This has become my mantra. It's always something. Because it is. Even when things seems good and the week will be slow, something always comes up. Always. I guess that is just the new normal for us now and will be for a very long time.
Charlotte turned 7 months on October 18th. I cannot believe it. Like, REALLY cannot believe it. Before I blink, she will be one. She is the sweetest most smiley baby I have ever seen. I am not biased, I swear! She will give you the biggest grin, as one person said, she smiles with her eyes. Everywhere we go, people comment on her precious smile. She is finally sleeping better. I think the twice a night wake ups were tied into her ear infection. She normally goes to sleep around 7pm and will wake up anytime between 3:30-5 to nurse and will go back down until 7 or so. Since she has started eating more solids, she only has one bottle a day when I am work (4 ounces). My milk supply seems to be doing really well and she is still interested in nursing. I have said my goal is a year, but if she is still interested and I still have milk, I will keep going.
Peyton had two bad days at school this week. My heart sank when I found out. We have had some issues with him at home (not listening and following directions), but I was disheartened to hear he was acting that way at school. I guess with everything we have been through with Ashley, I was (am) hoping we won't have issues with Peyton at school. I called his teacher yesterday to discuss everything and she said 6 or the 8 kids in his class had a bad day, so he is not the only one. That poor woman! Luckily, he had a great day today and so did his other classmates.
He has been asking me to stay home and not go to work. And he wants me to pick him up everyday. It is breaking my heart. I love my little buddy and I definitely don't get as much alone time with him as I had before Charlotte was born. Today I picked him up and took him to the park for a picnic lunch. It was so nice to spend that time with him and I am going to try to do that once a week, at least. I am thinking of changing my work schedule to work two afternoons a week so I can pick him up from school those two days and eat lunch with him.
Balance, it is tough one, with three kids and working, even part time. I hate to quit my job now and it would not be the best financial move for us either. But I also hate how I feel when I can't be there to pick him up and spend time with him. I don't want to look back on this time when he is older and kick myself for not making it work to spend that time with him. I will try out my new schedule and see how that works. I don't want to miss out on time with Ashley either, but if I can go and eat lunch with her once a week, that will help on the day that I am not home in the afternoon. Or at least that is what I will tell myself for now.
Ashley and Peyton
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Ashley
Oh Ashley. Oh my sweet, silly, smart, sometimes challenging Ashley! Where to even begin? Ashley started kindergarten on July 15th. We decided to do an extra year of pre-K because she has a July birthday and because of all the challenges we have had with her (her developmental delays, her maturity and her listening). She really loves school. I was nervous for her because she is NOT a morning person and school starts promptly at 7:30. Lucky for me, Ryan gets her up in the morning and takes her to school.
She is learning so much! It amazes me how much they pack into their days. She is reading, writing and spelling already. She has homework every night. Normally it is a book, sight words flashcards and either some type of worksheet or something verbal (synonyms, antonyms, senses, verbs, nouns, etc). It seems like a lot for a kindergartener, but she seems to be picking everything up. But academics were never her issue.
Ashley started fall break on September 19th. I had her teacher conference that day too with her fabulous teacher, Mrs. Garner. She has Mrs. Garner, a teacher's assistant, Ms. Blue and a student teacher. So I am very thankful there are three teachers/helpers in her class of 24 students!
The conference went as I expected. Ashley is doing great academically, she is right on grade level for everything. She scored very high on a test they gave the students. But her teacher brought up concerns with Ashley's focus and listening. Sound familiar? She is concerned because she feels Ashley "zones" out and when she tries to talk to her or reach her, she looks at her blankly. She seems to think this is something Ashley cannot control. When they switch tasks, sometimes Ashley is still back on the task they were just doing (for example, they work on a program on ipads that has songs to help them with phonetics. Then they move to reading groups and she told me Ashley will be turned around in her chair, still singing the song from the ipads). Her teacher also has issues getting her to line up from the playground, she told she and the students will be calling Ashley's name to line up, all somewhat close to her and Ashley does not hear them.
On a good note, she told me Ashley is doing well with social interaction. She said she is well received by her classmates and that she is a good friend and has her own group of girlfriends. That made me very happy to hear because that is something she has sometimes struggled with in the past.
So our next steps is to have a committee at her school review her case and put together some strategies to help Ashley focus better in the classroom. If the strategies do not work, our next step will be to do an evaluation with the school psychologist. Her teacher has been wonderful to work on this.
I have done so much research over the past two years and nothing seems to fit Ashley to a tee (ADHD Inattentive Type, autism, etc). So I don't know if she will ever get a diagnosis or if we will just always have to work a little harder with her. She is the sweetest, most loving little girl and it makes me worry what types of challenges she is going to face growing up and how she may be hurt by her peers. She is so absorbed in her artwork and projects at home, she really amazes me with what she does. Maybe art is in her future and that will be an escape for her.
I am hopeful that we will get some answers soon and find the best ways to help my sweet girl!
