Georgie Stuff from Winter 2013/14

I want diaper rash for I want diaper rash cream. and my bum hurts I have diaper rash and my pee pee hurts Where chic let (chic filet)?" ! No more binky mid November! Chewing on fingers 'Catay' for 'today' "Where's Jesus?" After bday cake for Jesus How he blows (like bubbles) Starting to draw faces. Soooo cute bc the eyes are just two dots and the nose is two circles (I think bc he is short and always looking up at people's nostrils?!) and the mouth is a straight line. But he's getting the idea, and this is much more advanced than all the scribbles he's been doing Mixing up what calls meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) "Piskurs" for pictures When he sees or hears about somewhere he'll sometimes say "I want to go there sometime" Soooo cute!

Stuff

Below was something I wrote I'm guessing like a month ago-ish? So beginning of October, or somewhere around there. I think GM was around two months old. This bedtime routine has changed a little now (Nov. 8), as we put her to bed earlier now. But I thought I'd still post this, since this is how we used to do it. So at night we generally start bedtime routine at 7:45 (give or take depending on her feeding bc I feed her 'on demand'). G (or sometimes me) takes Georgie and puts his jammies on while I start feeding Gretta (or sometimes I get ready for bed first), then Georgie comes to me so cutely to say “night night mommy”, and I just love on him and tell him “goodnight my love”! Then I cluster feed GM for the next approx. hour and 15 min, getting ready for bed between feedings. And actually, sometimes I technically start the cluster feedings earlier, like before dinner, which usually falls between 6:30 and 7:00. She does have somewhat of a 'witching hour' around dinnertime – usually somewhere between 5ish 8ish where she's a little fussier than normal. I think maybe her appetite just catches up to her bc she sleeps a lot of the day. She seems to be having 'eating days' (when she doesn't sleep as much) and then 'sleeping days' (when she doesn't eat as much).

Georgie Stuff

So I've been writing things down about the kids, on my notepad on my phone, to eventually blog abaout. I'm quickly finding out that I just don't have the time to be as thorough as I'd like, and I figure something is better than nothing. Even if it's just the 'cliff notes' of their childhood, it will at least trigger my memory to fill in the blanks and expand! So, here is, copied and pasted from my notepad 'stuff to blog about for Georgie'.

Train whistles being "way up there" (when he hears them, and obviously can't see them, he kindof points to the sky like the trains are 'somewhere out there'!!!

Calls steak snake, pizza bippa, and ambulance ambimp, "sada" for salad, he called pantusos 'panchoo-choos'!

Funny things he's said: A choir came on the classical station, and it was a part where just the men were singing, and he said "daddy singing?!"; when he's falling asleep at night (or nap) sometimes he'll say funny things like "mommy, daddy - Georgie wake up (is awake)!"; And he'll sing the alphabet;

Right now he's in a MAJOR question-asking stage - soooo inquisitive!!! It is AMAZING to see and I just think he's soooo smart!!! Says "what momma lookin at?" And the other day said "what momma thinking?" - sooooo smart! Says "where _____ (tee- tees house/grammy's house, chic lay (chic filet)/walmart/mall/grommer's" (and others!), "How this works?" ("How does this work?"); "What song this is momma?"; "What momma see?"; "What's that noise"; "Where moon?"; "Where sun?"; "Where daddy/lots of people?"; "What that man doing?"; etc. etc. etc. - soooo many questions!!! Sooo adorable. He will ask the same ones over and over and I will just answer them over and over.

"No I like it" for "I don't like it" (usually with food)

Got his two year molars in the last month (basically the month of October). I think some of his 'agrssiveness' towards Leonie was bc he was hurting. He's been much better lately! (Today's November 1).

Afraid of (at least aware of) the dark. It's so funny bc I always thought parents TAUGHT their kids how to be afraid of things by what they said, watched, etc., but that is NOT true. Georgie recently became aware of the dark and even though he says 'turn light off' (I think in a way he's 'facing' his fear), he always wants me in the room with him when we do that. And he now won't go in the family room or office in the morning by himself bc it's not super light. He doesn't directly say he's afraid - I can just tell bc now he'll say things like "momma go in there with me" or "momma come on" or "it's dark in there". Sooo interesting to see him noticing complex things like the unknown of the darkness.

