3rd Angry Bird-day

Carter turned three on September 24th and we celebrated with an Angry Birds themed BBQ. I told myself that it would be a casual BBQ with our usual family and friends, but I probably went a little overboard. I thought I'd be too overwhelmed to plan a big party, especially because the party fell on the same week that I went back to work and Carter started preschool but somehow I made it all work. I think I secretly love piling too much on my plate just to see if I can handle it all. Yes, I'm crazy. Haven't we figured that out by now?

Three was a really fun birthday for us because it was the first year that he truly *got* it. He kept talking about his birthday and the party, presents,  for weeks beforehand. I think I'm really going to like three (so far so good!). I hope I don't eat those words later..

Here are some of the pictures of Carter's 3rd Birthday:

Angry Bird cupcake toppers!

Olivia wearing her Angry Birds bow for the party.

Another successful birthday wrapped! Yes, I get that I am literally planning the same party year after year with a new theme but same idea at the same location. I've got to switch it up next year.

In other news..

Life has been moving along for us. I mentioned that Carter started preschool and it is going SO well. Our little guy is now potty trained (which probably deserves a post in itself) and he has had zero accidents in several weeks now. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Three short months ago I couldn't find that perfect preschool and I felt as if Carter would be in diapers forever. Literally overnight my dream preschool appeared a mile from my house - I had no idea it was there - and we were able to potty train Carter. Potty training is one of the worst things as a parent I had to go through. Carter is the a very stubborn child and our daycare provider basically told us not to get our hopes up that he would be potty trained by three years-old. Want to know how I did it? I threw away all the diapers in the house, kept a change of clothes with me wherever I went, and asked him a bajillion times if he had to use the potty. The first week was the most disgusting week of my life, I wanted to give up. He absolutely refused to do a #2 in the potty, for over 8 days in a row (and he goes more than once a day usually). YUCK. We refused to put a diaper on him, even at night. We had to be consistent and persistant. By week two, he finally started doing #2 in the potty, and that was it. He was trained just in time for preschool! It feels like ages ago that I was changing his diaper, and it was only six weeks ago. He is such a big boy now with his big boy underpants. So glad that is over!

He loves his preschool, and is already learning so much. I'm kind of in awe that our little baby boy is now this full blown little man. I don't even know how it happened.

Livy Bean is still adjusting to my going back to work, but I think we finally found our groove here. She is still quite the angel baby for me and I keep asking myself when this whole two kid thing is going to get hard (okay that was a lie - it's really flipping hard but I love it).

I'm going to write a post about going to work this week if I can find the time.

I better run now because Carter is getting into something he shouldn't and Andy needs some help - nighty night!

Olivia is THREE months-old

My baby girl is three months old!

Time has flown by way too fast. Three months old means it's time for Mama to go back to work! This is officially my last week of maternity leave. I go back on Tuesday, September 18th after having close to 16 weeks off total (my last day of work was June 1st). I had almost two weeks off prior to having Olivia, eight weeks of maternity leave, and six weeks of Paid Family Leave.

It's very bittersweet. I'm so attached to Olivia and she to me, that I can't imagine not being with her all day long but I know we need to get this show on the road so to speak. We need to get into our new routines as a family. Carter is also starting preschool the same day I go back to work and I'm anxious to see how life settles. I'm nervous, sad, excited, stressed, but overall I am at peace with it. Life goes on, and I really do love my work but I know the adjustment period will be hard.

My mom will watch Olivia on Mondays and Wednesdays at her house, and we're paying a friend to watch her on Tuesdays and Fridays at our house. I plan on keeping Olivia with me on Thursdays at first. I'll bring her in the office for a few hours, and my husband (we work together) will cover for me the remainder of the day. I'll nurse Olivia on my lunch break and pump in between.

I'm planning on spending the next 5 days snuggling my little girl as much as possible. 

Olivia is TWO months old!

Olivia turned two months old on August 11th! Sorry for such a late post, I've been trying to soak in every free moment of maternity leave I have left (which ends September 18th). Plus, I'm home with both kids most days, except for Tuesdays and Thursdays when Carter goes to daycare, so it's almost impossible to blog when I have both kids. Carter is a handful and has SO MUCH energy that entertaining him is a constant job, oh and so is that whole newborn thing too. I've been pretty busy, but also so happy. I feel so much gratitude for having Olivia here that I'm overwhelmed by it all sometimes. Okay, off topic. On to Olivia's two month post...

Her two month check-up stats:

Weight: 12.9 pounds, 90% percentile

Height: 23 inches, 90% percentile

She is one big chub-a-lub, that's for sure! Her weight is proportionate to her height so she's just a big girl all over! Carter was always on the smaller side (10-15% percentile) so Olivia and Carter are definitely polar opposites in every sense. I read that exclusively breastfed babies tend to grow faster than formula fed babies for the first three months and then they level out, so we'll see if that holds true for us. 

