Age of Lady Cora: 2 months, 9 days
Family,
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| Playing Rapunzel outside: "Best! Day! Ever!" |
2/1 - So an interesting twist today - when I went in to pick up Cora in the morning (about 6ish), her vomit was very dark - definitely a brown tinge. Jenny say the same thing 3 hours later when Cora spit up, and she thought it might be blood. A friend concurred, which prompted us to call the Peds and book an appointment. They didn't have anything for that day (the nurse's line told us to go to the ER, but we thought that was crazy and didn't take that advice), so we booked an appointment for 10:15 AM on the 2nd.
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| Um...Vera Bradley much? |
But some good news today - JT's friend Megan dropped off SIX BAGS OF CLOTHES!!!! Now I will confess (as will JT) - that volume of clothes is more than little overwhelming, and it has really stressed JT out (the living room looks like Baghdad outside the green zone). However, the good news is that JT has done a HERCULEAN job of sorting all of it, and she's already started putting some of it away.
Also, Lindsey dropped by and gave us two carriers for Cora - the "ring sling" and the "moby wrap." Now granted, we look like African mothers in one and jedi knights in the other, but the results speak for themselves - those things are AWESOME! We haven't practiced on our own yet, but we did jot down notes as Lindsey demonstrated, so hopefully we can try soon (before we forget 100%)!
We also started placing Cora in the bouncing Baby Bjorn to keep her upright after a feed, and that has been a HUGE help in terms of giving us free hands and keeping her from screaming. That thing is MONEY - thanks, Aunt Kim! She's actually sitting in it as I type, and it's been a life saver (even if she's getting a little red faced as I type this :-)).
As for K, she had a GREAT swim lesson today - afterwards she even jumped into the cold pool (dove, actually) and did a 50! She did a lot of freestyle an backstroke on her own - it was AMAZING to watch! A lady who was holding a young child said that she was amazed watching it and asked how old she was. I had to confess I was proud announcing she was only 3. :-) Way to go, TT!!!Other notes from today:
1. As Jt is now using coconut milk on her boobs vs. lanolin, it's now passing into the milk. And while this is harmless for baby, we have started straining out the chunks (the chunks are only there when it's cold, but still - anything we can remove feels like a good idea). Also, we are putting coconut oil on Cora's raw little bum, and it's AMAZING how good that stuff works. It's basically the universal solvent!
2. K made a paper bag puppy today and named it "Ruff Ruff Lovebone." Honestly, when I saw "love bone" written on the bag, I just about fell out laughing. Her teacher said she found that quite funny as well - wonder if it was for the same reason I did. :-) Too funny!
3. There was a moment both today and yesterday where we had both children crying at the same time. In both instances, JT and I have actually laughed, as honestly - what else can you do in that situation? :-)
2/2 - No blood today! Cora slept good again - only getting up once in the middle of the night. She was so angry in her car seat that she did claw her face until it bled, however. But I digress...
The visit to the Peds was good - he wasn't concerned, and the tinge was blood (but that's not an issue unless it's bright red). Bottom line - there is really nothing we can do for the spit up, but spitting up isn't an issue unless it's projectile (he said, "Like a bullet coming at you", so we're still in the clear). He was great to answer a lot of questions, and now I think we're feeling good about progress, the steps we're taking, and what is a real issue vs. just something we'll deal with on Cora that we didn't encounter with K. Bottom line - she's gaining weight and sleeping, so all is well.2/3 - So a classic moment from last night: JT and I made eggplant parm for dinner, and we scooped some onto K's plate for her dinner. She takes one bite, and then looks up (I'm in the kitchen). The conversation:
K: "Dada, what is this called?"
StB: "Eggplant Parmesan."
K: (without missing a beat) "I do not like eggplant parmesan."
CACKLING!!!! To her credit, she did at least try it. And after we gave her a blueberry yogurt instead, all was forgiven. Too cute. :-)
As for Cora, last night she ate like a champ - two 6 oz feeds! However, JT and I don't think the Similac Advance is agreeing with her stomach, as she hasn't pooped today and had her first ever HUGE projectile spit up after a 6.5 oz feed (which is CRAZY, because she'd burped plenty and been upright for 90 min!). Seriously - it was like a fountain coming out of her - I'd never seen anything like it. But the good news - once it was out, she wasn't fussy, and she slept good. More to the point, she's downstairs now eating again, so clearly we're in pretty good shape.
