Rebecca is sleeping like a dream these days. She gets fussy between 7-8pm and once she has a bottle and her pj's and sleep sack, she actually giggles on the way up the stairs to her crib. I can place her in her crib, turn on her music, and she is content to go right to sleep without a peep. Scott says it's because she tired after 11 months of not sleeping! It is wonderful and she just looks like an angel when she curls up with her thumb in her mouth and her froggy in her arms to go to sleep. She will usually sleep until between 6-7am, when we'll hear her calling for us (but not usually screaming) and we'll bring her into the bed with us for a few minutes. She will not usually go back to the sleep though, but will sit still for a few minutes watching Semsame Street. She is still a baby that is on the move, and doesn't seem to enjoy sitting still for very long.
Ben is getting so big and grown up. Many days after school he exclaims that "I want to go somewhere", which usually means he wants to go to Arby's or McDonald's for dinner. Just these past few days he's started using the words "Dad" and "Mom" instead of "Daddy" and "Mommy"...I hope that doesn't stick because he sounds way to grown up doing that...but still so cute!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The last several weeks Ben has picked up a habit of asking "who bought it" for anything from his clothes and toys to the food he's eating. We have found it hilarious and most times when we ask him who he thinks bought it, he says "Mommy", which mildly annoys Daddy since often times it's Daddy who's picked out food or toys for him.
This past Wednesday night 11/2, when Lara was over with Ben to watch Cars 2 with him, Ben said he needed to go to the poddy. I asked Lara to take him, assuming it would be another false alarm. But this time, for the first time, he went poopy in his training poddy! Now in the week of 11/7 he has gone pee pee in the poddy at school more than once!
Rebecca took her first real step on 11/8! She has been getting to a standing position on her own without holding onto anything for a good while, but hadn't taken a step on her own until that night. She seemed proud and excited, but was satisfied with one step. Tonight (11/9) she took two steps. I'm sure if I encouraged her more, she'd take a few more, but I'm sure it's just a matter of days before she takes several steps on her own with or without me pushing it. Even without walking, Rebecca is into everything and anything that sparks her interest. She wants to do anything but sit still, even as it gets close to her bedtime and she's tired, she is still on the move. Tonight she tried to help Ben with his alphabet puzzle, recognizing that the pieces needed to go on the board. Ben would have liked her to find something else to play with of course!
Ben has been very interested in the alphabet puzzle from Aunt Nikki the last several days, saying he wants to fill in all the letters by ssaying he'll "do it by myself" and exclaiming "I did it!" when he's done. I'm really amazed that he can do it without help and he remembers what word each letter is associated with, like that h is for hat. This evening while getting buckled into his seat, we saw one of his classmates, Kaitlyn, leaving the school with her monther. Like I always do, I asked him who it was and he referred to her by name and then said "we saw her at the pumpkin patch". I was really surprised and impressed that he remembered we saw them there and that he could refer to the place correctly. I asked him what we did at the pumpkin patch and he responded "took pictures"! He may remember that because of how uncooperative he was when I was trying to get him to pose for a picture with the pumpkins.
Ben refers to the "family" often now. He's always loved what we call "family hug" where Scott and I put him and Rebecca in between us for a 4 person hug. But now he also likes asking for the family to be in bed with him for story time. I suspect it's because Scott refers to us as a family alot. It's cute to hear him refer to our family. Another thing Ben has started doing lately is explicitly ask me "Can I" do this or that versus simply making a higher pitched grunt. He'll ask "can I play with this" or "can I have that". He even knows raises his pitch at the end to make it clear he's asking a question. Sometimes, he calmly says "ok", if I say no to something, which is refreshing vs when he whines or does a fake cry upon hearing no. His conversation is really progressing so much and he is sounding so grown up! He's also been interested more in washing his hands at the sink, but still likes to play with the water and whatever may be in the kitchen sink at the time!
This past Wednesday night 11/2, when Lara was over with Ben to watch Cars 2 with him, Ben said he needed to go to the poddy. I asked Lara to take him, assuming it would be another false alarm. But this time, for the first time, he went poopy in his training poddy! Now in the week of 11/7 he has gone pee pee in the poddy at school more than once!
Rebecca took her first real step on 11/8! She has been getting to a standing position on her own without holding onto anything for a good while, but hadn't taken a step on her own until that night. She seemed proud and excited, but was satisfied with one step. Tonight (11/9) she took two steps. I'm sure if I encouraged her more, she'd take a few more, but I'm sure it's just a matter of days before she takes several steps on her own with or without me pushing it. Even without walking, Rebecca is into everything and anything that sparks her interest. She wants to do anything but sit still, even as it gets close to her bedtime and she's tired, she is still on the move. Tonight she tried to help Ben with his alphabet puzzle, recognizing that the pieces needed to go on the board. Ben would have liked her to find something else to play with of course!
Ben has been very interested in the alphabet puzzle from Aunt Nikki the last several days, saying he wants to fill in all the letters by ssaying he'll "do it by myself" and exclaiming "I did it!" when he's done. I'm really amazed that he can do it without help and he remembers what word each letter is associated with, like that h is for hat. This evening while getting buckled into his seat, we saw one of his classmates, Kaitlyn, leaving the school with her monther. Like I always do, I asked him who it was and he referred to her by name and then said "we saw her at the pumpkin patch". I was really surprised and impressed that he remembered we saw them there and that he could refer to the place correctly. I asked him what we did at the pumpkin patch and he responded "took pictures"! He may remember that because of how uncooperative he was when I was trying to get him to pose for a picture with the pumpkins.
Ben refers to the "family" often now. He's always loved what we call "family hug" where Scott and I put him and Rebecca in between us for a 4 person hug. But now he also likes asking for the family to be in bed with him for story time. I suspect it's because Scott refers to us as a family alot. It's cute to hear him refer to our family. Another thing Ben has started doing lately is explicitly ask me "Can I" do this or that versus simply making a higher pitched grunt. He'll ask "can I play with this" or "can I have that". He even knows raises his pitch at the end to make it clear he's asking a question. Sometimes, he calmly says "ok", if I say no to something, which is refreshing vs when he whines or does a fake cry upon hearing no. His conversation is really progressing so much and he is sounding so grown up! He's also been interested more in washing his hands at the sink, but still likes to play with the water and whatever may be in the kitchen sink at the time!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Ben and Rebecca are growing and changing so much. Ben is still very attentive and loving with Rebecca, although he did get upset this morning when I gave her a piece of his pancakes at breakfast. Even though, he refers to her as his baby and loves to touch, hold, and hug her.
Ben has said the funniest things lately too. Last week he woke up after I came into his bedroom and the first word he said was "nocturnal". When I asked him if that's what he said, he said that "owls are nocturnal"...that they sleep in morning. He remembered that from school I expect. A few days later he said "Bisquick" and then said he wanted some pancakes. I don't know how he knew that pancakes are made with Bisquick. He is learning so much so quickly. In the last week or so, I've noticed that he's started saying "why" after much of what I tell him. I wonder how long this will last, but I think it will take a long time for me to tire of his questions.
Ben loves his school, especially Mrs Carrie and his friend Will, who he now calls William...I think because Mrs Carrie calls him William alot at school. Ben is transitioning, now that he's 2 1/2, to Preppers from Toddlers, where he's been for just over 6 months. I'm worried about how it will go because he loves Mrs Carrie so much. At least Will is transitioning with him.
Ben has started watching movies over the last several weeks, really since we went on vacation in mid August when he watched Cars for the first time. Now we watch it almost every day. Mater is his favorite. He asks to watch a movie now more often than he asks to watch Caillou or Backyardigans, his earlier favorites. Cars is his favorite movie but he also has Finding Nemo and likes that one. He doesn't like Lion King and won't even watch the preview. I wasn't with him, but I understand he got very upset the first time he watched it when Simba's daddy died. He is a very sensitive little boy, so I'm not really surprised.
Rebecca has been crawling for a couple of months now, beginning to crawl much before Ben did. The last couple of week she has begun standing by herself, mostly with her legs spread under her a little wider than shoulder width. She hasn't taken her first step yet, but I think it will be any time now. She's also eating alot of adult food now, she seems to love macaroni and cheese. She also loves yogurt and pancakes, and even seems to enjoy eating broccoli off of Ben's plate. She is still very attached to me, and sometimes will not relax when being held by others if I am in the room, even with Daddy. She was sleeping better a few months ago than she is now. She has spent alot of nights in the bed with me, but I've put her in her crib the last 2 nights and she's done very well, although I have had to let her cry for several minutes.
Ben has said the funniest things lately too. Last week he woke up after I came into his bedroom and the first word he said was "nocturnal". When I asked him if that's what he said, he said that "owls are nocturnal"...that they sleep in morning. He remembered that from school I expect. A few days later he said "Bisquick" and then said he wanted some pancakes. I don't know how he knew that pancakes are made with Bisquick. He is learning so much so quickly. In the last week or so, I've noticed that he's started saying "why" after much of what I tell him. I wonder how long this will last, but I think it will take a long time for me to tire of his questions.
Ben loves his school, especially Mrs Carrie and his friend Will, who he now calls William...I think because Mrs Carrie calls him William alot at school. Ben is transitioning, now that he's 2 1/2, to Preppers from Toddlers, where he's been for just over 6 months. I'm worried about how it will go because he loves Mrs Carrie so much. At least Will is transitioning with him.
Ben has started watching movies over the last several weeks, really since we went on vacation in mid August when he watched Cars for the first time. Now we watch it almost every day. Mater is his favorite. He asks to watch a movie now more often than he asks to watch Caillou or Backyardigans, his earlier favorites. Cars is his favorite movie but he also has Finding Nemo and likes that one. He doesn't like Lion King and won't even watch the preview. I wasn't with him, but I understand he got very upset the first time he watched it when Simba's daddy died. He is a very sensitive little boy, so I'm not really surprised.
