29 months

Mateo is really hard to photograph right now...

Well, actually in a lot of aspects he is really hard right now.

I know becoming a big brother is a big change, so I try to have grace.

His eating is terrible. He only will drink milk if it is chocolate milk. He doesn't like yogurt with pieces anymore. If he is mad he will throw full bowls on the ground. Etc, etc, etc...

Naps are continually being shortened. A normal nap is now 1.5 hours. He goes to bed around 9 at night and sleeps about 12 hours. He wants the door open when he goes to sleep. Normally we shut it when we go to bed, but if he wakes up and realized, there is a lot of screaming until we come open it again.

He can be super sweet with his sister, but is not to be trusted. He BIT her fingers last week! I was so mad...

Baths have been a struggle for a few weeks (thankfully he put up no fight today, only because I said he could watch Cars after). He pooped and peed in the bath and has been freaked to go back in.

When mom was here we watched Planes with Mateo and he loved it. He started noticing every plane in the sky and would constantly say 'plane' and 'fly.' The next week we showed him Cars and the next week Cars 2. It is so cute how obsessed he is with them. It is funny once you are aware, how much you see them. His aunt gave him a stocking with McQueen and Mater. He always is saying 'Een' and 'Toe Mate.'  Grandpa had recorded a Cars book for him last Christmas and he was not very interested, but now he reads/listens to it the entire day.

Mateo now climbs out of his bed. Actually, I do not mind very much. He knows when he has to sleep he needs to stay in. He comes out of bed when he is ready and stands at the gate and calls me.

He has also gone upstairs or downstairs alone a few times to play, which actually was nice to not have to drag him along with the baby.  Yesterday it was cute at first, but later a mess, I came down and he had found 'breakfast.' A bowl of corn in the fridge. He was sitting nicely at the table eating it, which I was fine with. BUT when I was on the phone, he started strewing handfuls around the living room!  That was less cute.

I can't even remember all the words he says how. It is all coming together finally! It is pretty funny how he mixes the languages. Good thing both of his parents understand both.  This week he said 'Ik wil walken' (I want to walk, but he said it in Dutch with a 'Dutchified' English verb).  Now when he copies what we say it actually comes out the right way. He discovered the microphone his daddy has, so he likes to sing while daddy plays.

Helping with Liora's 1 month photos

Singing Happy Birthday

1 Month

 

 

 

 

 

Newest Photo Book

I am actually tired of seeing the projects I ordered today. I guess it is good I have to wait 3 weeks to see them...

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.

3 weeks

Wow, I actually am on my computer! Hubby took tomorrow off, so today is a relaxing evening. He is playing with Mateo, the house is cleaned thanks to my household help and Liora is actually not crying this evening! Time to catch up. I am actually trying to finish up my pregnancy journal photobook on Shutterfly, but I keep getting distracted.

Today Liora had her hearing test and passed with flying colors. I also asked if they could measure her, so her latest stats are: 4.25 kilogram = 9.369 lbs/52 centimeter = 20.47 in. Up a pound in a week. Go us!

She is eating every 2 hours and sleeping at night  normally a 3-4 hour period, then 2-3 hours.

I hope to take some nice photos of her tomorrow. I have actually filmed some this week instead of photos, because they just are not working out nicely.

What did I say about relaxing? It seems that time is over. Time to feed a now-crying baby and make a bottle for the now-whining-little-bit-older toddler.

Today

Should be on some Pinterest fail board...

Mateo 28 months

This was another big month. Not only was grandma here for 3 weeks, but Mateo became a big brother! He is a good big brother. He likes to give his sister kisses and hold her for no longer than 10 seconds. He always checks where she is hanging out and double checks when we go out that she is going with us. He still has a hard time with her name, but we know who he is talking about.

Poor kid has been inside more this month than the past few months. He LOVES being outside, even if it is cold and raining.

His vocabulary is exploding. Every day I am hearing new words. I feel like I am reliving my past. I am his interpreter, like I was my brother's when he was young. I know what Mateo is trying to say or what words he says for certain things.

He loves all things to do with transportation. Cars, trains, busses, trucks, bikes, boats and planes (He love the movie by that name). He also loves monkeys and elephants. Surprising in how many things they appear. We even bought a monkey and an elephant chocolate at the bakery.

