Post-Partum: 2 1/2 Months

So here we are-- post partum for two and a half months.  Lots of things have changed in these past couple of weeks.  I am trying so hard to roll with the punches--and sometimes I don't do so well, but I tell myself that tomorrow will always be better!

On Tuesday March 11, I returned to work.  It took me a couple days to get back in the swing of things and really remember how to do my job! Oh, how I would love to stay at home with my kiddos! Being a mommy is such fun and I yearn to have that be my career someday.  A girl mommy can dream, right? :)

I pump three times a day at work.  My office has supplied a private room for me to pump in.  I was able to bring my mini-fridge to store my milk in during the day.  Having a private room makes it convenient to set up all my pumping stuff and keep it out all day ready to go so that I can make the most of my pumping times.  I pump during my two daily breaks, and for half of my lunch time.  I set my stopwatch to keep track of the time that I've spent away from my desk.  I am allotted two fifteen minute breaks a day and a thirty minute lunch break.  I choose to pump during these designated breaks so that I don't have to stay after work to make up my time.

So far, pumping is going pretty well.  I always wish I was pumping more, but I think that day will come soon enough when I will actually pump the amount I think I should.  Also, there is a lot going on in my life right now, and low pumping volumes can be attributed to that. 

I am having a bit more trouble fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes this time around.  I can't quite fit comfortably into everything.  I know that it will come in time and that I need to be patient.   But I could also use a lesson in self discipline.  I think I am still suffering from "post-gestational diabetic syndrome" (which I totally made up, by the way).  I have NOT been doing a good job in balancing my snacks. My meals, I've done okay in balancing with carbs and protein.  But my snacks-- well, I've still been going a little carb crazy.  Again, a lot is going on in my life right now, and sometimes it's relaxing to sit down and eat a few several Oreos and dunk them in a glass of whole milk (which I used to hate, but have to have on hand now for Michael's sippy cups). I have learned though, that to really enjoy a snack, I must wait until my toddler is asleep so that I don't have to share! :)

I'm still learning how to be a mom to two boys.  The mom dynamic is different now that I've returned to work.  I had gotten into a FABULOUS routine with my boys during my maternity leave, but that has all changed now that I'm back at work.  When I get home, I have to choose which boy to hold first.  I've got to juggle holding my very snuggly 10 week old, while I attempt also to cuddle my very wiggly 19 month old.  I'm doing my best, but I know I could do better each day. 

So.... what is going on in my life that has brought on such change? We are moving! We decided to take the leap to get into the school district that we want our boys to be in.  We moved in with my in-laws as we stage our house to sell.  Hopefully our house will sell quickly and we can start looking at houses to buy! Prayers are appreciated!!!

We did the majority of the moving this past weekend.  However, we still have things to get done.  Aaron and I are trying to be diligent every day to grab a few things from our house on our way home from work.  It has been a blessing to have my mother-in-law watch my boys! Since we are in her house, she doesn't have to get up super early to drive to our house anymore! So, I am able to leave for work a little bit earlier than I normally would when I was at my house since I'd have to wait to leave til she arrived each day.  Obviously.

We are adjusting to living in a new place.  Noah doesn't mind-- but I can't explain the process of moving to Michael and Akuna.  They were quite confused for the first day or so. 

So, what with returning to work, moving, and transitioning to this new phase in life, I am experiencing my share of stress and I'm working hard to manage it.  :) Oreos are a stress reliever.  ;)   And so is living so close to family!

Prayers are highly appreciated during this phase we're going through.  :) Much love, Reba

Noah: 2 Months

On Sunday, Noah turned 2 months old!  He gets sweeter and sweeter with each passing day and it is truly such a joy to be his Mommy!

Here are some stats about him at this age.


