Happy 2nd Birthday, Norah!

Last year, for Norah's 1st birthday, I did a retrospective of her first year in pics.  And, I figured I'd do the same thing this year.

Here she is last August, shortly after she turned 1:

 13 months: This was on our camping trip to the Keys in September:

 14 months: Gettin' in trouble:

 15 months: Being silly.  Chillin' in her Vikings jersey:

 16 months: Christmas Day.  Somehow, the tattoo, coupled with the frilly dress and cowgirl boots, seems to be quintessentially Norah:

 17 months: At the South Florida Fair:

 18 Months: At the Palm Beach Zoo:

 19 Months: Taking the time to stop and smell the flowers:

 20 Months: Playing at a water park:

 21 Months: Post-nap cuteness:

 22 Months: Finger-painting fool:

 23 Months: 4th of July Mascot:

 24 Months: 2 years old and such a big girl!

Happy 2nd birthday Norah!  We're so lucky to have a little girl as funny, smart, and charming as you; we love you and think you're "cool beans"!

Monday Miscellany

• We decided to take the "wait and see" approach before calling the baby head specialist about Caleb's cranium.  I really don't think the flat spot is that dramatic, and I kinda think that with a little time and some more neck strength, he'll eventually even out.  I don't think his brain is getting dented, so we'll wait another month and see what the pediatrician thinks at his 3 month check up.
• Ran a 3 miler tonight and the volume on my Shuffle wouldn't adjust.  It was set at what is probably Apple's recommended volume, but I prefer a more damaging decibel, so it annoyed me that the gadget was on the volume-fritz. 
• This is my last week of summer.  Next Tuesday, I return to work and Norah and Caleb go to "school."  I can't believe my summer, and thus my maternity leave, are almost over!  It's gone WAY too fast.
• Norah went to see her first movie in a movie theater on Saturday.  Jerry took her to see "Cars 2."  The entire experience lasted about 50 minutes, and her most memorable part seems to have been the popcorn.

Flat Headed Baby

Caleb had his 2 month check up today, and I over-estimated his weight by about 2 lbs -- he weighed in at 13 lbs, 4 oz -- but dangit, that kid feels heavier to me!  And clearly "my" version of weighing him at home (ie, I step on the scale without him, then pick him up and see what the difference is) is a flawed procedure.  Aside from gaining a few pounds, he also grew about an inch and is 24 inches long now.  Both height and weight put him in the 80th percentile.  Just above average.

Aside from those digits, he checks out healthy, but he's developing a distinct flat spot on the back right of his head.  See, his head has always tilted naturally to the right, and he has some scrinched up neck muscles that make him favor a certain head position (the pediatrician had noted this before and said he was probably positioned this way in the womb), so he always lays the same way when he sleeps.  The result?  A flat spot.

So, the pediatrician referred us to a baby head specialist (the dr. actually has some fancier sounding specialist title but it's too long and technical for me to remember), and we have to try and rotate his head while he sleeps, as well as alternate how we put him down to bed.  Hopefully, the specialist just gives us a special positioning pillow, and instructs us further on some PT for him.  Otherwise, he could become "Helmet Baby."  Which isn't a huge deal -- I see a lot of Helmet Babies these days (supposedly the whole back-to-sleep thing has saved lots of babies from SIDS but has caused a lot of flat headedness as a result) -- but it'd be nice to avoid one.

If he does have to get a baby helmet, Jerry says he'll "trick it out" with cool graphics and stuff.  So, we'll make an appointment with the baby head dr.  and hope there's no need for a helmet.  But, if he does get one, I guess Jerry will ensure that he'll at least be a cool Helmet Baby!

On Parenting

Jerry and I are always joking about the things we never thought we'd have to say (for instance: "Don't bite the dog!"  "Lotion is not food!"  and "Yes, Ryan poops in the potty."), but there is also a growing list of things we'd never thought we'd do.  On that list this week?

Hmmmm, let's see.  Well, I:

1.  Used a pair of tweezers to pull a hunk of bread out of Norah's nose at the dinner table yesterday.

And

2.  This afternoon, for the second time this week, I had to clean a turd up off the floor.

You envy me, don't you?

Need some elaboration?  Okay.

So, the bread up the nose first:  Norah's seems to have a propensity for nasal excavation and exploration.  It seems that every time I glance at her, she's knuckle deep in one of her nostrils, and she's not the sort of explorer who's satisfied with just a poke and prod with the end of her index finger.  No way.  This girl has so far shoved everything from popcorn to Q-tips up there, and last night, at dinner, she got a significant amount of bread up there.*

Blowing and sucking weren't working to dislodge the bread, so I fetched a pair of tweezers to nab that bread, and when I pulled it out of her nose, Jerry nearly hurled at the sight of the mucus covered foccacia.  Me?  I am beginning to think that I would've made a fine medical doctor with my tweezer precision!

So, then, on to my turd stories for the week:

Norah has been doing super duper excellent at using the potty for potty.  But she has yet to poop in there; therefore, we've been trying to make a big deal about how everyone poops in the potty (Yes, even Ryan!) and I think she's starting to catch on.  Unfortunately, in her attempts to get to the potty in time to poop in there, she has had a few "poopcidents."  She's pretty dang good at getting her pants and her diaper off, it's just hitting the potty in time that seems to be where her miscalculation lies, and on Monday, I cleaned poo off the bathroom floor, and this afternoon, I had to scoop it up off the bedroom floor.