Right now we're in a tough time window for the night feed, as Cora is getting up about 3 AM. That's tough, as you can't really dream feed her given how much gas she has. That means you end up holding her upright and keeping her awake until almost 5, at which point it's tough to get much more sleep before the day starts. So today JT and I decided that we're going to start manipulating the schedule a bit more and going with the 1-4-7-10 feed, with a plan to always start feeding her at 7 AM every morning. That will give us time to feed her and then JT time to set up for pumping at 8. We've already started, as we woke her at 4 to get her into the rhythm. Fingers crossed!!!!
2/4 - So this day we woke Cora up at 7:30 for the first feed of the day. Both books we're reading suggest defining a starting time for that first feed, and so today was Day 1. I am actually writing this a few days after the fact, and I can already tell that it's been a good thing for ALL of us. For starters, it's helped to build a schedule. In addition, it guarantees Cora gets adequate feeds before night time. She actually gave us 6 hours two nights in a row, and that has made a HUGE difference in my attitude. Plus I like the 4:45 wake up, as once I put her down about 5:30, I think can have Father time and reading time (like the old days) - that was a HUGE lift for me this weekend, as it allowed me to reset my priorities again.On the K front, she showed off her ability to write letters today! That was really, really cool to see, as we hadn't seen how good she has become at it. Way to go, preschool! We saw an e, t, and a few others. Way to go, Munchkin!
Oh, and big news for the Bull - I did my first ponytail for K today! I woke up thinking I needed to slay 2 dragons - Cora's medicine and K's ponytail. I am happy to report that I think both dragons are now slain, which feels good. To quote Troy - RUN AT THE GIANT. :-)2/5 - Cora rolled over onto her back again today on the playmat! That's twice, but we missed it again (I was heating the bottle). She really does seem to be strong as a Bull moose, and I continue to be impressed with how she holds her head up.
K continued improving on the playground pole today! She can't do it 100% on her own, but she's really good at sliding down once you get her positioned. Side note - she and I had a much better day today. I felt much more switched on and present, and we had good time in the morning (Candyland) as well as the playground (plus to and from). Life felt very in balance.
Funny note on the way to the park. As we were getting dressed, Jenny and Kaitlyn both asked me "where is Cora?" You see, she was actually quiet and already in her carrier, and everyone freaked out because her normal homeostasis position is screaming like a banshee in the middle of the room. The quiet shocked everyone! Jenny and I had to chuckle. :-)One other thing to note - K is getting sharper about asking me to do things for her while I have both my hands full with Cora (blow her nose for example). This has been a recent phenomenon, and I will continue to monitor it (as it has escalated at bit recently). Children are clever!
2/6 - HOLY MOLY STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!! Cora slept 8 hours last night!!!! I mean, the feed in the evening was a nightmare (she was basically up from 7:30 until 11:45 feeding and screaming), but after that we had EIGHT BLISSFUL HOURS OF SLEEP!!!! It was incredible - neither of us could believe it! Now what's been interesting - we woke her at 7:30 today and gave her 5 oz (she was sleepy and it was some work), but then she only slept about 30-45 min before waking up and CRUSHING another 5 oz in 30 min (one of her fastest feeds ever). She's catching up! And while she had a small spit up in the crib after the 7:30 feed, she didn't spit up at all during the 10 AM feed. LOVING THIS SCHEDULE!!!! Seriously - getting her on a schedule is going to change our lives, and I'm really, really hopefully we can do it. The 7:30 start the last three days has made all the difference. 
Also, JT had her post-op today with Dr. Bowles, and everything looks great! That's wonderful news, as it means JT can start swimming again (among other things, of course). This was unexpected, as the post-op with K didn't result in an all clear out of the gate. Yay!
