I am TWO months old!
I like: Still love my binky more than anything (haha), watching the fish tank (though I doubt she can see the fish), running water (if she's fussy, but we turn a faucet or her bath on she'll calm down quite a bit), and my parents' voices. I also like wiggling around on activity mats or on soft blankets on the couch, but only for a couple moments and I handle tummy time like a champ!
I dislike: Being tired and/or hungry (obvious ones, but she definitely let us know when one was going on), laying down for too long or being held without some sort of movement.
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| Got a good pic during "Wiggle & Giggle Time" |
I am now: According to the Dr. Appointment today she is 11 pounds even, 22.5 inches long and her head is 40 cm around. So she's in the 39th percentile for weight, 48th for length, and 91st for head! So just like Cara she's a lollipop shape haha. Although Cara was 35th for weight, 57th for length, and 81st for head as a comparison - very close. She's been in size 1 diapers for a while now and mostly 0-3 month for clothes. She grew out of newborn clothes, pajamas, and diapers very quickly!
A Typical Day looks like:
6 AM to 7:30) She usually fusses due to gas pains, or so it seems, during this time. We're working on teaching her to stay in bed until at least 7:30 for now (eventually it'll be pushed to 8) so we give her the binky to hold her over until we get her up.
7:30 to 8) Breakfast time. I'll get Gwen up and take her downstairs then go get Cara and the outfits. I changed diapers, outfits and then make her bottle (usually about 4 oz - 3 are breastmilk and 1 formula) and Cara's breakfast (oatmeal or cereal) and then feed them at the same time. It can get chaotic, but I feel I've mastered the timing so far so once I go to work it shouldn't be too difficult.
8 to 9) I'll put Gwen in the swing, while I pump and eat breakfast and Cara runs around. After pumping I'll put Gwen on an activity mat for what we call "wiggle and giggle time". Usually the bottle and dishes have been cleaned and Cara's teeth are brushed so there is quite a bit of free time done here. Usually around 8:45 Gwen will get fussy and I'll rock her in the office while talking to Larry about what his day looks like and she'll get sleepy enough by 9 to be put down.
9 to 11) Nap time. She'll last maybe an hour before she squirms and needs the binky put back in (this I want to work on getting her to nap better, but I think his videos and meetings tend to make it difficult). Usually around 10:45 she'll get way more squirmy in anticipation of the next feeding.
11 to 12:15 ish) Diaper change, eat a 4-4.25 ounce bottle (usually 1 oz is formula, the rest is breast milk), get burped and more wiggle and giggle time. I also fix Cara's and my lunch so we can eat around 11:30 while Gwen hangs out.
12:15 to 2) Nap time. Again, she'll last about an hour before she squirms a bit and has to have the binky put back in constantly. Around 1:45 she gets more squirmy for the next feeding as well.
2 to 3:30) Diaper change, eat 4-4.25 oz bottle again, get burped, and wiggle and giggle time. She likes to pretend she'll sleep through this feeding, but we've learned the second she gets put down she'll tend to wake up so we've just learned to enjoy this awake time. Cara gets up around 2:30 so we get half an hour of us time and then it's girlie time with all three of us.
3:30-4:30/5) Nap Time. We are lucky if she'll go past 4:30 though. For some reason she's been having a hard time napping too long at this point. I'm not sure if it's because of her next feeding or because one of us is usually working out right underneath her at this time or what, but it's been a challenge to just make sure she'll nap at this point.
5) Diaper change, eat 4-4.25 oz again, get burped, and usually hang out with the rest of the family. It's very rare she'll go back to sleep after this feeding so we expect her to be awake until bed time most of the time.
5 to 6:30) Hang out while we eat dinner, wiggle and giggle time/time in the swing, etc. Around 6 is when I'll put her on my lap with a comfy blanket and sometimes she naps, sometimes she'll give me some good smiles. I love this time the most because Larry keeps Cara entertained while I hang with Gwen.
6:30-6:45) This is when she'll get put back down on an activity mat or a blanket on the couch to wiggle about while we do "Family Stretches" from an app Larry has on his phone.
6:45 - 7:30) I'll usually reads to the girls at 6:45 while dad gets the 7:00 bottle ready (3 oz of breast milk). While one of us feeds her we'll also start our nightly show (Usually Total Wipeout or AFV).
