A Month into Mat Leave #2 (Already!)
I can't believe it's already been a month since I've been off work. We've had lots of visitors and have been adjusting to the balancing act of caring for a newborn again while meeting the (highly emotional) needs of a toddler. Overall, things are going well though and we aren't too tired yet :)
Lucy at 1 month
And just for fun...Evelyn at 1 month - definitely a family resemblance but they have their differences
I know that not everyone likes to have visitors with the arrival of a new baby, but I for one really enjoy it. It helps break up the baby care tasks a little bit and also provides much needed entertainment for Evelyn. Luckily we have lots of friends and family who don't expect a perfectly clean house and are okay to use the lint roller to remove the dog hair that will inevitably cover their pants when their visit is over (cleaning is something I don't enjoy at the best of times, let alone with a new baby to care for). It really has been great to have people stopping in this month, including lots of local friends and several of our family members.
My mom was here for about a week and it was definitely great to have an extra set of hands! Lucy needed lots of walking and bouncing (she seems to get really gassy/tired/upset in the evenings, so there is lots of pacing back and forth needed). And Evie always loves to have an extra person around to play with her. We managed to get out each day - though it was usually just a walk to the park or something pretty simple.
Reading with Grandma
Teeter-tottering at the airplane park on a lovely spring day (thank goodness there are probably 10 different parks within a 30 minute walk of our house...I have a feeling I'll be spending lots of time there over the next few months - hopefully Lucy continues to sleep happily in the stroller/carrier)
Baking Grandma a belated birthday cake. Evelyn loves to help in the kitchen ("help"= eat all the ingredients and make a mess), and lately is a bit obsessed with birthdays. We ate cake and sang Happy Birthday to Grandma about 5 nights in a row.
Grandma trying to impart her musical talent early on Lucy (note Hudson trying to steal Evie's snack...basically his new past-time, while she pushes his nose saying "No steal my food Hudson!")
Singing with Grandma
Playing with magnets at Telus Spark Science Centre - I decided to get a membership for the next year, since it is a great place to entertain Evelyn indoors (necessary with our Calgary weather) and she and I both get bored/whiny if we are in the house for too long.
My sister Lynn also came to visit for about a week and was also super helpful in entertaining Evelyn
Snuggles with Auntie Lynn
Making an alien out of play foam
Evelyn accessorizing Lynn
Baby snuggles
Walking on the curb at the zoo - this was more popular than the animals on this visit....bet you can guess how long it took us to get back the car
We were also lucky to have a short but sweet visit with Wayne and Elizabeth during a layover enroute from BC to Ontario. Evie had lots of fun playing with them for the day and I'm sure they were happy to get some snuggles in when Lucy was only a week old.
Evelyn, Lucy and Pop Pop
Out for a stroll to the park, this time with multiple strollers
Practicing her balancing skills
Nana and Lucy
Looking at the picture above, I can already realize how much bigger Lucy has grown in the last month. At her 1-month appointment, she weighed in at 10lb, 6oz (so up over 2 lbs from her birthweight). I sadly swapped out the newborn diapers and clothes for size 1 and 0-3 months a few weeks ago. Aside from her fast growth, she is doing well overall. She seems to be pretty gassy, likely because I have a hard time getting her to burp and she swallows a lot of air while feeding. But we are working on improving that. Sometimes the result is a lot of evening crankiness, and everyone in the house taking a turn rocking/bouncing/walking/etc until she finally falls asleep. Aside from that though, she is a great baby. The adjustment to lack of sleep doesn't seem as bad as the first time around, and for the most part, Lucy is just waking up every three hours and goes down pretty easily once she's eaten. I think I am also a bit more efficient in getting her back to sleep (and thus, getting myself to sleep). With Evie, I remember changing her diaper every time she woke up, whereas with Lucy, I'm doing one change a night unless she poops or pukes all over herself (though if the puke is just in the bassinet and not on her, it waits until the morning)....guess those are some things you learn can make your life a bit easier the second time around.
Lucy seems pretty alert and eager to move. She is very determined during tummy time and will lift her head and turn it from side to side a few times. She really doesn't like to be restrained, and is already sleeping in a sleep sack in spite of my efforts to swaddle her. I think she'll be very motivated to chase after her sister in a few months.
