Healthy little Emily

Emily had a quick, shot-free five-month check-up today. Belle came along to help Emily be brave, and to do some examining herself using our pediatrician's stethoscope. Belle also declared to the pediatrician when she walked into the examination room where we three were waiting, "Emily needs a check-up." Bottom line: Emily is growing and developing well. Her last height check may have been skewed because it would seem that Emily did not grow in length since her 4-month check-up; she remains at 25 inches long. However, 25 inches at 5-months makes more sense based on Emily's growth curve. This puts her in the 35 percentile for height. Her head is 16 1/4 inches in circumference (40 percentile) and she weighs 15 pounds, 1 ounce (43 percentile). She is smiling and laughing and moving and reaching for things as she should. Emily enjoyed looking at the cute naked baby in the mirror while I asked the doctor some questions about sleep training. Overall, it was an easy check-up! Keep up the good growing, Emily!

Sleep Deprivation

When I was pregnant with Belle, people warned me about the sleep deprivation I'd experience as a first time mom. That was nothing compared to the sleep deprivation I am experiencing now as a mother of two.

In fact, I did OK in the sleep department with Belle. When she was first born, everyone advised me to sleep when the baby slept. I took that to heart and napped once a day with Belle. And when I say "with Belle," I mean we snuggled and napped on Craig and my bed. This was only for her morning nap, and only while I was on maternity leave, but it was the highlight of my day. I caught up on the sleep I'd lost waking with Belle the previous night and it was special cuddle time with baby Belle.

Those days are over. Now that there is a house to maintain and a toddler to care for, I rarely nap when Emily sleeps. There is simply too much to do. Even more damaging to my functionality is that I often wake at night for both little girls. Last night, for example, Belle called for me in between Emily's nighttime feelings. Belle and her bed we wet so she needed a diaper and sheet change at 3:30am. Then she struggled to fall back to sleep because she was coughing and had a runny nose. Between Belle and Emily, I was awake at some point during every hour of the night except the 1am hour.

Craig is helpful, and it was he who eventually got Belle to fall back to sleep last night at 5am, but I always hear the girls first and am quicker to jump and go to them. It must be an aspect of my maternal instinct. When we had just Belle, I always woke with her and allowed Craig to sleep. Now Craig is up much more helping with Belle when necessary while I care for Emily. He, too, must be far more sleep deprived now than in our TriCep days.

Anyway, I am way more sleep deprived as a homeowner and mother of an infant and a toddler. I am just exceedingly grateful to be on maternity-leave as I struggle to function on a significantly disjointed minuscule amount of sleep.

A happy little sister

A fun ice cream social in NYC!

A lovely day at the Central Park Zoo

A walk through Central Park to the Zoo,where we met friends (that's Belle with her old friend Sawyer) and enjoyed a beautiful day among the animals! A Good Friday indeed :)

Not such a good night's sleep

Yup, that's Belle sleeping backwards in our bed (her feet are next to Craig's head on his pillow). She couldn't fall or stay asleep last night, so I gave up at about 4am and invited her to lie between Craig and me in our bed (Craig lying in her bed didn't work at 2am because she woke and fussed when he tried to leave). Belle didn't fall back to sleep in our bed until nearly 6am. We are all going to be zombies today. Is it nap time yet?

One happy birthday girl (Gaga)

Cousin Slumber Party

Owen is in the crib behind Isabelle and Belle,who are snuggled together on the floor. This lasted a while, without slumbering (but with lots of singing and giggling). Ultimately, Owen slept in the crib,Izzy on the floor, Craig in the twin bed in the room, and Belle, Emily and I shared the guest bed in the room next door. Lots of laughs, not so much sleep.

Emily is 5 months old today!

Seders are so much fun!

Smiles!

Happy Passover

Pre-Seder playdate

With Joey and Mina (Emily is asleep).

Playing

Emily

Play hard, sleep well, snuggle much.

Guess which kid is which

Both girls are approximately the same age in these pictures - 4.5 months. 

Emily's dip in the pool

Emily went swimming for the first time. Here she is showing off her swim suit and then warming up after a dip in the pool.

Belle's nap

While we were on vacation in Cancun, Belle napped in the hammock on our balcony overlooking the resort and the ocean. Not a bad way to relax after a busy morning of playing. 

Good morning!

