Friday, February 28, 2014

4 weeks


Dear Baby Scarlett,

WHOA! You are 4 weeks old already! You are getting so big these days, I cannot believe it! So what happened this week?

Well, the weekend was filled with some good family time. On Saturday, we went over and you met your Great-Grandpa. He loved seeing you and your sister both (but I think he was a little sad we didn't bring your brother. He LOVES playing with Truff.) He even mentioned how well behaved both of you are. You guys have him fooled! 

On Sunday, it was off too church as usual. We thought about leaving you in the carrier, but instead Daddy decided to chance it and cuddle with you. You were perfect the entire time, smoosh! You were content to be held and suck on your paci a time or two. You and your sister were looking like quite the fashionistas too! 


I think your sister might just be getting jealous of all your hair. She tried a new 'do. I don't think it worked out too well...


On Monday you had your second doctor's appointment! We dropped Ellie off at Grandma's and braved it alone since Daddy couldn't come to this one, as his work has been nutso.


The good news is that you are doing GREAT! You are up to 8 lbs 5 oz (34%) on weight, and GET THIS... 22.5 inches for height. That is the 98th percentile!!! WHAT??? Yup, supermodel Scarlett in our future! 

The bad news...your sister wasn't feeling too good. She was having some tummy issues which resulted in needed 3 baths in one day. Poor big sister! I was freaking out a bit hoping that you didn't catch it too. You are just to little to deal with all that, Snugglebug!


Luckily, Ellie was on the mend soon enough, and we got some of her favorite pancakes into her. I hate it when either of my girls are not feeling well. I just love you both so much!


Since it was a rough week, we did try to spend a lot of time "down". You did come with me to a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, though, and then Wednesday we spent the day snuggled up in our jammies, all 3 of us, cuddling and watching a little too much TV. I love snuggle time with my girls!


It was really cold again on Thursday, so we stayed in. You are doing so good with your tummy time these days, Scarlett. You are getting so strong! And you are so lucky that your sister keeps you entertained. You're not the biggest fan of it, so being able to watch the little blonde monster helps!


On Friday you FINALLY got to meet your Aunt Janel, on attempt number 4. I hate this bad weather for so many reasons, but that was definitely one of them! She loved you and you gave her awesome snuggles. You showed her that you were a dream baby and slept all through lunch too. She definitely told me that you are easier than even "easy" babies she's seen. Smoosh, you really are one easy baby. Stay that way, OK?


I've got to admit that your smooshy snuggles are just about the best thing ever. Both Daddy and I love it so much when you just curl up, all content, and snuggle into our chests. It is amazing to me how well you just "fit" into this family. You really were made for us, and we didn't even realize that there was a hole in our family until you came to fill it. We love you SO much, Miss Scarlett McSquishypants!

I love you, 
Mommy




Friday, February 21, 2014

3 weeks!

Dear Scarlett,

You are 3 weeks old today! Yay! It is funny, because while I feel like time is going so fast, and you are getting so big so fast, I also feel like you've just always been a part of our family. I can't believe I ever woke up without little sweet coos and I ever went to bed without seeing your little milk drunk smile.



This week has been another busy time. The weekend was crazy as usual. We spent some nice family time together on Saturday and ran some errands (out of diapers...time for a Target run...whoops!) and then went to church on Sunday. You were perfect again in church and happily cuddled in Daddy's arms! Sunday night you spend with Daddy and Ellie while I was at the gym. You have a SuperDad for your Daddy! When I came home, your sister and you had both had baths and your sister was already snoozing away. I was way impressed with your Daddy's skills!

Speaking of needing diapers, your cord stump finally fell off, and so now you are into cloth diapers about 80 percent of the time. Yay! You fit awesome into our newborn pockets, and seem to really like them. I am now a little more bogged down with diaper laundry, but it is good getting into a routine.

You are getting so much more aware of things these days. You've found the birds on your bouncer, and just like your sister was, you are fascinated by them.


Tuesday and Wednesday the weather finally warmed up enough that we were able to bust out the double stroller and go for a walk. All 4 of us LOVED that, and all the neighbors loved seeing you too. You stayed nice and warm in your bunny suit, and your sister was very proud to be rising next to you.



We went to the gym on Wednesday night and you got to meet and snuggle with some of your cheer Aunts. You loved that. And your sister was back wreaking havoc on the gym. I think she missed that too. 

