Chloe, Three Months

We're officially not in Newborn Hell anymore, hooray!!! Three months marks the transition to Baby/Infant/Small Person With Good Head Control. We're all VERY pleased to be here.

At three months, Chloe is pretty much the most smiley baby I have ever seen. She wakes up smiling, she goes to bed smiling, she even smiles while she poops. The smiles are the only reason I don't lose my mind when she wakes me up three times a night. Who can be mad at this face? WHO? 

Chloe's newest tricks include batting at toys, grabbing fistfuls of my hair, sucking on my cheek when she's hungry, and our very favorite...rolling from tummy to back! Rolling was today's accomplishment and there was much to do about it. Big brother even made up a little celebration dance to cheer her on which might have been the sweetest thing ever. Speaking of, this relationship between brother and baby sister is blossoming each day and I love it so much.

Chloe is still waking up at night far too often for my liking...most nights she's up at least 3 times between 8pm and 6:30am. I'm grateful that the wake ups are short and only to nurse and then she's right back down and asleep before her head touches the mattress. We're working on self-soothing and she seems to be making good progress. I'm hoping she'll naturally drop some of those wake ups and I don't have to start letting her cry but we'll wait and see. I just know I need more sleep otherwise my boss is going to wonder if my brain really did leak out my ears.

Another big transition this month was my going back to work and Chloe starting at her new sitter's home daycare. It's been so smooth of a transition for Chloe that you would think she's been there since day one whereas I spend approximately 7.95 of my 8 hours away hours thinking about her. But we've already been over that and it will get better, so help me god. It's a good thing we all adore her sitter and are really happy that we found her.

I'm so happy we're at three months because the hardest part really is almost over. I can't wait for these next few months when she starts to open up and become interested in her big new world. I know she'll do it all with a big smile on her face.

So that happened

I went back to work today.

Ugh. I don't even know where to start. I got up at a ridiculously early hour to make sure I had enough time and yet I was still late to work. I cried in the car on my way to drop off Chloe at her sitter's house. I cried when I walked out, leaving her in very capable hands, but leaving her nonetheless. I cried while pumping. Twice. I cried tonight thinking about how I have to do it all again tomorrow and the next day and the day after.

The problem here is me and I know Future Me will read this someday and wish she could reach back in time and smack some sense into me. Here is why I know it's all my issue: Chloe's sitter is wonderful and is already loving my girl hard. Everyone at work gave me a wide berth and no one demanded anything of me today. Noah had a crap day at preschool but his teachers didn't press the issue. I'm the delicate flower wilting from the anxiety and stress. I worry about the kids (more so Chloe because she's wee and new and utterly defenseless) even though I know they're fine. I worry about the commute and how to make it as fast as possible so I can get the kids home at a decent time. I worry about how we're going to structure drop offs and pick ups with two kids at two different places and make sure neither is the last kid left waiting(don't ask...this is my own personal, totally unfounded, issue). I worry about pumping and keeping my supply up and how best to store the milk at work. I worry about how dinner is going to get made when I have a loud, demanding three year old and a loud, demanding three month old all wanting something at the same time.

I'm tired just writing that all out. I'm sorry, Future Me. I know it will all be just fine and these things will work themselves out in time and I need to quit the complaining. In the meantime, do you have any advice on how to streamline life with kids while working? One kid was a cake walk compared to this circus.

Our Holiday Traditions for the Young and Old

Like many families with young kids, we're in the process of developing our own holiday traditions, apart from and including the ones we both grew up with. Christmas, for me, has always been a really special and magical time of year and I LOVE the day after Thanksgiving when houses begin to sparkle with lights and trees appear in the front window. I also love the day after New Years' when I'm so tired of Christmas and ready to chuck the tree out the back door. But the 30 or so days in between are my very favorite.

I hope to pass on this love for the holiday season to Noah and Chloe and convince my husband that his "grinch-y" attitude WILL rub off on them eventually. I think he's starting to come around. I've incorporated some of the traditions I grew up with into our family and have begun some new ones this year that I hope stick around.

1. Our version of Elf on the Shelf. On December 1st, Santa's elf makes his inaugural appearance and so begins the daily morning search for our favorite little elf. Our elf watches out for good and bad behavior so he can report back to Santa each evening...last year, I found that behavior improved immensely during the month of December. The elf is a win-win! (I did suck at moving him around each night after Noah was in bed so I'll have to get better at it. Noah's much smarter this year.)

2. The tree and decorations come out the first weekend in December (so that would be...this weekend! Hooray!). I grew up with a real tree and my parents still buy one for us to enjoy on Christmas Day (RIGHT, MOM? Don't let me down!) but Tim's family did the fake tree and we're now the proud owners of a plastic pre-lit tree. Don't get me wrong, the fake tree is EASY and looks beautiful but I do miss picking out the perfect tree, bringing it home, letting it "rest" on the porch before placing it in its spot of honor in front of the window. Now that I typed all that out I think we'll be getting a real tree next year. I want those memories for our kids because the tree is the pinnacle of Christmas for me. However, this year, what with the new baby and going back to work on the 19th (ARRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH, BLLLLLEEEERRRRGGGHHHHH) I don't think I have the capacity to deal with a real tree. Fake it is.

3. Buy this year's ornaments for the tree. I've been buying an ornament for Noah each year that reflects his current interests. I think this year's will be a soccer ball since he's started soccer class recently. I also bought Chloe a blown glass owl ornament and the requisite Baby's First Christmas ornament. I plan to pass these all on to them when they have their first Christmas in their first home.