Clearly, parenting is a dirty job.  Thankfully, it's also pretty funny!

Oh, and for those not interested in either kid boogers or kid poop, I did manage another 3 miler last night.  In 33:26, which is an average pace of 11:09/mile.  Ka-chow!

*Yes, we were present at the dinner table when she managed to MacGyver that bread up her nose.  We get an "F" in parenting for not paying attention.  In our defense: Dinner time often feels like a three ring circus and Jerry and I often strive to actively ignore both kids so we can wedge in what little conversation between the two of us that we can.  So, she gets some bread up her nose?  At least it's organic, right?

Got a Run Done

Usually, each night, Jerry and I each take a kid and handle each kid's bedtime routine (Caleb's "routine" is a bit of a joke since he hasn't yet figured out that it's a routine, and he most often doesn't go down for the night until about 9 or 9:30, but we are trying to convince him that bedtime should be a more reasonable 7 or 8).  But, last night, Jerry took them both so I could go and run.

It was awesome.

I went out at about 7 pm, when the night is a bit more bearable -- temp-wise -- and did a 3 miler.  It took me 34:04, and I think my average pace was about 11:25/mile.  Still slow, but 15 seconds faster per mile than what I started with a few weeks ago!

It was so nice to be back and showered before 8 pm.  Norah was asleep by then, so the only thing left to do in the evening was pace the house holding Caleb for an hour.  And, actually, to give credit where it's due: After an hour, I had to hand him off (the boy is HEAVY) and Jerry's the one who eventually got him to fall asleep.  (When Norah was a baby, I nicknamed Jerry "the baby whisperer" because he always had the magic touch -- or timing -- to get a cranky baby to sleep.  With Caleb, he still holds his "whisperer" title.)

I'm hoping I can either convince Jerry, or get him drunk enough, to repeat the favor tonight because I really liked last night!

The Best Laid Plans

Last night, I had planned to run.  But then Norah once again took longer than expected to go to bed, and before I knew it, my evening -- and my chance to run -- were shot. 

So, then, I thought, "Well, I'll do my best to get up early tomorrow and run in the morning."  Ha!  I was up at 12:00, 1:30, 3:00, and then 5:30 last night.  Think I was up for an early run this morning?  Nope.  Didn't happen.

It's easy to feel frustrated with these "interruptions" to my planned running, but I'm doing my best to remain flexible and to simply acknowledge the blatantly obvious: I have two kids -- a 2 year old and a 2 month old -- it's gonna be tough to find time for any "planned" activity: If I get to eat a meal sitting down and take a shower at some point, my day is a success! 

Still, a running Jess is a happier Jess, so Jerry promised that tonight he'd MAKE a run happen for me.  I'm lucky that even when the kids don't understand that Mommy needs to run, Daddy does!

Two Months

Caleb is two months old now, and while I don't know his official measurements (his dr. check up is this Friday), I do know that he's a BIG dude.  I think he's roughly 15 lbs.  And, somewhere around the height of Godzilla himself.  All of which makes carting him around for most of the day quite the strength workout for me!

I think that, at 2 months, his neck strength isn't what it should be, but 9 times out of 10 when I put him on the floor for tummy time, he literally falls asleep.  Like this:

 Or this:

Maybe he just has a giant, heavy head and it's too hard to hold up.  Or, he's a bit on the lazy side.  Either way, I figure eventually he'll have to hold it up!

Early A.M. Run

This morning, both Caleb and Norah were up at 5:45.  Caleb I could feed and put back to bed, but Norah was determined to be awake, so I gave her a choice: Go back to bed and sleep some more or go for a run.  She chose to run.  Me?  I would've have taken the sleep, but run we did.

It was humid, and running with the stroller is always a bit harder, but I got 3 miles done.  And, that little bugger stubbornly stayed awake the whole time.

As much as I would've liked to have gone back to bed for another hour, I have to admit that it feels good to have the run done for the day, and it's 7 A.M. and not only have I already run, but I'm also showered and dressed!  Pretty much a record.

Trike Tuesday

I think I could get into riding bikes if I had a swet ride like this one:

So, one of Norah's grandparents jumped the gun on her b-day and sent the above trike a few weeks early -- there is no more eager gift giver than a grandparent!  It arrived today and Jerry assembled it, and Norah thought it was pretty dang rad.  She hasn't yet grasped how to pedal, but she likes ringing the bell!

Oh, and on her wrist is the remains of a balloon turtle, most of which she had popped on her way home after dinner.  It's not a green growth.

With all the post-dinner trike excitement, bedtime got pushed back a bit, and it was 8:15 before I found a window of opportunity to go run.  I thought about just doing the standard 2 miler in order to be back sooner, but then I figured, "It's already nearly dark, may as well just do the 3 miles and finish up in the dark."  So, that's what I did.  It's not that running at that time is such a bad deal, it's just that by the time I run and shower, it's pretty much time for me to be thinking about bed, so I feel as though I don't have any evening.

Maybe one of these mornings I'll have to suck it up and aim for an o'dark thirty run and get it done before the sun rises.  It's just that since I haven't had a full night's sleep in 2 months, mornings are not my bright and shiny motivated time of day.  Still, it might be worth it.  We'll see if I can work myself up to that sometime.

