When I started this blog I had a few intentions. One was just to jot down what was going on in my life so that a few years from now I could look back and remember the insanity of having two under two. Another was connect with other moms and possibly help save someone else from one of my mistakes. Of which there are many!
Five months into life as a baby buncher, I can now say that life has started to be a bit more stable and calm. Evie is almost 23 months old. She has adjusted as well as could be expected to her life as a big sister. She seems happy and she likes her little sister. I think that once Elly, now 5 months old, gets mobile life will get a little crazy again. But hopefully the worst of our days are behind us.
There have been a lot of tough lessons learned. First and foremost, whatever baby #1 did, expect baby #2 to do the EXACT opposite. Baby #1 was a good sleeper? Plan on a lot of sleepless nights. Baby #1 was happy on a schedule? Plan on the second one refusing to be on a schedule. Baby #1 liked spending time in the swing? Baby #2 will hate it. Baby #1 ate anything you could fit on a spoon? Baby #2 will be a picky eater. The list goes on and on.
One of my friends has just found out that she's pregnant with her second and her bunch will be about 17 months apart, same as mine. While I've offered advice already it got me to thinking about what tips I wish I could go back and give myself.
1.) Have lower expectations. I had hopes of things being just so. I envisioned Evie falling right into life as a big sister. Being happy in her new role and loving to help out. I thought things would be just like they were when we brought Evie home. A tough first few days and then getting into the swing and moving forward. That wasn't how it went at all. Our first few days were the easy ones. Then Evie realized that this new little person was apparently staying. And life went downhill. Cut yourself some slack!
2.) Savor your last days with just one. Because once #2 comes along it is so so hard to get time with just one baby. As important as it is to spend time with each child individually, the real world makes it difficult to come by when they're small. Especially when both parents work full-time and have somewhat spastic schedules.
3.) Budget, budget, budget. Having two in diapers is outrageously expensive. If you don't have a family budget on paper, make one. Make a list of your expenses and if you don't have any extra start making the cuts now. Start saving money while you're pregnant. It's easier to cut back on how much you're saving than to find expenses to cut once Baby #2 comes. Plus having a decent amount saved will make it easier to buy all the duplicate stuff you'll need for the second one.
4.) Stock up. Start buying an extra pack of diapers regularly while you're pregnant. Don't wait for the baby shower because since it's your second, people probably won't be as generous. If you catch diapers on sale, stock up. Especially since Wal-Mart will take exchange on unopened diapers without a receipt. It's not a big deal to swap a few packs if Baby#2 outgrows them. If you get used to buying an extra pack each month, it won't be QUITE as bad later on. If you see baby food on sale or get coupons, stock up. Same with formula, etc. Baby #1 has outgrown all that stuff but Gerber and Similac may still be sending you coupons. Get used to buying more of all that baby stuff now. And it'll make adapting to your new grocery bill a little easier.
5.) Don't forget that your oldest is still a baby. This was one of the hardest for me. Once #2 came along, I needed the oldest to stop being such a baby. But of course, she was not even 18 months old. She still needed diaper changes and naps and lots and lots and lots of help to do stuff. It's not like she can make her own breakfast and take care of herself when both parents have been up all night with a colicky infant.
6.) You can do it! Trust me. The first few months might just feel impossible. You will cry. You will yell at your husband and your dog and your toddler and your mom and your best friend. You will wonder how the hell you ever thought you could do it. There will be some bad days, some worse nights. But one day you will wake up after a full night's rest and you will have a calm, peaceful breakfast followed by a happy, productive morning. It might be after a couple of weeks of having two babies or a couple of months or maybe even a couple of years (if you're REALLY unlucky) but sooner or later this day will come.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Milestones and deadlines
Well, another deadline is looming.
Nine days before Evie's second birthday is another somewhat momentous occasion. Elly's six month "birthday." Which is also my self-imposed deadline to be back to my pre-Elly weight. My summer before Evie weight is a WHOOOOLE different story. But I'd like to be back to the weight I was last June by the time Elly is six months.
