Last Week

Adam put together Mason's new kitchen
Mason LOVED it!

Playing with his house


Taylor after her bath

Close up

2 Weeks Old

It's a bit hard to get her to sit up

Showing off her lips. We have a picture very similar to this of Mason when he was her age.

Looking good in red!

Potty Training HELP!

I need a little help from all of you Mama's and anyone else that cares to share their opinions regarding POTTY TRAINING! Mason will be 21 months next week and has been showing early signs of being close to potty training, since he was 16 months old. I know that sounds really young, especially since boys normally have a harder time potty training than girls, but he is a smart little guy.

It started when he would run behind the curtains or go in the corner and hide anytime he had to poop. It was the cutest and most pathetic thing to see. This has continued every day since.

For the last month he has been grabbing his diaper anytime he pees or he tries to take it off. It's good that he knows something is going on, but a little embarrassing when he does this in front of others. Did I mention that he has been successful recently in actually taking his diaper off on his own. I have gone into his room a couple of times to find his diaper in the corner, with him sound asleep in the crib, and everything soaking wet. Fun stuff!

This evening, he grabbed at his diaper again and was trying to pull it down. I asked him if he needed to go potty and he shook his head yes and ran to his bathroom. As I followed him, he lifted up the toilet. I was shocked that he knew what he was supposed to do. After putting the seat back down and taking off his shorts and diaper, I placed him on the seat. We don't have a potty training seat yet, which made things more difficult. I tried to show him what he needed to do, but it wasn't easy helping him sit on the toilet, while trying to make sure he didn't fall in. At this point, he wasn't interested anymore. Of course, when we put him in the bath tub, he went. Lovely!

I haven't read any books on potty training yet and my only knowledge comes from talks with my sister when she was potty training her boys and from my friends. I don't want to stunt this venture by waiting, but at the same time, we still have a bit of a communication gap. The plan was to wait until he can speak more clearly and relay to me what he needs and wants before beginning the process. I understand him for the most part, but he is still learning.

For now, we are going to buy a potty training seat and place it on his bathroom floor to get used to the idea. Any suggestions or ideas would be very helpful.

Fairwell to a great month

Time flies when you are having fun! The transition to a mother of two has gone very well. I have a great support system with my hubby and friends, which makes it that much easier. Adam had the first week off and because of some restructuring of his team, he had a couple of extra days on top of that. Our friends have been a huge help as well, bringing us meals each night for the first couple of weeks. That allowed us to spend more time with Mason and Taylor and I didn't have to worry about going to the grocery store.

Last weekend, Adam & I took Mason & Taylor to the mall. Mason needs some summer clothes. The weather is getting warmer, and his short sleeved shirts are a little too short for his long torso. I'm thankful that at least he is still wearing a 2T in his shorts and pants and will most likely remain in them throughout the summer. So all I needed to find were shirts and shoes. I don't know if I am just way too picky, but I didn't find anything I liked. The logos on the shirts were either to childish, or nothing caught my eye. I was so disappointed.

Shoe buying didn't go well either. Mason wears an 8 and I have learned that you don't let the boy try on shoes, unless you plan on buying the pair you put on his feet. Otherwise, I have a crying, screaming boy on my hands. He loves shoes just like his mommy. I wanted to buy sandals or crocs, but again I didn't see any that I liked. At least our trip to the mall allowed me to get out of the house and get a little exercise.

Saturday evening, our church hosted Married Life Live, for the Young Married Adults. Originally, Adam & I didn't plan on attending, because we thought we would either still be pregnant or have a brand new baby that would be only a few days old. Taylor's early arrival allowed us to go. Mason went to the nursery and we brought Taylor with us. The event was catered and we dined on yummy lasagna, tri-tip, chicken, rolls, salad, cupcakes, cookies, and rice krispie treats. It was nice to be among adults for an evening. We won a gift certificate to dinner and two tickets to a movie. Our church does a great job at teaching and planning events for the Young Married Adults. It made for a nice weekend.

Yesterday, Adam & I decided to buy a play kitchen for Mason. Every time we go to his friends house, you will find him playing with their play kitchen. Toysrus had a sale and it happened to be the kitchen we were looking for. Adam insisted on putting it together last night and didn't finish until 1am. Mason was so surprised this morning and spent the entire day playing in his kitchen and bringing me food to try. If he is smart, he will learn to cook, so that he can cook for his wife one day.

Our little girl is two weeks old today. It is still hard to believe that it has already been two weeks, since her arrival. She is still wearing all newborn clothes and they are still very big on her. I haven't taken her into the doctor for a weigh in, but I'm guess she is a little shy of 8lbs. The girl loves to eat and I'm happy to say that breastfeeding is going very well. I was worried about this, because I had a hard time with Mason and got Mastitis and couldn't push through it. I'm not sure if it's because this is my second child and I know more now, but whatever it is, I'm glad that it's going smoothly.

She eats and sleeps in 3 hours intervals. My body has adjusted to her schedule, although it doesn't make it easier for the 3am feeding. Luckily, both Mason and Taylor take their afternoon naps at the same time, which allows me to get a couple hours of sleep. I look forward to the day when she sleeps longer, so that I can sleep longer.