Thursday we dropped your sister off and Grandma and Grandpa's and headed to the breastfeeding group. You are up to 8lbs on the nose...a perfect weight gain. Gemma, from church, LOVED seeing you, and I got to brag on what a perfect little baby you are! I also got asked to speak at a breastfeeding coalition meeting for medical professionals next month, which I think is pretty cool. Good thing both you and your sister are such breastfeeding enthusiasts! :)

Today, we hung out around here again. I have been doing a little too much and having some pain, so hopefully that goes away. I just want to do everything for you and your sister.

You are still such a little snuggle bug. Daddy and I both enjoy cuddles and Truff even got in on it. 



Ellie is still being an awesome big sister to you. She entertains you lots, especially when you are doing tummy time. See? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1aROEbiuac


You love to watch her, even when she is flipping around with Daddy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Pce1OhVkk Are you ever going to be that crazy, Baby Squish? I don't think Mommy's heart can take having two baby daredevils!

You are just an amazing little one, though, Smooshy! You keep us on our toes...doing a 7 hour stretch at night one night, and then the next refusing to go back down at 3:30am. But no matter what you throw at us, all those sweet cuddles make everything worth it. I love you so much, and get all emotional looking at your sweet little face and thinking about your sister and Truff and just getting overwhelmed with how blessed I am to have such an amazing family. Through all the crazy (and this house does get crazy) I am so lucky that I get to be the Mommy of the best kiddos ever. I love you, Scarlett!!!

Love,
Mommy





Thursday, February 20, 2014

Valentine's Day

Only a week late...but I must write a quick note about our Valentine's Day!

It was an awesome day! I was up early, and used my new pancake pen to make heart pancakes for Ryan and Ellie. I think they both enjoyed it. Ellie especially liked her whipped cream 'treat' and dipped her strawberries in it like a pro!


I got my Valentine's Day present from Ryan too...he did AWESOME. He got me a necklace with both of the girls' birthstones. SO sweet and I just absolutely LOVE it. 

After everyone was up and around, we had to get ready to go to out and about. I dropped Ellie off at Grandma and Grandpa's and took Scarlett to my OB appointment. 




Stinking adorable, my little Valentines! <3 Scarlett didn't make a peep at the appointment, as usual, and all the nurses loved seeing her. In not-so-great news, my body is going beserk again post-partum, and so I landed back on blood pressue meds. Drats. Those make me so sleepy, and so I am bummed that I have to be on them again. Oh well. 

Then it was back home to enjoy the girls and wait for Ryan to come home. We enjoyed a nice quiet dinner at home and some family cuddle time, and gave him the present we had made for him...a shadow box with a pic of the girls and their footprints making a heart. He love it! He's pretty smitten with those girls of his. 

Overall, a great 'first' holiday as a family. 





Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The second time around

Being a mom for the second time around is just so...different. I mean, I know all kiddos are not the same and I was prepared for the differences, but there were a lot of things I was not expecting...

Easier:

Breastfeeding- SO. MUCH. EASIER. Probably one reason is because I never stopped breastfeeding Ellie. I appreciated the lactation consultants coming to see me in the hospital and such, but just chatted with them. Quite the difference from counting down the minutes until one would be "on shift" when I was in the hospital with Ellie. Oh, and since I am a seasoned veteran, anyone who tried to tell me that she's not getting enough/my breastmilk has gone bad...etc. gets an earfull. I got this, folks.

Oh, and I can breastfeed anytime, anywhere. I've been feeding Scarlett WHILE walking around the kitchen getting lunch prepped for Ellie. Sure, why not? So different from starting off with Ellie where I had to be seated with my boppy.

General care- Yup, not intimidated by dressing/changing diapers/getting to sleep, etc. Again, I got this. I can take care of my little squish. Her sister have survived me for 17 months now, so we're JUST fine!

Getting out- You'd think getting out with two littles would be harder. Nope. Easier. Maybe because I'm more relaxed? Maybe because it feels the same as getting out with one? I mean, what does Scarlett need? A diaper or two. I have wipes with me. No toys/snacks yet. And I strap her into her carseat in the house, so no additional work really to get her in the car. So getting out? Really, not so bad.

Cloth diapers- S just lost her cord stump, so she's been in cloth for a couple days. I still love it. I mean, of course there is more laundry. But not THAT much. I still do laundry about every other day. I have found myself using prefolds more that pockets with Ellie, as that saves stuffing time.

