Sleep Training, Eating, And Updates

So of course, I'm slacking on updating.

I have a bunch to update on, the first being SLEEP TRAINING.

I'm going to try to be quick with this.

After Bree turned 4 months old, Dan and I decided something needed to be done with the lack of sleep we were getting. Bridget was getting up every two hours. And would take at least an hour to finally go back down, only to get up an hour later. We were pretty tired. Getting a total of 2-3 hours of sleep a night was wearing both Dan and I out.

Dan purchased Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby and pretty much read through it in one night (we were kind of desperate). HSHHB uses the CIO (cry it out) method. First off, let me tell you I'm sure I PREACHED I would Never, Ever, Ever, let my kid cry it out. Well....

There are two options. Gradual Extinction or Rapid Extintion. We decided on using Gradual Extinction. Basically you lay baby down for the night, let baby cry for 5 mins, go in and soothe no longer then 30 secs, let baby cry for 10 mins, go in and soothe, let baby cry for 15 mins, go in and soothe...once you hit 15 mins, you just go back in every 15 mins to soothe.

First night...we did this for an hour. It was HARD. I was crying. Grayson kept saying "mommy bridgie boo is hungggyyy". Thankfully, Dan took care of the first night. Bridget got up a couple hours later and we repeated the process, but she fell asleep MUCH quicker. Maybe crying for 10 mins.

The next night. She only cried for 5-10 mins after we put her down!

And every night after, for the most part, she would go to sleep. So the hard work was really done after one night.

Along with teaching her to self - soothe, we also started putting her down to bed MUCH earlier then we had been. Her new bedtime is between 6-6:30. She now wakes up twice a night to eat and goes right back to bed - sleeping until around 7 in the morning. It's like a miracle. Not kidding. It saved our sanity.

Next up: Feeding/Eating

Bree is still exclusively Breastfed. Although I'm curious how long that will last:/ I had a MAJOR oversupply in the begining. But along with that oversupply, I had gotten mastitis 4 (YES FOUR) times by the time Bree was 3 months old. At that point, Dan and I decided I would cut down the amount of times I pumped. Luckily, I had almost 1000 ounces of milk frozen. Since cutting down, I haven't gotten an infection (cross fingers). BUT, I've been starting to go through my frozen stash since Bree has been eating more and I'm producing less.

I've  started to add in pumping sessions and Power Pump. I don't want to stress myself out over this, so I'm going to attempt to "go with the flow" on it. I'm scared about getting Mastitis again, so want to be careful...the deal was if I get it again, I have to call it quits. I figure even if I don't end up being able to pump ALL her food, whatever I'm able to give her will be good enough until she's one, even if I end up supplementing.

Actual Food: We are going to be doing a mix of purees and Baby-Led Weaning. Just this weekend we let Bree knaw on a cucumber. She pretty much just sucked/chewed on it. We just want her to play around right now.

Milestones:
*Sitting up - she started sitting up unsupported at around 4.5 months...and she can sit on her own, but is still wobbly and will fall over after a bit.

*she smacks her lips a lot, so cute!

*Finally found her feet a week or so ago. She still doesn't really play with them that much.

*She loves teething on rings, sophie, the Ergo, cold things,

*Babbles so much! She wakes up and just talks and talks

*We give her a spoon to play with

*She'll hold her bottle and feed herself sometimes.

*She usually doesn't mind tummy time.

*She loves loves being worn

*She doesn't mind being in the stroller, but we mostly wear her when we go out.

*Loves watching her brother.

*LOVES her jumperoo. We think she enjoys it more then her brother did!

* I think I posted about this in the last update, but she never really used the swing that much and we retired it around 4 months.

*Had her first trip to the playground with Grayson this past week - and even sat in a swing

*Took her first mini hike with her brother - she did great!

*Got Baptised Easter Weekend!

4m

4 Months

So I am really trying to keep up with this whole blogging thing. But I'm tired and have 0 time. Having two kiddos takes up absolutely 100% of my time - there is no such thing as a "break".

Right now I'm in Bree's room praying she actually falls asleep on her own. Remember when I said she was a dream baby? Yea, that stopped about a week after those words left my fingertips.

Now, don't get me wrong...she has some great personality traits that make it very easy to travel around with her. She LOVES being held. This is both a blessing and a curse. Blessing because as long as she's being held by someone, there's usually not an issue. Curse because you are constantly holding her and sometimes just don't want to have to hold her:)

We've also had some major sleep issues. Bree's been getting up every two hours for over a month now. Last night we got 3 hours in between and it was wonderful!! I know it doesn't sound like a big difference, but that extra hour really really helps out. We're hoping that it was just a "4 Month Wakeful" period and she at least continues to give us 3 hour stretches.
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Being parents of two children

Well...it's tiring. Dan has said to me on multiple occasions that 2 kids is officially his limit (sleep deprivation can really solidify these decisions ;)

Running errands with one child is a treat now - and I look back thinking "why did I think this was so hard with one?!"