My body is getting back to normal as well. I gained 30lbs with this pregnancy and have lost 20 of those pounds so far. I look forward to my evening walks and eventually getting the clear for working out. Summer is right around the corner and I plan on spending my days outside and possibly in our friends pool.

1st Week Pictures

Sleeping on Mommy
Madison holding Taylor for the first time

Luke holding Taylor. She was really sleepy and is yawning nice and big in the picture.

Luke giving her a hug.

Marissa cuddling with Taylor

Stretching out her skinny little legs

Sleeping beauty

Showing off her her muscles

Her first bath

Getting all cleaned up

Sleep

I'm not going to get my hopes up, but Taylor slept for 5 hours straight last night! I fed her last around 11:30pm and didn't wake up until 5am this morning. It was amazing what 5 hours of continuous sleep will do for a gal. I was able to go back to sleep and get another 2.5 hours of sleep after that. I feel rested and refreshed this morning.

1 week old

It's hard to believe that one week ago, we were at the hospital welcoming our baby girl into this world. Our lives have been turned upside down for the better and I couldn't imagine a day without her. It's been a whirlwind of a week, even if it has mostly included feeding her, changing her, and watching her sleep.



We arrived home from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and immediately went down for a nap. I didn't get much sleep in the hospital, with all the excitement of having a baby and the contractions. Mason woke up from his nap and was anxious to see his little sister. He still wasn't sure what to think of everything. He went along with his normal routine and would walk over to her every once in awhile and then go about playing again.



All of our friends have been so great at helping out and bringing us dinner all week long. That night, as we sat down to eat, Taylor started to cry. I didn't know how Mason would react, but my heart melted as I witnessed the sweetest thing. His lip started to stick out and tears began streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't bare to see his sister cry. It was so sweet and so sad at the same time. It breaks his little heart to see his sister upset. I shouldn't be to surprised, because he is such a loving little boy and has a huge heart.



The first night, I was so exhausted and all I wanted to do was get some sleep. She has been a very good eater and sleeper from the start, but already is particular. The girl loves to be swaddled, like most babies, only she knows how to get her little arms loose. If she isn't swaddled, she will still sleep, as long as it is on you. I have heard about Miracle Blankets for awhile and was curious as to what made it different from the other Swaddle Me Blankets. After checking it out on their website, I was hooked. I knew immediately that it would be perfect for Taylor. After looking up to see if they sold any in our city, there happened to be one boutique here in Bakersfield that carries them. However, when we went to JM's on Friday, they didn't have any and weren't sure when they would be getting the next shipment in. I was disappointed, but at least I could still order one online. It should be here tomorrow.



She also will not feed unless she has a clean diaper on and has been burped beforehand. With Mason, we would feed on one side, burp, change his diaper, and then feed on the other side. With Taylor, she prefers a diaper change, burp, feed on one side, burp, and feed on the other. Occasionally, we have had to change her diaper again between feedings, because she will have a blow out. Oh, how I forgot about those days.



Friday morning, we had her 2 day checkup bright and early. That meant getting everyone in the house ready, fed, and out the door by 9am. It was a bit of a challenge, but we made it. Dr. Shah was very pleased with how well Taylor was doing. She weighed 6lbs 13oz, which confirmed that she definitely is a good eater. He did mention she is a little tongue tied, but it hasn't been hurting me at all and since she is eating well, he wasn't concerned. After her appointment we ran some errands. It was nice to get out of the house, but it wasn't long before I was tired and needed to go home to relax.



Saturday, we celebrated Adam's 29th birthday. Unfortunately, we couldn't do too much because of the weeks events. Our friends came over and brought Jake's for dinner and then we just hung out. I felt bad, because neither of us really got to do too much this year for our birthdays, but it has all been worth it. It's going to be crazy with all the birthdays our family has in March, but if anything it makes it a very exciting month.



Monday was our last day home with Adam. It has been so nice having him home with us. We were both spoiled to have him home everyday for the first 6 months of Mason's life, since he worked from home. It's going to be very different this time around. I'm a little nervous about being home alone with a toddler and a newborn, but I know I can do it. I keep reminding myself that if my friend Rachel can do it with twins that are Mason's age and a newborn, then I can do it too.



My recovery is faster this time around and I'm not complaining. I'm able to do a lot more, and I'm not sure if that is because I have a 20 month old to chase around or if it's because I knew what to expect this time. The only thing that caught me off guard were the contractions of the uterus after you have the baby. No one told me that it gets worse each time you have a child. Someone could have warned a sister. The first few days, I was in a lot of pain, but now I'm off of my pain medicines and can enjoy feeding my daughter without having horrendous cramps.



Mason is adjusting really well with all of the changes. He loves his little sister and gives her kisses and then starts laughing. It's so cute! Anytime she is in the swing, he tries to push it and doesn't really understand what gentle means. But he knows now, that he can only play with the swing, when she isn't in it. The real test will be when he has to share his Mommy this week.

First few days

Leaving the hospital

In the bassinett sleeping

Napping on Daddy. I love that blonde hair.

Trying out her sing for the first time

It looks like she is upset, but she is actually yawning.

On the way to the doctor for her 2 day checkup
She is "Berry" Sweet

Blue Steele from Zoolander

Mason watching Elmo

My little boy