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!