I Need to get Faster so I can go Farther

I'm trying to remain patient with my return to running and not compare or judge myself for how slow I'm going or how short a distance I'm covering.  But, it sure would be an advantage to be faster so that in the time I have, I could cover more miles!

Tonight, it was 8 pm before I had the chance to get out for a run, and while that's not terrible, darkness falls at about 8:30 here in the summer, and I don't love being out after dark (and yet am not bother by pre-dawn darkness -- weird, right?); plus, a storm was/is rolling in and it was beginning to lightning off in the distance.  With 30 minutes, I really can only go a little more than 2 miles.

So, that's what I got done: 2 miles + a smidgen (which is a highly technical term for measuring distance) and that took me almost 25 minutes.

It's hard to get past my sense that 3 miles should be a minimum distance, but I also know that some running is better than no running.  Right now, I just need to be happy with what I can get done!

Week in Review

My running week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday.  No reason for that except that the running log I use to track mileage begins and ends this way, so I've always correlated my week to fit the log.  Anyhoo, my mileage for the week totaled 15.  I know, for many that's a single day's run, not 6 days' worth of running (I took Wed as a rest day), but considering that the previous TWO weeks' worth of mileage came to 13 miles, this week has felt like the first true return to some running regularity. 

It was mostly 2 milers for the week, but I had a few 3 milers as well.  And for the most part, my runs were solo, but I did take Norah in the BOB for 2 runs.  Including one, very humid run this morning, where she repeatedly asked to go home.  I told her I was taking her home -- we were just taking the long way there.

Aside from running, Caleb has really turned into a Smiley McSmilerson this week:

Last night, as I was changing his diaper at 2 AM, he was just smiling away at me, as if to say, "Thanks Mom!  I really like having my diaper changed!"  I think the smiles are one of the most rewarding milestones with a baby -- it's so much fun to feel as though there are two sides to the interaction!

As for the other nugget, Norah has been making regular, middle-of-the-night bedside calls to our bedroom this week.  She just can't seem to stay in her bed.  If she loved her own bed half as much as she loves ours, I think she'd live in there.  But, alas, she seems to prefer our bed, and not just for sleeping:

And, yes, Bo-Bo is wearing underwear.  Norah is obsessed with the underwear we bought her.  She has only been allowed to wear them a few times because they are rewards for consistent potty use, but Bo-Bo has been real good with the potty, so I said it was okay for Bo-Bo to wear a pair :)

Dusting off the Garmin

Last fall, shortly after finding out I was preggo with Caleb, I ditched the Garmin while running -- I knew I was slow and I really didn't want it to distract me from simply keeping up with the running.  Today, I plugged it into the charger for the first time in nearly 9 months, and for today's run, I decided to bite the bullet and see what kind of digits I'm working with here.

It'd been so long since I last wore the Garmin (when it first came on, it flashed the last date I'd worn it -- Oct 11th!), it felt a little funny on my wrist, and honestly, it took me a minute to remember some of the buttons.  But, we quickly warmed up to each other, it located the necessary satellites, and we were off! 

The long and short of it is that I ran 3 miles in 35:05, which is a 11:40/mile pace.  That's about what I figured it would be.  After Norah was born, I started back to running at about a 12 min/mile pace, so I figured it'd be similarly slow this time around.  It's a little discouraging to feel like I'm starting over once again, but I know that, with diligence, I'll slowly regain some of my former pace.  Not that I'm a Speedy McSpeedster or anything, but it'd be nice to slowly whittle that 3 miler time to sub 30 minutes.

A Case of the Mondays

I knew that Monday could be a tough day in the workforce, but who knew it could apply to staying at home as well?  Guess it can, and today was one of "those" days with the kiddos and I was all too happy after dinner to leave them -- bathed and jammied -- with Jerry while I got out for a run.

It was hot, humid, and buggy.  But, oh-so-glorious.  It took having two kids for me to appreciate how easy running in 90 degree heat can feel by comparison!

Been Busy

It seems as though life this summer has kept me away from being a diligent blogger -- both in regards to posting and reading.  (Although, something funky is going on that is keeping me from commenting on some of your blogs -- tech nerds, what's up with that?)  But, rather than spend too much time apologizing for my absence, I figure I'll just move on to what has been keeping me busy this past week:

• Norah and the big girl bed.  That little muffin and her newfound freedom are hard to contain, and every night this week, bedtime has taken anywhere from 60-90 minutes.  Every time we think she's in there, about to fall asleep, we turn around and she's cruisin' the hallway with Bo-Bo -- her stuffed bear partner in crime.  It's cute and frustrating at the same time.
• Speaking of Bo-Bo, I should mention a funny aside: Norah has been nursing Bo-Bo lately.  It's pretty cute.  And I guess it explains why Bo-Bo also has so many poopy diapers lately, which Norah declares are "Gross!"
• My SIL was visiting.  Which was awesome!  It was like having an unpaid, good-spirited nanny 24/7.  She made life around here so much easier for the week -- I think I was able to sit and have a HOT cup of cofee every morning.  I'm gonna miss that.  Oh, and her too.
• Speaking of the SIL, she and I also got out for a movie -- in an actual movie theater! -- we saw "Bridesmaids" and I literally laughed so hard, I may have peed a little.  Which maybe doesn't say that much since 7 weeks post-partum means I still have the occasional "sneeze pee," but really, the movie was hil.ar.i.ous!
• I also planned and executed a baby shower for my friend Erin on Saturday.  At the first baby shower I threw for Erin -- 3 and a half years ago now -- people had to be driven home because they'd gotten so drunk.  At this shower, I ran out of non-alcoholic wine and had 3 full bottles of real wine left in the fridge.  I guess times really are a changin'!
• Speaking of the shower, Jerry took the dog and kids to a friend's house during the shower, and when they got home, I picked Caleb up and he promptly pushed out a poop so runny and so explosive that it shot out the back of his shorts and ran down the front of my dress and dripped onto the floor.  That pretty much cleared the house and signaled the end of the party.
• Lastly, I did do some running.  Even completed that 3 miler I'd be working up to.  So, in short?  I'm pretty much a rock star.
• Speaking of running...dangit, I don't have another running related bullet point.  Guess, I'll have to run this evening so I have one for tomorrow!

