Sorta Smiling

I caught a few almost smiles on camera a couple of days ago. He's not doing the huge grins yet, but he's definitely smiling. And the booger has already figured out it's fun to mess with Mommy while she's taking pictures. Every time I point the camera at him, he turns his head the other way. At first I thought it was just coincidental, but it happened about 5 times while taking these pictures.

He has a rash on his face right now. It showed up around Christmas and I keep thinking it's going away because it will look better for awhile, but then it seems to flare up again. It's mostly on his face, a little right below his neckline and it extends into his hairline in places. I figured it was just some weird newborn thing, but I'm thinking it may be something more now. Maybe a milk allergy? Here we go again.

Christmas Fun

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was a relaxing one at home this year with Dan, Linda and Tim. Here Grandpa is holding his grandson for the first time not long after arriving on Wednesday.

Grandma brought a homemade gingerbread Noah's ark fully assembled so that Clara could help her decorate it. She takes part in a monthly online baking challenge and this month's challenge was a gingerbread house. She just kinda tweaked it a little by making her own pattern. It was very cute and Clara thoroughly enjoyed "helping" as you can see in the picture below this one. She would pick up a candy and announce "This one is broken, I'll have to eat it" or "Oops, this one got icing on it; I'll eat it."


I went all out this year and had Chris pick up some Christmas cookies for Clara to make for Santa. Clearly, slicing was too much for this mama to handle this year, so he got the pre-sliced ones. Oh well, Santa seemed to like them at least.

Santa brought Clara the doll stroller she wanted and he even threw in a surprise Pink Panther doll. Clara must've been extra good. Here are just a few pictures from Christmas morning.

One Month

Can you believe this little guy is already a month old? I sure can't, and yet it seems he's been a part of our family forever.

So, here's what he's up to at one month of age:

--He's around 9.5 pounds according to our bathroom scale. He's outgrown most of his newborn clothes and just moved up to size one in diapers.

--He loves to be out and about. He'll usually sleep soundly in his car seat as long as we're going, going, going. If we're not out and about, he fights naps like a crazy person, so needless to say, I like to go places during the day. I'm ready for some nice weather.

--He doesn't like his car seat for the first 5-10 minutes of car rides and lets you know it.

--He will nap in his swing if he's in the mood.

--He will take a pacifier if he's in the mood (he's usually not, by the way).

--There's pretty much only one thing that will soothe Robert right now and I'm the only one that can provide it. Our evenings have been pretty rough lately and have consisted of hours upon hours of nursing just to keep him quiet. Is it considered colic if nursing calms the screaming when nothing else will?

--He's decided that he does enjoy bath time. He can be screaming but will calm down immediately as soon as he's submerged.

--He spits up a lot.

--He started focusing on our faces around 3 weeks and smiled at Chris at 4 weeks. He slept through the night (6 hours) for the first time on Christmas Eve. (That was my favorite Christmas present I received.)

--He does not tolerate a wet or dirty diaper. He'll scream and scream until you change him. As soon as you lay him down to change him, he stops crying.

--He hates to be swaddled and will let out horrendous screams and wiggle and writhe until he gets his little arms out of the blanket.

--He usually goes down around 9:00-9:30, wakes around 12:00, then wakes again around 2:30. I make several attempts (usually taking 1-1.5 hours) to get him back down at this point depending on how tired I am and then bring him to bed with me if I'm unsuccessful. He'll nurse and sleep on and off until 7 or 7:30.

--He loves loud noises, like the vacuum cleaner and blow dryer, so I have 2 things I can usually get done without him screaming.

--He's as cute and sweet as can be and despite the difficulties these first days bring, I wouldn't trade him for the world. He's absolutely a precious gift from God. I'm so looking forward to all of the smiles, coos and giggles that are in our not too distant future and know that these hard days will soon be forgotten (for the most part).

No Title

Just some pictures. Robert started focusing on our faces last week, so I busted out the play mat. I know it's a little on the girly side, but there's no pink. I think the rule is if there's no pink it's ok. He does enjoy it for a few minutes at a time. Clara enjoys it for much longer.

Ready for church on Sunday. Robert had a rough morning and despite feeding him right before leaving for church, he woke during the service and the two of us spent the majority of our time in the nursing room.

Christmas Recital

Clara's class danced to "Up on the Housetop" in their dance recital tonight. She took her teachers' instructions to heart and sang very loudly. Being a veteran at this recital thing, she's become quite a ham on stage. I told her not to worry so much about staying right on her spot because she tends to just watch her feet the whole time and is very intent on making sure she's in the right place. Well, she took my instructions to heart as well and ended up front and center about 5 feet in front of the rest of her class. Singing about twice as loud. Not shy at all.

Robert wore one of several holiday outfits that were graciously donated to him by his cousin Brody. He did pretty well and only started crying near the end. After the recital, we stopped off at DQ so Chris could get a little dinner (and try the peppermint blizzard). He needed to do a little comparison between it and the Sonic holiday mint blast. The blast was determined the winner, although it might not have been a fair comparison since he had to ask them to leave the chocolate out of the blizzard. I didn't try the blizzard, but I do give the blast two thumbs up. It's quite tasty.

