Springing into Summer

Currently, Cali is a little over 2 months. She weighed 10 lbs. 13 oz. at her 2 month check-up. Incidentally, Ellie weighed 10 lbs. 14 oz. at her FOUR month appointment. The younger one has settled in to a nice little routine. She has her last feed of the night around 8 and then sleeps for 6-9 hours. It's kind of awesome. I hope it lasts. I can't tell you how long it took Ellie to sleep that long, but I know it was at least 15 months before she did that regularly.

Overall, life is flowing along nicely. Since Aunt Cat has been with us, I don't stress quite so much. She takes care of cooking dinners most nights and is usually around during the day so I can run out to the yard or get on the computer with both hands to take care of Tri Kappa publicity (Like our page!) I'm anxiously awaiting Friday since that will mean that The Taste is behind me for another year.

I'm behind on weeding and pruning this year, and I still have to hook up my rain barrels properly, but the garden is planted and mostly looking pretty good. I'm excited to be trying kale, rhubarb, celery, beets, broccoli (purple and green), and beans this year in addition to my standard peppers (I'm giving them one more shot), okra, tomatoes, tomatillos, herbs, romaine, cucumbers, zucchini, lots of new strawberries, and raspberries. I'm trying a lazy square foot gardening technique (which means I just cleaned out my seed stash and then panicked trying to squeeze everything in). My purple asparagus rose from the dead this year. I've had 5 stalks, 4 of which are now 3 feet high and lying down in full leaf. I need to get a cage. Next year, I'm hoping for a full bunch. For insurance, I planted two more Mary Washington asparagus plants this year. I'm a little scared what the garden will look like by mid-July. With luck, it'll be a lush maze of green. I'd love to plant some fall squash and pumpkins, but I don't think I have room. And, since I can't manage to weed my current garden or containers, perhaps it's better if I don't create another bed for now.

Aunt Cat has had a couple of good interviews in the last week and keeps thinking up new possibilities for business ideas. Her latest is pretty good (IMHO). She is in the process of joining a local church and has been volunteering a couple shifts per week at the local organic farm. Because of her, P has been running more regularly. And, we've been shamed into more recycling and more timely dishwashing. If she gets hired soon, I'll be scrambling to fill the void.

We went to the drive-in Saturday with both girls and Aunt Cat. It was quite cozy in the truck bed, but miraculously the patch P adhered to the air mattress last year held and our derrieres stayed nicely off the truck bed through both feature films (The Croods and Iron Man 3). The new digital projector was delightful, however, the biggest news was in the concession stand. We discovered that the 49er carries funnel cakes, which may be reason enough to head back soon regardless of the film. Ellie was a little wired and bounced all over the truck bed through most of the first movie. Although P took her early to get a good spot and they played with other kids for a good hour, she stayed up until Iron Man 3 was underway (about 10). Luckily, she slept in Sunday like the rest of us.

P has been really enjoying his birthday present to himself. He bought a MakerBot (home 3D printer) and has been running it nearly 20 hours a day since it arrived. (That may or may not be an exaggeration.) Thus far, he has printed a flock of owls, a tiny model of the new plant, a few Yodas, a Darth Vader head, a cup holder change organizer that fits under his sliding armrests, a retro rocket model for Cali's room, a few things for Ellie's "sound of the day" at school, avocado pit holders, and a watering spike attachment for a 2 liter bottle. I'm sure I'm forgetting several others. There have been several misfires due to technical limitations and design flaws, but he's having a blast working through them.

He and Ellie have been going to swimming lessons on Saturday mornings. Ellie loves the water. I honestly believe that half-hour class is the highlight of her week. We've had some warm days already, but I'll have to break out the wading pool soon. We may even make it to the lakeshore sometime this summer.

Aunt C and Lil C catching Z's together

P's birthday cake – 3 layer chocolate peanut butter cake

Ellie with a postcard Grandma sent from New Mexico

Ellie sporting the Summertime trifecta:  Summer hat, sunglasses and sandals

My exotic purple asparagus

Keep trying to get one of her elusive smiles on camera, but the dimples are cute too

Swim class

Goofing around at Ogden Gardens

Dad knocked Mother's Day out of the park!

Smiling at Aunt Cat

A semi smile

Ellie and David at the Taltree Discovery Garden

MakerBot

Cali

Life with Two

We just marked Cali's 1 month birthday, so I figured it is probably time for an update. So far, she seems to be a pretty easy baby. Ellie had an even temperament too, so P is really fighting any mention of a third because he figures there is no way we'd get so lucky as to have 3 angelic children.

