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| 3 days old |
I'm not sure if it's because my expectations are always set so low that I'm easily pleased, if it's because I have the freggin best babies ever born, or if it's because baby and toddler snuggles are the best, but either way this has been an amazing week for us.
Some of my friends have called me "Supermom" for getting out and about with the kids right away, and I have to say that there was one particular day that I felt like a supermom. I was able to wake up, get Teagan fed and changed, get Kinsey fed, clothes changed, hair done, teeth brushed, straighten up the house, change the diaper genie, and make my bed all before 8 am when Teagan and I were out the door for her doctor appointment. I did it all by myself and I was proud. Until I realized that the only reason I was able to do that is because my kids are rockstars. Seriously. It's to their credit, not mine.
Luckily, Jordan was able to take a week off of work and and we have loved having him around everyday to play and help out :)
The weather has also been great so we've taken full advantage of it.
*Just a sidenote here: I've decided that having a baby in the summer is WAY better than having one in the winter. The days are longer and the sunshine is definitely good for the soul :)
One of my greatest worries prior to having Teagan was that Kinsey's life would be significantly altered when the baby came and that she therefore wouldn't adjust well. Well that couldn't be farther from the truth. We were in and out of the hospital in just over 24 hrs and were back at the park the very next day. And we haven't stopped since!
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| Kinsey has really enjoyed time with Grandma and Grandpa! They have been a very welcome distraction :) |
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| So in love with her kite that Grandpa got! |
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| Just FYI for my Utah friends...don't take a toddler to Daybreak to feed the ducks. They are giant and highly aggressive! |
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| Having her legs buried in the sand was the highlight of her week :) |
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| Cowabunga Bay Time! |
Now onto some fun facts about my kids.
Plural.
Weird!
I'll start with Teagan. Teagan went to her 2 day doctor appointment and weighed in at 6 lb 3 oz, so she needed to go back 3 days later for a weight check. After my milk came in I'm happy to report that she was back up to 6 lb 13 oz! Everything else checked out perfectly at the time, but unfortunately she got conjunctivitis at 6 days old. I'm sure that has nothing to do with Kinsey's innocent curiosity about Teagan's facial orifices.
As for Teagan's personality, it's as if a little angel fairy inhabited a human's body and that is my child. I was sure that no one gets two great babies, but I was wrong. Kinsey and Teagan not only look like twins, but so far they act like it as well.
Can you tell which baby is which?
I'm sure it doesn't help that Teagan is wearing all of Kinsey's old clothes, but in both pictures, Teagan is on the left and Kinsey on the right. I told Jordan it's a good thing that we have separate iPhoto folders because otherwise I don't think I would know who was who!
And like I said, Teagan also has a VERY cool disposition. Up to this point she really only cries when she is hungry, which, thankfully, is easy for me to fix :) She doesn't even cry for bathtime or diaper changes anymore!
She nurses about every 2 hours during the day and has much longer stretches at night. She doesn't have a pacifier but every once in awhile she loves to suck on a pinky, and we kindly oblige.
Now before I say what I'm about to say, I want to preface it with "DON'T HATE ME". This is my family blog, and I am just documenting the reality of our lives, so don't hate me.
OK, here goes.
She is an amazing sleeper! She sleeps about 2-3 hour stretches during the day with only short wake periods. At night, however she has had 4-5 hour stretches from day 1. Jordan and I are incredibly lucky and haven't once felt sleep deprived. It's been wonderful...aside from the fact that each night my chest feels like it might explode in a volcanic gush of milk. There is something wrong with the mom waking up more than the newborn, but such is life :) I have also been able to get in a nap everyday from 1-3 pm with both kids also sleeping peacefully. You really can't ask for anything more.
She is currently sleeping in the pack-and-play next to our bed, and I don't anticipate moving her until about 4 weeks old. She also loves sleeping in my wrap and in the carseat and I'm pretty sure that even with all of our recent outings, she hasn't been awake in the car once!
So that is eating and sleeping - the only thing I haven't covered is pooping! But I'll spare you the details and just say that we got through a LOT of diapers :)
I guess I can just say here that Jordan and I are already in love. She is such a wonderful little person and has been a pleasure for me to take care of. I love her little squeaks while she is dreaming and every once in awhile we get a random smile, which is, of course, adorable.
Now onto big sister, Kinsey! Kinsey has done incredibly well with the transition. She is very appropriate, showing curiosity sometimes and indifference other times. She makes a point to include baby sister in her role playing and gives her frequent kisses and pets during the day. Kinsey mostly likes to rub Teagan's face, but we are trying to encourage more petting of the head and rubbing of the legs.
There have been two separate instances where Jordan was holding Teagan and Kinsey has said, "Daddy, hold me!" with a little pout on the face. This lets me know that she does have some feelings of insecurity, but she has handled them like a champ, and we've had no behavioral issues with her. She's such a good kid.
At the suggestion of many friends we got Kinsey a baby doll as a present from baby sister so that she can have a baby to play with if mommy or daddy is busy with our baby. Too stinking cute.
Kinsey has also received quite a few gifts from other people for being a big sister. One of her favorites is this awesome Pottery Barn table and chairs that Shasha refinished in pink and painted chalkboard paint on top. Kinsey absolutely loves it and we are so appreciative! Thank you for putting in all of that work Shannon!
As for the things she's been doing lately - one thing that I've noticed is how in tune with my feelings she is. If I'm not actively smiling or laughing she will look at me and say, "Mama, be happy!" with a smile on her face. Once I rolled my eyes at something sarcastic that Jordan had said and she saw it and immediately said, "I'm sorry mama, be happy!" I felt terrible - she has nothing to be sorry about but she is really into making sure I'm feeling good. It's precious.
Kinsey has also become a lot more independent with regards to playing. Over the last few weeks she has started to create her own little stories and role play with her toys and animals. It has been such a joy to watch her growing up and see her imagination come to life. Here she is saving a cowboy and riding a horse:
Her verbal skills are now off the charts. She talks ALL the time, using full sentences and occasionally even big words. The other day she saw a temperature gauge and said, "Look mama, it's a pendulum!" Ridiculous.
As for me, my recovery has been FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. I was out of diapers by 5 days postpartum (I know you were curious) and went for a short jog with the kids in the stroller at 4 days postpartum.
I don't want to say that I have no pain, but any pain that I do have is minimal at best. I would honestly say that nursing was the most painful part of recovery...breastfeeding is definitely not for the weak! However, that being said, I am now used to it and thankfully those pains have resolved.
If I look back on Kinsey's birth, the transition from 0-1 kid actually seems more difficult than the transition from 1-2 kids. Teagan fits right in, and I can't believe she has only been here for just over a week!!
So there you have it. Let's focus on the positive and talk more about postpartum elation and all of the ways that kids can make us happy :) Overall, I would recommend them. Kids, that is.
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