Although its been difficult, I think we are FiNALLY settling into a groove with our family of four.
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Workouts

I have been able to keep up with my workouts - they aren't as intense as they used to be..but I get them in. 4 times a week in the morning or lunchtime.
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4 month baby stats!

Weight: 14lbs 10oz
Lengthy: don't know yet

*is starting to sit up on her own
*still only eats breast milk - we don't plan on introducing solids for at least another month and most likely wont start until 6 months
*wears size 2 diapers
*6 month clothing
*smiles all the time
* just starting to get giggles out of her
*loves jumping in jumperoo and grabbing at the toys
*has very dry skin

2 months

Yikes! I'm a tad behind on this monthly post..

2 Month Stats
Weight: 11.4
Length: 23in

At 11 weeks old, Bree is still a dream baby. She honestly hardly fusses and is generally very content. She has been giving us TONS of smiles lately - I could eat her up!

About 3 weeks ago, Dan and I dragged the pack and play into our bedroom to transition Bree before actually putting her in her bedroom (she was currently sleeping in the rock and play) She has done SO well with the transition, giving us pretty consistent long stretches of sleep at night. Knock on wood it continues!

I think we're going to give it a couple more weeks before we get her in the crib. The biggest reason we haven't moved her already is that her room is ALLL the way down the hall...and I'm too lazy to get her at night if she gets up.  

About my little Bree:

• Likes bathtime
• Smiles at her brother all the time. So cute!
• Incredibly content
• Likes her momma a little bit more then her pops
• Wears 3-6 months clothes
• LOVES headbands :)
• Has started to grab items
• At 10 weeks, we stuck her in the jumperoo and she did very well. She had been sitting in the bumbo with great head control for a couple weeks.
• Does pretty well with tummy time. We use the bumbo in front of the mirror which helps to keep her occupied for a couple minutes.
• In size 1 diapers
• Already made her 1st trip back to CT to meet her cousin Nathan at 8 weeks old
• Only has 1 BM a day or so.
• Has started drooling like crazy around 10 weeks. We'll see if she cuts a tooth quicker then her brother (G cut his first two teeth at 5 months)

How is Grayson doing?

We have made a huge effort to make sure Grayson gets a ton of attention. For Christmas this year, we asked the Grandparents for Museum passes. It has been the best gift for our family - we've already been 3 times since!! It's an easy trip downtown and the only cost to us is food. We're looking forward to when the weather warms up since we've purchased Zoo passes, too. Grayson LOVES the musuem and the zoo, so it's nice that we can provide him with educational entertainment.

Grayson  has really taken to being a good big brother. He likes to help me give Bridget baths, throws away her diapers (yey!) and likes to give her hugs and kisses. We've noticed that he's become very possesive of her. Every morning when I drop off at daycare, Grayson makes sure to announce "THIS IS MY BRIDGET" and blocks the other kids from trying to touch her! We are very proud of his behavior and hope he continues to be a loving brother!

fhhhhfd

Back to Work

I cannot believe that I'm sitting here typing out this post - I'm back to work.

The past 7 weeks have literally flown by. I can tell you with complete certainty that it goes by quicker the second time around. Bree is a dream baby, so I'm sure that makes things a bit easier and time fly by faster.

The transition to work was definitely easier this time around for a couple reasons.
1. I knew what to expect
2. I only work Part Time now
3. Bree's personality is so content, I didn't really worry whether she would get overly upset.

While I hated not having my little sidekick, it was nice to get back into the work groove.

Along with going back to work I've started my workouts again!! Oh boy, did I MISS working out. Seriously.
I started working out 1 week PP with Grayson, and it really was way too soon..this time I wanted to focus on being with my little girl and savoring every moment. I am so happy I made that decision - there was no stress to attempt to workout while she napped, etc.

I'm starting off a bit slow and completed (2) 40 minute workouts on the elliptical. I will most likely start weights again next week.

Since I lost my baby weight insanely fast, am breastfeeding AND working out, I'm actually a couple pounds under my pre-preg weight, which we (Dan and I) really didn't want to happen. Right now, a typical day's diet looks like:

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Peanut Butter Sandwich and Apple
Snack: Pear and Mozzerella stick (sometimes cottage Cheese)
Snack 2: Protein bar
Dinner: We don't eat a lot of meat, so it's usually: Loaded Baked Potato, Pasta, Homemade Veggie Pizza, Veggie Quesadilla, Breakfast for Dinner (eggs), etc
Dessert 3: Fruit ice bar/ice cream bar (since the new year we are trying to keep all the junk out of the house for my husbands sake)
Snack 4: Bowl of Cereal

I try to eat a bowl of cereal before bed to up my calories. Looking at it, not sure if what I listed is really enough for my day, but I'm not sure if I can add much more in. When I'm home with the kids, I need the protein bar/mozzeralla stick as quick grabs...because honestly, I don't eat until around 11:00am most of the time. I'm sure I'll gain back the additional lb's I lost within the next couple of months once my body regulates.