Also, since JT is about to start another pumping session, I feel I simply must describe the pumping process to you. Let me walk you through it:
1. JT must change out of the bra with the nipple pads (to soak up milk) and into the bra that holds the phalanges
2. JT heats up these little nipple warmers to make her boobies good and warm (for added milk production)
3. JT makes a cup of lactation tea (Mother's Milk)
4. JT knocks back to Fenugreek tablets (does this 3x daily)
5. JT puts all the parts together
6. JT puts coconut oil all over the parts and her nipples
7. JT heats up a different set of beads that warm her boobs
8. JT hooks up to the machine
9. JT squeezes her boobies mercilessly to maximize the output
10. JT then strains the coconut oil (once hardened) out of the milk
Honestly, this whole process is SO much more involved than the last time, and JT is having to work SO much harder (and longer) to produce. She's keeping up with Cora (barely), and I can't believe how much of a warrior she's been through it all. So proud of you, wife muffin!!!! But I will also say - I won't miss the pumping when it's over. We do think we'll be able to maintain it in some capacity until I go back to work, but after that neither of us really see the feasibility.
Another interesting thing - the 45 minute intruder. We'd read about this, but I didn't really know if it was a thing or not until Cora. Granted, some times she's hungry. Other times, it's gas. But either way - there definitely is an intruder that finds its way into her crib on a regular basis about 45 minutes into the sleep cycle. More to come - just wanted to note the interesting observation (another drastic difference from K).
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| Love this one. My girls! |
On the Cora front, she's almost found her thumb! She actually had it in her mouth for a bit and created a latch seal before losing it and resuming sucking her entire hand and fingers. What's so funny - she sucks it the same way K did: with all four fingers up in the air and practically gouging her eyes out. I think she'll find it properly in the next week or so, but she won't get a lot of use out of it until we quit swaddling her, which is likely another 3-4 weeks out (most babies don't like it past 3 months old).
Another cute thing is that she's starting to smile a bit more now. Granted, I'm not sure if it's in response to something that actually pleases her, but her mouth is finally trending upward on occasion - a sharp departure from how things normally go down with her!
And a side note - I HATE THE MAGNET OUTFITS. Yes, yes, I know some people live them. I think they are a TOTAL GIMMICK. Give me buttons or a zipper any day of the week! Seriously, let's consider a few points:
1. It's impossible to line the magnets up with a squirming baby
2. The magnets stick to the top of the dryer, so the bloody thing is completely soaked every time you pull it out
3. The sleeves are WAY too long - Cora looks like a dementor from Azkaban while wearing it
I could rage on this topic for HOURS, but my fury is sufficiently sated that I can progress to another topic now. :-)
On the K front - so we've been giving her a probiotic for the last month or two, and I can't help but do the Nelly song "Country Grammar" every time I hand it to her. And now K is doing the rap! It's awesome to hear your 3 year old say, "Gin, tonic, and chronic, probiotic it's ironic..." You get the picture. #Fatheroftheyear.
2/8 - Big day for the Munchkin: K's first day in a booster seat! She absolutely LOVED it, and since she's the appropriate height and weight, I think we can say bye bye to the other car seat. BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE!!!! Seriously - she was SO CUTE in her booster. It was on the other seat, and to her it was like being in another country - she was looking out the window, playing with the window, and just happy as a clam.Also, yesterday Taylie gave her an old trike, and that is now K's favorite thing ON EARTH. Seriously - she wants to play with it constantly, and today she even rode it all the way to the park! For me, it's great, as it's terrific exercise, and I think that it - coupled with the balance bike - will make the transition to a real bike smooth (well, smoother, that is).
On the Cora front, she slept NINE HOURS LAST NIGHT! Her eyes are getting so blue now (lighter blue), and I'll be curious if that sticks. And Kaitlyn has given Cora her official nickname. No longer is she Cor or Cor Cor. She's now Coradactyl. LOVE IT!!!
And speaking of the 10 lb pterodactyl, she dropped the biggest steamer IN HISTORY today. Seriously - I had her in the bjorn when she started passing gas. They were juicy, and I knew magic
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| I mean, this is pretty much a daily sight at Casa de Taylor. The girl can SOIL SOME CLOTHES, BABY. |
2/10-11 - So I was actually down in exotic Statesboro, GA, on these two days, but JT and the girls did very well on their own. Unfortunately Cora woke up at 3 AM (after sleeping through the night 4 nights in a row!), and her schedule was apparently a bit off after that. She even broke through the swaddle twice! Seriously - you should see this girl in the morning after her big sleep - she has moved SO FAR down the bed trying to wiggle out of the swaddle! I have resorted to strapping her in like Houdini - we are talking arms pinned so tight they are practically inside her!