Lucy had a bit of an eye infection (as you'll see in this pic) and also seems to have some blocked tear ducts - antibiotics worked, and I guess that's what can happen with a germy two year old running around the house. Eye gunk aside, she still looks pretty sweet :)
Ruby is very concerned and always wants to give Lucy a sniff or kiss
Sleepy little cupcake head
Hudson standing guard
Lucy rocking her tummy time (I know this is probably normal, but I am just impressed because Evie would basically just give up and cry the second you put her on her tummy....One of her common phrases now is "It too hard for me", and I think that is what her little baby brain used to say during tummy time too)
Alert and looking at the light from the window
Get those burps out!
Now this is a good problem to have...
Love these cuddles :)
Evelyn has definitely turned into more of a typical two year old over the last little while. I don't want to say she's "terrible" because she really isn't, but she is learning to push the boundaries more and challenges us in new ways. She is phasing out of her nap (or so it seems by the way she stays up until 10pm if she has a nap), so we've been having "quiet time" instead (partly because she still needs it, and mostly because I need quiet time). I tell her that she can play, read, or sleep in her room and that I will get her when quiet time is over. It seems to be going well, and she even asked for her quiet time the other day. Half the time she ends up falling asleep in her room and I have to wake her up....and waking up a sleeping toddler is kind of like waking a bear from hibernation (or what I imagine it to be like) - lots of whining, crying, and promises of snacks and Dora to get her out of the bedroom. I'm sure she'll adjust in good time though.
She is very opinionated and a little bossy (probably gets that from me), and she seems to think she can boss us around too. Some of the phrases coming out of her mouth often are "No talk to me" (if we are saying something she doesn't want to hear), or "Stop talking" (if adults are having a conversation that she isn't involved in). She also likes to tattle on us when we tell her no ("Mom, Daddy say no to me") - which doesn't usually get her very far (and is hard not to laugh at) She will always respond though if you use one of her stuffed animals and play a character (so one strategy we've thought of is just carrying puppets around to give her instructions). Most of the time she is very sweet, but I think she is also adjusting to not having my attention 100% of the time anymore.
I continue to be amazed at how quickly she learns and develops. Right now she is really into learning all the letters, so is always pointing to signs and anywhere that she sees text and trying to identify letters or asking us what the letters say. She pretty much will attempt any word she hears now, and only has to hear something once to repeat it (so we definitely have to watch what we say). Their brains really are amazing.
Swinging at the park
Looking for ants in the dirt....The bugs are pretty sparse right now, but I think we'll be doing a lot of bug-trapping this summer. I had to stop her from picking up a centipede the other day (mainly because it grossed me out too much)
Hugging the baby penguin at the zoo
Turned around as we were getting ready to leave the house and she had done this to herself (then immediately lost her mind when she couldn't figure out how to get the shirt back into the right position)
Evelyn during "quiet time" in her room
Currently, Evie chooses to sleep in this tent...glad we spent the money on a nice bed and mattress when this $12 tent filled with all her stuffed animals would have done the trick
The necessities for a walk: a purse filled with stuffed animals, bug-catching bucket, and a good walking stick (usually picked from the pile of sticks that Hudson brings home from his walks)
Out for a wagon ride (Thanks Grandma Sue! We finally picked one out!)
Evelyn visiting the lambs at Aggie Days on the Stampede Grounds
Petting "Baa Baa Black Sheep"
Practicing her cowgirl skills
She also tried to mount this duck
Evelyn and the picture she drew of me - the resemblance is uncanny
Finding more ladybugs
Dancing at the science centre
I think one of the best things to watch over the last month has been Evelyn's interactions with Lucy. While she is adjusting to having less attention from us, she has never shown any sign of jealousy or dislike towards Lucy. She seems very proud to be a big sister, and every time I pick her up from day home she says to all the kids "look at my baby sister", "This is my baby sister, Lucy". She asks to hold her a few times a day, tries to talk to her during tummy time, puts her soother back in (and surprisingly hasn't stolen it yet) and sometimes will help me with diaper changes or bringing my water bottle or a stool for my feet when I'm nursing. I'm looking forward to seeing her reaction as Lucy starts to interact more, as it really is fairly one way at this point.
