Six Months, Sports Camp, and Stage Moms

Okay, do any of you miss my marathon blogs? Well, I have great news for you! ; ) I haven't bogged in forever, which is horrible because so much has happened. So, here is a little (or long) glimpse into our lives so far this summer.

Cici turned 6, then 7 months, and is now half way to 8 months! She is eating solids as of 6 months and gobbles up her food, even spinach gulash, which looks about as good as it sounds. I'm making her food, just as I did Evelyn's, and I really love doing that for her. She is still in the 25th percentile, which means she is just a little peanut! She is 7 months, but wearing Evelyn's 3-6 month clothes-which is perfect for summer. She is sitting up and talking much more. Not as much as Evelyn did at this age, but she is definitely not silent. She is not crawling, or even seeming interested in doing so, but Evelyn didn't crawl until 10 months, so that doesn't surprise me. She also hasn't started teething yet, which is nice. Basically she is in the sweet spot. She sleeps through the night and is past all that newborn fussiness, but is not yet able to move and get into things, nor is she cranky from getting teeth. She is very mellow and often content to just sit and play by herself. I bring her to the office with me and she gets passed around during staff meetings, then sits on the floor and plays with sharpies while I work, then falls asleep for the last few hours. Not bad!

Then, Sports Camp! It's a good thing Cecilia is a mellow baby, because Sports Camp kinda rocks our little world. The month of July is my busiest work month-many times I work double my hours-to help put on a big sports camp for kids in the community around where our church neighborhood. It's an awesome experience but I was more than a little nervous about it because it demands so much time and energy from me-which means takes time and energy away from being a mom and wife, and just being Kristin! However, with lots of help from friends, family, incredible volunteers, and a ton of support from Bard, I think this was the most peaceful and successful Sports Camp yet! I had nearly a hundred volunteers for Sports Camp, over 160 children so the week of camp was quite a sight to see. Evelyn has been at camp every year, but this was the first year she participated, even though she is still too young. She loved every minute of it, was absolutely exhausted and even slept in til 9am! Bard plays one of the characters for our "Half Time Show" and she thought it was hilarious that her dad was "Super Summer"-and especially loved when he threw out candy : ) I think she is used to seeing me speak to large groups of people, so that didn't really matter to her, but the fact that I threw out candy too-every evening-blew her mind since I've only given her candy a handful of times during her little life. The expression on her face was priceless! She loved the sports-and could even do some of the activities, although after hitting the baseball-for the first time ever-she ran after it instead of toward first base : ) She told us that her favorite sport was soccer, which made both her mama and dada quite happy : ) She learned all the songs and is still singing them and was pretty much spoiled by everyone there, so no wonder she had a good time! All in all it was an exhausting, exhilarating week, one that I am both glad to be over and thankful to have experienced. See you next year Sports Camp!

The first month of summer Evelyn was also able to attend a little summer camp put on by her preschool teacher and took a ballet class-from a teacher other than me-for the first time. She loved summer camp and it gave me freedom to get work done while knowing she was safe and having fun-success. Ballet class was a different story as almost every time I peeked in on her she was running off to do her own thing, taking another little girl's scarf, or ignoring the teacher-fail. The last day was parent observation and I really wanted to get a few pictures and a little video of her. Parents could only come in for about the last minute of class but one minute felt like a lifetime and I left so upset with Evelyn that I didn't really even want to talk to her. I don't want to be a stage mom who just jumps in, pressures her daughter, drives the teacher crazy, and is all around miserable, so I'm trying not to let my daughter's behavior (technically misbehavior) define my identity, but since I am a dance teacher, for Evelyn's age group, and have long wanted to see her in dance class, it was a bit crushing. I know that one of her strengths is her energy and social excitement, but when she crosses that line into being a rambunctious busy body, it's a bit hard to stomach. Hopefully through consistent discipline and educational discussions, she learns where that line is and not to cross it. I have to find my line too-of being involved but not over bearing, of letting her shine on stage but not becoming a stage mom. We'll work on balance together.

Speaking of balance, I'm actually writing this blog while on vacation in New Hampshire. Bard's family is from the East Coast so we are all out here together having an amazing time. Stay tuned-that will be the next blog. Now, off to cocktail hour!

4 Months!

Happy 4 months my sweet girl! Okay, so she is now almost 5 months, but who's counting? Time has really flown by this last month and I wanted to take a minute to blog how she is doing. Soon she'll be sitting up, crawling, and eating real food and I have to capture these moments before they are gone!