Rebecca has been crawling for a couple of months now, beginning to crawl much before Ben did. The last couple of week she has begun standing by herself, mostly with her legs spread under her a little wider than shoulder width. She hasn't taken her first step yet, but I think it will be any time now. She's also eating alot of adult food now, she seems to love macaroni and cheese. She also loves yogurt and pancakes, and even seems to enjoy eating broccoli off of Ben's plate. She is still very attached to me, and sometimes will not relax when being held by others if I am in the room, even with Daddy. She was sleeping better a few months ago than she is now. She has spent alot of nights in the bed with me, but I've put her in her crib the last 2 nights and she's done very well, although I have had to let her cry for several minutes.
Ben loves the pool - Jul 2011
Ben and I went to the pool this evening. He loved it, even though we only had about a 1/2 hour once we got there after supper. He seems to have no fear around the pool, throwing himself into water deeper than he is tall. I have to be there to lift him up. He enjoyed jumping around in the shallow water too, and of course liked walking under the "mushroom". Daddy said Ben had a great time at the pool with him last night as well, and got very upset when pool time was over.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Ben's 2nd birthday -April 2011
Ben turned 2 this past Friday. Scott and I have been teaching him to say that he's "2 years old". By the time that his birthday rolled around, he knew that it was a special day for him. Scott laid balloons in his crib Friday morning, much to his delight once he awoke. He enjoyed playing with them for a few minutes in his crib. Scott got some video of him with them.
Both Scott's and my immediate family came over for a party on Sunday. During the day Saturday, we talked a lot to Ben about who was coming and he seemed to understand. He says the word "party", I think possibly because they have holiday parties at school, which largely consists of eating lots of junk food at snack time. Ben can name everyone in the family, and knows who goes with who. If I say Nikki, he knows that Jody, Allie and Henry go along with her. He absolutely loves Allie and Henry, and gets excited whenever we talk about them and especially when they come over on the weekend for a visit.
Ben was very excited when he saw his cake, and had learned to say "birthday cake". He got very upset though when we told him that he couldn't eat any until after the guests arrived and after we all had lunch. Daddy tried to console him with an offerring of a spoonful of icing from the side of the cake, but Ben couldn't be consoled by then. It didn't take him that long to forget about it though and settle down. When he gets upset because he's not getting his way on something, he cries and screams for a bit and then he usually lays down on the carpet for a few minutes and sulks quietly, sometimes saying "night night". He rode with Daddy down to Lee's Chicken to pick up lunch, and thankfully got in a nap on the ride back home a little before noon.
After he and I (mostly I) blew out his candles, he clapped excitedly, which was so fitting and precious to see. He really looked like he was enjoying having everyone there, especially his cousins. He knows who the kids are, even the older ones like Chase.
Ben is in a stage where he repeats a lot of the words that others say. It was especially cute when he repeated "it's party time" several times after we blew out his candles.
Both Scott's and my immediate family came over for a party on Sunday. During the day Saturday, we talked a lot to Ben about who was coming and he seemed to understand. He says the word "party", I think possibly because they have holiday parties at school, which largely consists of eating lots of junk food at snack time. Ben can name everyone in the family, and knows who goes with who. If I say Nikki, he knows that Jody, Allie and Henry go along with her. He absolutely loves Allie and Henry, and gets excited whenever we talk about them and especially when they come over on the weekend for a visit.
Ben was very excited when he saw his cake, and had learned to say "birthday cake". He got very upset though when we told him that he couldn't eat any until after the guests arrived and after we all had lunch. Daddy tried to console him with an offerring of a spoonful of icing from the side of the cake, but Ben couldn't be consoled by then. It didn't take him that long to forget about it though and settle down. When he gets upset because he's not getting his way on something, he cries and screams for a bit and then he usually lays down on the carpet for a few minutes and sulks quietly, sometimes saying "night night". He rode with Daddy down to Lee's Chicken to pick up lunch, and thankfully got in a nap on the ride back home a little before noon.
After he and I (mostly I) blew out his candles, he clapped excitedly, which was so fitting and precious to see. He really looked like he was enjoying having everyone there, especially his cousins. He knows who the kids are, even the older ones like Chase.
Ben is in a stage where he repeats a lot of the words that others say. It was especially cute when he repeated "it's party time" several times after we blew out his candles.
Ben and Rebecca May 2011
Rebecca is getting to be such a big girl. Before she turns 5 months, she's already grabbing her feet when laying down on her back. She's been rolling over for a few weeks now. She still smiles so big whenever she sees someone or gets attention from someone.
Ben is quite a big boy too. He still loves hiding, behind pillows, curtains, or under blankets. Whenever he hears the garage door come up or I tell him that Daddy is home, he wants to hide. He still loves to play horsey, seems like even more than ever. He just holds on as he rides on my or Scott's back around the house. He usually asks for me to play with him, probably because he knows that I will give in.
The last couple of weeks, Ben has pretended that he's going to the store, especially if there's an empty bag in the family room or kitchen for him to pick up. He will name off a grocery list if you ask him what he's buying. His list usually starts with oatmeal, but he also lists oranges, butter, eggs, bread, and milk on his list. I just keep asking him what else he's getting, and he'll name one item each time after I ask. He can list several items before he gets to the bottom of his list. Ben went with me to the grocery store this morning. I would've left him at home so I could get it done more quickly, but when he realized I was going, he followed up with "me come", and I couldn't say no. He doesn't like sitting in the front of the cart.
Ben also really enjoys driving the cars and could spend 20 minutes or more in the drivers seat of the car, hitting buttons and pretend driving. It's still his usual ritual to ask if he can drive as we walk toward the van from his school each afternoon. His newest thing in the car is to ask for "window open". Now, he likes for the windows to be open when he's "driving".
Ben is quite a big boy too. He still loves hiding, behind pillows, curtains, or under blankets. Whenever he hears the garage door come up or I tell him that Daddy is home, he wants to hide. He still loves to play horsey, seems like even more than ever. He just holds on as he rides on my or Scott's back around the house. He usually asks for me to play with him, probably because he knows that I will give in.
The last couple of weeks, Ben has pretended that he's going to the store, especially if there's an empty bag in the family room or kitchen for him to pick up. He will name off a grocery list if you ask him what he's buying. His list usually starts with oatmeal, but he also lists oranges, butter, eggs, bread, and milk on his list. I just keep asking him what else he's getting, and he'll name one item each time after I ask. He can list several items before he gets to the bottom of his list. Ben went with me to the grocery store this morning. I would've left him at home so I could get it done more quickly, but when he realized I was going, he followed up with "me come", and I couldn't say no. He doesn't like sitting in the front of the cart.
Ben also really enjoys driving the cars and could spend 20 minutes or more in the drivers seat of the car, hitting buttons and pretend driving. It's still his usual ritual to ask if he can drive as we walk toward the van from his school each afternoon. His newest thing in the car is to ask for "window open". Now, he likes for the windows to be open when he's "driving".
Ben and Rebecca July 3, 2011
7-3-11 Ben is talking so much and is such a big boy! In the last few weeks, he's decided that he doesn't sleep in a crib anymore. He sleeps in the "other bed", the bed in the guest bedroom. He sleeps in the middle with pillows on either side of him, and early on with Daddy one side of him. He won't settle down and go to sleep with any less than 4 stories read to him, usually 2 from his "Nursery Tales" and 2 from his "Farm Tales" books. He loves Farmer Jones, Farmer Brown, the Drummer Boy as well as Three Little Pigs, Three Bears, Jack and Beanstalk, Gingerbread Man, and Little Red Riding Hood. His class spent the month of May learning nursery rhymes and fairy tales and since then he's been obsessed with many of the stories. He is especially interested in the "Big Bad Wolf"and pretends that the "big bad wolf comin". This morning we looked out the front windows and the front door, looking for the wolf. I've told him that the wolf can't blow our house down, but he still seems to worry about what the wolf could do if we encounter him.
Ben woke up yesterday morning and told me he had diaper rash. Luckily he didn't, but he must have remembered me explaining to him that he had diaper rash a few weeks ago. Usually when he wakes up, he either wants to see "baby" or wants to "go downstairs". He loves to play in the morning, which is tough during the week since we're rushing around trying to get ready for work. He likes to get a bag, usually either a gift bag or grocery bag, and say he's either going shopping or to a birthday party. And he always wants company...so that means I need to have a bag too and we put food from the pantry in the bags and then head out, either to the car or to the porch.
Rebecca just started sitting up without any help in the past week or so. She's also really started to have an interest in various baby toys, including the large soft block with animal pictures, the soft giraffe, her Sophie giraffe, and just about anything else you put in front of her. She's been rolling over for a while and now she seems to be able to move around a little bit by rolling and rotating on her tummy. She's just now able to play for a few minutes on her own without fussing for someone to be there with her. Before, she was only satisfied to be by herself if she was under the play gym.
Ben woke up yesterday morning and told me he had diaper rash. Luckily he didn't, but he must have remembered me explaining to him that he had diaper rash a few weeks ago. Usually when he wakes up, he either wants to see "baby" or wants to "go downstairs". He loves to play in the morning, which is tough during the week since we're rushing around trying to get ready for work. He likes to get a bag, usually either a gift bag or grocery bag, and say he's either going shopping or to a birthday party. And he always wants company...so that means I need to have a bag too and we put food from the pantry in the bags and then head out, either to the car or to the porch.
Rebecca just started sitting up without any help in the past week or so. She's also really started to have an interest in various baby toys, including the large soft block with animal pictures, the soft giraffe, her Sophie giraffe, and just about anything else you put in front of her. She's been rolling over for a while and now she seems to be able to move around a little bit by rolling and rotating on her tummy. She's just now able to play for a few minutes on her own without fussing for someone to be there with her. Before, she was only satisfied to be by herself if she was under the play gym.