She is learning so much! It amazes me how much they pack into their days. She is reading, writing and spelling already. She has homework every night. Normally it is a book, sight words flashcards and either some type of worksheet or something verbal (synonyms, antonyms, senses, verbs, nouns, etc). It seems like a lot for a kindergartener, but she seems to be picking everything up. But academics were never her issue.
Ashley started fall break on September 19th. I had her teacher conference that day too with her fabulous teacher, Mrs. Garner. She has Mrs. Garner, a teacher's assistant, Ms. Blue and a student teacher. So I am very thankful there are three teachers/helpers in her class of 24 students!
The conference went as I expected. Ashley is doing great academically, she is right on grade level for everything. She scored very high on a test they gave the students. But her teacher brought up concerns with Ashley's focus and listening. Sound familiar? She is concerned because she feels Ashley "zones" out and when she tries to talk to her or reach her, she looks at her blankly. She seems to think this is something Ashley cannot control. When they switch tasks, sometimes Ashley is still back on the task they were just doing (for example, they work on a program on ipads that has songs to help them with phonetics. Then they move to reading groups and she told me Ashley will be turned around in her chair, still singing the song from the ipads). Her teacher also has issues getting her to line up from the playground, she told she and the students will be calling Ashley's name to line up, all somewhat close to her and Ashley does not hear them.
On a good note, she told me Ashley is doing well with social interaction. She said she is well received by her classmates and that she is a good friend and has her own group of girlfriends. That made me very happy to hear because that is something she has sometimes struggled with in the past.
So our next steps is to have a committee at her school review her case and put together some strategies to help Ashley focus better in the classroom. If the strategies do not work, our next step will be to do an evaluation with the school psychologist. Her teacher has been wonderful to work on this.
I have done so much research over the past two years and nothing seems to fit Ashley to a tee (ADHD Inattentive Type, autism, etc). So I don't know if she will ever get a diagnosis or if we will just always have to work a little harder with her. She is the sweetest, most loving little girl and it makes me worry what types of challenges she is going to face growing up and how she may be hurt by her peers. She is so absorbed in her artwork and projects at home, she really amazes me with what she does. Maybe art is in her future and that will be an escape for her.
I am hopeful that we will get some answers soon and find the best ways to help my sweet girl!
Peyton
Peyton started preschool on August 14th. He is going to a new preschool this year. I loved his preschool last year, but I did not like the Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. He is going to Sandhills Classical Christian Preschool (the same school Ashley went to pre-K). He goes Monday-Thursday and the school is right across the street from our neighborhood. I walk him to school each morning. I put him and Charlotte in the stroller and away we go! I think it may be my most favorite part of the day. After we drop him off, Charlotte and I go for a little walk, just the two of us. It is relaxing and allows me time to chat with Peyton and Charlotte and not be in and out of the car, which is usually the story of my life!
I had some concerns when I first saw his classroom, it is tiny! But his teacher, Mrs. Prevatte, is AMAZING and she is doing such a good job with the classroom and her 8 students. There are 5 boys and 3 girls, so I know she has her hands full. She has such a loving heart and is so much fun to be around, Peyton is very blessed to have her as his teacher. She has told me that Peyton is "super smart" and keeps her on her toes. He always wants to do new things and is asking questions, so she told me she has to be prepared. He is doing really well and has only had one bad listening day. I am hoping that the preschool will be in the same church next year so we can continue our morning walks and easy commute.
Peyton is such a sweet boy, but can be challenging at times. In part, because he is so smart and in part, because he is a three year old boy! He is stubborn and hard headed, but can be so loving and sweet. He loves to sing songs and do puzzles. He loves to play with trains and cars. I cannot wait to see what this year brings!
I had some concerns when I first saw his classroom, it is tiny! But his teacher, Mrs. Prevatte, is AMAZING and she is doing such a good job with the classroom and her 8 students. There are 5 boys and 3 girls, so I know she has her hands full. She has such a loving heart and is so much fun to be around, Peyton is very blessed to have her as his teacher. She has told me that Peyton is "super smart" and keeps her on her toes. He always wants to do new things and is asking questions, so she told me she has to be prepared. He is doing really well and has only had one bad listening day. I am hoping that the preschool will be in the same church next year so we can continue our morning walks and easy commute.
Peyton is such a sweet boy, but can be challenging at times. In part, because he is so smart and in part, because he is a three year old boy! He is stubborn and hard headed, but can be so loving and sweet. He loves to sing songs and do puzzles. He loves to play with trains and cars. I cannot wait to see what this year brings!
Catch Up!
Where has the time gone? I cannot believe it is October already. I love fall, but I feel like I blinked and summer was gone. I am having issues getting my pictures to upload for this blog. I hate that, I love having pictures to go along with the posts.
Charlotte is now six months old! And she has had her first ear infection. Knock on wood, Peyton is three and has never had one, but here is she is only 6 months and has one. Guess that is what happens when you have an older brother and sister in school.