Saturday was the triumphant return to the Famous Toastery, where some of the servers who'd seen us in the weeks leading up to Cora's arrival finally got to see the half pint. K was apparently an angel the entire time, and Jenny must have had a great catch-up with Katie and Lindsey. K also had the Charlotte Reading Web, which was a 3 hour event at Prosperity Park. Talk about packing it in as a single mom. Way to go, Muffin Puffin!!!!
2/12 - K biked to the park on her trike this day - she LOVES that thing! I love it, too, as a) it gets her some exercise, b) let's us get outside, and c) let's me walk vs. run to the park. The last one sounds silly I know, but the way I have to run to the park with K is actually a little uncomfortable for me (not my normal stride or shoes), and so it's much easier to just be able to walk and take my time. K still always wants me to have a hand on the bike, but she's getting a bit more adventurous. Exciting to see her learning to steer and control it!
2/13 - So this was a fun day, as K had her Preschool Valentine's Day party! We had to pack/prepare valentine's cards for each kid, and K was VERY specific that hers and Kate's needed to match exactly (and yes, you did pick up on the fact that Kaitlyn gave herself a Valentine's day packet). So we packed two pencils, a sharpener, a Valentine's Day card, and some stickers into 16 bags and headed to school. K had a blast, got plenty of sugar, and got to enjoy another day of playing outside in February given the INCREDIBLE weather. Oh, and on the hair front - JT had put K's hair in a GREAT braid, but when K walked in and saw Kate's hair down, well...you can imagine what I had to do. It's nuts, and I don't really know how to fix this one. However, as it's not MAJOR drama yet, I'm just seeing if the trip to TN and Spring break (as well as age) fix it.
Another thing that's odd - she spends so much time talking about Kate - the outfit she'll have on, how her hair will be, etc, and she will NOT let you disagree with her. If she says she thinks Kate will be in long sleeves and I say short sleeves, she is adamant that Kate will NOT be in short sleeves. Also, when she shows up at preschool and Kate's hair doesn't match hers, she either points to her and almost starts crying, points to her and asks me if that's Kate, points to her and says "that's not Kate," or points to her and says that her hair matches however we've put K's (regardless of whether it's accurate or not). Jenny told me this is how kids try to make reality in their mind fit the situation. I give her credit for doing research, as I am just well, generally baffled (but hey - I live in a house full of girls, so this will happen a lot :-)).
JT had her first life group with Cora this day, heading over to CFA to meet some of the other moms. They had fun, but Cora was apparently quite fussy (although the other mom's commented on how chill she was - funny how everyone's perceptions are different!).
2/14 - Happy Valentine's Day! We added the 8,000th stuffed animal to the house - a bear that we've named "Rocky Top" (so you can guess who gave it to her). Also, we had to wake Cora up after TEN HOURS OF SLEEP!!!!! Amazing! We gave her straight formula last night, which metabolizes slower. Between that and the fact that she had THIRTY OUNCES yesterday without any great naps, she was primed for some SERIOUS sleeping. Well done, C-dawg!
Another note on Cora is how she is starting to grab things and hold onto them. Her eyes are starting to move better together (the lazy eyes are going away), and she's definitely getting better motor control and function. Also, on the playmat today it was AMAZING to see how long she kept her head up - very cool!
What is not quite as cool but hilarious - HER MONSTER DEUCES WHILE SITTING IN THE BJORN. I mean, we are talking "hide the women and children" kind of explosions. The noises are nothing shy of spectacular, and the first one (there have been 2 epic ones) was running down her leg! Last nights was powerful and will only slightly stain her outfit (the first one resulted in us tossing the outfit, as it wasn't salvageable).
Kaitlyn is actually playing with Kate as I type this - their first play date! I can hear them chatting and getting on like a house on fire, so that is great. I'm sure I'll be able to provide the report later, but for now I can confirm that it's the first time she's ever not been shy out of the gate and has immediately set to playing (which is really cool to see). She's been great on the playground as well, bonding with anyone who runs up to her and playing with them immediately. It makes me happy. :-)
One thing to note on K - she's starting to cheat at Candyland. I tow a very firm line on this (I don't tolerate it), and we've actually had to tell her we won't play with her several times because she won't play fairly. I've also had to discipline her, as I told her she couldn't play anymore for the day due to her behavior but she then told JT I gave her the all clear. Watch this space, but I definitely want to use this as a teaching tool to show her that friends will not appreciate her cheating. Better she learn it from me than somewhere else.