He's been better with Gretta - he'll kiss and hug her (be it slightly aggressive sometimes) and has held her a few times. Says things like "she cute" and "Gretta crying?" and "big smiles" - soooo cute! I really try to have him help me with little things, saying he's SUCH big helper, and when he does sweet things to GM I praise him UP AND DOWN. I think he's starting to get used to not getting ALL the attention.

Gretta Stuff

So I've been writing things down about the kids, on my notepad on my phone, to eventually blog abaout. I'm quickly finding out that I just don't have the time to be as thorough as I'd like, and I figure something is better than nothing. Even if it's just the 'cliff notes' of their childhood, it will at least trigger my memory to fill in the blanks and expand! So, here is, copied and pasted from my notepad 'stuff to blog about for Gretta'. Nicknames: Baby princess, Pickles, Gret mer, Miss Mae, mrs. Maes, Mae, angel, angel princess, Beautimus. I know - pretty ridiculous!!! It is so sweet in the morning bc Georgie gets up (too early), so we (George) gets him set up to watch videos on the kindle (usually police cars, little einsteins, caillou), and around then GM gets fussy so we move her to the bed next to George and she falls back asleep. So we all are on our bed together, and it's just fun family time (even though 3 out of the 4 of us are sleeping!). Cute swallowing sound when she nurses Manly grunting sound when she's trying to poo :( Has issues with that (pooing) - sad! Started doing short little laughing episodes a LITTLE before 3 months. Did it tonight (exactly 3 mos - Nov. 6). Soooo precious!!! We just started implementing a bedtime of 7:30 (try to), made easier by the recent time change. Other than that benefit, the time change is kicking ALL our butts! I go to bed at like 8:30 or 9 (try to), made easier (and harder) by the time change. Tiredness is very set in now but I know this too shall pass. With earlier bedtime, she sometimes feeds THREE times/night now. Stinks. She's starting to fall into half hour napping schedule like georgie. Grrrrrrrrrrr. Trying to nip it in the bud and only thing we've found somewhat successful is standing over her and waiting for her to wake at 30 min, then sticking the binky in when she does. Usually only works for her late afternoon nap. She's been doing a fair amount of naps in the crib or in the nursery in the rock n play. I've been tracking her naps (time/where/length) for a week now, trying to come up with some patterns to make a schedule. She's all over the place. Probably bc MY scheudle is all over the place! I probably need to start tying myself to our home more, which is REALLY hard for me. Sleep training is a trade off for sure. She still sleeps pretty good at night and I often put her down awake in her bassinet. I'm pretty sure she's a small eater, but she had gained ENOUGH at her 2 month so it's okay. My milk has definitely dropped of (I like to call it 'regulated'!) but I'm just plugging away and she seems to be getting enough. I've been pumping less - 1-3 times a day usually, and USUALLY both night feedings. Still about one bottle a week so she'll take one. She's beautiful! Beautiful big eyes and cute little lips! She's tall! She was in the 25th% at her 2 month. Just got her first diaper rash. Really sad.

Adjusting to Life With Two!!!!