And a quick segue into our favorite baby product ever:

Our Maya Ring Sling!

We use this thing ALL the time. We actually had purchased the Ergo and decided that the Maya was still easier for us to use around the house doing errands. What we especially like is that once your done cleaning the house, you can just lay down in it. With the ERgo, we really couldn't get all comfy on the couch afterwards. Don't get me wrong, the Ergo is a GREAT carrier, and is definitely better on your back/shoulders, but for right now, we LOVE the Maya.

I posted some pics below so you could see how comfy she looks!!

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BREE

It's going to take a bit, but apparently it REALLY bothers my husband spelling her name Bri. Since it doesn't bother me as much, I'm going to switch the spelling. He thinks its just the shortened version of Brian.

And since we're on the subject if Bree...she's doing really well!

She's really improved her head control and we put her in the bumbo once a day.

She seems to be gaining weight /growing a ton.

We've heard her little voice cooing.

Her hair is growing back already!!

She still sleeps in our room in the Fischer price Rock and play

She enjoys her paci

I think that's it for updates!

1 Month Old

With the addition of baby #2, I definitely have less time to blog ...but I want to make sure I keep a record of Bri's milestones, etc. Right now I'm going to continue documenting through the blog and may change things up down the road. 

 

1 Month:
Weight: 9 lbs 11 oz - 75% (born at 7 lbs 13 oz)
Length: 22.5 in - 95% (born at 21 in)

I have a feeling she's going to take after her brother in the long/lean department. OY.

Bri is still a REALLY good baby. At nearly 5 weeks, she has us waiting for the "shoe to drop". We had always thought Grayson was a pretty fussy, difficult baby, but didn't realize it until we had a truly good baby. I remember WANTING to go back to work after having Grayson...this time, I'm shocked at how quick it came. Thankfully I only work Part Time this go-around, which will make the transition way easier. That and the insanely easy commute.

• Has given us 7 (!!!) hour stretches of sleep. It almost kills me to have to wake up and pump while she sits there dreaming away.
• Gave us her first social smile over the weekend. She has been giving me a ton of them today
• Takes anywhere between 2-4.5oz of food at a time. We don't chart anything at all and I just feed her on demand. Seems to be working pretty well.
• Unlike her brother she RARELY spits up. PRAISE THE LORD. (totally jinxing myself there)
• Has amazing head control just like her brother. We'll hold her upright and she likes to look around and move her head from side to side.
• In size 1 dipes
• I just put away her newborn clothes
• Takes after her dad - looks like she has a long torso and short legs.
• Her hair is starting to thin out on top. WAHHHH.
• Farts. A LOT.
• Has a bowel movement every other day or so.
• Loves to be held (especially by her dad) in the Maya Ring Sling
• Really, the only time she cries badly is when she's hungry. She had a fussy period a couple weeks ago, but as soon as I cut out caffeine, the problem went away.

I'm crossing my fingers our sweet little girl stays as sweet as she is. After our exhausting son, it's nice to have a little reprieve.

Newborn Pictures

I'm trying to get a quick post in to show off some of our Newborn Photos.

We decided to go a different route with these pictures - a much more natural style..as oppposed to the super posed ones with props/flash we had with Grayson. Although I LOVE the pictures that we had taken of Grayson, as he got older, I was really hoping to have pictures that were more natural. I also wanted a photographer our family could grow with..and the posed thing was totally not working with an overactive toddler.

We finally found an amazing photographer/graphic artist who only shoots using natural light. She had done a post of a family of five here: http://samanthameister.com/blog/hikingwiththesevensmiths/ and I immediately fell in love with her style (if you have a couple minutes, check out the link..the family is absolutley adorable!) I feel like she was able to capture Grayson's personality so perfectly which made my heart smile.

I'm actually more excited to see her photograph our family as the kids get a bit older...and we already have our next session scheduled for the summer.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

PostPartum-ness

And I'm back!

I'm going to try to do an overall update on everything that has gone on in the past couple of weeks.

The Birth

If you read my husbands Birth Story, you know that we ended up having a very quick natural birth. Some people have asked me which birth I preferred...and it's a really hard question to answer since they were so different. I wouldn't change a thing about either of my kids' births. I thoroughly enjoyed Grayson's birth - the epidural allowed me to relax and really experience everything. I begged for the mirror to be brought down so I could see him and was really "present" during the whole process.

