Henry has been excited to meet the baby that has been in the "sack" for a while now. We worked hard in the last 9 months to prepare him to be a big brother. We got rid of the nuk, potty trained him, moved him into a big boy bed, and added the label "roommates" to Charley and Henry's relationship.
At the hospital when he met Miss Sydney he seemed a bit overwhelmed. He took it all in and followed his brother's lead. However, he wouldn't hold Sydney. He said he would hold her on Friday. I was determined to get him to hold her at the hospital. And thanks to a friend who delivered some yummy chocolates to the hospital (Thanks Lynelle!) I had the right goods to bribe my boy with.
Arriving home he spent a lot of time running over to the bassinet to check on each sound that little Miss Sydney would make. He would come bolting from the bassinet area announcing "Baby Cindy is awake. or Baby Cindy is sleeping." Yes, Sydney is coming out as Cindy right now. It bothered me at first but I am realizing it is just a part of Henry being three and it is actually really cute. We have started calling her Syd and that seems to be helping. He has said Sydney a few times lately. Yipee!
Here are a few more shots of the newest BIG BROTHER in our household. We are so proud of him!
1. Family meal time...even if the dinner table looks like this these days.
2. Having Ed home for more days than expected. Just love the family time.
3. I love when I grab something to dress Sydney in and it actually fits. So fun! When they are still so tiny nothing really fits very well since their arms and legs don't really stretch out yet.
4. A 4 hour chunk of sleep and a 3 hour chunk of sleep all occurring between midnight and 8 am! WOO HOO! When Ed goes back to work I will not have the luxury of sleeping until 8am...so we must get the 8pm - midnight run going smooth.
5. Homemade meals from my mom and Ed's mom. Both moms filled a cooler with some yummies when they came to visit Sydney last week. This nursing mama is not going hungry!
6. A friend, Jessie, happened to be doing some peaceful grocery shopping last night at 9pm when I needed some cranberry juice. She delivered some to our front door and saved the day! Thanks Jessie!
Okay, so I know that my blog has turned into the obsessive new mommy picture bragging site. I will slowly make my way to sharing more about life, recipes, the boys, and other stuff. But for now, I have family urging me to share pictures. Friends, asking for pictures. And this is the quickest way to share pictures with all those people. So know that I am aware that my mind is focused on this new little being...but I will resume my regular posts slowly but surely!
Typing with one left hand while nursing, rocking, or snuggling is kind of a pain. So thanks for being patient.
Life is going smoothly here. I have recuperated from the whole labor and delivery but I can tell by the end of the day that I haven't rested enough when I get the third child cramping etc. The big brothers are taking their job a little more seriously each day. Henry is plopping the nuk in her mouth. He is calling her Syd instead of Cindy - for now. Charley holds her like a champ. Daddy has been home all week and will be home more next week. I am enjoying him being home so much. Just having his presence through out the day is a treat. I was starting to get sad that the time was almost over but then he said he would be home for some of next week and I have perked up again.
I have not been napping like I should be. I think I am still running on adrenaline..however, she did sleep from 11-8 in two 2 hour chunks and one three hour chunk. PRETTY DARN IMPRESSIVE Miss Sydney. Keep it up. I have a feeling tonight isn't going to be as great. But we'll see. I attack nights with a 0-12 month old as a game...what's going to happen, how many hours of sleep will I score etc. Makes it a little more exciting - that would be the competitive game playing part of me coming out.
My mom and mother in law gifted us with some frozen meals. So even though my mom is 6 hours away...we feasted on her homemade lasagna last night and her homemade chicken soup the night before.
We have had friends popping over to meet her with generous gifts for both Sydney and the boys. The boys silly band collections have quadrupled in size. And the mail has started getting fun. I even got a gift from a blog friend that I have never met in real life! Thanks Brittany!
My boobs have stopped leaking like they were a few days ago. I have committed to separating Sydney's laundry whites and light pinks in one load and every thing else in another. I am thinking of investing in some new laundry baskets to try and simplify the laundry situation here. You forget how infants go through a few outfits with the spit up, blow outs, and pee surprises during changing.
So yes, a little focused here on adjusting to being a mommy to this little being plus her two brothers. But really happy with how things are going so far!
Yesterday Miss Sydney went shopping.
After having her in a cute girl outfit on her way home from the hospital I realized...