Clothing: Noah can still wear 0-3 month clothing, and that's what I normally dress him in.  However, I'm slowly pulling out 3 month size clothes to put on him, just in case he hits a growth spurt soon.  With Michael, I was always so concerned with making sure his clothes matched and making sure he always looked cute no matter if we were spending the whole day at home or not.  With Noah, I'm much more laid back.  On any given day, Noah might be wearing a bright red onesie with light blue pants, or a puppy dog onesie with striped navy pants.  He still looks adorably cute because that's just who he is!  But as far as always wearing a complete outfit-- we don't get there very much.  I also keep putting him in the same clothes after they are washed, instead of putting them away somewhere so that Noah can wear an outfit he hasn't worn before.  With Michael, I wanted him to wear every single item of clothing before he outgrew it.  With Noah, I just want less laundry!  I try to make sure that Noah wears the items of clothing that were bought specifically for him, but I can't guarantee that he will wear every single outfit that Michael wore.

Diapers: Noah is still wearing Costco brand size 1-2.  However, Noah is the king of blow-outs! So I'm not so sure that these sizes will work for very much longer.

Eating: Noah now takes a bottle three times a day while I'm at work.  I nurse him before I head to work, and when I get home, and before he goes to bed.  These past couple of days, he has only woken up once at night-- at 1:30am.  That has been very nice for this first week that I've been back at work!

Soothers: Noah very much likes a pacifier!  We like using the Dr.Brown's brand.  They stay in well and fit along the curvature of the inside of the mouth.  Noah also likes being swaddled in his Halo swaddled blanket that his Aunt B got for him.  I especially like this swaddle blanket because it has Velcro, so it makes it quite easy to quickly swaddle him back up after I change his diaper in the middle of the night! On my weekends, I'll start working with Noah on how on how to fall asleep and stay asleep without the need for a pacifier! :) I know that too much dependence on a soother like a pacifier can be a hindrance later down the line when it comes to sleeping all the way through the night.

Routine: At bedtime, we've started instituting a routine with Noah so he gets used to the idea that bedtime is approaching.  Every other night, I give him a bath at the same time that I bathe Michael.  Michael is phenomenal in the tub with Noah! Noah sits in a bath seat while Michael sits in the tub on his own.  We have discovered that Noah LOVES baths! After the bath, and on the nights that Noah doesn't get a bath, we dress him in freshly washed pajamas.  I nurse him while I recite "Night Night Blessings"-- a book we bought for Michael and have memorized.  Then I sing songs-- lots of them are from Kidz Sing Praise collections (songs I listened to as a little girl).  After that, I change his diaper, swaddle him, and say a prayer.  Then I lay him down in his crib and turn on the AngelCare monitor and give him a good-night kiss.  So far, this routine is working out very well!

Two Month Appointment: On Monday, Noah had his Two Month Appointment.  He was quite the charmer with his smiles and coos. The doctor was pleased with his growth, which always makes me happy.  He weighs 12 pounds 4.5 ounces (60th percentile) and is 23.5 inches long (75th percentile)!  He got two vaccines via shot, and one oral vaccine.  He was quite upset for the shots and I got to spend some time nursing him in the room to calm him down after his shots were complete. By the time we got part way home, he was asleep! :)


This boy is absolutely precious! I love him ever so much and am so very blessed to be his Mommy.


Noah,
You are truly a joy and so fun to be around! I am so glad that God chose to let us be your parents! We love you forever! Love, Mommy

The Hot Pink Cardigan

Sometimes I get complacent. It can happen in my habits-- ie, I'd rather stay home than go anywhere (such a change from my pre-teen and teenage years!). Staying home is nice, but it doesn't bode well for spontaneity, which is the spice of life after all.

 

I'm a planner--I want to know when things are going to happen, where they're going to happen, and what actually is happening. On week nights (especially since Noah and I are not sleeping through the night), I'd rather be home and have a home-cooked meal. I like to be in my own surroundings and in the comfort of my home as a way to instill some peace before embarking on a hard night of putting pacifiers back in, changing diapers with my super-impressive night vision, and oh yeah, feeding a child. However, my husband did the greatest thing the other week. He took me out on a date-- on a Wednesday! Shock!

