mommy/baby

Remember when I said that Britton was treating her Dora doll like her baby?  Here she is, using the Boppy pillow, feeding her "baby" and being quite proud of herself for being a mommy.  And it's adorable, watching her imitate me.  I knew close to nothing about babies when I had Britton.  I never had a younger sibling, my closest cousin Stephanie is a year and a half younger than me so we basically grew up together, and I didn't babysit newborns.  In fact, the first time I babysat Garrett as a newborn (THIRTEEN years ago, heaven help me I'm old), Jessica came home to find me in tears because I was unable to get him to stop crying for the entire time she was gone.  I don't know if Britton will remember being three years old, but I do hope she remembers how she learned how to take care of a baby.

Britton helped me get Barrett set up on her old activity mat.  Granted, he's still a bit young to get it, but it kept him entertained for ten minutes.  

And then the regression/sibling rivalry/whatever you want to call it came on strong.  Once Barrett was out of the activity mat, Britton was in.  And asking for a bottle of pink lemonade.  The hubs and I have taken a relaxed approach with Britton wanting a bottle/pacifier/baby blanket/whatever the baby has - we don't make a big deal of it, so in turn it will hold less intrigue for her.  Lord knows that the one thing I tell Britton she can't have is the one thing she suddenly can't live without.  

She's simultaneously learning how to be a mommy and how to be a sister.  Did I mention that I know even less about three year olds than I do about babies?

deja vu all over again

I've had a hankering all week to purge my house of clutter and mess.  Apparently the nesting instincts are still rearing their ugly heads a month after birth!  First and foremost, I needed my sewing space to get cleaned up.  I had scraps everywhere and no rhyme or reason for their organization.  The hubs got me some great plastic bins and I planned to get everything organized this afternoon, or as soon as the baby was settled into a nap (or sacked out on the hubs, as the baby prefers) and I could convince Britton to "help" me. We all know that a three-year-old isn't going to be offering much assistance, but I tried to get her to "help" me and then at least the hubs wouldn't be corralling two kids upstairs by himself.  The kids seem to have perfected their timing of Barrett losing it for a bottle just when Britton goes running out the back door.

Britton has dubbed her Dora doll as her "baby" and does everything to this doll that we do to Barrett - wiping, diapering, feeding, dressing, you name it.  So when she ventured into our basement work room where I store my fabrics, she instantly spotted my tubs of old clothes I keep down there too.  Most are filled with Britton's old clothes for Emily, but some are memory tubs with special outfits, including clothes I made Britton.  And she decided that her baby needed a dress, and if the baby was getting a dress then so was Britton!  

And here's the dress she picked.  And decided to wear with shorts (seriously, we aren't the Brady Bunch around here. Remember those ridiculously short dresses Cindy wore? Anyone?  Anyone?  Ok, just me then) to the playground.  

And here Britton is wearing the dress in her 19 month picture.  Over two years ago!  

1 month old

We made it to a month!  Whew, this newborn thing is hard - how did I forget so easily?  Let's talk about eating.  This boy can put it away.  When we had to use formula for treating his jaundice, I started pumping to keep up my milk supply.  But Barrett had a taste for the easy eating of bottles and refused to get back on the boobs.  I tried pumping but I couldn't keep up with his appetite, so now we are using formula only.  It was a hard decision, but in the end I just didn't want to fight him to keep him breastfed.  He eats anywhere from 2 ounces to 4 ounces, every 2 to 3 hours.  At night he was being lazy and only eating 2 ounces, but that led to him eating every 1.5 to 2 hours, so now I make him cry a little to really wake up!  If he gets at least 3.5 ounces, he will sleep for 3 hours at a time.  I'm still sleeping on the couch because a 2 story house makes warming bottles hard.  The last thing I need in my sleep-deprived state is to fall down the stairs!  We were trying to ease him into a new formula, but once I get to 2.5 ounces of the new formula he starts puking it up.  So his doctor suggested we keep him on the Alimentum for now, and move him to a more substantial formula in a month or two.  That way his digestive system has a chance to calm down. 

We had the one month well baby visit this morning.  Barrett is now 12 pounds, 14.8 ounces (97th percentile) and 23.5 inches long (off the charts).  His head is 39.5 cm, and his big head bump from being birthed has gone down dramatically.  No shots yet - the doctor is waiting on immunizations until next month.

Now that he has reached 4 weeks we are starting his Eat-Activity-Sleep routine.  It's not a hard and fast routine, since Barrett still wants to eat more at times and less at other times.  And I refuse to wake a sleeping baby just because a routine says he should be up!  Hopefully, once he gets to a longer stretch at nights I can return to my bed upstairs.  Oh bed, I have missed you!

Likes:  eating, being warm, being held, swaddling, looking at black and white pictures, riding in the car

Dislikes:  waiting to eat, gas bubbles

46 months old

We survived the first month of siblings!  Luckily for us, Britton loves being a big sister - just ask her and she will tell you!  The baby has seamlessly joined the family, which has made Britton's transition from only child to sibling much easier.  Lately Britton has really been into dancing.  We watch the "Fresh Beat Band" and she tries to do all the dance moves they do.  Her recital costume and shoes have been put on every weekend.  I love that she has an activity she enjoys so much.

Britton is doing well at school, and her teacher reports that she loves playing with the boys.  This kind of news will cause my heart to stop in the next few years, but for now I'm just glad she plays so well with her classmates.  In fact, I was picking her up early lately and she asked that I pick her up later so that she can play outside with her friends at the end of the day.  I can't argue with that!  

