Week 6: Controlled Chaos

So things are “…getting better all the ti-i-ime…” – Beatles, if you didn’t recognize the reference.

Sorry for the lag in posts. Our internet has been on and off for about a week. It was down in the whole area yesterday so maybe they finally fixed it. .

Ketcher is cuddly and lovable!  He still smiles at the ceiling the for the most part, but there have a few social smiles here and there. 

"What? The ceiling is pretty sweet. Don't knock it till you try it!"

 His favorite activities are the swing and bath time… oh and eating of course. 

"Yes we just love bath time can't you tell by the looks on our faces?"

He is also finally falling into a manageable routine. He wakes and eats, 90 minutes or less later, I put him down to sleep. The only time of day he may not fall asleep, or stay asleep long, is early evening.  He is consistently asleep around 9pm and will sleep for 6 hours, until about 3am. If I am luckily he will sleep another 3 hours (until 6:30) but that is not very consistent yet.

Now that he is sort of predictable it makes life so much easier!!

Kenzie is in a language explosion right now. We hear at least 2 new words per day. Today (so far) is “ear” and “happy.”  She has mastered “up” and if I say “one” she says “two” and “three” (which sounds more like “fee”.)

"Did someone say explosion?"

 As for taming the ongoing toddler tantrums, I am half way through the book “Positive Discipline: The first three years” and the methods are working awesome! Here’s an example from yesterday:

                I made a PB&J for lunch but she wouldn’t eat it, because I cut it into tiny squares instead of feeding it to her. 

                I realized that even though I know what I want her to do, she may not know. So I said. “Kenzie it would make Mommy happy if you ate your sandwich.” 

                Kenzie said. “Happy.” 

                I repeated. “Yes, it would make mommy happy if you ate your sandwich.”

                She sat down and ate the whole thing.

That’s not the only example. She has also been hitting and kicking lately. Not in a malicious way but it is still irritating. So here is what happened yesterday:

                

               Kenzie walks over swinging her arms at my face.

                I grabbed her hand out of the air and touched my face with it. I said. “Gentle.”

                She smiled and walked away.

                A few minutes later she came back over, arm raised… then she put her hand on my face gently.

                Today she hasn’t swung her arms once but she has put her hands on our faces and patted lightly.  

How could this cheesy face be malicious?

She just needs some guidance I guess. I am trying to reroute the kicking today. She just loves to put her feet on everything… snack trays, me, Ketcher, expensive ipads, computers, phones, etc. So we are working on using our feet for dancing instead. We will see…

"I really don't mean to step on your expensive electronics... tee hee!"

I started working out again yesterday. I figured I would start light by doing the 30 day fitness challenges.  I started the ab and squat one yesterday and today I am adding planks and arms. This is probably my favorite activity of the day, because Kenzie tries to do the workouts with me. I will attempt to take some pictures of video this week.

In another two weeks we will begin our eating plan. Until then the only goal is cut out sugar, which is hard because I seriously NEED my 11am cherry coke. Maybe I will start cutting that out tomorrow... or next week.

"Low sugar, low carb, diet sounds awesome... said no one, ever."

Why I baby bunched...

Yes to most it seems totally nuts that I had two children so close in age. Kenzie and Ketcher are 18 months apart and my life is total chaos. So why did I choose to have two? Why have two so close in age? Why am I bitching about it, when I am the one that decided to do this in the first place?

Let me explain...

First of all, let's quickly back up to my childhood. My brother and sister are so much older than me that technically I would be considered an only child. My favorite memories are with my siblings: Playing hide and seek with dart guns, listening to records and dancing around the kerosene heater. I want my kids to have great family memories they can reminisce about with each other.

1980 something... my siblings and I camping
(or an 80s commercial for Froot Loops)

When trying to decide IF we should have kids, we decided if we are going to have one, we better have two.

When I look back at my journal from Kenzie's first year, she was 12 weeks old when I was ready to start on #2. She was sleeping through the night and had a consistent nap schedule during the day. Everything seemed so easy.

Kenzie at 3 months, look at that face. How could I not want more?

If I would have waited until now to start trying, NO WAY I would have wanted to throw another kid in the mix yet. However, it's been 1 month with 2 babies and things are starting to get much easier.

Other reasons for two under two:

• I don't want to get out of the baby phase and then have to get back into it.
• The equipment like car seats, cribs, highchairs have expiration dates.  Safety requirements change, and I don't want to have to buy more.
• I am done being pregnant, forever. YAY!
• They might be interested in the same activities.
• They might not need me to entertain them constantly. It's possible there may be a moment or two in my future that I am not the sole source of entertainment.
• Safety in numbers.
• If they are too embarrassed to come to their parents with something at least they can talk to each other.
• I wanted the first child to not really remember life without the other. I read that having them under two years apart limits jealousy. We will see...

The new family! Kenzie and Ketcher might need a little more time to let it sink in.

There are arguments for every spacing age you can imagine. Every family has their own perfect size.  Yes for all interested parties, we are done having kids... forever.

First month has come and gone

1 month bites the dust! Good riddance!

Ketcher - 1 month old!

Sleeping - He spent 3 weeks waking every 2-2.5 hours to eat. At 3 weeks he started sleeping at night in 4 hour stretches. A few days ago he slept 8:30 to 4:30... 8 hours! I probably would have woke him to feed him at least once, but I kept on sleeping. This week he has had a consistent 6 hour stretch at night and I will take it, the worst is over! Hizzah! 

No more tears during bath time either! 

Playing - Tummy time only lasts a few minutes right now. He hates it for the most part but I will keep trying. Today he did spend about 15 minutes on the playmat for the first time without crying. He was batting the dangling toys (unintentionally) and looking at himself in the mirror. It was a nice change to see him awake and not crying.