Well, it only took me 5 weeks, but I'm going to very much SUM UP the birth of our sweet precious daughter Gretta Mary. I, as I knew I would be, have been extremely busy with adjusting to two kiddos. Hence, I don't have time to be as thorough as I would prefer to be! So I'm going to try to touch on important things, as I know this blog will be SO fun to read and reminisce when the kids (and we all!) get older! We're finally getting into a routine now, and I'm figuring out how to load two kids into the car, her feeding/sleeping needs/patterns (still pretty inconsistent), how much time it takes to get out the door, what I have to just 'let go' of etc. etc. etc.! I've found that taking it one day at a time is a good mindset. Some days are great and I feel like supermom - other days I feel completely overwhelmed and somewhat helpless. But I know how fast this time will go, so I'm just taking it one day at a time. Gretta is already starting to 'wake up' a little more, and become a little more fun with slightly more personality. I'm enjoying this newborn stage more because I know more what to expect, know what to not freak out about, and she's an easier baby (thank you God!!!). She sleeps quite a bit. She's only ever done two night feedings, and lately the second one has been at 6am, so basically only ONE night feeding! This has been wonderful in itself, but especially bc of my insomnia issues. And God has blessed me abundantly (lots of prayer!), by helping me to usually be able to fall back asleep after feedings. It's been awesome. I can honestly say that I don't even mind them so much, bc of this. Gretta looks SO much like Georgie as a baby - it's crazy! Her cheeks are a little chubbier, and she has more and darker hair, but that's about it! She so cute! She has some fairly bad milia, but partly bc we only bathe her once a week, and also bc I hold her face when I burp her, and so she's broken out there a little bit. Her hair is crazy! Every which way - so cute! She doesn't fuss that much, but when she does it's almost always either bc she's hungry, or a few minutes after her feedings (consistently) bc of gas (we think). So we have a routine of rubbing her belly, burping her good, raising her legs ,and doing 'bicycles' and giving her gas medicine, to alleviate it. After about maybe 30 minutes-ish, she usually calms dow and falls asleep. She alternates a couple days where she'll eat almost every 2-2.5 hours, and not have super long or great naps (but it helps my milk), and days where she does great 'eat-wake-sleep' patterns with at least two solid, probably 2-hour-ish naps. I've been pretty successful with trying to 'mix up' where and how she sleeps (couch, rock n play, bassinet, bed, will start crib soon, car seat, swing and with lots of noise or with silence), just so she's flexible. She definitely has to be more flexible than Georgie had to be, bc of noise and bc sometimes I have to just let her cry for a minute while I attend to Georgie. I feel really guilty about that sometimes, but I know it's important to tend to G, who notices and remembers a lot more. Anyway, she eats pretty good, though gets full really fast so I've had a hard time getting her to eat for longer than like 7-9 minutes lately (on one side, then I have to wait a few minutes for her to take the second side, and it's usually only for like 5 minutes). A lot of times I feel like I have to 'force feed' her, and sometimes I'll finally get he to open her mouth and take the nipple, but then she just sits there and WON'T suck! So I finally just give up and assume she's JUST not hungry. It's a little frustrating, and scary for my milk supply, bc all the books say they need to nurse for AT LEAST 10-15 min on the first side, and should nurse for a few more minutes on the second side too. But she's gaining good weight, so I'm trying to ignore what the 'books' say, and just trust she's fine. She's a happy baby. I wanted to get her weighed bc I was freaking out about her habits, but didn't want to take her to the dr. to weigh her bc I didn't want them to freak out (or freak me out), if she wasn't gaining like they'd like, so I called my nurse family practitioner (and friend) Stephanie Mothersell, and she brought her scale over and weighed her for me. She had gained almost 8 oz/week in 3 1/2 weeks, which is great (they're supposed to gain between 4 and 7 oz/week)! I was SOOOO happy. I think she just eats pretty efficiently, and when my milk lets down it comes down pretty strong (a lot of times she chokes a little bit - so sad!). Anyway, to help my milk supply, I try to pump after every feeding. I miss some here and there if I'm out and about (and really try not to freak out about it), but generally I try to pump if I'm home. I ALWAYS pump after night feedings too, bc my milk is abundant and she can never come close to emptying me. I'm stockpiling QUITE the supply of milk in the freezer! It's great! I've had to, and will have to, take some to store in Janae's garage freezer. It makes me so happy! I REALLY hope my milk keeps up like it has been, because it was pretty strong with Georgie too, but dropped off fairly quickly. She sort of seems to me like she's heading down the same path as Georgie (just doesn't seems