Toodles!

What's Happenin'

The Running

Since I last posted, I have logged 3 more runs, each 2 milers.  The most recent was last night, and after I finished, I decided that it felt pretty good, so I think for my next run (either tonight or sometime tomorrow), I'll attempt a 3 miler.  I know.  Hold onto your pants! 

The Non-Running

Norah has had a renewed interest in the potty lately.  It's not like she's going all the time, but she's going pee a couple times a day on there.  And last week, during her nap, she kept calling to me, but I ignored her (because sometimes she does this as a delay tactic and if I ignore her, she just goes to sleep).  Mistake.  She'd had to pee, and she'd taken off her diaper and peed on her pillow.

So...we decided that if we're doing the potty thing, perhaps we should make our lives even harder, and go ahead and convert her crib into a toddler bed so she can get out and pee if she needs to.  You know, to avoid more Pee Pillows.

The first day and night, she did great staying in her bed during nap and bedtime, but then I think she fully figured out that she could get in and out, and since then, well...Let's just say that at 5:30 this morning (after I'd just gone back to bed after a 5:00 am Caleb feeding), I heard from the hallway: "Hi Mama!"

So, yeah, she's learning.

As for Caleb, he's doing his part to keep me on my toes by being a fussy-fusserson today.  He has his days like this, and on the whole, I think he's definitely a much fussier baby than Norah was, but then some days he's perfectly content, so I can't discern a pattern.  At least he has good taste in clothes.

Thankfully, my SIL is visiting this week, and it really is invaluable having another pair of hands around.  Amazing how much help one more person is!

Sore

Last night, I went for another 2 miler, and it was just as tough as the first one I did on Tuesday, maybe even more so since I was a bit sore to start.  I hadn't originally intended to run back-to-back days, but Jerry has bowling tonight and I knew I wouldn't get a chance to run today, so it was either the back-to-back days or wait until Friday.  I went with the former.

And today I am sore enough that you'd think I had run two 10 milers instead of two 2 milers!

But, in a strange way, it feels good to be a bit sore, and I know that in a week's time, my legs will adjust and the soreness will pass.  My plan for July is to start off by running about 3-4 days a week and slowly re-build my former fitness before I start to think about going longer or faster.  Starting over after having so long off is tough -- especially since I'm also carting around about 10 extra pounds -- but it also feels good to have the challenge.  (I'm not too worried about losing the weight; I know it will gradually come off, and I know that after Norah was born, I didn't fully lose all my pregnancy weight until after I stopped breastfeeding.  Still, it would be nice for my self-esteem if my pre-pregnancy jeans would fit!)

So, no running today.  Just lots of water.  And some Advil (how glorious is it to be able to take Advil again!).  And I'll probably be just as sore tomorrow, maybe more so, but then I'll be back at it again!

Finally, Some Running to Report!

First of all, Caleb had his 1 month check up this morning, and he checked in as a BEEFCAKE: 11 lbs, 6 oz, and he measured 23 and 1/4 inches in length.  He gained close to 4 lbs and grew 2 and 1/4 inches -- that's a lot of growin' for one month!  But, at this point in his development, that's his main job, so I guess he gets a gold star for that one.

I too had a dr. check up today: My post-partum exam, and everything is healing up just dandy so I got the green light to return to running.  So, tonight after Norah was in bed, I dusted off my running clothes, charged up the iPod, and pulled out my shiny new kicks that I got for my birthday back in April:

I only ran 2 miles, and it was a tough two miler (my last run was about 5 months ago, so it was kinda like starting from scratch), but it was glorious!  Here I am post-run: Sweaty and happy!

4th of July

We had an eventful holiday today.

We started by attending a parade in the morning.  It was a good parade, and Norah loved seeing the fire trucks and police cars, and getting candy and other trinkets.  And Caleb did what he does best: He slept through it.

The only downside to the parade was that it was about a bazillion degrees out, so we were all sweaty messes afterward.  Oh well.  It is July in South Florida, after all. 

Here's Jerry, Norah and Caleb along the parade route:

Then, in the afternoon, we went to a friend's house for a party: Grilling, pool, horse shoes, tons of food, and, of course, firecrackers.  Here's Norah and Miller doing some "day time" fireworks:

A neighbor of our friend's was also having a shindig and they had a bounce house and everything, so Norah went over there for a bit and rode the slide half a dozen times -- so combine that with plenty of pool time, firecrackers, and relentlessly chasing our friend's dog around the house, and she had a VERY full day. 