7:30) Get ready for bed. Usually that entails a diaper change, lotion, put in my pajamas, owlet, and sleep sac, and a nice 3 oz formula bottle to top her off. Most of the time she'll pass right out after this bottle (IF she even eats the whole thing). We do a bath on Sundays and Wednesdays and then the same routine after that. we've found that starting this all at 7:30 means she'll be down by 8. Bath time was waking her up a bit, but by the end of the month she was used to it and got to sleep pretty decently.
Gwen sometimes sleep through the night, if she doesn't she'll get up between 3:30 and 4 for a diaper change and feeding. I get up in the 3:00 hour to pump so if she's up before me I can do it all in one swoop, but otherwise I'll go to bed after I pump and just get up when she does to feed her. I know this sounds tedious, but since she isn't consistently sleeping through the night I just pump when I can and hope I don't need to get up again, but it's okay if I do...for now. Once I have to get up at 6 for work I'll probably be changing my tune haha.
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| She's been getting this little Alfalfa hair thing that I've Just loved. So cute! |
A Typical Day looks like:
6 AM to 7:30) She usually fusses due to gas pains, or so it seems, during this time. We're working on teaching her to stay in bed until at least 7:30 for now (eventually it'll be pushed to 8) so we give her the binky to hold her over until we get her up.
7:30 to 8) Breakfast time. I'll get Gwen up and take her downstairs then go get Cara and the outfits. I changed diapers, outfits and then make her bottle (usually about 4 oz - 3 are breastmilk and 1 formula) and Cara's breakfast (oatmeal or cereal) and then feed them at the same time. It can get chaotic, but I feel I've mastered the timing so far so once I go to work it shouldn't be too difficult.
8 to 9) I'll put Gwen in the swing, while I pump and eat breakfast and Cara runs around. After pumping I'll put Gwen on an activity mat for what we call "wiggle and giggle time". Usually the bottle and dishes have been cleaned and Cara's teeth are brushed so there is quite a bit of free time done here. Usually around 8:45 Gwen will get fussy and I'll rock her in the office while talking to Larry about what his day looks like and she'll get sleepy enough by 9 to be put down.
9 to 11) Nap time. She'll last maybe an hour before she squirms and needs the binky put back in (this I want to work on getting her to nap better, but I think his videos and meetings tend to make it difficult). Usually around 10:45 she'll get way more squirmy in anticipation of the next feeding.
11 to 12:15 ish) Diaper change, eat a 4-4.25 ounce bottle (usually 1 oz is formula, the rest is breast milk), get burped and more wiggle and giggle time. I also fix Cara's and my lunch so we can eat around 11:30 while Gwen hangs out.
12:15 to 2) Nap time. Again, she'll last about an hour before she squirms a bit and has to have the binky put back in constantly. Around 1:45 she gets more squirmy for the next feeding as well.
2 to 3:30) Diaper change, eat 4-4.25 oz bottle again, get burped, and wiggle and giggle time. She likes to pretend she'll sleep through this feeding, but we've learned the second she gets put down she'll tend to wake up so we've just learned to enjoy this awake time. Cara gets up around 2:30 so we get half an hour of us time and then it's girlie time with all three of us.
3:30-4:30/5) Nap Time. We are lucky if she'll go past 4:30 though. For some reason she's been having a hard time napping too long at this point. I'm not sure if it's because of her next feeding or because one of us is usually working out right underneath her at this time or what, but it's been a challenge to just make sure she'll nap at this point.
5) Diaper change, eat 4-4.25 oz again, get burped, and usually hang out with the rest of the family. It's very rare she'll go back to sleep after this feeding so we expect her to be awake until bed time most of the time.
5 to 6:30) Hang out while we eat dinner, wiggle and giggle time/time in the swing, etc. Around 6 is when I'll put her on my lap with a comfy blanket and sometimes she naps, sometimes she'll give me some good smiles. I love this time the most because Larry keeps Cara entertained while I hang with Gwen.
6:30-6:45) This is when she'll get put back down on an activity mat or a blanket on the couch to wiggle about while we do "Family Stretches" from an app Larry has on his phone.