Of course, Ellie is having more frequent episodes of "being two". She doesn't listen when told to do something. For a week, she regressed to having non-repentant accidents (usually when we were talking about potty or had just asked her if she needed to go). And, she is easily upset into irrational fits. So, that part is fun. Of course, the rest of the time, she is her sweet and funny self. She chatters constantly, sings songs to herself, and has recently started using nonsense words. It just takes superhuman self-control not to react to her irrationality with a fit of our own sometimes.

Cali is a pretty good eater. She's risen from a low of 6th percentile to the 28th percentile at a whopping 8.5 lbs. In real world terms, that means she has graduated from newborn diapers and clothes into size 1's and 3 month clothes. She pretty much only cries when she is hungry or uncomfortable (ie. hot, cold, or has a messy diaper). She does seem to suffer a bit more from reflux than Ellie ever did. I'm not sure if that's just a side effect of being born a little early, or if it's something else. I remember Ellie staying in the same outfit for days or at least from bath to bath. This little one frequently has 4 costume changes in a 24 hour period. Today, 2 were due to a diaper explosion. (Most of the time, she just douses herself in milk or spit-up.) The girl has got some serious gas (ie. propellant). I'm tossing around the idea of using "Windy" as a nickname. We seem to be settling into a good eating routine though where she eats pretty lightly in the morning and then has a big lunch and continues to eat well until bedtime. The last couple days, that seems to have helped the spit-ups. She's also a pretty good little sleeper. I'm trying to establish a bedtime feed at 9 (ish) and be in bed by 10. The last few nights, she wakes up at 3 and then again sometime between 6 and 7:30. If I can get her to go until 7:30, I can jump back into the morning routine of helping Ellie get ready for school.

This is a red-letter week for Mom as well. I have my six-week appointment tomorrow and should get my lifting and exercising restrictions removed. Thursday, I have what I hope is my final appointment with the Orthodontist. If all goes well there, I should be able to get my little nubs removed and stop wearing my retainers during the day.

I've just about got the nursery finished. Grandma made a lovely quilt for the wall and came to the rescue on the curtains as well since I wasn't able to 1) Clean up the craft room and 2) Sew the curtains before Cali came. I may hang a few more things by the crib, but it's pretty much ready to go.


Through everything, Aunt Cat has been a huge help. Part of me will be sad when she finds a job, but for the time being, it's certainly helped make our transition to a bigger family a lot easier to have an extra set of hands.

Dad and the girls. Ellie likes to "hold" Cali.

Sporting a little Whoville hair while holding little sis.

Bubbles while swimming in a newborn outfit.

Ellie decorating eggs at school.

Kicking back in the "napper".

Big girl pigtails and a runny nose.

Cuddling with Mom.

Monkeying around with trains and blocks.

Cali's nursery.

Where Cali gets her midnight snacks.

Doorway shot.

The Ellie nook.

Where Cali will catch her Zzzz's in a few months.

Fattened up 5 week-old Cali catching Zzzz's before bedtime.

Early Bird

Well, technically, the baby is not due for another couple weeks, but we met her last Saturday. I woke up with contractions around 3 on Friday morning, but figured since it was 3 weeks early and they weren't regular, it was probably a bout of false labor. So, I tried my best to rest and did a little bit of prep, putting the final touches on my hospital bag and birth plan. Then, I tried to ignore them. I'd had a doctor's appointment just the day before and she told me I was at 2 cm. We had an ultrasound on Friday morning to check out positioning and verify if the baby was indeed breech. She was. I did cancel my workout Friday morning since I was still having sporadic contractions. But, otherwise, we continued as though nothing was amiss.

We had friends coming in to stay the weekend with their two little girls and my sister just arrived Thursday afternoon to live in our basement for the time being. So, we went home and started preparing the house. I may have overdone it a little because the contractions picked up. After we came home from dinner, I called the OB to see when I should go to the hospital since we knew the baby was breech and I wanted to avoid a truly emergency situation if we did have to proceed with the c-section. She advised me to rest and hydrate and reassured me that our bodies typically repeat what they've done before, so I would probably go another 2 weeks. I did as she recommended and they seemed to relax somewhat. I was still hoping for a last minute flip. Our house guests arrived and we down-played the contractions, still preferring to think that they were false labor. We all headed to bed at a reasonable hour where I proceeded to get no sleep. I timed contractions and they went from 15 minute intervals to 10 minute intervals. Also, I was getting more back pain than I remembered with Ellie. According to the internet, that could have indicated false labor or real. Finally, I woke P at 1 am. He really didn't want to wake up since he had planned to go to the Shedd Aquarium with the girls the next day and knew he'd need all his strength. However, I got him up. He took the dogs down to my sister's room and nearly caused her to freak out. Then, we snuck out of the house and headed to the hospital halfway hoping that it wasn't a false alarm just so we could take the next day off.