Thank you, Jet Blue Airlines

One of many nice Jet Blue flight attendants found a fourth seat for us two rows behind the other three on our direct flight from JFK to Cancun. What a help to have Emily's car seat on board. The white noise and gentle rumble of the flying airplane lulled her to sleep, and it is far more comfortable for her to snooze NOT in our arms. I sat between Emily's carseat and Belle sitting like a big girl in her own seat on take-off and landing, while Craig enjoyed a moment to himself two rows behind us. I bought and brought kid-sized headphones for Belle, who was delighted to watch Nickelodean on her personal TV screen, and then play with my iPad. We all appreciated the snacks and beverages, too. Oh, and the few times the girls fussed (both were quite well behaved; I was relieved), I felt less bad for our fellow passengers since most were plugged in to the free entertainment.
Bottom line: Jet Blue is the way to go.

Hi from JFK

Saying thank you

Craig and Belle baked chocolate chip cookies from scratch last night.  We delivered them to the firehouse that dispatched the rescue team who came to our house on Friday and took care of our potentially dangerous carbon monoxide situation.  Belle got shy in front of the firemen.  

In front of the truck that came to our rescue.

Shy Belle says 'thank you' with cookies.

We also thanked our wonderful neighbors Debbie, Joey, and Mina (and Chris) for helping us out big time on Friday by offering us a fun, safe, and warm place to be while our house was aired of CO.

"Thank you, Debbie, Mina, and Joey!" 

All dressed up!

Reading with Sam and Kylie

Never a dull moment...

After Craig had left for work on Friday morning, the carbon monoxide detector in our basement went off.  I stayed as calm as possible as I moved the girls toward the front door and called the police department.  The dispatcher sent a fire truck and police car to our house and told us to get out of the house while we waited.  We three ladies were still in our pajamas since Belle's school was to open two hours late, and it was snowing out.  The dispatcher said standing inside but near an open door was probably OK for the few minutes it would take for the crew to arrive.

Long story short: there were high levels of carbon monoxide in the garage and the basement, likely a result of  Craig warming up his car, which had been parked backwards in the driveway, while he removed the snow from the car and driveway with the garage door open.  The firemen and policeman were super helpful and made the house safe again.  This involved opening windows all over the house (during a snowstorm), so we three ladies, in our PJs, had a mandated playdate with Joey and Mina down the street.  The toddlers watched the snow fall and jumped on a trampoline.  It turned into a super fun PJ party.  We went home after lunch when the house was carbon monoxide-free and warm again.

Joey and Belle in their PJs jumping on the trampoline.

The fire fighting crew who saved the day on a snowy Friday morning.

Joey and Belle watching the snow fall during the CO-driven play date on Friday morning.

Early mornings

Belle's school has a delayed opening due to snow, but there's no sleeping in for this mom. Emily has been up since 5:30am. So it's play time on the play mat at this early hour while the other two QuadriCeps snooze.

When the girls have had it

Emily asleep and Belle smiling with a shirt that says, "That's it! I'm calling Grandma!"

Why I love going to the grocery store

Last week, I took Emily to Shop Rite one morning while Belle was in school.  On our way to the parking lot, an older woman stopped me to tell me that Emily is "the cutest baby [she'd] seen in a long time."  I thanked her, and perhaps responding to my voice, Emily smiled widely.  They woman's face lit up and she said, "Look at that smile!  That just made my day!  Thank you.  I needed that."

Yesterday, I took both girls to Stop & Shop.  A woman nearby must have overheard Belle talking to me, Belle singing and counting, and Belle trying to comfort Emily when she fussed a bit while we waited in the check-out line.  The woman approached us and said to Belle, "If I ever have a granddaughter, I hope she is juts like you."

An actual quote

As we're watching SportsCenter on Sunday morning after I promise Belle hockey: "Silly Daddy, this is basketball, not hockey."

Hang on. I am on the phone.

Twinkle Twinkle with Grandpa Leon

Belle had to teach Grandpa Leon how to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star last week.

Good morning, Alfalfa

When I was a little, my hair always stood up. So grandpa Richard called me Alfalfa. Emily has followed in her father's legacy.

 

Belle and Claire

(((Hugs)))

Belle pushing Emily's stroller

Emily's 4-month check-up

Emily is growing well!  She is smiley and strong and demonstrating the skills a 4-month-old should possess.  She is also growing more like her "long and lean" older sister, as she weighs 14 pounds, 6.5 ounces (50 percentile) and is 25 inches tall (70 percentile).  Her head circumference is spot-on, too (16 inches/50 percentile).  Emily was champ when she received her immunizations today.  She especially enjoyed the oral rotovirus vaccine :).  She is sleeping now, all worn out from an exciting trip to the pediatrician.