In case you were wondering

It's been light on posting around here... especially about baby girl. She's still chubby and happy -the way I like babies to be! Happy Friday and happy 3 months muffin! You'll get a newsletter at some point...

P.S. How is she old enough to be sitting in the umbrella stroller and bumbo?!?

Post Partum update

It's only been 10 (almost 11) weeks since Nora's birth, but I'm already back to work. I technically started last week, but worked half days from home so today was my first day back in the office. It wasn't as hard to leave as it was last time with Callan. I would still rather have been home and not working, but knowing they're with Adelia during the day makes the transition that much easier too.


In other post-partum news. Let's see.... looking back at last time it's funny to see how some things are the same, but some things are so different. Breast feeding this time around wasn't as hard. I don't know if it's because I knew what I was doing or if Nora did, but she was great from the get go. My milk came in quickly (within a few days of birth) and (obviously) Nora has been doing great. She's big and thriving and I clearly do not make skim milk (more like milkshakes). Not only do we make giant babies, we also make really stubborn ones. We have yet another baby who is currently in a standoff with the bottle. However, if anyone can crack the code, I'm sure it's Adelia.

As for weight loss, making milk shakes sure is a calorie burner. I thankfully didn't gain as much weight this time around (although I did still manage to gain 45 lbs) and now 10.5 weeks post-partum I've lost all but about 10-15 lbs. I'm definitely still jiggly (especially in the middle), but hopefully with time (and probably some exercise and cutting out the extra food group called "chocolate" that I've added to my diet), I'll be back to fighting weight.
Physically, I thought the recovery was better too. TMI, but I think there was less bleeding after and I wasn't as sore. I remember going to Starbucks after Callan was born was an event. And at that time we lived in an elevator building. Now we live on the 4th floor (so lots of stairs) and I kept forgetting that I wasn't supposed to be lifting anything heavier than the baby for the first week or so. I kept wondering why I was so sore carrying the baby in the infant carseat and Callan (along with the baby bag or whatever else I had). So again, it might be because my body knew what to expect, or I was just in better shape (and a little lighter), or it was just because I didn't have any other choice. When you're a new mom with one little baby you can lounge around a lot (don't get mad, I'm not saying taking care of a baby isn't hard work), but once you throw a toddler into the mix, there's not a lot of sitting or napping when the baby naps going on!

Well, that's about it. We're settling into our new routine as a family of 4 and although there will be challenges along the way, these 2 make it all worthwhile.

Before I forget...

Today Callan turned 15 weeks old and  every day seems to bring something new. Giving birth seems like a lifetime ago and being pregnant seems even further away. I figure I needed to do a brain dump of things, before I forget about pregnancy and the first few weeks. Things that in and of themselves aren't super memorable, but will be a good point of reference for the next time...

1. Going back to work hasn't been as hard as everyone claimed it to be. Although I enjoy my job, it's not my life and it makes me appreciate the time I have with Callan even more. But let's be honest, if I could quit, I would -if only I wasn't the breadwinner! haha. I need to start playing the lottery.
2. Breastfeeding was hard. Getting Callan to latch properly was the hardest and most painful thing I experienced. Yes, that even includes giving birth (but to be fair, I had a pretty easy birth experience). The second most painful thing also relates to the bewbs and that is the pain of engorgement. No one tells you what that's going to feel like and lucky me, I got to experience it twice. Once when my milk came in and then when I stopped pumping and started nursing again. I feel fortunate that I have a fantastic supply, but that blessing comes with it's own set of curses. Looking back I kind of felt like I gave up too quickly and I wish I had stuck it out a little bit longer because I wonder if some of the problems we face would have worked themselves out sooner. In the end I'm glad I gave it another try since nursing has been great, although sometimes I'm not sure it's necessarily all it's cracked up to be. People claim that it's this blissful, bonding experience between mother and child and I'm just not getting it. I do love nursing and fought hard to do it and will be sad to (eventually) stop, but in certain situations I think how much easier it would be to feed him a bottle. This brings me to my next point...
3. Bottle feeding is hard too! But in different ways than breastfeeding. Callan has shown his stubborn streak and caused a bit of anxiety over his lack of affection for the bottle. I wrote about the standoff with the bottle and now nearly a month later, it's still touch and go. We've gone from hysterical crying when attempting to give the bottle to something more akin to playful refusal. Adelia has had some success, but Callan will often go days only drinking a few ounces while I'm at work. Thankfully he's still happy and playful, but it does make the nights a little bit longer because he's waking up to eat rather than sleeping through the night.
4. Breastfeeding is a miracle weight loss tool. I have lost nearly all of the 53 pounds I gained while pregnant (I'm within 15 lbs) and after 3 months being able to fit into almost all of my clothes is nothing short of miraculous. We'll see how long it takes me to take off the last 15 lbs as I've read that sometimes it sticks around until people stop breastfeeding, but to be honest I think it's going to take me stopping my 3 cookies a day habit before I get back to pre-preg weight.
5. While breastfeeding may be a miracle weight loss tool, it is not the birth control people may think it is -No wonder there are so many Irish twins out there! I was hoping to go another year without the monthly "visitor", but after 12 weeks, it came back (boo). Even though I am exclusively breastfeeding, I guess it's common for the visitor to return after the baby starts sleeping through the night. As disappointing as this has been, it seems like a pretty small trade off to have you sleep through the night.
6.  Speaking of which, Callan is a champion sleeper. The fact that he regularly sleeps through the night and sometimes need to be woken up in the morning is amazing to me. It makes me wonder what's going to happen in the teenage years and whether he'll ever see daylight, but considering his dad likes sleeping in, this shouldn't be too shocking.
7. I sometimes think about my miscarriage from last year and what that baby would have been like and at time think about how old he/she would have been. But as sad as I am about that, I can't imagine not having Callan... he clearly is the baby that was meant for us.
8. Callan may have already ruined his sibling's lives. I can't imagine the next baby being as easy as Callan and figure we will pay for it by having either a terrible next baby or a terrible toddler...
9. I also feel bad for any future siblings because I can't imagine the outpouring of love and affection for them will be any match to what Callan has received. I think there's always a special place in everyone's hearts for the first and Callan is definitely the child/grandchild that everyone had been waiting for.
10. I've run out of things, but I wanted to end on a nice round number. Oh, maybe I'll talk about pregnancy and a reminder that next time I really shouldn't gain 50 lbs!