And, here's another attempt to capture a family photo of us: Norah's sticking her tongue out, Jerry's posing like he's on the red carpet, and part of the inside of my shirt is sticking out.  I think the search continues for a good family pic...

Here's Norah with her sparkler:

At the end of the day, I took the kids home before the "night time" fireworks: It was 8 o'clock, already past Norah's bedtime, and while she was fine, mood-wise, she was starting to stumble around like she'd been in the beer cooler, so I figured it was best to get home and get to bed before any meltdowns and before it was gonna get tough keeping her up late.  Neither she, nor Caleb, made it all the way home before falling asleep:

Jerry stayed to light the big fireworks -- to him, the 4th is like Christmas and his birthday combined, so I had to let him enjoy risking life and limb with his crate full of TNT -- and I'm at home right now with two sleeping kids and a neurotic dog, who is freaking out right now because of the sound of all the fireworks outside.  It kinda stinks that I'm missing all the pretty fireworks, but honestly, I'm beat and am about to turn in myself, and I'm sure there will be plenty of years ahead for us to all stay up late enough to enjoy the fireworks in the future.  For now, I'm hitting the hay!

Happy 4th everyone!

One Month

Hard to believe that Caleb is already a month old. 

In the past month, we've re-accustomed ourselves to 3 am wake-up calls and the explosive nature of baby poop.  We're also learned the differences between changing a boy's diaper versus a girl's -- essentially?  Duck and take cover!  Because he will pee on you, himself, the wall, and any other nearby objects or observers.

On the whole, he's a sweet baby, who's starting to give us a few genuine smiles.  He has his days where he's a demanding fussbucket, but let's face it: Who doesn't have days like that?

And like all kids -- no matter their age -- he's cutest when he's sleeping.

Sleeping like a Baby

A newborn sleeps a lot. 

Just not all at night.  And, Caleb has been typical for a breastfed baby, in that he generally wants to eat every two hours or so, whether that's 3 pm or 3 am, it does not make a difference to him.  So, for the past month, I've typically gotten no more than 2 consecutive hours of sleep. 

But in the past two nights, I've been blessed with, suddenly, a near full night's rest.

Monday night, he only woke up twice, and then last night -- miracle of miracles -- he only woke up once!  That's practically sleeping through the night in my book!

The extra sleep is nice, but having such a sudden change in routine is also weirdly disorienting.  For me and my boobs.  Last night, for instance, when he had a long stretch from 7:30 pm to 2 am, I was up at 12:30 am standing over his crib -- both because I wanted to make sure he was still breathing and because I was kinda hoping he'd wake up because my boobs were killing me!  I ended up pumping twice during that long sleep spell of his.

I don't know if this new business of sleeping so long is just a fluke or if he's trending toward being able to make it through the night, only time will tell, but despite waking up with boobs that feel like boulders, I'm appreciating the extra Zzzzzs!

Belated Blogoversary

With everything else going on, I completely forgot that it was my blog's b-day last week!  June 21st was the 6 year anniversary of my first post, and I didn't even remember to buy my blog a card or send it flowers!  Goodness gracious, I'll be in the doghouse for sure.

So without further ado, happy 6 years blog!

Well, at this point, techincally, it's 6 years and 7 days, but who's keeping track?  Clearly, not me.

Family Circus

Jerry's brother was in town yesterday to visit us, and since we didn't have any pics of the four of us yet, I asked him to take a few pictures of us -- as a family.  Yeah...these are a few of what we got:

Norah picking her nose:

 Norah showing her uncle her teeth:

 Her uncle told her to try to keep her hands off her face, so this is what she did:

And, then, ironically, Caleb had his eyes open for a brief moment and smiled, so we were all caught up in his moment:

And, yes, Caleb has a bit of "ink" on his left bicep.  Four weeks old and he's already getting tattoos.  His big sister may be a bad influence ;)

Lots of Things Thursday

Thanks for all the encouraging comments on my last post.  It seems that everyday with these two has both its joys and its challenges, and I'm doing my best to enjoy the former and survive the latter.  And, I've actually been very lucky to meet a lot of nice moms (and dads!) while we're out and about who have all offered help in either the form of advice or literal, physical help. 

We have, for instance, some "park friends" who we see frequently enough at the park that we've gotten to know them and they're always willing to lend a helping hand when, for instance, I'm nursing Caleb and Norah decides that it's time to climb something scary.  It's often thought that people in South Florida aren't very friendly, but I guess I'm just lucky because I generally find that people are friendly and helpful to us all of the time. 

Or, maybe I just reek of desperation -- I definitely reek of sweat and spit up -- and they pity me.

Anyhoo, we're getting by.  One day at a time.  So, to fulfill a request for pics, I'm including a few of the following.  We've actually been doing tons of fun things lately, but I have taken very few pics (hands are busy with other matters, I suppose, but I for sure need to start taking more pics of Caleb -- I have somewhere around 1 billion pics of Norah; I don't want his baby book to feel sparse).  Here's Norah during a finger painting session: This is the face she does when I tell her to "smile!"

And this is how she opens her finger paints: Thankfully, they're non-toxic.  Which is something I find myself saying a lot...about crayons, about Play Doh, batteries...

And here's one of Caleb in the bath, looking contemplatively at the kitchen sponge.  He's going through his "awkward baby phase" which means that, like Norah, he's got the baby acne.  If it's anything like Norah's, it'll pass in a few weeks' time, and sometimes it doesn't look so bad, but when he's crying, those little pimples look ANGRY!