She's Ready For Her Closeup

Clara's been enjoying having a little brother around simply because she gets to have her picture taken all the time now. Anytime I pull the camera out to take a picture of Robert, she comes out of the woodwork. Here we are ready for church this past Sunday.

Robert's had this massive pimple on his cheek for about a week now.

And here's big sister.

And here he is this morning in his big boy clothes before heading to playgroup.

Well, hello Clara. Someone is definitely feeling starved for attention around here.

Growing

I'm pretty sure we're smack dab in the middle of a growth spurt over here. Today has been quite a frustrating one. I started putting Robert in his crib a few nights ago and it had been going pretty well. His most difficult time of day is the early morning hours, around 2-6. If you remember, that's when I woke almost nightly while he was still inside, so I've not been surprised a bit.

I've been bringing him to bed and nursing him when he wakes around that time because he's just so fussy and doesn't settle easily or sleep more than an hour or so otherwise. It works great for us and did for Clara also those first couple of months. The only problem is, I don't sleep as soundly with him in bed. Well, last night I had the bright idea to try to get him back in his crib. Yeah, he showed me. He woke after only 5-10 minutes of sleep or sometimes as soon as I laid his little body down on the mattress. After, oh, I'd say about 10 rounds of this, I regained my sanity and finally brought him to bed with me around 6:30. I got a little bit of sleep before Clara woke around 7:30.

Chris got her some breakfast and put a movie on for her before he left for work so I could sleep a little since Robert was still sound asleep next to me. We woke around 8:45 and this little boy did not go back to sleep until after 3:00! He has been eating non-stop and would not go to sleep. I tried unsuccessfully about 5 times to put him down for naps and am just plain worn out now. He's been attached to my body for the better part of the day. He's finally getting some much needed rest (in my lap) and I just hope he lets me have mine tonight. Man, growth spurts are killer!

When he was first born, I thought he had some of Clara's same newborn tendencies. However, after getting past our first week with all the sickness and adjustment and stuff, I'm finding that he's a much easier baby than Clara ever was. I wouldn't call him an easy baby because nursing tends to be the only thing that will calm him down most times, but I can tolerate that. I realize it just comes with the territory sometimes.

He does sleep better though and we're able to comfort and settle him down easier. Clara wasn't colicky, but I would label her high needs. Everything had to be just right with her and Robert seems to be much easier in that respect. He'll take a pacifier on occasion and he tolerates his swing and bouncy seat. I can hold him more than one way, he will stay asleep in his car seat and has made it through eating out and church without making a peep, etc. That stuff never happened with Clara the newborn. It has been a very nice surprise, let me tell you. I had mentally prepared myself for another Clara and he really has been a breeze in comparison, so I just need to give him a little more time to adjust to his new home outside the womb before expecting complete compliance to my nighttime wishes.

More Pics

Little guy finally has his eyes open (and mouth closed) a little more frequently, so here are some pictures. Our new camera is a Canon and I can't tell you anything more because it's not sitting in front of me. Truth be told, I know nothing about it. Chris got bit by the camera bug while he was home with us and he did a ton of research.

He finally told me that I either needed to give him permission to purchase or tell him there was no way we were getting a new camera because he couldn't stop looking. How could I say no? I mean we do have a beautiful new baby to photograph and I've wanted a "real" camera for some time now. I told him as long as it had an idiot proof automatic setting, I was fine with getting a new one as our Christmas presents to each other. We also used the money my mom and dad gave us for Christmas. So now we'll have nothing under the tree come Christmas morning. But we will have nice pictures of everyone else opening theirs!

My Silly Four Year Old

It was finally nice enough outside for me to practice taking some pictures with our new camera. I love it!

4 and 2

Clara had her 4 year well check scheduled for this morning and I was able to get Robert's 2 week check at the same time, so I decided to call in reinforcements. Clara was not too excited about going to the doctor as visions of allergy appointments still dance in her head. Chris came with me to hold her down for her 4 shots. Poor girl. She kept trying to escape the exam room while we waited for the nurse. All the while, I was having to hold Robert and nurse him. I would have been one frazzled mama had I been by myself.

Our appointment was at 8:15 and we finally got out of there a few minutes after 10:00. I was so glad Chris came with me and that I didn't have to do two separate appointments.

Clara weighed in at 37.5 pounds (50-75th %) and was 42 inches tall (90th %). She got 4 vaccinations but the nice thing is she won't have any at her 5 year checkup.

Robert was 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 3/4 inches. I'll have to double check his percentiles. He had his newborn screening done, so there was lots of screaming from him as well. His cold is still lingering; he's pretty stopped up and his tear ducts are clogged, but other than that, he's in tip top shape.

Best Day Ever

My mom left yesterday morning and Chris went back to work today, so this was my first day flying solo with two kids. I gotta admit I was a little worried about how the day would go, but I'm happy to report that it was flawless!

