run to the middle of the rug, spin in circles...I am pretty sure these ideas spontaneously enter her brain and exit her brain faster than the speed of light...

Cloth Diapers

So we have been using cloth diapers for about 3 weeks now. We wanted to wait to use them until the circumcision healed because the A&D would have ruined the cloth. Now that we have gotten into the swing of things, I am really enjoying the diapers. They are easier to use than I imagined; even the cleaning process is simple. I think there are many misconceptions about cloth-- even I had some before really researching and trying. Let me get one thing straight, though. I am by no means a "crunchy" mom. I am not trying to save the planet by using cloth. I am trying to save money. Because we need money to do things. Like buy groceries. And pay the mortgage. And Vera Bradley...but I digress...

Part of the reason I am enjoying cloth is because they are really dang cute. See here:

I also like them because they are cheaper, in the long run. I basically have all of the diapers I will need for Jack's whole diaper-wearing life. Most of the diapers go from newborn to potty training. The bonus of having a big baby is that the one size diapers fit better earlier. He basically skipped the newborn diapers (he wore the NB fitteds for maybe 2 weeks and the XS Thirsties covers for the same amount of time...he never fit the Bummis NB covers). Right now, I am really liking the Flips covers with aplix (Velcro). I discovered I don't love diapers that snap because I can't get the good fit that I can with aplix.

Another bonus to cloth-- I discovered, when Jack was only  few days old, that the Pampers he was wearing were making his whole diaper area red. He even got diaper rash very quickly. When I switched to cloth, the problem was solved. I think he was having a reaction to something in the diaper. With the cloth, I mostly use 100% cotton diapers, so it is gentler on his skin (he comes from a long line, read me, of sensitive skin folk...).

As I go along this new journey with cloth I will keep you updated about what I like and don't like and what diapers seem to work best for us. So far, things are going great! And now, another fluffy butt...Jack will thank me later for all of this diaper only pictures...

Spring = Snow?

SNOW DAY! Wait, what? Yes, you heard correctly, it is March 25, but Mother Nature don't care. We probably have 5 inches of snow in the yard, and it's still snowing (though, not sticking at this point). For me, this means very little other than I got to play in the snow with Lily. For all of my teacher friends not on maternity leave this means a snow day for which, I am sure, they are very grateful. It's been a nice day, so far. Lily and I got outside and played in the yard. We also went for a walk. We searched for airplanes (you cannot see airplanes when it is snowing...), made snowballs, and attempted to go down the slide. Once I cleared the slide of snow Lily decided it was not clean enough (darn snowflakes kept falling!) and would not go down the slide. Womp womp. At least we had a nice walk!

This guy loves to smile. He did not get to participate in the outdoor activities.

Before going outside it is always wise to make a complete mess of the dining room.

It is also wise to unlace daddy's snow boots.

What is this stuff?

Snowballs!

Hmm..what to do next...

I hear the airplanes...I don't see them.

Jack is 1 Month!

At 1 month old Jack loves...

 

1. ...his sister. At least I am pretty sure he does. He smiled for her twice! He also opened his mouth at her when she was leaning in and she was so excited because she just knew he was trying to kiss her.

2. ...his rock and play. This is where he sleeps at night.

3. ...nursing. I think this goes without explanation.

4. ...his baths. He is so much more calm in the bath than Lily was at his age. He is so chill in his little tub.

5. ...snuggling. He seems to fall asleep the best when he is on someone's chest.

6. ...being in a carrier of any kind. See #5.

7. ...kicking his little legs.

8. ...his pacifiers. When he keeps them in his mouth...

9. ...being warm. This kid is not one to be chilly. Once he is snuggly warm, he will fall right to sleep. Don't, however, swaddle him, that is not fun.

10. ...and, of course, mama and dada!

 

 

Rough Night

Lily, our great little sleeper, had a rough night last night. We heard her whining on the monitor saying "no", but eventually she quieted down and fell back to sleep. I guessed she had a bad dream, which is why she might say "no" in her sleep. We went upstairs at around 10 to get ready for bed. After I brush my teeth, wash my face, take my contacts out, etc...I always check on Lily. I have since she was moved into her own room.