Charlotte woke up on Saturday with crusty eyes. They got progressively worse so I took her to the doctor Monday. She had an ear infection which turned into an eye infection. She started antibiotics and is already looking so much better!
She turned six months on September 18th. She is able to roll from belly to back and back to belly, but she does not do it often. She prefers to lay on her back or side and play with toys. We are working on sitting too. She can sit with me behind her and be somewhat steady, but is definitely not sitting unassisted yet.
We started solids a week before she turned six months and she loved them from the start! She has had sweet potatoes, squash, avocado, banana, peas, pears and applesauce. She gagged herself on the peas (just like her big brother!), so I mix them with sweet potatoes or squash and she loves them. I am making her food, just like I did with Ashley and Peyton. I really enjoy it and it is so simple. I am buying the peas though because I made them with Ashley and the texture is better with store bought peas. She does not seem to have an issue with texture, she will gobble up some chunky applesauce, so I am buying that too.
She is such a sweet baby girl, I love to be with her all the time! She is still not a great sleeper though. For the most part, she wakes up twice a night. She has done many nights with just one waking, so I know she can do it! The two wakings are tough! We FINALLY got a video monitor, I have no idea what took us so long to get one. So I have been letting her fuss a bit in her crib if she wakes up only a couple hours after eating. She is still nursing well and getting about 8 ounces of formula a day. She goes to her 6 month appointment on the 7th, so I am curious if my "shorty" has gotten any taller.
Charlotte is now six months old! And she has had her first ear infection. Knock on wood, Peyton is three and has never had one, but here is she is only 6 months and has one. Guess that is what happens when you have an older brother and sister in school.
Charlotte woke up on Saturday with crusty eyes. They got progressively worse so I took her to the doctor Monday. She had an ear infection which turned into an eye infection. She started antibiotics and is already looking so much better!
She turned six months on September 18th. She is able to roll from belly to back and back to belly, but she does not do it often. She prefers to lay on her back or side and play with toys. We are working on sitting too. She can sit with me behind her and be somewhat steady, but is definitely not sitting unassisted yet.
We started solids a week before she turned six months and she loved them from the start! She has had sweet potatoes, squash, avocado, banana, peas, pears and applesauce. She gagged herself on the peas (just like her big brother!), so I mix them with sweet potatoes or squash and she loves them. I am making her food, just like I did with Ashley and Peyton. I really enjoy it and it is so simple. I am buying the peas though because I made them with Ashley and the texture is better with store bought peas. She does not seem to have an issue with texture, she will gobble up some chunky applesauce, so I am buying that too.
She is such a sweet baby girl, I love to be with her all the time! She is still not a great sleeper though. For the most part, she wakes up twice a night. She has done many nights with just one waking, so I know she can do it! The two wakings are tough! We FINALLY got a video monitor, I have no idea what took us so long to get one. So I have been letting her fuss a bit in her crib if she wakes up only a couple hours after eating. She is still nursing well and getting about 8 ounces of formula a day. She goes to her 6 month appointment on the 7th, so I am curious if my "shorty" has gotten any taller.
Monday, July 29, 2013
4 Months
Charlotte turned 4 months on July 18th. I am loving this age so much. Once she hit 3 months, she became much more alert and interactive. She has always been a happy, smiley baby, but she started "talking" more once she hit 3 months. Ashley was excited that she said her first word "hi", but I know she does not know what she is saying.
Now that she is 4 months, she is reaching out and grabbing her toys. She also likes to touch our faces when we are holding her, it is really the sweetest thing ever. She will put her arm around my head and put her face to my face, like she is giving me a hug and kiss. I almost die daily from the cuteness.
She is still napping well in her room in the basement and most nights, she sleeps well, normally waking up once to eat. She still mostly nurses but gets 1-2 bottles a day, one with the nanny and one at night. She is still little, she just moved up to size 2 diapers last week and is wearing some 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes, but the 3-6 month clothes are a little big. She has her 4 month check up on Friday, so I am curious to see how much she has grown. I am not looking forward to her shots though.
I do not plan to start solids until 6 months, I am learning about a new feeding method called BLW (baby led weaning), I have never heard of this before with my other two. The concept is to not spoon feed baby purees, rather to cook their food, cut it into small pieces and let baby feed herself. I am going to ask the doctor about this, but this sounds like a great plan for a mom of 3! Of course, the foods are super soft (cooked apples, pears, sweet potato, squash, etc) and I will be right there, but the concept is that you are not forcing baby to eat anything she doesn't want to, therefore not overfeeding her. I have more research to do, but seems like a pretty neat concept.
We still don't know what color hair Charlotte will have, I think it will be dark, Ryan thinks it will be light. Guess we will know in a couple months!
Now that she is 4 months, she is reaching out and grabbing her toys. She also likes to touch our faces when we are holding her, it is really the sweetest thing ever. She will put her arm around my head and put her face to my face, like she is giving me a hug and kiss. I almost die daily from the cuteness.
