We scream.

There have been a lot of screams around here the past 7 weeks (well, 2.75 years actually!). I have been wanting to make this onesie for Alexis that says "I Scream" with a cone in the middle (poor baby, I do love you!). I've been indulging in my own 'scream daily - usually the Boulder Creamery kind (Mexican chocolate, hello!). Today, I decided we needed to do some more 'screaming and pull the ice cream maker off the top shelf. A few raspberries, Greek yogurt, coconut milk, vanilla, sugar and chocolate chips later...heavenly!

We did have a corresponding "meltdown" with Avery - since we made it at 10 a.m. for LATER, not immediate consumption - through tears, even after tastes, "you're making me UPSET, mom!"

Guess I can't have one scream with out the other!

Baby Blues

Luckily, the only baby blues I've had lately are these sweet eyes gazing up at me:

 And...(drumroll)...we got a smile!

Alexis has been doing better with feeding and even gave me a 6 hour stretch between feedings this week (awake for the first part, but I got 4.5 hours of sleep for the first time! woot!). Time with her feels more like time with a real human being. But she's a good squawker - acquiring the nicknames, "Squirt" and "Chicken Wing" so far. We'll see what week 8 brings...

Medley from our little Diva...

Avery has always been a great singer, but I haven't captured many of her songs until recently. She was on center stage this morning.

Check out our Youtube Channel for 4 song clips:  You Are My Sunshine, As the Deer, Come With Me (Wonka), and Skiddamarinkydinkydink (or whatever).

Oh Poop.

We are in the midst of a possible not-so-favorite time/week. 6 weeks is definitely a fussier period, and I didn't expect the toddler to join in! She's been all plugged up (And good thing she's not old enough to read yet).

This week we instituted a no-diapers policy for Avery, since she knows how to poop in the potty but has decided her nighttime diaper is the preferred place, since May. I am tired of it, so we just put her in undies at night. We had to wake her to pee in the middle of the night, but she can stay dry otherwise - and hey, we're up anyway!

The Great Experiment/Operation Undies has failed. At the end of day 2 she was miserably screaming and dancing around the house, crying "my tummy hurts! Mommy, I have gas!" and really crying real tears. All day. We sat and sat on the potty but she just wouldn't go. Out of misery for us all we put her in a diaper the third night, and she pooped as soon as she fell asleep. STINKER!

So we will try again, another time. Any advice is appreciated!

I'm hoping the baby isn't truly in too much pain, though she's been acting like it too. I still don't always know if it's gas, or hunger, or overfull, or other other pain. I even filled her acid reflux medicine hoping for improvement. I think there has been some, but not completely. She'll have one perfectly normal happy feeding, and scream through the next.

But I am trying to have a better focused attitude about our days. I may feel trapped and tired and pooped (ha!), but I also have two beautiful girls by my side hugging and singing and (almost) smiling at me, and this is my most important job. It will all change soon enough and I will miss it, they say!

We had a great visit from the grandparents last week, and Avery loved seeing them. Mimi made Alexis a super cool quilt:

Here are a couple videos from us hanging out today in Avery's room today:
Alexis
Avery

Action!

Here's a quick video of Alexis sort of happy:)

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!