Harder:

C-section recovery- One school of thought says that each c-section gets a bit harder to recover from. Another school of thought is that since there is no labor before hand with a repeat section, it is an easier recovery. I agree with both, to an extent. And I knew that throwing a toddler in there would be a challenge to recovery. But Oh. My. Goodness. I just about ripped myself in half TWICE because of toddler tantrums. Like I am not going to lunge for Ellie if she is about to slam her head to the ground? But OUCH. So healing has been harder.

Sleep- "Sleep when baby sleeps". Uh, no. Sleep when baby sleeps, only if it is during toddler's nap time. Sigh. And then there is molars. Molars are from the devil. Thank goodness Scarlett is a good sleeper!

Bedtime- I think this is the only time that I don't like tandem nursing. This is especially hard if we are out and about. Like tonight, we got home late, and S was needing to eat. E needed to go to bed. So I fed S while Ryan got E ready for bed. Then we switched and I nursed E while he kept S calm until I could get back with her. Ugh. Times like that I just want to clone myself.





I also really wasn't expecting how different the girls are already. I guess in my mind I really did expect Ellie 2.0. Maybe the hair is the reminder that S is SO different. I love that they are different, don't get me wrong. But for some funny reason, I guess I wasn't expecting it. I love that I get to learn about this new person, though. And I am so in love with her already! <3

Friday, February 14, 2014

2 weeks

Dear Scarlett,

You are 2 weeks old today, baby squish! Your Daddy and I are so, SO incredibly in love with you. It seems like you've been there so much longer than 2 weeks!

So what happened this week? Well, first of all, LOTS of snuggling. Every single night you've zonked with Daddy, watched the Olympics, and cuddled up with him. He loves, loves, LOVES snuggling with you. You two are so cute, you make my heart MELT.


 You, Ellie and I had our first day home alone a week ago. We did great, minus a little breakdown because of some outside drama. Yay! We did it again on Monday and it was even better. Your sister is watching a little more TV then I would like, but we'll get there. You guys keep me busy, but I love being home with my girls.

Speaking of you and your sister...things are still going so well there. She loves giving you kisses. She rocks you in your carrier. Oh, and we all spend time together cuddling and you love to watch her. I love to see you two together. Both Daddy and I agree that no matter how much parenting stuff we screw up with you two (and we will...LOTS) that this is one thing we HAVE to get right. We have to make sure you two have a good relationship. That is one of the big benefits of you two being so close in age, so hopefully we can cultivate that. I know you both are both incredibly special, and we love both of you more than you can imagine!




You went to church with us for the first time Sunday. Daddy loved that too. He held you the entire time and you didn't make a peep. He is so proud of you and loves showing you off. Then, you spent the afternoon hanging out with Daddy and Ellie while I was at the gym. You took bottles for Dad like a champ. I'm glad we don't have any issues there. 

Tuesday we were going stir crazy, so we went to the mall to walk around with Grandma. You slept the entire time, my little smoosh! Your sister, though, got to open the Disney Store, so she thought she was hot stuff. What a funny sister you have!


You still sleep a lot, but you are getting a little more alert. Sometimes I get to see those beautiful eyes. They are really starting to turn blue. Such a pretty girl!!!


Wednesday was another day spent hanging at home (and recovering from our first time out and about together) and then Thursday we headed out to meet Daddy for lunch. He loved showing you off to everyone he works with. He is so proud of his girls!

Oh, and you've started to smile. Milk drunk smiles = Best. Thing. Ever. 



You are still a super sleeper. Most nights you are only up once. Which is nice, because your sister is still cutting molars and so she is having some sleep problems too. You being so cooperative means that we aren't complete zombies. 

Overall, little one, I have to say that it is just too much fun having you here. I love you so much, and I feel lucky to be your Mom. You are so laid back and relaxed, and just so different than myself and your sister. I love just watching you learn and develop. You are such a neat little girl, and we are all so lucky to have you in our family!

I love you!
Mommy





Friday, February 7, 2014

1 week

Dear Scarlett,

You are one week old today! Right about now last week, Daddy and I were getting ready to leave for the hospital. Now I am sitting on the couch, waiting for you and your sister to wake up so we can start our first day home by ourselves. I am kinda nervous about not having Daddy's help today. It has been awesome to have him home with us for the last week!