She is still napping well in her room in the basement and most nights, she sleeps well, normally waking up once to eat. She still mostly nurses but gets 1-2 bottles a day, one with the nanny and one at night. She is still little, she just moved up to size 2 diapers last week and is wearing some 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes, but the 3-6 month clothes are a little big. She has her 4 month check up on Friday, so I am curious to see how much she has grown. I am not looking forward to her shots though.
I do not plan to start solids until 6 months, I am learning about a new feeding method called BLW (baby led weaning), I have never heard of this before with my other two. The concept is to not spoon feed baby purees, rather to cook their food, cut it into small pieces and let baby feed herself. I am going to ask the doctor about this, but this sounds like a great plan for a mom of 3! Of course, the foods are super soft (cooked apples, pears, sweet potato, squash, etc) and I will be right there, but the concept is that you are not forcing baby to eat anything she doesn't want to, therefore not overfeeding her. I have more research to do, but seems like a pretty neat concept.
We still don't know what color hair Charlotte will have, I think it will be dark, Ryan thinks it will be light. Guess we will know in a couple months!
4th Of July
It is almost August and I am writing our 4th of July post! We normally go to my parent's beach house for the 4th, but decided to stay in town this year. With the 4th being on a Thursday and neither of us taking off work on Friday, it just wasn't worth the trip out of town. There were several things to do in Pinehurst. We went to the parade in downtown Pinehurst in the morning and then went to the Pinehurst Country Club for dinner and fireworks. It was a lot of fun, but the food was terrible and overpriced at the club, so we probably won't eat there again for an event. The fireworks were amazing and the kids had a great time running around and I had a great time socializing :-)
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Birthdays!
Ashley and Peyton just celebrated their birthdays, Ashley turned 6 and Peyton turned 3. We decided to do a joint birthday party for them at Pinehurst Beach Club. I don't know how many years I can get away with combining their parties, but for now, it works!
Ashley was lucky, her birthday was on a Saturday. We surprised her with breakfast at Cracker Barrel and going to see "Despicable Me 2" at the movie theater. She was excited. Peyton did awful at the movies and Ryan had to take him out. It took Charlotte a while to settle down, but once she did, she fell asleep and we were able to watch the rest of the movie. Ryan took them to the pool later and we got takeout from Outback for her birthday dinner. I made strawberry cupcakes, her favorite! She picked out a backpack from Pottery Barn Kids and she got a book about starting kindergarten.
Peyton's birthday was on a Wednesday and both Ryan and I worked. We discussed taking off from work when the kids are a little older on their birthdays and doing something special with them, especially since they have summer birthdays. Peyton had requested fire truck cupcakes for his birthday, so I had those made and we ate cheese pizza for dinner. We bought him a bike helmet and two big puzzles for his birthday.
Their party was this past Saturday. Of course, it has been raining non stop for the past month. I did not have a back up plan because there was no way I could have that many people at my house. So we said some prayers and kept the party on the designated date. We lucked out so much! The weather was perfect, it was a little overcast, so it was cooler and there was hardly anyone at the lake. The sun did come out some and there was no rain. I could not have asked for a better day. Ashley and Peyton had fun swimming with their friends. We cooked out hotdogs and I made pastas salad and had different fruits and chips. I hope we can do this for the next couple years, I love summer birthdays!
Ashley was lucky, her birthday was on a Saturday. We surprised her with breakfast at Cracker Barrel and going to see "Despicable Me 2" at the movie theater. She was excited. Peyton did awful at the movies and Ryan had to take him out. It took Charlotte a while to settle down, but once she did, she fell asleep and we were able to watch the rest of the movie. Ryan took them to the pool later and we got takeout from Outback for her birthday dinner. I made strawberry cupcakes, her favorite! She picked out a backpack from Pottery Barn Kids and she got a book about starting kindergarten.
Peyton's birthday was on a Wednesday and both Ryan and I worked. We discussed taking off from work when the kids are a little older on their birthdays and doing something special with them, especially since they have summer birthdays. Peyton had requested fire truck cupcakes for his birthday, so I had those made and we ate cheese pizza for dinner. We bought him a bike helmet and two big puzzles for his birthday.
Their party was this past Saturday. Of course, it has been raining non stop for the past month. I did not have a back up plan because there was no way I could have that many people at my house. So we said some prayers and kept the party on the designated date. We lucked out so much! The weather was perfect, it was a little overcast, so it was cooler and there was hardly anyone at the lake. The sun did come out some and there was no rain. I could not have asked for a better day. Ashley and Peyton had fun swimming with their friends. We cooked out hotdogs and I made pastas salad and had different fruits and chips. I hope we can do this for the next couple years, I love summer birthdays!
