Diaper Master

When Noah was a baby, I was shocked by the amount of poop I had to wash off all his teeny tiny clothing. He had blowouts several times a week, and silly me, I blamed the diaper brands. I'm not certain if this has more to do with the force with which your baby poops, or your baby's body in a particular type of diaper, but I'm starting to think it's because I was a rookie and putting his diapers on incorrectly (aka: like an idiot new mom).

Elias has never had a diaper blowout. He is the gassiest baby I have ever met, and I have changed some seriously full diapers with him, but not once has poop leaked out. He has peed through, but pee is so benign. Also he only really leaked through because we failed to change him in time.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that after nearly three years of changing diapers, I am now a diaper changing guru. Is this something to be proud of? No, not really. Am I excited that I haven't had to wash poop off anything so far? Shyeah, you bet I am! Now if only there was some sort of award I could win for this.

Late night mommy-ing

Monday Madness

Madness. I wish I was talking about some awesome sale, or using the word ironically but I'm not. Today has truly been a test of my motherly sanity since 5:30 this morning. The baby woke up at 5:30, which meant that he had let us sleep for four and a half glorious hours! Well, it turns out that my boobs didn't think that was so awesome because I was slightly engorged, and 10 minutes into nursing my son, he vomited out a waterfall of milk all over himself, me, the pillows and bedding. FYI, too much foremilk is bad news.

We were both completely soaked, half awake, and now really frazzled. Having to do the whole wet sheets/clothes routine while sleep deprived in the early morning is a special kind of low. Even more so when you can't seem to soothe your baby to sleep, and then your toddler wakes up for the day. But then you thank your lucky stars for having a husband who changes the baby while you strip the bedding and wash your own breastmilk off your body, and who wrangles the toddler so you can get a bit more rest.

Apparently, the baby had indeed quenched his thirst earlier and not just puked everything out because he woke up after a couple hours angrily screaming his little lungs out. He had peed out his diaper and soaked through his pajamas, sleep sack, and bassinet sheet. Fabulous, more wet things.

I have since spent the morning recovering and doing laundry, all while keeping the fussy baby as fuss-free as possible, and keeping my stupid migraine at bay. Now I somehow have to try to eat, go to the grocery store, and pick Noah up from preschool, even though Elias won't stop crying or let me put him down. Oh man, I'm about to add a toddler into the mix. Madness, I tell you. Please excuse me while I go cry into my half eaten sandwich.

Now and Then

As luck (and Brendan's smart choices 6 years ago) would have it, everything we need is conveniently located within 3 to 4 blocks from our apartment. Before kids, if I needed to pick up something from the deli, get a latte, and drop off the dry cleaning, this meant that I could just walk outside and have all my errands done within 15 minutes if I dawdled.

Now, if I want to do those things, it takes a little more planning and effort. Here's how that same, seemingly simple morning task might go:

1. Put on pants. (I now laugh maniacally at everyone who needs to shower first to leave the house)

2. Prep the toddler by getting him excited to go to the dry cleaner's. This is hit or miss.

3. First cajole and eventually threaten the toddler to put his shoes and jacket on.

4. You both have mini meltdowns because you washed the jacket he wanted to wear and it's still hanging up to dry.

5. Prepare the baby carrier to put the baby in it.

6. Once baby is in nice and snug and safe, the baby poops.

7. Take the baby out of the perfectly configured ring sling to change his teeny tiny diaper.

8. The toddler is now bored and shot putting blocks across the living room and down the hall.

9. A block hits you in the face. You yell a little.

10. Everyone is finally dressed and ready to go. You realize you didn't put the dry cleaning in a bag, so you have to now do this with the baby strapped to your chest, and somehow all mostly with one arm because you're too scared to let his infant head flop around dangerously.

11. You're out the door! Now to wrangle your toddler on the city streets, to make sure he doesn't go running off in the wrong direction or run out in front of a moving vehicle.

12. Stop to inspect every single rock in existence, and field questions about who every person in the street we encounter is and what they are doing.

13. Run after your toddler to prevent him from squeezing neighborhood dogs, while holding baby's head and giant bag of dirty clothes.

14. Just drop off the dry cleaning because that is all you have the energy to do at this point, the baby is hungry again, and you can't remember what you needed from the store anymore anyway. Whatever it is, it's not worth it.