So, how has your first week been? Awesome. I love getting to know you! As of right now you are such a calm, sweet baby. You are completely content just nursing and snuggling all day. As long as you are cuddled into someone's arms, you are a happy girl. Daddy and I have been happy to oblige! We've both been so happy to spend lots of time holding you and cuddling you. We just love our little snugglebug SO much!


Speaking of being a snugglebug...your sleep has been so funny! In the hospital, you spent a lot of time snuggled up with Daddy.


The first night home was rough. You were up every hour from 9-3am. Then you gave us a 4 hour stretch until 7am. Both Daddy and I were pretty tired from that!

The next night, you wouldn't even get us hour stretches. About 15 minutes after we would put you down in the cosleeper, your eyes would pop open and the fussing would start. So out of survival, you slept with Daddy again.


THEN, we figured it out...you really are a snuggle bug and don't sleep well unless you are snuggled in. So we tried your swing since it has raised sides that "cuddle" you, and sure enough, you slept GREAT. 10-7 with only one wake up. WHAT???? Armed with this info, Grandma and Grandpa got you a rock n play to sleep in so that you could be all safe and still feel all cuddled. Sure enough, only one wake up in that too. You can keep up being this great of a sleeper, okay, Snugglebug? Daddy and I appreciate it!!!

Then there is that big sister of yours. She LOVES you something fierce. The first afternoon that we brought you home, she was definitely jealous, but by the next morning she couldn't get enough of you. Any time you are in your bouncy seat she wants to come over and say hello. She makes faces at you and gives you lots of kisses, and will lay her head down on you to give you hugs. She just adores you!


She tries so hard to make you happy when you are upset too. You've been decorated with stickers, and offered cheerios already. I can already tell that she is so proud of you and you guys are going to be awesome friends (I hope) as you grow up together.


We've had a couple outings this week too. Doctor's, Wal-mart, Target, etc. You've been great and slept through most of them. Next week I think we're going to brave an outing, the three of us, but for right now, my goal is just to make it through the day with you both. Luckily, you being such a mellow baby so far helps a lot. 

Even though it has only been one week since you've joined out family, I can barely remember life pre-Scarlett. You really were meant to be a part of our family, and we could not possibly love you any more. Your Daddy, myself, Ellie and Truff all just adore our little dark haired beauty and I especially feel so blessed that I get to be your Mommy. I am so excited that I get to be the one to cuddle you and learn about you and see your little personality develop. I love you so much, Scarlett!

Love, 

Mommy



Thursday, February 6, 2014

First Doctor's Appointment for Miss Scarlett

Today was our first doctor's appointment for Miss Scarlett.

She was a champ, as usual. She is up to 6 lb 15oz (from 6lb 12oz at discharge) and 20.5 inches long. Everything checked out perfect, although we are watching her for some reflux issues. One of the negatives about tandem nursing is that my supply is a little too abundant at times. Until it regulates, we are keeping an eye on her and trying to keep her as upright as possible after meals.

Oh, and gratuitous pic of Scarlett before her appointment:


Monday, February 3, 2014

Miss Scarlett is here!

Scarlett Abigail Mason
January 31, 2014
7 pounds 6 ounces
20 1/4 inches long


Well this is going to be a dramatically different birth story than Ellie's! Scarlett, of course, had a scheduled birthday for the last 3 months or so. And while she raised a few eyebrows as to whether or not she'd actually make it there, she did, in fact, cooperate. 

So, Friday morning around 6:30am, we kissed E goodbye and headed off for the hospital. We arrived around 7 and checked in with the triage desk. Right away the lady at the desk smiled and said "you must be our c-section. Those are the only Moms who come in smiling." Bwahaha. She also commented on our rather large suitcase. Yes, that is a second time mom thing right there. It was PACKED with snacks. The three granola bars we had with us when we checked in for Ellie did not suffice. So this time, we raided the Valentine's candy aisle, made some yummy chex mix stuff, and just generally had snacks coming out of our ears. We were a very popular room. 

So back we went to a labor and delivery room, where I got hooked up to monitors to check out contractions and the baby's heart rate. I was having contractions, but that was no surprise, since I wasn't supposed to drink anything after midnight and so I was pretty dehydrated. Oh, and that also made it almost impossible to get an IV line in me. Three tries and she finally got it, but ouch!!! My arm is still, almost a week later, bruised up. We hung out in that room until around 8:30, answering questions, prepping for surgery, and then they made me drink the most NASTY antacid stuff. NASTY. Memo to me: If I do this again, REFUSE THAT CRAP. It was BAD going down. It was 10 times WORSE coming up. 

