It's getting close to "that time..."

...to have the conversation with Allie as to who that "lady" is in all the pictures around the house.  Any by that "lady," I mean my mom. 

I have numerous wedding, shower and just everyday pictures around the house of mom.  And I honestly never thought anything of it.  Until last week, when Allie started asking "who is that, mom?"

This picture of mom and me is in Allie's room.  My dear friend Autumn had it framed for my birthday when Allie turned 1 and I couldn't think of a better place to display it than her room.  Last week, out of the middle of nowhere, Allie said "who's that girl holding that baby, mom?"  When I said it was "MY mommy, Grandma Kim" she looked absolutely stunned.  She knows "Grandma Kim" does not exist, she KNOWS it...her little mind wandered for what felt like hours, it was only seconds, then she came back with, "oh mommy, where is Grandma Kim?"  And that's when my voice dropped, became squeaky, and my eyes welled up with tears...at 8 o'clock in the morning.  In a brief 5 second synopsis, again, that felt like it took hours, I told her that Grandma Kim is in heaven with Jesus, and out of the middle of nowhere, with her sweet, joyful and "larger than life" personality she made me die out laughing by saying "she would have liked me mommy!"

 

Allie Parker, one day you will in fact read this and I want you to know that the lady above would have absolutely, 100%, adored and worshiped the ground you walk on.  It is such a shame that she cannot see first-hand how smart, intelligent, witty and all-around beautiful of a little girl you truly are.  As you grow older, we will talk about the amazing woman Grandma Kim was. 

 

It is late, and I'm exhausted, but I will most more pictures tomorrow, along with her comments. 

I feel refreshed!

So I don't want to jinx myself but...Reagan Charlotte slept from 10 pm to 4 am, woke up and we moved her rock n' play to our room, and went right back to sleep until 8:15 am. At 8:30 am she devoured a 6 ounce bottle but she slept, and went without a middle of the night feeding.

Ah, it's amazing how wonderful I feel today!

You Are My Sunshine

As my return to work date draws closer, I've been keeping Allie home longer in the mornings so we can hang out. Some mornings I am ready to pull my hair out (only on her extremely difficult and demanding days) but others, like today, make me so proud to be her mother.

I've blogged many times about how rough Allie is with Reagan; if she is ever in trouble at home, or has a privilege taken away, 9 times out of 10 it's because she was too rough with her sister.

But times like these make me completely forget all those rough times and remind me how much Allie truly loves her little sister.

Singing to Reagan

Maternity Leave 2013 vs 2010

I am always so tired. Always. I never can "catch up" on sleep and I didn't quite understand why until this week.

According to my blog posts from Allie at this time, she and Reagan sleep basically the same. Go to bed around 10 pm, wake up a time or two during the middle of the night, may take a bottle around 3 am (depending on growth spurt), etc. All in all, both girls are relatively the same when it comes to their sleep and eating patterns.

So how and why am I always so tired?

WELL...it's called having TWO kids this go around!

When on maternity leave with Allie, we could sleep all morning. That whole "sleep when she does" theory actually works when you only have one kid. Having two? This theory and thought is thrown out the window.

Take this morning as an example. Reagan had some gas last night and got in bed with us around 3 am (after a bottle). I don't sleep well with her in our bed BUT it's better than walking across the hall 7,000 times to console her, put her pacifier back in, etc. At 6 am she wanted to eat again, so Ben got up and fed her, then put her back in bed with me while he got ready. I put her in the rock n' play and she finally went sound asleep around 7. I wasn't far behind her...then, my sweet Allie Parker bebop's in at 8:10, crushing any and all hopes I had of sleeping in. Allie's demands and requests begin the moment her eyes open so I was up and at 'em at 8:10 am - making breakfast, changing diapers, picking out clothes, arguing, refereeing...to do all this you must have coffee, so there is no going back to sleep.

When on leave with Allie, if she had a bad night, or if I just wanted to be lazy, we could sleep until noon. We did whatever we wanted to.