Wow, that turned out to be much longer than I expected. I guess if you've made it this far you deserve a picture. This is from Adelia yesterday of Callan and Luke. They are going to be best friends and either a pair of heartbreakers or trouble makers... I'm still undecided.

Mama's a riot

Hearing Callan laugh always makes me laugh. I'm surprised I caught it on camera since he usually turns stoic when he sees it. This is an older video (from a couple weeks ago), but it always makes me happy...

Dear Callan -the back to work edition.

Dear Callan-

You are now three months old! Yowsers, our time together has flown by. This last month has been particularly amazing because of all the developments you have made. You are now full of smiles and like to talk and laugh often. We just discovered that you love to bounce in your bouncy seat or on a lap and after a few bounces you crack a smile and then inevitably start laughing. You’re still figuring out noises and sometimes when you laugh or make a loud noise you startle yourself a bit and that is one of the cutest and funniest things to watch. Hearing you laugh always puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh too. You are still a bit camera shy and no matter how happy and smiley you are, if you catch a glimpse of the camera or the iphone, you stop. I think you’re just trying to figure out what it is. It’s funny because when you were in mama’s belly, the same thing would happen. I wanted to document your kicks and rolls in my belly and no matter how active you were, once I pulled out the camera you would stop. People comment on how serious you are, but once you’ve finished staring and assessing the situation, you’re prone to break out a smile, which melts everyone’s hearts.

This past month you’ve started sleeping through the night, which is glorious and amazing for a baby your age. You love to sleep with your arms up and we put you in a sleep sack to keep your legs warm. It’s funny to watch you get comfortable to fall asleep because your arms will go out to the side or over your head and you’ll kick your legs until you’ve gotten in the perfect position. You go to bed by 8:30 every night and sleep until 5 or 6 am. Sometimes, you hit 7 am and that’s amazing (like today). Getting you up in the morning is one of the most fun parts of the day. You are always full of smiles and in a great mood, no matter how hungry you are. We unzip you from your sleep sack and you give a great big smile and then stretch out your entire body. I could melt from your cuteness.

You haven’t quite rolled over and I can’t even say that you want to, but every now and then you’ll almost do it. Sometimes when you’re on your back, you’ll crane your neck and turn your head to one side, which twists your upper body. Your upper leg and hip rotate, but not all the way. The same thing happens when you’re on your stomach, so your upper body is ready, but your legs aren’t quite there. Although your legs are definitely strong as you love to kick and move your arms all the time. You are in constant motion when you’re playing and it makes me a little nervous to think of what is in store for us once you are mobile. You have started to reach for things and started to put things in your mouth to explore and you enjoy standing on people’s laps. You still love your activity mat and you are getting better and better with tummy time.

The passing of three months also means that mama’s maternity leave is over and will be returning to work. This has caused me a little bit of anxiety, as I have loved every minute of being home with you. Also, this was the month that you decided to refuse a bottle and hearing you cry breaks my heart.  Your dad and I figured since you had drunk exclusively from a bottle for 4 weeks, you would be an old pro and take a bottle. Unfortunately, we found out the hard way when we left you with Uncle Craig one night, that you had become mortal enemies with the bottle. We tried 10 different bottles and nipples and for 3 weeks worried about what you would do while I was at work. I think we finally found a bottle that you will tolerate and hopefully this means you won’t cry the entire time I’m at work. We also found you a great nanny, Adelia, and hope you and Luke enjoy spending time with her. She may not be a replacement for mama, but I think she’ll take good care of you while I’m working.

Three months seemed like a long time to have off from work, but I could use three more (and three more after that). Watching you grow has been amazing and seeing snippets of your personality come out has been so exciting. I’m sad to think of all the things I’m going to miss while I’m at work, but am excited to see you grow and develop.

