Week 4&5: Two Under Two

Another two weeks down, I'm not sure where the time is going. This week flew by. We had mostly good days the past few weeks. We finished week 4 by seeing our family doctor who put Theo on some reflux medication. It's been a full week now that he's been on them and he seems to be sleeping much better.

He is also a whopping 14 lbs already. That's up 5 lbs from his birth weight. It blows my mind that this tiny human can grow that much in such a short period if time but I guess it's possible! 

I am 1 month old!

Theo had his first trip to the beach this past week (which he slept thru...lucky for us), had a lunch date with his gf Charlie, went to 2 fitness classes, and met some family that drove over two hours to meet him. A busy few weeks!

Theo's first trip to the beach!

We are starting two weeks of vacation this weekend. Our babysitter is off for two weeks, which means Noah is home with me and hubs is taking vacation to help out. 

Sleep: 

Theo is still sleeping in our room in the pack n play. We are using a wedge to keep him upright and the miracle blanket to keep him in a tight swaddle. The Velcro swaddles allowed him to much freedom. His sleep is getting more predictable at least at night. Still going down around 9:30-10 and wakes up around 1-2 and again around 5-6. He doesn't normally poop overnight but then at his 5/6am Wake up he is always grunty trying to have a bm. When he finally does, it's a doozy. I can get him go sleep peacefully now on his back in the pack n play until that 5am wakeup. Then I normally move him to the swing (in his bedroom) from 5-7 as he grunts and tries to have his poop (which allows me to get a bit more sleep). 

Noah has been sleeping MUCH better. Bedtimes have been easier and there has been almost no middle of the night wake ups lately either. 

I love ice cream!

Personality:

Theo isn't a baby that can sleep on a whim, anywhere anytime. He does sleep in the car almost all the time. But isn't a fan of sleeping in his swing or bouncy chair. He will doze in them occasionally for 45-60 mins but that is all he will allow me. I find it's to my benefit to get out as much as possible and have him sleep in the car seat as he seems to sleep anywhere from 2-3+ hours when we are on the go. He seems to be fussier between 6-8pm...which makes evenings hard with supper, bath times and bed times. We don't normally breath a sigh of relief until we get Noah down to sleep. 

Feedings:

Again when we are on the go during the day he will give me 3+ hours in between feedings. But if we are home all day, he eats more frequently. He definitely eats more during the evening hours as well. 

milk drunk

Postpartum:

Well i started back to fitness classes this week and it feels great. I love that I can take Theo with me and go during the day, otherwise I am positive I would never make it out of the house. I am certainly sore and have had to modify a bit as I am starting back earlier than most, but does it ever feel good. Still about 12 lbs to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

big brother helping with bath time

I feel like we are on the up and up over here. Hoping we manage ok without our babysitter these next few weeks, wish us luck :)

A Day In the Life: 4 Week Old

1:15- baby is awake for his first feeding of the night. He's been asleep since 9pm so this is pretty good. I shuffle over to the pack n play, change his bum, and take him back to bed where I prop up the pillows and feed him.

I give him ovol drops afterwards as he is kicking his legs and grunting. After some

Bicycling and some bouncing he settles around 2:30 in the bouncy chair. 

4:15 - baby wakes again for his second feeding of the night. I change his bum and he has a big #2 which I hope means he got rid of what was bothering him earlier. I prop the pilows and feed him until 4:40. I try to get him down on his back in the pack n play but he isn't having it. Back to the bouncy chair he goes. I collapse into bed and hope he settles. 

6:45 - Theo starts to stir. I eventually get him up and changed and then brother bear starts yelling to let us know he is awake too. We all go in to greet him.

7:10 - I feed Theo on the couch and snuggle with Noah while he watches Zigby and Daddy makes us all breakfast. 

7:55 - I send Noah and hubs out the door for work and daycare. Theo does tummy time and spends time on his play mat. 

9:00 - baby is asleep in the swing. I put a load of laundry in, clean up the kitchen from breakfast, clean my pump parts and fold some towels.

10:30 - I quickly shower, as I get out i can hear Theo crying and is ready to eat. I throw some clothes on and feed him with my hair in a towel. I just feed him enough to tide him over, then quickly finish getting ready. 