As of 7 a.m. today I weighed 132.5 lbs. That leaves me 7.5 lbs to go. But only 6 weeks left. I feel like I need to really buckle down and work to lose more than a pound a week but man. I have been craving bad foods like crazy. No, I'm not pregnant. Or PMSing. Or anything else hormonal that I know of. But instead of my usual summer metabolism, the one I had before I got pregnant the FIRST time, the one where I was barely hungry and a cup of coffee for breakfast, a small salad for lunch and a sandwich for supper kept me full...yeah, that metabolism doesn't exist anymore. Instead of the summer heat and activity making me NOT hungry, I'm starving nearly all the time. And sitting around in the bat cave for 40 hours a week, it's hard to come up with appealing and healthy snacks.
So I'm trying to walk every day. Doing yoga as many days as I can find the time and energy. Trying to give myself a cheat day occasionally to keep me from being totally depressed. And crossing my fingers every morning when I step on the scale.
No matter how much weight I lose I'm pretty sure that my pre-baby body will never return. And most days I'm okay with that. Sometimes, like when I see a picture of me on Facebook where I just look so BLAH, I wish I could get back that pre-Evie tummy. And if I win the lottery, I'm definitely getting a boob job. My boobs are practically non-existent now! But my sweet babies are totally worth it. And I don't look as bad in my little tankini two-piece as I thought I would. My size 8 jeans leave me some breathing room and size small shirts look good, as long as they aren't so tight they show the muffin top that my excess tummy skin can make.
Little Elly is rolling over now. And sitting up by herself. She's starting to play with toys and have some more personality. She's sleeping good and enjoying being outside and watching what's going on. Even Evie has noticed that Elly is improving. Evie brings her toys to play with and enjoys sitting in the floor and showing her how to play with toys. I can't wait until Elly is 8 or 9 months old and really crawling and playing. They are going to be such good friends!
Six months is a big milestone. With Evie is seemed like when everything seriously sped up. Babies work so hard to accomplish those first big physical milestones, rolling over and sitting up, but once they have the muscles developed for those, the rest of the gross physical milestones just sort of rush along. The first six months are spent on tummy time to finally accomplish rolling and sitting propped on their little hands...then the second six months is a rush of crawling, pulling up, feeding themselves, cruising and walking. It's amazing! And overwhelming. A baby goes from being a little squab to being a fully-mobile little person in such a short period of time.
And it is so amazing to see how much different individual children are! Evie was so advanced physically, but in the big physicals. From the get-go that girl was determined to walk. And no surprise that she was walking at 10 months old. As long as she got what she needed, she had no interest in talking. So again no surprise that she didn't start talking much til 18 months old. Elly on the other hand is a talker. Technically she's already said her first word "Ooma" for Momma. (Yay! A momma's girl!) And while Evie was never behind on the more localized milestones, things like grabbing and pincer grasp, I can tell a tremendous difference in Elly's capabilities. She can grab toys and pick up things far better than Evie could at this age.
So...six weeks...and I just feel like life will be so much different afterward. But it's not a bad thing.
Nine days before Evie's second birthday is another somewhat momentous occasion. Elly's six month "birthday." Which is also my self-imposed deadline to be back to my pre-Elly weight. My summer before Evie weight is a WHOOOOLE different story. But I'd like to be back to the weight I was last June by the time Elly is six months.
As of 7 a.m. today I weighed 132.5 lbs. That leaves me 7.5 lbs to go. But only 6 weeks left. I feel like I need to really buckle down and work to lose more than a pound a week but man. I have been craving bad foods like crazy. No, I'm not pregnant. Or PMSing. Or anything else hormonal that I know of. But instead of my usual summer metabolism, the one I had before I got pregnant the FIRST time, the one where I was barely hungry and a cup of coffee for breakfast, a small salad for lunch and a sandwich for supper kept me full...yeah, that metabolism doesn't exist anymore. Instead of the summer heat and activity making me NOT hungry, I'm starving nearly all the time. And sitting around in the bat cave for 40 hours a week, it's hard to come up with appealing and healthy snacks.