2/15 - So K woke up sick today - face looked completely wiped when she came downstairs, didn't have a lot of energy, temp above 100, etc. She watched her show like normal (half of snow white, which she is OBSESSED with right now), and it didn't register to her that we let her go longer than normal because we were having to keep her home. When she said, "it's time to get dressed!" and we told her that she was going to stay home, her face instantly was the picture of sadness. Her next statement about broke my heart: "Will Kate have a braid?" They had had SO MUCH fun the day before, and she was desperate to see her. When she realized she wasn't going, she just kept repeating that and BURST into tears - it was heartbreaking!
We had our challenges that day with Cora as well, as she was up at 4:30 for a bit. JT has been such a ROCK STAR and life saver getting her in those early morning periods so I can sleep - I can't thank her enough for that!
2/16 - K definitely felt much better this day. We actually took her to the Peds late on 2/15, and they confirmed that it was likely viral (meaning there was nothing we could do). The good news - there was no additional fluid buildup in her ears, which means (hopefully) there isn't a new infection brewing. Fingers crossed!
2/17 - Big day today: Team Taylor - party of 4 - in their first road trip! Before this moment, we'd never had the 4 of us in the car driving anywhere except Cora's Ped appointment. We honestly didn't know how this would go, but we knew it was a 2.5 hour drive and didn't like our chances of making it without feeding Cora. But in a truly SHOCKING turn of events, Cora slept THE ENTIRE WAY!!! We made the entire drive in a shot - unbelievable! Seriously - what I am learning is that Cora is more like a "typical" child in terms of likes, dislikes, and behavior. K NEVER liked the car - her longest sleep ever to date has been 70 minutes. Cora, on the other hand, is OUT the second we start moving.
Something else - the 45 minute intruder is a REAL THING. I didn't think it existed (happened maybe once to K), but with Cora it's been pretty much clockwork throughout the day - at 45 minutes, something (usually spit up) wakes her up, and odds are NOT great that she'll go back down (even if you give her the paci, rock her, etc.
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| Pacifier = HEAVEN. Full stop. |
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| James wasn't sure about this. |
The weekend itself was fantastic. Kim and Matt have a palatial house, and Cora basically had the 3rd floor to herself. That was good news, as K's been fighting something and James had a terrible cough as well throughout the weekend (as well as a lot of mucus). She slept and fed largely upstairs, and she actually slept really well considering it was her first time in the pack 'n play and her first time away from the house. She was down by 11:15 (and we followed about 1 minute later :-)). 2/18 - K had a blast this entire weekend. For starters, she was ALL ABOUT Aunt Kim. For a change, I was not the adult she wanted around! Poor JT, however, continues to be a 3rd class citizen.
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| NO FEAR, BABY! She was a rock star on this thing. Easily the youngest up there! |
They had a great walk in the morning (the weather was insanely nice), and K was loving playing with all of James' toys - too cute! We also visited Pullen Park (down by state's campus), where we road the train and the carousel, and K & James also did the kiddie boats (it was cute). The train was really fun and offered the classic line of the day:
Sammy the Bull: "Kaitlyn, who do you want to ride with you - mommy or daddy?"
K the Munchkin: "Aunt Kim." Mike. Drop.
What I will say - she was a ROCK STAR climbing on some random apparatus with kids WAY older than her - we are talking 8 year olds on the same rope as her. She's got the gift! Next stop - Inner Peaks for my ladies.
2/19 - Today was a chill day, with us rolling over to our friend Tish's house to see them for the first time in probably a decade! They have three kids now, live in a palace, and are doing well. K loved their outdoor playset, their toys, and especially 2 cookies for lunch! A side note here - K has been eating a LOT less lately, which has been interesting for me. Perhaps the growth spurt is dropping off a bit, but she's also admitted that she's rather have "snacks than meals." She's been telling us she's hungry a lot, but when we offer only fruit or veg, she refuses. So watch this space!
