Some Days

Some days I feel like I have it all together.  My house is relatively clean, everyone is happy, we get out of the house on time, with everything we need, we go on play dates, 3 meals are prepared on time.... I think man, I have got this whole mom of 3 thing.

Then there are days that I am a mess.  Like yesterday.  I was still in yoga pants when I went to pick up Matthew from school, my to-do list which only had a few items to begin with was neglected all day, I spent the entire morning in bed watching a movie with Lilly because I was too tired to think about doing anything else.  Then the after school rush didn't get much better.  My sink was full of dishes, I had to get Matthew to CCD, and not in my yoga pants.  Grilled cheese was all I could come up with for dinner, and my brain was mush.

I just keep telling myself to give it time, and things will become routine.  That I will get back into doing crafts with Matthew and Lilly, that Lilly and I will work on writing, cutting, and  other preschool activities. 

It just seems like the simplest tasks have become so much more difficult. 


I need to let go of the mommy guilt.  There is always tomorrow.  The laundry will eventually get done and put away, the playroom doesn't need to be cleaned, if my kids are fed, semi-clean and most importantly happy, that is all that matters.

 

Sibling Love

Last week I was finally able to take some photos of the kids all together.  Looking at these really makes it set in that I am now a mom of 3.

It is a lot of work right now.  Getting adjusted to having a newborn again, while helping with homework, and entertaining a 3 year old.  Dinnertime looks like a looney bin in our house....it is CHAOS!  I swear Joshua always has to eat at that time, Matthew and Lilly are hungry, my husband is hungry.....it is tiring!

Lilly still takes any opportunity to hug and kiss on her baby brother.  She is so enthusiastic about him.  It is adorable, but also overwhelming.  She is so sweet with him though, and it melts my heart.

Matthew is becoming more engaged in his brother.  Matt and I figured that would happen, once all the company left, he was ready to hold him, and talk to him. 

Being a mom of 3 is going to take some getting used to, but it is so worth it, and I can't wait to see all my children grow and play together.

 

3 Weeks!

Everything is still going so well.  I honestly have no complaints.  The best thing is....sleep.  I am tired, but this kid can sleep.  We are really only getting up once in the middle of the night, with a feeding around 11pm and 5:30am as well.  He is eating really well and has gained a good amount of weight!  He is now at 8lbs 10oz, only 4oz away from his birth weight.

Everything else checked out perfectly at his 2 week appointment this week.  He is eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom, you can't ask for much more!  The Dr. actually asked if he cried, because through the entire appointment he didn't make a peep.

This past week his umbilical cord fell off!  On day 15 of life.  He also went on many outings including Daddy's work, the Library, a Mom's Night Out with me one evening, The Dentist.  We were BUSY last week!   He isn't too happy getting in and out of the carseat everyday, but once we are moving in the car he usually falls asleep. 

He spends most of his time during the day either in the swing, pack and play, or carseat (if we are out).  The evenings he spends laying on me, getting some snuggle time.  He is sleeping well at night in the pack and play in our bedroom, but within the next few weeks he will be transitioning into his room and crib.  We also set up the play mat in the playroom, but he is never awake to "play" on it!  Maybe next week.


 

Our First Normal Week.

I may have tried to be a little too ambitious this week.  I wanted to jump right back into life, and I think I over-scheduled just a bit.  I am exhausted.  Maybe that rush of energy you get after giving birth has gone away, and I am just tired from the lack of sleep the past 3 weeks.

Either way, here is a look at how our week went.

Monday, Matthew had off school.  A last minute lunch date with Daddy at work was made.  Then we went straight to the dentist after.

 {My Fortune, so fitting}

 {My kids playing on all the equipment at my husbands office, they LOVE visiting daddy}

 {Joshua's first trip to Daddy's work!}

 {Matthew @ the dentist.  He did AWESOME!  No problems, and he sat perfectly still to get his teeth cleaned}

 {And the toy damage in my living room after making dinner Monday}

 {I could take this exact picture every day, all this kid does is sleep!}


Tuesday we headed for a much needed trip to the library.  Our books were weeks old, and we hadn't been to story time in about a month.

 {We also did some grocery shopping}

Wednesday was Joshua's 2 week check up!  It went really well, and Lilly was so good, with the help of the Ipad. 

Thursday was going to be a housework/stay at home day, we did stay home, but no housework got done.  It ended up being a snow day, so the kids played outside, and then inside, making a toy mess in each and every room of my house....oh well, they had a great day!

As far today, we are off to the book store for story time, and then some lunch and errands.  It was a good week, but very busy.  Next week, I may slow it down a bit.

