Two Months Old

Whew! What a week! Two doctor's appointments, two days of teaching home-bound, lots of cleaning, and here we are, it's finally Friday. I had my postpartum check-up on Monday. All is well and I am healthy. Aubrey had her 8-week appointment on Wednesday and she's growing like a weed. She had two shots in her leg and an oral vaccine. By about 1pm Wednesday, her upper thigh was all red and swollen and she was screaming nonstop, with renewed anguish every time she moved her leg. It wasn't red, she wasn't having a hard time breathing, and she didn't feel hot, so I decided to try to solve the problem on my own. I gave her some Tylenol (generic, since brand name is still on recall) and put a mini-ice pack on the injection site. After about 30 minutes she finally fell asleep. She whimpered when I put her down, but by the time she woke up several hours later she was back to her happy self. Next time I'm going to give her the Tylenol before we get the shots.

2-months stats:
Weight: 11lbs 2oz....58th %-ile
Height: 24 1/2 in...98th %-ile
Head: 15 1/2 in...68th %-ile

Aubrey isn't as skinny as Aidan was, but she's just as long. I had to remind Kyle that Aidan started off really long and then slowed down considerably so that he's just average now. Poor Kyle probably isn't going to get any pro-athletes out of this family.

As if I'm not busy enough, one of the kids in my class at school got kicked out with 3 weeks to go. They asked me to teach him 5 hours a week because the school our district places EBD students at doesn't have any openings right now. I agreed because I really do like this kid. It actually stimulates my brain and I feel much more intelligent on the nights I get home from teaching vs. being home all day, sleep-deprived, with my patience worn thin.

Aubrey is being baptized this weekend, so my family will be coming into town this evening. We're having everyone back to our house Sat. night for a BBQ, so cleaning has been on the agenda every day this week. I've decided that besides a nanny to play with Aidan during the day, we also really need a cleaning lady. I like my mother-in-law's line of "We need another wife."

We're Back

We took a mini-vacation to IL this past weekend for my cousin's wedding and a little quality time with Nana and Poppa. The 6 hour drive went exceptionally well on the way down and mostly okay on the way back...minus Aidan's whining and dropping his pacifier every ten minutes, on purpose, just so I would pick it up. We had a great time and have Aunt Kali to thank for the pictures. Once again, I forgot my camera.

The Albers Clan:
Aunt Cheryl, my dad, Uncle Gary, and Grandma Albers

Kali (28 weeks PG) and Kyle

Kali, Kyle, and Poppa

Nana and Aubrey

Aidan (in the green argyle sweater) getting his groove on

Nana and Great-Uncle Bill showing Aidan the horses and colt
(he was terrified of them up close, but liked looking out the window at them)

Great-Grandma Mosher meeting Aubrey for the first time

Aubrey is finally starting to smile!!!

Being a Mom

Happy Mother's Day to our moms, Theresa and Michele, and to all the other moms and moms-to-be out there reading the blog. As I write this, Kyle and Aidan are out getting me a "surprise". Is it a pony? Is it a boat? It could be anything! That's what I love about surprises.

Things I love about being a mom:

• the weight of a sleeping child in my arms
• when Aidan says "Yay-yah, Ok-ay" like a rapper
• the concern/attention Aidan shows Aubrey
  
• waking up and realizing I've been asleep (the kids have been asleep) for multiple hours in a row
• "me" time...it is precious and not to be squandered
• watching Aidan run around in the backyard, laughing hysterically at Roxie
• talking to Aubrey when she looks me right in the eye, like we might just be having a conversation
  
• playing pretend and watching Aidan's imagination bloom (did you know shopping carts can be motorcycles that you ride to grandma's house?)
• singing any song where Aidan joins in, off-key and totally not making sense, but full of enthusiasm
• getting contraptions that will make my life easier...the new stroller is here...curse the rain that meant we couldn't go outside to use it right away!
• watching Kyle play with Aidan or hold Aubrey
  

1 Month Old

(Aidan wanted his picture taken too, of course)

Aubrey has been with us for 5 weeks now. Some days it feels like I had her yesterday. Other days it's like she's always been here. She is awake most of the morning now and is still sleeping/waking up to eat every 3-4 hours at night. Aidan enjoys her and has never been mean to her. Yesterday he kept calling her "pretty", which cracked me up. The minute she starts to fuss he'll either tell me that she is hungry, or will run to find her "nuke". (which also cracks me up because I think nuclear bomb every time he says that.) She's trying to smile when she looks at you...right now it's more of a half-smile though. She lifts one corner or her mouth and her eyes get a little twinkle in them. I know she can see farther too because she will track me when I'm moving around the room.

No doctor's appointment until 8 weeks, but she is definitely getting longer. Newborn size clothes are getting too snug in length, and of course she swims in the 0-3 month size. I think I've got another child who will need jeans with an adjustable waist band so I can shrink the waist while keeping the length.

What to do?