Rebecca's recent milestones July 2011
It's July and Rebecca is finally sleeping through the night! She has slept throught the night one night at a time here and there, but has consistently slept for 10 hours at a time for the last week or two. I have even been able to put her down in her crib still awake and she is able to settle herself down to sleep. She may cry for a few seconds or minutes, but not long before she's settled down.
Rebecca is also sitting up very well on her own now. She started sitting up on a blanket on the floor around the beginning of July. I've stopped putting her in the seat in the morning while I shower, but instead she is content to sit on a blanket in my bedroom and play with a few toys. She'll also sit on her blanket in the family room and play with toys in the mornings for several minutes, perfectly content. She may fall forward and end up on her tummy, but often times she will lay in the position for a while before getting upset. Her brother usually takes that opportunity to straddle her like he's riding a horse. Surprisingly, she doesn't seem to mind it.
Rebecca's bottom two teeth are also coming in, starting to break through her gums about 2-3 weeks ago. Ms Annette said she was fussy one day when they were first breaking through, but after that she hasn't seemed bothered.
Rebecca is also sitting up very well on her own now. She started sitting up on a blanket on the floor around the beginning of July. I've stopped putting her in the seat in the morning while I shower, but instead she is content to sit on a blanket in my bedroom and play with a few toys. She'll also sit on her blanket in the family room and play with toys in the mornings for several minutes, perfectly content. She may fall forward and end up on her tummy, but often times she will lay in the position for a while before getting upset. Her brother usually takes that opportunity to straddle her like he's riding a horse. Surprisingly, she doesn't seem to mind it.
Rebecca's bottom two teeth are also coming in, starting to break through her gums about 2-3 weeks ago. Ms Annette said she was fussy one day when they were first breaking through, but after that she hasn't seemed bothered.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Ben is talking so much, and is such a sweet darling boy. He stills enjoys playing with his trucks, and most times his play consists of lining them up on the living room window sill and then loading them back into his dump truck, jack o lantern or Rebecca's pink easter basket. He'll do the same with his animals, and usually rotates between the two from day to day. Some mornings the first thing Ben utters when Daddy or I get him out of his crib is "trucks!".
He also recently started getting a shopping bag out of the pantry and filling it with food like boxes of pasta noodles as if he's shopping at the grocery store. Then he announces that we need to "go home" from the store with our filled bags. If I let him, I tihnk he'd walk out to the van and pretend we are driving home with our load.
Ben also likes to play "birthday" party, but I'm not sure exactly what the inspiration was, outside of his own birthday party in April. One day, we brought one of his helium balloons that was still inflated and a cupcake, along with a bag of either toys or food, out to the porch, where he enjoyed a "birthday party" and we sang "Happy Birthday" to just about everyone we know.
He also recently started getting a shopping bag out of the pantry and filling it with food like boxes of pasta noodles as if he's shopping at the grocery store. Then he announces that we need to "go home" from the store with our filled bags. If I let him, I tihnk he'd walk out to the van and pretend we are driving home with our load.
Ben also likes to play "birthday" party, but I'm not sure exactly what the inspiration was, outside of his own birthday party in April. One day, we brought one of his helium balloons that was still inflated and a cupcake, along with a bag of either toys or food, out to the porch, where he enjoyed a "birthday party" and we sang "Happy Birthday" to just about everyone we know.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Rebecca sleeping so much better - 6-13-11
Rebecca is doing so much better getting to sleep, I think we've finally turned the corner! I was so worried about her because I was going to celebrate Wendy's 40th birthday and would be away for up to 2 nights. But by a wonderful stroke of luck, or divine intervention, Rebecca fell asleep on her own Thursday night, lying on her stomach with her thumb in her mouth. She slept in the same position from 11 am to after 6 am. I checked on her once or twice during the night to find her sleeping peacefully! That made me feel so much better about being away. Up until then, Rebecca was having a hard time falling asleep on her own, often waking up when I tried to lay her in the crib, unless she was soundly sleeping later at night. She spent alot of evenings sleeping in the boppy in the family room and alot of very early mornings sleeping in bed with Mommy. For the last couple of months, she was waking up every 2-3 hours. She slept through the night Friday night for Daddy and Grandma Marla, who'd come to visit and help babysit. She woke up at 2am and 4am on Saturday night, but fell back asleep each time after having a bottle. I got home Sunday around noon, and put Rebecca down in her crib around 1:30 for a nap, pleasantly surprised to see her settle down in her crib, sucking her thumb, for an over 2 hour nap!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Rebecca's first month and a new harness
At Rebecca's 1 month check up on Mon Jan 3, the pediatrician suspected that she may have hip dysplasia and referred us to an orthopaedic doctor who we saw a few days later on that Thursday where it was confirmed that he had it and where she was outfitted in a Pavlik harness to stablize her hip in the right place. She must wear the harness 24 hours a day. We went to see Dr Tuten, a different orthopaedic doctor, on Monday Jan 8, who specializes in pediatric orthopaedics and who we're much happier with. He expects Rebecca to stay in the harness for 6 weeks instead of 10, which is great news. Rebecca doesn't seem bothered at all by the harness and it really is only an inconvenience for me since I can't take it off to bathe her and it makes her clothing options limited. We've found a few outfits that are 1-2 sizes up that fit her nicely though. I can still hold and cuddle with her fairly easily.
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| Rebecca in happy in her harness |
Rebecca's first month has been less than consistent when it comes to her sleeping patterns. However, the last few nights she has slept soundly from 10 or 11 pm to around 3 am. She still has some trouble settling down to sleep after that middle of the night feeding, and often times spends the rest of the night in the bed with me, if Daddy is down sleeping on the sofa, making sure he is better rested for work the next day. She settles down so much better sleeping beside me than she does when I try to put her back in the bassinet. She might be asleep in my arms, but shortly after I put her in the bassinet, she starts stirring and awakens. She does not have a consistent napping schedule during the day yet. She slept long stints at a time the first couple of weeks but has started taking shorter naps with more awake time the older she gets. She also is more easily awaken. Her first few weeks she probably could have slept through a train coming through the house.
Ben - Feb 27, 2011
Ben got his first haircut today! He and I looked at pictures of the hair studio online on Friday, with the hopes getting him excited about sitting in one of the car shaped chairs. He cried when we sat him in the police car though and when the stylist sprayed his hair with water. Once she offerred him a lollipop though, he was much better, sucking on it throughout his cut and getting it replaced with a new one when he complained that hair had gotten on it. Ben's hair had gotten pretty long, but it got cut pretty short, with the stylist even using the clippers to shave the nape of his neck. His new short cut looked so cute on him. Daddy said he wished we'd gotten it cut much earlier. I thought he looked cute with his longer hair too though!
Lara came to visit at lunch, bringing chick filet chicken and fries for Ben. He loved dipping the fries in the polynesian sauce. He whispered to Lara to request a sip of her Dr Pepper, later asking for "more" in a whisper, Lara thought his whispers were an attempt to keep me from hearing, which may be true!
Allie and Henry came over in the afternoon after nap, and Ben seems to love having them at the house. He gave them lots of hugs throughout the afternoon.
Ben has started saying the word "heavy" once he picks things up, even for things that really shouldn't be that heavy for him. This evening he described his puzzles that he picked up to carry from the family room to the mud room as "heavy". He wanted to play with them with me in the mud room for some reason. He and I played with his blocks in the mud room and then with most of his puzzles, one by one. He and I were playing with his blocks when he said "puzzle" and we walked into the family room and he said "animals", but the first puzzle he chose was his vehicle puzzle, eventually getting to each of his animal puzzles. After we finished with all but his house puzzle, he sat on my lap on the family room floor while we read several stories out of the "Farm Tales" book that was Allie and Henry's. When we used to look at that book, it was just to look for "woof woof" pictures, but he pulled it out again this weekend and was interested in hearing all of the stories. He sat through at least 4 of them at a time. For the story where the animals are wondering where Farmer Brown is, Ben yells out "there he is" once we get to the page which shows Farmer Brown on his tractor. Daddy then took Ben upstairs where they read books in "Daddy bed", probably Good Night Moon, which has become somewhat of a ritual. And somehow Ben took Mommy's favorite pillow to his crib with him.
Lara came to visit at lunch, bringing chick filet chicken and fries for Ben. He loved dipping the fries in the polynesian sauce. He whispered to Lara to request a sip of her Dr Pepper, later asking for "more" in a whisper, Lara thought his whispers were an attempt to keep me from hearing, which may be true!
Allie and Henry came over in the afternoon after nap, and Ben seems to love having them at the house. He gave them lots of hugs throughout the afternoon.
Ben has started saying the word "heavy" once he picks things up, even for things that really shouldn't be that heavy for him. This evening he described his puzzles that he picked up to carry from the family room to the mud room as "heavy". He wanted to play with them with me in the mud room for some reason. He and I played with his blocks in the mud room and then with most of his puzzles, one by one. He and I were playing with his blocks when he said "puzzle" and we walked into the family room and he said "animals", but the first puzzle he chose was his vehicle puzzle, eventually getting to each of his animal puzzles. After we finished with all but his house puzzle, he sat on my lap on the family room floor while we read several stories out of the "Farm Tales" book that was Allie and Henry's. When we used to look at that book, it was just to look for "woof woof" pictures, but he pulled it out again this weekend and was interested in hearing all of the stories. He sat through at least 4 of them at a time. For the story where the animals are wondering where Farmer Brown is, Ben yells out "there he is" once we get to the page which shows Farmer Brown on his tractor. Daddy then took Ben upstairs where they read books in "Daddy bed", probably Good Night Moon, which has become somewhat of a ritual. And somehow Ben took Mommy's favorite pillow to his crib with him.
Ben - Jan & Feb 2011
Ben continues to be such a joy. There are so many things he does that delight Mommy and Daddy. I'll attempt to document many of them.