Mateo is capable of sleeping in a normal bed, but he basically decides to do whatever the opposite is of what we want. If we put him in the crib, he wants to climb out, if he is in the big bed, he asks to sleep in the crib...I guess that is basically how everything is with him at this stage. He wants to be the boss.

Eating has been totally off.  One day he eats 3 pieces of toast, the next day he won't touch it. Yesterday he didn't want yogurt, today he had it for snack, lunch and took one out after dinner. GRRRR....I try not to be frustrated and forcing him doesn't work. Tricking him only works some times and takes so much effort.

2 weeks

 Look who's 2 weeks. Liora gained nearly a pound since birth! She is a professional nurser.  Her sleeping varies from night to night. Some nights she can make it 5 hours, others like last night she is awake to eat every 2 hours.

 

We think she can already smile. Maybe it is gas, since she has a lot of that, but she has defiantly responded when we are talking to her or making faces.

She is very alert and likes to look at her mobile or printed fabrics I hang for her to look at.

Her brother loves her and she seems to be adjusted to all his noise, because she sleeps right though it all and does not flinch when he shouts right by her.

Her first skirt and she does not seem happy about it.

Birth Story Pt. 2

After my relatively pain-free delivery, I had a few minor issues.

We had the first hour of skin-on-skin time, then Liora was weighed and measured, then she got to have more bonding time. She actually started nursing! Way to go little girl! For a long time. There was apparently some crisis in the maternity ward, so I stayed upstairs an extra half an hour. The whole time she was drinking!

Mom and my SIL had been waiting the whole day for the news and the OK to come. The showed up around 5:30. It seemed like I had just got in my room. I know my food had just arrived. By food I mean 4 slices of bread with 2 pieces of cheese and 2 slices of meat, a mini salad and a piece of fruit. I was ravenous! Thankfully I had asked mom to bring some food and she had chicken tandoori that I later ate.

Mateo was so excited to meet his sister. I feel like I was kind of out of it during that visit. I could not really hold Mateo, because I was still connected to the IV and I did not want to move around much, because I had not been cleaned up and the epidural was wearing off, so I just was not feeling myself.

Once I ate and they cleaned me up and helped me get into PJs, I felt 'the urge.' To me this was a VERY good thing! With Mateo I could not feel anything for a while and it made things kind of complicated. I really wanted to go pee, because I knew it meant I could get my IV out, I would not have to be 'emptied' later and just in general, the sooner, the better!

I was scared because of what happened with Mateo. Rightfully so.  Even though I had eaten and had something to drink and stood up very slowly (and then sat down to try again), I still passed out while on the toilet. Just what I did not want to do!!!  I walked very slowly with hubby and the midwife holding me, sat down, heard some tinkling which made me very happy and then I mumbled something and then I was off in some far away place, no idea where I was. When I came to there was another midwife and the bed was pushed to the door. I nearly passed out again just taking the 2 steps from the toilet to the bed. Kind of embarrassing, but I am used to passing out by now. Only this is the worst it has ever been. Hubby and my mom said it was really scary looking. That my head rolled back and then I suddenly jerked up. Thankfully Mateo did not see it, so he was not scared.

They decided to leave the IV in a bit longer for the extra nutrients or something, but it was out before bedtime. Yippie!

When the doctor came to examine me that night, she told me that I had a hematoma that did not look good. I am glad I could not see what it looked like. Every midwife that checked on me during my stay would comment on it. My doctor came specially to check on it a few times. She wanted it to go away on its own and was hoping she would not have to open it up. I am glad she made that decision! It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable at all. I had painkillers every few hours, so it did not really bother me.

Liora was born Thursday afternoon and we went home Monday morning.  By the time I left, the hematoma was down and spreading out.  I decided that getting an episiotomy is better than tearing! I think the doctor was able to put it in a less irritating spot or something, because although I feel discomfort, it is nothing like the first time. I could not walk normally for a month! By the time I left the hospital I was walking fine. A little slower, but I even stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Liora is 2 weeks today and I already have been on a few outings!

My experience is that the 2nd pregnancy is harder, but the birth/recovery is easier.