So I'm trying to walk every day. Doing yoga as many days as I can find the time and energy. Trying to give myself a cheat day occasionally to keep me from being totally depressed. And crossing my fingers every morning when I step on the scale.
No matter how much weight I lose I'm pretty sure that my pre-baby body will never return. And most days I'm okay with that. Sometimes, like when I see a picture of me on Facebook where I just look so BLAH, I wish I could get back that pre-Evie tummy. And if I win the lottery, I'm definitely getting a boob job. My boobs are practically non-existent now! But my sweet babies are totally worth it. And I don't look as bad in my little tankini two-piece as I thought I would. My size 8 jeans leave me some breathing room and size small shirts look good, as long as they aren't so tight they show the muffin top that my excess tummy skin can make.
Little Elly is rolling over now. And sitting up by herself. She's starting to play with toys and have some more personality. She's sleeping good and enjoying being outside and watching what's going on. Even Evie has noticed that Elly is improving. Evie brings her toys to play with and enjoys sitting in the floor and showing her how to play with toys. I can't wait until Elly is 8 or 9 months old and really crawling and playing. They are going to be such good friends!
Six months is a big milestone. With Evie is seemed like when everything seriously sped up. Babies work so hard to accomplish those first big physical milestones, rolling over and sitting up, but once they have the muscles developed for those, the rest of the gross physical milestones just sort of rush along. The first six months are spent on tummy time to finally accomplish rolling and sitting propped on their little hands...then the second six months is a rush of crawling, pulling up, feeding themselves, cruising and walking. It's amazing! And overwhelming. A baby goes from being a little squab to being a fully-mobile little person in such a short period of time.
And it is so amazing to see how much different individual children are! Evie was so advanced physically, but in the big physicals. From the get-go that girl was determined to walk. And no surprise that she was walking at 10 months old. As long as she got what she needed, she had no interest in talking. So again no surprise that she didn't start talking much til 18 months old. Elly on the other hand is a talker. Technically she's already said her first word "Ooma" for Momma. (Yay! A momma's girl!) And while Evie was never behind on the more localized milestones, things like grabbing and pincer grasp, I can tell a tremendous difference in Elly's capabilities. She can grab toys and pick up things far better than Evie could at this age.
So...six weeks...and I just feel like life will be so much different afterward. But it's not a bad thing.
Time Flies...
In about six weeks my little Evie is going to be two and to be honest, I'm feeling a little bi-polar about the situation. I fluctuate between being super excited and super depressed about the fact that my eldest daughter is going to be celebrating her second birthday. How did she get to be two already?
It has been so exciting watching her grow and develop. I thought that after the first year, when all the BIG milestones occur, that things would sort of stabilize and calm down. But it seems like she has changed just as much during this second year as she did during the first. The changes aren't quite so dramatic, but still leaps and bounds in her cognitive and communications skills. But I remember her first birthday like it was yesterday and I look forward to celebrating her second, and many many many more to come.
Evie's first birthday was a blast. She had never really been encouraged to make a huge mess of a cake, and I don't think she really knew what to do with herself. She finally got into it and made a decent mess of herself. It was hilarious to watch. And in typical Evie fashion she had her fans riveted and cheering her on. She was so precious.
This year we are planning on doing a pool party and cook out at the house. I intended initially for it to be a smaller party, and then when I started thinking of all the people that I wanted there, especially all of Evie's little friends, it ends up being at least as many people as last year. Not that last year was a HUGE event. But it was a good sized crowd.
I'm hoping I can get some of my family to each bring a dish, cutting down on the amount of work involved a little. Of course, I need to plan out what all food I want to have. Which is a chore in and of itself. Cake is all too obvious. And I'm going to do a little smash cake for Evie again. Hot dogs for all the guests. Chili, coleslaw (something my mom needs to make, cuz she makes some KILLA coleslaw!), potato salad, chips, maybe some cheesy bean dip (something else my mom should do!), cocktail weenies (cause they're delicious and Evie loves 'em)...but hmmm, what else? Some peanut butter cookies, because I have a neat #2 cookie cutter. And little baggies of popcorn. Another food Evie loves. Do I need anything else? That seems like a pretty decent spread. So, there's our menu.