Daddy bought Ben toy animal figures at the zoo last June, which he still plays with now. In the set are an elephant, lion, giraffe, cheetah, zebra, hippo, and warthog. Ben had one of the animals out which I referred to as his "warthog" to which Ben replied "no", one of his favorite words by the way. Then I noticed he had said "no" because it was actually the hippo that he had. That was the first time Ben corrected Mommy, but I'm sure not nearly the last!
Ben is pretty good about wearing his hat when he's outside, usually wearing the red felt Old Navy hat of Pierce and Davis' that Robin gave him . It's been a cold winter, so I have also been wearing a stocking cap when I go to pick Ben up in the afternoons. Ben insists on wearing my hat as we leave school, by saying "Mommy's", indicating that he wants to wear my hat and wants me to wear his. So most days, we walk out of school in eachother's hats. He looks especially cute with an oversized hat on where I just look ridiculous with a hat on that is too small. The teachers think it is very cute though. Ben also likes to wear Daddy's stocking cap when he gets the chance.
Ben is also repeating several words that Daddy or I say, including "ready", "nuts", and "pizza" to name a few. His language skills are improving so rapidly.
Ben loves to have his snacks in a bowl and when he sees a snack that he would like he says "bowl" to indicate that he'd like to have a bowl to put some in, whether it be crackers, fruit, or candy. He also now knows which cabinet to go open and retrieve one of his small plastic snack bowls.
Ben enjoys pulling the tissues out of the tissue box, never stopping at just one. He also asks for a tissue by name when his nose is running and can wipe his nose himself.
When Ben has a snack, he will often "share" it with his toys, feeding his trucks, especially those that have a smiling face on their grill. Just lately he has started enjoying having his zoo and farm animals on his highchair tray with him, sharing his food with a few of his favorites.
Ben grabs at the computer screen, tv, or pictures of trucks, seemingly thinking that he can pull them off of the screen or page and play with them, sometimes saying "want some".
Ben consistently refers to the small "Incredible Hulk" toy he got out of a happy meal as "Daddy".
Ben has started showing a preference for the clothes he wears. When I opened the middle drawer of his dresser, which was low enough for him to have a great view of the contents, he pulled out which shirt he wanted to wear. First he pulled out his Caillou shirt and then changed his mind when he saw his moose shirt, indicating that he wanted to wear it instead.
Ben has started saying the word "heavy" once he picks things up, even for things that really shouldn't be that heavy for him.
Daddy bought Ben toy animal figures at the zoo last June, which he still plays with now. In the set are an elephant, lion, giraffe, cheetah, zebra, hippo, and warthog. Ben had one of the animals out which I referred to as his "warthog" to which Ben replied "no", one of his favorite words by the way. Then I noticed he had said "no" because it was actually the hippo that he had. That was the first time Ben corrected Mommy, but I'm sure not nearly the last!
Ben is pretty good about wearing his hat when he's outside, usually wearing the red felt Old Navy hat of Pierce and Davis' that Robin gave him . It's been a cold winter, so I have also been wearing a stocking cap when I go to pick Ben up in the afternoons. Ben insists on wearing my hat as we leave school, by saying "Mommy's", indicating that he wants to wear my hat and wants me to wear his. So most days, we walk out of school in eachother's hats. He looks especially cute with an oversized hat on where I just look ridiculous with a hat on that is too small. The teachers think it is very cute though. Ben also likes to wear Daddy's stocking cap when he gets the chance.
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| Ben wearing Daddy's hat on the way to school. Notice Ben's usual red hat in Daddy's hands. |
Ben loves to have his snacks in a bowl and when he sees a snack that he would like he says "bowl" to indicate that he'd like to have a bowl to put some in, whether it be crackers, fruit, or candy. He also now knows which cabinet to go open and retrieve one of his small plastic snack bowls.
Ben enjoys pulling the tissues out of the tissue box, never stopping at just one. He also asks for a tissue by name when his nose is running and can wipe his nose himself.
When Ben has a snack, he will often "share" it with his toys, feeding his trucks, especially those that have a smiling face on their grill. Just lately he has started enjoying having his zoo and farm animals on his highchair tray with him, sharing his food with a few of his favorites.
Ben grabs at the computer screen, tv, or pictures of trucks, seemingly thinking that he can pull them off of the screen or page and play with them, sometimes saying "want some".
Ben consistently refers to the small "Incredible Hulk" toy he got out of a happy meal as "Daddy".
Ben has started showing a preference for the clothes he wears. When I opened the middle drawer of his dresser, which was low enough for him to have a great view of the contents, he pulled out which shirt he wanted to wear. First he pulled out his Caillou shirt and then changed his mind when he saw his moose shirt, indicating that he wanted to wear it instead.
Ben has started saying the word "heavy" once he picks things up, even for things that really shouldn't be that heavy for him.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Week of Jan 24th
Wow! Rebecca slept until 6 am Monday morning, after a few fitful hours in the evening, with several nursing periods, light sleep, and then periods of crying out. Scott and I can't figure out what has her upset in the evening, but nursing her seems to be the only thing that settles her down for longer than a few minutes. She napped well in her pack and play in the afternoon, waking around 4:15 in time for us to go pick up Ben and be back in time for a visit from Renee, to bring dinner and meet Rebecca. Renee was able to settle Rebecca down in the evening, even getting her to take a pacifier for longer than she has in the past. Ben went down to sleep easily.
On Tuesday morning, Rebecca slept the entire time between her 6 am and next feeding, which didn't occur until closer to 10 am after I awoke her with a diaper change. She fell alseep again after nursing, but I used her sponge bath to wake her up. I played with her but making faces in the mirror and talking to her. She fell asleep as I was holding her and she was in and out of light sleep for several minutes once I laid her down on the sofa. She still falls asleep easily in my arms, but if not in a deep sleep when I put her down, will often wake after a few minutes. Around 11:30, I put Rebecca in her crip to sleep, and she slept well until I woke her to eat again.
Rebecca fell asleep after nursing at 6 am Wednesday morning. I woke her at 10 am to eat again, and then we went out to the mall to pick up Benjamin's table I'd ordered. She slept most of the time between that feeding and her 1:00 feeding which I had to wake her for. She also didn't stay awake long afterward, sleeping in the pack and play until I awoke her for her 4:00 feeding. She was alseep again coming back from picking up Ben and slept a while, allowing time for Ben and me to play together. Ben and I loaded and dumped his small animals and trucks from his dump truck. The maid had come this morning, but after a few minutes, we had trucks spread out across the family room and kitchen.
Ben asked for a "nana" before dinner, and he ate it all. He likes to hold the banana himself, peeled part of the way down, but then needs help to finish peeling it so he can finish eating it. Once I had Ben's dinner heated (rotisserie chicken from Costco, brocolli with melted cheese and rice), he wasn't interested in eating and pushed his plate away. However, he settled down nicely after a few minutes and ate most of his rice and broccoli and a few pieces of chicken. He's shown recently that he doesn't like being pulled away from his playing to eat, but eventually will settle down and eat something.
Ben has continued his obsession with juice, but now all juice is "apple juice" which he enunciates quite well, but it's a matter of trial and error to determine which kind of juice he actually wants. He is adamant about what type of juice he wants, and will let you know if pulling apple juice out of the refrigerator isn't right even though he's asking for "apple juice", since it can just as often mean that he wants orange juice. I'm trying to get him to understand that he needs to refer to it as orange or "o" juice, but so far to no avail.
Scott got home from work around 7:30, which was a treat for Ben since lately he hasn't come home until after Ben is in bed. He treated Ben to some m&m's, which Ben calls "nuts" for some reason. First, Scott gave Ben a small piece of graham cracker, which is what he'd asked for. After Ben's first bite, Scott showed him that he had a few m&m's in his other hand, to which Ben immediately announced that he was "all done" with the graham cracker! Ben apparently showed a preference for blue m&m's, according to Scott. Scott told him that the fourth or fifth m&m was going to be his last, and he still offerred it to me to eat. I'm thinking Ben didn't understand that it was going to be his last one! After finishing the m&m's, the graham cracker looked appealing again and Ben finished it.
Rebecca was fussy again Wednesday night, eating every couple of hours and either fussing or sleeping some in between feedings. After I fed her around 10 pm, even though she'd eaten at 6 pm and 8 pm, she was still fussy. I awoke Scott from his nap on the family room carpet and asked him to walk around with her. I was so happy that she settled down with him in a matter of seconds it seemed, with her head resting on his shoulder. He put her down on the sofa and she continued sleeping there in the boppy until almost 6 am. I stayed down there with her on the other end of the sofa until 4 am, and Scott stayed with her until 6. I'm impressed with how long she can sleep, being still under 2 months old!
Lara came to visit us on Thursday after work, and Rebecca slept in the bouncy seat for a good while in the evening, while Ben had a little dinner and played with Lara and me. Before she'd arrived, Ben tried out his new table which I'd put together in the afternoon. He enjoyed sitting at it with his coloring books and markers. After eating at 7, Rebecca slept again in Lara's arms until almost 9:00. However, she was a little bit fussy again after eating, still having a hard time settling back down, but it was better than last night. She ended up sleeping from around 10:30 to 3:00 am in her bassinet, waking to eat and then sleeping the rest of the morning in the bed resting her head in the boppy. Ben also had a hard time, probably partly due to Scott getting home at 8:00, just prior to him going into his crib. He and Scott read books for a little while upstairs before Scott put Ben down. Ben would have none of it though, and cried and screamed for his Daddy for a good while. After Scott talked to Ben about going "night night", he still cried. I brought him downstairs for some milk and cuddle time with Daddy before putting him down again. This time there was only a minute or two of crying before he quieted down and went to sleep.
The weather was nice on Saturday, so Ben and I went outside after almost 3 hour nap. Ben is a little apprehensive about being outside nowadays, afraid a dog will come to close. He listens for dogs barking and says "woof woof" when he hears one. He also wants to be picked up, presumably to be protected from a dog encounter. We weren't outside long before Daddy got home. He asked Ben if he wanted to go to the playground, to which Ben instantly answered "yes" to. So Scott and Ben got in the car with a little juice and headed off. I loaded Rebecca into the van and we met them there before she and I headed off to the grocery store. Ben enjoyed running around and going down the slide.
