One Month

We've nearly reached 5 weeks with Alexis, and I sort of forgot what a challenge it is with a newborn! At least to function well without consistent sleep, and to deal with crying for unknown reasons and feel like you don't quite know your own daughter, is tough. But we have lots of support and day by day are improving, I think. 

Alexis hasn't been the best eater in terms of loving nursing; she gags and feels overwhelmed quite easily, so screaming is common when I feed her. Poor baby. It's gotten better but she still sometimes loses it, which comes painfully at 2, 4 and 6:30 am! I am eagerly awaiting a sleep stretch longer than 4 hours...I've found that it really does work every single time to hold or wear her during the day when she's upset; as much as I don't want that to become her habit, I can't really resist (and my arms thank me!). 

Avery's funny talk continues. She's been into Romeo and Juliet (kids book from family):

"I'm Juliet, and you are Romeo. What's YOUR name? Here are your dolls Romeo for you to play with!"

"Look mom, I found a picture of Baby Jesus, Mary, and Romeo!"

She loves having picnics under the table ("apple tree"), and she occupies herself with make believe when I'm with the baby. She also plays a lot of doctor with her new doctor's kit. 

We've had some sweet moments too, and Avery continues to be an awesome, patient helper. She covers her ears when Alexis cries and asks me to stop it, but she also will chime in with a song or shusshing sound and it has often worked!

I've also had some fun trying out some newborn poses, ha.

And, we found daddy's silly wig as well - !

 You can see complete pics here.

Big Sis

Avery has been doing awesome taking care of her little sister. I can tell she is going to be protective. One of our favorite happenings so far, is when we're in the car and Alexis is screaming, and Avery is covering her ears yelling "I don't like that sound! It's too loud for me!", she has learned to start singing. A couple times her "lullaby, and good night" song has genuinely calmed Alexis. Avery is pretty proud of herself.

She's also just plain pretty! I took some pics of her wearing my hat the other day.

She also had a special treat spending the day with family at Yoyo and PopPop's house, and they have a new horse tire swing. She wouldn't try it until yesterday, and we couldn't get her off! Pretending to be "Princess Isabella" from one of her favorite books, who rides a pony named Penny on an adventure. Go, Penny! 

10 Days

I am completely amazed at how different this recovery is compared to with Avery. I don't even feel like I had a baby 10 days ago, I'm ready to start planning family adventures, feeding is going so much better than last time (I think!), and the only complaint is lack of sleep.  On a good night, Alexis will do a couple 3.5-4 hour stretches. On a bad night, every 2 hours! I've been having to wake her for every daytime feeding still, she's so sleepy. At least she's surpassed her birthweight! Oh and she has a turbo wail that takes off like a jetplane, but calms as soon as you hold her (for the most part). And like her big sis, she sure likes to grunt!

Avery even got to go to a farm yesterday, and our friends Whitney and Anne stopped by on their way from Boston to Portland. We are totally enjoying these 3 weeks off together, but I have to say it's flying by. We're already halfway through!

Here are some shots from the past week, including The Marriage Proposal to Daddy:

Now, we're just trying to stay cool around here! All those cute newborn outfits I'd love to see her in...melt her. I think we'll hit a pool this coming week (at least the big girl). More soon!

We are Four!

What a glorious feeling to have a baby in my arms or resting on my chest, and not in my body!

Alexis Eve Isaacson made her debut on Father's Day, June 16, to give her daddy a special treat for finishing up all his hard work the past month (her name means noble life, but really we just liked the sound!). Literally - as soon as Tim was done with his commitments, she got rolling!

Here's the story:

Tim had his final job interview for District Manager at Starbucks, got a job offer, defended his thesis on Friday and finished his last shift at his store - all up through 11pm Saturday night. He just about crawled into bed at midnight, and that's when I'd say the real contractions started. They had been happening pretty regularly for about 24 hours, and I wasn't sure he'd make it through his shift, but he did. But I told him I doubted we'd make it all the way through the night. He asked for one hour of sleep:)

So at 1:15am, when contractions were more painful but only 7-8 minutes apart, I woke him and decided to call my brother to make his way over. We decided to go to the hospital to be safe, especially since we had a 30 minute drive and my last delivery was relatively quick. Even if contractions slowed or stopped, this at least felt like the real thing.

We arrived at the hospital around 2:45am, and I was sort of uncomfortable but nothing had sped up. By 4am, the nurse checked me and I was 4cm (had been 2cm for almost 2 weeks), but I was definitely more uncomfortable and wanting to move around. LONG STORY SHORT - I went from 4cm to 10cm in 2 hours, and we pretty much had to beep the nurse button to get the midwife in to catch the baby!! Let's just say those last 6 cm were intense! And au natural, folks. I had a feeling things were moving so quickly that they'd be over soon, and I could make it again (Avery was 7 hours start to finish). At 6:11 am she made her way out, nice and smoothly (if that's possible!). And even better than the safe and quick delivery was the fact that my recovery is already feeling awesome (no tearing this time!).

Since then, we've been doing pretty great other than feeling like sleepless zombies. Alexis is actually sleeping most of the night besides feedings, so not complaining, but our bodies are wacked out!