She's changed a lot recently, grown out of her newborn look, which is sad but adorable. This is really a fun age because she has started to engage with her surroundings-reaching for and playing with toys, rolling over, talking and laughing, smiling when she hears her name, and the most important-going to sleep on her own! She also just started getting upset when she can't get what she wants-normally a toy that I took away for whatever reason, or something that is just out of her reach. Well, that is a lesson we all learn I guess! Evelyn is delighted that her baby sister is more interactive and loves bringing her toys. Evelyn even gives Cici her own toys, which I'm sure won't last long!

Cici is smaller than Evelyn was at this age, in the 25th percentile-Evelyn was 50th-and not quite 13 pounds. She still seems to be a bit more attached to me than Evelyn was but is overall pretty mellow-content to just sit by herself and very calm, as long as she is not tired or hungry. One funny aspect that I've been observing more and more of is that she is noticeably different when Evelyn is around. If Cici is by herself, or it's just Bard and I with her, she talks and coos pretty much non stop. But if Evelyn is there, she is quiet and just kinda watches Evelyn with huge eyes and a look on her face that is both confused and amused! I think it's hilarious and wonder how it will play out as they get older.

Another difference is that Cici spends more time with me. When Evelyn was this age, she went to Grandma's house while I worked at the office two afternoons a week. Evelyn still does that, but Cici comes with me to work so that Evelyn can have some special Grandma time. Cici also is with me at church on Sundays. Evelyn was usually in the nursery for both services, but because of Cici's schedule, she usually goes in one service and then I have her in the baby carrier for the other service, while she sleeps. People at church complain that all they see of her is her legs! Cecilia is still a bit more of a mama's girl than Evelyn ever was, still being a bit cranky sometimes for babysitters and even giving Dada a hard time now and then. So it's interesting to wonder cause or effect-how is she affected by spending more time with me?

Even though it can be stressful to have her with me so much, I find myself enjoying my time with her, more (or perhaps differently) than I did with Evelyn. I'm more relaxed about her, and how she is doing, and I now appreciate how quickly this time will go by. Besides, she is such a little sweetheart, how could I not just snuggle her?!

My Baby

No, not Cecilia. Evelyn is my first and will always be my baby : ) But, she turned three last month so it's getting harder and harder to see her as a baby-and at the same time it's getting harder and harder to see what a big girl she is becoming. The past year has seen so many changes for her, it's unbelievable to look back on last April and see how far she has come. But I'll try!

Physically she is still in roughly the 50 % for everything-an exact mix of me and Bard : ) And I've seen her gain a lot of confidence in this area over the last year as well. She was never strongest in her gross motor skills, but has lately really started to focus on these skills. Which unfortunately means she is climbing on things she shouldn't, giving me heart attacks and needing constant supervision. I think I would be happier if she went back to focusing on another area of development!

Except verbal skills. Anything but more talking! I remember when she first started talking, it was so cute. It's still cute, and if you spend any time with her, you will quickly realize that she has great verbal skills and can carry on advanced conversations. Can and does. Constantly. All day. All night. Yes-I hear her talking in her sleep. In many ways I'm proud of her-her verbal skills really are good, so I don't mean to complain. But it is so exhausting! She wants to talk about everything-she is very observant and asks questions over and over again. And over and over again! A lot of it goes along with being social, so she will ask questions that she knows the answer to-just to start a conversation again-which is very common for this age. We've taught her to say "Excuse me" if Bard and I are talking with each other. So pretty much every dinner time we hear, "Excuse me, what are you talking about? Can I talk too?" It is pretty funny. And I'm sure when she is a sullen teenager and I can't get more than one syllable out of her, I'll look back longingly on these conversations. But sometimes I just want to hear myself think!

Speaking of socially, she is still our little social butterfly. She has developed friendships with two little girls in particular at her preschool. Last night we were picking flowers for her teachers and she had to pick her friends flowers too and then was chanting their names as we walked into school. So cute! It's fun to see her friendships develop and wonder about all the people she will be friends with over the coming years.

One thing we are watching her with in regards to social behavior, is imitating naughty behavior. She is quick to notice other children around her making the wrong choice and will then follow them. I've lived enough years on this planet to know that will not serve her well! So we talk about what her friends did and making her own choice - the right one. I'm sure this is a conversation that we will be having for years to come.