11:15 - we are out the door for our appointment at the bank to set up Theo's education fund. I have to switch the double stroller out for the single and grab my purse and diaper bag...we're late already #lifewithababy

While were out, we do a little shopping. We grab some diapers at Target for big brother, head to Walmart to get a sun hat for Theo's little head, and head home. 

1:15 - home and baby is HUN-GRY. So is mama. I feed Theo, we have a cuddle and then mama eats lunch.

2:30 -  I fold laundry, sweep the floors, and lie down for a quick nap while Theo sleeps in his swing.

4:00 - baby awake to eat again. The boys get home while I am feeding Theo, pretty happy to see my big boy!

5:30 - hubs made BBQ for supper, we all sit down to try and eat. The toddler has a meltdown and refuses to eat his supper and the baby starts screaming in the swing just as we sit down to eat...great timing. I shove a few mouthfuls of food in and head to the couch to feed him. Noah gets out of his highchair without eating any supper and gets taken directly to the bathtub. #mealtimefail 

We hang out in the living room until bedtime for Noah. He thinks nail clippers are fun to chew on while sitting on ottomans. I pick my battles...

7:15- after trying unsuccessfully to get the toddler to bed, he comes back to the living room for some toast and yogurt sice he ate Zero supper. Surprise surprise, Theo wants to eat....again. 

8:00 - Noah is finally asleep, hubs and I polish off a bag of ketchup chips after a stressful night of parenting. I get ready for bed and feed Theo one last time before putting him in the pack n play. 

9:00 - Theo is settled and I leave hubs on the couch as I fall into bed. Another day done. Exhausted but happy :) 

Noah: 20 Months

Stats:

Height: 32 inches

Weight: 28 lbs

Shoe Size: 5W

Clothing: 18-24 months with some 2T shirts. 

Teeth: 16 (i think)

Well my big boy, this has been quite the month. You had your first real sickness a few weeks ago when you had the croup. You had a barky cough, a high fever and were convulsing from your high fever. It was really scary for all of us. Since you've never been really sick before you Dad and I were totally consumed with you. Your barky cough really gave you quite a scare at night when you would wake yourself up coughing. The heat and humidity made it even worse. We got you on steroids, and luckily within 2-3 days you were feeling more like yourself.

Sleep has been a challenge this month. It started before your brother was born, so we can't blame it on the adjustment phase. Bed times are harder lately, you won't let me leave the room until you are dead asleep in my arms and I quietly place you in your crib. Sometimes this takes 45 minutes. You were waking up on the regular at 3am screaming your head off. The past week or two it has gotten better. You still do wake shrieking occasionally, and require 30 minutes of rocking to go back to sleep, but most nights you are sleeping through the night. Normally wake up is anywhere from 6-7am: You still nap at daycare from 12:30-2:30. At home it's more like 12-1:15. You have quite the entourage for bedtime these days. Pup Pup, a blankey, and wubby are needed. You love to give mama and pup pup kisses at bedtime...its so sweet.

You still love to eat. New faves this month are hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, yogurt covered raisins, ice cream and popsicles, and the usual faves such as applesauce, yogurt, toast and peanut butter, pancakes, green smoothies, avocado, peas and carrots, strawberries, and anything that can be dipped in ketchup! You are quite good now with a fork and spoon, and prefer to feed yourself most of the time.

You are talking up a storm lately. No real sentences yet, but lots and lots of words. Some news ones include:

-hat

-Theo

-hot

-One, Two, Three

-Boat

-Heather

-Wa-wa

You are still obsessed with the iPad, and we've been trying to restrict your screen time. You aren't interested at all in the TV anymore. All you want to do is watch tractors on the iPad. You also love to play with tractors. Such a boy! You adore real puppy's, I have a feeling we will be in trouble when you are old enough to start asking for a real one. You adore your family, both sets of grandparents and all your aunties. You are also quite affectionate with your little brother...melts my heart. You love playing outside, mowing the lawn with your lawn mower, and doing anything you shouldn't be doing. You dislike diaper changes in the morning, and getting your face and/or nose wiped. You aren't sure if you like Grampy's boat yet, and we anticipated a real fight the first time you put your life jacket on, but you put it on no problems and sat on dad's knee in the drivers seat. We never actually left the dock, as we thought baby steps were appropriate. The next time you again put the life jacket on without any issues. This time we took you for a little cruise. You didn't love it, and there was a fee tears, but you didn't hate it either. I have high hopes that you'll love the water (and boating) as much as your parents do :)

Week 3: two under two

Our third week as a family of three is in the books. After a great week last week, this week has had it's ups and downs - especially in the sleep department. 