Ben and Scott stayed home on Sunday, while Rebecca and I went to the farm, to go to church and the lunch afterward to celebrate the new well at the church. Aunt Glenda fed Rebecca a bottle and held her all during the service. Grandma, Aunt Jean, Charlotte, Phyllis, Barbara, and everyone else at church got to see Rebecca for the first time, since she only saw my immediate family at Christmas. Aunt Catherine and Robin even got to meet her Sunday evening at Grandma Hazlegrove's house. I stopped up on my way out to see them and ended up having ham rolls, baked apples, baked beans, and grape salad for dinner with them, Grandma, and Jean. Scott and Ben went to Maymont on Saturday after Ben's nap, seeing lots of goats. I understand Ben and Daddy took a nap together in our bed...I'm not surprised!
On Tuesday morning, Rebecca slept the entire time between her 6 am and next feeding, which didn't occur until closer to 10 am after I awoke her with a diaper change. She fell alseep again after nursing, but I used her sponge bath to wake her up. I played with her but making faces in the mirror and talking to her. She fell asleep as I was holding her and she was in and out of light sleep for several minutes once I laid her down on the sofa. She still falls asleep easily in my arms, but if not in a deep sleep when I put her down, will often wake after a few minutes. Around 11:30, I put Rebecca in her crip to sleep, and she slept well until I woke her to eat again.
Rebecca fell asleep after nursing at 6 am Wednesday morning. I woke her at 10 am to eat again, and then we went out to the mall to pick up Benjamin's table I'd ordered. She slept most of the time between that feeding and her 1:00 feeding which I had to wake her for. She also didn't stay awake long afterward, sleeping in the pack and play until I awoke her for her 4:00 feeding. She was alseep again coming back from picking up Ben and slept a while, allowing time for Ben and me to play together. Ben and I loaded and dumped his small animals and trucks from his dump truck. The maid had come this morning, but after a few minutes, we had trucks spread out across the family room and kitchen.
Ben asked for a "nana" before dinner, and he ate it all. He likes to hold the banana himself, peeled part of the way down, but then needs help to finish peeling it so he can finish eating it. Once I had Ben's dinner heated (rotisserie chicken from Costco, brocolli with melted cheese and rice), he wasn't interested in eating and pushed his plate away. However, he settled down nicely after a few minutes and ate most of his rice and broccoli and a few pieces of chicken. He's shown recently that he doesn't like being pulled away from his playing to eat, but eventually will settle down and eat something.
Ben has continued his obsession with juice, but now all juice is "apple juice" which he enunciates quite well, but it's a matter of trial and error to determine which kind of juice he actually wants. He is adamant about what type of juice he wants, and will let you know if pulling apple juice out of the refrigerator isn't right even though he's asking for "apple juice", since it can just as often mean that he wants orange juice. I'm trying to get him to understand that he needs to refer to it as orange or "o" juice, but so far to no avail.
Scott got home from work around 7:30, which was a treat for Ben since lately he hasn't come home until after Ben is in bed. He treated Ben to some m&m's, which Ben calls "nuts" for some reason. First, Scott gave Ben a small piece of graham cracker, which is what he'd asked for. After Ben's first bite, Scott showed him that he had a few m&m's in his other hand, to which Ben immediately announced that he was "all done" with the graham cracker! Ben apparently showed a preference for blue m&m's, according to Scott. Scott told him that the fourth or fifth m&m was going to be his last, and he still offerred it to me to eat. I'm thinking Ben didn't understand that it was going to be his last one! After finishing the m&m's, the graham cracker looked appealing again and Ben finished it.
Rebecca was fussy again Wednesday night, eating every couple of hours and either fussing or sleeping some in between feedings. After I fed her around 10 pm, even though she'd eaten at 6 pm and 8 pm, she was still fussy. I awoke Scott from his nap on the family room carpet and asked him to walk around with her. I was so happy that she settled down with him in a matter of seconds it seemed, with her head resting on his shoulder. He put her down on the sofa and she continued sleeping there in the boppy until almost 6 am. I stayed down there with her on the other end of the sofa until 4 am, and Scott stayed with her until 6. I'm impressed with how long she can sleep, being still under 2 months old!
Lara came to visit us on Thursday after work, and Rebecca slept in the bouncy seat for a good while in the evening, while Ben had a little dinner and played with Lara and me. Before she'd arrived, Ben tried out his new table which I'd put together in the afternoon. He enjoyed sitting at it with his coloring books and markers. After eating at 7, Rebecca slept again in Lara's arms until almost 9:00. However, she was a little bit fussy again after eating, still having a hard time settling back down, but it was better than last night. She ended up sleeping from around 10:30 to 3:00 am in her bassinet, waking to eat and then sleeping the rest of the morning in the bed resting her head in the boppy. Ben also had a hard time, probably partly due to Scott getting home at 8:00, just prior to him going into his crib. He and Scott read books for a little while upstairs before Scott put Ben down. Ben would have none of it though, and cried and screamed for his Daddy for a good while. After Scott talked to Ben about going "night night", he still cried. I brought him downstairs for some milk and cuddle time with Daddy before putting him down again. This time there was only a minute or two of crying before he quieted down and went to sleep.
The weather was nice on Saturday, so Ben and I went outside after almost 3 hour nap. Ben is a little apprehensive about being outside nowadays, afraid a dog will come to close. He listens for dogs barking and says "woof woof" when he hears one. He also wants to be picked up, presumably to be protected from a dog encounter. We weren't outside long before Daddy got home. He asked Ben if he wanted to go to the playground, to which Ben instantly answered "yes" to. So Scott and Ben got in the car with a little juice and headed off. I loaded Rebecca into the van and we met them there before she and I headed off to the grocery store. Ben enjoyed running around and going down the slide.
Ben and Scott stayed home on Sunday, while Rebecca and I went to the farm, to go to church and the lunch afterward to celebrate the new well at the church. Aunt Glenda fed Rebecca a bottle and held her all during the service. Grandma, Aunt Jean, Charlotte, Phyllis, Barbara, and everyone else at church got to see Rebecca for the first time, since she only saw my immediate family at Christmas. Aunt Catherine and Robin even got to meet her Sunday evening at Grandma Hazlegrove's house. I stopped up on my way out to see them and ended up having ham rolls, baked apples, baked beans, and grape salad for dinner with them, Grandma, and Jean. Scott and Ben went to Maymont on Saturday after Ben's nap, seeing lots of goats. I understand Ben and Daddy took a nap together in our bed...I'm not surprised!
Rebecca at 2 months
Rebecca continues to do well. We went to her 2 month check-up on Monday 2/7 and she weighed 12 lbs 4 ounces, including her harness which the doctor indicated weighs about 1/2 lb. She measured 22 1/2 inches. Even adjusting for the harness, she has gained a lot of weight and is growing, which is obvious by just looking at her. She is a far cry from the tiny little baby we brought home from the hospital at under 7 lbs!
She is sleeping better, taking more naps in her crib. Still, some days she has trouble napping, waking up after very short naps and eating more frequently than the typical 3 hour interval. Today she took a fairly short late morning nap but fell asleep right after her1:00 feeding. I tried to put her down at 1:30 and she woke up crying. She'd fall asleep as soon as she was back in my arms but would wake up as soon as I put her in the crib. We tried that twice and then I just held her longer and laid her on the sofa in the boppy, where she has taken quite a long nap and I've had to wake her at 4:15 to eat again, before going to get Benjamin at school.
She is sleeping better, taking more naps in her crib. Still, some days she has trouble napping, waking up after very short naps and eating more frequently than the typical 3 hour interval. Today she took a fairly short late morning nap but fell asleep right after her1:00 feeding. I tried to put her down at 1:30 and she woke up crying. She'd fall asleep as soon as she was back in my arms but would wake up as soon as I put her in the crib. We tried that twice and then I just held her longer and laid her on the sofa in the boppy, where she has taken quite a long nap and I've had to wake her at 4:15 to eat again, before going to get Benjamin at school.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Trip to Grandma and Papa Bleicher's
We drove to Grandma and Papa Bleicher's on Saturday for a visit. Preparing for the trip earlier in the week, Scott kept asking Ben what Papa has and Ben would respond by putting his finger above his lip, referring to Papa's moustache.
Ben seemed to enjoy the trip quite a bit. We sang Old McDonald in the car on the way up and he even gave his input into what animal we should sing about next, and indicated his approval with a nod as I suggested most of the sequence as we went through cows, ducks, horses, goats, and sheep. Ben ate lots of blueberries, as usual, for lunch. He enjoyed reading the books at Grandma's, since they were like new to him. The Big Red Barn and My First Book of Animals. It took a lot of reading and at least 2 attempts, but he finally settled down for a nap upstairs in the crib. Ben's cousin Joel came over with Uncle Marc and Aunt Julia for a visit. Scott says that Joel seemed interested in Ben, but when he approached Ben while playing, Ben would declare "my truck" to him. We brought Ben's tow truck as one of his favorite toys. The kids seemed satisfied enough that Scott and I went to Rio Grande for an early dinner. When we got back, we found Ben sitting at the head of the table with the grandparents and Marc and Julia, looking like quite a big boy and seeming happy as a clam. Grandma Marla indicated that the pizza they'd ordered out for was his 2nd dinner, after eating brocolli and apple sauce earlier. She says that when the boxes were brought into the kitchen, he yelled out "pizza!" Later in the evening, Ben went to the steps and said what I think was "bath". I asked if he wanted a bath and he responded with an excited "yes", so Scott gave him a bath. At bedtime, Scott had to stay upstairs with Ben in his childhood bed until Ben fell asleep, because he cried out when we put him in the unfamiliar crib. I think it might be b/c the night light wasn't plugged in. Ben had a good time playing on Sunday before we got on the road late morning. He said "bye bye Papa" from the van as we were leaving. I thought he'd nap in the carseat on the drive home, but he stayed awake the entire ride, putting his red hat on and taking it off, playing peek a boo with us as he pulled it over his eys, and holding Bunny and Chicky while sucking his thumb. We stopped at McDonalds for a cheeseburger with side of apples happy meal, which he nibbled on a little. He also had a little of my coke, which of course he loves but I think realizes is a treat for him. It was fairly nice out when we got home in the afternoon, so Ben and Scott played outside for a good while in the afternoon, since Ben refused a nap. He was exhausted and fussy in the evening, and fell asleep a good bit before his bedtime right in the middle of reading a book with Daddy. Ben slept until after 7, only waking when Scott took him out of his crib and laid him in our bed with me while I was holding Rebecca. Once awake, he was all smiles and gave lots of hugs to baby and me.
Ben started talking alot more this weekend, saying "yes" more freely instead of just nodding his head and referring to my drink as "wata". He also expanded his colors from just "blue" and "yellow" to "reD", with emphasis on the "d". He also recognizes and will say the color "white" and even referred to a marker appropriately as "gray".
Rebecca took a good nap in the living room on Saturday afternoon in the pack and play. She napped Sunday morning in Grandma's arms in the recliner, which both seemed to enjoy. We tried Saturday evening to give Rebecca a bottle, to no avail. She screamed alot in protest against it. It has me worried that she's not taking the Playtex bottle either, since my trip to Canada is in less than a week and the bottle will be her only option. I tried the Dr Browns bottle on Sunday night at home and she took it after a much shorter protest, at least 5 ounces over the course of 3 bottles during the evening. Then she slept from 10 pm to 4:30 am, which I'll take any night at this age.
Ben seemed to enjoy the trip quite a bit. We sang Old McDonald in the car on the way up and he even gave his input into what animal we should sing about next, and indicated his approval with a nod as I suggested most of the sequence as we went through cows, ducks, horses, goats, and sheep. Ben ate lots of blueberries, as usual, for lunch. He enjoyed reading the books at Grandma's, since they were like new to him. The Big Red Barn and My First Book of Animals. It took a lot of reading and at least 2 attempts, but he finally settled down for a nap upstairs in the crib. Ben's cousin Joel came over with Uncle Marc and Aunt Julia for a visit. Scott says that Joel seemed interested in Ben, but when he approached Ben while playing, Ben would declare "my truck" to him. We brought Ben's tow truck as one of his favorite toys. The kids seemed satisfied enough that Scott and I went to Rio Grande for an early dinner. When we got back, we found Ben sitting at the head of the table with the grandparents and Marc and Julia, looking like quite a big boy and seeming happy as a clam. Grandma Marla indicated that the pizza they'd ordered out for was his 2nd dinner, after eating brocolli and apple sauce earlier. She says that when the boxes were brought into the kitchen, he yelled out "pizza!" Later in the evening, Ben went to the steps and said what I think was "bath". I asked if he wanted a bath and he responded with an excited "yes", so Scott gave him a bath. At bedtime, Scott had to stay upstairs with Ben in his childhood bed until Ben fell asleep, because he cried out when we put him in the unfamiliar crib. I think it might be b/c the night light wasn't plugged in. Ben had a good time playing on Sunday before we got on the road late morning. He said "bye bye Papa" from the van as we were leaving. I thought he'd nap in the carseat on the drive home, but he stayed awake the entire ride, putting his red hat on and taking it off, playing peek a boo with us as he pulled it over his eys, and holding Bunny and Chicky while sucking his thumb. We stopped at McDonalds for a cheeseburger with side of apples happy meal, which he nibbled on a little. He also had a little of my coke, which of course he loves but I think realizes is a treat for him. It was fairly nice out when we got home in the afternoon, so Ben and Scott played outside for a good while in the afternoon, since Ben refused a nap. He was exhausted and fussy in the evening, and fell asleep a good bit before his bedtime right in the middle of reading a book with Daddy. Ben slept until after 7, only waking when Scott took him out of his crib and laid him in our bed with me while I was holding Rebecca. Once awake, he was all smiles and gave lots of hugs to baby and me.
Ben started talking alot more this weekend, saying "yes" more freely instead of just nodding his head and referring to my drink as "wata". He also expanded his colors from just "blue" and "yellow" to "reD", with emphasis on the "d". He also recognizes and will say the color "white" and even referred to a marker appropriately as "gray".
Rebecca took a good nap in the living room on Saturday afternoon in the pack and play. She napped Sunday morning in Grandma's arms in the recliner, which both seemed to enjoy. We tried Saturday evening to give Rebecca a bottle, to no avail. She screamed alot in protest against it. It has me worried that she's not taking the Playtex bottle either, since my trip to Canada is in less than a week and the bottle will be her only option. I tried the Dr Browns bottle on Sunday night at home and she took it after a much shorter protest, at least 5 ounces over the course of 3 bottles during the evening. Then she slept from 10 pm to 4:30 am, which I'll take any night at this age.
Two Woof Woofs
On Monday night (2/7) after the Super Bowl we went to Lara and Eddie's house for dinner, homemade chicken fingers, mac&cheese and green beans. Ben was not a great eater...until I sat down with my chicken fingers which he was not surprisingly more interested in than his own. Earlier he'd eyed one of Lara's m&m bowls, which caught his interest since he thought it contained m&ms, his new favorite treat. He was of course deathly afraid of the dogs and wouldn't let me put him down until they were upstairs in their crates, with their barking out of earshot. I told Ben on our way over that Lara had "2 dogs" and they were "nice". Ben repeated it and I wondered if he understood at all. Over the weekend, he referred to Lara and said "2 woof woofs".
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Week of Jan 17th
Rebecca and I have had a relatively quiet week at home but it still flew by! Rebecca is staying awake alot more during the day, especially in the morning. She might sleep a little in my arms during the morning. She wakes up when I try to put her in the pack and play. Moving her from my arms to a spot on the sofa tends to work better at keeping her asleep. We've been spending more time under her play gym in the mornings. She seems to be interested in it for short periods at a time. I remember Ben used to love it under the gym, kicking his legs back and forth as the music played. Maybe she's too young yet, but I haven't seen the excitement from her that I remember from Ben. With minimal morning sleeping though, she has been getting more sleep in the afternoon and into the evening, which is actually nice for when we get home with Ben so he can get more of my attention before he sits down for dinner.
We picked Ben up early from school on Tuesday, because Tara and Lauren were coming for a visit, so that Lauren could see Ben and both Tara and Lauren could meet Rebecca. Ben's teacher saw me at the door looking in the children having their afternoon snack and asked Ben if his mommy was coming to get him early today, to which he shook his head no. When he saw me though, he declared that he was "all done" with his snack of goldfish, so that he could get Bunny and Chicky and leave with me. Tara brought food for dinners and for Rebecca brought a very nice pink blanket, a monogrammed burp cloth, and bunny "lovey" for Rebecca. If she's anything like Ben, she and the bunny will be inseparable in a few months. Ben enjoyed having another child in the house during Lauren's visit, laughing at her and chasing after her some. With my help, they even got a game or two of hide and seek in.
Aunt Lacie came by during what was otherwise a fairly uneventful day on Wednesday. Rebecca hadn't slept alot during the day yet, but then ended up sleeping while the three of us were at Martin's for some late afternoon grocery shopping. On Thursday, Rebecca and I went to the post office to mail documents for my passport renewal. I'm making arrangements to go to Julie Dingman's wedding reception in Stratford, Ontario Canada. I spent most of my free time earlier that day figuring out what I needed for the application while Rebecca slept. On Friday, Rebecca and I went to the mall to buy Daddy's birthday present. He's always misplacing his gadgets, so I thought a charging valet would solve that as well as limit the number of loose cords we have plugged in throughout the kitchen and family room.
Daddy worked again this Saturday, but Ben, Rebecca, and I had a good day at home. Ben awoke between 5 and 6 am, and Daddy got up early with him to play, watch tv, and have breakfast was Rebecca and I stayed upstairs. It was super cold, so there was no outside time, but Ben and I played inside. Of course, he loaded and unloaded his dump trucks. Ben has started moving the rug from in front of the stove and playing directly on the rubber mat underneath used to keep the rug from sliding. I have no idea yet what he dislikes about the rug being there. Last Saturday Ben explored the drawer beside the dishwasher, but this Saturday he decided he wanted to collect items from the desk and put them into a gift bag (the kind with handles on both sides). He collected lots of pens, loose change, and other random items from the desk and carried it around the family room and kitchen, dumping it and reloading it several times, often times declaring a "mess" when it was dumped and usually needing help gathering the change.
Once Ben begins playing, he protests any requests to stop for a diaper change or to switch from his pajamas to clothes. But once he's laid on the sofa with one of his favorite shows on the tv, he usually forgets about whatever task he was working on just beforehand. He also didn't like stopping his playing to eat lunch. After getting him into his high chair, he pushed the noodles and sauce I'd made for him away. He also wasn't interested in the sliced apples. He finally showed interested in his yogurt, once I'd provided the right spoon (the blue handled one). He'd declared "no no" when trying to get his interest with another spoon, and I had a feeling from past experience that it may be the spoon that was the problem. Once he finished his yogurt he had 2 helpings of noodles and all of his apple.
Rebecca was in and out of sleep all morning. I tried to put have her nap in her crib for the first time on Saturday, even moving the monitor in there from Ben's room. I think she may have napped a few minutes up there but never got into a deep sleep before waking and crying out. We'll keep trying over the coming days to get her used to her crib and then eventually on a more predictable nap schedule. Ben, on the other hand, went right down for his nap after lunch and Caillou, sleeping for almost 3 hours!
Sunday was Daddy's birthday, and he spent the first couple of hours in the morning downstairs with Ben again, while Rebecca and I slept after being up together for middle of the night feeding. Daddy had hoped to sleep in on his birthday, but no such luck! After giving Daddy his birthday presents, which included Godiva dark chocolate from Ben and Rebecca, we all played together the rest of the morning. Ben adopted the gift bags as his own, putting his zoo animals in the "choo choo" bag that had previously carried the chocolates. I have a feeling that gift bag won't ever find it's way back to the closet. Ben had noodles and sauce again for lunch and then went down for his nap. Today though, it lasted only an hour of so. Once Daddy got back from the gym, surprised to see Ben up already, he took him for a ride to look at trucks and buses, which Ben is excellent at spotting and pointing out from the car! I had to wake Rebecca from her nap on the sofa to feed her while they were gone. Afterward we all went to Costco to pick up Daddy's car from getting the tires repaired, and Daddy went home with both children while I went to Kroger to get Daddy's birthday cake. I got home to find Rebecca sleeping peacefully still in her carseat. Ben and Daddy, on the other hand, had pulled out every pair of shoes from the rack in the mud room and lined them up in the foyer. I think Ben was quite proud of the collection he'd amassed on the floor. He has a bit of an obsession with shoes, interested in walking around in each pair, with no regard to whether they are ladies or mens shoes, except to point out that they are either "Daddy's" or "Mommy's".
After dinner, Ben enjoyed listening to Mommy sing "Happy Birthday" and "helping" us blow out the candles a few times. He doesn't quite get the concept of blowing on them to get them to go out but enjoyed it nonetheless. Ben also enjoyed the icing on his small slice of cake, having minimal interest in the cake itself. Scott commented that he was just like Daddy in that regard.
Rebecca has had an especially hard time settling down in the evening after Ben goes to bed. She falls asleep in my arms for only short periods of time and then wakes up unhappy. I'm feeding her on very short intervals which helps calm her down, although I'm not sure that it's hunger that has her upset. But she slept from around 11 pm to 6 am on Sunday night, which was a nice bi-product of the power feeding sessions. Ben didn't sleep that long at a time at her age, so getting 6 hours of sleep is a pleasant surprise.
We picked Ben up early from school on Tuesday, because Tara and Lauren were coming for a visit, so that Lauren could see Ben and both Tara and Lauren could meet Rebecca. Ben's teacher saw me at the door looking in the children having their afternoon snack and asked Ben if his mommy was coming to get him early today, to which he shook his head no. When he saw me though, he declared that he was "all done" with his snack of goldfish, so that he could get Bunny and Chicky and leave with me. Tara brought food for dinners and for Rebecca brought a very nice pink blanket, a monogrammed burp cloth, and bunny "lovey" for Rebecca. If she's anything like Ben, she and the bunny will be inseparable in a few months. Ben enjoyed having another child in the house during Lauren's visit, laughing at her and chasing after her some. With my help, they even got a game or two of hide and seek in.
Aunt Lacie came by during what was otherwise a fairly uneventful day on Wednesday. Rebecca hadn't slept alot during the day yet, but then ended up sleeping while the three of us were at Martin's for some late afternoon grocery shopping. On Thursday, Rebecca and I went to the post office to mail documents for my passport renewal. I'm making arrangements to go to Julie Dingman's wedding reception in Stratford, Ontario Canada. I spent most of my free time earlier that day figuring out what I needed for the application while Rebecca slept. On Friday, Rebecca and I went to the mall to buy Daddy's birthday present. He's always misplacing his gadgets, so I thought a charging valet would solve that as well as limit the number of loose cords we have plugged in throughout the kitchen and family room.
Daddy worked again this Saturday, but Ben, Rebecca, and I had a good day at home. Ben awoke between 5 and 6 am, and Daddy got up early with him to play, watch tv, and have breakfast was Rebecca and I stayed upstairs. It was super cold, so there was no outside time, but Ben and I played inside. Of course, he loaded and unloaded his dump trucks. Ben has started moving the rug from in front of the stove and playing directly on the rubber mat underneath used to keep the rug from sliding. I have no idea yet what he dislikes about the rug being there. Last Saturday Ben explored the drawer beside the dishwasher, but this Saturday he decided he wanted to collect items from the desk and put them into a gift bag (the kind with handles on both sides). He collected lots of pens, loose change, and other random items from the desk and carried it around the family room and kitchen, dumping it and reloading it several times, often times declaring a "mess" when it was dumped and usually needing help gathering the change.
Once Ben begins playing, he protests any requests to stop for a diaper change or to switch from his pajamas to clothes. But once he's laid on the sofa with one of his favorite shows on the tv, he usually forgets about whatever task he was working on just beforehand. He also didn't like stopping his playing to eat lunch. After getting him into his high chair, he pushed the noodles and sauce I'd made for him away. He also wasn't interested in the sliced apples. He finally showed interested in his yogurt, once I'd provided the right spoon (the blue handled one). He'd declared "no no" when trying to get his interest with another spoon, and I had a feeling from past experience that it may be the spoon that was the problem. Once he finished his yogurt he had 2 helpings of noodles and all of his apple.
Rebecca was in and out of sleep all morning. I tried to put have her nap in her crib for the first time on Saturday, even moving the monitor in there from Ben's room. I think she may have napped a few minutes up there but never got into a deep sleep before waking and crying out. We'll keep trying over the coming days to get her used to her crib and then eventually on a more predictable nap schedule. Ben, on the other hand, went right down for his nap after lunch and Caillou, sleeping for almost 3 hours!
Sunday was Daddy's birthday, and he spent the first couple of hours in the morning downstairs with Ben again, while Rebecca and I slept after being up together for middle of the night feeding. Daddy had hoped to sleep in on his birthday, but no such luck! After giving Daddy his birthday presents, which included Godiva dark chocolate from Ben and Rebecca, we all played together the rest of the morning. Ben adopted the gift bags as his own, putting his zoo animals in the "choo choo" bag that had previously carried the chocolates. I have a feeling that gift bag won't ever find it's way back to the closet. Ben had noodles and sauce again for lunch and then went down for his nap. Today though, it lasted only an hour of so. Once Daddy got back from the gym, surprised to see Ben up already, he took him for a ride to look at trucks and buses, which Ben is excellent at spotting and pointing out from the car! I had to wake Rebecca from her nap on the sofa to feed her while they were gone. Afterward we all went to Costco to pick up Daddy's car from getting the tires repaired, and Daddy went home with both children while I went to Kroger to get Daddy's birthday cake. I got home to find Rebecca sleeping peacefully still in her carseat. Ben and Daddy, on the other hand, had pulled out every pair of shoes from the rack in the mud room and lined them up in the foyer. I think Ben was quite proud of the collection he'd amassed on the floor. He has a bit of an obsession with shoes, interested in walking around in each pair, with no regard to whether they are ladies or mens shoes, except to point out that they are either "Daddy's" or "Mommy's".
After dinner, Ben enjoyed listening to Mommy sing "Happy Birthday" and "helping" us blow out the candles a few times. He doesn't quite get the concept of blowing on them to get them to go out but enjoyed it nonetheless. Ben also enjoyed the icing on his small slice of cake, having minimal interest in the cake itself. Scott commented that he was just like Daddy in that regard.
Rebecca has had an especially hard time settling down in the evening after Ben goes to bed. She falls asleep in my arms for only short periods of time and then wakes up unhappy. I'm feeding her on very short intervals which helps calm her down, although I'm not sure that it's hunger that has her upset. But she slept from around 11 pm to 6 am on Sunday night, which was a nice bi-product of the power feeding sessions. Ben didn't sleep that long at a time at her age, so getting 6 hours of sleep is a pleasant surprise.
Ben's Caillou Shirt and Family Visits
The Caillou shirt that Daddy ordered for Ben arrived in the mail on Friday, and Ben was wearing it by Saturday after a quick run through the washer. Daddy worked again on Saturday, leaving me to take care of Ben and Rebecca. Ben watched some Caillou from the DVR and played with his toys, mainly his new dump trucks and trash truck. He had yogurt and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, but left most of the bread, somehow scraping the peanut butter and jelly off and into his mouth, leaving lots of peanut butter on his hands, later alerting me to the mess by playfully yelling "mess, mess" until I wiped his hands. Ben went down easily for his nap. We had a rare day that was warm enough to go outside, so Ben and I went out to play before Daddy got home. Nita, who had arrived by mid afternoon, even wrapped Rebecca in some blankets and brought her out for some outside time. Ben was pushing his tricycle when Daddy pulled into the street. Ben was very excited to see him and especially excited when I put him through the driver's side window to sit on Daddy's lap and help him "drive" the rest of the way to the driveway and up it. That's become somewhat of a ritual any time Daddy drives in and Ben is outside with me. Ben loves to "drive" up the driveway with Daddy and loves to sit in the driver's seat of the parked cars and pretend he is driving. He makes a "turning the steering wheel" gesture to let us know when he wants to play in the car.
Poppa Joe and Nita came in the middle of the afternoon for a visit before they joined us to hear Laura Bush speak at the Richmond Forum. Aunt Nikki came to watch Ben and Rebecca for the night. Ben was already in his dinosaur pajamas, the one piece kind with built in feet, with his Caillou shirt put back on over them! That purchase has been a real hit so far! We also battled through a teeth brushing just before leaving. Aunt Nikki gave Rebecca a bottle around 8pm, but I understand she wasn't that interested in the bottle. That means she will have to get more bottles over the next few weeks, so she's ready for bottles at day care. Apparently she stayed awake almost the entire time from 7pm to 11pm, with just a few short "cat naps". Aunt Nikki was impressed with how Ben went right down in his crib with absolutely no fuss at his bedtime. Personally, I was impressed that he answered "no" when Aunt Nikki asked if he took his milk to bed with him (and that Ben didn't try to con Nikki into letting him take juice instead!). Everyone enjoyed Laura Bush's speech, especially Nita and Poppa Joe who had ochestra pit seating!