Lately Cecilia has been going down for a nap right when Evelyn wakes up, and typically sleeps the rest of the afternoon, so it's Mama and Evelyn time. She is very into artwork and has spent hours coloring, playing with play dough, stamps, painting, etc. This has been really fun-to see her develop the skills to draw circles, start to color pictures, and be interested in creating objects that she sees around her. Unfortunately I am not an artist so when she asks me to draw things like giraffes, she just might be disappointed : )

But, when she asks me to help her write letters, that I can do! Yep, she is learning to read and write! She knows all the sounds of her letters-actually has for months-and is very interested in how to spell words, tracing her letters, and sounding them out. Although she certainly doesn't have it down yet-last week she took her foam letters and placed several in a row and then said to me, "Q2E73K. What's that spell Mama?" It's very fun : )

Most of the time, this is a super fun stage. She is so engaging and says the most hilarious things. A few days ago she asked me if Miss Susan (my midwife for Cici) could get more babies for us and when I said no she said there were 4 more in my tummy. No. I have not had fertility treatments! It's so fun to experience life through her because everything is fun and exciting. It's definitely exhausting-for the past 6 months she has decided to fight nap and bed time, making each one a battle, almost every single day. And she will go for negative attention if she is not getting positive attention. And don't get me started on how difficult it is to get her to eat any meal in under an hour! But despite how draining it is, there is a certain sweet simplicity that I know will be lost as she gets older and we fight less about how much broccoli she needs to eat and more about where she is eating and who she is eating with. Tonight we took a family walk after dinner and she delighted in every moment; wanting to race with her dada, jump over sidewalk cracks, check on baby Sissy, and be swung through the air as we both held her hands. Everything was magical, the magic of being three.

Family!

Well, I have a ton of things to blog about-returning to work, Cecilia turning three months and Evelyn turning three years old, but I think I'll start with what makes all of those so much better-sharing it with family.

As many of you know, Bard's family lives out of state and had not met Cici yet. Last week that changed! Bard's mom, step dad, and grandma flew up for a five day visit. We talked about it with Evelyn beforehand and she got so excited that every time a plane would fly over (about 5 times a day) she would yell, "There's Grandee!" It was so wonderful to see them, and eve more wonderful to see them with Evelyn. She had so much fun playing and visiting, and also really enjoyed having new people to boss around! Sigh. : ) I'm so blessed to have in laws whom I actually consider family-real family-not just family that you have to send a Christmas Card to every year. They were so generous and considerate, we had a great time and I wish they could have stayed longer, it went by too fast. Of course that is partly because I packed eighty events into five days. . .

We decided that since Bard's family was going to be here we would have Cici's dedication-we don't believe in infant baptism-rather our church dedicates Cecilia to being raised together in a godly community, praying for and supporting all of us as a family. So, instead of just doing a little dedication at church, I invited 50 people over to our house and hosted a brunch. Much more fun, don't you think?! Okay, so only about 30 people came ; ) These people are family to us. Their kids are the kids Evelyn and Cici will play with. They are who we go out to dinner with, who we talk about parenting with, who we pray with and who we celebrate with. These people, and more besides who weren't able to attend, are so dear to me, and have been for so many years. I honestly can't imagine my life without them. That's family.

But, besides Bard's family, and our church family, I actually have family of my own! Oddly enough, even though I live within minutes of most my family-immediate and extended-I don't see all of them all that often, so this weekend was a welcome experience for a change in that habit. In fact, I saw some family several days in a row! I'm sure that my family has its own quirks, well, one big quirk who goes in the form of my father! But I honestly like being with them. Aunts, cousins, grandparents, and more, there is just a sense of peace that comes from being with someone you have known your whole life. And who has known you. Evelyn's cousins are her age and we got to spend a good deal of time with them this weekend as well. I love that she is growing up with them, they are two of her favorite people in her whole little world and I hope that stays the same, even as her world gets bigger. She loved spending time with them this weekend, and with my parents. Since I went back to this week (!!!) my mom watched her for two afternoons. I'm so grateful that she has the opportunity to spend that much time with my mom-and that my mom is amazing with her. Each evening I came home to fun stories of what adventures they had been up to. And I really mean adventure-they dug up pirate treasure and went on safaris! Oh the fun of being three. Three!!!!