When I go in I do two things: pull her blanket on her and take the books out of her crib. Last night, I did these two things and she sat up and cried and cried, saying "mama" over and over. I picked her up, rocked her for a minute, and asked if she wanted dada (she hasn't seen Tom all day). She definitely did, so Tom came in and rocked her. She cried and cried through the rocking. Tom brought her in our room, an unusual treat for her, and she laid in bed with us. We got her to calm down and the girl was all snuggles. At 11:30, we moved her back to her room, which she didn't really want...but we needed sleep. She settled down in her crib almost immediately and was asleep faster than I was.

So this morning, I am a little more tired, but it's ok. The snuggles we got last night were wonderful. As I was holding my girl I realized her body isn't so tiny anymore. She isn't my little baby, and change that seemed to happen overnight. I suppose Jack fills the baby role in the house, so Lily can slide into the kid role. While she is still classified as a "toddler", I definitely see her as a kid now. She isn't testing out her legs anymore, she runs. She knows what makes her happy and what makes her sad. She knows exactly what she wants. She a funny, confident, happy little girl. I will admit, I felt a little sad that she isn't my tiny girl anymore; however, seeing her grow and change makes me the proudest mama in the world.

I love you, Lily Bean.

21 Months...Say What?!?

At 21 Months Bean Loves...

 

1. ...her brother, Jack. She adores him.

2. ...her doggie Fred. Right now, she is into chasing him, kissing him, petting him...scaring him...

3. ...figuring things out...like how to use a buckle, how to lock a door, etc...

4. ...playing Ready? Set! Go! and running around.

5. ...eating blueberries (I don't think this one changes...and has probably been something she's loved for months!).

6. ...going down the slide.

7. ...Caillou. Tom jokes that he is Lily's first boyfriend.

8. ...playing with big kids.

9. ...playing with her grandparents.

10. ...and, of course, mama and dada!

 

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Fluffy butt

So over these pictures

Spring is coming!

This weekend verified that spring is, indeed, on its way. Thank goodness! I am so looking forward to warm weather, sunshine, and longer days. This morning was "spring ahead", which included the unfortunate loss of a precious hour of sleep. Meaning, my butt got kicked. Lily and Jack didn't seem to notice or care, but mommy and daddy certainly did!

We had a nice little weekend. Tom turned 28 yesterday, so we celebrated his birthday all weekend. Yesterday, I surprised him with 3 tickets to an Orioles/Yankees game in June. I let him pick out the tickets (I have no idea where the good vantage points are for optimal baseball viewing) and the date. We also enjoyed a delicious Chick-Fil-A breakfast (Lily had her first Chick-Fil-A breakfast and loved it!) at Tom's request. Tom and Lily ran errands with Uncle Brad and they even got her an Orioles ball! Shocking! For dinner, my mom made Tom shrimp and made everyone else meatloaf. She also made Tom a yummy chocolate cake. Today, his parents came over to celebrate. We had Tom's favorite- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and watermelon. The weather was perfect and we got Lily outside to run around and play.

In other news, Lily isn't napping the way she used to. She sometimes takes a morning nap, sometimes takes an afternoon one, or sometimes won't nap at all. The upside to lack of napping is that she falls asleep quickly for bed. I think it's time we cut out a nap, and worked her into one afternoon nap. She is also showing interest in a big girl bed, so that is another thing we will be working on soon (not too soon, though!).

Tomorrow, is Tom's last day of paternity leave (he took 2 weeks). He was a huge help over these past two weeks. I will miss him being home with us. I know Lily will really miss him! They have been best buds and she has loved her daddy time. I still have 10 weeks to go (my maternity leave is longer than summer vacation!), so Lily, Jack, and I will have lots of time to hang out!

Averi meeting Jack. He is yawning, not crying. She let us know that she wants one like him.

Coloring the box.

Finger painting with dada.

My little monkey.

I am number one!!

Getting there...

So here is the new blog. I was working on the title for a while a few days. I finally settled on Life {Im}perfected for a few reasons.