2/20 - Cora is starting to smile! It's so cute! Now granted, it is usually followed by a monster deuce or a huge spit up, but the cooing, smiling, tracking, it's all happening! Her motor skills have definitely improved, and it's been amazing to watch as she now folds her hands in front of her chest or clutches her little onesie while she feeds. She's even started clutching my finger while feeding, which is pretty darn cute. The sudden jerks where the arms fly up has largely ceased, and I think the lazy eye is gone as well. Thank You, Father!!!
2/21 - Cora was smiling at me when I went in to get her this morning! So cute! Of course, that was the last time she's smiled at me, as we've had some SERIOUSLY rough crying spells today. It's tough because, once she gets worked up, she just starts sucking in air. This, in turn, makes her gas worse, but she can't burp it out. So she gets more frustrated and the pain builds, meaning she cries louder and sucks in more air. Yeah, it's pretty awful. 
On the Kaitlyn front, she when to Romp n Roll for her first ever gymnastics class! Now she refused to put her hair up and refused to wear anything other than a dress. But it was apparently a success all the same.
One question I am wrestling with at the moment: am I pressing too hard on K's discipline? Lately I feel like I've just been dropping the hammer non-stop (without raising my voice, just enforcing boundaries). I feel like I am policing her more than I am loving her/bonding with her, and that's been tough (I'm definitely harboring some guilt there). I have asked JT a couple of times about it, and the good news is that so far she's agreed that we have to toe the line - especially on willful disobedience when she fights on every single request. So more to come, but that's been a journey for me.
But to add a bit of levity, let me walk you through a typical waking session for Cora:
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| Phase 1: She is awake and realized that I haven't instantly fed her. |
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| Phase 2: Perfect frown is created .0000007 seconds later. |
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| Phase 3: Cora wails as if a banshee is being ripped apart by wolves. |
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| Phase 4: For added effect, she straightens her legs and amplifies the volume. Side note: When she does this on my lap, she typically crushes the giggle berries. Good times... |
2/22 - Cora had her two month appointment today, and it went really, really well! She's outgrown her dosage on Zantac, so we are going to increase it to 1.3 ml 2x daily. The good news - if she continues to show improvement (which is definitely looking to be the case), at 4 months we'll be able to take her off it. Fingers crossed!
On the measurements front, she was 30th in Head Circumference, 25th in height, and 30th in weight. Our doctor said that, while she wished she had gained a bit more, she was still proportional, which could suggest that she's just petite at the moment (which is hilarious when you look at all these rolls!).
She got 4 vaccines that day. The first was oral (no problem), but then the needles came out. When the first one got her, she screamed instantly, but then she just started sucking in air and turning red. It took FOREVER for her to finally bellow out a scream - the longest, most pregnant pause I've ever been part of! But the good news - she rallied quickly and was totally fine by the time we left.And for Kaitlyn and the Bull, it was DONUTS FOR DAD at pre-school. It was super cute, as she walked me around her room, showed me all the different stations, and then chowed down on a donut with me. No munchkin holes for that girl!
2/24 - So no lie to tell, today was a really, REALLY tough day for me. K was a terror - pushing boundaries at every corner, saying she was hungry but never eating (doing the same for the potty), not using her words, moving slowly - just basically fighting me at every turn. This really bothered me, as I was (and am) trying to ensure she has dedicated time with my focused attention, but it's tough when she fights me tooth and nail at every turn. Also, she didn't give me a moment's peace that day, and eventually I know that wore on my nerves.
This was the start of Jenny's (INCREDIBLY WELL DESERVED) girl's weekend, and I was very excited about the chance to take care of both of them at the same time (and prove to folks I could actually do it!). And while we survived the day, K definitely made it tough.2/25 - Today was a much better day, and K had a blast at Avery's 4th birthday party. It was over at Top Notch gymnastics, and it was SO CUTE! Give Kelly (Avery's mom) credit - that girl knows how to do birthday parties. There was pizza, party favors, cupcakes, and this incredible gym to play around in - so much fun!
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| The future Olympian on the uneven bars. |
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| The coveted sucker. |
We got there right as it started, with the kids doing warm ups and then going through several obstacle courses before getting free time. You could tell that K really enjoyed it, which made me happy (Bob and Jan were watching Cora, so I got the chance to just sit and watch). When they gave them free time, it was really interesting to watch how all the kids separated. Every single one of them but K went sprinting like gangbusters, but K just stood and watched first. It's really fascinating to watch how she weighs things and considers her surroundings first. I think it's great and will pay dividends for her later in life - it's just fascinating to watch because it's so different than I was.
