Baby Love

I think we're going to have two Daddy's girls in this house.

The poop

Yesterday was interesting. I was in the middle of feeding Brynn in the living room when Her Highness Hadley demanded my attention in the kitchen. Apparently, she had deemed it snack time. I diligently popped Brynn into her swing and assisted Hadley in getting her snack ready.

Once Hadley was settled, I scooped Brynn back up and sat back down so that we could finish her meal. That's when I felt it... a warm, oozy, stickiness rolling down my arm. Let's just say that I wasn't really prepared for that sensation. I jumped up and looked at Brynn's back only to see that the entirety of her clothing was COVERED in poop. Her back, her side, her hair, all of it was covered. Her swing wasn't spared, either. I ran to the back of the house, plopped Brynn on her changing table and undressed her as fast as I could. Of course, she squirmed like crazy and smeared poop all over me and the changing table. Then, as if on command, Brynn started pooping again. So, I'm standing there trying to catch poop on the open, already poopy, diaper and Hadley starts calling me, i.e., crying/ whining from the kitchen. She wanted more graham crackers. Of course.

Somehow, I got everyone and everything cleaned up and both girls fed, but really, I'm not sure how. It was all a blur and ended with me running around the house in my skivvies trying to get everyone calm, clean, and happy. If nothing else, parenting has taught me that juggling is crucial. As long as I can keep all the balls in the air, I'm usually okay. It's when the balls are covered in poop that I'm in trouble.

And then there were four.... (!!)

You know, I've been meaning to sit down for weeks... okay, months... and write an introductory post for our new little love, but for so many reasons I have been putting it off. For one, my little bean eats NONSTOP from about 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night. It's like she knows she needs to stock up before bed. Unfortunately, that time at night is when I used to get things accomplished, including writing blog posts. Now, I feed Brynn and then crash as soon as she falls asleep.

And second, I just don't want to waste a single minute during the day that I could be spending with my two little girls. They are just that amazing-- and that all-encompassing. They literally keep me going every minute of every day. But, I've never been happier!!

Despite the fact that I have two babies under two (I know, I'm nuts), I'm determined to get this blog back off the ground. That means that I am making a commitment to myself and to all three of my readers (two being closely related to me) to post at least three times a week. I'm just stubborn enough to make it happen. Even if it means making myself post late at night when I'm half-asleep. Should make for some interesting reading, huh??

Okay, enough of that. I know I left you guys hanging after my last post, but I actually did give birth about two months ago. My little Brynn Penelope was born on March 30 and weighed a whopping 8 pounds, 5 ounces. Her birth was relatively easy with the only hitch being that I pushed for about 15 hours. Okay, not really, but those two hours were the longest two hours of my life. It was all worth it, though. Our little Brynn is a doll and is the easiest baby I have ever met.

Brynn captured my heart the moment I laid eyes on her. She loves to hold my hands while I feed her. She gives Sean giant, gummy grins, and she watches Hadley as if she is soaking up every little move so that she can replicate it in a few months. Brynn is also, to my great relief, breastfeeding like a champ. She has had no issues whatsoever latching or getting enough to eat. And, amazingly, she is already sleeping through the night. She started sleeping 5-6 hours at night when she was about three weeks old and in the last few weeks, she started sleeping 8-9 hours at night, from about 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Instead of crying when she is tired, hungry, or bored, Brynn "grumbles." It's the sweetest little gremlin sound that is so much easier on the ears than crying. She loves chewing on her fist and will only sometimes tolerate her paci. And, she is cooing up a storm. At her two-month check-up, she spent the entire time saying, "hiiii" to our pediatrician. Just think-- I can tell people Brynn said her first word at two months:-).

And most importantly, Hadley ADORES Brynn. Hadley can't get enough of her little sister and is happy just kissing, hugging, and patting Brynn. I'm so happy that Hadley isn't jealous or angry that we have a new little one around. To the contrary, Hadley treats Brynn like Brynn is her little baby. She "helps" burp Brynn and will try to give Brynn her paci. A few days ago, I put Brynn in her carseat and turned around to grab a blanket to drape over her. When I looked back, Hadley was already tucking a blanket around Brynn's waist. I have no idea where Hadley got the blanket, but it was amazing to see her mimicking the way I tuck Brynn into her seat.