 

He made the arrangements to take our sons to my in-laws for the evening, and he took me out to dinner (first sushi experience since delivering Noah), then to Academy sports to buy some work pants for him, then to our favorite frozen yogurt place where we cashed in  our "frequent yogurt card" on a free cup of yogurt after buying one!  

 

It was a fantastic time with him. Absolutely fantastic. :) I love him so very much. He took me out of my monotony and showed me that it's ok to do things spontaneously sometimes. We picked up the kids, got home right at their bedtime, and although I was still up twice that night with Noah, I didn't feel like I missed out on any peace! Getting out and about for a while was wonderful.

 

I've tried to apply this spontaneity to my wardrobe and appearance these days. I got to go to Target for some "me" time the other week. I spent some Christmas money and bought some cute clothes (most of them were on clearance and that's how I like to roll). I've often seen certain fashion items and wondered if I could make it work. I decided to try out a couple of these ideas. I bought a black and white Aztec print maxi skirt, a denim shirt dress, and a hot pink cardigan. (I won't wear all three at the same time, mind you!)

 

I stared at the cardigans for the longest time. I didn't see a navy one or a gray one. I almost didn't buy one because I didn't see my go-to colors. If you look in my dresser drawers or in my closet, you will see lots of blue shades. It's my comfort color. However, I knew that I did not need to buy a blue or gray cardigan. I needed something with a little pop! I chose hot pink. By choosing hot pink, I am now forced to pair it with some of my other colored clothes besides just blue all the time.  I also know that I won't just blend in with crowd now-- I'll be wearing a hot pink cardigan! This takes a renewed confidence. I've gotta act like I know what I'm doing and that I'm comfortable with the bright color!

 

I also applied the spontaneity to my appearance. I have been growing my hair out for two years! I was at the point that I didn't know what to do with it anymore. I felt very comfortable with my long hair. It was almost like a curtain to hide behind sometimes. I chose to ask Aaron what style he liked. He pointed out two pictures that we have where my hair was much shorter. I chose to take the plunge and get my hair cut! I called that very day to set up an appointment for that week. Two days later, I went to get my hair cut. I was nervous that Michael wouldn't recognize me! But, lo and behold, he knew exactly who I was! :) I have been learning the best way to style my hair each morning and working out a plan to style it easily once I return to work.

 

I also refreshed my make up supplies. Make up expires- did you know that? It's something I hadn't really paid attention to, but I decided that if I'm putting something on my face, I should make sure it's fresh! I still buy department store brands. I chose some products I hadn't tried out before based on a review I read in a blog by a fellow mom of young ones. She recommended some items, and I decided to try them out. I'm very pleased!

 

All in all, spontaneity has lead me to make some new choices and have a new outlook. It's taught me not to be so uptight about schedules (and I'm still learning!).

 

So, if you see me out and about pushing a toddler in an umbrella stroller while wearing a newborn in a front-pack, I'll probably be in a hot pink cardigan with a cute bob haircut and eyeliner on! Don't worry-- it's still me! Just improved and as busy as ever!

 

_Reba

 

 

Closer to Three

Dear Michael,

Today you turned 18 months old.  That means tomorrow you will be closer to 3 than you are to the day you were born.  That blows my mind! It has all happened so fast.  I love the toddler that you are.  I am thrilled beyond belief with how smart you are! Each day, you attempt to say more words and you sign more words.  Your cognitive vocabulary is astounding. 

You are completely precious. Your smile is captivating, and I always get a good laugh by how funny you think you are. 

You are learning to be a super sweet big brother.  You love to put Noah's pacifier in his mouth for him when he cries.  Of course, you attempt to pull it out of his mouth sometimes when he's content. 

You love to take baths, which is fabulous since you love going outside and getting dirty.  :)

You are a great eater, and if you had your own way, you'd eat Goldfish and peach fruit cups all day long.  You feed yourself, and your are getting better at it every day.  I am so proud of you and how far you've come!

You love to watch "Little Bear" (which you call 'bear'), and "Paw Patrol" and "Bubble Guppies" (which you call "bubble").