3 Months
My sweet Charlotte was 3 months on June 18th. She hit major sleep regression in June. It was really hard. She has always been a great napper and slept well at night (sleeping a six hour stretch, waking up to eat and then sleeping another 3 hours). Well, all that stopped in June! She still napped well, but started waking up every 2 hours to eat and was very difficult to get back down. Some nights it was even less than every 2 hours. She was sharing a room with Ryan and I and we decided at the beginning of July to move her to the bedroom downstairs to see if that would help with her night time sleep. I slept down there with her and the first two nights, she still woke up often, but since the 4th of July, she is back to her old sleep ways! I have established a great night time routine and she is able to put herself to sleep. It helps that Peyton does not come barging in her room when she is going to sleep or in the middle of the night. She is napping down there now too and it is so much easier now, we don't have to tip toe around upstairs. I plan to sleep down there with her for a while, at least until she is 6 months old, maybe longer. I can't believe how fast she is growing and how fast time is going by.
June
June is a complete and total blur to me. I feel like I blinked and June was gone. I went back to work the first week of June. The first two days were brutal, I sat in my office and just cried the first day. I was so nervous to leave Charlotte, she had been attached to me 24/7 the first 11 weeks of her life. I did not know our nanny well, so I was nervous about that too. After the first two days, I felt a lot better about it and became more comfortable with our nanny.
I have a great schedule and still get a lot of time with all three kiddos, so I feel very blessed. Right now, I am working all mornings and am at home in the afternoons. When Peyton starts preschool in mid-August, I may start working one afternoon so I have one morning with Charlotte and pick up Peyton from school to eat lunch with him. I hate that I won't see Ashley until around 5 on those days, but it will be nice to have some extra time with Charlotte and Peyton. I am trying to figure out what will work best with my work schedule and still allow me enough time with each child.
It seemed like all it did was RAIN in June. I think it stormed every single day. We joined the Pinehurst Country Club this year and have access to all of the pools. Ashley and Peyton love going swimming and I hate that we did not get to use it as much as they (and me!) would have liked, but we still went quite a bit. They would go everyday if we could.
I have a great schedule and still get a lot of time with all three kiddos, so I feel very blessed. Right now, I am working all mornings and am at home in the afternoons. When Peyton starts preschool in mid-August, I may start working one afternoon so I have one morning with Charlotte and pick up Peyton from school to eat lunch with him. I hate that I won't see Ashley until around 5 on those days, but it will be nice to have some extra time with Charlotte and Peyton. I am trying to figure out what will work best with my work schedule and still allow me enough time with each child.
It seemed like all it did was RAIN in June. I think it stormed every single day. We joined the Pinehurst Country Club this year and have access to all of the pools. Ashley and Peyton love going swimming and I hate that we did not get to use it as much as they (and me!) would have liked, but we still went quite a bit. They would go everyday if we could.
Beginnings
Since my last post (from May!!) was titled "Endings" I thought it would be appropriate to title this one "Beginnings". So much has happened this summer and it is only mid-July. I will do catch up posts for each event, but this one is the most recent event, which is Ashley starting kindergarten! Her first day was Monday, bright and early at 7:30. She is going to Pinehurst Elementary in the year round program. I have actually been looking forward to her starting, she had an extra year of pre K, so she is more than ready. She was really excited and no one shed a tear! She did not go Tuesday or Wednesday because the school does a staggered entry, so her second day was today. Ryan took her and she looked like she was going to cry when they left the house, but Ryan said she did just fine when he dropped her off.
There are 24 students in her class with a teacher and a teacher's assistant. I think that is way too many for kindergarten, it was pretty overwhelming on back to school night. That is my main concern, but hopefully Ashley will do great and really enjoy school.
There are 24 students in her class with a teacher and a teacher's assistant. I think that is way too many for kindergarten, it was pretty overwhelming on back to school night. That is my main concern, but hopefully Ashley will do great and really enjoy school.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Endings
We have experienced a lot of endings this week. I cannot help but feel overwhelmed by sadness. It started last week. I received a call from my mother telling me my grandfather was killed in a car accident. I was completely shocked, he was 89 and in great health. I have never been close to my grandfather, my mother has a strange and turbulent relationship with most of her immediate family members and we have not spent a lot of time with them growing up and now, with the exception of her sister.
I decided that just Charlotte and I would make the trip to New Jersey for his funeral. It was Ashley and Peyton's last week of school, so I did not want them to miss one single day. We rode to New Jersey with my parents and sister. Charlotte screams in the car, so it was a long ride there and back. We stayed with my aunt, along with my sister. It was so nice to spend time with her and with my parents and sister. It was also nice to see my other family and they got the chance to meet Charlotte. I think my favorite part of the week was taking care of just one child! It has been almost 3 years since I have only had one. Here is a picture of one of the few times Charlotte was smiling in the car.
It was the end of Ashley's preschool career. I know she had an extra year since I held her back, but I am still sad. She had such a wonderful experience this year and has really thrived. I am so nervous for kindergarten. She does better with a smaller class and a lot of nurturing from her teachers. I wish she could stay with her current class and Mrs. Lawson and Mrs. Green forever!
Ashley had a field trip the morning of her last day of school at a local farm. She and her friends got to see horses, chickens and turkeys and eat their snack by a pretty lake. I went with her and enjoyed seeing her interact with her friends and also enjoyed chatting with the other moms.