And this my friends, explains why I am always.so.tired. :/

Reagan's 2-month Well Visit

Well, just like her older sister, my Reagan Charlotte is growing like a weed.  Her stats at her 2-month well visit:

Weight:  12 lbs. 1 ounce (50th percentile)
Height:  23.5 inches (90th percentile)
Head:  15 inches

At this appointment almost 3 years ago (YIKES!), Allie was:

Weight:  12 lbs. 10.5 ounces
Height:  23.25 inches
Head:  15.75 inches

It is amazing how similar these two girls are, not only in their growth patterns, but in looks as well. 

Reagan continues to be an easy, happy-go-lucky baby.  Over the last 3 weeks she has really started laughing, "coo-ing" and making eye contact when she hears you speak which makes going back to work (in just 4 short weeks), so sad.  I love when babies hit this stage.  Allie, Ben and I could not be more in love with this little girl.

Last Thursday night, Reagan shocked us and slept from 10 pm to 5 am, which she has continued to do (even during our trip to Marshall for Easter).  Love this kid.

On another note, might I mention how much I adore our pediatrician.  She really keeps me sane, and answers any questions or concerns I have when it comes to sleeping at night, where to sleep, napping, etc.  Dr. Franz always gives her "pediatrician" opinion, then follows with her "mommy" advice which I love. 

It is amazing what you forget from your second child, but I thank God every day that I blogged the entire time!  Should she be sleeping through the night now?  Should we have a feeding and nap schedule down to a "T?"  Should we let her "cry it out" right now?  These are all questions I asked her yesterday (again, she keeps me sane) and as I expected, her answer was "absolutely not."  A 2-month-old baby does not learn so "crying it out" for naps or to go to bed does not work.  Now at 6-months, absolutely, you do, but not now.  She reminded me that at this point in Reagan's life, we need to get as many snuggles and naps together as we can because they grow up fast.  I just love Dr. Franz, I need a "reality check" sometimes.

- Carmen

Two little girls means...

DOUBLE the bows
DOUBLE the drama
DOUBLE the pink
DOUBLE the clothes
QUADRUPLE the money needed!

....ok not really, but you get my drift.

Reagan is 8 weeks today and I am still in shock that I have two beautiful daughters. Growing up I always thought I would have three mean, rambunctious little boys; I would be the mom driving the minivan to 17 different practices each week, always un-showered, constantly putting out fights, yelling at them to stay out of the mud puddle, shopping for navy, green and yellow clothes with matchbox trucks on them, adding a pair of jeans to their wardrobe each season would suffice their clothing needs...

Again, not really but you get my drift!

Instead, I have the complete opposite - two little girls. Allie alone takes care of the amount of drama we want and need around this house, so I can only imagine what Reagan will bring to the table. One aspect of having two daughters that is a blast, yet expensive, is dressing them.

I bought Allie and Reagan matching hot pink and lime green monogrammed clover shirts for St. Patrick's Day and you would have thought I gave Allie $1 million - she was SO excited to match her sister.

I've always been a smocked outfit fan for Allie but I've never felt like she could play and be "herself" in dresses so I always opted for bubbles before she could walk, and now the short sets. But my goodness, this little habit, of wanting to dress them alike, adds up! A typical smocked outfit runs between $40 and $70 a piece...at least $80 per day if not more. Not.in.my.budget. I have several outfits from Allie that are adorable for Reagan to wear now but finding a match for Allie is easier said than done.

SO, I've explored the world of Etsy to assist.

I found these outfits last week and placed my order for the Easter Bunny. The first and third pictures are pinafore sets that are precious and can be used to create two outfits. I had each girl a monogrammed white Montag shirt made with their initials to match the bloomers / shorts. The second picture is a fabric swatch of a third set of bloomers / shorts I am having made for them. I found a seller on Etsy who made all three Montag shirts (for a total of 6) for $72 shipped. They are basic white shirts (thick material) with corresponding thread (red, baby blue and light pink) to match each set of bloomers / shorts. The actual pinafore sets and the extra set of bloomers cost a total of $100 for everything so I basically purchased six outfits (really more if you figure they can wear the matching monogrammed shirts with other leggings, jeans, shorts, etc for $172 which is less than $30 per outfit.