When we first brought Brynn home from the hospital, Hadley started calling her something that sounded like "Dee-Boo." She would say it every time she saw Brynn. We couldn't figure out what she was saying until we realized that it sounded an awful lot like "gentle," a word we used almost constantly when Hadley would pat or kiss Brynn. Apparently, Hadley thought our new baby was named "gentle." We seem to have cleared up that confusion, though. Now Hadley can say "Brynn," but she usually chooses to call her little sister, "Minn-eee," her version of "Brynnie." I'm loving watching my little girls interact and hope that Hadley keeps her nickname for her sister.

Alright, you guys have to hold me to my 3-posts-a-week promise. I've got lots to update you on, including pics of our new front door, Brynn's nursery, and the playroom.

Any Day Now!

Okay, so it's been a little while since I posted... I know. I keep meaning to and then these things keep getting in the way-- life, toddler, life, pregnancy, etc. All good things, mind you, but all things that nonetheless are occupying my every waking moment lately.

I did want to stop in to quickly update on the baby baking, though, since we are in the home stretch now. I am currently full term, 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant, or as my husband and everyone I know keeps saying, I'm "huge." And, I am. Admittedly, I am as big as a house right now and am finding it difficult, if not impossible, to do the simplest things, like tying my own shoelaces, bending over to pick up toys and other miscellany that hits the floor, and most fun, getting out of bed. I love feeling like a beached whale once I have laid down in bed. And for the life of me, I can't remember what it felt like to actually be able to lie down and sit right back up without floundering about for a hand hold.

This past weekend was gorgeous so Sean and I took Hadley to our local zoo for some outdoor, family time on Saturday afternoon. She had a blast, as usual, I walked way more than I probably should have, and we all came home happy that we had spent a beautiful afternoon enjoying the weather and sights. Oh, and everyone at the zoo had fun staring at my giant belly. I got so many strange looks that all essentially read, "What the hell is she doing walking around the zoo????" Yeah, it was pleasant.

And then on Sunday, I started having contractions. Lots of them-- and they were actually painful contractions that came every few minutes. I figured that I was just tired from my jaunt around the zoo the day before and spent most of the day resting. But, the buggers just wouldn't stop. Finally, around 6:00, I called our on-call nurse and she said I should head to L & D to have my progress checked. Even though I am more than prepared to the nth degree for this baby, it was stressful getting all of the last-minute stuff packed, getting Hadley to my parents with instructions for dinner and bedtime, and getting us to the hospital. And then, after all of that, we were home again by 9:30.

Even though I had dilated more since my last doctor's appointment, I wasn't dilating enough at the hospital for the hospital to keep me. Fun! For now, I'm still having contractions, but they aren't regular enough for me to head back to L & D. Oh, and I had my 39-week appointment today and I am now dilated to 3.5 cm.

3.5 cm!!! That's 1/3 of the way there! My doctor is pretty sure I will deliver any day now, and I am so ready. We have lots of meals frozen for the weeks after the baby gets here, I have nested, folded, dusted, cleaned, and organized every inch of this house, and Sean has scheduled time off from work. Now we just need this little one to make her appearance. I'll update when she gets here!

Merry Christmas!!! (And hello old friends, it's been awhile!)

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your holiday is bright, warm, and sweet. We're in the midst of baking cookies and magic bars and prepping dinner for tonight. Then, once the little one is in bed tonight, we'll get to work assembling some presents. This is our first year to tackle toy assembly, so we'll see how it goes. I'm so excited to see Hadley's face tomorrow morning. It's great that she now knows what is going on and can enjoy the holiday!

I know I've been MIA for a few weeks, but rest assured that I do have posts planned. These last few weeks have just been busy with holiday planning and shopping, travel, and a work project that I finished in mid-December. This month was also made more hectic by the fact that I had to squeeze in numerous continuing legal education hours that I delayed (i.e., procrastinated) in taking until now. The deadline is December 31 and I finished on the 20th-- go me! Hey, at least they are done.

I've also managed to check several things off of my to-do list in the last month: cleaning out the closets in the soon-to-be new baby's room, shopping for cute (or as cute as they get) maternity clothes, packing up infant items to send to my sister for her new baby, setting up a business for my contract work, and assorted other odds and ends. It feels so good to start the new year with a slightly less onerous list of obligations.

