Browsing Tag

baby life

Daily Life

Isabelle is 9 months

Posted on February 8, 2018

Happy 9 months Little Lady!! I cannot believe there is so much chill and yet so much fire in your tiny little body! With Katie we knew what we were getting into… She has been a firecracker from day 1 and when she got colic at 5 weeks, we knew it was paving the way for a spirited toddler.

I swear being in that harness put a chip on her shoulder!

But Isabelle was more deceiving. She started sucking her thumb the day she was born and was such an easy newborn! She was so laid back about getting her pavlik harness put on, and then the day it came off (for the first time in 8 weeks), she surprised us by rolling over. And she hasn’t stopped moving since! Jason laughs when I say this, but I swear being in that harness put a chip on her shoulder!

Diaper changes are like wrestling an alligator

Every day since then, we see a little more fire in her – but only about certain things! It’s either one extreme or the other and there is no in between with her. She still loves sucking her thumb, if we put a blanket over her carseat at naptime she’ll fall asleep, she doesn’t get upset when K takes toys from her or is rough with her… but then diaper changes are like wrestling an alligator, she squawks and shout-babbles at you if you eat in front of her and don’t share (which is sad and hilarious), and she is so desperate to walk!

Before she was born, I remember people saying how siblings can be so different.

Some days are rough (teething has been brutal with her – much harder than it was with K – and she only has 3 teeth so far) but she is such a joy to spend time with and I love watching her grow and become her own person. It’s funny because before she was born, I remember people saying how siblings can be so different.

And it’s scary when you only have one because you love them so much and can’t imagine wanting your next child to be different! But while Isabelle is her own person, she also has a little bit of all of us in her (and actually a lot more Katie than I expected – but hopefully not more than I can handle. Send wine?) Anyways, happy 9 months Missy. I love who you are becoming

Daily Life

Smiley Isabelle

Posted on February 2, 2018

I got my smiley girl back! I am in shock with how happy this kid has been since her tooth popped last weekend. I mean, I suppose it’s exactly how she was before. But you know when your kid is sick or teething and they become an entirely different child? And you start telling yourself it’s just a phase but then weeks go by and you start feeling crazy… Like, “what if it isn’t a phase? What if she got some sort of weird late colic (at almost 9 months.)

What if a switch flipped in her brain and this is her new personality? What if she’s like this forever and always screams when I set her down and wakes up all the time at night and cries and I’ll be at my breaking point for the rest of my life?!?!?!” I mean, this went on for over a month! Her gums were so swollen and she was so miserable and if I even set her down to pee she screamed the entire time! And now, it’s like a weight has been lifted. I can’t believe how night and day her behavior is. So I am just soaking up the smiles and coos and cuddles and enjoying thjs beautiful day with my happy baby girl!

Daily Life

Co-sleeping is just not for me

Posted on December 5, 2017

Confession time: what is something veteren moms tell you “enjoy while it lasts!” that you just don’t find yourself enjoying? For us it’s cosleeping! Every night Belles wakes around 4 to nurse so I pull her in bed with me. When she was younger (and more of a lump ?), she used to fall right back asleep and we would snuggle as she slept and I half-slept.

But lately she starts trying to climb up my body which means knees and toes in my belly and she grabs my face and neck skin (but when did I get all this extra neck skin ?) and babbles which is adorable during the day but not at 4 am…. And then I barely sleep the rest of the night and it sucks. I know some people enjoy it, and I know she won’t be little forever and I only have a small window of time to sleep with her, but lately I have started saying ENOUGH and putting her back in her crib after she’s done eating.

And you know what? She falls right back asleep and sleeps like a rock until Big Sister gets up and wakes her up. Yes, there is still a part of me that wonders if I’ll regret not taking this “opportunity” while I can, (#momguilt , amirite?), but isn’t everyone sleeping better the ultimate win? Belles wakes up rested, I wake up rested (and rested = more patient), and we have plenty of time for snuggles during the day. What is something people tell you to “enjoy” that you just don’t think you’ll miss later?

Daily Life

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 23, 2017

Today I am thankful for these 2 healthy beautiful girls! I have been thinking a lot about the pregnancy I lost lately… I really thought the feelings would disappear after Isabelle was born, and the fact that they haven’t makes me feel guilty sometimes. I mean, she wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t lost the pregnancy before her.

But even though the drs couldn’t say why I lost my second pregnancy, they suspected it was a blighted ovum, and would likely not have been a viable pregnancy or if it was, the baby may not have been healthy. I say this about Isabelle and not Katie because I wasn’t as worried about something going wrong with K – it was my first pregnancy, nothing had gone wrong before, and I was so terrified about the thought of a new baby that miscarriage rarely crossed my mind. With Isabelle, it was all I could think about.

But, I digress, as the focus on this post is about the positive. I am just so grateful to have these 2 healthy and happy children. It is astounding to me that it takes so long to grow a child and the cells have to replicate so many times… HOW is it that it goes exactly as planned this many times to make this many healthy babies?! Isn’t it amazing? To create a child that walks and talks and smiles and has 2 arms and 2 legs, we really don’t marvel at it enough. There’s a reason they call it the miracle of life; it’s truly nothing short of a miracle.