I love dressing the girls alike BUT I had to find a way to make it affordable while not sacrificing the quality or cuteness of the outfit. You have to love maternity leave!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

A couple weeks ago (when we still had a 2-year-old bed partner!) Allie told me she wanted to sing for Reagan so I asked her to practice. This is the sweetest video (it's dark because we were going to sleep). As a parent of two it really makes you realize the love they have for one another.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

What a difference a year makes!

I cannot imagine NOT having an iPhone. I also don't know what I'd do if mine ever crashes - I have so many pictures of the girls on it!

I love looking back at pictures of Allie and seeing how much she has grown. The pictures below are from St. Patrick's Day last year; the very last one is from 2013.

I love watching this little firecracker grow!

Reagan "chatting"

7 weeks and 2 days old...where has the te gone?

Chatty Kathy!

"Allie, what are you doing?"

"Shaking my booty!"

Booty Shake!

Better nights!

Ah, I feel refreshed this morning. The last two nights I tried moving Reagan back into our room so I can "assist" in helping her soothe herself back to sleep after her middle of the night feeding.

Ben had an academic gala last night so it was just us girls (and poor Mr. Toby!) until he got home around 9. We put Allie to bed, I bathed Reagan then Ben fed her at 10 pm and put her to bed in the rock and play in our room. She did not wake up until 3:45 am to eat! :)

I fed her at 3:45 am, then put her on her back in bed with us (I want to see how she does on her back before transitioning her to the crib in a couple weeks). It took her awhile to go back to sleep - I had many "popping the nunu back in" situations but once she fell asleep at 5 am, she slept until 8 am.

In a nutshell, I did everything by myself last night (as with all work nights since I am off) and actually feel refreshed this morning.

Way to go Reagan Charlotte!

On a side note, Allie Parker not only went to bed by herself last night but she also slept all night in her big girl bed and did not wake up until 8:45 am. Needless to say we made a big deal about this by taking donuts to her Panda class.

No more nunu's!

For those of you who know Allie you know the kid always, I repeat, ALWAYS had a nunu in her mouth. And this my friends, drove Ben and me NUT-SO.

We've tried numerous times to get rid of them, but the easy thing to do as a parent, is give them back when they fall or can't sleep at night.

Well Thursday afternoon my grandparents left to go to Marshall. That morning when Papa took Allie to school I made sure she took her menagerie of nunu's with her so they could somehow drive off with them when they left to go home.

Thursday night was rough - she woke up around midnight screaming for them. She has an ear infection, which I know hurts, so she woke up in a huge fit around midnight last night BUT we haven't caved and I am happy to report, she's doing very well. :)

Sleep...

I am so glad I blogged as much as I did when Allie was a baby because it's really all that's helping me keep my sanity as I attempt to get as "much" sleep at night as possible.

I am a "stack" feeder meaning I feed Reagan 4 ounces every 2-2.5 hours during the day. Just like Allie, she doesn't always take all 4 (so frustrating!) but she gets her belly full throughout the day. My issue is, these half-feedings often turn to half-feedings in the middle of the night when I need her to drain these bottles for sleep purposes.

At this point with Allie (almost 6 weeks), I found a blog post that says she slept from 11 pm to 4:45 am without waking up.

Normally at night, I bathe both girls between 6 and 7, Allie goes to bed around 8:30 and Reagan takes a bottle around the same time. After this bottle she's typically out. Ben stays up with her while he watches TV and tries to feed her again around 11 before putting her down for the night. This 11 pm feeding normally only consists of 2 ounces or so (again, frustrating) which means I'm up between 2 and 3 am to feed (again, normally half of a bottle). Given I KNOW she can go 6 hours between feedings (8:30 pm to at least 2 am) I need to figure out a way to get those 6 hours in the wee hours of the morning so I'm not up at 2 or 3.

Last night I fed Reagan around 8 pm and bathed her at 9:15 pm, HOPING to keep her awake and get a full belly around 11 pm. I went to bed at 10 and Ben was in charge of the 11 pm feeding. Of course she fell asleep at 9:30 pm and only took 2 ounces or so at the 11 pm feeding.

