calm before the storm...

it's kinda weird to think that my baby sister used to live in my mom's belly. i used to love to kiss and hug on that belly. i kinda miss it now because fiona takes quite a bit of time away from me. i am trying to be cool about it, but i do find it hard. mom and dad tell me to be quiet a lot which makes me sad. i am counting the days until fiona is big enough to play with me. i think i will be counting for a long time.

my breastfriend...really

i must say, these baby accouterments are really a much better fit for me.

Pink Burrito + Indigestion

I have mixed feelings about the whole swaddling movement. Mom tends to let me sleep free form during the day, but at night, they are both all about the hardcore swaddling. I fight it and more often than not, have a creeper limb that can make an escape, but within seconds, that limb is placed back into the swaddle. Do they just wait for it at all hours of the night? Shouldn't they try and get some sleep?

I must admit, my nights are not great these days. I have a solid first sleep from 9-12 and then again from 1-4, but that last leg is a real struggle. It takes me a bit of time to finally settle down. And I tend to get so much indigestion. I know mom and dad are a bit nervous about doing too much vigorous burping considering i projectile vomited twice yesterday, but i think i need it. Mom's milk is coming on real strong these days and sometimes i cannot swallow fast enough.

Wow, What a Tuesday

Considering I kept mom and dad up most of Monday night, I expected Tuesday would be a mellow day. After a leisurely morning, Aunt Sarah came over with yummy food for lunch. I slept for most of the visit, but could hear Loic which was fun. He is a real cutie and so alert! Aunt Sarah called me a sack of sugar. I think mom liked that phrase a lot.

After lunch, mom and dad took me to see the midwife. I got my heel poked which wasn't fun and then proceeded to pee so much on the table that it spread all the way up to my hair. Yuck! I guess I am doing pretty well because I heard them gasp at my weight, 8lbs 15 oz. I am not sure what that means, but I definitely feel like I have a muffin top with my diaper and walnuts stored in my cheeks. Don't mom and dad realize that muffin tops are not a good look?!?!

When I got home, we had more visitors. I got to meet Robb and Hanaa who are living in Doha, Qatar. They are very nice. I also got to meet Neille and Eli who brought us delicious food. Eli is a big boy and also very nice. Unfortunately, though, my big sister came home and was REALLY sick. She was projectile vomiting and felt really bad. Poor livvy! Mom and I had to keep our distance which made me sad. I love hearing my sister's voice. It is very soothing.

All in all it was a very busy day! I could tell mom was pretty worn out by the end of it since she fell asleep when i did around 9pm.

The Ultimate Playdate

I had the most awesome time at my playdate on Sunday. I went to Lincoln's house (aka my boyfriend) and we played a lot. We had pancakes in fun shapes, lots of bacon, built a fort, read books and played in the swimming pool. We also made up a cool game where I put letters on the slide and Lincoln would slide down taking all the letters into the pool with him. I was a little bossy.

Me and Lincoln tried to take a nap together, but I was a bit excited by it all and whispered a lot. We did not actually nap.

I always have so much fun with aunt gina and uncle roger. They even drove me home! Lincoln and I read books in the backseat. When Lincoln left I cried. A lot. And even had a bit of a meltdown so mom and dad put me in bed and I napped for a bit. I get really grouchy when I don't sleep.

PS Thanks for taking the photos, aunt gina!

10 Days with a Toddler and Baby

It's mama bear here...Thought I'd chime in on status from the adult side of the fence since having a newborn come into our lives. I must say, it is tough, but easier than I expected. It helps that Olivia is extremely helpful and into the big sister thing. I also think having gone through the newborn phase before, the stress of trying to understand what is going on with a human that cannot speak or do anything on their own is much less prevalent.

What I've learned so far:
1. Sleep when the toddler sleeps and take turns sleeping when the baby sleeps. With a toddler, you don't have the luxury of sleeping when you want. And we found that when we have very little sleep, we are not as tolerant of a toddler's antics.

2. Be over inclusive with the toddler. Olivia definitely has sensitive feelings right now, so we are trying to be as inclusive as possible so she feels like Fiona has not totally taken over the house.

3. Ask for help and take it when it is offered. Yes, Mike and I tend to run on the "we don't need help" side of things, but having 2 kids has softened that a bit. Olivia went on a playdate with Lincoln yesterday and had a ball. This gave us an opportunity to get more sleep and get the house cleaned up. Also gave us some peace and quiet. Thanks R+G!

Today marks the first day of papa bear going back to work (only for a half day, mind you) and me starting to figure out what I am going to do with my time during the 5 month maternity leave. Given the nice weather, lots of walks are in order as well as some crafting. Just need to figure out what exactly I want to craft. Hmmmm.....

Oh my goodness, the world is big

Wow. I must say, while I liked staying in my mom's tummy for a long time + 7 days past my due date, it is pretty cool out here. There are lots of noises I recognize like my big sister's voice, mom and dad's voices and the cats meows. I like it here. My entry into the world was pretty cool. I had a big sac of water around my head right up until I came out. And then it exploded and I had more water on my head. It wasn't long before I was lying on my mom's chest and crying really loudly.

Then I was on this really hairy chest. That must be my dad. I like his accent. And he is very warm.

Oh and I like breast milk a lot. In fact, other than sleeping it is all I think about. No surprises there, really. I get to lay around in bed while mom and dad rub my belly and coo at me. And then I get to eat from my mom's yummy milk bar and then go back to sleep. Life is good. I fuss a bit, but not too much.

Am I a big sister yet?

My mom has been pregnant for a long time now. Her belly is really big. I mean, really big. So big that I just kinda stare at it even though I know I shouldn't. Last night I heard her complaining about having pains. I wonder if that means the baby is coming. She and Daddy said that they were going to the acupuncturist today to try and move things along. I am not entirely sure what that is. They said it involves tiny little needles.

12 hours later...update
I just woke up and there is a baby in mommy and daddy's room. Her name is Fiona Gray. I have a little sister. That's just what I wanted! It sounds like they left late last night (july 15) and within a few hours (4.5 to be precise), Fiona Gray was born. And in a bath tub. Wow, that is so cool. I like baths. I wonder if Fiona liked her bath.

Anyhoo. I am happy she is here. Welcome Fiona, we are going to have a lot of fun together even though it seems like you always sleep, don't talk, can't move on your own, drink a lot of breastmilk and cannot really see me.