There is so much more I could say about our families. We are so thankful for them-for both us and our girls. I can't imagine being blessed in a better way than being surrounded by people who love us, and whom we love. We are blessed indeed.

Happy Two months Cecilia!

Two months, I can't believe it! I am so excited about this, cause I feel like we're over the hump-at least I hope-things will get easier over the next few months as she sleeps more at night, less during the day, has less fussy times, and engages more. I've loved many of these newborn moments, but am excited to have a little more time to myself and a little less chaos in my life. I'm sure childhood is all downhill from here! ; )

But anyway, enough about me, what's up with Cici? Well, we had her two month appointment today, [Okay, I started this a week ago and am just now getting back to it!] which was actually a bit stressful, it's just harder with 2-I had to find childcare for Evelyn (thanks Tish!) and then get her there. Cici's appointment was right at her nap time, so she didn't get barely any morning nap, which made her pretty cranky. although she did well with the Dr and nurse, but no comments about talking and smiling like at Evelyn's two month appointment. She weighs 10 pounds and 4 ounces and is 22 and a half inches long, both are right about at the 50th percentile. Evelyn was at the 90th at her 2 month, so maybe Cecilia will be small like me! Cici's head is smaller-Evelyn never fit into her hats : ) The one thing the Dr did comment on was that she is mostly sleeping through the night-he thought I was pretty lucky in regards to that, and I think so too! She slept through the night (eating at about 7:30pm, sleeping from about 9 until 6am) the last three nights, as well as all week a few weeks ago-woke up at 2am to eat last week. So we'll see. Overall everything looks great and he said she was doing really well. Then she got 3 shots, turned purple with screaming and we left. Poor thing : (

It's hard to believe that it's been two months since I gave birth to her. Some days are easier than others-she still screams a lot in the carseat, but I think it's getting better. And, she does sleep through the night, which is huge, but still has to be rocked, walked, bounced, and sung to sleep, which is really frustrating, and especially hard with a two year old running around. The days that I feel like all I do is hold her are the hardest, I just want freedom! : ) But, she is less cranky in the evenings, which helps and now that we are getting closer and closer to three months, I'm really hoping that she starts to go to sleep on her own, like Evelyn did at that age. I think she is a bit more serious than Evelyn was-she smiles at us now, it just seems like Evelyn was a bit more smiley. She is also starting to pay more attention to objects around her, which is great, because soon we can distract her with them! And, she has more awake time when she is happy and talking-not needing to eat or be put right to sleep, which is fun.

I feel like we've adjusted fairly well as a family over the last few months. Evelyn handles being a big sister very nicely-she wants to involved and loves her little sister, no resentment yet. She is still a bit clingy with me and we have problems when I'm trying to nurse Cici or put her to sleep and Evelyn uses that opportunity to get into anything and everything-but mostly Evelyn does really well. Bard of course is a great help and often walks in the door from work, changes Cici's diaper and then helps with dinner, putting Evelyn to bed and cleaning up before even really getting a chance to sit down. I'm doing well overall, I just seem to have a much shorter fuse than normal. I need to keep reminding myself that this time will go by quickly and I will regain some sense of normalcy within just a few months-a little more sleep, being able to go out by myself easier, and/or with Bard, not constantly caring for a baby, being able to take walks, and enjoying Cici as she engages more. It's just hard to remind myself of that when I'm in the middle of a stressful moment-it doesn't seem to matter that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, cause I'm stuck in the tunnel! I've discovered the stressful times of day: 6:30-8:30am (breakfast, getting dressed, and cleaning up for all of us) 11:30am-2pm (lunches and naps for everyone), and then from 5-9pm (dinner, nap for Cici, bedtime for Evelyn, last feeding and bedtime for Cici.) So, if I'm awake from 6am-10pm, then half the time is fine, I just have to remember that when I feel like screaming because Evelyn has peed on the floor, slipped and fell in it, I'm getting lunch and Cici is screaming because she wants to eat. Oh yes, G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S, sing it Fergie!

Just a few more weeks until I go back to work, so while that will be a huge adjustment, I think we will all be ready for it and just like everything else, try to be flexible, take one day at a time, and keep on, keepin' on!

What's In a Name?

Whoops. I've tried really hard not to succumb to the temptation of ignoring milestones and decisions for the second child that were so important to me with the first child. But, I realized that I never wrote about Cecilia's name, even though that was a blog during my third trimester for Evelyn. Oh well!