You absolutely love books, and that thrills my heart.  Favorites this week include "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom," "100 Words," and "Humpty Dumpty."

I love you immensely.  It is a joy to be your Mommy (even though you normally don't refer to me in any words, and when you do, you say 'ba-ba').  I am excited each day to go into your room and get you when you wake up.  I am excited for all of the days we get to spend together.  I love you forever, my dear one.  Love, your Mommy

Noah: One Month

Noah is officially 6 weeks old today! Time has flown by!

I'm taking advantage of a moment when Michael is napping, and Noah is chatting to himself in his crib as he settles down for a nap.  I thought I'd take a quick moment and write a bit about Noah's stats at one and a half months old.

Clothing: Noah wears size 0-3 month onesies and pants.  He is still skinny enough to fit into newborn clothes, but his length prohibits him from wearing newborn footie pajamas anymore.  Those were the first articles of clothing that he outgrew-- and it took him 4 weeks to do so!  That makes me a little sentimental since there is a very good chance that Noah is our last biological child, and he's already outgrowing clothes!

Diapers: Noah wears Kirkland signature (Costco brand) diapers in size 1-2.  Kirkland signatures makes one diaper that accommodates babies all the way from size 1 into size 2.  They don't make a separate size 1 and a separate size 2 diaper.  Noah could still fit into newborn diapers, but I choose not to use them because it's nice to have a little extra room in the diaper in case of a potential blow-out.

Sleeping: Noah, like Michael at his age, LOVES to snuggle and nap in your arms!  Noah naps very well in my arms, but sometimes I do have to set him down in order to hug & hold Michael, and to do some housework (housework? What's that?) :)  This week, we have had a few nights where Noah has gone over 4 hours between feedings.  That means that some nights, I've only had to get up once to feed him! FABULOUS!  I'm hoping that this trend continues and by the time I return to work, he is sleeping for 5-6 hours at night.  Or 7-8.  That would be fine too.  :)

Nursery: At Noah's one month appointment, the doctor said it was just fine if we moved him into his own room.  She said he might start sleeping for longer stretches at night if he were in his own room and didn't constantly hear us as we moved about in our room.  So, a few nights after Noah turned one month old, we transitioned him into his own room.  Aaron set up the crib in his "man room" and he moved my swivel-rocking chair in there for me to be able to nurse Noah in his own room in the middle of the night.  Noah does a fantastic job sleeping in his own room.  I attribute part of his success to the swaddle blanket my sister-in-law bought for him.  This blanket is fantastic and keeps Noah nice and securely wrapped up so his arms don't flail and startle him awake.  Having Noah in his own room is a little different for us because we didn't move Michael into his own room until he was 4 months old.  I'm hoping that this transition helps Noah sleep through the night earlier than Michael did.  A good night's sleep is helpful for all involved. :)

Vocal: Noah is quite the vocal baby.  Not by crying (although he can do that quite loudly when he's upset and hungry), but by just simply making baby sounds.  When Noah yawns, there's a little squeaking sound he makes when he's done.  When he sucks his pacifier, he makes a sound like "eh-eh-eh." He makes a little squeaky sound when he naps.  He's just very vocal.  Now, for a newborn in the hospital, this would cause alarm.  However, Noah's breathing patterns are not irregular and he is not showing signs of distress.  Because he's always made these noises, they are not cause for concern.  I made sure to ask the pediatrician about it at Noah's first month appointment.

First month stats: Noah, at his first month appointment, weighed an even 10 pounds and was 22.5 inches long.  So, he gained nearly 3 pounds, and grew an inch and a half! He now sports a cute double chin.  :) He is in the 50th percentile for weight, and the 75th percentile for height. 

Aaron and I are completely blessed with our little boys.  We love parenting our little guys and are excited to see the personality of each boy develop. 

God has truly blessed us. 


Here's the first smile caught on camera!