 

Our First Snow Day

1/2 to maybe 1 inch of snow fell through the overnight hours.  Here in NoVA, that calls for a snow day of course.....this girl who grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania finds this to be crazy!  It is our first snow of the year, and our first snow day, actually this is our first snow day ever. 

It was so nice to sleep in (we first got the call at about 6am for a 2 hour delay, I was up feeding Joshua anyway) and then around 8:30 got the update that school was closed.

Right away we I got out of bed, Matthew and Lilly were playing in their rooms. (yes we I was still in bed at 8:30)  The kids were ready to play in the snow.  I spent 20 minutes getting them bundled up, for them to spend about 15 minutes outside before they had pretty much melted all the snow on our patio! 

 

I spent those wonderful 15 minutes, having some tea, watching my big kids out the window, and watching my little one sleep through all the excitement.

 

Then we got unbundled, and redressed, and warmed up with french toast for breakfast. 

 Now it is back to regularly scheduled programming around here.... laundry, playing, dishes, cooking....

and hopefully more of this all day long.

 

2 Weeks.

The first two weeks ok actually like 2 months of having a newborn always turn into a blur for me.  From sleepless nights, having house guests, to more laundry, a recovering body it goes by without even realizing it.

This past week we spent most of our days at the pediatrician's office checking JD's weight.  He eats wonderfully, but loves to sleep and often will sleep through feedings.  The nurses think his birth weight must have been off, or he had a lot of extra fluid at birth.  He was 8lbs 14oz, and fell at his lowest to 7lbs 12oz.  He is now beginning to gain slowly, and is at 8lbs even.  So this HUGE baby that everyone was predicting just isn't so. 

Other than daily trips to the doctors, this week we have once again just hung out at home.  My parents headed home, and were replaced by my in-laws.  My kids are loving all the extra attention they are getting, and I am loving the help. 

Starting today I am back on my own, and our new routine is starting.

As far as sleep is concerned, it is going pretty well.  Joshua is waking up twice in the middle of the night.  Once he eats and falls back asleep, the second feeding he eats and then wants to be awake, with a light on, and having someone stare at him.  He is cute and all, but at 4am I would hope to sleep instead of stare into his beautiful big blue eyes.

Lilly is still a very excited, and very helpful (note the sarcasm) all the time!  There is no doubt that she loves the new addition to our family.  Matthew is less interested, but I do catch him talking about all the things he is going to do with him when he is bigger.  And that's ok, that is how his Daddy is too, newborn babies just aren't there thing.

This third week is going to be a real look into our new life with our new little one.  Back to appointments, library days, school drop-offs and pick-ups.  Also getting Matthew and Lilly back into a regular routine, with our rules and less spoiling from grandparents (I get it, that is their job!)  I am hoping to just juggle it all and not drop the ball.

It is safe to say that we have fallen completely in love, and even in the chaos wouldn't want things any other way!



 

Postpartum Cravings?!?

Everyone knows about pickles and ice cream during pregnancy, and most who have been pregnant have some crazy craving at one point or another, I myself have always craved pineapple and gross fast food.  But I also have had  what I have named postpartum cravings.  After having each of my children I have craved 1 food that I ate non-stop during my hospital stays. 

With Matthew it was gross hospital cafeteria hamburgers.... just the thought of it now makes my stomach turn.  I ate them for all 6 lunches and dinners I ate after having him.....blah I am actually disgusted just typing that!  Not just the fact that I ate 6 hamburgers in 3 days, but also that they were from a hospital cafeteria, we aren't even talking high class Five Guys (the original location being miles from the hospital I delivered). 

With Lillian after my c-section which was at 8am I was on liquid diet for almost 24 hours.  My craving choices were a bit limited, but the hospital had the most fantastic Popsicles.  I had to have eaten 50 in that 24 hour time frame, and then once I could eat a normal diet, I STILL chose popsicles.  Maybe I was still full from all the hamburgers from the last go around.....lol

This hospital stay I was in a new hospital, one which had a very crappy menu to chose from, so I made my husband go out to get most of my meals.  Luckily the hospital is adjacent from a very large Town Centre and had many options. I made my husband go to Chipotle for nacho chips 4 times!  I didn't have him get burrito bowls or tacos, just the chips, no cheese or salsa, just plain chips.

So am I alone in this confession of odd postpartum cravings, and a loon, or is this a common thing?


I only wonder now, what my crazy mind would come up with if we were to have any more children....

 

Bath Time!

The best thing about a newborn is experiencing all the milestones again for the first time. Bath time is always a fun time.

Obviously we were all looking forward to it.

I could put 10 more photos of him screaming through the whole process, but I'll just skip to the part where he calmed down after the water, soap and suds were over. 

The best part of a freshly bathed baby, obviously the smell, but also the deep sleep they usually settle into.