4. Buy one new holiday/Christmas children's book to add to our growing collection. We'll read one each night before bed...how much do you want to bet the highlight this year will be Merry Christmas, Curious George?

5. Put up the Advent calendar. I would usually begin an Advent calendar on the 1st but I did not get my act in gear this year to pick one out or make one. I'm putting this on my to-do list for right after Christmas so it'll be ready to go for next year. I'm thinking small envelopes or pouches hung on the tree with a piece of candy, holiday activity or tiny gift inside. Or perhaps I will convince my mother to hand over her calendar from when we were little...for the kids, of course.

5. Cinnamon, cloves and an orange peel simmering on the stove. This reminds me of my house during the holidays when we were small. Love it.

6. Have Noah check the mail each day for new holiday cards. I'll have them hanging from lengths of ribbon in the living room so he can look at them every day and see our friends and family.

7. On the 23rd we'll do our Annual Spot The Awesome Christmas Lights Drive around the neighborhood.

8. Christmas Eve will be spent with Tim's family and then a short road trip to my grandmother's. Since Christmas Eve is a busy day, our evening will be pretty mellow. We'll have the Noah set out cookies/milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. We'll have them open one small gift from us (because the rest of the gifts are from SANTA and SANTA doesn't come until after bedtime...and a glass or two of wine) and then head to bed in their new Christmas jammies.

9. Christmas morning we'll wake them up and head downstairs for stockings and presents and merriment of all kinds. I think I'm going to make homemade cinnamon rolls our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. Growing up we always had a baked apple pancake and since we'll see my parents later that day my guess is my dad will have made one that morning. I won't steal his recipe until they no longer want to host Christmas Day then it's all mine (you hear that Sister and Brother...hands off!).

10. Christmas Day includes a visit with my family and mimosas and a big dinner and more presents. We'll end the day with full bellies and warm hearts and pie. I hope there is pie.

I was worried we didn't have any "traditions" started but seeing this all in writing comforts me. We HAVE started our traditions and they've created a pretty good base to build on. What's your favorite holiday tradition with your family?

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Chloe, Two Months

Oh this girl of mine. She's everything that I had hoped for and more.

At two months, Chloe weighs 11 lbs, 9 oz and is 22.5 inches long. She's working really hard on the continued fattening of her chubby thighs and maintaining her deliciously smooch-able cheeks. I don't know about you but hammy baby thighs are kind of the best thing ever. Chloe loves to smile and show off the dimple in her left cheek...her entire face lights up when she sees her big brother. There is nothing like seeing a relationship start to grow between Noah and Chloe. Noah is already so protective of her and takes his role as her caretaker very seriously. He's in charge of keeping her blanket on her when she's in the swing and letting me know if she's spitting up. I love to hear his little feet come running to let me know his baby needs something. 

Chloe is slowly getting the hang of nighttime sleep. We're starting to see a longer stretch develop at night which means I'm getting a little more sleep. She's also getting better about going back to sleep after she wakes to nurse. It's a delicate game we all play and I am now wise enough to know that she'll switch it up on us tomorrow. I'm grateful she sleeps well during the day whether we're home or on the go...something her brother never did. He was a firm crib napper from day one and that really limited what I could do and where I could go. Not true of Chloe...she's game to nap for hours in her car seat. 

I don't know if this is true for every family but Chloe seems to be turning into the classic mellow second child. She rarely gets herself worked into a frenzy and even when she is up in the middle of the night she's never fussy. She's content to hang out in her swing or the bouncy seat while I'm otherwise occupied which makes getting things done a little easier. Toss a rattle or little toy her way and she's happy to bat at it over and over.

I'm looking forward to these next few months as she learns so many new skills and continues growing, all the while wishing she would stay small forever. In the meantime, I'll be over here munching on her hammy thighs.

Thankful, oh yes I am

These two light up my life and make me thankful in so many ways.

All images by Katie Basil

Happy, sad, loud or quiet, my babies are my everything. Enjoy your holiday my friends. Be thankful for what you have today.

The Great Toy Purge of 2011

Yesterday, after a very enlightening Twitter conversation with her and her, I embarked on the Great Toy Purge of 2011. My motivations were twofold: 1) Christmas is coming and we need some space in the playroom before it gets REALLY out of control and 2) I need to start teaching Noah some life lessons like the fact that not every child in this world has a ROOM full of toys. Both ladies employed the "pick out a few toys and we'll donate them to a less fortunate child" method of toy removal with excellent results. Both of their little guys got into it and really grasped the idea of giving toys to another little one who may not have as many wonderful things as they do. I was impressed and very motivated.

So I rounded Noah up and sat him down to explain what we were going to do. I was EXCITED! and used a POSITIVE VOICE! and kept mentioning how HELPFUL and GOOD this plan was! He bought in and we headed to the playroom. I asked him to pick out two toys and let him take his time deciding which ones he could part with. I encouraged him but didn't interfere with his decision process. Ten minutes later he had picked out the toys:

A blow up ball from a birthday party favor bag and one piece to a baby shape sorter. Sigh. I think we have some work to do.

Forty looks good on him

Six years ago I met a very special man who swept me off my feet and easily convinced me to spend the rest of our lives together. Today that guy turns 40 and I couldn't imagine anyone more deserving of a wonderful birthday than my husband. He's the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so very thankful for him. Thank you, Tim, for loving me and our family and for giving me the greatest gifts of all. Happy 40th my darling...you wear it well.

All images courtesy of our talented friend and photographer, Katie Basil. 

Email me at belleplaineliving at gmail dot com if you're in the 

Chicago area and looking for a fabulous photographer!