I can tell this little bugger is already growing like a weed.  He seemingly grew out of the newborn stuff and some of the 0-3 month stuff overnight, and I can simply tell from carrying him around for most of the day that he's heavier.  I suppose this is what happens: You feed them and they grow!

It Gets Easier, Right?

Today, we were at the library for story time, and afterward, as we were leaving, Norah tried to nab some books off the shelf.  I told her we weren't gonna check out any books today and to put them back, so she unleashed the classic toddler tantrum move: Dramatically flinging herself to the floor and crying, "Book!Book!" 

I felt like the meanest mom in the world denying my daughter the opportunity to check out a library book, but I honestly just wanted to get home -- it was near lunch time for her and Caleb was gonna need to eat soon too and that's easier done at home if it's possible -- plus, I'm trying to stick to my guns, so when I say "no" it really means "no," not "okay, let's start the negotiations."

So, there I am, diaper bag over my shoulder, carrying Caleb in the infant carrier, and with my free hand wrestling the books out of Norah's little hands and trying to keep my cool.  I put the books back (sorry librarians, I just shoved them onto a random shelf!) and then, Norah being so tragically denied books, asked to be carried.

"You can walk, you're a big girl," I told her.

Her response?  "Carry!  Carry!"

"Fine," I said.  I'm sweating a bit and my sunglasses are askew.  So, I pick her up in one arm, still carrying the diaper bag over my shoulder and Caleb with my other arm (strength training be damned!  you just have to be a mom to carry 20+ lbs with each arm), and this woman with two kids of her own nearby says, "It gets easier."

"I hope so," I said.

"How far apart are they?" she asked.

"22 months."

"20 months," she said indicating her own perfectly well-behaved children who looked to be about 4 and 2.  "Trust me, it'll get easier.  Don't worry."

I thanked her and then carried them both out of the library.  Norah was calm by then and volunteered then to walk -- and after lunch, she blessed me with one of her longest naps ever: 2 hrs and 20 minutes!  It was glorious because Caleb slept for about 90 minutes of that: You know what I can do with 90 minutes kid-free?  I practically created a soluble economic recovery plan!

Anyway, that woman's words hung with me all afternoon: "It gets easier."  I was glad for her taking the moment to say something kind and sympathetic, and I clung to her promise.  I needed to hear that in that moment. 

Updates

My blogging -- both in writing posts and reading/commenting on others -- has been rather dismal as of late.  But I hope everyone understands that I have my hands full right now, and time on the interweb has just been the least of my priorities as of late.  To be honest, just getting a shower in is tough some days.

Anyhoo, this is what's been shakin' in Jess's world:

Ummmm, mostly poop.

Baby poop, for the most part -- which I would describe as a lot like my students' writing: A lot of noise, but not a lot of content -- but there's also some kid poop tossed in there once or twice a day as well.  Which means I change, by my estimate, somewhere around 18 diapers a day.  Not all of them shitty, but it sure feels like a lot of them are.

In fact, I had to interrrupt typing the above paragraph because someone had pooped himself.

Yes, there's been other stuff going on, but on the whole, it's a whole heap 'o shit around here : )

Happy Dad's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, but a special "Happy Father's Day" to the Jer-Bear!

Norah and Caleb are lucky kids to have such a loving, devoted dad!

What's Today? Wednesday?

As the week progresses, things at home with the kids have gotten easier.  Not easy.  Easier.  We've begun to establish a routine, and we have even been out and about for several "excursions."  Monday, we went to the play area at the mall; Tuesday, we went to the park; and today, we made the maiden voyage to my Mecca: Target.  Each little outing has had its own stresses (and simply getting them in and out of the car seems like a feat in and of itself), but I like being able to get out of the house at least once a day.  That's just me; I have a tough time being at home all the livelong day.

Also a part of our daily routine is a long morning walk.  Previously, I'd posted about the stroller dilemma, and the outcome of that was that we decided on just a regular double stroller.  We did a lot of thinking and looking in this contemplation, but in the end, it was really a cost issue more than anything else. After giftcards and coupons, the stroller we purchased only cost us $40.  Even used, the BOB dualie is often at least $400.  For now, I plan to hold onto my single BOB, and once I resume running, it looks as though I'll just be doing it without kids -- which, the more and more I think about it, I think that will actually be awesome.  Even if I have to run at 5 am.

So, anyway, I'm not running for now; thus, my primary daily exercise is still walking.  But now it's walking with the two kids and Scooter.  It feels a bit like a 3 ring circus, but we get it done, and right now, that's my definition of success.

Here's Norah, ready to ride up front.  She's loaded up with her usual snacks, drinks, and of course, Bo-Bo.

 And here's Caleb, riding behind his big sister.  And, we're not even out the door here, and he's snoozin.

So far, the double stroller has been working out well.  Granted, it's not as easy to manuever as the BOB, and Norah can partially MacGyver her way out of the harness, but overall, it seems worth the $40.  But, honestly, I can't wait to run.  By myself.  Without a dog pulling me, and a kid up front who's demanding more raisins.  I have my post-partum check up in 3 weeks; I think I'll be conservative and stick to the walking until then, but man, I've got the itch to lace up my running shoes!

As a last tidbit, here's a pic of Norah and Caleb during some floor time.  It's a rare moment when Caleb is awake -- look!  His eyes are open!