We entered  through the emergency room entrance and headed up to the fourth floor where our time of arrival and my large belly made our purpose pretty evident. They showed us to a Labor Room around 1:30 am where the nurse, Tracey, checked us in – my pre-registration apparently had not been received/entered and I didn't have a copy on me. She did a physical examination, we discussed the baby's position, and then Tracey kicked into high gear once she determined that I was dilated to 6 cm and the contractions were 5 minutes apart. The doc showed up, we told him about the ultrasound positioning. He confirmed that we were going to do a c-section right then and went to put on his scrubs.  P got to don a nifty "space suit" with blue footies that barely covered his shoes. The nurse prepped me for surgery and then we headed to the OR around 2:15. A nice (skillful) Anesthesiologist administered a spinal block and we did a little more prep. I was grateful for the block since it made the contractions go away. The rubbery legs phenomenon was a little strange, but I really couldn't complain since the purpose was to block sensation. After that, things proceeded at a pretty fast clip. P came back, the doctor and midwife showed up. I heard the pediatrician, and then boom, we had a baby at 3:19. I found out her sex when P and the docs laughed because "she" had peed on me. Better than in me, I suppose :/ I had just talked to the pediatrician the night before about skin-to-skin immediately after delivery, so he diligently did her APGAR, confirmed she was stable, and then sent her over via one of the nurses. One thing that they don't mention is that your arms are tied down during surgery. So, the nurse patiently held the baby where she could make eye-contact with me after it became pretty clear that the position wasn't really conducive to nursing.

Afterwards, I was taken to a recovery room and baby went to the nursery to get her full battery of tests, warming, and shots/blood drawn. They brought her in and I was able to hold her as we were wheeled down to the maternity wing and our new (tiny) room. Never having had major surgery before, I didn't realize that you have to remain catheterized until all the anesthesia leaves your system. I had an IV attached for over 24 hours, and they won't put you on a solid diet until you pass gas. For the record, I am still on a liquid diet ;) Another thing not commonly discussed is that it hurts to laugh, cough, and sneeze when you have abdominal stitches. My brother-in-law literally brought me to tears when they visited.

We had truly excellent care while we were at the hospital. Our previous stay had been over Thanksgiving weekend, so we were prepared for a lack of information, combative nurses, and spotty communication. However, we had two nurses, Linda and Lori, who took fabulous care of us for the 36 hours after delivery. I'd hoped to get Lori for our second night, since we were already familiar and knew she was working. Instead, we were assigned a third nurse who was yanked off our ward over to NICU. Instead, I was assigned Dianne (who coincidentally had held Calista to my chest in OR) and Calista got Lori. This happened about 10, when I was trying to nurse Calista and get to sleep for the night. I was informed that since we had new nurses, we both had to be assessed again. I asked for a reprieve so we could get some sleep. However, they took Calista, who I assumed they would bring back in 20 minutes or so. After an hour, I called to request my assessment so that maybe we could avoid further interruptions that night once they brought her back. Around midnight, I finally got Calista to sleep and drifted off again. At one-thirty, my nurse came in and asked when I'd last fed her. I told her about two and a half hours prior and she told me I'd better get ready to feed her in the next half hour or so. When I questioned that (since this wasn't my first rodeo), she informed me that since Calista was so small and premature (technically full-term, btw), if she went more than 3 hours between feedings, her blood sugar could drop and she "might not wake up." That just plain pissed me off. I knew for a fact that 3 hours was not a big deal and did not appreciate the use of scare tactics to get me to comply. I took a deep breath preparing to launch into my tirade, at which point Calista woke up. I curtly told the nurse that it was a moot point now since she was awake and she got the message to skeedaddle. At the time, I was under the mistaken impression that this particular nurse was studying  to become a lactation consultant which made me especially riled up. I got so worked up it was nearly impossible to get any sleep that night. At that point, I decided that instead of the 3-4 days in the hospital that I'd planned, I'd leave the next day if the doctor approved it.