15. Go home, while still doing number 11, 12, and 13.

Total time it took to make a 3 minute trip: 40 minutes

We have to do this all again if I want to attempt going back out to the store to get what we need, but I will most likely end up asking my husband to pick it up before he comes home for the evening. Welcome to life with an almost 3 year old and a newborn! 

All The Feels

My newborn baby has already outgrown his newborn diapers, and I wept for joy. This could be due to the crap ton of hormones coursing through my body of course, but mainly it's because I'm so relieved and thankful.

When I found out I was pregnant on the very last day of January early this year, I wanted to be elated, but instead was gripped with fear. The fear didn't really go away, even after being lucky enough to see an early heartbeat at my 6 week appointment, again at 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, and seeing a healthy baby on an ultrasound at 14 weeks.

Now I have a huge, gorgeous and hearty three week old boy who has outgrown his newborn diapers, and I can finally, finally breathe a sigh of relief. He is fine, he's here; I can watch him grow up and forge a lifelong relationship with his big brother; I can hold him and kiss him and feed him. 

I am exhausted, but I am at last, truly elated. Happy Wednesday friends. xoxo

Mommy of Two

Well, we did it. Baby number two arrived safely, healthy, and larger than life at 9lbs, 5 oz! These last two weeks have been the most exhausting, emotional and loopy of my entire life. I was ready to meet my son and to not be pregnant anymore, but terrified of having a c-section. Thankfully, my OR team was so great and fun and obviously pro-stars at their jobs. We chatted and giggled about Grey's Anatomy while I lay on the operating table, gossiped about the lack of McDreamies and McSteamies at the hospital, and ended with everyone being in total shock at the sheer size of the baby that was extracted from one short Filipino girl. The whole thing took about 30 minutes tops.

As for life with two babes, it's been difficult, particularly with me having so much difficulty moving around, but my husband and sister-in-law have been holding down the fort, especially with Noah, my wild hurricane of a son. My friends have been an enormous help as well, it would have been so much more difficult without our village, and I am eternally grateful.

It has taken me a full two weeks to get back somewhat normal mobility, but now the exhaustion of having a newborn and being awake at strange hours is catching up to me. It's madness, but the cutest, messiest, stinkiest, funniest madness you can imagine. And now I introduce to you, Elias Brendan, born on October 7th, at 9lbs, 5oz:

So chunky!

We make very serious looking babies

Nose kisses

Elias and daddy

The Eve of Baby Day

Thank you for all your sweet messages and well-wishes everyone! As for the many, many Skype and FaceTime requests I have received, unfortunately I cannot chat with all of you right now, but thank you very much for making me feel like a well loved celeb. ;) Love you all, and see you on the other side!

I will leave you now with what I WON'T be doing at the hospital but sure wish I was! This mama is badass. The last time I was dilating to 6cm, I was begging for my anesthesiologist.

Family Outing At the Pumpkin Patch

I wanted to give my little Noah a last hurrah as a family of three on this beautiful and sunny, Pacific Northwest weekend. Every year around this time, we go to the pumpkin patch but we decided to go to a different farm this year and were not at all disappointed.

Fox Hollow Farm in Issaquah is awesome! It's located on a well-maintained and gorgeous property in a valley, surrounded by evergreens and mountains. There were cute farm animals everywhere, bunnies and kittens roaming free throughout, a picture-perfect pumpkin patch, a little creek where you can feed the fish, a kiddie train, ponies to ride, bouncy houses, mini jeeps for the kids, wagons to pull them around in, kettle corn, cotton candy, s'mores, hot beverages, beautiful and plentiful seating, and great music. Brendan and I may have totally rocked out to the Ghost Busters theme song they had blasting when we arrived, like big dorks.

Small Human loved it so much, that he demanded we go back with his baby brother. It seems like he only gets more fun with each year that passes! I would definitely go back there, and I highly recommend it to everyone in the area with kids 10 and under. I'm even seriously considering it for the next baby's 1st birthday next year. Tickets are $10 per person, and they take a one hour break for lunch and close the farm down from 1pm-2pm.

Here are some snaps of our fun Saturday:

He loves to pet animals!

Sweet little Lionhead bunny I discovered in the bushes

My little pumpkin

Thanks for making it look like I'm taking you hostage on the Ewing Ranch, Noah

He was hilariously nonplussed on the train ride

His first cotton candy!

He loved it!

He also enjoyed the kettle corn

Next year, we'll have two little guys in a wagon :)