6:45 - 7:30) I'll usually reads to the girls at 6:45 while dad gets the 7:00 bottle ready (3 oz of breast milk). While one of us feeds her we'll also start our nightly show (Usually Total Wipeout or AFV).
7:30) Get ready for bed. Usually that entails a diaper change, lotion, put in my pajamas, owlet, and sleep sac, and a nice 3 oz formula bottle to top her off. Most of the time she'll pass right out after this bottle (IF she even eats the whole thing). We do a bath on Sundays and Wednesdays and then the same routine after that. we've found that starting this all at 7:30 means she'll be down by 8. Bath time was waking her up a bit, but by the end of the month she was used to it and got to sleep pretty decently.
Gwen sometimes sleep through the night, if she doesn't she'll get up between 3:30 and 4 for a diaper change and feeding. I get up in the 3:00 hour to pump so if she's up before me I can do it all in one swoop, but otherwise I'll go to bed after I pump and just get up when she does to feed her. I know this sounds tedious, but since she isn't consistently sleeping through the night I just pump when I can and hope I don't need to get up again, but it's okay if I do...for now. Once I have to get up at 6 for work I'll probably be changing my tune haha.
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| This looks a lot like Cara to me! |
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| She was so content on this chair this night. |
This Month I: Celebrated my first Christmas. I wasn't as interested in the gifts, but I still got spoiled beyond belief! I celebrated New Years as well, even though I slept through midnight (like a good baby).
I also got to meet Nana (on mom's side) for the first time in person and gave her the biggest smiles ever! I became more aware of my tongue and love to show it off when I'm not smiling or demanding my binky.
I also got to meet Nana (on mom's side) for the first time in person and gave her the biggest smiles ever! I became more aware of my tongue and love to show it off when I'm not smiling or demanding my binky.
Parent's Notes: Oh man did this month start out challenging. Gwen hit a wonder week leap around 5 weeks. If you didn't know, wonder week is where they reach a new developmental milestone and become more curious about their world and tend to have some sleep regression. In Gwen's case it was not wanting to nap as much (making her WAY fussier) and going to bed way later than she was before. It was very challenging and I had to be reminded we are still in the "100 days of hell" stage with her from Larry. The only good part about it was she was more cuddly and wanted to be held a lot more and this was okay with mama. I just had to learn to keep Cara occupied well enough while I tended to Gwen.
We also rang in 2019 with her. The fireworks made her stir a bit, but she slept through them pretty well. The only issue is she woke up that day really early from her last nap so by the time we got her ready for bed she only ate half her bottle before passing out completely and so I think that hunger was really the reason she was stirring, but it could've been a combination of both. It's also really hitting me that even though we're starting this year out with her being almost completely immobile and dependent on us, by the end of the year she'll probably be walking, eating solids, not needing a bottle anymore AND in her own room in her own crib. It's crazy to think how quickly they grow in a year!
The best part of this month was when she started to give little smiles, but then my mom visited and I had honestly not seen bigger smiles up until that point. After that visit, Gwen got quite a bit more smiley and even started trying to giggle a tiny bit. Speaking of her visit, it was also so nice to see my mom again (and in person). We ran a ton of fun errands (I even took both girls to Ikea for my first outing with both of them without Larry...although my mom, grandma, and Cindy were all there so I had plenty of help), we got to hang out with my brother one night and eat ice cream...that was really nice! The best part is, ever since her visit I've really felt much better about our daily routine and doing most of it on my own (I still leave Gwen in the office for Larry to keep an eye on during nap times, but other than that I take care of both girls all on my own).
We also had a great date night on the 15th. I was nervous about how it was going to go down because I was craving Cracker Barrel that isn't too close to us. I figured we'd leave after Larry got off work, but then realized we'd be eating dinner at 4 if that was the case and that seemed to early. We decided to leave around 4:15 and let Gwen nap on the way there. We packed bottle makings and got there right in time for her 5:00 feeding. It was a slow night so we got dinner ordered, delivered, and ate by 5:30/5:40 and were able to leave so that (with rush hour traffic still) we got home by 6:30 - just in time to keep Gwen awake for the night. She went down at 8 like normal and slept all night long. I even got to work out a little earlier in the day and shower so that I could get completely ready (hair and makeup done, real clothes on, all of it) so I was feeling super happy with how that whole night went down without any hitches! No early dinner (or at least not old people "early bird" dinner), no late night on the road, no baby that stays up till who knows when, and a full night's sleep (other than pumping)? Couldn't have been a better night!
