Cael's 2nd Birthday

After agonizing about how to celebrate Cael's second birthday we decided it would be best to just spend a quiet day at home as a family. Cael woke up with a slight fever and had been up on and off all night so we knew we were in for a bit of a tough day, but he was a trooper. Swimming was cancelled because of the weather so Ryan and Cael went outside to shovel the driveway and play in the snow. After his nap, Cael got to open all of his presents and he loved it. We bought him a cupcake and once he spotted it on the counter would not open any other presents until he had eaten his treat. He ate all of the icing and then wanted another one!! He has also figured out that the present isn't the wrapping paper, but rather what is inside and is rather meticulous about opening his gifts. He got lots of great toys and had a lot of fun playing with each and every one, however, by the end of the whole process was getting a little tired (as you can see in the pictures). Thank you to everyone for all of the wonderful gifts and cards!!! We took a ton of pictures so I apologize that I am not writing more about his big day, but don't they say a picture is worth a thousand words :)

Just for fun I have included some pictures from this time last year. It is amazing how much they change in such a short period of time. He truly went from a baby to a little boy in 12 short months.

Am I crazy yet?

Aveyn is a really good baby so I feel bad even complaining, but lately I have been pulling my hair out trying to understand her. I am feeding her every 2.5 hours so she sleeps better at night, but I still can't read when she is tired or just wants a change of scenery, when she is hungry or just has gas (the routine makes it a little easier, but it is still REALLY hard). Some times she takes the pacifier and other times she wants nothing to do with it and I can't figure out why. I swaddle her and sometimes she seems miserable and other times she seems really content. When I choose not to swaddle her she stops crying, but her flailing arms make it hard for her to fall asleep. I can't tell when to give her the pacifier or if she likes being swaddled or not. Sometimes gently bouncing works and she goes right to sleep and other times she wakes up the minute I lay her down in the crib. I know that this is just a part of being a parent, but I feel like I am going crazy. I think the biggest reason is because I like knowing, I like analyzing and figuring out what works best for her and it is frustrating to me that I haven't been able to. I suppose that part of the issue is that Cael was such an easy baby to read so I feel like a failure in that I can't figure out my daughter. As I type this post she is sleeping peacefully unswaddled WITH the pacifier :)

In an attempt to stop myself from going completely insane and to bridge the gap between no swaddle and swaddle, I have ordered the Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit so hopefully that at least allows me to keep the rest of my hair :) Having vented, I have to say that she is still the sweetest baby and it is more me being obsessive than it is her being difficult!

Boys will be boys

I couldn't decide between calling this post 'Boys will be boys' or 'I smell trouble' as both seem apt. As most of you know, Ryan is a pretty active guy. He plays basketball, golf, softball and just about any sport you can name. He also has a dirt bike and even though he hasn't been on it for a few years, it is something he really enjoys! Ryan tends to remind people of the Energizer Bunny in that he is constantly on the go and has a hard time sitting still for very long. So it should come as no surprise that his son would follow in his footsteps. Ryan and Cael were playing in the playroom when Ryan called me in to witness Cael's latest escapades. I think the video explains it all....

From the minute we found out we were having a boy, I knew four wheelers, sports and dirt bikes were going to be a part of my future as well as Cael's so I was not surprised to see him executing 'stunts' with his mini four wheeler. I guess at this point I should be thankful for carpet (as opposed to cement or asphalt) and a ramp that is not only soft, but relatively close to the ground. I have a feeling this is only the beginning. Oi!

Update (Aveyn) - 2 months

Aveyn had her two month appointment today and I wanted to update everyone on her latest stats and overall progress.

Weight: 10 lbs 9 oz (7 lbs 9 oz at two weeks)

Height: 23 inches (20.5 inches at two weeks)

Head Circumference: 40 cm (37.2 cm at two weeks)

She is in the 75th percentile for height and head circumference and 50th percentile for weight (click here to see Cael's stats at two months for a fun comparison). Her pediatrician said she was the picture of health despite fighting off the bacteria in her blood and urine. She is scheduled to have an ultrasound to look at her kidneys and make sure everything looks normal (again, standard in infants who have had a urinary tract infection) and a VCUG (Voiding Cystourethrogram) to determine if she has something called urinary reflux. If she does have it and depending on the severity, she could be put on suppressive antibiotics until she is old enough to have surgery. It sounds serious, but based on my conversations with the pediatrician it is nothing to be overly concerned about. I liken it to Cael's recurring ear infections; it is just something the body cannot handle on its own and surgery might be necessary. I have had urinary tract infections and they are miserable. As much as I don't want her to have surgery (what parent does), if surgery fixes the problem then I am all for it. She didn't get her 2 month shots because side effects could result in fever and the doctor didn't want to confuse the situation given the presence of bacteria that could also result in fever.

