Resolutions 2012

Isn't it fun to look at your New Years resolutions -- sometimes I have to ask myself, "what was I thinking?" Well this past year, for perhaps the first time in anyone's life, all my resolutions were done. I should contact the Guinness book of world records.

According to my list, I wanted another successful natural birth (oh yes!) where I then pigged out on hospital food (yep! my first meal was about 45 min after giving birth still in the delivery room -if I remember correct chicken quesadillas and a chocolate brownie). Then I was going to breastfed (6-1/2 months and counting) and not stress out about the house (I hired a cleaning crew instead). Sleep was deemed overrated (I'm lucky if she sleeps a 5 hr stretch I'm still alive to tell the tale), and I have fond memories of what is most likely my last pregnancy (no swollen ankles!).

1-1/2 hrs after giving birth -
still in the delivery room sitting on the couch
eating a brownie

 We converted Wesley's room to a big boy room (check) and I enjoyed my last 8 French classes by not planning at the seat of my pants. Finally, I told myself I was going to get active in my newcomers club (and not just pay dues for the awesome list serve) and so I joined a committee and that has helped me go to ... 3 events so far (one of which I had to plan).

Sadly, only one resolution was missed and that was to take a getaway weekend with matt ... That being said, we are in sore need of a vacation. One with a built in babysitter preferred. Anyone?

Claire is 6 months old

I'm a little behind on blog updating -- ever since we started having Claire sleep in her own crib (as opposed to the co-sleeper in our room) I've been having computer withdrawal (the office is in her room).

My cutie pie celebrated turning 6 months old by having a growth spurt in which she's up every 2 hours at night to feed! I love six months, I hate growth spurts! Prior to this, she was on a great 5x/day feeding schedule (and only up 1x/night). Now she's a voracious wildebeast - FOOD!

This last month, we've been slowly -- very slowly -- introducing solids to Claire. She's had just a little rice cereal, a mashed banana, a mashed pear here and there. Wesley was full-blown into solids by 5 months, but Claire is a smaller baby and we're following the route of waiting until 6 months to start weaning. At the doctor we got the go-ahead for 2 meals a day of solids, we switched to multi-grain cereal and she's had carrots, avocados, more pears ... anything i have around the house I can puree into baby food (sweet potatoes are in the freezer for next week). SO this is throwing my schedule off whack -- she's nursing now about 8x/day and solids 2x... I'm hoping January brings some semblance of schedule.

Her stats are:
Height: 26"  (54%)
Weight: 17lb 6oz (70%)
So she's definitely smaller than her big brother at this age (he was 28" and 19lb!)

She's wearing 6/9 month clothing and started sitting up around 5 months -- now she's a pro. She still doesn't roll over ... and no teeth.

Potty training, 1 month later

Oh Crap, it worked. The "Oh Crap" potty training method/ eBook, which we used to motivate us to potty train our 28 month old son, worked.

After 2 days walking around in just a t-shirt, he graduated to going commando (pants with no underwear) on Day 3. That day was the worst day. I prompted him to use the potty two times in which he sat and nothing happened, even after 5 minutes of me reading him stories (with Claire on my lap). Then I would say, "Fine I guess you don't have to go." He would jump off the potty and 3 minutes later I'd find a puddle on the floor. It was a long day and Matt was back at work so it was just me holding down the fort.

But then the grey clouds parted and sunlight broke through when -- after a 40 minute potty session in which I read The Cat in the Hat Comes Back 7 times -- he pooped in the potty. Per the book, pooping in the potty is harder for the toddlers to do. Wesley held his poop for two days before he could relax. After this major poop hurdle, he went as prompted for the next couple of days and we had no "accidents." Even his nighttime training was a breeze. He had maybe 1-2 accidents at night, but for the most part, Matt woke him as needed to use the potty (1-2 times a night), and he was fine.

Day 6 ... Thanksgiving at my aunt's house. This was the moment of truth. We were taking him out -- a no-no per the book this early, but what could we do.  Up to this point he had very few accidents and went as prompted so we felt very comfortable bringing him commando with his potty under our arms. As long as we prompted on the hour, as we did at home, we should be fine. And ... he was! In fact, for the first time he self-initiated telling Matt, "Potty! Potty!"

Day 12 was his Parents Day Out morning (pre-school). They were prepared to prompt him on the hour as I instructed and he was great - he went when asked and he came home in the same pants he went there in.

After that, the self-initiating became more and more frequent until about week 2-1/2, when I never had to prompt him again... only before we're leaving the house.

December 1st, we did the Polar Express - he went potty on the train. And the following weekend, we had our annual brunch in Lake Geneva and he even went poop at the Grand Geneva. We were so proud... of us, of course! We did it! We potty trained our son at 28-months! (A huge hurdle since our doctor said 3-years old).

So how long will our little widget need to go commando? Well, Santa is bringing him some undies in his stocking this year.

Booby Baby: breast feeding success

Here is a picture of my very well-fed, Reuben-esque booby baby. If anyone had any doubts that she might be malnourished without a bottle of formula, they can rest easy.

This photo thrills me because after my unsuccessful nursing stint with Wesley (and I call it a stint since I only nursed him for 10 weeks and I think only the first 3 days were exclusive), I was determined that I would exclusively breast feed Baby #2 as long as I was able. And so far -- 6 months -- I have been and her rolls are the proof of success.

How have things changed?

Well, first off, I'm no longer a doe-eyed first time mom. I realized that caring for a newborn is a massive undertaking, that your baby will nurse every minute of the day, and that maternity leave is not a vacation.  I also had a fairly easy delivery which made the world of difference (for example, I was able get up and sit on a chair to nurse without wincing in pain).

Secondly, we changed doctors and I think this was the biggest impact. As much as the lactation consultants at the hospital helped me, having a compassionate pediatrician made more of a difference. At our previous pediatrician, the first few visits after coming home were with a baby nurse, not a doctor, and she pushed me to give formula because Wesley was jaundiced and had lost weight. There was no feedback on how I was nursing. I was a new scared mom and I did what they said. We switched doctors at 2 months. Our new doctors saw Claire in the hospital and at her visits. She had also lost weight and was jaundiced but they weren't concerned ... as they aptly put it, "Only 5% of jaundiced babies actually need formula yet they push it on 95% of them." As for the weight loss, "Just nurse every minute. It may seem like that's all you're doing and it will be." And that's all I needed to hear -- her jaundice went away, at 3 weeks she was back to birth weight and by 2 months she was up 4lbs.

Her 6 month appointment is Friday ... she was 15+lbs at 4 months, what could she be now? 17lbs?