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| And the most precious of all - the cupcake. |
2/26 - A big moment - Cora's first visit to Freedom House! That's right, sports fans - I took BOTH GIRLS to church today! And while I am SO GLAD that I did, I must confess that it wasn't easy. For starters, everyone (understandably) wanted to see (and often touch) Cora. I didn't put her in FH kids, but still - there were lots of hands on her and germs around her during our time there. But hey - we were on Holy Ground, so I knew we were safe. :-)The other thing that was challenging was that I had to watch her and feed her during service, which meant that I didn't really get to focus on the message (and didn't get to hear the music since I kept her in the lobby given the volume). So while it was still wonderful just to be among friends and in the presence of God, it was a different experience for me.
The biggest challenge was actually a shocker for me. I picked K up from her class, and everything looked fine. But as I needed to feed Cora (I had already started), I collected K and then started walking back over to the couch I had all our stuff set up at. Well, I turn around and K is BAWLING! Now keep in mind - she's already had her goldfish, has had a great time in class, and is eating a sucker. Finally, I am able to discern that the issue is she wants to go to the prize hub. Well, when we get to the prize hub, she sees a tray of juice that is being offered to folks (part of the Global Missions Expo). I get her some juice, and then after looking away for one second I look back down to see her BAWLING AGAIN! She has dropped some, and now it's on the floor. Luckily Kayla grabbed me some paper towels, but picture the scene: K is crying and wants me to hold her juice and her sucker. I have Cora over my shoulder, who's ready to spit up at any moment. There is juice on the floor I am trying to wipe up. Then Cora starts getting fussy.
Luckily a nice lady then walked over and said, "I think you are doing enough" and wiped up the mess for me. SO SWEET! We eventually got to the prize hub, got K a sucker, and got back to the couch, where I finished feeding and then got everyone home. Well, let's not forget the ABSOLUTE SCREAMING MELTDOWN ON THE GOLF CART WHEN I DIDN'T SIT BESIDE K ON THE RIDE TO THE CAR. You could tell the poor driver was clueless as to what to do. But hey - that's how we roll, baby!
2/28 - Looking back over the month, we have definitely progressed on many fronts. Cora is now sleeping through the night, we are finding a decent "interim routine," and we are continuing to adjust to life as a family of 4. Once thing I've not yet adjusted to - Cora's explosive deuces! Holy Moly, Batman! Hide the women and children!!!! Seriously, whenever you put this kid in the Bjorn seat that Kim loaned us, LOOK OUT. Truly, I am amazed how one little "toot" suddenly leads to a brown river flowing out of her diaper and down her leg. I mean, this poor little seat - we need to just set the canvas cloth on fire and buy KJ a replacement because, well, WOW - it has been soiled. We are big on onesies for Cora (which makes sense given that it's been 75 degrees out), but the flip side of that is that any explosive deuce that exits the diaper is going to get ALL OVER HER. #instantneedforbath. We just try to keep the poop out of her hair...with moderate success to date.
One other item to note - JT seems really anxious about pumping and keeping up her milk supply. She is working and trying SO hard, and I know that it has to be frustrating for her. I am telling her to not worry about it and that we can move to formula, but I know she wants to give Cora as much milk as she can for as long as she can. I need to figure out how I can help her be at peace and support her in whatever path she takes. Cora, when you read this just know that you mother was a WARRIOR in terms of ensuring you were drinking breast milk. Side note (as I write this on 13 March) - some of the anxiety we have figure out: it comes from knowing that we won't pass this way again and Jenny not being quite ready to exit this chapter of her life. I completely understand that, and that has helped me to realize that I need to back off the "push for formula" and just support her in whatever she chooses. I just want her at peace, as there is enough pressure on her (and all of us) without her adding more to it. I'll just pray for peace and wisdom as we continue down this path.
Okay, that's February in the books (WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?). One more full month of paternity leave before I'm back to Corporate America, so let's make it count! Coming up next - the last post in volume 4 - how have we been parents for almost half a decade?
Speak soon!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