2 months - Aveyn Jo

Today our sweet little girl is 2 months old. Already?? Wow. She is getting so big and is such a little sweetheart. She really only cries when she is hungry, tired or uncomfortable and it is such a faint cry you really don't even know she is upset. She isn't staying up for much longer than an hour these days, but has a great appetite and the cutest smile (when we can get her to smile). We are feeding her every 2.5 hours right now in an effort to get her to sleep through the night. She gets a bottle around 8:00 at night and has gone until 5:00 in the morning before needing another one (but right now that is not typical - hopefully it will be soon!). She likes getting baths and generally has one every other day (otherwise her hair gets really greasy). Speaking of hair, I have nicknamed her 'Fuzzy' because it sticks straight up at the crown and is absolutely ADORABLE!!!!.

She has had an eventful couple of days. On Thursday I took her into the doctor because she had a fever and they drew blood (little needle into her little arm - painful to watch) and gave her a catheter to get a urine sample. She was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and given two injections of antibiotic; one in each of her thighs. Given her age and the bacteria found in her urine, they wanted to keep a close eye on her and had me make an appointment for Friday where they gave her two more injections of antibiotic and another appointment for Saturday where they again gave her two more injections. She was finally cleared for an oral antibiotic and will be on it for the next 8 days. It has made her a little fussier than normal, but understandable given her discomfort. I am not sure if it is because of the infection and medicine, but we are having a hard time reading her. She wakes up crying in the middle of her naps and as of late just seems unhappy. It is hard on Ryan and I because Cael was such an easy baby to read. We will figure it out and I am pretty sure that we will see a different little girl once she is feeling better.

Big Brother 101

-Cael says 'night night' when he wants Aveyn to lay down so he can lay down next to her.
-When at a birthday party for some friends of his from daycare they wanted to see Aveyn in her car seat. When they got too close, Cael got upset and tried to hit them. -Not so much protective as he is possessive :)
-When we feed Aveyn we usually have a burp cloth over our shoulder. Every time Cael sees a burp cloth he picks it up and throws it over our shoulder for us.
-He understands that the little sleepers are for the 'baby' and when he helps with laundry will say 'baby' 'baby'.
-When Aveyn is crying, Cael will put his finger to his lips and say 'shhhh' because I say 'shhh' to him when we check on her and when I am trying to get her to take the pacifier.
-When he wants to hold her he will hold his arms out to the side.
-He likes to help burp her and will pat her on the back either simultaneously (hand on the back of your hand) or wants to do it all by himself (wants you to move your hand so he can do it).
-Before Cael goes to bed, his ritual now includes giving Aveyn a kiss good night (if she is up).
-He can't say Aveyn so he calls her 'Avi'.
-When I take him with me to check on her, he will say 'bye bye babies' in his best whisper when we are leaving the room.
-He also understands (for the most part) that we need him to be quiet when checking on Aveyn in her crib and so he whispers while he is in her room.

Calling all Moms - question

Now that I have more than one kid I have a lot of questions, but the biggest one right now is how to put two kids to bed. It seems that when it is time to put Cael to bed it is also time to give Aveyn a bottle. Do you work it out so they are put to bed at different times or just figure something out so you can put one of them down while the other one waits?? So I am calling all of my mommy friends to tell me how they put their multiple kids to bed at night?? I know I am probably over analyzing this way too much, but I can't help myself so please help out a desperate mother!!! Thanks!!!!!!

Say 'Cheese'

Babies smile a lot sooner than they really 'smile'. It is called gas and I have never been able to tell the difference sooooo I stopped trying and just started snapping pictures because let's be honest, a baby smiling, regardless of the reason is worth its weight in gold.

Happy Halloween - 2009

Despite the thick blanket of snow that covered the ground, Halloween dawned with bright blue skies and temperatures that eventually reached the low sixties. Ryan and I had agreed to meet Don and Alyssa at Southlands Mall (similar to Village Pointe in Omaha) around 1:30 to do some trick or treating at participating stores. The mall was hosting a Halloween event for kids with bounce houses, story reading, face painting and of course LOTS of candy. The weather was gorgeous and there were a TON of people with lines that stretched for blocks as people waited to receive their candy. We were content just to walk around and look at all the costumes as none of us wanted to wait that long. Cael spent the outing being carried by Daddy and Aveyn was fast asleep in her car seat!

Once we got back to the house, it was time for Cael to do some trick or treating around the neighborhood. We did a quick costume change, took some pictures and then he left with Daddy while I stayed home with Aveyn (she was exhausted from all of the trick or treating at the mall)! He went as a skunk this time and was so stinkin' (HA - pun intended) cute. Grandma made the costume for Nolan and offered to bring it out for Cael to use. We weren't sure it was going to fit, but it turned out perfectly!!!