Eating - The boy loves to eat! He also loves to poop. So much poop...

For all interested parties his beautiful dark brown hair has started falling out, so we will have another bald baby until his mystery hair color comes in next year.

Oh no! Not my hair!!!

Kenzie - 18.5 months

The cure for toddler tantrums = lots of outdoor time. We spend about 3 hours per day, rain or shine, outside. The morning is spent at the playground and the afternoon is spent on a long stroller ride.

Happy girl as long as she is outside.

Yesterday afternoon was rainy and ugly. I suited all of us up in our rain gear and headed out for our long walk. I saw about 5 other people outside in the rain, all of them had toddlers!  It is very clear that staying inside with your toddler is WAAAAAY worse than getting rained on.

As for her verbal skills, she is picking up a few new words a week. She is also picking up hundreds of new words she can't say yet.

Here is a funny example of what we don't realize she picks up:
She was sitting on the counter while Dan made her a sandwich this weekend.
He said. "Where are the flowers?"
Kenzie pointed to the flowers.
Dan said. "BOOYAH!"
Kenzie pointed to our Buddha statue sitting on the counter.
Booyah does sound a whole lot like Buddha.
We were both cracking up!

Kudos Kenzie... kudos

Me - 10 lbs to go...

Workouts - I have 2 more weeks until the doc gives me the go-ahead for working out. Right now my workouts consist of about 1.5 hours of walking while pushing a 75 lb stroller, and running around the playground. Pretty much the coolest workout ever!

4 slides, a rock wall, swings... what better gym could a gal ask for?

Diet - cherry cokes and cheez-its. Ok so there are a few more meals in there, but the reality is that I have been eating really crappy for far too long. It's time to get my meal plan together now so I can hit the ground running in 2 weeks. Stay tuned...

The cure for boredom

Dan went back to work so I am back in the saddle again. Ok maybe not "in the saddle," more like being dragged by the foot still strapped in the saddle.

Eiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

My concept of dates and time cease to exist. Nursing sessions feel like hours, nap time feels like seconds. I know it’s the afternoon because that’s when the rain rolls in. There are no moments not taken up by one or both of the kids.

I wake to Ketcher crying to be fed at 5am. I fall asleep at 10pm when he finally nods off for the night. Of course there may be 1-2 feedings in the middle of the night, but at this point I am skilled enough to pull off a feeding and diaper change without really waking up.

"What else is she asleep during?!"

My days are taken up with the art of toddler distractions. When I feed Ketch, Kenz and I play the “where’s the…” game. She loves it and it takes no effort. I name something in the room and she points to it. She knows couch, light, lamp, quilt, door, ceiling, carpet, bassinet, ottoman, window, plant, guitar, tree, mandolin, banjo, chair, table, TV, Ketcher, mommy, remote… the list goes on and on. We do the same thing in the bath if she gets fussy.

I can’t believe I used to sit and watch TV, work, read, or workout. I used to get bored. I can’t imagine being bored any more. I barely have time to eat and as any parent knows, I can't even use the bathroom alone.



"You think you got it bad, at least you can wipe your own butt!"

My bookkeeping business, which consists of 1 employee... me, has picked up another client, so in the highly unlikely event that both children are asleep at the same time, I am working. Right now I am writing this post as I make a lasagna for dinner and Kenzie is playing loudly in her room. Ketcher is asleep in the swing (thank God for the swing!!!) and the dogs are quietly sulking upstairs.  

So what's the cure for boredom?  Have 2 children 18 months apart. I promise you will not be bored. Teetering on the brink of insanity, but never ever bored.

 

Breastfeeding, what they don't tell you

"Breast is Best!" is what every pregnant woman is told. To the point that you feel very guilty if you can't breastfeed or even if you supplement with formula.

Let's talk a little bit about what they don't tell you...

Don't be fooled, it hurts. Maybe for some women it doesn't, because they are magical like a unicorn, or that one lady that's a friend of a friend that gave birth naturally with no pain. I am not saying it will hurt forever, but there will be pain and probably a fair amount of frustration.  I am 16 days in and either Ketch is getting the hang of latching on properly, or I have just become more tolerable of the pain... but most of the time, there is still a minute of discomfort.

I know they are out there... but I have never seen one.
A mom that never had pain breastfeeding  I mean.

Cramping. You feed your baby, your uterus contracts. Yup, those are contractions. They can be uncomfortable, painful, or just annoying, but there they are putting your body back to the way it used to be pre-baby.  No pain, no gain right? Luckily this only lasts for a week or two. Then its up to you to get your body back in shape. I would rather take another month of cramping.

Soooooo thirsty! Did someone pour sand into your mouth? It is painful to sit down and have your baby latch on, only to realize you left your ice cold water across the room. You don't dare move, you just have to suffer through another 40 minutes until you can guzzle that frosty glass of water.  Make sure you have water at all your feeding locations or suffer dehydration worse than Death Valley in July.

Just... out... of... reach... DAMN IT!

It's boring. Not in the beginning. You will stare lovingly at your baby's hair, fingers, nose... but after a month of 40 minute feeding sessions every 2 hours, you will be craving a new episode of Goldbergs.

You will worry. There are no measurements, no estimates, not even pumping will give you an accurate measure of your supply.  You just have to wing it and hope the doctor gives you a thumbs up at your baby's next appointment.  Side note:  You become much more confident after your first baby.

Can't breastfeed or don't want to?  If it doesn't happen it's not the end of the world. My brother and I were formula fed and my brother is one of the smartest people I know. As for me, I am pretty awesome, so there's that...

I only breastfed this little one for 6 months. Once
those first teeth popped through she said to me:
"Ain't nobody got time for that!"