It was also Peyton's last day of preschool. Since I could not be in two places at one time, I missed his end of the year party. I hate that. But I figure Ashley would remember me being there and he would not. I love his preschool and it is probably good I was not there because I would just be sad he is not going there next year. I have decided to send him to the same preschool Ashley goes to next year because it is right across the street from our house and it is four mornings a week. Sadly, I did not get a picture of Peyton with his wonderful teachers, Miss Debbie and Miss Sonja. Hopefully Charlotte will have the opportunity to go there when she is two years old.
But the biggest ending and the one I am the most sad about is the end of my maternity leave. Words cannot express how happy I have been these past 10 weeks. Yes, there have been difficult moments, times I thought "what the heck am I doing?" and wanted to pull my hair out. But the majority of the time, I have loved being home with my sweet babies. I have enjoyed this maternity leave so much more than my short leave with Ashley and my leave with Peyton. I still have one week left and we are headed to the beach. I planned to go back to work at 11 weeks, June 3rd, but with the surprise trip to New Jersey, I think I will go back on Wednesday the 5th. My mom is going to help with Charlotte that week and I have hired a college student to help starting on the 10th. My former nanny is closing her center and she has no interest in coming to the house and watching the kids, so I had to find someone else. I am nervous about that and I am nervous about feeding Charlotte. She does not take bottles and I don't make enough milk to nurse her and pump a stash to feed her when I am work. But I guess that is not enough of a reason to quit my job ;-)
I am grateful for my flexible work situation, but a big part of me wishes I did not have to go back. I don't enjoy my job and it is going to be hard for me to leave Charlotte. I just don't see how we can make it work without me brining in some income, at least for right now because we have some extra bills and a big car payment. I spoke with my co-worker about having the option to work from home in August when Ashley and Peyton are in school right near the house and she said it would never be an option to work from home, we have to come in the office. So I have no idea what I will do come August, I also don't have anyone to watch Charlotte. I am hoping we can save some money and tighten up our spending so I have more options in a couple months.
It really is amazing to me how attached I become to schools and people and then in the blink of an eye, the school year is over and the teachers, kids and moms you saw every day just become a memory. It is the story of my life, with moving so much, but I guess it is just life. Right now I am anxiously waiting to hear if Ashley got into year round kindergarten. Word on the street is one kid did not get in, hoping and praying it is not Ashley. For now, I will just focus on our week at Carolina Beach, that seems like a good place to spend the end of May.
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end".
I decided that just Charlotte and I would make the trip to New Jersey for his funeral. It was Ashley and Peyton's last week of school, so I did not want them to miss one single day. We rode to New Jersey with my parents and sister. Charlotte screams in the car, so it was a long ride there and back. We stayed with my aunt, along with my sister. It was so nice to spend time with her and with my parents and sister. It was also nice to see my other family and they got the chance to meet Charlotte. I think my favorite part of the week was taking care of just one child! It has been almost 3 years since I have only had one. Here is a picture of one of the few times Charlotte was smiling in the car.
It was the end of Ashley's preschool career. I know she had an extra year since I held her back, but I am still sad. She had such a wonderful experience this year and has really thrived. I am so nervous for kindergarten. She does better with a smaller class and a lot of nurturing from her teachers. I wish she could stay with her current class and Mrs. Lawson and Mrs. Green forever!
Ashley had a field trip the morning of her last day of school at a local farm. She and her friends got to see horses, chickens and turkeys and eat their snack by a pretty lake. I went with her and enjoyed seeing her interact with her friends and also enjoyed chatting with the other moms.
It was also Peyton's last day of preschool. Since I could not be in two places at one time, I missed his end of the year party. I hate that. But I figure Ashley would remember me being there and he would not. I love his preschool and it is probably good I was not there because I would just be sad he is not going there next year. I have decided to send him to the same preschool Ashley goes to next year because it is right across the street from our house and it is four mornings a week. Sadly, I did not get a picture of Peyton with his wonderful teachers, Miss Debbie and Miss Sonja. Hopefully Charlotte will have the opportunity to go there when she is two years old.
But the biggest ending and the one I am the most sad about is the end of my maternity leave. Words cannot express how happy I have been these past 10 weeks. Yes, there have been difficult moments, times I thought "what the heck am I doing?" and wanted to pull my hair out. But the majority of the time, I have loved being home with my sweet babies. I have enjoyed this maternity leave so much more than my short leave with Ashley and my leave with Peyton. I still have one week left and we are headed to the beach. I planned to go back to work at 11 weeks, June 3rd, but with the surprise trip to New Jersey, I think I will go back on Wednesday the 5th. My mom is going to help with Charlotte that week and I have hired a college student to help starting on the 10th. My former nanny is closing her center and she has no interest in coming to the house and watching the kids, so I had to find someone else. I am nervous about that and I am nervous about feeding Charlotte. She does not take bottles and I don't make enough milk to nurse her and pump a stash to feed her when I am work. But I guess that is not enough of a reason to quit my job ;-)
I am grateful for my flexible work situation, but a big part of me wishes I did not have to go back. I don't enjoy my job and it is going to be hard for me to leave Charlotte. I just don't see how we can make it work without me brining in some income, at least for right now because we have some extra bills and a big car payment. I spoke with my co-worker about having the option to work from home in August when Ashley and Peyton are in school right near the house and she said it would never be an option to work from home, we have to come in the office. So I have no idea what I will do come August, I also don't have anyone to watch Charlotte. I am hoping we can save some money and tighten up our spending so I have more options in a couple months.
It really is amazing to me how attached I become to schools and people and then in the blink of an eye, the school year is over and the teachers, kids and moms you saw every day just become a memory. It is the story of my life, with moving so much, but I guess it is just life. Right now I am anxiously waiting to hear if Ashley got into year round kindergarten. Word on the street is one kid did not get in, hoping and praying it is not Ashley. For now, I will just focus on our week at Carolina Beach, that seems like a good place to spend the end of May.
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end".
Two Months
On May 18th, Charlotte turned two months old. She had her two month checkup and she is 10 pounds, 10 ounces (37th percentile) and 21 3/4 inches tall (18th percentile). She is petite, but the doctor was happy with her growth. She did great at her appointment, she was smiling and cooing and the doctor commented on how attentive she was. She is such a good baby. She is interacting a lot more with us, she smiles a lot! The only time she gets really upset is when she is hungry, tired or riding in her car seat. I am hoping she will outgrow that soon! She is still exclusively breastfeeding, I have tried pumping, but I hate it and don't get much milk when I do. I have no idea what I am going to do when I go back to work. I have no issues with formula, but I am so happy I have not had to give her any and I hate to start just because of work. She naps great in her swing and sleeps next to me in her rock and play at night. She will normally do a 6 hour stretch, wake up to nurse and then go back to sleep for another 2-3 hours. Here are some pictures:
Pool Time!
After living in Pinehurst for nearly 8 years, we finally got a Pinehurst Country Club membership. I have coveted one of these for years, but they have been impossible to come by unless you have a home or a lot with a membership attached. I had been so desperate to get one, I had even looked into buying a cheap lot that had a membership just to get one. I am so glad that never worked out because Pinehurst ran an amazing special earlier this year in order to boost membership and get a younger "vibe" at their club. Well, it worked! I know several families that joined and we are loving the pool! We have access to the Carolina Hotel pool and it is amazing, I am sure I will enjoy it more next summer when Charlotte is not so little. We have access to 3 other pools as well as Pinehurst Lake and marina. Here are pictures of Ashley and Peyton on our first trip to the Carolina Hotel pool.
Mother's Day
We enjoyed a nice Mother's Day in Raleigh with my parents, sister and brother in law. This was my first Mother's Day as the mother of three! I was able to get a run in before we went to church. I want to get back into running, but it is hard to find the time when Ryan is home and can watch the other kids, so normally it is just on the weekends. After church, we headed to Raleigh. Here are some pictures after church and at my parents' home.
Monday, May 6, 2013
More Pictures
Here are more pictures of Charlotte. I realized there are no pictures of me with her, except for the ones of me holding her in the baby k'tan. I need to get some pictures of me with my sweet girl!
Big Boy Haircut
I finally caved and let Ryan take Peyton to his barber for a haircut. I had been taking Peyton to my hairdresser, but after a lot of bugging from Ryan, I agreed that Peyton could go to the barber. I did a double take when he got home. Where did my two year old go?
One Month!
Charlotte turned one month old on April 18th. She is seven weeks old today and I feel like I blinked and the past seven weeks are gone! She is a sweet baby, she does get very fussy (screams!) in the car and when she gets overtired. She can go from happy and smiling to screaming in about 2 seconds flat. She is still nursing really well but has started spitting/throwing up A LOT recently, so I am a little concerned about that. She sleeps the first part of the night in our room in her rock and play, she will normally do a six hour stretch, but last week she did an 8.5 hour stretch and then the next night a 9.5 hour stretch. It is funny, all three of my kids did this around 6 weeks. It is a fluke, but was nice to get some extra sleep (but quite painful for me!). She hated taking baths until I started taking a bath with her in the big tub and now she loves it. She is smiling a lot and cooing. She is very alert and looks around. Peyton and Ashley want to smother her all the time, they want to hug and love on her, so I have to keep an eye on them. Overall, we are doing well but I am somewhat dreading going back to work. We have a pretty good routine/schedule and I don't know how it will work if I am not here. Also, she does not get bottles, I only nurse, so I have no clue how to make that work. I need to get a pump and store some milk for her but when will I find the time to pump? Here are some pictures from one month:
Sickness
We are all getting over sickness in the Douglas family. It started with an ear infection for Ashley. She rarely gets sick, but went from playing normally to screaming in pain in less than an hour. Of course, it was a Sunday, so I had to take her to urgent care. Here is a pic of her before we went to Urgent Care
Then two days later, she starts throwing up, she won't get out of bed and we can't get her to drink anything. So we go back to the doctor and her ear is still bad, so the doctor puts her on a different antibiotic. Then the next day, Peyton starts throwing up. You know he feels bad if he sleeps on the floor on or Riley!