I. HAVE. A. GIRL.
And even though I know I said if we had a girl she could still lounge around in the boys sleepers...I am realizing, she really can't. It just isn't right. Henry refers to her as a he. Her cool and cozy nursery is a soft blue that I LOVE. Her bedsheets and bassinet sheets are blue. Her swaddle blankets are soft blue flowers, yellows, and greens.
The GIRL needs some pink. I did not buy ANYTHING before this baby besides some neutral stuff at a sale this past fall. So yesterday, we stopped at a second hand shop and splurged on some cute pink, flowered, polka dotted, soft, sleepers.
And this morning I got to fold my first load of girly laundry. So a friend said I wouldn't want to wash her stuff with the boys because of the colors....advice...will her stuff survive with the navy blues, blacks, and reds...or do I need to keep her whites and soft pinks and things separate?
My milk came in Monday and by Tuesday I could barely see over my melons.
Wednesday was really painful. I nursed non-stop. And finally, things have mellowed out. I fit into my nursing bras. However, I came down this morning looking like this...
....and had some puzzled little boys looking strangely at me.
Sydney is a nursing pro. She was born 7 pounds 2 ounces. Left the hospital at 6 pounds 8 ounces. And Thursday at her weight check she was already 7 pounds 1 ounce. The doc was impressed since it typically takes 2 weeks to gain back to their birth weight.
Charley was 20 pounds at 9 months.
Henry was 20 pounds at 4 months.
Sydney, are you trying to beat them and go for the big 2-0 at two months? I hope not. I want my last baby to be a baby for a little bit here!
Not only did it become more real to her mama that she is a girl when she wore her first outfit (Thanks Jessie!).
But she also locked, loaded, and travelled home.
Her first breath of frigid MN air was calm and her car ride was a breeze (I guess she is ready to go to Grandma's).
Today she was a very different girl. I think it was due to mama's milk coming in. Little Miss Sydney got her first meal and continued to sleep peacefully.
Her little hands found themselves flopped out to the sides instead of balled up into tight fists being forced into her mouth. She gulped, gurgled, and snoozed all day. Hoping that continues tonight.
Her brothers checked on her anytime they heard a little squeak.
And we're off! Life as a family of five continues tomorrow.
Charley goes once a week to an after school activity. Since all of the other kids are in afternoon or full day kindergarten a snack is needed. One of the kids has a peanut allergy. This is important because Oreo cookies have been the snack MOST weeks. I guess they are the ONLY peanut free snack acceptable.
Now I love me an Oreo cookie - and actually I can't say that statement because I only eat Oreo cookies by the row. There is no way I can eat just one. Well, at Charley's after school activity they can't just eat one either.
No, the average number of Oreo cookies that Charley gets to eat around the 4pm hour is.....drum roll please.....5! And he is always so excited to go and have snack and it is the first thing he shares.
Why? Because we don't typically buy Oreo cookies...and when we do they get one for a dessert. NOT A SNACK!
Last night I got there early and noticed they had changed the rationing out of the Oreos..instead of giving them all 5 cookies right off the bat they promised them cookies after each part of the evenings activities..."When we pick up the poster materials you can have an Oreo. After we practice the play, you can have an Oreo."
Recently, they changed the meeting time from 3:40-5 to 3:40 until 4:30. Could this be because eating 5 oreos at 3:40 meant that at 4:30 the kids were all running and hiding from the leaders in the library. I have a feeling I am the only parent who knows about this fiasco because Charley didn't participate and the mom thought that was so wonderful.
Anyways, last night was awful in our house. Charley was in one of his hyper moods which meant that Henry joined in. His emotions and body could not be controlled. I ended up putting them to bed by 6:30. Then it hit me...it was the damn Oreo binge from 3:40-4:30...oh, and they got a sucker too.
So, advice, do I let it go and just give up on bringing it up with the moms who I COMPLETELY appreicate because I don't have the ability right now to give up the time and energy to volunteer. Do I send him with his own snack? He came up with that last night on his own. Or do I get myself a package of Oreos and binge on them before picking him up so my sugar high hits at the same time?
Grandma arrived today and brought cupcakes. Charley asked if he could have one for dessert tonight, then he added, "I don't do so well when I have a dessert after dinner." I told him that once in a while a cupcake from Grandma is a fun treat. And that I am proud of him for noticing that sugar after dinner isn't working for him these days.
Oreo reflections...
man I could go for a row right now.
Still a little under the weather. And Henry is coughing too. Makes me sad.
Emotionally crazy here. It was a long day.