It's funny how much easier everything is the second time. Maybe easier isn't the right word since life is definitely crazy busy, but you know what to expect and your confident in your decisions and parenting in general. Breastfeeding and baby life just seems easier, more manageable, despite having a toddler tornado. I'm not afraid to leave the house and we've been on the go almost every day. I don't schedule our day around feedings. I used to be so afraid with Noah to go anywhere until after I fed him and I was strict with our 3 hour feeding schedule. With Theo, I don't give it a second thought. I either feed him early way ahead of schedule so we can go where we want if we have some place to be, or I simply feed him on the go. Something i definitely wasn't comfortable doing with Noah for quite some time. 

Sleep: 

Theo is still extremely gassy and hard to settle at night. Earlier this week I was averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Later in the week was much improved, Theo slept from 10-2 one night and again from 3-5. We alternate having him in the pack n play and in the vibrating chair and swing. Normally I can get him down in the pack n play first thing, but from there on out its impossible to get him settled on his back. We've tried swaddling and unswaddled, it doesn't seem to make a difference in his sleeping. Most times he fights it unless he is really out cold. 

During the day if we are on the go, he will give me 3 hours or a little more in his car seat and sleep really well (without being gassy and grunty). 

Personality: in comparison to Noah, he is definitely higher maintenance. He doesn't really enjoy the swing or bouncy chair but will tolerate them at times, and doesn't like to be set on his back. He isn't fussy per say, but he isn't laid back either.  He cries if we put him down when he is awake. He doesn't cry all that often, but he definitely has a good set of lungs that he uses by times. Noah hated his car seat and Theo really enjoys it and car rides, so that is one good thing in my favor. 

Issues:

We tried ovol drops this week which may have helped a bit with his gassiness. We also started the probiotic ProGaia which I am hoping will also help. It's still too early to tell. This morning Theo had us up at 5am as he was so uncomfortable trying to have a poop. Tim took him out to the living room so I could sleep a bit, and after some bicycling and some man-sized farts, he finally filled his diaper am settled. 

Feeding: 

Still eating every 2 hours or so during the day if we are home, a little longer if we are out and about.  I am still pumping off an oz or two before each feeding at night to help with my letdown.

I also started to pump. I don't get around to it every day, but my goal is to try to every second day at least. Hopefully this won't set my supply in a crazy direction but will slowly build a freezer stash for down the road. I find before bed the most convenient time right now. 

Post partum: pretty standard here. I had a very easy recovery despite the interesting labour experience (more on that to come). Healing went really well and I've been feeling back to normal since the end of week one or the start of two or so. I have approx. 14 lbs left to lose. Still wearing my maternity shorts (is it sad I don't want to part with these??) but otherwise am back into my normal clothes. I've yet to try a pair of jeans on, thank goodness it's summer and I won't have to face challenge that until the fall! I can't wait to get back to some exercise, I've been walking with the boys but I can't wait to sweat! I'm hoping to start back next week to some classes.

Also had no issues with breastfeeding and no use for Nipple cream or Jack Newman's. Thankful for that!

Noah adjustment:

It's crazy how big and mature Noah suddenly seems. He's a real boy now, holding our hand when we walk places and we've been leaving him out of the stroller more and more letting him explore. Changing his diaper now feels like I'm changing an adult...it's so weird! He seems to have moved beyond the clingy phase and it back to his normal self. He still doesn't take too much interest in Theo, but he acknowdges him when we ask about him. We're trying to give him as much attention as we can, which would certainly be easier for me of Theo would sleep/settle a little easier. Luckily our extended family has been great for taking him and dropping in to play. 

His sleeping is basically back to normal, his tantrums are fewer and farther between, and he seems pretty happy for the most part :)

Back next week with another update in our life with 2 under 2!! Xo

Week 2: Two Under Two

Well our second week as a family of 4 has been significantly better than the first. Noah is healthy and sleeping, Daddy has made it to work every day this week (big improvement over last week!!), theo is well...being a baby, and I even made it to the beach with baby in tow. 

