Popping In

We are settling into a routine and adjusting to life with two kids. And it's awesome. I am feeling really lucky and can't really imagine how maternity leave could get any better. Ellie is a really good baby. Like her brother, she is growing like a weed. At her two week appointment, she was 8 lbs, 13 oz. ... half a pound over her birth weight. I make my babies chubby!

I take her around with me wherever I go and hardly ever hear a peep. She's been sleeping pretty well at night; I usually get a stretch of about 5 hours and then another three so I can't complain. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm pretty sure she is smiling for real this week. Sometimes when she's awake and in a good mood, if I laugh or tickle her, she coos and smiles at me. Of course, I haven't been able to capture it on film, but it's a VERY sweet smile that lights up her whole face.



Timmy has been amazing. He is head over heels in love with his "Ellie bean" and constantly asks to hold her or bring her fun places. Whenever she cries, he sprints across the room to kiss her feet or put her pacifier back in. And honestly, I think he's become more helpful and more cooperative simply by virtue of being a big brother.



The one area that has been negatively impacted is sleep. He doesn't do it anymore. We do our normal bedtime routine (potty, bath, PJs, books, songs) and kiss him goodnight, but then he comes out of his room (repeatedly) for no real reason. I think he's jealous that we're still awake with Ellie, but he did this before she arrived too, so who knows. Most nights, he'll do this for an hour or an hour and a half. So he ends up falling asleep around 9 or even later. Then he's been waking up and coming into our room at 5:15, asking to play or watch TV. 8 hours of sleep is super deficient for a not-yet-three year old. So we've tried the silent return (for months actually), we've tried taking away toys and returning them for good behavior, we've tried giving him extra snuggles. This is coming in the mail today and I've heard a lot of great things about it, so we'll give that a shot. Then I guess I may have to call in some experts if that doesn't improve things.

Then there's me. I feel amazing. My OB called me out of the blue last Friday and left a rambling message about how she missed seeing me and was thinking of me and the baby. She said she tried to visit us in the hospital but we had already left, so she wanted me to drop in to show her the baby. I went in on Wednesday to chat with her and while I was there made my appointment for my 6 week check-up. I counted the dates three times to make sure it was right because I couldn't believe it had only been three weeks. I seriously felt better 1 day post-partum than I did at 6 weeks post-partum after having Timmy. If it weren't for the 10 pounds leftover bunched up around my mid-section, I would feel like I had never been pregnant.

This week was my first week on my own. Since PJO leaves for work by 6 or 6:30, I do breakfast and get both of them ready to drop Timmy off at school by 9. Then I come home and hang out with Ellie during the day. Sometimes we'll just lounge or get stuff done around the house, sometimes I will run errands or meet up with friends. Then I pick up Timmy around 3 and go to the park or the pool. Life would be much harder right now if Timmy weren't in school, so I am super grateful to have that.

The most challenging part of the day is definitely dinner time. PJO doesn't get home until 7 or sometimes even later, so I generally have both of them by myself while trying to put something together and warding off crankiness (from both kids). The Ergo and/or Moby has worked well to strap Ellie to me while I get dinner ready and I've resorted to letting Timmy watch Mickey Mouse when he's particularly destructive. It can be a little stressful but so far I've been lucky and my sweet neighbors have brought by amazing dinners so I don't have to worry about the food part.

So that's our life in a nutshell right now. Things are good.