So, since high school I had picked out the name of Victoria, nickname Tori, for a girl. Somehow Evelyn didn't end up being a Victoria, but that was our first pick for this one, when we found out she was a girl. We narrowed it down to Victoria, Juliet, and Cora. So where did Cecilia come from? I have no idea! It just popped into my head one day and soon became the front-runner. The name Cecilia is of Latin origin and means, "way for the blind." I liked the idea behind that-of guiding and helping those in need. Cecilia is the patron saint of music and was martyred for her faith. Of course the lineage of a strong woman appealed to me and so did the musical aspect, as apparently it did to Simon and Garfunkel because I started singing that song as soon as the name Cecilia popped into my head! That drives Bard crazy, because the woman in that song is not really one we would want our daughter to be like, but come on, who doesn't love that song, I bet you're singing it right now!It took a while for us to settle on Cecilia for sure, she was almost named Cora, but I just kept calling her Cecilia in my mind, so that decided it.

The middle name, however, was decided long ago. For those of you who know me well, it probably comes as no surprise that I gave my daughter the name of the woman who has been one of the most influential people in my life. I first met Miss Lynn when I was just 11 years old; she was my dance teacher. But she did more than just teach me proper technique and how to perform; she invested in my life. Sometimes instead of class, we would end up just talking, her with a group of middle school students. We talked about boys, life choices, and school work. I don't remember the conversations, just that she cared enough to have them. Later, when I showed an interest in helping with the younger students, she trained me as an assistant and then hired me as a teacher when I was in high school, developing my teaching skills and starting me on a life-long path of dance instruction. I honestly can't imagine not teaching little girls to dance. And Lynn helped me see that it's more than just instruction on dance steps, it's sharing a passion, developing self esteem, and being a part of children's lives as they grow into men and women who value the art of life. And those little three year olds with their pot bellies in little tutus are absolutely adorable and make me smile!

What's in name? Cecilia Lynn-a love for music and a guide for those in need, coupled with a woman full of integrity, grace, and beauty. My little girl has some big shoes to fill with her name, and I can't wait to see her do it!

Half Way Mark

This week Cecilia turned 6 weeks old. That is a bit of a milestone for several reasons. One, many people notice babies settling into a better routine at this age and that things-like feeding, napping, etc get a bit easier. I really looked forward to 6 weeks with Evelyn because of this theory. However, with Evelyn, and Cecilia, I noticed little difference! Cici, actually settled into somewhat of a routine at about 4 weeks, and Evelyn not until 3 months.

However, a more meaningful reason is that I am now half way through my maternity leave-I go back to work in 6 more weeks. This seems crazy to me because three months sounds such a long time! I can hardly imagine going back to work at this point-I'm tired, it's hard to get out of the house, Cici has to be rocked to sleep, and it takes forever to feed her. But, fortunately 6 weeks is also the halfway point to those problems becoming easier, for Evelyn, and babies of many parents I've talked to, 3 months is a magic age! That is when Evelyn started going to sleep on her own-which makes a HUGE difference, and nursing started to take a lot less time-going from about 45-60 minutes to about 25 minutes, which is great as well. So, even though life will get a little crazier with me being back at work, hopefully it will also be a little easier in other ways. And, since I really need to be out of the house-away from my darling children-for at least a little time each week, it may also help with all of our sanity!

Lastly, the first of April marks another big milestone-Evelyn turns three! Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean overnight changes, but it's still a big deal-I'll have a three year old : )It's crazy that just a few years ago I was blogging about Evelyn being 6 weeks old-and now here we are. I'm amazed when I think about how many milestones, for both girls, that I have before me. Life is so short, we need to treasure each moment.

Luippold Family Letter

Happy New Year!

Below is the letter we sent out with Cecilia's birth announcement (let me know if you want one!) I posted a new album of pictures we had taken the day she was born and when she was about two weeks old. The pictures were taken by a friend of ours, Chelle, of Chelle Nicole Photography (find her on facebook!) They turned out absolutely beautiful, I hope you enjoy them!

2010 was full of surprises for our family, so we can hardly wait to see what 2011 has in store. The past year brought memorable experiences for each of us and we wanted to share them with you.

Bard spent the first half of the year studying for his third and final test in the Chartered Financial Analyst Program. In August we found out that against all odds, he had passed each test on the first try, completing three years of hard work! Then in December he took another big step in furthering his career when he received a promotion at work to become more focused on investments.