The party is going to be late morning. I hope the weather is good, otherwise, I have NO idea what to do.
So as long as it's nice we will all be outside soaking up the sun and splashing in the pool. I'm going to hopefully borrow a slip-n-slide. And we've got a little bean bag Tic-Tac-Toe game. So I think we've got plenty to do.
Now in the next month, I have to get the house and yard in ship-shape. There's painting to be done on the deck and some touch ups inside. Weeding and what-not outside. Eesh. It's tiring just to think of!
I'm thinking if I bury myself in work and gifts and party supplies it'll keep my mind off the fact that my baby is leaving the days of babyhood and moving rapidly towards the preschooler age range. I've already told friends that I'm going to bawl my eyes out at Elly's first birthday party. It seems like the beginning of the end. My last baby having her first birthday. Probably be walking and talking and have accomplished all those other "firsts" by then. Evie's second birthday is the same sort of happy-sad occasion.
Mostly it is happy. But I am sad that time just seems to go by so quickly. Everyone tells me the older they get the faster it goes. And while time is flying by I'm left praying that I have done as good as I can. That Evie knows above everything else that I love her unconditionally and irrevocably. I am so proud of her. She's a sweet and precious girl.
I can't wait to see how amazing her future years are.
It has been so exciting watching her grow and develop. I thought that after the first year, when all the BIG milestones occur, that things would sort of stabilize and calm down. But it seems like she has changed just as much during this second year as she did during the first. The changes aren't quite so dramatic, but still leaps and bounds in her cognitive and communications skills. But I remember her first birthday like it was yesterday and I look forward to celebrating her second, and many many many more to come.
This year we are planning on doing a pool party and cook out at the house. I intended initially for it to be a smaller party, and then when I started thinking of all the people that I wanted there, especially all of Evie's little friends, it ends up being at least as many people as last year. Not that last year was a HUGE event. But it was a good sized crowd.
I'm hoping I can get some of my family to each bring a dish, cutting down on the amount of work involved a little. Of course, I need to plan out what all food I want to have. Which is a chore in and of itself. Cake is all too obvious. And I'm going to do a little smash cake for Evie again. Hot dogs for all the guests. Chili, coleslaw (something my mom needs to make, cuz she makes some KILLA coleslaw!), potato salad, chips, maybe some cheesy bean dip (something else my mom should do!), cocktail weenies (cause they're delicious and Evie loves 'em)...but hmmm, what else? Some peanut butter cookies, because I have a neat #2 cookie cutter. And little baggies of popcorn. Another food Evie loves. Do I need anything else? That seems like a pretty decent spread. So, there's our menu.
The party is going to be late morning. I hope the weather is good, otherwise, I have NO idea what to do.
So as long as it's nice we will all be outside soaking up the sun and splashing in the pool. I'm going to hopefully borrow a slip-n-slide. And we've got a little bean bag Tic-Tac-Toe game. So I think we've got plenty to do.
Now in the next month, I have to get the house and yard in ship-shape. There's painting to be done on the deck and some touch ups inside. Weeding and what-not outside. Eesh. It's tiring just to think of!
I'm thinking if I bury myself in work and gifts and party supplies it'll keep my mind off the fact that my baby is leaving the days of babyhood and moving rapidly towards the preschooler age range. I've already told friends that I'm going to bawl my eyes out at Elly's first birthday party. It seems like the beginning of the end. My last baby having her first birthday. Probably be walking and talking and have accomplished all those other "firsts" by then. Evie's second birthday is the same sort of happy-sad occasion.
Mostly it is happy. But I am sad that time just seems to go by so quickly. Everyone tells me the older they get the faster it goes. And while time is flying by I'm left praying that I have done as good as I can. That Evie knows above everything else that I love her unconditionally and irrevocably. I am so proud of her. She's a sweet and precious girl.
