Working Mondays

We are most definitely working on a growth spurt with Bubita.  She has woken up in the middle of the night the last couple of days.  And it feels like she is eating even more often.  Of course, in case it's a decrease in Momma's supply, we have already purchased some Fenugreek for a little supply boost.  Either way it currently means less time to do anything during the day and less sleep (a lot less sleep) during the night.

And last night was a little harder.  Bubita woke up twice to eat last night at midnight and then at 330a.  She's never woken up to eat in the middle of the night, let alone twice.  This was difficult enough on already slightly sleep-deprived parents, but then Bubita proceeded to clear her throat and make noises and sounds from 4a-730a every 5-10 minutes keeping Momma awake.  Bubita does not cry when she usually wakes up to eat in the early morning.  She just clears her throat and makes smacking sounds.  So every time she would make those noises Momma startled awake thinking she needed to eat again.  She didn't; she slept that whole time!

Fresh as a cucumber!

She may have been flirting in this one.

Bubeaner continues to enjoy all the attention the girls shower on him.  Up til recently, his all time favorite appeared to be aunt Lari.  He would wake up calling for his "Lala" every morning and after his naps.  He has even stopped asking/calling for Momma for most little things during the day.  At one point, Bubeaner even refused Momma and asked "Lala" to change his dirty diaper.  (Momma didn't mind that one so much.)  Yet, his favorite now appears to be aunt Banni.  It could be because she dotes on him, plays with him, and pays attention to him at all times.  He even started saying her name yesterday: "Ayi".
 

Sleeping Princess!

This is one of her favorite poses asleep or awake.

Bubita continues to charm us.  She is smiling a lot more lately.  Bubita particularly likes to smile every time Bubeaner and Banni talk to her.  Any time they come close, she bestows a beautiful toothless smile.  She's also laughing/giggling more often.  Bubita has also started to test out her vocal cords with a few "googoo" sounds.  We love to hear her little voice.  And she enjoys hearing our voices or at least they appear to calm her down even in the midst of a tantrum.

Daddy's Little Girl

She only calmed down when covered with Dad's t-shirt.

We spent most of the day cleaning and organizing the house.  With three teenage girls, two babies and a dog, the house can get a little disorganized.  But with four people cleaning the job is a lot easier, and faster, too.  Afterwards, we took the girls to Sally to get some beauty products along with hair dyes.  They decided to follow in Momma's crazy footsteps and change their hair color.  Two are going black and one is trying red.  We'll see how the colors turn out since we are doing them at home and we'll be working on lack of sleep.

Bubita and aunt Banni

Bubeaner did a lot better today in regards to Bubita and Momma.  Momma made a point of paying him more individual attention too.  Actually we all paid him extra special attention.  It also helped that he had a good afternoon nap.  We also decided to have a nice quiet dinner at home instead of eating out as we had originally planned.  It was nice to enjoy some conversation and laughter followed by an early night.  And we need the sleep; we are running on empty.

Banni has been a wonderful helper with the little ones.

Gym and Birthday Time

A priority in our life right now is to maintain some type of normalcy/routine for Bubeaner amid the chaos of a new baby joining our family and family guests visiting.  As part of the plan, Bubeaner has returned to gym class.  We have also seen drastic improvements in his interaction with other children and in his playing.  One of the main changes: he no longer needs Momma with him to feel comfortable.  The last two times Meme'Licia has gone with him without any issues.  Today he even played, actually played, with one of the little girls.  And then he played a little with the teacher tossing the ball back and forth and following her instructions... in English nonetheless.

Our big boy now faces forward in his car seat.

He really enjoys the new view. 

Today was also Bubita's first visit to gym class.  OK, so she was just "observing" with Momma.  But her conveniently her class would be right after Bubeaner's if we decide to enroll her at a later time.  Surely 3 weeks is a little too young.  And yes, Bubita is 3 weeks old today!  We can't believe how fast/slow time has passed.  It feels like just yesterday when we first got to see her little chubby cheeks and heard her angry cries at being "disturbed" by the surgeons.  And yet, she's become such an integral part of our life we can't even really remember a time without her.  Our lives are so intertwined.  And we wouldn't have it any other way. 

Beautiful Baby Girl

She continues to amuse us with shows of what promises to be a strong personality.  But Bubita also shows some of her softer side too.  She smiles (yes, it's not gas) whenever Momma or Dad will kiss her on the cheek.  And she also smiles (actually he was the first to get her smile) at Bubeaner when he talks to her.  Bubeaner continues to dote and be fascinated by his Bebe.  But it's a fascination shared by Bubita.  She will turn her head and look for him at the sound of his voice. 

And, of course, she continues to eat, and eat, and eat.  The girl eats ALL THE TIME!  OK, so maybe it really is only every 2-3 hours during the day.  But it takes her 30-45 minutes to eat and eating time is counted from the beginning of the feeding.  Well, it feels like she's always eating.  But she also continues to sleep peacefully for 6+ hours every night!  Now, if Momma would only go to sleep at the same time....

Momma did place a call to Bita today.  Bubita has developed some little "bumps" on her little forehead.  According to Bita, and the other mothers at the gym class, they are a combination of heat rash and infant acne.  Momma was worried it was something else.  We didn't have to deal with it with Bubeaner so this was new to us.  But don't worry; she's still adorable.

Looking in on his sleeping baby sister

We joined the girls (aunts Lari, Banni, and Mariana) at a store around the corner from the gym after class.  They originally had joined Bubeaner in his class.  However, Bubeaner was too busy playing with his classmates to pay any attention to them.  He actually ignored them completely.  They were pretty disappointed, but a little back-to-school clothes shopping fixed it all up.

He barely reaches but he checks in on her 

often to make sure she's OK. 

The afternoon was a little chaotic at home.  Even though both Bubita and Bubeaner took good afternoon naps, they were in a MOOD during the late afternoon and early evening.  Bubita only wanted to be held while she was rocked.  Otherwise, she cried.  And Bubeaner, just cried and screamed and pretty much was in a sour mood the entire time until Dad got home.  The combination of their tantrums was migraine inducing.  The girls were great help until they began preparing dinner.  At that point, Momma just had to lock herself with both of them in the playroom and let them go at it.  Bubita had to settle with being held (not rocked too), and Bubeaner had to get his frustration out on his ball pit.  Well, that and making Momma sit on the floor because he needed to sit in his rocking chair.

A very upset little girl

Thankfully, they settled down in time for us to enjoy a delicious dinner.  The girls really did a great job with dinner: entomatadas (Momma's without cheese), refried beans and rice.  YUMMY!  They informed us that tomorrow they are making us spaghetti and meatballs.  And Thursday we will be eating enchiladas poblanas.  We could get used to having a full house. 

Lactose, Anyone?

We are getting into something resembling a routine.  Although, there are some days like today when things are a little bit off.  Dad and Bubeaner continue to sleep in the nursery for two reasons.  One, it's helping Bubeaner adjust to being back home and not having aunt Lari sleeping in the same room.  He's still waking up several times during the night, but at least, he's stopped having nightmares.  He just wakes up checks to see if Dad's there and goes back to sleep.  And two, it gets Dad a little more sleep than being woken up every 3-4 hours with Bubita for her feedings.

A little dark,

but we did not want to wake her. 

We hope it makes a difference.  Momma is still trying to get into the habit (again) of the night feedings.  Some nights are easier than others.  It mainly depends on taking naps during the day. Yesterday, unfortunately, there was no time for naps.  Last night was HARD.  Thankfully, Bubita is a little more forgiving about meal times than Bubeaner.

That also explains why we were running a little late this morning for a busy day of appointments.  Bubita had her two-week check up with Dr. Z.  Her stats:  weight - 7 lbs, 14 oz (up from 7lbs 7 oz at discharge); head circumference - 14.25"; and length - 21.25" (20" at discharge).  Her billirubin levels are normal.  Bubita no longer sports the yellow/orange tinge.  No more "tanning" sessions for her.  And since she has gained so much weight so fast, we no longer have to wake her up to eat every 3-4 hours at night.  We can let her decide how long to go between feedings.  We may even get to sleep longer than 4 hours tonight!!!

Dad is discovering teenage girls can eat as much as teen boys

despite how petite they look. 

However, there was one little drawback from today's appointment.  Momma mentioned to Dr. Z Bubita's change (color/consistency) in dirty diapers and the increase in gas and reflux.  So Dr. Z tested her poop and there was blood.  So, it appears that Bubita, like Bubeaner, has a lactose intolerance.  It's back to a dairy-free diet for Momma and the expensive formula if we decide to supplement.  We are not going as drastic as taking soy out too for now.  Hopefully, just eliminating dairy will make a big difference.  But, hey, we get to sleep longer through the night! (Must look at the positives.)

Bubeaner went to his gym class with Meme'Licia while Momma and Bubita were at the doctors.  He did really well playing with the other kids and even going under the parachute and staying there during the songs; he never liked going under before.  The week at Bita's playing and interacting with all his cousins appears to have eased his concerns.  There are definite benefits to large families.

Bubeaner continues to love and dote on his Bebe.  He still runs from wherever he is to Bubita's side when she cries.  And she's the first person he searches for when he gets up.  He is getting a little more comfortable around her, which raises another set of issues: protecting Bubita from the random and sometimes uncontrolled movements of a toddler.

Holding on to her sister....

And, yes, we did actually buy him the "jean" diapers.  

Today, we had to work with Bubeaner on not swinging his sister too hard when we put her on the swing.  We may not be using the swing as much with her as with Bubeaner...at least not while Bubeaner is awake. 

And we've learned that Bubita has an interesting sense of humor/timing.  She waits until Momma changes her diaper to poop.  It does not matter if the diaper is changed before, during or after eating.  It doesn't even matter if she's just pooped.  As soon as Momma changes her diaper, she poops.  EVERY TIME!  Newborns go through diapers fast, but at this new rate we really should be investing in the diaper company stock.

Bubeaner admiring the handsome boy in the mirror

while we shopped for Dad's clothes. 

But it's not all frustrating habits with Bubita.  Today, it almost sounded like she cooed and smiled with Meme'Licia.  She was also pretty cute at the doctor's office.  She "found" her hand and was enthralled by it.  She didn't know it was hers or that she could control it; but she was fascinated by this object so close to her face that kept moving.

Our four-legged baby Sandy also had a busy day today.  She was supposed to get groomed.  Poor Sandy was in a sad state of neglect.  She's still pretty spoiled, but with Bubita, Bubeaner and the girls, well she does not get the same level of attention.  Case in point, Momma forgot to mention to the new groomer that she's terrified of the kennel and that she will injure herself if left in there too long.  Pre-human-babies Momma would NEVER have forgotten to mention such an important thing.  So, in the afternoon we received a call that Sandy was at the vets (the groomer and vet are housed in the same building) getting treatment for two broken nails and a cut paw pad.  She had freaked out in the kennel and attempted to claw her way out.  The groomer was wonderful and gave Sandy extra love and attention until she was picked up.  Thankfully, she appears to not have been traumatized by the experience.  Her files (vet and groomer) have been flagged for future visits.

Some Good Firsts

Last night Bubita had her first bath at home.  We were definitely a lot better and more relaxed than when we first bathed Bubeaner by ourselves... and "by ourselves" is a loose term since it took 5 people.  This time it was only Momma and Dad.

Bubita getting her hair washed at home

Bubita appeared to really enjoy it.  Well, she enjoyed getting her hair washed; what girl doesn't?  She tolerated the rest.  On the bright side, she was so exhausted, or maybe just relaxed, from the bath that she fell asleep immediately.  We weren't even done dressing her when she had already dosed off. 

However, it did not last too long.  She was soon awake and demanding to be fed every 30-60 minutes.  By the time she was full, Momma was beyond exhausted.  We were afraid of letting her sleep in the bed.  So we decided to try the bassinet again. 

Ah, the joys of a sleepy and relaxed baby

Oh, my!  Bubita sure has a pair of healthy lungs, and she's not afraid of using them.  Dad ended up sleeping in the nursery in order to get a tiny bit of sleep before work.  Bubita is stubborn, but so far, Momma is more stubborn.  She slept in the bassinet for the majority of (what was left of ) the night.  YAY!  

The rest of the day was quiet and relaxed.  We were both so exhausted!  But the important thing is that she spent a night in her bassinet. We are trying it again tonight.  She's been crying again, but not as much as last night.

In any case, tomorrow will be an exciting day.  Bubeaner comes back home!!!  We have missed our boy terribly.  He has been enjoying spending some time with his grandparents and aunts/uncles.  And it has been wonderful to focus solely on Bubita as we learn to adjust to her.  But we are ready for our little family to be reunited.  We've missed our precious boy so much!

Bikini Ready Belly

Today was not as busy and long a day as yesterday.  Bubita continues to sleep in our bed.  Yes, we did try last night to have her in the bassinet, but, honestly, we are just too worn out and tired to really fight with a crying baby.  That is a battle for a later time when we are a little more rested.  For now, she wins. 

She continues to sleep well through the night.  Momma has to set an alarm and wake (or attempt to at least wake) her up.  We are looking forward to when we can just let her continue sleeping through the night.  We did have an interesting development during our 230a feeding; her umbilical cord fell off.  We are glad since it is undoubtedly one of the more disgusting things about new babies.  Y U C K!  The area of her future belly button still looks pretty raw and actually a little "unhealed".  We are not sure if that is normal or not since we did not have to deal with this with Bubeaner.  We continue to clean it with an alcohol swab.  If it does not improve soon, we may place a call to the pediatrician.  (She probably thought we would be better with a second child.  HA!)

Sleepy Baby Girl

Her dirty diapers are still the slimy consistency, but at least they are not as frequent as yesterday.  (Yes, still cannot believe we are blogging about dirty diapers....) We were starting to worry that she might dehydrate because it was looking like diarrhea.  Funny, we imagined we would be so much more comfortable and worry-free with the second child.  We are finding out there are just new and different things to worry about.

During the day, she was pretty good.  We even got Bubita to sleep in her bassinet during nap time several times.  She did quite well too.  However, we are noticing a trend that may prove troublesome in the future.  It appears she needs to "eat" in order to fall asleep.  We wonder if she may be associating Momma as her pacifier. 

Already Spoiled

Bubita is certainly letting us know who is boss: at night she refuses to sleep unless held (partly a reflux issue, partly a con). As evidence of her CHIPLE status I attach the following:

BUBITA! Day Three