I had my two week appointment at the birth center at 9:00, so I had to have us all ready to go early. Robert slept long enough to let me get ready, get Clara up and dressed, get the dogs fed and we were even able to eat breakfast. Once he was awake, I got him changed, nursed and dressed and we were out the door and to our appointment on time. I even put on makeup while I nursed. Yay!

My appointment went great. Melanie was very thorough and made sure everything was going well for me and Robert. The appointment probably lasted half an hour. Robert had his hearing test and he passed no problem. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 5 oz. with clothes, so he's probably right at his birth weight, which is perfect. I was 118 pounds, so I've lost about 20.

Clara was perfectly behaved at my appointment. Melanie and the nurse were in and out of the room and Clara was talking to everyone and as I was distracted a bit, she wandered out of the room and went up to the front to play and talk with a little boy and his mom. I kept mentioning that I should probably go retrieve my child, but Melanie just peeked out every once in awhile to check on her and said she was fine and just being an ambassador.

Once we left there, I went to get gas and then decided to run into Kohl's since everyone was so well behaved. (I went there Saturday with my mom and I found my receipt this morning and noticed I was charged twice for something. Having a week old baby is rather distracting I'm finding and the cashier was very talkative and very interested in Robert, hence the reason I didn't notice the error when it happened.) Anyway, I didn't know if they'd refund my money or not, but I figured it was worth a try.

Well they did, so I'm $15 richer! Or at least I was; I grabbed a pair of jeans on the way out :) My day was just getting better and better. We stopped by Sonic on the way home to get Clara a slush for being so so good all morning. We got home and I was able to make our lunch and clean up before Robert woke up. I nursed him and read Clara's naptime book while I nursed. Then I put her down for a nap, which she did willingly!

I got some laundry started and then decided to try putting Robert down for a nap in his crib for the first time. It took a couple of tries, but he finally went down and I laid down for a nap too. I woke before they did and folded laundry and cleaned out a few of my drawers.

We just hung out this afternoon and Chris reheated some birthday pizza when he got home. And then the best part of the day happened when I decided to look for my keys that have been lost since Robert was a day or two old. I decided to check the couch cushions one more time and stuck my hand way down in the cracks and found them! I can't tell you how happy I am. I was not looking forward to paying for a new key fob for the van; I know they're not cheap.

I realize this day would be uneventful and unmonumentous to most, but I just had to write down how excited I am to be a mom of two now. Although I know all of our days won't be as easy and smooth as today was, I want to remember how blessed and fulfilled I felt on this official first day as a stay at home mommy of two.

Clara's 4th Birthday Bash

I have to start out by bragging on my husband. He went above and beyond to make Clara's birthday party special. Between giving birth, having a sick family, non-stop nursing and being told to take it easy, her birthday party kinda got moved to the back burner. I just couldn't make up my mind where to have it and what to, so I also hadn't sent out invitations.

We finally decided to have a pizza party at Double Dave's and Chris sent out emails to a few people only a few days before. I told him we could just buy a cake instead of making the one I had intended to because it would be a little time consuming.

He insisted on making the cake and he did a fine job of it. It looked (and tasted) great! My mom and I just helped with the icing. He also went and got balloons and went to the restaurant early to set everything up and order the pizzas. I'm so glad he didn't let me get away with not doing something special for her birthday. She had a blast. We went all out on the party favors and games. We handed out quarters to all the kids and let them play games and buy tattoos and candy from the machines.

We let Clara have her gift from us before we left for the party. It's a baby care station with a bed, bathtub, highchair and cabinet. Again, Chris was the one who chose her gift and built it. I was completely useless this birthday.

Bia got to be here for her party this year. This is the first time she's had a grandparent in attendance at one of her birthday parties.

Look at all those layers. You're impressed, aren't you? Clara has such a good Daddy!

First Bath

Robert got his first real bath on Friday. After I lowered his undiapered self into the nice warm water, I realized I had poop on my hand. I had to pull him out and refill the bath with clean water, so by the time we got him settled in a new bath, he was a very angry baby.

He did calm down eventually and somewhat enjoyed his bath. In time, I think he'll learn to love them. We just got off to a rocky start.

Ho Ho Ho!

We headed to the mall this morning to take pictures with Santa. Clara's eyes lit up with excitement when she saw him and she had to give him lots of hugs. She asked him for a stroller for her dolls. Once we had taken our pictures and walked away, she asked sadly, "Where's my stroller?"

We walked around the mall and did a little shopping after that and Robert was such a good little boy. He never even woke up. Which is more than I can say for his newborn photo session we had yesterday. We tried for an hour or so to get him calmed down and asleep so we could pose him in cute little nakie poses. I nursed him several times and we rocked him for-ever, but he was highly uncooperative, so I'm hoping we at least got a few good ones. We finally got him to sleep and she snapped one photo and he startled and was wide awake. Grrr!

Apparently, most babies stay asleep once you get them to sleep. Yeah, not my children. He did sleep all afternoon after his photo session though. It's hard work being such a stinker.