I can't wait to see how amazing her future years are.
Tweet-Tweeeet...Tweetsie
DORA! DORA!
Momma! Dora!
Pointing, yelling, jubilant.
Evie was thrilled. Ecstatic. Overwhelmed. There was Dora.
Two weekends ago, our family went to Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock. My mother-in-law had acquired some free tickets to meet Dora the Explorer and Diego. My husband and I, despite spending a lot of time in the Blowing Rock area, had never been to Tweetsie. We were excited about going and Evie was stoked that she was going to see Dora. Though until Dora actually came out onto the stage I'm not sure she really understood that she would be SEEING Dora.
The park was a lot of fun. There is a lot to do and a lot to see. Kids of all ages can enjoy it. Though the under 1 set is a little limited. Mobile babies can definitely enjoy some bounce houses, running around, kiddie rides, toy shops and even a petting zoo.
The petting zoo was my favorite. But only because they had baby pot-bellied pigs. I love pigs. Especially teensy pot-bellied ones. They just make my heart flutter. I didn't really do any rides, despite the decent selection. Evie rode a boat ride that she seemed to really enjoy. Elly spent her time in the stroller or in someone's arms.
My sister-in-law Eryn brought her lil boy, 10 month old Hunter. He seemed to have a good time. I stayed so busy with my babies I didn't really get to spend much time with him, which I was disappointed about. He's a sweet lil fellar. And I don't see him nearly enough!
Evie was jubilant that she got to see Dora. She even did really well with meeting Dora. I know a lot of kids can be overwhelmed seeing their favorite character in the flesh.
But Evie had Nanny come on the stage with her and bravely had her picture made with Dora and Diego.
Evie even survived the entire day without a single potty accident. Yet another bit of mind-boggling potty training information. Apparently kids can hold it for prolonged periods while at a theme park. Go figure.
We rode a train. Had lunch at a fabulous BBQ place. Got Evie her first (temporary) tattoo. Bought some souvenirs. Did ridiculous amounts of walking. It was a fabulous day.
I hope in future years that we get to go back to Tweetsie Railroad. When the little ones are older and able to enjoy more of the park. It was a great experience! Even though Evie was over-tired and even after her nap was a little on the surly side that evening, I thought the day was stellar.
Second family vacation-type trip down. It was spectacular! Can't wait to do it again.
p.s - These pictures were taken by my fabulous father-in-law, Gary Dowd. You can check out his website at www.garydowd.com.
Momma! Dora!
Pointing, yelling, jubilant.
Evie was thrilled. Ecstatic. Overwhelmed. There was Dora.
Two weekends ago, our family went to Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock. My mother-in-law had acquired some free tickets to meet Dora the Explorer and Diego. My husband and I, despite spending a lot of time in the Blowing Rock area, had never been to Tweetsie. We were excited about going and Evie was stoked that she was going to see Dora. Though until Dora actually came out onto the stage I'm not sure she really understood that she would be SEEING Dora.
The park was a lot of fun. There is a lot to do and a lot to see. Kids of all ages can enjoy it. Though the under 1 set is a little limited. Mobile babies can definitely enjoy some bounce houses, running around, kiddie rides, toy shops and even a petting zoo.
The petting zoo was my favorite. But only because they had baby pot-bellied pigs. I love pigs. Especially teensy pot-bellied ones. They just make my heart flutter. I didn't really do any rides, despite the decent selection. Evie rode a boat ride that she seemed to really enjoy. Elly spent her time in the stroller or in someone's arms.
My sister-in-law Eryn brought her lil boy, 10 month old Hunter. He seemed to have a good time. I stayed so busy with my babies I didn't really get to spend much time with him, which I was disappointed about. He's a sweet lil fellar. And I don't see him nearly enough!
Evie was jubilant that she got to see Dora. She even did really well with meeting Dora. I know a lot of kids can be overwhelmed seeing their favorite character in the flesh.
But Evie had Nanny come on the stage with her and bravely had her picture made with Dora and Diego.