On Saturday Britton started swim lessons at the waterpark.  She did so well!  Admittedly, it was nice to not be the parent convincing a screaming kid to get in the pool.  And after swimming lessons we went to a classmate's birthday party.  Britton had a great time running around the play area and going on the miniature roller coaster.  I need to start planning Britton's birthday party soon, or else it will creep up on me and I'll be left with last minute invitations, no decorations, and a sad piñata!  

Likes:  swimming lessons, going on walks after dinner, reading books, anything to do with art and painting, Blue's Clues, being told she's being patient/a good listener/acting with good manners, apricots

Dislikes: her princess dresses getting too small, not getting unlimited books read to her every night

the days are long but the years are short

Barrett's baby announcement photo

I've kept a running to-do list on the counter, trying to get things done while I am on maternity leave.  So far I have finished my updated family videos, made a photo album, made and sent out baby announcements, and ordered fabric for a new quilt.  Which may sound like a lot, but really isn't.  And that's good.  Because this time around, I'm not worried about getting things done.  I'm sitting around a lot, watching bad daytime television shows, and holding Barrett a lot longer than he probably cares for me too.  I've kissed every inch of his beautiful baby head, snuggled him harder when he makes little baby puppy noises, and rocked and rocked and rocked him.  

There's an entire world outside my front door that I can't and don't keep up with.  By the late afternoon, when the dirty bottles are piled up, and Britton and the hubs are home, we catch up with each other.  And play.  And attempt to make dinner.  And give baths and find desserts and drink one more cup of coffee before collapsing on the couch.  This is how I spend my days.  And it's awesome.

Jessica's visit

Look who's excited Jessica came to town!

Jessica came into town for Memorial Day weekend, to meet her new nephew and visit with us.  She came alone, so that all of her attention could be directed at helping us out.  She got here at dinner time on Friday, and Barrett didn't have to go unheld for the next two days!  In fact, Jessica quickly became the only person in our household who could coax a burp out of that baby.  She also helped ease his gas issues - swaddling him, getting him to take a pacifier, and soothing his little hard gassy belly.

On Saturday, Jessica, Britton, and I headed out to the library to get Britton new books and videos.  Then we hit up Starbucks - Cammy had surprised us with gift cards in the mail!  We then stopped in at the cell phone store and the post office (Jessica had some errands to run), then we took Britton to Kohls.  Seriously, my family requires at least one Kohls visit.  Jessica wanted some summer clothes for Jason, and I found some onesies I had to have.  We also found their summer toys 50% off, so Britton picked out a giant beach ball that sprays water everywhere for some outdoor fun.  Since it was all of 60 degrees this weekend, she managed to convince the hubs to blow it up, then took over our tiny family room with it.

The rest of the weekend was just relaxing at home.  We went on walks, played on the swingset, even got some gardening in, and provided Jessica plenty of opportunities to snuggle with Barrett and Britton.

Jessica brought her hats with her so Barrett could be her newborn model. He was not impressed with the process (what a diva!) so we tried some more today.  Other than peeing on the blanket, Barrett took the task seriously and delivered.  Check out that model stare!

Britton and I waved goodbye to Jessica from the front of the house as she drove off.  And then Britton and I promptly broke into tears.  It's hard to have family come into town, just to have to leave.  Especially when we don't get to see Jessica nearly enough.  Luckily, she's coming back in a couple of months, children in tow, for another visit before my maternity leave is up.

my two kids

Britton needed to accessorize her walking attire with a nightgown, hat, goggles, gloves, and a scarf.  I love this age, where she's not aware of being self-conscious, doesn't worry about what the other kids think.  I wish it could last until she's an adult, out of the danger zone of adolescences, but I know it won't.  Heck, these days she may not even be able to make it to kindergarten without becoming aware of what's "cool" and what's not, giving too much power to her peers' opinions and not enough to her own.  

Having another baby has shot me directly into nostalgia for everything baby Britton.  Maybe it's because I have two examples right in front of me of a "before" and "after."  Barrett looks so much like Britton did as a baby, it's hard to not see Britton when I look at him.  So it makes me want to keep Britton bundled and safe, strapped to a vibrating chair instead of letting her explore.  One baby needs me all the time and my other baby is starting to need me less, and the shortness of three years is right in front of me.  

I spent yesterday preparing birth announcements to go out and updating Barrett's baby book.  Then, when Britton got home, she wanted to see her baby book.  It's amazing how much we put into remembering those little moments along the way, moments I know I won't remember on my own.  There's just too much in one life to remember it all.  I made the baby books for my children, so that one day they can look back and see how it all happened during a time they will never remember.  But, really, part of me made it for me.

A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a great blog post, one that I knew would resonate with me for a long time.  In it, the author wrote about childhood: 

"It's also a history lesson. The first four years of your life. Do you remember them? What's your earliest memory? It is fascinating watching your child claw their way up the developmental ladder from baby to toddler to child. All this stuff we take for granted, but your baby will painstakingly work their way through trial and error: eating, moving, walking, talking. Arms and legs, how the hell do they work? Turns out, we human beings are kind of amazing animals. There's no better way to understand just how amazing humans are than the front row seat a child gives you to observe it all unfold from scratch each and every day, from literal square zero. Children give the first four years of your life back to you.

Showing off his pinky