I'm in a stroller dilemma. I'm pretty sure I need a double stroller, but I don't know what to get. Right now I'm leaning toward this one:

Joovy Caboose Ultralight
(in orange because it's cheaper than the other colors)

but am also considering this one:

Baby Trend Double Sit n Stand

The main differences are 1) weight (the Joovy only weights 21 lbs vs 32lbs for the Baby Trend) and 2) the Baby Trend obviously has 2 seats, one which can be removed to make it a "sit n stand". The prices are pretty comparable. I look every day on Craigslist for a used one, but no luck so far. Both accept infant car seats...the Joovy only in front, the Baby Trend in either the front or back seat.

Any suggestions from moms who currently have a double????

Tip Toe

Aidan visited the specialist this morning to have his toe-walking checked out. After lots of developmental questions and some observation of Aidan walking, the doctor told us all is fine with Aidan. No neurological issues, no extra-tight muscles...he just likes walking on his toes. In fact, she told us that Aidan is MORE flexible than normal, much to Kyle's delight. The first thing he said after the doctor walked out was, "That's awesome that he's so flexible. He's going to be a great goalie!" Glad to know our trip to the doctor could brighten Kyle's day. :) The doctor recommended buying Aidan high-top shoes to see if that will help him walk flat-footed. Other than that, she said they wouldn't do anything unless he's still toe-walking at age 3 1/2.

A little recap from the past week:
Kali visited us Thurs-Sun and we had a blast. I got to shower daily, get my bangs trimmed, and run errands, Aidan had a full-time playmate, Aubrey got lots of cuddle time, and Kyle got to finish staining the deck without any interruptions. Here are just a few of the great pictures that were taken.

I like to call this one
"If you don't stop crying, I'll MAKE you stop crying."
I think it looks like Aidan is trying to put his arm across her throat. He was actually just trying to hold Aubrey's hand. :)

Hockey and Baseball...such a little boy

Kali and Aidan after his wagon ride

Aunt Kali, Aidan, and Aubrey

Swinging in the park

Besides the fact that Aidan weighed a pound and half more at birth, these two look pretty similar.

Aubrey @ 5 days old

Aidan @ 2 days old

You Again?

I'm guessing that's what the doctor thought when he saw us again this morning, for the third time in two weeks. Hey, it's not my fault that they make you come in weekly when you have a newborn, plus Aidan needed his 2 year check-up. Almost all is well. We'll do stats first, then move on to the "not typical for a 2 year old" news.

Aubrey
Weight: 7 lbs 7 oz (58th%-ile)...back up to her birth weight, so we don't need to see the doctor again until she is 2 months old.

Aidan
Height: 35 in...66th%-ile
Weight: 25 lbs 1 oz...15th%-ile
Head: 20in...93%-ile (yep, he still has a huge noggin)

No booster shots for Aidan this time around, but he did get the H1N1 vaccine and had his finger pricked for lead poison testing. He didn't even bat an eyelash when his finger was pricked, just sat there and watched the lady suck his blood up into what I told him was a straw. (since he loves straws) He did let out a big cry after the shot though. I told him the "owie" was all done and that seemed to make him feel better. Just a few more shuddering breaths .

For those of you that see Aidan in person, you know that he walks on his toes at times. It's not that he can't walk flat-footed, he can and he does, but he also is a toe-walker. I know that most two-year olds are walking normally by now, so I mentioned the toe-walking to the doctor. Of course, when the doctor asked to see Aidan walk, Aidan only walked on his toes for a second and then walked fine the rest of the time. Still, the doctor saw that I wasn't making it up. He recommended that we take him to see a specialist, who will probably refer us for some physical therapy.

While there are many things that cause toe-walking, (autism, cerebral palsy, nerve damage, etc) Aidan doesn't exhibit any other symptoms of these scary disorders. The doctor thought that with time, Aidan would probably move on to "regular" walking on his own. Just to be on the safe side, and to speed things along with some physical therapy, he referred us to a specialist. He repeated, over and over, that he didn't think Aidan's toe-walking was a big deal. (probably due to the shocked look on my face and tears in my eyes at the mention of cerebral palsy) So, on April 20th we will be seeing a pediatrician who specializes in physical and rehabilitative care. My gut tells me everything is okay, so I'm not too worried. The toe-walking certainly hasn't slowed Aidan down in the slightest, so maybe I should be more worried about keeping up with him when he does figure out how to walk "normally". ;)

Little Bo Peep

Aubrey dressed up as Little Bo Peep for Easter, and Aidan went as her faithful guardian. Actually, Aubrey's dress is the one that I came home from the hospital in, when I was a newborn. You know how I'm a sucker for retro baby clothes! Don't mind her knobby knees and too big socks...I looked for tights, but couldn't find any in a newborn size so we had to make due. Good thing it was fairly warm outside.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Aidan!

The Birthday Boy

Red Velvet cupcakes, courtesy of Nana, decorated by Mommy

Attempting to blow out the candle
(needed a little help from Mommy)
Scooping off all the frosting with his Elmo ring

Aubrey slept through the whole party

Aidan's 1st Twins hat

Little boys love their cars!

Checking out his new water toy

Aidan turned 2 on Wednesday and he had a fantastic day. How do I know? Because when the day was almost over, he kept saying, "More birthday, more birthday." It started with a cookie before breakfast(!), proceeded with birthday pancakes, a fun-filled day spent with Nana and Papa, then a birthday party at Grandpa and Grandma Finn's house. He loved it.