Sleep: Theo loves to eat. That's an understatement actually. He lives to eat. It's rare that he will give me 3 hours between feedings, and he cluster feeds and is hard to settle between 6-9pm. I basically feed him non-stop during those hours and forget about putting him down anywhere....he does not like to be anywhere but my arms.

Most nights I try to get him down by 10pm at the latest. Last night he didn't wake until 2am. It was heavenly. He then woke at 4am and 6am. And woke for the day at 9:30. 

Noah is still a bit all over the place with his sleep. Most nights he is back to sleeping through the night 7:30-630. But once or twice a week he still wakes up wailing for no apparent reason and needs an insane amount of rocking back to sleep. 

Theo normally doesn't wail when he wakes for a feed so we haven't had to worry about him waking Noah. I try to change his bum in between feeding each side so that he is content and doesn't cry  about having cold wipes on his tush. Noah also has an ac unit in his room which helps drown out noise.

Feedings:

I've discovered I have a very forceful letdown and an oversupply of milk, this has led to Theo being gassy at night and hard to settle after his feedings. He grunts and thrashes all around. His little belly also gets really hard. It's pretty apparent he's full of air. He is good to burp but it doesn't seem to alieveate his discomfort. I contacted the hospitals lactation consultant and she recommended that I pump an oz off before feeding him. She said since I have an oversupply that Theo isn't getting a good balance of foremilk and hindmilk. The foremilk has more sugar and therefore can cause belly discomfort if there isn't a good balance of hindmilk.

Stats: Theo was discharged at 8 lbs 14 oz. Down only 2 oz from his birth weight..amazing right?? He was weighed at home at 16 days old and was already 11 lbs 4 oz!!! I was blown away. So when I say this kid likes to eat...he LOVES to eat!

So we are gradually figuring things out when it comes to Theo. Otherwise all is well, He is already 11 lbs 4 oz so he's gaining like crazy! Big brother has been really good so far this week, he knows who Theo is and will point at him when we ask. 

Hoping week 3 goes just as smoothly as this week :)

First Week of Two Under Two

I've been trying to find the time to put this post together, the fact that it is only a few days late is some sort of miracle. In fact I write this going on my third hour of awake time (it's 2:45am) as I feed the baby and listen to the toddler scream

murder from his crib. To say our first week as a family of 4 was a breeze would be lying. I had this perfect idea of how life at home would go when we escaped from the hospital, and so far, it's been nothing close.

Theo was born on Wednesday, June 25th. We escaped from hospital on Friday. Noah started waking through the night screaming over the weekend for what feels like the hundredth time. Sunday night he was awake from 9:30-1:30am straight and refused to go back to sleep. My poor husband had to deal with him (and work the next day) while I tended to Theo. We tried everything to get him back to sleep - brought him to bed with us, rocked him for hours on end, let him watch tv, took him to the spare bedroom to try and get him to sleep. Finally, he caved and crashed but not before he took our sanity with him.

My wonderful MIL spent the next night with us incase we had a repeat of the previous night. He woke once, but luckily went back to sleep easily for her.

Tuesday we made it to my cottage for the first time as a family of 4. I was thinking to myself 'this was easy'. Sure we had to pack a few extra things, and schedule our trip around a feeding and a nap, but overall it was a breeze. Fast forward three hours and Noah starts acting strange. He refused to eat supper and started to sound chesty. Then he wanted to cuddle at 5:30pm and refused to be put down...cue the mommy-senses, something wasn't right.

We came back home and my mom came with us knowing we were likely going to have our hands full that night.Noah came down with full-fledge croup overnight. Once again my poor husband had to tend to Noah in our bed with my mothers help while I slept on the couch with Theo next to me in the swing. Poor Noah spiked a high temp and kept convulsing and waking every 30 mins with a seal-like cough. 

The next few days were a blur. My MIL and mother alternated nights staying with us. We got Noah on steroids on Thursday and today is the first day that resembles some sort of normalcy. Noah was feeling well enough to spend a half day at daycare, and theo and I spent our first of many days together, just he and I. 

I'm not sure how people survive weeks like these without family living close by. It certainly makes me appreciate our families that much more when they are willing to drop everything and come to our rescue.

Luckily it hasn't been all bad, I caught this sweet moment on camera last weekend. Doesn't get much sweeter! Xo