Much love, Reba

Post-Partum One Month

It's been one month since Noah was born! Time sure does fly! I have really been enjoying being a mom of two.  My maternity leave has been wonderful and I look forward to the remaining weeks of it.  I never thought I could be a stay at home mom, but during this maternity leave I see how enjoyable it could be and I wish I was able to pursue that as a career.

This post is very personal to me.  I'm not sure how many people actually read this blog and I try not to be consumed by numbers.  This post is for me.  It's a place to document my thoughts about this first month post-partum.

Over these weeks, I have noticed some things that just aren't quite the same as far as body image and body functions go.  I can't attribute the changes in my body to the epidural, but I do wonder if that had something to do with the new things in experiencing. 

Since Noah's birth, I have a sharp nerve pain in my left hip.  This is especially evident if I sit on the floor to play with Michael.  I have a very hard time getting up again.  If I'm holding Noah and sitting on the floor, I have to have someone take Noah from me and hold him, or I have to put him in his swing which sits low to the ground, so that I can use both hands to push myself up off of the floor. 

This may be TMI, but I've also had trouble making it to the bathroom on time to relieve myself.  This happens mainly in the middle of the night when I'm nursing Noah and realize that I really need to use the bathroom, and have to sit there and keep nursing while I wait.  I haven't had an accident on myself, but I've come close and that's totally abnormal. 

So, those are things I semi-attribute to the epidural.  Do I regret getting an epidural? No.  Not in the least.  I understood that there are risks associated with getting a shot in my spine.  And now I might be living with the effects of that, and that's ok.  I'll either get better, or I'll adjust.  There's no use being upset over what it different-- I'm just putting pieces together and thinking that it might be due to the epidural.  If I were to get pregnant again, I think I'd still get an epidural.  If I didn't choose to get one, it would be because I have confidence in myself to do a natural birth-- it wouldn't be because I was afraid of the side effects. 

This time, the Post-Partum hormones have been so much less than with my first experience Post-Partum.  The first two weeks after Michaels birth were so so difficult for me.  I experienced baby blues, and realize now that they didn't dissipate until Michael was about five and a half months old. It was at that time that I realized that I needed to relinquish control-- I couldn't handle everything alone and I shouldn't try to do so.  Since that realization, my life has been way way better!  Post-partum hormones this time around have been so minimal that figuratively, I'd need binoculars to really see them.  This time, the things I've struggled with the most include the inability to sleep through the night, my tummy, and breastfeeding.  Let's take each thing individually.

First of all, the inability to sleep through the night has surely taken its toll.  Although during the last few weeks of pregnancy, I would get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, it didn't require heavy thought.  Get up, go to the bathroom, wash hands, get back in bed, sleep.  However, now when I get up in the middle of the night, it's to feed my son.  Get up, go to the baby, pick up the baby, go to the chair, sit down, make sure the baby latches on properly, switch sides when appropriate, change baby's diaper, swaddle baby, lay baby back in crib, go to bathroom, wash hands, get back in bed, try to sleep because the countdown is on and I've got less than 3 hours til I'll be up again doing the same routine.  Its rough.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE  breastfeeding my son and being his source of nutrients.  It's just a lot of work, and I eagerly anticipate his ability to sleep through the night. 

Secondly, this time I have been more consumed with my tummy jiggle.  Immediately after giving birth, a woman still looks five to six months pregnant.  That astounded me after Michael's birth and I wasn't prepared.  This time, I was totally prepared for that.  It didn't even phase me.  My tummy regained it's shape pretty quickly during my maternity leave with Michael.  The pounds kept coming off after I returned to work and pumped.  This time, I feel like I haven't quite bounced back like I thought I would.  I try to remind myself that I still have time, and that it's ok.  It's a process to get back into shape, I know.  I have to be more disciplined to do a good job at it.  Eating half a dozen cookies for morning snack is not the way to do so-- and yes, I really did that today. 