My year was also full of big changes, namely finding out in April that I was pregnant! This was a huge answer to prayer for us and we began to prepare for the changes it would mean for our family. Unfortunately this pregnancy was a bit more challenging that Evelyn’s had been and I grew accustomed to feeling nauseous, dealing with migraines, fatigue, and back problems. But, even with all that we were able to enjoy a visit from Bard’s family in May, a great family vacation to Mexico in June, and a fun trip to the ocean in August, shared with my family.

Evelyn went through big changes this year too. While she was adjusting to the idea of being a big sister, she also started sleeping in her very own bed, and said goodbye to diapers!

But what she has enjoyed most is her two mornings a week at a local preschool.

She loves her teachers and other classmates, talks about school all the time, and even sang with her class in a little Christmas Performance!

However, the family member who saw the most change, by far, was Cecilia Lynn! From day one of the pregnancy she was a healthy baby, and even though she made me miserable at times, she grew and developed wonderfully. By the middle of December, she was done growing and although my due date wasn’t until January 6^th, I began to feel more and more that she was going to come early. And she did!

We were proud to welcome Cici at 2:02am on January 2^nd, 2011. Just missing Bard’s hope for a tax deduction baby! Labor went fine and we are both doing well. At just a few weeks old, Cecilia is already taking her place in our family.

Well, it was quite a year!

And even though all those events are a lot, they are really just the tip of the iceberg. What truly defined our year was the relationships we encountered while going through all those experiences. Our relationship with God was strengthened, as we thanked Him for the blessings and depended on Him through the challenges. And our relationships with friends and family were strengthened through time in church and small group, as well as just trying to live honestly and compassionately with each other.

All in all it was an amazing year-full of surprises, joy, stress, and a lot of fun. We’re so thankful that we got to go through it with you and hope that we have many more years together.

Dealing with **^&(*@#!

So this morning Cici was sleeping and I had to leave to take Evelyn to her little preschool class. Cici had just eaten and doesn't normally fall asleep after she eats-she normally sleeps a bit later-so I didn't feel too bad waking her and figured she would just fall asleep again in the car if she was that tired. We got to school and I put Cici in the moby wrap to walk Evelyn in. (Every time it's a struggle whether to carry her on my own-and not have free hands for Evelyn, go through the hassle of the moby, or carry her in her car seat which is awkward and uncomfortable. I have yet to find a winning option!) She was fussy in the moby, which is unusual and then started crying while I was in Evelyn's classroom. By the time I had gotten Evelyn's coat off and was signing her in, we were at full on scream. The teacher offered to let me nurse her in a side room, but I knew she had just eaten and figured she was just angry at being woken up. We got back to the car and she just let loose. This kid was mad! I had been planning on making a stop or two on the way home (one to get a latte because the morning had already started off wrong) but just drove straight home with my ears ringing. By the time I pulled up in front of the house I was thoroughly frustrated. Why on earth was she screaming?! Why couldn't I have a normal child that fell asleep in her carseat?! I got inside and pulled her out of her seat, saying, "What is wrong with you?!" She kept crying even while I was holding her, which was also unusual, so I decided to check her diaper. As soon as I unwrapped her blanket I could smell something less than sugar and spice. She had experienced her first major blowout. There was poop through both onesies, on her pants, down her leg and in her sock. She screamed. She has had a diaper rash for two weeks now and parts of her skin are actually raw. I got her cleaned up and she calmed down right away. The poor thing had been uncomfortable and in pain and trying to let me know the only way she knew how. Of course I felt terrible for getting so frustrated with her and also saw a good lesson in all that poop. When someone is acting out of the ordinary, maybe giving you a harder time than usual or just being plain frustrating, don't get upset right away. They could be dealing with a lot of &^*#) that you don't even know about!

Happy One Month Cecilia!

Wow, one month already, I can't believe it! I posted all the pictures from January in the photo box to the right, and keep your eyse out for more pictures and our birth announcement!When Evelyn was this age everyone told me to treasure these moments because they would go by so fast. Although that was somewhat true, I remember many times (such as screaming parties at 2am) where life seemed to go by very slow and I felt like I would never get some of my basic freedoms (like being able to get out of the chair!) back. With Cici, time really has flown by and I feel like I am more able to really treasure how sweet so many of these moments are-and how they will never be the same. I think it's because I'm more relaxed, and because I have a two year old who is keeping me very busy!