I love these sweet moments
Helping to give Lucy her bath
To end, here are some of the pictures from our newborn photo session. Lucy was very cooperative, but no amount of smarties, mini eggs or movies on our phones could persuade Evelyn to do the same....maybe in a few years
Lucy at 1 month
And just for fun...Evelyn at 1 month - definitely a family resemblance but they have their differences
I know that not everyone likes to have visitors with the arrival of a new baby, but I for one really enjoy it. It helps break up the baby care tasks a little bit and also provides much needed entertainment for Evelyn. Luckily we have lots of friends and family who don't expect a perfectly clean house and are okay to use the lint roller to remove the dog hair that will inevitably cover their pants when their visit is over (cleaning is something I don't enjoy at the best of times, let alone with a new baby to care for). It really has been great to have people stopping in this month, including lots of local friends and several of our family members.
My mom was here for about a week and it was definitely great to have an extra set of hands! Lucy needed lots of walking and bouncing (she seems to get really gassy/tired/upset in the evenings, so there is lots of pacing back and forth needed). And Evie always loves to have an extra person around to play with her. We managed to get out each day - though it was usually just a walk to the park or something pretty simple.
Reading with Grandma
Teeter-tottering at the airplane park on a lovely spring day (thank goodness there are probably 10 different parks within a 30 minute walk of our house...I have a feeling I'll be spending lots of time there over the next few months - hopefully Lucy continues to sleep happily in the stroller/carrier)
Encouraging Lucy during her "exercise time"
Baking Grandma a belated birthday cake. Evelyn loves to help in the kitchen ("help"= eat all the ingredients and make a mess), and lately is a bit obsessed with birthdays. We ate cake and sang Happy Birthday to Grandma about 5 nights in a row.
Grandma trying to impart her musical talent early on Lucy (note Hudson trying to steal Evie's snack...basically his new past-time, while she pushes his nose saying "No steal my food Hudson!")
Singing with Grandma
Playing with magnets at Telus Spark Science Centre - I decided to get a membership for the next year, since it is a great place to entertain Evelyn indoors (necessary with our Calgary weather) and she and I both get bored/whiny if we are in the house for too long.
My sister Lynn also came to visit for about a week and was also super helpful in entertaining Evelyn
Snuggles with Auntie Lynn
Walking on the curb at the zoo - this was more popular than the animals on this visit....bet you can guess how long it took us to get back the car
Auntie Lynn also taught Evelyn (and probably learned herself) where to find dormant ladybugs and how to wake them up. We now are often outside, digging through pine needles to find ladybugs, put them in Evie's bucket and wait for them to come alive (which surprisingly usually happens).
We were also lucky to have a short but sweet visit with Wayne and Elizabeth during a layover enroute from BC to Ontario. Evie had lots of fun playing with them for the day and I'm sure they were happy to get some snuggles in when Lucy was only a week old.
Evelyn, Lucy and Pop Pop
Nana and Lucy
Looking at the picture above, I can already realize how much bigger Lucy has grown in the last month. At her 1-month appointment, she weighed in at 10lb, 6oz (so up over 2 lbs from her birthweight). I sadly swapped out the newborn diapers and clothes for size 1 and 0-3 months a few weeks ago. Aside from her fast growth, she is doing well overall. She seems to be pretty gassy, likely because I have a hard time getting her to burp and she swallows a lot of air while feeding. But we are working on improving that. Sometimes the result is a lot of evening crankiness, and everyone in the house taking a turn rocking/bouncing/walking/etc until she finally falls asleep. Aside from that though, she is a great baby. The adjustment to lack of sleep doesn't seem as bad as the first time around, and for the most part, Lucy is just waking up every three hours and goes down pretty easily once she's eaten. I think I am also a bit more efficient in getting her back to sleep (and thus, getting myself to sleep). With Evie, I remember changing her diaper every time she woke up, whereas with Lucy, I'm doing one change a night unless she poops or pukes all over herself (though if the puke is just in the bassinet and not on her, it waits until the morning)....guess those are some things you learn can make your life a bit easier the second time around.
Lucy seems pretty alert and eager to move. She is very determined during tummy time and will lift her head and turn it from side to side a few times. She really doesn't like to be restrained, and is already sleeping in a sleep sack in spite of my efforts to swaddle her. I think she'll be very motivated to chase after her sister in a few months.