Evie even survived the entire day without a single potty accident. Yet another bit of mind-boggling potty training information. Apparently kids can hold it for prolonged periods while at a theme park. Go figure.
We rode a train. Had lunch at a fabulous BBQ place. Got Evie her first (temporary) tattoo. Bought some souvenirs. Did ridiculous amounts of walking. It was a fabulous day.
I hope in future years that we get to go back to Tweetsie Railroad. When the little ones are older and able to enjoy more of the park. It was a great experience! Even though Evie was over-tired and even after her nap was a little on the surly side that evening, I thought the day was stellar.
Second family vacation-type trip down. It was spectacular! Can't wait to do it again.
p.s - These pictures were taken by my fabulous father-in-law, Gary Dowd. You can check out his website at www.garydowd.com.
Pee...pee...everywhere
Okay, not really. But some mornings feel that way.
Potty training is the most confusing, frustrating and nerve-wracking experience of my parenting life so far. I'm sure it'll get worse. Potty training is probably pretty small stuff compared to what we'll have to deal with during teenage years I'm sure.
It's not that potty training isn't going well. I think it is. Largely, Evie is accident-free. As long as I remember to take her to the potty regularly because when she's playing she tends to forget. We are still having an issue with #2. Which I totally don't get. But I'm not a toddler. She gets that she's supposed to pee in the potty and that peeing in her pull-up or panties is bad. She understands that pooping in the potty is good. But somehow she hasn't put together that she needs to poop in the potty instead of her pull-up. If she happens to be on the potty, she'll poop otherwise you'll be changing her.
It's also interesting that some mornings Evie can pee 10 times in an hour. Others she can go two hours without a dribble.
Potty training is just a really confusing sort of thing. I just really didn't realize how frustrating it would be. Because it's incredibly frustrating. Some days are perfect. Others, it's like Evie hit her head and doesn't remember any of this potty nonsense.
We're one month in. First pack of pull-ups (I think there were 56?) down. All in all, going well. But I wish it were over.
Potty training is the most confusing, frustrating and nerve-wracking experience of my parenting life so far. I'm sure it'll get worse. Potty training is probably pretty small stuff compared to what we'll have to deal with during teenage years I'm sure.
It's not that potty training isn't going well. I think it is. Largely, Evie is accident-free. As long as I remember to take her to the potty regularly because when she's playing she tends to forget. We are still having an issue with #2. Which I totally don't get. But I'm not a toddler. She gets that she's supposed to pee in the potty and that peeing in her pull-up or panties is bad. She understands that pooping in the potty is good. But somehow she hasn't put together that she needs to poop in the potty instead of her pull-up. If she happens to be on the potty, she'll poop otherwise you'll be changing her.
It's also interesting that some mornings Evie can pee 10 times in an hour. Others she can go two hours without a dribble.
Potty training is just a really confusing sort of thing. I just really didn't realize how frustrating it would be. Because it's incredibly frustrating. Some days are perfect. Others, it's like Evie hit her head and doesn't remember any of this potty nonsense.
We're one month in. First pack of pull-ups (I think there were 56?) down. All in all, going well. But I wish it were over.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
So over it!
Well, I guess the cause of my funky bad mood was just the drastically low funds barely occupying my bank account.
I'm better now.
Much better in fact.
Though I am now seriously planning Evie's second birthday party.
She's going to be two. TWO! It is absolutely unbelievable.
It seems like yesterday I found out I was pregnant with her. Now she's going to be two. Time really does go by too fast.
So there will be more information coming about the party. And my weightloss update. And Elly's astounding physical prowess.
But in the meantime, happy Tuesday!
I'm better now.
Much better in fact.
Though I am now seriously planning Evie's second birthday party.
She's going to be two. TWO! It is absolutely unbelievable.
It seems like yesterday I found out I was pregnant with her. Now she's going to be two. Time really does go by too fast.
So there will be more information coming about the party. And my weightloss update. And Elly's astounding physical prowess.
But in the meantime, happy Tuesday!
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