Flying Solo

So, how'd today go?

Well, despite bursting into tears when Jerry got home, I think it went well.

Tears aside, nothing caught on fire, no one had to be rushed to the emergency room, and we were all clothed and fed.  My sanity may have been hanging by a shred at the end of the day (I can't wait until I can return to running -- I'm gonna need it!), but I think things will get easier as we all get used to it.

Caleb by himself would be easy right now.  He just eats, sleeps, and poops. 

Norah, on the other hand, is a challenge right now, and she'd be work enough by herself.  But, throw in the necessary time spent nursing Caleb and changing those poopy diapers, and she gets to be more than a handful -- although, to be literal, today I discovered a wide array of tasks I'm capabale of one-handed.  I feel like if someone recorded me today, this would be the transcript:

"Norah, no!"

"I said NO!"

"Stop it!"

"Did you hear me?  I said NO!"

That could have just run on a loop all throughout the day.  And that gets wearisome.

I don't necessarily think she's being difficult because of Caleb; I think she's just being a typical near-two-year-old, and it's just her stage in which she has to challenge us on everything.  Still, I'm sure having the new baby does play some role in her being a pickle.  She'll adjust, and so will I.  And in a few weeks, I'll be cleared to run again, and that should help. 

In the meantime, I may have to start drinking in the afternoon.

Let the Chaos Commence!

Tomorrow, Jerry returns to work, and then it's just me and the kids. 

All.  day.  long.

Actually, I'm ready for it, and he's probably never been so happy to be headed off to work.  It's been a month of irregularities: First, Jerry's mom here, then my mom, then Caleb's birth and Jerry at home for 2 weeks.  I think we're all ready to resume life -- albeit now altered -- with our regular routines.

I'll let you know how the full-time-momming-with-two goes.  And if you hear nothing, assume Child Protection Services stepped in.

One Week

This afternoon, I took Norah to the park for an hour -- just us girls -- and as we were playing there, it struck me as funny that exactly a week ago, I was at the same park with her in the afternoon and I was still very much preggo with Caleb.  Little did I know that before the day was over, he'd be born!

So, a week's time has passed since his birth, and on the whole, I think things are going pretty smoothly.  Of course, it helps that Jerry is home until next week, so with the two of us, we can play a man-to-man defense, and it's much easier handling the demands of a toddler and a newborn when you can play D like this.  Next week, when he returns to work, and I have to do zone coverage, I may be in deep doo-doo, but I'm sure we'll not set the house on fire. 

Well, I'm like 90% sure we won't set the house on fire.

Anyway, as I said, it's going pretty smoothly.  He eats about every 2 hours, so I don't get much continuous sleep at night, but that's to be expected.  But, aside from the lack of sleep, I'm reminded of how easy a newborn is: He eats, he falls asleep, he wakes up, eats again, poops -- wash, rinse, repeat.  It's Norah who's the bigger handful.  But, I have to say, she's been pretty dang good with all the changes and adjustments.  She's had her tantrum-y moments and metldowns, but as a big sister, she's really loving with him, and she's even been trying to be a little helper, so I think in a week or two, we'll start to really settle in to this new life.

Here are a few pics from Caleb's first week: 

Getting his pic taken for his birth announcements.

 He and his big sister Norah, again pics we took for his birth announcement.  But, she really does give him lots of little hugs and kisses.  She's also fascinated by pointing out his hands, feet, nose, etc, and that means she sometimes pokes him in the eye.  He doesn't seem to have been blinded yet, though.

 Snoozin' dudes: Jerry, Caleb, and Scooter

 Me, Caleb, and Norah: Already hard to believe that a week ago that bundle was inside me!

Doubling Up

So, with two kids, I always figured I'd buy a BOB dualie.  With two kids under 2 years old, I NEED a double stroller -- for walks, for trips to the mall, the zoo, etc -- and my thinking was that if I need a double stroller anyway, I may as well make it a double running stroller.  Did I do any research on this in the past 9 months? 

Nah. 

I just figured I'd go and buy the BOB dualie, buy the car seat adapter to accomodate Caleb, and...viola!  Easy-peasy.

Turns out, not so easy-peasy.

The BOB dualie does have a car seat adapter, but not for the brand of car seat that we have for Caleb (the Chicco Key Fit).  BOB has an adapter for this kind of car seat for the single stroller, but just not the dualie.  The dualie is expensive enough as it is; plus, we already have this car seat (leftover from Norah's infant days), so I can't justify buying a whole new car seat just to fit the dualie.  Additionally, Jerry's argument is that Norah will probably only tolerate a stroller for, maybe, another full year.  So, is the dualie worth it in the end anyway?

If we don't buy a BOB dualie, we'll probably just a buy a regular ol' double stroller that's about $400 cheaper (which is certainly an advantage) that can be used for the basic above listed needs for a double stroller.  I'm just out a double running stroller.  Which means no running with two kids.  Maybe that's a good thing, not running and pushing two kids in a stroller?  But, it would mean no convienent running times -- like running very early in the morning or late in the evening.

So, as I was sitting at the computer, browsing every stroller combination online and growing increasingly frustrated that I couldn't make my ideal work, Jerry suggested I blog about it and see if any of you have ideas, suggestions, or experiences that might help me make the best decision here.