Olivia is one smiley girl! She smiles constantly, even when her big bro pokes her and tugs on her ears (in a loving way). Carter adores her, but still doesn't understand how gentle he needs to be. He can't wait until she can start playing toys with him, he loves playing with other kids, and frankly, I get tired of playing blocks with him all day long so I can't wait either! Carter is already a protective big brother. The first thing he says in the morning when he walks into our room is "Where's my sister? I love my sister," and then he'll climb up in bed with us and give her a huuuge hug and a kiss. It's all very sweet, but I still wouldn't trust him alone with her, haha.

We're all still sleeping really well, which is so funny because it was the ONE thing that Andy was so worried about when I was pregnant. He so terrified to have a newborn again and not be able to sleep, ever, as it was when we had Carter. And I haven't had one single day this time where I felt like a walking zombie. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with this being our second, and also because she is just really good.

We are still co-sleeping and loving it. We go to bed between 8:30pm - 9:30pm every night, and she usually falls asleep for the night between 9-10pm. She usually wakes around 3am for a quick feed and that is it. Occassionally she wakes a 2nd time around 6am, but she hasn't lately. I'm usually up for the day around 7ish, and I'll feed her and then pump. If she's still asleep I'll pump first and then I'll feed her when she wakes up. I get about 5 ounces every morning (total), and I freeze it for later. I didn't pump one day last week and oh man, I was so engorged all day long. Bad idea!

The bag on the left is full of milk I pumped in July, and before I realized I should be freezing the bags flat for easier storage. Duh. 

I think I have a decent freezer stash so far. She takes a botle whenever I leave her with Andy for a few hours which is usually once or twice a week. I have never seen her take a bottle because I've never been around for it, but he said she takes it really well. We use the Tommee Tippee bottles and after trying virtually every bottle in existence with Carter these by far are our favorite. I also have a small freezer stash at my parents house with a few bottles because we spend so much time there. I love that I can leave at a moments notice, and not have to worry about her having enough milk. This was part of the reason we supplemented with Carter. I only pumped when I was working (enough for the next day), never built up a freezer stash, and was super anxious about nursing in public so he was given formula when I left the house but we nursed all other times. I loved breastfeeding the first time around so I'm glad I am able to do it more this time. I don't know how long I'll be able to do it when I go back to work, but I'm hoping to get to 6 months and then I'll reassess the situation, and possibly set a second goal if we are all happy and comfortable with our routine.

This might sound obnoxious, but I'm obsessed with my daughter. Obsessed. She is this happy little bug most of time and I can't get enough of her. She coos at me and tries to talk to me all the time! I love the big girl smiles she gives me when I look at her. She is a mama's girl already, that is for sure, but I know in time she will most definitely be a daddy's girl.

This adorable little guy is starting preschool when I go back to work! It's an actual school with a class room and teachers and everything, he's becoming such a big boy. I'm so excited for his "first day of school" and you can be sure I will take a ton of pictures to document it. I'm a little nervous about how he will behave at school with his teachers and other kids, but he does well in daycare so I hope he will be okay. I'm really looking forward to this next step in his development. He is a huge talker and knows SO much already that sometimes I'm surprised by him. This kid loves to learn, I know he will love school!

I will leave you with some purty pictures I took of my kids yesterday at the park. 

I've been spending time practicing with photoshop during my leave and I took an online class last week to further my editing skillz. Can you tell?

I have re-edited some of my pictures for practice. Here is a picture I re-edited from Amy's maternity shoot. The picture on the left is my original edit, the right is the new edit. I've been editing pictures for fun in my free time lately, I'm weird.

I think that's a good update for today! Now I'm off to snuggle my little one while I can.

Life with 2

I don't remember what it's like not to have kids so going from one to two isn't too much harder. I don't remember having the freedom to do whatever I want, so throwing a 2nd kid in the mix just made me a little bit busier, but overall we're managing (I mean, we have to, right?).

Olivia is starting to stay awake for longer periods of time and she is no longer as easy going as she was after she was born. She is quite demanding sometimes, and when she isn't sleeping, she's either eating or insisting I hold and bounce her. She really hates the mornings when I have to be somewhere and need to get myself and Carter ready because that means I have to set her down. She cries, but it's usually just a whiny cry and rarely does she get to that ugly screaming cry so I can handle it. Babies fuss and cry, period. If they are fed, changed, comfy and still crying - sometimes you have to just deal with it.

Carter adores his sister, but he still doesn't understand his boundaries. He likes to squish her face, squeeze her and try and pick her up. He constantly tells me how much he loves her, which is cute, but I wish he would just love her two feet away. Ha.