It was a nasty bug! You would think you were better and a couple days later, you would get sick again. I got it about a week after Ashley. Ryan managed to avoid it, I think, because he was out of town for work for three days. My parents came to help me while he was gone and they both got it, poor things! And our nanny got it. I definitely think Charlotte had it too, she was throwing up/spitting up a lot more than normal and she still is. Hopefully everyone is on the mend!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The Past Few Weeks in Pictures
We are loving life with our new little girl Charlotte. She is so sweet. She does like to be held all the time and has a hard time sleeping on her own. I have never been into co-sleeping, but it is the only way we can get her to sleep at night. I nurse her and she goes straight to sleep. The past few nights, she has done six hour stretches, so I think she enjoys it too. I have been able to get her to take one decent nap a day in her baby papason chair, but other than that, she likes to sleep in the baby k'tan wrap when I am wearing her. Neither Ashley nor Peyton liked to be help that close, so I am enjoying all the extra snuggles with her.
She is nursing so well! It is such a relief! With my supply issues with both Ashley and Peyton, I was nervous but fully prepared to supplement with formula. We have had two nights where she was especially fussy, so I thought maybe she was hungry. I attempted to give her some formula, but she refused it and then slept great, so I guess hunger was not the issue.
At her appointment on Friday, March 22nd (4 days after she was born), she was 7 pounds, 11 ounces. They were not concerned. At her two week appointment, Friday, April 6th, she was up to 8 pounds, 10 ounces! YAY! The doctor said she was gaining weight "beautifully". I am so happy I have been able to nurse her exclusively and it is so much easier than doing both! She nurses every 2-3 hours, so she likes to eat a lot, which is just fine with me. I don't know how pumping is going to work when (if??) I go back to work, so that makes me a little nervous, but I am not going to worry about that now.
The adjustment from 2-3 has been easier on me than the adjustment from 1-2. I feel like I am more calm and relaxed. It is a challenge at nap times and meal times, but those time were always challenging. Charlotte hates her car seat and screams most of the time she is in it, so that is stressful. But we have had some successful family outings (lunch, dinner, the mall, Easter egg hunt, fun gym), so hopefully she will get used to it.
The weight DEFINITELY does not come off as fast with the third, ughh! I am still 15 pounds from my pre pregnancy weight and I don't think this weight is going anywhere anytime soon. I have cut out all caffeine (no tea or sodas) but do indulge my sweet tooth most days, so that may be part of the issue. I don't want to cut calories or start exercising heavily because I don't want to do anything to risk my milk supply. If I could just get rid of 10 of these pounds, I would be okay with the last 5, oh well!
Here are some pictures of our past three weeks:
Two days old (March 20th)
8 Days Old (March 26th)
11 Days Old (March 29th)
12 Days Old (March 30th)
2 Weeks Old (April 1st)
She is nursing so well! It is such a relief! With my supply issues with both Ashley and Peyton, I was nervous but fully prepared to supplement with formula. We have had two nights where she was especially fussy, so I thought maybe she was hungry. I attempted to give her some formula, but she refused it and then slept great, so I guess hunger was not the issue.
At her appointment on Friday, March 22nd (4 days after she was born), she was 7 pounds, 11 ounces. They were not concerned. At her two week appointment, Friday, April 6th, she was up to 8 pounds, 10 ounces! YAY! The doctor said she was gaining weight "beautifully". I am so happy I have been able to nurse her exclusively and it is so much easier than doing both! She nurses every 2-3 hours, so she likes to eat a lot, which is just fine with me. I don't know how pumping is going to work when (if??) I go back to work, so that makes me a little nervous, but I am not going to worry about that now.
The adjustment from 2-3 has been easier on me than the adjustment from 1-2. I feel like I am more calm and relaxed. It is a challenge at nap times and meal times, but those time were always challenging. Charlotte hates her car seat and screams most of the time she is in it, so that is stressful. But we have had some successful family outings (lunch, dinner, the mall, Easter egg hunt, fun gym), so hopefully she will get used to it.
The weight DEFINITELY does not come off as fast with the third, ughh! I am still 15 pounds from my pre pregnancy weight and I don't think this weight is going anywhere anytime soon. I have cut out all caffeine (no tea or sodas) but do indulge my sweet tooth most days, so that may be part of the issue. I don't want to cut calories or start exercising heavily because I don't want to do anything to risk my milk supply. If I could just get rid of 10 of these pounds, I would be okay with the last 5, oh well!
Here are some pictures of our past three weeks:
Two days old (March 20th)
3 Days Old (March 21st)
One Week Old (March 25th)
9 Days Old (March 27th)
10 Days Old (March 28th)
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