Keep in mind, I want to make the best fiscal decision, but we also have very limited storage, so I can't buy both a regular double stroller and 6 months down the road (when Caleb would, conceivably, be big enough to go in the dualie without a car seat) a BOB dualie.  Suggestions?

Caleb's Birth Story

This is the closest I get to a race report right now, so brace yourselves, I may be long-winded.

So, as many of you read on Tuesday, May 31, after my doctor check-up, I'd resigned myself to being induced on Wednesday, and I'd made my peace with that.  Then, a few hours after posting, and sending out emails to friends and family, I began to have some irregular contractions.  Jerry got home from work at 4:30 and the contractions were still irregular, but I was beginning to believe that this might be it.  At 5:30, I told him we needed to head to the hospital.

Thankfully, my mom was still here, so we left Norah in her care and jetted off.

By the time I got checked into the hospital and to a room in labor and delivery, it was nearly 6:30 pm, and my contractions were about 2-4 minutes apart, but I was only 3 cm dilated.  The nurse I had who was admitting me and getting everything initially prepped in L&D was S-L-O-W as molasses, and I kept asking for an epidural -- stat!  The contractions were motherfuckers, and spaced so closely together that I felt like I didn't get a break in between.  I wanted the drugs, dammit!

Finally, after more than 2 hours, I got the sweet, blessed relief of the epidural, and I went quickly from 4 cm to 8 cm.  There was a nurse shift change in that time, and my 2nd nurse was WAY better.  So, after I had the epidural (I can't thank modern medicine enough -- bless those who are strong enough to do it sans spinal tap, but natural child birth is NOT for me), both Jerry and the nurse had a short break in my cursing and crying, and I felt relaxed and ready.  At a little after 10 pm, the nurse midwife came to check me and she took one look and said, "You're gonna need to start pushing; he's RIGHT there."

She broke my water, and 6 pushes later, he was born.  10:30 pm on the dot.  An hour and a half still left in May -- guess he didn't want to wait until June after all. 

Despite the fact that he was bigger than Norah (he was 8 lbs 3 oz and she was 7 lbs 10 oz), the pushing was so much easier this time around than with Norah (when I pushed for nearly a solid 2 hours), and both the attending nurse and the midwife said I "made it look easy," but I think that's just the nature of 2nd children -- the path has been traveled before and the body knows what to do the 2nd time around.

Unlike Norah, who came out screaming bloody murder, Caleb was eerily quiet at first, and he was kinda gray.  But, they suctioned his mouth and nose, and then he started peeping, but it really wasn't until they started cleaning him up that he made much noise, and even then, he was quiet for the 30 minutes or so.  Thankfully, he pinked up quick, and he has certainly demonstrated in the last 72 hours that he knows plenty well how to use his lungs!

Since then, I've been recovering well, and as I mentioned in my post from yesterday, we returned home yesterday afternoon, and for me, it's such a relief to get checked out of the hospital.  We had a private room this time around, but still, hospitals are just not the place for me.

 Like being in a car accident, or after running a marathon, my entire body feels stiff and sore, but that should pass in another few days.

Caleb too is doing well.  He checked out as a perfectly healthy baby by the hospital pediatrician and he sees our regular pediatric office tomorrow morning for his first check up there.  He's getting the hang of nursing pretty easily (again, it helps that I did this before because I feel much more confident about BFing and what to do/expect, etc).  He has the typical newborn night vs day mixed up, but again, that should correct itself in a few weeks' time.

For now, we're all a bit exhausted by all the change, but overall, we're doing well, and I'm of course, riding a whole wave of emotions, including the best one of all: Feeling like I get to fall in love all over again -- with Jerry, with Norah, and of course, with Caleb himself.  I even have extra love for Scooter right now, and I can't always claim that! ;)

Thanks again for all the comments and congrats.  I appreciate so many people thinking of us and keeping up with us.  Sorry that I am currently MIA from reading and commenting on your own blogs, but I assume it'll be a bit before I'm able to catch up with your lives.  Hope you too are doing well!

Caleb Pics

Thanks for all the congrats on Jerry's previous post about Caleb's arrival.  I will type up his birth story soon, but for now, we're home, and both Caleb and Norah are in bed, so I just want to quick post a few pics and then go sleep some myself.

Besides, I know it's pics you really want anyway.  So, here ya go:  Caleb soon after being born, on the warming table and getting cleaned up in the delivery room.

 Jerry, Big Sister Norah and Caleb:

 Norah and Caleb:

Norah has been pretty excited, but is also going through the transition of all the changes, so she alternates between lots of feelings and reactions.  Here, she's pretty stoked to hold him:

 And lastly, one more of just Caleb:

Looks like Jess Spoke to Soon.

Jerry's 2nd Post (lets beat my record for most comments)

Apparently Caleb did want to be a May baby. Caleb was born on May 31st at 10:30 pm. He was 8lbs 3oz, and 21 inches in length at birth. So he's a good size baby, especially when you take into account the size of Jess, whose only three apples tall.

Caleb was a pretty easy birth from the Fathers point of view (Mom may disagree, probable will). But we got to the hospital about 6pm when Jess had her contractions ever 5 to 10 min apart. From there it was just waiting for the little man to be ready. Somewhere around 10 pm they said Caleb was good to go, Jess only had to push throught six contractions and she was done. So a fairly quick labor.

I'll let Jess give you guys the messy details later on. And she'll post some photos tomarrow.