I have successfully handled two grocery store trips with both kids. I strap Olivia to my chest in her carrier, and put Carter in the cart. Going anywhere with the kids takes a lot of prep. In order for me to go anywhere I have to mentally run through what's about to happen so that things go smoothly. Do other people do this? If I don't prepare mentally, there is a good chance I'll have an anxiety attack because I'll be unprepared. For example, If I'm going to the store with both of them, I'll think ahead to where I will park (closest to a cart), and the steps I will take to get them out of the car. (Strap Ergo carrier on first, put Olivia in carrier, unbuckle Carter, hold his hand, get purse, lock car, put Carter in cart, etc etc). I have to do this on the way out as well and plan how I will get both of them in the car (turn on car first so I don't overheat kids, Olivia first, then Carter, then groceries). And as well for when I get home (bring Olivia in with her car seat, bring Carter in and give him something to do, unload groceries, etc etc). Call me crazy, but this is seriously the only way I can handle anything with both of them without having a major meltdown. I guess I do this in most areas of my life, maybe everyone does.

SLEEP. Olivia is still a good sleeper even if she is needy during the day, she still sleeps a good 3-5 hours at a time, nurses, and goes right back to sleep. It's heavenly. We are co-sleeping. I tried to get her in the bassinet, but I realized I want her close to me more than I want my bed to myself. All three of us sleep beautifully this way so we'll keep at it for a little while.

More so then ever, I need my adult time. If I don't get some time out of the house with friends or sans kids at least once a week, it won't be pretty.  I sort of shut myself in after having Carter and I enjoyed it, but this time around, I need to get out of the house. I'm only good for a few hours before my boobs start aching and I miss my little O, but it's great to feel human for a few hours over dinner or drinks with a friend or two.

Carter has been..interesting lately. An old friend told me about a year ago that the "terrible twos" were nothing and I should be worried about the "terrible threes" and I'm starting to think he's right. Carter is this insane ball of energy at all times and has been pushing our patience lately. We have our good days and bad days, but I think we're just dealing with typical boy behavior...I hope.

Well, I'm off to get ready for some mommy time - yay! Say a prayer for my husband.

Olivia is ONE month old

Whew, what a month! It feels as if Olivia has been a part of our lives forever, but it also feels like she was just born. I absolutely adore her, but really, what mom would say otherwise?

Here is a little bit of of what our lives have been like with the little miss O around..

The first month has been fairly easy for us. I'm not sure if it's because Olivia is a generally mellow little gal, or if it's because we've done this before so we know what to expect. We were prepared to have another baby like Carter, but instead we were pleasantly surprised by Olivia's laid back demeanor.

Olivia is waking up two to three times a night. She usually sleeps from 10-11pm until around 2:30am, and then again until 5-6am-ish, and then we'll fall back asleep until around  7:30-8am. I really should be taking advantage of the ability to sleep in when I can, but I'm not. I spend the majority of the morning in bed with Olivia watching the news, nursing, and checking up on the world via my iPhone.

Speaking of sleep, she was doing well in her bassinet for at first, but I started co-sleeping about a week ago for the benefits (and for me!) and we are so much happier. I don't play to co-sleep very long this time, definitely not as long as we did with Carter, but for now it's best for us. She sleeps so much better right next to me, wakes less, and nursing is much more convenient.

We are exclusively breastfeeding and so far it's going really well. I'm trying to pump to build up a stash, but I'm not doing it nearly enough. Olivia weight 7 pounds 7 ounces at her last doctors appt (at 5 days old) and I'm guessing she is between 9-10 pounds now. She is definitely growing at a rapid pace and her newborn clothes are starting to get a little bit tight. 

Olivia rarely cries but fusses often. When she's awake she expects to be held or entertained as much as possible. It's really difficult when I need to get Carter changed, dressed or bathed and Olivia wants to nurse or be held. I usually lay her in her play gym and let her cry while I get myself or Carter ready, as painful as it is. I'm only one person and there is only so much I can do. I take it one day at a time and do the best I possibly can. There are moments where I feel a little nuts and wish for some time to myself, but I've been able to stay calm for the most part and work through it.

We decided to keep Carter in daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I can spend those days bonding with my little girl, and he can keep up with his friends at daycare. I run most of my errands, or do lunches with friends on the days I have Olivia only. I'm not ready yet to venture into the world alone with both kids, except for going to my moms or the park, but I'm sure it will happen soon. I'm scared!

Olivia has started smiling at me when I talk to her and it is so freaking adorable. She also tries to talk to me when I'm talking to her. She purses her likes and says "coo." Eeek, I love her so much!

Carter adores her and constantly tries to smother her with kisses and hugs every single day. I haven't seen any jealously on his behalf yet, except for when he gets jealous that he can't hold Olivia as much as I do, haha.

I'm amazed I've been able to type this much, and my husband is starting to get seriously annoyed so I'm off to rescue him. Nighty night!

Newborn Photo Shoot

I took the pictures myself when Olivia was about 8 days new. Her umbilical cord stump just fell off (eww) so I'll probably take a few more pictures sometime next week. Photography is always a work in progress for me, as with Photoshop, but I think I can tell a big difference over pictures I took just a year ago. I have a feeling I'll be taking tons of pictures this summer.

Here are the rest of my faves from our shoot: