Rory had her 1 month pediatrician appointment today. She has grown much better than expected! Current stats: 8lbs 3oz (15th percentile), 21in long (32nd percentile), 14.5in head circumference (22nd percentile). The doctor said she looks very healthy and happy.
We also ended up getting Taylor's flu shot while we were in the office because they were available. She did extremely well, not even batting an eye when the needle stuck her. She was very pleased with her Barbie band-aid, smiley face sticker, and hippo rubber band - gifts from the nurse. And this afternoon at Trader Joe's she not only got to push a mini-cart, she was given a lollipop by the check-out lady. It was a great day for her!
We're still figuring out our new routines. After a week-long getaway to Evansville (just me and girls), Taylor is used to sleeping with me and doesn't want to be in the guest room with Mark anymore. But, as long as Rory is fed and asleep, Taylor goes to sleep easily so it's not an awful arrangement. She doesn't seemed to be too disturbed by the nighttime feeding/crying sessions either.
Tomorrow my parents are flying in town for the Light the Night Walk put on by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Someone in our family was recently diagnosed with leukemia, so supporting this cause is very important to us. We have been so blessed to reach our fundraising goal of $400 (perhaps we set our sights too low this year!), but would certainly welcome any additional donations as the money goes straight to researching treatments for blood cancers and helping people cope with these diseases. Here's our team website. I'm really looking forward to walking around Forest Park with my family and being a part of this big event. Sadly, the forecast calls for rain so we'll see how fun it actually turns out to be!
Off to bed now. I'm pressing my luck by sacrificing sleep time to blog. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and I'll need lots of energy!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
3 Weeks Down
We have come to the end of our first three weeks as a family of 4.5. I originally started writing this post at the end of the first week, but obviously didn't get very far. It's been a roller coaster ride of transition - not as hard as having the first baby, I think, but challenging in many other ways. Every day is just about surviving (dishes, laundry, feedings, putting the little ones down to sleep) and there is little time for frivolities like blogging.
Overall, we're doing very well. Rory is a great eater, potties easily, and has gained about 1lb over her birth weight (the goal is for her to be up by 2lbs at her next pediatrician appointment on the 23rd). She spits up a LOT - a big difference from Taylor - but we're learning to discern her signs for needing to be burped and when she's still a bit hungry. I think having a newborn is all about troubleshooting, whereas taking care of a toddler requires much more rubber-meets-the-road (mentally draining) parenting.
Taylor is a very loving big sister who offers a steady stream of kisses and cuddles. She can be overwhelming at times, but she means well. Its been sweet to see how she will offer to share her toys with Rory or how she sings lullabies to her while she's sleeping.
Taylor sometimes gets jealous during feeding times or when she see Rory in a carrier, but I'm pleasantly surprised how understanding she is when I explain that she will get extra attention when I'm done taking care of Rory. It has not been a smooth transition by any means (plenty of crying and frustration), but we're managing the bumps day by day.
Mark has been putting Taylor to sleep at night and then sleeps in her bed with her. With this arrangement, I think we all better off. I don't fret about Rory's cries keeping Mark awake and making him groggy for work, Taylor feels more secure not being all alone, and Mark gets sleep and snuggles.
I'll try to post little updates more frequently so I can share more about the every day things, but for now I think I've spent enough time away from my other duties. Photos are updated every few days on Picasa. Be sure to check those out!
Overall, we're doing very well. Rory is a great eater, potties easily, and has gained about 1lb over her birth weight (the goal is for her to be up by 2lbs at her next pediatrician appointment on the 23rd). She spits up a LOT - a big difference from Taylor - but we're learning to discern her signs for needing to be burped and when she's still a bit hungry. I think having a newborn is all about troubleshooting, whereas taking care of a toddler requires much more rubber-meets-the-road (mentally draining) parenting.
Taylor is a very loving big sister who offers a steady stream of kisses and cuddles. She can be overwhelming at times, but she means well. Its been sweet to see how she will offer to share her toys with Rory or how she sings lullabies to her while she's sleeping.
Taylor sometimes gets jealous during feeding times or when she see Rory in a carrier, but I'm pleasantly surprised how understanding she is when I explain that she will get extra attention when I'm done taking care of Rory. It has not been a smooth transition by any means (plenty of crying and frustration), but we're managing the bumps day by day.
Mark has been putting Taylor to sleep at night and then sleeps in her bed with her. With this arrangement, I think we all better off. I don't fret about Rory's cries keeping Mark awake and making him groggy for work, Taylor feels more secure not being all alone, and Mark gets sleep and snuggles.
I'll try to post little updates more frequently so I can share more about the every day things, but for now I think I've spent enough time away from my other duties. Photos are updated every few days on Picasa. Be sure to check those out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)