I walked back to the surgical suite after that, and got ready for my spinal. This was definitely the worst part. The nurse I had rocked and talked me through it, but it HURT. What I really wasn't prepared for, though, is that the loss of feeling from the spinal went so high that it made me feel like I had an irregular heartbeat. I read other people say the same thing afterwards (that their heartbeat felt weird and/or they felt like they weren't breathing) but since I wasn't warned about this, I did not expect it and freaked out a little. Even before they started the surgery, I was getting sick too. By the time they walked Ryan in, my first words to him were "grab the bucket". Love that man, he has held my puke bucket through 2 deliveries and hasn't once complained. 

They started the surgery, and I felt more pressure than I did with Ellie. Specifically, I could feel them tugging her out from around my ribs. No surprise, as she'd been kicking up there for awhile. A bit later, they prepared me for the last bit of pressure, and before I knew it, Raj was holding her over the curtain so we could take a peek. The first time I saw her, 2 things went through my head. First, was WHOA! She has DARK hair and LOTS of it. And second was Why isn't she crying? Ellie came out screaming bloody murder, and Scarlett was pretty silent. I was very nervous something was wrong. Ryan went over to the table with the camera, and came back later to report that she was doing awesome. This, for me is where things get blurry. They gave me a sedative (not sure why buy I didn't like it) and it mad me pretty loopy. I asked Ryan about 3 times how much she weighed because I couldn't remember. Ryan did skin-to-skin with her, just like with Ellie, while I was getting stitched up and before I knew it (about 10am) they were wheeling me into recovery. 


Recovery was awesome. I got some ice chips (FINALLY!) got to snuggle my princess, and we got to try breastfeeding. She was a champ and latched on right away. We stayed in recovery until about noon when we were wheeled to our mother/baby room where we would be spending the next couple days. 

A bit later, my parents and Ellie came by to meet Miss Scarlett. Ellie was awesome in her new big sis role already and really was fascinated by Scarlett. I, on the other hand, was not doing so well. I was still extremely sick, and although I was still on a liquid diet, I couldn't hold anything down. Puking after just having abdominal surgery is NO FUN, let me tell you. 


Ryan's parents stopped by later that afternoon to meet Miss S too. They enjoyed sleepy baby cuddles. And just before 5pm, I was able to get out of bed and make it into a chair in my room. I was totally determined to get moving, as I had told my OB that I wanted OUT on Sunday instead of staying until Monday. I was missing my "big" girl and wanted to get to life as normal. I knew that being up was one of my tickets out, so I was intent on moving from the chair to the bed a couple times. The nurse even joked that every time she came in she found me in a new position. But overall I was feeling REALLY good. Like, I told Ryan that I felt as good as when I went home with Ellie. 

But then the next day hit. The regular C-section stuff was fine. I was still moving, albeit slowly. My catheter was out, and I was able to shower and change into my on clothes. BUT...the shoulder pain started. Oh. My. Goodness. I was not prepared for that either. I know it is normal, and I had quite a bit of shoulder pain when I had my laproscopy, but I don't remember it being bad from my last section. This was killer. I was bloated and hurting. Walking the halls helped a bit to get things loosed up, but overall I was just in a lot of pain from all that gas. Luckily, even though the weather was a little bad, there was an amazing little princess that came to visit. 



How lucky am I that I get to be the Momma to these two beauties? 

Ellie was doing great at Grandma and Grandpa's despite the fact that Daddy and I missed her terribly. I mean come on, look at this grin: 



Finally, that evening, I had a nurse that took pity on my gassed up state and gave me some stronger meds to help with the gas issues. FINALLY I was able to get things *ahem* moving. So overall a much better night for me. 

Then Sunday, we waited around to be checked out by our doctors (my OB and her Pedi were both the doctors on call, so we got to see them both before we left, which was nice!) and we did her 48 hour blood work (she was a champ!) and then we were out of there, even earlier than expected. 

Thank goodness, because it felt SO much better to be at home! 

Welcome Miss Scarlett! We are so excited you are FINALLY here and we love you to pieces!