Firsts

For the first time (in 23 months) last Sunday when I got in the shower, Logan didn't scream bloody murder or insist on being in the shower with me! He just looked at me, and then went about talking to his daddy! I was so excited. Olive finally giggled at me last week also. And, I am happy to say she put herself back to sleep after she woke up after a very short nap today. It is crazy, it seems like she has regressed in her sleeping habbits. At two months old, she was sleeping for about 4-5 hours straight at night, it seems like in the last three weeks (as soon as I went back to work, go figure) she started only sleeping for about 1-2 hours straight and then wakes up and can't go back to sleep unless she was nursed or rocked. Well, last night after she went to bed at 7:30, woke up at 9:00, 10:00 and 10:30, I fed her and then put her back in her crib at 11:30 where she screamed for 15 minutes before falling asleep. I know it probably makes me a bad mom to leave my nearly four month old baby to cry herself to sleep, but I was exhausted and really at the end of my rope in trying different ways to get her sleep more. Anyway, she cried herself to sleep and then woke up at 12:30,when she cried herself to sleep in about 8 minutes. When she woke up at 1:30 I moved her into my bed and we nursed and slept together as usual until I had to get up this morning. At 10:45 this morning I put her down for her nap, she woke up at 11:14 and I left her in her crib because she was talking and happy. She started to fuss around 11:21, so I got up (I was napping too) went to the potty and then went in her room to get her. When I got into her room she was sound asleep! Yay! Maybe she is learning how to put herself to sleep. I sure hope so! I can't function on 2-3 hours of sleep each night for much longer! If any one has some other suggestions (beside crying) I would love to hear them!

3 months old!

Olive is three months today! I cannot believe how time flies, and can't believe I have to go back to work next week. I am really going to miss my kiddos and am really going to be tired. An update on Olive: she has slept more than four hours in a row twice. The first night we got home from the hospital we both passed out and slept for 7 hours before I woke up and remembered I was supposed to wake her up to feed her. Two weeks ago she slept from 9:30 to 4:45 straight! I was hoping it was a sign of things to come. Not so...ever since then she has been sleeping for about 3 1/2 hours when I first put her to bed and then about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours after that until 7:30 when she decides she can't stay in the bed any longer. Just this morning she woke up at 4:45 and wouldn't go back to sleep, so I laid her in her bassinet where she coo'd and blew raspberries at herself for almost an hour before getting fussy...too bad I can't sleep through that! She naps really well, which is great. I don't think Logan took a nap where someone wasn't holding him until he was close to 6 months. I have yet to hear her giggle at me, although she smiles, coos and squeals all of the time! She loves her big brother and daddy and can out scream/cry any baby I have heard. At first I thought she was a really easy going baby, now I think maybe she cries more than Logan did (which was A LOT.) But that probably has something to do with the fact that I can't soothe her right away when she is upset...I have to tend to Logan too. At her two month check up she weighed in at 11 lbs 4 oz and 23 inches. For comparison Logan was 11 lbs 4 oz and 24 inches at his two month check up.

And here is Logan before we went to the zoo today!

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Things I have learned...

while taking a road trip with two under two and a dog.

1) The dog is the easiest to get along with and makes the least demands. Always take the dog.

2) When the weather man forecasts "flooding" while driving through Arizona, listen to him. Otherwise you might end up hitting a rock while driving on a flooded road (with rock slides) have a blow out in torrential rain and have to change a tire in the dark, cold, wet conditions.

3) In case you need to change a tire in cold, wet, torrential down pours in the dark, before packing a van with two car seats, a boat load of stuff, a dog and two adults, check to see where you access the spare tire and jack and then don't pack stuff there.

4) Verify that your vehicle can store a full size flat tire in the spare compartment, if it can't, don't pack the van so full that you have no room for a flat tire and have flashlight in your car at all times (seems like common sense, right?)  (don't have any pictures of the above adventure)

5) Hotel rooms are a ton of fun!

6) Cousins are great!

7) California traffic SUCKS!

8) 30 year olds can still have a ton of fun on huge roller coasters!  And two month olds are content to do anything.

9) If you take a ~2 year old on a carousel, force him to eat lunch when he doesn't really want to, he may just puke. I guess it is not a big deal when you are at Magic Mountain...they are used to that stuff.

10) Sand feels funny to little feet!

One Month

 

Our baby Olive is one month old today. I can't believe how time flies! Although it does feel like she has been in our lives forever. She is such a good, sweet baby. Just yesterday she started opening her mouth really wide and trying to smile when I talk to her. She is sleeping from about 9:30-1:30 each night (in her own bed might I add) and it is amazing what four hours of straight sleep without a newborn in the bed can do for a woman's mood! We have all adjusted really well to the newest addition! Logan continues to give her kisses every chance he gets. He has also tried to give her a bottle (pretend baby bottle), put her binki back in her mouth, brush her teeth, and give her drinks of milk from the pretend milk bottle that came with "Elmo's restaurant." Another thing that Olive does it put herself to sleep. When she is sleepy during the day she will just drift off, no matter where she is. She doesn't scream bloody murder in the car seat and doesn't have to be held all day. I am amazed at how two kids from the same parents can be so different! I gave her bath on Thursday morning and when I rinsed her head, all of the hair on top of her head went out with the bath water. I wonder what color it will be when it grows back!

Merry Christmas

 

We had a wonderful Christmas at the Stevens' household. I was a little worried that Santa wouldn't find us because we did not have any out door lights, but he did find us and Logan got a ton of presents. Our house no longer looks like adults live here. We had someone come over to measure for a custom gate for the stairs when no one was home. When she talked to Scott later, she asked him "just how many kids do you have?" She thought we had at least four due to all of the toys. Two of his favorite gifts are a tent and tunnel set and an "Elmo's Restaurant."

Related?

 

These pictures were both taken at the around the same time ~ 3 weeks. I think my kiddos look a lot a like, but different too! I love these two! I wouldn't trade them for anything...not even a full night of sleep! Happy Holidays everyone!

She is here!

Our little Olive made her big appearance on December 3, 2009. My labor was very short and I am feeling great. Logan loves the "babeee." He loves to give her kisses and remind me when she is crying! Olive was 6 lbs 10 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. Welcome baby girl!