Ed is staying home tomorrow, whether baby comes tonight or not.
Mother in law will be heading here tomorrow. Those two things together might allow my body to relax and baby might arrive ON TIME!
Tomorrow is my due date!
I was never this ready with the boys. With the boys I was anxious and excited. But the last two days have been hard for me. Physically I am so uncomfortable, I would like to know how that mom who has had 18 kids can even do that. This third pregnancy has pushed my body to the limit. And I think I even have a stretch mark that has appeared in the last two days. ugh. Emotionally it has been hard too, knowing this is it and wanting it to be done and yet not wanting it to be done.
Anyways, no news to report. My laptop and cameras are coming with me. I will share the news as soon as I can.
And to let you all know, the weather here in MN tonight and tomorrow is INCREDIBLY cold...so I figure why would a baby even want to leave the warm cozy secure "sack" as Henry keeps talking about. I figure if my water breaks on the way to the hospital it will immediately freeze and I am assured to make it inside the hospital doors.
1. Henry shouting Spanish phrases at Dora on our TV.
2. Charley coming in this morning and telling me that he and Henry wouldn't ask me too many questions today since my voice was kind of missing.
3. Peppermint tea
4. The possibility that while I was blow drying my hair I realized that this could be the last time I do that with an enormous baby bump....or not.
5. All about getting up and down and getting things done around here...except unloading the dishwasher, just can't find grace in doing that chore. Although I bought four fun non-matching coffee mugs yesterday. The purpose, so that when we have guests they don't all have our matching mugs that go with our wedding dishes. So maybe I should go unload it so I can put some tea in one of those - I KNOW the warm beverages will taste 100% yummier in them.
***Wednesday morning and we should be at Henry's class, and yes, they will all think I have had the baby. But he has a little cough starting and my voice was gone last night but it is back a little better this morning. So we are laying low. It is also like 1 degree out today. So best if we are just home. Although, I am tempted to walk a lap around the neighborhood to get things rolling here.
***American Idol starts tonight. Do you watch it? I normally love it. But I just can't imagine it now without Simon and the others. Randy, dog, is just not my favorite and I can't imagine what it will be like. I will most likely watch just to see what the dynamic is like without the regulars.
***Modern Family is on tonight. How awesome would that be to be able to watch this while in the throws of labor. This is one of my all time favorite scenes:
***This gal always cracks me up when, yes teasing her, WHEN she posts. And yesterday she did not let me down. Loved her comments about the minivan. I do have to say that I had an opposite moment this morning. I took the two neighbor girls to school and one of the gals was just so spell bound with the automatic opening and closing doors. Cracked me up. Made me feel like the coolest mom out there. haha!
***This morning Henry and I did the drive through at the bank to cash two small checks that I have earned from hosting the blogher ads on my blog. Just kind of thrilling to be handed a little envelope with a little bonus cash for doing something that gives me so much joy and inspiration. Burying it in the backyard for a rainy day.
***We signed Charley up for the Learning Fair at his school. He chose to study ...drum roll....
VOLCANOES!
He will learn the parts of a volcano.
How volcanoes work.
And he will build a volcano.
All to be completed during the first month of this third child's life. Can we do this? YES WE CAN!
***I have not bought any gender specific clothing items for this third child. I earned some Kohl's cash the other day so if any friends in the neighborhood want to come snag that from me so they can go and get a cute little new thing for this bean when it is born - come and get it. I do have a crazy bright outfit for baby to come home in - it has every color under the sun involved and it is sure to make us laugh when we put it on.
*** Henry is one of a kind. Right now he is sitting here next to me on our ratty red couch looking at all the library books they picked out yesterday. His knee is bouncing, he must have to pee, but that would mean he has to put the book down.
***Henry also keeps talking about the Big Brother class. This is what he says, most often out of the blue, "Hey guys----- remember that animal class we went to. Baby is in the sack you know. Yep. In the sack." So Ed figured out that he calls the big brother class the animal class because our boys didn't bring baby dolls they brought stuffed animals. And the thing that really stuck in his head was when the lady whipped out the knitted sack that held the baby. So yesterday, entering the doctor's office Charley asked why we have to come so often and I responded to make sure baby is still healthy in my belly. And Henry piped in, "No, in sack."
***Alrighty, off to bowl with my buddy Hank. Don't be fooled - he can bowl a good game. Not as strong as Grandma Barb...but, Henry can hold his own when it comes to the fine art of whipping the Wii remote just right.
Posts