Monday went pretty slowly. I'd expected my doctor in the morning, since with Ellie and this hospital stay, that had been the case. However, we didn't see him until around 2. Before that, we were able to get newborn photos, talk to the lactation consultant, signed paperwork for the birth certificate and social security, and briefly talked to a lady who was offering assistance for families who needed it. After I was released by my doctor, we snagged my nurse who was a little harried since apparently it was nearly shift change. However, she helpfully stayed to get the paperwork in order and we were home by 4.

So far, Ellie has adjusted well. It helps that Aunt C is in residence and available to lend an extra hand when needed. Grandma B is also visiting from Texas, but unfortunately contracted the flu en route, so she has been quarantined with a pharmacy downstairs for the last couple of days. Hopefully, tomorrow, she will be well enough to rejoin us.

Eleventh Hour Scramble

Thing 2 could arrive at any time. Technically, we still have 4 weeks to go. However, Ellie was about a week early and since this little bugger is currently breech, the docs are preparing me for the possibility of scheduling a Version (manually trying to turning the bebe) at 39 weeks and combining it with an induction to get things started if they can get the little mite turned. If that doesn't work, I may end up with a C-section unless Thing 2 decides to turn on its own. I've been hanging around upside down every so often in hopes he/she will loosen up and do another somersault. In the meantime, I'm trying to put the finishing touches on the nursery, get yellow stains out of previously "clean" stored clothes, packing my bag, prepping the breast pump in case we have issues nursing again, and trying to put together my new birth plan.

Today, we took a tour of the hospital maternity ward, so we kind of know our way around now. I had no clue at the old hospital and spent most of my time in the room, so I'm not sure if I'll really use this knowledge. I do plan to pack more snacks this time though. Hospital food smells deceivingly good. And, I had thoroughly exhausted their vegetarian options by the time our 48 hours was up. I've already tried the coffee from the onsite coffee shop and it was sadly disappointing. I'll need to try the decaf latte and mocha options before I fully discount them though....

In other news, Aunt C begins her trek North tomorrow. She will be living with us for a while as she gets settled up here. We have house guests next weekend, so it will be a very full casa next week. I'm still not sure where everyone is going to sleep. I foresee a lot of cleaning and wrapping up projects this week.

Ellie has been acting out more recently. It's gotten to the point where I almost don't want to take her out to eat anymore (something we usually do twice a week). Lately, she has been throwing at least one mini-tantrum and we generally have to leave separately as Dad whisks her off to bed and I take care of the check and sometimes enjoy a leisurely coffee and dessert solo.

She throws more fits at home too. Just (randomly) outright refuses to do things like sit on the potty, wash hands, eat, pick up toys, etc. Sometimes threatening to take away treats like stories before bed and her beloved hour of "Mickey Time" before dinner will eliminate the refusal. Other times, she refuses until the treat is taken away and then spends the next 10 minutes crying about how she wants X. So far, that is my least favorite part of parenting.

On the upside, she is a babbling brook. She is singing more and can now verbalize most of "Gangnum Style", "Outdoors" by Jason Mraz, and "Call Me Maybe". Other than those, her favorite genre appears to be old school nursery songs like Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, London Bridge, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

She shows signs of being an attentive big sister. She practices bossing her parents around as well as random playmates at the library. However, she also can be nurturing. With her current motor skills her actions don't always come across as nurturing, but I think the thought process is there. She is completely fascinated by "babies" smaller than her, even by a few months. Apparently, she has "adopted" one of her younger classmates at school and tries to help him frequently. But, when older kids do the same to her, she is uninterested (and slightly confused) since she is already a Mentor :)

How Time Flies

LOVES those sunglasses. Sometimes, she even wears them right-side up.

It's always Halloween here. The "pointy hat" had to be unpacked due to popular demand. And, she usually requires both brooms when she is in character.

Someone mentioned that I hadn't updated in a while. I'm a little shocked that it has been over a month. Here are the highlights and lots of pics:

Made it through Christmas (we had 4) - we now have enough toys to start our own preschool

New Year's Eve wearing her Christmas crown and her "Cheese" face. 

Mom and Dad are attempting to budget using Mint.com - it's addictive like Pinterest but depressing

Ellie's first haircut - we got rid of the party in the back

I couldn't believe how much hair she actually had.

The party is over.

 Transitioned to her big girl room - it went surprisingly easy

Daddy (and Ellie) repainted the nursery - Now, Dad just has to move the furniture around and Mom gets to accessorize and stock

Ellie helping Dad paint her old room for the new arrival.
Luckily, she doesn't seem to be sentimental about much other than Halloween.

Mommy has started nesting - I am slowly decimating the resident rat's nests

We rescued a kitten - although another family is currently fostering him

Our feline visitor "Obie". He stayed one night and is temporarily staying with another family.
He still would like a forever home....

Isis and Obie sharing a cozy spot. Luckily,  Isis got the sunny side or it might not have worked.

Dad finally got his Vader mannequin set up - Ellie has started requesting visitation

We went to Shedd Aquarium as a family - That is a pricey little day trip with strollers EVERYWHERE

Mom & Dad get a night out in the City this week for an overdose of Hot Chocolate and Ellie is going to try her first sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's

Tis the Season

Here we are halfway through December. I am extremely remiss. Here are the highlights:

Ellie has been sick for the better part of 5 months now. Mostly she's had back-to-back colds, although we've had stomach flu, sinus infections, pink-eye, and hand, foot, and mouth disease in there also. Currently, she has a straight cold, but is trying to give herself pink eye again.

She is now 2. Like flipping a switch, she is now super chatty, a little mischievous, not above throwing the odd tantrum, and has had a huge growth spurt. She is almost 25 pounds and about 34 inches, which puts her squarely in the 50th percentile for height and weight. If you recall, she has been holding steady in the bottom quarter for the last two years.

Thing 2 is getting more active. We are now 6 months along and he/she is getting pretty frisky. I've been fairly careful this pregnancy not to gain too much weight. However, we traveled to Texas last week and I indulged in a few too many sweets and snacks, so I blame half my weight gain on that. I'll try to clean up my act over the holidays and see if I can get back on track.

Ellie's big girl room is on hold. Mostly because it currently houses all the unwrapped Christmas gifts. And, I have a few sewing/craft projects on-hold until after the holidays. I'll have to come up with a different gift-storage solution next year.

Ellie's "big" gift for her birthday (a baby doll). She is quite the busy little mommy to Francesco. Thank you Aunt S & Uncle D for the stroller!

Sisters can live 1200 miles away, but apparently they still dress alike... M was wearing a grey sweater too, but she got her wires crossed and wore a teal shirt....

Ellie playing with Dad's eyes/hair at the Christmas Festival (Sights & Sounds of Christmas).

A self portrait by our budding photographer.

With Aunt C outside of Smitty's BBQ.

Apparently, pregnancy lets you get away with a lot. P thought I was going to wear this to his formal Christmas party and wasn't going to say a word. His relief when I said I was going up to change was priceless.

Happy Halloween

Mom used some old linoleum carving tools and whipped out this sucker. Other than this guy, no one was harmed.

Ellie the Vampire:  Mom freaked out and had E pick out a spare costume Monday since she was showing signs of not wanting to wear Yoda. She wore this to school. There may or may not have been chocolate involved in putting the costume on. And, bonus, she'll be able to wear it for another 4 years :)

Dad was able to sweet-talk her into Yoda for actual Trick-or-Treating. She doesn't look thrilled here, but she was actually VERY excited to go trick-or-treat with Cousin S. All afternoon, she kept busting out with "Happy Halloween!"

I can't believe it's already November. Ellie has had a chronic cold for almost 2 months. Then, a couple weeks ago, P started complaining of a sore throat. A few days later, I had it too. I'm blaming Thing 2, but the mucus has been crazy thick this time. And, where I would normally treat with Sudafed or something, I've been pretty helpless to take anything since most over the counter drugs are not baby friendly. So, after suffering horrible flemmy mornings, conversations punctuated by violent coughing, and trouble getting comfortable enough to sleep, the mucus moved from my throat to my nose and I sought help from a professional. I have one day left of my Z-pak and am feeling much improved, although I think the coughing and slime will linger for a while. So long as I don't hack up a lung every morning, I think I can handle some residuals. Ellie is on milder antibiotics (that she loves since it's bubblegum flavored) and her runny nose and coughing are almost gone.

November is the start of the busy season. We have a golden anniversary next weekend, lots of appointments over the next couple weeks, Thanksgiving, Ellie's birthday, then we go to Texas for "Christmas-giving". December kicks off with the company Christmas party, the Kappa Christmas party, and our other two Christmases. Sometime in there I need to make/buy gifts, decorate for the holidays, wrap up Ellie's big-girl room and switch her so I can start refurbing the nursery.

Our ultrasound is in a couple weeks. This one will be a surprise as well. We're still debating girl names, although we do have a better list this time around. 

Yoda and Vader

Believe it or not, they are actually both smiling....