And, lest you feel deprived of Hadley info-- my baby is doing beautifully! She was given rave reviews and praise by our pediatrician (and friend) at her 15-month appointment. Our pediatrician said Hadley is definitely precocious. She asked how many words Hadley knows and when I told her probably 15-20, she was super impressed. Apparently, she only needed 3 words to be on track. And, Hadley has added several more words to her repertoire in the last few days, including "towel," "oatmeal," "I don't know," and "bottle." She loves multiple syllable words. When Sean asks her what she knows, she says, "I don't know," except it sounds like "a da loo." It's so cute.

Our new little one is doing well, too. I'm about 26 weeks along now and the little bean is soooo active. I've been able to feel her kicking since about 15 weeks (early, I know!), and now, I can see my stomach move when she gets really active. It's amazing and a little weird at the same time. I have my glucose tolerance test at my next appointment. Other than that, this pregnancy is just moving along. It is really flying by and I have to make myself stop sometimes and just enjoy these moments. Before long, we'll be a family of four and I'm not sure I'll ever have time to slow down again!

And, since I have utterly failed to post a bump pic thus far, here is a pic of my belly at about 24 weeks. I think my belly has about doubled in size since this picture was taken.

We're planning a trip to visit family the day after Christmas and luckily, there is an IKEA within a quick drive of their house. That means we can stock up on baby furniture and other goodies while we're there. I'm anxious to get the new nursery decorated and ready.

That's it for now, folks. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

It's Official....

We're having another little girl!!! And, she's healthy, measuring perfectly, and is spunky already! During the course of our ultrasound on Friday, the little one managed to maneuver herself from a head-down position to a sideways position to a head-up position. All in the span of about 30 minutes. Over and over again, we watched her kick her perfect, tiny feet out, push off, and roll to a new spot. Then, she would curl up and kick or punch like crazy. It was so fun to watch. She kept her little hands by her face most of the time, too, just like Hadley did in utero. I love that my two little girls are already alike!

Since our ultrasound, we've been going non-stop, so I haven't had much time to concentrate on our big news. But, today, it really hit me. I'm going to have two girls-- and they'll be about 18-19 months apart in age! I can just imagine the matching outfits, shared baby dolls, and fighting over toys now:-). We're going to have so much fun and I can't wait!!

18 Weeks

Okay, so I guess it's about time I come out with the reason I have been so freaking lazy with posting new updates on this blog. Weeks ago, it was because I could barely keep my eyes open for more than two hours at a time. I was so incredibly bone-weary tired. It was a chore to simply load our breakfast dishes in the dishwasher each morning. And then, that went away and I was hit with an all-consuming, overwhelming feeling that I could hurl at any minute. Love that feeling. And then that went away, too. Weird, huh? Now, I actually feel like myself. Almost. Except for that bump that has manifested itself on my midsection:-). Sometimes I forget it's there and catch a glimpse of my profile in the mirror. I usually gasp-- and then smile.

If you haven't guessed, I'm pregnant! Yes, we'll have our second child in early April and we're so excited. And a little freaked out. It will definitely be an interesting experience having two children so close in age, but it's an experience I can't wait to start. We're having so much fun with Hadley that I'm sure the new little one will only double the fun.

Oh, and we find out whether the new little one is a boy or a girl next Friday. I'm so excited and so anxious to find out that I almost ran out this morning in the pouring rain to buy this (which is for sale at Walgreen's stores):

Then I decided that it will be much more fun if we wait until our ultrasound. I'm not good at waiting!! I predict that I will be taking plenty of online baby prediction tests over the next week.

Someone is ready for Halloween

Teething Strikes Again

There have been days over the past week when I honestly have felt like I live with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I can leave the house with a sweet, content child and at some point within the hour, she transforms into a fire-breathing, red-eyed monster who could eat me for breakfast. Seriously.

We were at the grocery store yesterday morning and about halfway through our shopping trip, about the time that my cart was filling up and we just had to pick up a few more items and check out, Hadley completely melted down. She threw the miniature pumpkin she had been holding to the floor, almost maiming an innocent bystander, and started wailing, screaming, and thrashing like a banshee. It was brutal. People were staring, I was trying to console her to no avail, and at the same time, I had to decide what to do with all of the groceries in my cart. Do I check out with a screaming baby? Do I put them all back while she loses it in the cart? WHAT DO I DO???? Long story short, I was that woman in the check-out line with the screaming child that everyone stares at and no one will make eye contact with. It was fabulous. Then we got in the car and she was fine. She stopped crying, smiled at me, and sang the whole way home. What the ----?????

