It seems to have been one party after another around here lately and I’m beginning to think that little Miss Jenna is growing too accustomed to opening presents, both baby presents for Jolene and Christmas presents, and having chocolate as her main food source. Her Auntie bought her a chocolate advent calendar and first thing in the morning when she comes downstairs, she insists on opening another number. Am I a bad mother for allowing her chocolate for breakfast?? Who can resist her little cute voice saying “Mama, eat number 20 toomono?”, which doesn’t actually mean tomorrow, but right now to her. Too cute!
The same girlfriend threw me a baby shower last week, the first of two, and I can’t believe how little I actually had for Jolene. Being as though I delivered 6 weeks early, I didn’t have a lot of things ready for her arrival. Okay, okay, the fact that I’m the biggest procrastinator didn’t help either. But now, after one shower and a family Christmas celebrated early, Jolene has many new beautiful clothes and toys (as does Jenna). My girls are definitely loved and spoiled by so many of our friends and family. We are very blessed.
Jolene is still growing like crazy despite having issues with feeding. The formula we used at the hospital and for a few weeks after she came home gave her the worst gas and she was very hard to settle down after a feed. We then switched to 2 other formulas and although the gas was a little better, she was still writhing in pain after some feeds. I put in a call to her pediatrician and we now have her on a new formula. It stinks like crazy and is double the cost of regular formula but I’m crossing my fingers that it will do the trick. She’s only been on it for a few days so it’s still a little too early to tell. My heart breaks for her when she’s screaming in pain, arching her back and curling her feet up to her chest. I just feel so helpless some days. The husband is very good at reading my stress level and taking her from me to help calm her, and me, down. Who knew this whole mothering a newborn was going to be this hard. Aside from the sleepless nights, being puked on, being pooped all over, looking (and smelling) like a troll most days, and having an upside down house, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Soon, Jolene will be older and all of this hardship will be a distant, fond memory so I am trying my damndest to savor every moment.
I took the girls to see Santa the other day and I was preparing myself for worst with Jenna. We were at the mall a few weekends ago and while the husband and the girls were waiting for me to finish up at a store, they stood by where Santa was and Jenna apparently jumped right out of the stroller into Daddy’s arms frightened of the bearded fellow. So knowing that, I tried preparing her a few days in advance telling her all about Santa and that he brings presents if you’re good and she was starting to get pretty excited as well. I couldn’t have asked it to go any better! We got there and right away, she sat on Santa’s knee, with Jolene sleeping on his other knee and when asked what toy she wanted for Christmas, with a very serious face, she held up two fingers and said “2 gums and a chocolate please”. I knew she wanted gum as her whole world revolves around gum, but holding up the 2 fingers cracked me right up! Santa didn’t quite understand but nodded his head politely and told her to take a candy cane. I was so proud of my big girl and since then, she talks of him often AND of the 2 gums she’s waiting to see under the tree from him. And I've been using the "I'll call Santa and tell him you're being naughty" as a bargaining tool to getting her to do things I want....like behaving when she's not. I know, something I'm not all that proud of!
We’re off to California on Sunday for a week to spend Christmas with my sister and her family. We haven’t spent Christmas together in quite a few years and I’m giddy with excitement. Jenna is soooo excited to see her cousins.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a rockin’ New Years’ from our family to yours! I haven't downloaded any recent pictures from my camera lately, which is already packed, so I will leave you with one of my most favorites videos of Jenna. It was taken over the summer at a mall when Toopy & Binoo made an appearance. She was just too darn cute!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Merry Christmas!!!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Miss Jo Jo...
My baby girl is growing like a weed! She's now a whopping 6lbs 9oz!!!! She's now actually fitting into some of her newborn clothes, although it makes me really sad to put away the preemie clothes. They were just so darn cute! I'm afraid if I blink, she'll be starting kindergarten!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
I'm baaaaaaack....
I’m still here, really I am. It’s just been so darn busy around here lately that I have neglected this blog quite terribly. But now that I am back, I will try and post a little more frequently.
Sooooo, so much to say.......let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
Jenna’s preschool ended the end of October and since then, I’ve been feeling that she needs some sort of regular structured play time so she will be starting UNPARENTED, hold on, I’ll say it again because it gives me great joy….UNPARENTED playschool in January for 2 days a week for a 2 hours each class. It’s not that I don’t enjoy hanging out with her during the day, it’s just that I’m not all that great at long hours of play with a toddler and she really needs interaction with other children. She loves school, more importantly, the School Bag. She did very well at school (not that I can say that about every child there!!) and she made me very proud as she sat on the matt every class joyfully singing songs, listening to stories and making beautiful pieces of artwork that always hangs proudly on our Fridge-o-crafts. She’s just so darn sweet! Lately she’s taken to sitting for what seems like hours (toddler hours = 20 minutes in this house) just coloring pictures for anyone she can think of and then decorating it with lovely stickers. I always make it a point to completely gush over every piece of scribbled on paper she hands to me and she just loves that I make such a big deal and that ear to ear grin warms my heart like no other grin in this world.
In other news, Jenna now has a little sister, who she sweetly and ever so proudly calls ‘baby seesta’. Jolene Emily was born on October 28th at 12:02pm weighing in at exactly 4lbs and measuring 17” long. She wasn’t supposed to arrive until Dec 3rd (which coincidently is tomorrow) but she just couldn’t wait any longer and entered this world 6 weeks early. I had a lot of problems with high blood pressure towards the end of the pregnancy and it actually had me in the hospital quite a few times but in the end, I ended up with preeclampsia and there was no other option but to deliver. Thankfully, Jolene was very healthy, just little so she stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks to help fatten her up. It was the longest 2 weeks of my life and I really didn’t think I’d make it through. Thanks to help of my MIL who stayed with Jenna while I was in the hospital and right up until Jolene came home, we all survived unscathed. I knew Jenna was being well looked after so I focused all my time and energy into getting Jolene well enough to come home. The guilt of not giving Jenna the time she needed, deserved and was use to was overwhelming but nothing that a lot of candy, chocolate, hugs and kisses didn’t cure. It just proves the fact that children are just so resilient!