Lucy had a bit of an eye infection (as you'll see in this pic) and also seems to have some blocked tear ducts - antibiotics worked, and I guess that's what can happen with a germy two year old running around the house. Eye gunk aside, she still looks pretty sweet :)
Ruby is very concerned and always wants to give Lucy a sniff or kiss
Sleepy little cupcake head
Hudson standing guard
Lucy rocking her tummy time (I know this is probably normal, but I am just impressed because Evie would basically just give up and cry the second you put her on her tummy....One of her common phrases now is "It too hard for me", and I think that is what her little baby brain used to say during tummy time too)
Alert and looking at the light from the window
Now this is a good problem to have...
Love these cuddles :)
Evelyn has definitely turned into more of a typical two year old over the last little while. I don't want to say she's "terrible" because she really isn't, but she is learning to push the boundaries more and challenges us in new ways. She is phasing out of her nap (or so it seems by the way she stays up until 10pm if she has a nap), so we've been having "quiet time" instead (partly because she still needs it, and mostly because I need quiet time). I tell her that she can play, read, or sleep in her room and that I will get her when quiet time is over. It seems to be going well, and she even asked for her quiet time the other day. Half the time she ends up falling asleep in her room and I have to wake her up....and waking up a sleeping toddler is kind of like waking a bear from hibernation (or what I imagine it to be like) - lots of whining, crying, and promises of snacks and Dora to get her out of the bedroom. I'm sure she'll adjust in good time though.
She is very opinionated and a little bossy (probably gets that from me), and she seems to think she can boss us around too. Some of the phrases coming out of her mouth often are "No talk to me" (if we are saying something she doesn't want to hear), or "Stop talking" (if adults are having a conversation that she isn't involved in). She also likes to tattle on us when we tell her no ("Mom, Daddy say no to me") - which doesn't usually get her very far (and is hard not to laugh at) She will always respond though if you use one of her stuffed animals and play a character (so one strategy we've thought of is just carrying puppets around to give her instructions). Most of the time she is very sweet, but I think she is also adjusting to not having my attention 100% of the time anymore.
I continue to be amazed at how quickly she learns and develops. Right now she is really into learning all the letters, so is always pointing to signs and anywhere that she sees text and trying to identify letters or asking us what the letters say. She pretty much will attempt any word she hears now, and only has to hear something once to repeat it (so we definitely have to watch what we say). Their brains really are amazing.
Swinging at the park
Looking for ants in the dirt....The bugs are pretty sparse right now, but I think we'll be doing a lot of bug-trapping this summer. I had to stop her from picking up a centipede the other day (mainly because it grossed me out too much)
Hugging the baby penguin at the zoo
Turned around as we were getting ready to leave the house and she had done this to herself (then immediately lost her mind when she couldn't figure out how to get the shirt back into the right position)
Evelyn during "quiet time" in her room
Currently, Evie chooses to sleep in this tent...glad we spent the money on a nice bed and mattress when this $12 tent filled with all her stuffed animals would have done the trick
The necessities for a walk: a purse filled with stuffed animals, bug-catching bucket, and a good walking stick (usually picked from the pile of sticks that Hudson brings home from his walks)
Out for a wagon ride (Thanks Grandma Sue! We finally picked one out!)
Evelyn visiting the lambs at Aggie Days on the Stampede Grounds
Petting "Baa Baa Black Sheep"
Practicing her cowgirl skills
She also tried to mount this duck
Evelyn and the picture she drew of me - the resemblance is uncanny
Finding more ladybugs
Dancing at the science centre
I think one of the best things to watch over the last month has been Evelyn's interactions with Lucy. While she is adjusting to having less attention from us, she has never shown any sign of jealousy or dislike towards Lucy. She seems very proud to be a big sister, and every time I pick her up from day home she says to all the kids "look at my baby sister", "This is my baby sister, Lucy". She asks to hold her a few times a day, tries to talk to her during tummy time, puts her soother back in (and surprisingly hasn't stolen it yet) and sometimes will help me with diaper changes or bringing my water bottle or a stool for my feet when I'm nursing. I'm looking forward to seeing her reaction as Lucy starts to interact more, as it really is fairly one way at this point.
I love these sweet moments
Helping to give Lucy her bath
To end, here are some of the pictures from our newborn photo session. Lucy was very cooperative, but no amount of smarties, mini eggs or movies on our phones could persuade Evelyn to do the same....maybe in a few years
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