Her doctor appointment went so well, she's measuring so well and had no medical concerns. She does have some cradle cap starting, but we know that's normal and isn't as bad as it was with Cara. I always get so happy to hear she's developing normally and we can say we rock this parenting thing...so far. I even did the appointment all on my own and I didn't cry even a little tear when they gave shots. I was actually kind of happy to console her and she was so cuddly afterwards. Of course they knocked her out and made her want to nap all day and we actually had to give her some Tylenol when she woke up screaming and I could tell it was from the pain (sad face!!), but otherwise I feel I've handled a real doctor appointment on my own so well :)
One of my new favorite moments is around 6 each night. Gwen is always awake at this point, sometimes for an hour, sometimes for longer, so I'll put her on my legs and put a soft blanket my mom got her over both of us and just let her relax. If she is lucky she'll start to nap a little, but otherwise she'll just give me the cutest smiles and it feels like such a good bonding moment. I absolutely love doing this each night. And it's one I can continue after I go back to work.
Speaking of that...I am really realizing my maternity leave is coming to an end soon, and while I felt ready for that a couple weeks ago, now I am in this lovely routine with both girls and have a nice schedule and so it's going to be hard to adjust that to me being out of the house and letting Larry take over. I also have had a couple moments where I haven't put the girls down for naps (I had to run Oscar to the vet for a follow up blood draw so I wasn't just leaving Larry alone for no good reason) and it was a little sad to me that I wasn't there. Or the days I was with mom where we just took Cara out and I left Larry with Gwen I came back and just wanted to cuddle with her when we got back because I missed her being with me all day. So going back to work will probably be a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. However, that being said, I know I am working for good reasons and I'll keep that in mind as I cry my first week away haha.
We also rang in 2019 with her. The fireworks made her stir a bit, but she slept through them pretty well. The only issue is she woke up that day really early from her last nap so by the time we got her ready for bed she only ate half her bottle before passing out completely and so I think that hunger was really the reason she was stirring, but it could've been a combination of both. It's also really hitting me that even though we're starting this year out with her being almost completely immobile and dependent on us, by the end of the year she'll probably be walking, eating solids, not needing a bottle anymore AND in her own room in her own crib. It's crazy to think how quickly they grow in a year!
The best part of this month was when she started to give little smiles, but then my mom visited and I had honestly not seen bigger smiles up until that point. After that visit, Gwen got quite a bit more smiley and even started trying to giggle a tiny bit. Speaking of her visit, it was also so nice to see my mom again (and in person). We ran a ton of fun errands (I even took both girls to Ikea for my first outing with both of them without Larry...although my mom, grandma, and Cindy were all there so I had plenty of help), we got to hang out with my brother one night and eat ice cream...that was really nice! The best part is, ever since her visit I've really felt much better about our daily routine and doing most of it on my own (I still leave Gwen in the office for Larry to keep an eye on during nap times, but other than that I take care of both girls all on my own).
We also had a great date night on the 15th. I was nervous about how it was going to go down because I was craving Cracker Barrel that isn't too close to us. I figured we'd leave after Larry got off work, but then realized we'd be eating dinner at 4 if that was the case and that seemed to early. We decided to leave around 4:15 and let Gwen nap on the way there. We packed bottle makings and got there right in time for her 5:00 feeding. It was a slow night so we got dinner ordered, delivered, and ate by 5:30/5:40 and were able to leave so that (with rush hour traffic still) we got home by 6:30 - just in time to keep Gwen awake for the night. She went down at 8 like normal and slept all night long. I even got to work out a little earlier in the day and shower so that I could get completely ready (hair and makeup done, real clothes on, all of it) so I was feeling super happy with how that whole night went down without any hitches! No early dinner (or at least not old people "early bird" dinner), no late night on the road, no baby that stays up till who knows when, and a full night's sleep (other than pumping)? Couldn't have been a better night!