So what has happened in the last month? Cici has developed a fairly regular schedule-that could change at any minute-of eating every 4-5 hours during the day. This is on the low side for her age and at first worried me (Evelyn ate every 2-3 hours) but she is gaining weight fine and so I have decided to enjoy the little extra freedom it gives me. On a good night she eats around 8 or 9 and then goes til about 2 and eats again around 7am. So, I'm actually a somewhat decent amount of sleep-more than I did with Evelyn at this age (so hard not to compare!) but still feel pretty tired most the time.

For the most part, we have developed a fairly regular schedule as a family too. Mornings can be a little hectic, depending on when Cici eats, when Evelyn gets up, and if I've had a chance to get up and eat as well. If all three are happening at once, mama is a little cranky! I get up a bit earlier on the days Evelyn has to go to school, and so far she has only been 5 minutes late, which I feel like is a miracle! The hard part is that it often seems that I spend most the morning holding Cici-while she eats and then rocking her to sleep-so I don't get to interact much with Evelyn. That should change as the baby gets older, and Evelyn doesn't seem to mind too much as long as I keep her busy with art projects or her millions of baby dolls. Sometimes she does ask for me and I'm not able to help her or be with her, and while that is hard on both of us, I try to remind myself that it's not horrible for Evelyn to experience that and I won't always be holding a baby for 2 hours at a time. When Bard is home, of course he is a huge help and Evelyn has really enjoyed her extra time with Dada.

So far I have somehow avoided taking both girls someplace hectic by myself. By hectic I mean Target or the grocery store and I will avoid that as long as I can! Cici does okay going places, but it appears that I will not have a "carseat child." Evelyn never really slept well in the car and Cici seems to be on the same path, so I can't enjoy that luxury that most other parents seem to have! But, for the most part, if we're going someplace and it's her nap time, I'll put her in the Moby wrap, which is like magic and she sleeps really well while in it.

She seems to be holding steady at the 50% which is great. She has had a bottle a few times now, so that is a big milestone. And also fell asleep on her own in the swing-the merits of which are debatable to some, but for me, I don't think it matters, it's not like every time she falls asleep she'll be in the swing-everything in moderation.

Overall I think we're doing better than I expected. Although, I've only been sleep deprived for one month, ask me again another month from now! Hopefully as she gets older she will sleep longer and more on her own, and be able to go longer between feedings as well. Those two seemingly simple acts are what really make a huge difference in my days, nights, and all around sanity. But for the most part she is a sweet little baby, seems to have a good temperament, and our little family is doing really well!

Different Parents?

Have you ever wondered why siblings turn out so different? For those of you who know me, it's no surprise that having a second child has given me a whole new reason to ponder the nature vs nurture argument. After studying and working in the early childhood education field for so many years, it's fascinating to have my own personal experiment!

Here is what has stayed the same with the births of our two daughters-we live in the same house, work the same hours-I am taking the same maternity leave, we have the same parenting philosophy and have responded to many issues with Cici in the same (almost eerily so) way as we did with Evelyn. We are surrounded by many of the same people and have a very similar routine. So, why does Cici nurse different than Evelyn-easier, faster, more scheduled? Why can I lay her down and she'll sleep for over an hour whereas Evelyn would wake after 15 minutes and demand to be held? Why does she like to be held upright and Evelyn preferred to be cradled? Why does Cici sleep more?

The answer, who knows?! I think part of it is nature-I am more relaxed thus creating the classic second child syndrome-a more relaxed baby. But part of it must be nurture-and how amazing is that?! That at just days old her personality is already showing itself. When she is older I bet I will be able to look back on these first few weeks and see how these early personality traits played into later developing skills and habits. It's so fun to see these different traits and to think back on how I was the same or different with Evelyn. Perfect example-if you want to be blown away be beautiful photographs of our girls, check out this link: http://chellenicole.com/WP/2011/01/17/cecilia-lynn-the-ballerina-is-here/