1. I like to think I am perfect. I know full well, I am not (unfortunately).
2. I think having two kids will mean a lot of things will be imperfect- that is not to say that they won't feel perfect, anyway.
3. Nothing is actually perfect...especially my house keeping abilities.

So we keep trying and moving forward. Here's to a perfectly imperfect life!

Yep, matching outfits. Duh.

Under Construction

Obviously, the blog is under construction. trying to work out a new title because we don't just have Bean anymore...so it needs to reflect 2 kiddies. Will be updating, so keep on the lookout for the updates!

2/23/2013

Almost a week after Jack's birth I am sitting down to write his birth story (this is pretty unsentimental- just the actual story). Like Lily's, Jack's birth was an uncomplicated one (thank goodness!).

At my 40 week appointment (Thursday, February 21), I was dilated 1 cm. Nothing was happening, and, while my doctor was hoping (and I was hoping) that I was go into labor on my own, we did discuss and induction (that would have happened today!). I went home praying that sometime in the next few days I would magically go into labor and not have to worry about sticking it out and waiting until 41 weeks for an induction.

Saturday morning-- February, 23, 2013-- was pretty routine. Once Lily went down for her nap I decided I needed to clean the closet and bedroom. I wanted to clean the room the night before, but I was way too tired, so I cleaned on Saturday. While I was cleaning I noticed that I was crampy, but nothing seemed significant, so I just kept cleaning. Around 11:30, I noticed that I was having some mild contractions, so I started taking note of the contractions. Around lunchtime, I told Tom I was having contractions, and while they were mild, they might turn into something. I ate lunch (just soup...just in case) and played with Lily. At around 2pm my contractions became regular and stronger, and I knew I was in labor. We called my parents to give them a heads up and said we would call again once we spoke to a doctor. By 3pm I decided to call. The doctor on call was the doctor who delivered Lily, so I knew I who she was and I liked her. She told me to go to the hospital. We called my parents, got a few final things together, and we were on our way.

We arrived at the hospital between 3:30pm and 4:00pm and they got us in a room, so I could get checked. The nurse checked  me, but didn't say anything. She called into two other nurses to check me, so I decided either I was still 1 cm. or I was about to have the baby. Luckily, I was on the side of "about to have a baby". I was already 8 cm. dilated! I was shocked! My contractions were definitely uncomfortable, but bearable, and things had progressed to fast in such a short amount of time. Things got pretty fast from there. They called the doctor again to let her know that I was already at an 8. I wanted an epidural, but I wasn't sure I could get one. My water hadn't broken, so they told me I could get one. They started fluids ASAP and called the anesthesiologist. I was able to get the epidural and immediately felt great. (I should add here-- I could have had my water broken without an epidural and probably delivered in the hour...but I wasn't really into trying things drug free...even though I was managing my contractions well.)

The only moment that caused concern happened after the epidural was placed (and my water was broken). The baby's heartbeat decelerated, and then the nurse couldn't find it. They had me flipping on my sides, they put oxygen on my face (in case you were wondering, this is the part I hated the most...), and called in other nurses. Finally, the heartbeat was located and things were fine. The nurse thinks the baby just reacted poorly to the water breaking, and needed a chance to figure things out again. My labor slowed a bit, so Tom and I talked and I tried to rest a bit before I had to push. I was fully dilated by 7pm, but the baby was high, so the doctor wanted to let him come down more. By 8pm the doctor wanted me to push, and, despite a good epidural, pushing was fairly easy. By 8:49pm Jack was born. Everything seemed so quick! All-in-all I pushed for 45 or so minutes, however, they had me rest a lot in between because I was so numb and they wanted me to get more feeling back. Overall, pushing was probably 30 minutes or less.

Jackson was born very healthy- at a surprise weight of 10 pounds, 3 ounces. My OB estimated a 9 pound baby, not a 10 pound one, so that was a shock to everyone in the delivery room!

My recovery this time seems a little rougher than with Lily; likely because of Jack's size. I am starting to feel better this week, but it feels like I will never get any ab muscles back!