Happy three months Callan, you’re a quarter of a year old!

Love,

Mama

Quarter of a year old -Yea!

Deep conversations

during tummy time (7.18.11)

So close...

to rolling over!

Ready for a day in the sun

The stand off

In the two and a half months of Callan's existence, he has been a super easy baby and has made it really easy to transition to being a mom. It often makes me feel bad because I can't relate to friends who ask me about sleepless nights, frustrations or how I deal with crying inconsolable fits because as a whole, Callan hasn't been like that. I would like to take all the credit for this and point to my fabulous parenting skills, but in reality it's only partly that (ha, I had to give myself some credit!) and mostly just a whole lot of luck. From the start Callan has been an easy laid back baby -he sleeps pretty well, he's happy and content and really only cries when he's hungry or a bit over tired and even then, most of the time he'll just fuss. He's not prone to that baby wailing cry that you sometimes hear.

However, the one thing he is not happy about right now is taking a bottle. This is mind boggling to me as the kid likes to eat (as evidenced by the fact that one of the few times he's fussy is when he's hungry) and for almost half of his life he took a bottle exclusively. But, when we started nursing, we dropped the bottle to ensure we got into a good nursing rhythm and assumed that since he already had so much practice (and success) with a bottle that it would be easy to transition him back and forth. That has not been the case and we are now on day 13 of Operation Reintroduction to the bottle, and right now we are at a stand off (although, technically, I think Callan is winning). This is uber frustrating to me as we have not been able to go out to dinner alone together (unless we go after he's in bed) and have had to either cancel or turn down plans at night. Now I know some crazies (yes, I'm calling them that) are going to chastise me for complaining about wanting time away from my child and that this is just a small sacrafice to make for the health and well-being of my baby, and to be fair I'm not dying to get away from him at all -I would just like the freedom to be able to, if I want. It makes me wonder why I was pushing to get him to nurse in the first place. We had a good system going -I was pumping and Callan was happily drinking bottles offered by anyone and they were of breast milk so he was getting all the good things people tout about breast milk. I wonder if I succumbed to the peer pressure of the internet that told me nursing was the best way to bond with my child, to ensure he was getting everything he needed both nutritionally and emotionally and how nursing would give me the freedom to go wherever I wanted with him since food was always available via the boob. Now I wonder if that's true and if nursing really is any easier. At first when Callan was still waking up a few times a night, it was easier nursing than getting up to give him a bottle and pump (or even if Huge gave him a bottle I usually had to get up and pump) and it is nicer/easier not to have to wash so many bottle and pump parts every day. But not being able to leave him or having to whip out the boob at a restaurant or in public makes bottle feeding seem easier. I don't know... I guess there's no "right" answer to this and just proves once again that you do the best you can and to leave the opinions from the crazies on the internet!

At the end of the day, in the grand scheme of things, this time is just a drop in the bucket and whatever "sacrifices" I need to make are worth it, because honestly, look at this face... how can you be mad?

Tummy time

Listening to dad

He's pretty amusing. (7.5.11)

Little Giant

Today is Callan's 10 week birthday -wow, that has gone by fast. Now that we're in double digits, that means that the time for me to go back to work is quickly approaching. Ugh. If I just ignore it, do you think it'll go away? I wish it worked that way.

Things here with Callan have been great. He is still a real happy, content baby and has recently (i.e the last 2 nights) slept through the night. I know I'm jinxing myself by saying it, but hopefully this trend continues. He is full of smiles and loves talking to you, but we have yet to get consistent laughs out of him. A few nights ago when his Aunt Vanessa and Uncle Junior were visiting, we got him to give us lots of smiles and giggles (probably 5 minutes worth), but since then they've been sporadic. Hopefully in the next few days/weeks we'll work on laughing.

Yesterday was his 2 month doctor's appointment and it was confirmed that Callan is a little giant. He is 15 lbs 14 ounces (wowsers) and 26 inches long. At his 1 month appointment he was 10 lbs 14 ounces and 24 inches, so he is still growing like a weed. Yesterday he also had his shots, which he took like a champ. Cried a bit after the second shot, but calmed down pretty quickly and slept on the walk home. That evening he was a little extra fussy, but he still slept like a champ (although we did give him some baby tylenol so that might have helped). Today he's a little extra sleepy, but other than that he hasn't had any adverse effects from the immunizations.

So that's it. Callan is doing well and he is my little giant.

Happy Canada Day!

All smiles..

Before the doctor's. Let's see how he is after.

Not chubby

It's not fat, it's muscle!

Can you hear me?

Morning ride

Chilling during my morning walk.

Little monkey

My little monkey playing on his mat (6.28.11). Not pictured are the adorable lime green socks that look like sneakers.

New sheriff

There's a new sheriff in town and he's pretty darn cute. (6.27.11)

Outfit of the day

Many fashion bloggers post an outfit of the day (OOTD) and I figured since Callan has so many cute outfits that he only gets to wear once or twice before he outgrows them, I should post Callan's OOTD.