A friend of ours from church has her own photography business (Chelle Nicole) and came over to take our pictures last Saturday-(if you haven't already, scroll back through her babies' shots to see pictures of the day Cici was born.) It was a crazy fun experience and the pictures are absolutely priceless. Stay tuned for more too, I'll be posting the rest from the shoot as well as all our January photos in the next week or so. But, you may have already realized, I did nothing like that when Evelyn was a newborn. Our first professional shots were when she was 4 months old, and then we did a shoot as a family when she was 6 months. It's not that I didn't think about it, I just didn't think very positive things! It seemed so overwhelming to just leave the house, let alone coordinate outfits, time feedings and naps and suppress worries that she would be screaming the whole time : )Plus, my own recovery was so much more difficult that physically, everything was made harder. But with Cici I knew it would be okay. We would try to time naps and feeding, and avoid screaming, but babies are amazingly resilient-far more so than parents-and especially at this young age, they just kinda go with the flow. Toddlers on the other hand. . . ; )

The pictures are worth it by far, we will treasure these photographs forever; they truly capture who we are as a family. But just as important as the visual depiction of our family is how the photos are a symbolic reminder to me of who I am as a parent. Just like my girls I can constantly grow, gaining confidence and grace in my parenting. I can go with the flow and learn to be more resilient. The nature and nurture argument does not just apply to how children are shaped. As adults we too are formed by our surroundings, but instead of being little sponges, as children are, soaking up everything around them, we can be aware-learning and discriminating as we gain insight into the world around us.

Cecilia Lynn

Saturday morning, January 1st, I woke up ready to have my baby. It was three am, I'd had a few minor contractions and I was pretty sure that since Evelyn went so fast, within a few hours I would be at The Birthing Inn and soon holding Cecilia. However, life tends to unfold on its own while we're busy laying out its course. Noon rolled around, then mid afternoon and I wasn't in labor. I chose to be angry, frustrated, and disappointed, but no emotion changed the facts, so at 6pm Bard and I decided to get take out, watch a movie and just settle in for the night. Right about then my first real contraction hit. Haha, very funny.

By about 10pm we were on our way to the Birthing Inn, where things went slowly at first until a little after 11 when I was suddenly reminded that labor is the most painful experience possible. Was it too late for an epidural??!! Just like with Evelyn, I relied mostly on Bard. It's funny how when you're in a relationship you can express your need for each other, telling each other often how much you love and rely on each other. But most of us probably do not live out our relationships as a direct reflection of that love. We take each other for granted and have unrealistic expectations of needs instead of healthy expressions of value and appreciation. Being in labor strips you of any independence you might think you possess. You are forced to rely on the people around you, for physical and mental care. And, you don't get your dignity while doing it either! During both my labors, Bard was a focal point for moving forward through the experience. Which may sound odd, because what choice do you have but to go through it? None. But how you go through it makes all the difference in the world. I drew strength from Bard. He kept me calm (relatively speaking!) and focused on the positive-that the baby was coming. He was there for me every second of every minute, without tiring or giving up himself. I could never have done it without him, Cecilia is a lucky little girl.

And what you may ask, about the baby?! If sibling rivalry has started already, then she one-upped her sister because the 20 minutes I had to push for Cici was nothing compared to the 3 and a half hours I pushed with Evelyn. And as a result, my recovery has been night and day to what it was with Evelyn. At this point with Evelyn-a week into it, I was still sleeping downstairs because I couldn't lift my legs to go upstairs. And numerous other side effects that you can ask me about in person : ) So that's been great.

We also loved the Birthing Inn experience. Unlike at a hospital, your care is individualized and personal. It's also much more private and in a wonderfully soothing and relaxing environment. Our mid wife was great, which we really appreciated because Cici was born not breathing, yeah, she was a bit blue. The midwife calmly gave her oxygen and did leg compressions until she started breathing. I wasn't panicked, the whole thing was handled quickly and easily.

Cici will be a week old tomorrow. It's a bit hard to say who she is and what she will be like. But we have already noticed a few differences between her and Evelyn. She nurses differently than Evelyn did. She doesn't like being wet, and she seems to be more scheduled about her feedings, although that could change. She is adorable and we love to just stare at her. : )

Evelyn loves her too. Evelyn would just do everything for her if she could! She wants to help with her blanket, diaper changes, feeding her, and carrying her. She is very concerned when Cecilia is crying, she comes running, giving instructions along the way-she needs her paci, she wants her blanket, she wants some soup. : ) Evelyn is also very protective of me being with Cecilia and has told other people, "No, mama is holding her." I don't know how long that will last, but it's cute.

I love our family. I'm exhausted and feel like someone hit me with a truck, but it's been amazing. I know we have lots of hard times ahead, but I also know they will be worth it. It just doesn't get any better than this.