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| Date Night - All done up! |
Her doctor appointment went so well, she's measuring so well and had no medical concerns. She does have some cradle cap starting, but we know that's normal and isn't as bad as it was with Cara. I always get so happy to hear she's developing normally and we can say we rock this parenting thing...so far. I even did the appointment all on my own and I didn't cry even a little tear when they gave shots. I was actually kind of happy to console her and she was so cuddly afterwards. Of course they knocked her out and made her want to nap all day and we actually had to give her some Tylenol when she woke up screaming and I could tell it was from the pain (sad face!!), but otherwise I feel I've handled a real doctor appointment on my own so well :)
One of my new favorite moments is around 6 each night. Gwen is always awake at this point, sometimes for an hour, sometimes for longer, so I'll put her on my legs and put a soft blanket my mom got her over both of us and just let her relax. If she is lucky she'll start to nap a little, but otherwise she'll just give me the cutest smiles and it feels like such a good bonding moment. I absolutely love doing this each night. And it's one I can continue after I go back to work.
Speaking of that...I am really realizing my maternity leave is coming to an end soon, and while I felt ready for that a couple weeks ago, now I am in this lovely routine with both girls and have a nice schedule and so it's going to be hard to adjust that to me being out of the house and letting Larry take over. I also have had a couple moments where I haven't put the girls down for naps (I had to run Oscar to the vet for a follow up blood draw so I wasn't just leaving Larry alone for no good reason) and it was a little sad to me that I wasn't there. Or the days I was with mom where we just took Cara out and I left Larry with Gwen I came back and just wanted to cuddle with her when we got back because I missed her being with me all day. So going back to work will probably be a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. However, that being said, I know I am working for good reasons and I'll keep that in mind as I cry my first week away haha.
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| Super dad right here! |
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| Cuddle time at 6. Such a cute napper! |
Update on last month's goals:
- Tummy Time has been going so great. She definitely lasts longer than Cara did at this point and she's already trying to get up on her knees a little, rolls to her side a bit, and holds her head up SO well! I think we'll have a roller before Cara got there, hopefully before I go back to work *fingers crossed*
- As for sensory stuff, my mom got Gwen her own soft blanket after we put Cara's princess one on her and she seemed to like it. So towards the end of this month I started putting Gwen on my legs after dinner time and putting her soft blanket over her and we just kind of cuddle and interact and it's become my favorite time. Gwen loves feeling the blanket and will give me tons of smiles while I talk to her and it's really helped us bond quite a bit.
- The neck workouts have been going so great! We haven't done the forward to back, but she rocks going from back to forwards. Larry even noted that she has caught on faster than he realized. We still do it most nights and she's finally used to it enough that she doesn't cry during it so it gets done quicker than it used to.
- Bedtime routine and sleeping have been going wonderfully! She's slept completely through the night a few times lately and when she doesn't she only gets up once. I love that I have my "night feedings only show" to watch (Home Improvement) so that I actually look forward to any night feedings rather than focus on just being tired. I also make sure to get up once a night for pumping so that I can keep my supply up. It took a tiny dip after mom's visit - which is expected due to not pumping as regularly - but I want to make sure to either get back to where I was or just not let it dip anymore. I have built quite the stash for her so far!
Goals for next month:
- Get Gwen to sleeping through the night before I go back to work (please please please). I know this is more of a developmental milestone, but I'd love it if we could get there by that point.
- Keep working on sensory stuff. She seems to love touching things and hearing things (she was loving me clicking my tongue at one point during the month).
- Work on nap times going smoother. Right now she just naps off and on and constantly needs her binky put back in. I'm hoping this next month we can get her used to all of Larry's noises so she naps better for him.
- To copy ones I had with Cara: keep bringing the smiles on and enjoy this last month I have. I really am going to miss being home with them and teaching Cara things and playing with Gwen when she's awake. It makes any hard moment so much more worth it!
- Maybe get her to grab toys. It may be a bit early for that, but we do put some Mr. Potato Head things in her hand (they are easy to grab with the thin stick-like attachment part on them) so far, but maybe we can find other things to practice with?
- Continue with tummy time and neck workouts to get her rolling over. Roll baby roll! Haha