Jolene is now 5 weeks old and growing like no ones business. She was able to leave the hospital weighing 4lbs 8oz and at her Ped appt 2 weeks ago, she already weighed 5lbs 3oz. This whole new born mothering is a lot tougher than I ever imagined (kudos to those who have multiples!!!) but I’m fumbling through it like every first time mother (to a new born that is) before me. I was quite spoiled with Jenna as she came home with us when she was already almost a year old and was such and excellent little baby. I’m amazing myself at how well I can function with such a miniscule amount of sleep. Things are getting better though and I’m sure, soon, (please God soon!!!), that she will be sleeping through the night. Until then, there will just be days where the house looks like a garbage dump, days where my hair hasn’t been washed and greasier than all hell, and days when I will wonder….”what have I done to my ever so peaceful life???”. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t think those things every now and then but in all honesty, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I will always be thankful for having the opportunity to be a long awaited first time mother to my Jenna who, in my eyes, is the most loving, patient and well behaved little girl I know, thankful for being blessed with the opportunity to give birth to a very spunky, very healthy, very sweet little baby, especially after having tried for 8 very long years, and just thankful for all that I’ve been blessed with over the last few years. It’s funny how much life can change in 3 years….it amazes me everyday. Oh ya, did I mention the husband? Well, I’m very thankful for him too!! (most days!)
Here are pictures of my new family!
Jolene just minutes old.
Hanging out in her magic bubble!
My sweet little sprout.
Chillin' out at home in a nice tight papous (as my girlfriend calls it!)
Daddy with his girls (and his famous "enough with the camera" joking face)
Jenna loving her "baby seesta" to death! So sweet!
Sooooo, so much to say.......let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
Jenna’s preschool ended the end of October and since then, I’ve been feeling that she needs some sort of regular structured play time so she will be starting UNPARENTED, hold on, I’ll say it again because it gives me great joy….UNPARENTED playschool in January for 2 days a week for a 2 hours each class. It’s not that I don’t enjoy hanging out with her during the day, it’s just that I’m not all that great at long hours of play with a toddler and she really needs interaction with other children. She loves school, more importantly, the School Bag. She did very well at school (not that I can say that about every child there!!) and she made me very proud as she sat on the matt every class joyfully singing songs, listening to stories and making beautiful pieces of artwork that always hangs proudly on our Fridge-o-crafts. She’s just so darn sweet! Lately she’s taken to sitting for what seems like hours (toddler hours = 20 minutes in this house) just coloring pictures for anyone she can think of and then decorating it with lovely stickers. I always make it a point to completely gush over every piece of scribbled on paper she hands to me and she just loves that I make such a big deal and that ear to ear grin warms my heart like no other grin in this world.
In other news, Jenna now has a little sister, who she sweetly and ever so proudly calls ‘baby seesta’. Jolene Emily was born on October 28th at 12:02pm weighing in at exactly 4lbs and measuring 17” long. She wasn’t supposed to arrive until Dec 3rd (which coincidently is tomorrow) but she just couldn’t wait any longer and entered this world 6 weeks early. I had a lot of problems with high blood pressure towards the end of the pregnancy and it actually had me in the hospital quite a few times but in the end, I ended up with preeclampsia and there was no other option but to deliver. Thankfully, Jolene was very healthy, just little so she stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks to help fatten her up. It was the longest 2 weeks of my life and I really didn’t think I’d make it through. Thanks to help of my MIL who stayed with Jenna while I was in the hospital and right up until Jolene came home, we all survived unscathed. I knew Jenna was being well looked after so I focused all my time and energy into getting Jolene well enough to come home. The guilt of not giving Jenna the time she needed, deserved and was use to was overwhelming but nothing that a lot of candy, chocolate, hugs and kisses didn’t cure. It just proves the fact that children are just so resilient!
Jolene is now 5 weeks old and growing like no ones business. She was able to leave the hospital weighing 4lbs 8oz and at her Ped appt 2 weeks ago, she already weighed 5lbs 3oz. This whole new born mothering is a lot tougher than I ever imagined (kudos to those who have multiples!!!) but I’m fumbling through it like every first time mother (to a new born that is) before me. I was quite spoiled with Jenna as she came home with us when she was already almost a year old and was such and excellent little baby. I’m amazing myself at how well I can function with such a miniscule amount of sleep. Things are getting better though and I’m sure, soon, (please God soon!!!), that she will be sleeping through the night. Until then, there will just be days where the house looks like a garbage dump, days where my hair hasn’t been washed and greasier than all hell, and days when I will wonder….”what have I done to my ever so peaceful life???”. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t think those things every now and then but in all honesty, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I will always be thankful for having the opportunity to be a long awaited first time mother to my Jenna who, in my eyes, is the most loving, patient and well behaved little girl I know, thankful for being blessed with the opportunity to give birth to a very spunky, very healthy, very sweet little baby, especially after having tried for 8 very long years, and just thankful for all that I’ve been blessed with over the last few years. It’s funny how much life can change in 3 years….it amazes me everyday. Oh ya, did I mention the husband? Well, I’m very thankful for him too!! (most days!)
Here are pictures of my new family!
Jolene just minutes old.
Hanging out in her magic bubble!
My sweet little sprout.
Chillin' out at home in a nice tight papous (as my girlfriend calls it!)
Daddy with his girls (and his famous "enough with the camera" joking face)
Jenna loving her "baby seesta" to death! So sweet!
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