to love nursing), so it scares me a little. But I do feel like I 'force' her a little more than I did with Georgie (which is a good thing - newborns sometimes just don't eat as much as they need to), and I'm going to try to remain diligent with this. Another thing is that I'm pumping after night feedings, which I don't think I did with Georgie. Also, I've been giving her one bottle per week, just so she'll TAKE a bottle, but no more (so she doesn't PREFER it). I am SO hoping to make it longer than the 5 months I did with G. I'm really hoping for a year! Janae gives me hope and encourages me, bc she was so diligent with Leonie, and it paid off. She's been a good help for me, reminding me of things that I so quickly forgot! She helped me when I first nursed her, right after birth, bc I couldn't remember how to do it! The nurses assume you remember everything when you already have one, but YOU DON'T! There was so much I forgot (plus I was SO sleep-deprived with Georgie, that it's hard to remember that first 9 months very well!). So that's nursing and sleeping. She likes the car seat and usually falls asleep in it, so that's great! She doesn't seem to have any reflux, and hardly EVER spits ANYTHING up, so that's a blessing! She's not always great about burping, which can be a little stressful, but overall I think we've been blessed with a very good baby! Georgie's been doing good overall, though it's definitely affected him. In the beginning there were so many people around a lot (mainly Janae, mom, and Janet) that were disciplining him a little more than they usually have to, just bc George and I would be pre-occupied or busy, and I think THAT affected him more than anything. I am really conscious of labeling him as a 'good boy', a 'good helper', 'so loving' etc., and when he's receiving discipline from every direction that's maybe not quite as conscious as constantly labeling him positively, it just was (and still is a little) wearing on him. It seems to be better now that it's often just the three of us (him, me, and Gret). G and I SO try to emphasize the 'good' behavior and labels, and try to downplay and quickly forgive the bad behavior. He has yet to say 'all done Gretta' or 'no Gretta', or really anything negative about her, so that's GREAT. I really think he's doing good compared to how a lot of kids would respond, in his shoes. I try to give him EVERY opportunity to help out - little things like turning on the breast pump (sooo cute that he likes to do this! He's so familiar with pumping now that he'll say things like 'all done pumping?' 'mama need to pump'!!! So adorable). He will bring me her dee (binky), cover her with a blanket, give her kisses and love pats, bring me her blanket etc. All that, but he DOES still have quite a few moments daily where he'll 'head butt' her or squeeze or pull on her, and it makes me so frustrated. I get downright angry, and we really discipline him when he does this. He knows better, but sometimes I really think that it is the terrible twos, not just her. He does the same things to Leonie (gets in trouble OFTEN for doing this). And some of it too is that he's a boy, and plays rough. It's just the boy in him, and he doesn't know he's being that forceful. Anyway, he's SO cute with that absolutely adorable face, and so sometimes I find it so difficult to stay angry with him. He's just SO cute. And says the absolutely most adorable things. Sooooo smart, he is!!! He's my little man, and I am just so incredibly in love with him! I do think he loves Gretta a lot - he'll look at her and say 'little hands, little feet, little nose etc' - so cute! And he will say 'love you Gretta'! And I've been calling her Gret for short, and one day he started calling her Gret and I almost died. So cute! 'Gret hungry?' 'Where baby Gret?' Soooo sweet. I have absolutely NO DOUBTin my mind that he will be the BEST BEST big brother ever, and very soon. Gret is a very lucky girl!! I am so in love with my perfect (for me!) little boy and little girl. I feel more blessed than ever in my life. I have a beautiful family! They both fill different voids, and George is such a great dad. I need to go soon, but let me just say that George has been SO helpful - making breakfast every morning, cleaning the house on his days off, just doing so many household chores for me. FILLS my love tank so much! That's not to say that tensions haven't been high, but we're both tired and overwhelmed at times, and so this was to be expected. It is better than it was with Georgie though, so I'm grateful! It's nice that wasn't crazy busy at work when she was born. It's starting to get a little busier now, but I feel in more of a place to do it 'on my own' now. It's nice that I'm not working AT ALL - sooo wonderful, and I don't see how I COULD'VE worked at all with having two - one being a newborn. Anyway, there's more I wish I had time to write about, like our nighttime routine, her birth story, and other things I can't think of right now! I will REALLY try not to let too much time pass before another update. I don't want Gretta to feel neglected when she's older!!! ;) Well, must leave my much adored Starbucks time now, to get home and nurse. Baby girl is hungry! Later... :)

My Love for Georgie, Separation Anxiety, 2-Word Sentences, Canines Broke!

So first of all, the last few days, Georgie has suddenly had this HORRIBLE separation anxiety like never in his life, and we've had to do 'cry it out' almost like never before in his life! We thought we were out of the woods for both! Anyway, in general he's been SOOOOOOOOO sweet and back to his normal self, now that ALL FOUR OF HIS CANINES HAVE BROKEN! (in the last week the last four broke - halleluiah!). Anyway, that has been a HUGE relief, and it really shows how much of the 'brattiness' WAS in fact teething. Anyway, 5 nights ago (and another night and 3 naps since then), he would seem relaxed and almost asleep in our arms, then we'd lay him down and he'd sit up, then stand, then just sob 'mama' and/or 'dadda'. It is sooooo sad. Then eventually he'd stand there long enough to where he'd drop the binky on the floor (which he absolutely CAN'T fall asleep without), and so we'd have to go in there are give it back. It got to the point where we'd actually take like 2 or 3 more binkys in and set them in the crib, and say "more dees", and he would even go through ALL of them a couple times so we'd have to go back in. On Sunday he never fell asleep for his nap (after over 1 /12 hrs), so I eventually had to just get him up and he didn't nap that day. We rule out pain, hunger, anything else, and we just KNOW it's just that he wants to be around us. It's soooo sweet, and soooo incredibly sad. It was so bad when I took him to the nursery during music theater workshop, that I just ended up keeping him because I COULDN'T bear to see him so sad. He literally looks at me with the most exaggerated 'brave' face, like "Mom, I'm trying to be brave, but I just love you so much, and I want to just be with YOU", then his face slowly turns red, puffs up, lips quivering like "mommy, PLEASE don't abandon me", and then tears start streaming down in an incredibly SAD cry (not anger, not pain, just pure sadness). I tear up even thinking about it. I just want to hold my baby tight forever and ever. Which leads me to - I just love him SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much. I have always loved him so much, but it's funny how your love just grows and grows and grows. Especially now that the love is so reciprocated. It's funny bc I will admit (just to be honest), that I was SLIGHTLY disappointed when I found out he was a boy. But MAN, did God know how much I would love having a boy, LOVE being a mom to a boy, LOVE LOVE LOVE that bond that mommy and son have. I had know idea, but God, OF COURSE, in His perfect plan (DUH!!!), knew the experience I would have, having Georgie as my son. I simply wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING, EVER. I am soooo in love, and at this point, to be honest, I'm almost feeling like I'm not going to bond as well with a girl. I feel like boys is all I know now, and a girl scares me a little (which, of course, the Lord will prove wrong when she's born!!!!). I trust completely His plan. I NEED His plan. I don't know what I need, or want, or what will teach and help me grow. But God knows what will make me do those things perfectly! Anyway, I'm just so incredibly in love with my son, and he will always be mommy's little love. I am SO grateful God gave me a boy. And now a girl - which He will reveal to me how I can equally love a girl (and a different person), in an equally strong way. I can't wait! Georgie's talking is just snowballing, and now he's saying two word sentences, and learning more everyday!!! He says "Hope (help) ________ (fill in the blank - like "car" - meaning "please help me with this car", he says "all done ______", "Daddy's duck ("truck") (ALL the time!), "Momma's car", "Ma ("more") ______", "ree ("read") book", and others that I can't think of right now. It's sooooooooooo stinking cute, and he's just learning at the speed of light! I'm so proud of him. He's getting more into cartoons, esp. Thomas, and he'll watch the video while mommy is making dinner (I finally just sat him down and said "Georgie, mommy really needs to make dinner (in peace!). Can you watch Thomas while I do that?" And he does! He keeps himself occupied and it's been SUCH a relief to me! Anyway, just so much learning going on all the time. I love him. Can you tell! ;)

Back Pain

So a few days after my 'fall' before our first ultrasound, I definitely felt sore on that left lower back. But now, over the last few days, general lower back pain has started (pretty sure it's just the pregnancy). It's not terrible yet, but I fear this is the beginning of the same pain I had with Georgie. That was my worst symptom in that pregnancy. I don't remember what it felt like exactly, but this pain seems to be a little lower. I think it's just the weight of my belly, counterbalancing with my back. I expect this to continue, and probably worsen, for the rest of the pregnancy. :( (I'm 24 weeks tomorrow - which, btw is exciting bc there's a good chance she would survive if she was born now!!!!) Anyway, I'm thinking about going to the chiropractor when it gets bad. Today my left hip hurts and I'm actually a little numb in my left upper leg. I think it's because I carry so low bc of my long torso. Anyway, I'll keep updating on this :)