I'm not sure what Aunt Nikki did, but Rebecca slept from 12 midnight until almost 6 am Sunday morning! I was so glad to have the uninterrupted sleep! Aunt Nikki brought Allie over to play around 2 pm Sunday afternoon. We played Mario Cart on the Wii while Aunt Nikki held Rebecca. It was clear that Allie had done alot of practicing on her Wii that Santa brought her for Christmas, because she handily beat me and then Scott too. Ben enjoys playing with the steering wheel used for the driving games, pretending he is driving by rapidly turning the wheel from side to side. No doubt it won't be long before Ben is beating me at the Wii games. We also played outside, since it was another nice day. We kicked the soccer ball and then Scott and Allie threw the football and we were all impressed with a few spirals that Allie managed to throw. Ben and I pushed his trucks around the driveway.
Poppa Joe and Nita came in the middle of the afternoon for a visit before they joined us to hear Laura Bush speak at the Richmond Forum. Aunt Nikki came to watch Ben and Rebecca for the night. Ben was already in his dinosaur pajamas, the one piece kind with built in feet, with his Caillou shirt put back on over them! That purchase has been a real hit so far! We also battled through a teeth brushing just before leaving. Aunt Nikki gave Rebecca a bottle around 8pm, but I understand she wasn't that interested in the bottle. That means she will have to get more bottles over the next few weeks, so she's ready for bottles at day care. Apparently she stayed awake almost the entire time from 7pm to 11pm, with just a few short "cat naps". Aunt Nikki was impressed with how Ben went right down in his crib with absolutely no fuss at his bedtime. Personally, I was impressed that he answered "no" when Aunt Nikki asked if he took his milk to bed with him (and that Ben didn't try to con Nikki into letting him take juice instead!). Everyone enjoyed Laura Bush's speech, especially Nita and Poppa Joe who had ochestra pit seating!
I'm not sure what Aunt Nikki did, but Rebecca slept from 12 midnight until almost 6 am Sunday morning! I was so glad to have the uninterrupted sleep! Aunt Nikki brought Allie over to play around 2 pm Sunday afternoon. We played Mario Cart on the Wii while Aunt Nikki held Rebecca. It was clear that Allie had done alot of practicing on her Wii that Santa brought her for Christmas, because she handily beat me and then Scott too. Ben enjoys playing with the steering wheel used for the driving games, pretending he is driving by rapidly turning the wheel from side to side. No doubt it won't be long before Ben is beating me at the Wii games. We also played outside, since it was another nice day. We kicked the soccer ball and then Scott and Allie threw the football and we were all impressed with a few spirals that Allie managed to throw. Ben and I pushed his trucks around the driveway.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Rebecca's 1st week
Rebecca Grace Bleicher was born on December 2, 2010 at 3:21 pm at St Marys Hospital. My doctor, Dr. Kenley Neuman, agreed to induce me just prior to her due date on Dec 4, mostly so I could make sure that plans could be made to watch big brother Benjamin. Scott and I went to the hospital at 6 am, with Grandma Nita staying back at home with Benjamin, and shortly after I was on the petosin to begin labor. Grandma Bleicher came to the hospital mid morning to stay for the day. Grandma Nita and Poppa Joe came for just a few minutes late morning. They couldn't stay because Nita had to go to Longwood to teach her class. I started feeling labor pains mid to late morning and wasted no time asking for an epidural. I got a nice nap late morning and Daddy spent the first part of the day watching CNBC and reading news on the internet...he was thrilled the hospital had wi-fi. My nurse, Christina, was disappointed that Rebecca didn't arrive before her shift ended at 2:00. But not too long after, labor started progressing much faster. When I called for my new nurse, Silvia, she was helping another patient who was in labor. When she came to check on me, she saw that you were VERY ready to enter the world, so she immediately called Dr Neuman. Luckily, the doctor wasted no time in coming to the hospital. I pushed only 3-4 times before Rebecca was born. She was absolutely perfect. We thought she looked just like her big brother when he was born! We got to spend some time with Rebecca after she was born before she went to the nursery.
Scott was anxious to go get Benjamin so he could meet his baby sister, so he went to get him at Aunt Nikki's. Grandma Bleicher was eager to meet Rebecca once she was brought back from the nursery.
Scott and Grandma Bleicher took Ben home Thursday night. I didn't sleep that well, since I was still hooked up to an i.v. and the bed was extra noisy! Aunt Nikki and Henry came to see Rebecca in the hospital Friday morning, but she slept through most of their visit, sleeping at least an hour past her feeding time.
Daddy came to the hospital late in the morning, after getting Ben ready for a shortened day at "school". He picked up Ben to bring him to the hospital after Ben's afternoon nap, so that we could get a family picture at the hospital.
Aunti Nikki came again with Uncle Jody to meet Rebecca early Friday evening. Aunt Lacie, Uncle Robert, Cal, Jordan, and Kelly came to see Rebecca on Friday evening. They were all very excited to meet her and Lacie commented on how beautiful she was.
Rebecca did very well in the hospital, eating and sleeping well. She slept in the nursery at night, coming into the room for feedings, but spent each day in the room with me.
Daddy, Rebecca, and I were excited to come home Saturday afternoon. My friend Lara was home with Benjamin. Again, Ben was very loving with his baby sister. Poppa Joe and Grandma Nita stopped by to meet Rebecca on their way to dinner in Williamsburg with friends.
Grandma and Grandpa Bleicher came for a short visit on Sunday, eager to see Rebecca and hold her, as well as getting an opportunity to see Ben! Grandma Nita came again to help out on Monday and drove me to Rebecca's first check-up with her pediatrician, which went well. Rebecca gained a few ounces, weighing 7 lbs 1 oz. Nita stayed until Tuesday, to help decorate for Christmas.
Rebecca sleeps so well during the day, with me often having to wake her for feedings, and make efforts to keep her awake during feedings, like taking off her clothes and even rubbing her legs or cheeks with a cold washcloth! She has a more difficult time settling down to sleep at night, especially after feedings. She falls asleep in my arms but awakens after being placed in the bassinet. She settles down a little bit if I put my hand on her chest, maybe letting her know I'm closeby. She doesn't take a binky that readily, unlike her brother. Being held by Mommy or lying next to Mommy seems to be the one thing that settles her back down to sleep.
On the following Sunday, Dec 12, Aunt Lacie and Kelly came with food for dinners and ham and rolls. Aunt Nikki, Uncle Jody, Allie and Henry also came, bringing lots of food for lunches. With all of the people in the house, it was like Grand Central Station, and you slept right through it in your pack and play which was sitting in the middle of all of the activity.
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| Rebecca is so alert after just entering the world! |
Scott was anxious to go get Benjamin so he could meet his baby sister, so he went to get him at Aunt Nikki's. Grandma Bleicher was eager to meet Rebecca once she was brought back from the nursery.
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| Big brother Benjamin gave lots of hugs and kisses to new baby sister Rebecca |
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| Grandma caught Rebecca with her beautiful blue eyes open |
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| Daddy, Mommy, and Rebecca |
Daddy came to the hospital late in the morning, after getting Ben ready for a shortened day at "school". He picked up Ben to bring him to the hospital after Ben's afternoon nap, so that we could get a family picture at the hospital.
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| Rebecca's beautiful blue eyes! |
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| Benjamin stealing another kiss! |
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| Benjamin, Rebecca, and proud Mommy and Daddy! |
Aunti Nikki came again with Uncle Jody to meet Rebecca early Friday evening. Aunt Lacie, Uncle Robert, Cal, Jordan, and Kelly came to see Rebecca on Friday evening. They were all very excited to meet her and Lacie commented on how beautiful she was.
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| Uncle Jody, Aunt Nikki, and Rebecca |
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| Uncle Rober, Aunt Lacie, Jordan, Cal, Kelly, and Rebecca |
Rebecca did very well in the hospital, eating and sleeping well. She slept in the nursery at night, coming into the room for feedings, but spent each day in the room with me.
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| Rebecca napping in Mommy's room. |
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| Mommy and Rebecca |
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| Daddy and Rebecca waiting to be released from the hospital |
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| Mommy and Rebecca being wheeled to the car. |
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| Rebecca snoozing in the carseat |
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| Ben is happy to see Mommy and baby Rebecca |
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| Nita and Poppa Joe meet Rebecca |
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| Rebecca's peaceful daytime sleep |
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| Rebeeca's early smiles |
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| Big brother Ben constantly checking on his baby sister |
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| Daddy holding baby Rebecca during evening waking hours |
Grandma and Grandpa Bleicher came for a short visit on Sunday, eager to see Rebecca and hold her, as well as getting an opportunity to see Ben! Grandma Nita came again to help out on Monday and drove me to Rebecca's first check-up with her pediatrician, which went well. Rebecca gained a few ounces, weighing 7 lbs 1 oz. Nita stayed until Tuesday, to help decorate for Christmas.
Rebecca sleeps so well during the day, with me often having to wake her for feedings, and make efforts to keep her awake during feedings, like taking off her clothes and even rubbing her legs or cheeks with a cold washcloth! She has a more difficult time settling down to sleep at night, especially after feedings. She falls asleep in my arms but awakens after being placed in the bassinet. She settles down a little bit if I put my hand on her chest, maybe letting her know I'm closeby. She doesn't take a binky that readily, unlike her brother. Being held by Mommy or lying next to Mommy seems to be the one thing that settles her back down to sleep.
On the following Sunday, Dec 12, Aunt Lacie and Kelly came with food for dinners and ham and rolls. Aunt Nikki, Uncle Jody, Allie and Henry also came, bringing lots of food for lunches. With all of the people in the house, it was like Grand Central Station, and you slept right through it in your pack and play which was sitting in the middle of all of the activity.
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| Rebecca briefly enjoying her tummy time |
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| Ben loves to hold "baby" |
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| Sooo beautiful! |
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