AVERY:  has been super sweet to her new sister (or brother, depending on the day you ask her. Still figuring that one out). She loves helping change her diaper, shhushing her if she cries, bringing her soft toys, and telling her how "tute" she is. She's acting out a little with us, but overall doing well. Some of our favorite quotes so far have been:

Can I see her tummy? That owie looks like bacon!

(first time coming home): Where's my baby? Where's my baby brother?

I'm just taking a boogie off the front of her hair (totally clean btw). And there's another one off the back - I catched it.

Can I color her body?

Let's go touch her and see what happens!

Look, behind her hair is her head!

And today she put her finger through a whole raspberry and asked Daddy to marry her. We've got some pretty great girls. Excited about three weeks of vacation/staycation together, and praising God for his abundant faithfulness and kindness to us!

Mother's Day

Here are some shots we took on Mother's Day, I was just about 34 weeks. I love my fam!

  

Waaaaaaaay Behind: Babymoon 2013

Wow, time flies. I guess not much has changed in a few months, besides my belly! Little Tutu girl finished her set of dance classes and now prances around the house doing Plie and Releve and Passe, jumping over her stuffed animals and tumbling across the floor. Best $50 ever spent!!

Let's see, Averyisms from recent months:
"Would you like to (do such and such), or NO?" (serious face) multiple times a day..."or NO?"
Make believe, going to the restaurant, Whole Foods, library story time, etc (all at home).
calling me grandma (no thanks)
Pushing her teddy around in her toy stroller, in and out of the house, to the real store, anywhere.
NOT sharing with friends or cousins.
Loving her Jesus Bible
imitating us in prayer or worship times, very furrowed brow
Sings constantly
"we are one family in the whole wide world!!!!!!" when we do stuff together
going for walks and playing soccer outside as much as possible
Poops in the potty! (see below) - and gets noodles in a small jar for listening and sharing well (and a date when it's full)
I can't think of them all, she's just a joy! She really is the coolest kid.
Oh yes she asked me the other day if I was going to feed the new baby milk from my "brattles" (bra + bottles...?). I said yes!

Europe was a HIT. Really fun to see the Helleksons in London (Juliette modeled some fabulous sharing skills), and favorites were hanging around their neighborhood, seeing my old penpal from growing up, adult date night and seeing Peter and Alice on stage, and having high tea at a tot tea parlour riding the big double bus!

We also loved Paris, again, with the Roberts...carousels and parks galore, and yuuummy French cooking. And some sharing with Eli, sometimes:) Then finished with Windsor Castle back in London - Avery's stuck phrase from the trip has been "God save the Queeeeeen!" and she marches around the house with her British flag waving. She was such a great traveler, too. We just got hit hard with jet lag and colds as soon as we came back, and that took lots of recovering. But the trip itself was a huge success! We are totally blessed to have gone. Million thanks to our friends there, and blessings and best wishes to friends there, growing their families this year as well.

More Europe pics HERE. And a short YouTube Video of her singing in London, HERE.

Since then, Tim's been working hard on finishing his thesis for school, and seeking a promotion with Starbucks at the same time, while being hounded at home by his loving family to play play play in all his "free time." He's almost a Master, I'm so proud of his hard work! Just a little longer...then we shall see what lies ahead. First, baby #2.

6 more weeks-ish until baby arrives, and Avery made the transition to a big girl bed to prepare: it has been glorious!! Except for waking almost nightly and falling out of bed (short fall to the floor), she alternatively decided to start pooping in the potty AND sleeping in undies for her nap - with no accidents in a month! I am so proud! She just takes herself to her little potty in her room all by herself. night is still a work in progress, but the kid is 2.5. I'm happy.

More baby belly shots soon!

Toooootoooooo

I have a feeling today's attire will repeat itself for the next week. (Thanks for the tutu and ballet shoes and tights, Yoyo!) I can say Avery's taken to her second dance class more than the first, and we'll find out on Friday how the third goes! Hey, she throws dance "parties" (performances) for her stuffed animals multiple times a day now - worth any investment in a few dance classes for sure!

And just to throw in a preggo pic, although there's not yet that much to show, here's a 22 week shot! Heart rate = 164...girl?? Old wives' tale, right? BUT WE SHALL SEE and are choosing the surprise route this time!

Valentines is a good excuse for...

Cooking and crafting around a holiday? I'll take it. Tim's mom sent a hand warmer bean bag idea our way with good wishes to stay warm, and I made them. Hand and heart warmers, that is. At least my man can have the option of warm hands in his gloves when I force him to ride his bike to work at 4am in the cold.

Baking, now that comes and goes with success. Take the cookies. Mexican hot chocolate hearts, yum. Weelicious heart BEET cookies, cool looking, but a little too beety to me. Avery loves them though! They were fun and pretty to make together at least.

We were driving in the car today and I had stuck one in her snack pack with apple slices, and she said "mama, you make these cookies? They are delicious!!" Then, "mama, you make these apples? Nooooo, that's silly!" Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Hello, Baby!

Pretty cool, 20 week appointment this morning. They even give you a CD these days with mini movies of the baby moving around! Or in ours' case, swallowing amniotic fluid. yum. And who knew there are chunks of umbilical cord floating around in there? That would be annoying. These were rare, still moments in what was mostly a kicking and wiggling experience. Excited about those healthy, growing wiggles and the face and personality behing it all!

Enjoy the first shots and video of Little Eye.

We think we see lots of Avery's profile in there (duh)! In love already.