I'm blaming my sweet baby's violent mood swings of the past week on teething. Hadley has about a gazillion teeth coming in all at the same time, and I think the pain is messing with her coping mechanisms. She's just never like this. She's always happy and content, but lately, she can be okay one minute and crazy the next. It's a learning experience for sure. For instance, I now know not to let her hold produce at the grocery store as she can be extremely dangerous when angered. And, when the meltdown occurs, RUN! Hopefully, those pesky teeth will break through soon and we can all return to our normal lives. I'll keep you updated.

On happier notes, I have almost taught Hadley to say "BOO" for Halloween. When you ask her what a ghost says, she replies with, "bahhhh." She's so close. And despite her teething pain, Hadley entertains us every night after dinner with music and dancing. She plays the same song on her activity table over and over again while dancing madly to it. You should see her shake her little booty and flap her arms. She really gets down. It's the cutest thing ever!

I'm Here-- I Promise!!!

I so owe you guys a post! I know I've been MIA for the last couple of weeks, but I have a good excuse, I promise. I've been meticulously planning and prepping for Haddy's big birthday bash during just about every waking moment for the past couple of weeks and unfortuanately, everything not party related, including this blog, kinda fell by the wayside. Oops. But, I'm back now. And, all of my hard work on the party really paid off! The party was fabulous and so fun-- more details and pics to come.

My baby is one!!! I still can't believe it and am still a bit in shock. We have spent this week recovering (i.e., relaxing) from her big birthday bash, attending Hadley's one-year checkup, and organizing Hadley's toys since she really racked up at her party. I hope to post Hadley's 12-month letter tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

Oh, and my amazing sister-in-law, Jennifer, will be posting guest blogs on her favorite topic, interior design. We share a love of modern design and I'm so excited to read her posts. The first two she posted in late August are great. You can find the posts here and here.

Favorites

This is one of my new, favorite pictures from this last month. Well, this one and this one:

I love the image each conveys. The sweet, calm, little lady in the first and the mischevious, little imp in the second. Hadley definitely has a little of each in her. By about 3:00 every afternoon, I start hoping her mischevious side is tuckered out. Maybe one day that will happen, but so far, this little imp is keeping me busy. And I couldn't be happier!

Success!

Today officially marks two weeks that we have been pacifier free! We did it!!! I am still shocked at how easy it was to wean Hadley of her pacifier. We simply stopped giving her her pacifier and she never once lost her mind, cried for the pacifier, or otherwise indicated that she couldn't go on without it. In fact, it was as if she completely forgot about the pacifier. I'm sure we got lucky and Hadley was just ready to give up her pacifier anyway. But still, I'm claiming this as a victory.

Next up, the bottle. We're going to start phasing it out at one year, which is in about a month. This one should be interesting-- as in, I expect the world to fall apart and much resistance to ensue. Stay tuned.

Best Friends

Hadley LOVES her dog, Bella. She simply cannot get enough of her. When Hadley sees or hears Bella enter a room, Hadley's whole face brightens and she squeals with delight. Then, she screams, "Bella!!!," and tears off in her direction as if she hasn't seen her in days. And, those two together are hilarious. Hadley tries to "pet" Bella by grabbing her fur and holding onto handfuls at a time. Bella tries to play with Hadley by crouching in front of her or by dangling a toy near her face. And, the kisses. That dog gets more kisses in a day than I get in a week. Bella gives her fair share of kisses to the baby, too.

If Hadley is within ten feet of Bella, Hadley will lean in with a big open mouth to kiss Bella on the top of her head or on her cheek or nose. And, in typical Bella fashion, Bella responds with great big licks to Hadley's face. Hadley could not be happier. I, on the other hand, would prefer that the licks not come into contact with Hadley's face or open mouth. We're working on that one.