...and she was up ready to eat at 2:45 am, which she only took another 2 ounces.

I am going to try this again tonight, again, just hoping for at least 5 continuous hours of sleep from 11 pm to at least 4 am.

Any advice for getting a newborn to stop only taking half bottles, especially during the times it truly matters???

Oh my dear Allie P

1-month doctor's appointment

Stats for sweet Reagan:

10 lbs 1 oz
21 1/2 inches long

Yes, I'm going to be a big girl!

Side note - at AP's same appointment she was 10 lbs 14 oz and 22 inches long.

Our weekend in pictures

Our weekend in pictures

I don't have much time to write so why not post pics?

Just a typical Friday night

Formula tip

I'm all about stealing tips from friends so its my turn to share one!

For the first two weeks of Reagan's life I breastfed and she got 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 formula (Similac Sensitive) at each feeding. Then... the gas set in. :/ Getting 1/2 breast milk meant she pooped literally 12 times per day. Poor kid, she couldn't burp without shooting out poo.

Since then, I've struggled to figure out what's going on with my mild-mannered princess.

I quit pumping (perhaps I was the problem?) and switched her to Similac Alimentum on Sunday, February 10. Her gas was "better" at first but the poor baby couldn't poo to save her life. Pooping was like an all day process. She was miserable. The final straw was Monday morning at 2:30 when I took off her diaper to change her and saw poop the size of a golf ball come out of rectum - I realized I had to do something.

Tuesday I researched formulas all morning and saw amazing reviews on Enfamil Newborn. Over half the reviews came from parents who experienced the exact same thing we were - gassy newborn, trouble going number two, etc. I ran out and bought some, praying it would work.

Today, day number 3, has been amazing. Reagan has WAY less gas, can toot when she needs to and has even pooped twice so far. One thing I find pretty cool is the fact that her poo consistency is "seedy" just as it is when breast milk is involved. I'm not sure how accurate this is but I've heard this seedy consistency shows that the baby is getting all the nutrients it needs which doesn't make me feel quite as bad for throwing in the towel as early as I did.

Just a little tip for anyone else experiencing this.

What is "good" sleep?

How would I know!?!?!? I haven't slept well in over a year!

When Allie was a newborn we slept well. Ben and I took turns on feedings, when he got up for work in the morning, he would shower in the addition and Allie and I would snooze. This go around, it's all me.

Allie sleeps with us (don't judge!) so one of us must remain in bed with her at night, otherwise she goes ballistic. Ben is her "nighttime buddy" so I do all the night feedings.

Although Reagan sleeps pretty long stretches, after a feeding I go back to a bedroom where I am laying on "nunu's" (yes, my 2 1/2-year-old is WAY too old for them, I'm well aware), have legs cracking my ribcage due to Allie sleeping horizontally, listen to Ben snore (or smack), Reagan grunt as she attempts to pass gas, Allie sucking violently on one of her 74 nunu's in the bed...it's a zoo!

....but man I love my family and wouldn't trade them for the world. :)

In the next 6 weeks we have to evict all living things under the age of 3 from our room so I can sleep. Any advice on getting a wild, very opinionated and high maintenance little girl to sleep in her amazing big girl room are greatly appreciated. :)

Also, anyone with newborns reading this - what does your child sleep in currently? How did you transition to their room?

Hi...my name is Reagan

* I am 3-weeks old today
* I love to party between the hours of 1:45 and 4 am
* I am fighting sleep today and have major gas
* Our male dog just puked but I won't let mom put me down long enough to clean it up so we are waiting on dad to come home
* I'm a sweetheart...as long as I can fart, poo and burp when I need to
* Mom hasn't showered in 24 hours...doesn't look like a shower is in her future today

Love, Reagan

My little photographer

Allie loves to take pictures, of course, with a several hundred dollar camera. (That's my girl!). Last night I caught her playing photographer with Ben - she truly is a piece of work.

Pretty Woman

Does she not look like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman? My dear Lord this kid cracks me up!

Will she really be 3 weeks tomorrow?

Make time STOP!!!!

Allie and Reagan