Thirdly, I've struggled a bit with breastfeeding this time.  My mom has been super supportive and has encouraged me and given positive feedback regarding the amount that I've already pumped and stored this time.  I've been nervous about making enough milk.  I've made a batch of lactation cookies, two batches of lactation honey oat balls, I drink cups of milk with original ovaltine, I've taken fenugreek tablets and eaten oatmeal for breakfast almost daily. I think my supply is good.  I try to manually pump a little each day to start building up a good supply for my return to work in a few weeks.  I'll pump at work three times a day.  I'm excited to provide nutrition for my littlest Petersen. I just need to remind myself that I'm doing a good job, and not to overthink it.

If you've made it to this point, I'd like to extend my thanks for taking time to read some of my recent thoughts.  And now, I've got to go check on a little toddler who has woken up quite happy from his much needed morning nap that he put himself down for, believe it or not.   Check back in a few days for a post about Noah at one month old!

Much love, Reba

Michael: 17 Months

Michael is 17 months old!  Time is going so fast but I love each and every day and I absolutely love being the mommy to 2 sweet little boys! Michael's personality shows through more and more each day and it is so fun to see the kind of person he is becoming!

He his very active and sometimes rambunctious-- just like his daddy was at that age. :)

Here's a little recap:

Age: 17 months

Clothes: Michael is wearing size 18 month and 2T clothes.  His shirts are mostly 2T but his pants are mostly 18months.  His waist is still small and the length of the 18 month pants are a better fit.  He has a lot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles clothing.  He wears a size 6 shoe comfortably.  He loves to put on shoes and socks and his knit hat because it means that he gets to go outside!

Favorite Foods: Michael loves to eat! He loves Goldfish crackers, Honeymaid Lil' Squares graham crackers (they are toddler sized-- Michael's cousin had them at his first birthday party, and we found them in our local stores and we love them!), cheese slices, and Cheerios.  For breakfast, he usually has instant oatmeal (the fruit and cream variety pack), some dry Cheerios, a cheese slice, and a sippy of milk.  For lunch some days this week he has had fish sticks and ketchup with a fruit cup and some type of cracker (goldfish or Lil squares), and a sippy of juice mixed with water.  He gets snacks during the day which include crackers or Cheerios or applesauce or the occasional healthy cookie.  He has a sippy of water and juice at all times throughout the day.  At dinnertime, he is very adventurous and wants to eat whatever Aaron and I are eating-- he can handle spice better than I can.  :)

Favorite Words: Michael loves to say "dada" and usually he says it to get something he wants-- like a bite of dada's dessert, or a sip of dada's juice.  He refuses to say mama.  He can say ball and bone and book.  He says bye-bye and waves as he says it.  He can run up to Noah and wave and scream "hiiiiii!" He says "oh oh oh" for "up" and he frequently says "go go go." His cognitive vocabulary is huge and he can follow complex directions such as "go get some blocks.  They are by your car."  "go get the 'Llama Llama book and bring it to mommy." He can sign "more" "please" and "thank you."

Favorite Activities: Michael LOVES books! He will bring books to me during the day and we will read them.  He chooses a weekly favorite.  Soon, we will have all of our books memorized-- which isn't a bad thing.  :) Michael loves to throw  -- we are working on teaching him which things are ok to throw (ie, Akuna's toys are ok to throw, whereas a book or a play Xbox controller is not ok to throw).

Favorite Things: Michael loves to "share" my food with me.  We call him the baby bird.  In the mornings when he wakes up, I sit with him on the couch and he has a sippy of milk while we watch "Little Bear." He says "bear? Bear?" when it's over. 

Signature Moves: Michael loves to twirl around and throw his head back and laugh.  This of course makes Aaron and I laugh.  Michael also fake cries if he doesn't get what he wants.  This is not to say that we give in to him-- we do not.  We know what's a real cry and what's a fake cry. 

Here's our little Seattle Seahawks fan:

Here's Michael during his very first haircut-- he was entertained by eating graham crackers and looking at my phone:

Here's a picture of Michael's hair cut from the side:

Here's our happy morning boy:

Here's our silly boy at suppertime:

Thanks for catching up with us!  Much love, Reba