For all of the fur pulling that Bella endures in Hadley's presence, she seems to genuinely love Hadley and enjoy being around her. Bella typically seeks Hadley out in the house and routinely joins me when I retrieve Hadley from her crib after naptime. I'm sure the treats that rain down from Hadley's highchair have a lot to do with Bella's continued and saint-like patience with Hadley. The fact that Hadley typcially offers to share her Cheerio's and dinner with Bella probably helps, too.

Two Days and Counting...

I think we've kicked the habit! I'm probably jinxing myself by writing this, but Hadley has now gone two whole days, since Tuesday morning, without touching, looking at, or crying for her pacifier (her paci). She had only been using it when she was sleeping at naptime and at night, but still, she loved that thing. She would wake up in the middle of the night and search for it in her crib. And, she would play with it and sing to it when she woke up in the morning. I figured that taking her paci away would be akin to the world ending, but for some reason, she doesn't even seem to notice that it's gone. I think I'm a little more sad and sentimental than she is to see it go. But, at the same time, I am so happy that we don't have to worry about taking it away when she is old enough to really understand.

Did anyone else's little one use a pacifier?? If so, how did you phase it out/ wean your child from it? I'm half expecting our world to drop out from under us in a few days when Hadley remembers that thing. Keep your fingers crossed that that doesn't happen!

Look Mom: No Hands!

Holding on to furniture is highly over-rated.

Especially when you need both hands to hold (and taste) a fun, new toy. Will you look at the booty sticking out? I just wanna smack it.

I can resist, though. What I can't resist?? Kissing those chubby cheeks.

Gotcha!

I finally got a picture of Hadley's two litte bottom teeth! Aren't they adorable?? Now, we just need a couple of teeth on the top and she'll be ready for her first cheeseburger.

Monkeying Around

A few days ago, Hadley and I were engaged in our normal ritual of playing keep away from the fireplace. We do this often. Hadley makes a mad dash for the fireplace and I scoop her up and put her back in the middle of the room with all of her toys. Of course, the fireplace, the one thing in the room I don't want her playing on or near, is the one thing she wants to play on constantly. Go figure.

Well, that day, Hadley kept dashing to the fireplace and pausing as if she was waiting for me to catch up. Instead of picking her up like I normally do, I put my hand on her shoulder to stop her crawling and said "no fireplace." I thought this would elicit a cry, but instead she stared straight forward and started laughing. I took my hand off of her shoulder and she started slowly crawling forward. I put my hand on her shoulder and she laughed again hysterically. We did this several times before it finally dawned on me that she had created a game for us! She was just waiting for me to figure out how to play.

This seems to be a common theme lately. Hadley does something new until Sean and I finally catch on as to what she wants or is trying to communicate. She must think we are so dense. And, most of the time, we are. I'm still so used to thinking of Hadley as my little baby that it catches me by surprise when she does something as intellectually advanced as creating a game-- or eating without blowing food all over the room.

Hadley also has a game for Sean. One night while we were eating dinner at a restaurant, Hadley got bored and cranky halfway through the meal. To try to keep her busy, Sean gave Hadley her pacifier and then popped it back out. Hadley laughed hysterically at this. When Sean gave her the paci back, she immediately spit it out and started squealing. This continued for some time. People two tables over were laughing along with her.

Hadley has also recently decided that jumping in the bed is her all-time favorite activity. When I put her down for her nap, she stands up, holds onto the rails and jumps up and down until I come back to check on her. When I come in the room, she leans down to look at me through the rails and grins with a huge smile that says, "Did you see that???" I have a feeling we'll be telling our little monkey to stop jumping in the bed quite often.

Chunky Monkey

Will you look at these thighs:

Absolutely scrumptious. I have a hard time not devouring them every day. Notice my baby standing? She's so good at it now. She practices pulling up and sitting back down constantly-- and I mean constantly. She was reaching for my laptop when I took this picture. We battle constantly over the laptop. She says she needs it for work. Apparently, I'm just playing on the Internet.

That look she's making? That is an "AAAAHHHH" sound that very closely resembles a howler monkey's screech. She's pretty good at that now, too. I'll have video of her screech coming soon. You just won't believe it until you hear for yourself.

And, look at these rubber-band wrists and arms!

I love those little arms, especially when they're giving me giant hugs. My little monkey is getting good at giving hugs now, too. She wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes with all her might. I'm working on bottling those hugs so I can save them forever.