Bridget's birth was so fast that I really couldn't think. A big part of me was in shock having gotten to the hospital complete and ready to push. In my head I thought they would tell me I was 4cm or something. So I resisted actually needing to push. I kept telling everyone that I couldn't do it...but as most books tell you, once the urge to push arrives, your body naturally pushes! Although I didn't necessarily ENJOY Bree's brith,  I felt really great afterward and  proud of what I had just accomplished.

So my answer is... If I had to do it over again, I would just go with the flow...and know that whatever happens, having a healthy baby is obviously the most important.

Postpartum Quiz

• How far along were you when you had your baby? 41 weeks exactly
• How long was labor? 3.5 hours
  
• Total weight gain: 23lbs (same exact as Grayson)
• Total weight loss since: I'm back down to my pre-preg weight. I attribute it to the breastfeeding
  
• Back into your own clothes yet? Yes and no. Even though my weight is off, a lot of my shirts don't fit right and I have a little bit extra fluff around my middle. I'm not complaining one bit..I'll probably just buy some more clothes :)

• Did you get stretch marks? NONE!
• Did you deliver vaginally or by c-section? Vaginally.
• Best moment this week: Getting Bri (Bree?) all dressed up for the annual "Fancy Dinner" our friend Elizabeth hosts
• What I miss about being pregnant: Not much
• How big is baby: Honestly not sure..she is probably around 8lbs.
  
• Baby's temperament? Pretty content, although she is starting to show us some more personality.
  
• What I am looking forward to: when she can interact with us a little more!
• Working out: I have NOT started to workout yet. This time around, I will be waiting until I'm 6 weeks PP to start back up. My midwife was very adamant that I not overdo it  - I've already had Mastitis and am finally feeling pretty good. She said if I over do it, I have a higher chance of getting it again.

Family Dynamics

Obviously our family dynamic has changed drastically. Dan and Grayson spend a lot of time one on one, while I spend a lot of time with Bridget one on one. This past week has been a bit tiring...Bridget tricked us into thinking she was the perfect baby, and while she's definitely still pretty easy, she displayed some of the typical newborn behavior of "fussing" from 5pm-11pm for a couple nights. I altered my diet to make sure I had NO caffiene which seems to be helping a lot. Obviously, with two there isn't a "break"...Saturday Dan took G to the zoo, while I shopped a bit with Bridget. We didn't think B was ready to take an all day trip outside yet, but don't want to deprive Grayson of the nice weather (and fun!) to be had at the zoo.

I get to spend some time with Grayson on my own Wednesdays and Fridays when he's home from daycare, although it's proving to be a tad difficult with timing my pumping and keeping him active. I feel a bit guilty because before Bridget was born, Grayson and I RARELY stayed home all day. I made sure we went to the park, museum, or had some sort of activity OUTSIDE of the house. One of my worries with having Bridget in the winter was that I'd be tied to the house. Luckily, we have a playdate this friday with Christina, Vincent and Zach...and then my sister Rachael will be coming into town the following Monday/Tuesday for about a week.

Dan will be taking his first business trip back at his new office in the next two weeks...so it'll be just me with both kids for about a week. He'll be averaging about a trip a month with his new position, which isn't terrible...it'll just take some getting used to with TWO little ones under my belt.

On another note, Grayson seems to be doing really well with having a new baby in the house. He's pretty affectionate with her, although at times, does tell one or the other parent to "put it down" or "give it to mommy". He doesn't do this in a mean way, just wants us to play with him and put her down!

Bri or Bree??

When we picked Bridget's name, the agreement was that I could call her Bri (or Bree). I really love the nickname, but Dan wanted her to have a longer first name. That being said...we cannot agree on the spelling of her nickname. I say Bri and Dan says Bree. Since I can't decide, I'll probably go back and forth for a little while writing her name different ways..so if you're confused or want to voice your own input, feel free:)

Feedings

Since Dan has gone back to work, I don't feel right asking him to help me out with feedings unless I'm super exahusted. Luckily, Bree goes 2 hours (at least) between feedings. So on a typical night Bree will get up, I'll feed her, put her down and then pump. This whole process takes about an hour when all is said and done. It's been a pretty easy process and on the weekends Dan will feed while I pump..that way he gets his nightly bonding experience in with her :) When I go back to work, I hopefully won't need to pump at night and Dan and I will alternate feedings. Maybe she'll be super awesome and be sleeping through the night by then..(Grayson didn't STTN until he was 8 months old!)

Bree's Temperament

Unlike her brother, Bree is much more calm. She LOVES being held and cuddled...to the point that I've resorted to Co-Sleeping on occasion. I remember while being pregnant with Grayson thinking I would NEVER co-sleep...but this time around, I'm really enjoying the extra cuddles.
Grayson used to need us to be moving around quite a bit to calm down, while with Bree, we can sit with her on the couch and she'd be perfectly happy. Not sure if it's still too early, but I'm hoping she stays like this!

And for a couple pictures: