I'm so exhausted right now, and have no desire to blog...but for accountability purposes I'm going to write down a few things I want to make sure I don't forget to blog about. These things will jog my memory.
1. Bullskie and Spooky Spice
2. BayKlaire
3. "Our God is Greater."
These are three Korben stories. This boy is so special. I promise you, he could have his own reality show he is so funny. I could not be more proud of this little guy. Okay, Stories to come later...gotta go sleep while I can!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Dear 3 year old,
Dear Korben,
I can not believe you are three. It seems like just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant with you, which was almost 4 years ago! Your daddy and I picked out your name years before you were born, when we were just dating. We dreamed about what "John Korben" would be like if God ever gave us a son, and I had dreamed of being a mommy since I was a little girl. I am so thankful that God gave you to us. You surpassed all dreams we could have had for what our son would be like. You have completely changed our lives in the best way. We love you with a kind of love we have never felt before, and you have caused us to be closer to God and to each other. You have helped teach me what really matters in this short life.
I feel so privileged to get to spend every day with you. There was a time that I didn't think I was going to get to be a stay at home mom, and God made it possible. I can not imagine if you had spent these past 3 years in a day care. The memories you and I have made together are priceless.
I have no idea how old you will be when you will read this, but I think you may find it interesting at some point in your life what you were like as a brand new 3 year old. So, I'm going to fill you in.
One of the most exciting things I can say is that YOU ARE POTTY TRAINED! At 2.5 you starting going #2 on the potty, and all we have had to work on since is you telling me when you needed to go #1. You made up your mind about a month ago that you were completely ready to be in big boy underwear and you have hardly had an accident since. I'm just so proud of you! It is so nice to not have to buy you pull ups anymore and your big boy underwear are SO cute!
You transitioned to a big boy bed last July and you are still a great sleeper. This is another HUGE thing to a mommy. Knowing that you are potty trained and you can sleep in your own bed so happily makes me feel like we have accomplished two of the greatest tasks parents have to face with a toddler!
Your vocabulary is ridiculous. Even before you could walk, I felt like you could say any word. Now you speak in paragraphs. You wake up talking and you don't stop unless you are asleep. Every thought you have is vocalized and it is very loud! You want to talk to me about everything all day long. You want to be right by my side and ask every question you can think of. You are not that kid that run off to do your own thing, although you have learned a lot more independence since Klaire has arrived. You want to do what we are doing and join in our conversation about it. Most recently, you have watched us as we have watched the horrendous footage of the tsunami in Japan. You have asked questions about it and anytime we see any of the coverage on TV you talk about how sad it is that the people have lost their homes and cars in Japan. You also can articulate what you have learned in Sunday School at church. I loved hearing you tell me about Jonah and the Whale a few weeks ago, and about your lesson on giving. After receiving so many new toys for your birthday, your daddy asked you to pick out three old toys to give to kids who didn't have any toys. Then, you told me yesterday that your sunday school lesson was on giving and reminded me that you gave some of your toys to kids that don't have any toys. I'm so thankful that you were able to comprehend why we had you do that. This makes me so so proud.
Speaking of sunday school, you LOVE to go to church. You go on wednesday nights, sunday mornings and sunday nights. You love all of your teachers and friends. However, I'm not the type of mom that thinks my child can do nothing wrong. Oh no. You get very excited sometimes, and struggle with hitting. Your teachers always tell me that it is rarely in a mean way, it is just an "overly excited, linebacker sort of way." You know it is wrong, and when you give me an account of your time away from me you always give me an honest review of everything you did...the good, the bad, and the ugly. You admit the wrong things you did to us even when you know that there will be consequences. I'm so grateful that you haven't learned to lie yet. I pray you will always be honest with us, and we can keep communication lines open. Hopefully one day you will get the big picture, and realize that we love you no matter what and we discipline you because we love you. At this point, spankings don't seem to have NEAR the affect on you as "taking something away." In fact, the greatest punishment for you is to be sent to your room, away from us. You can not STAND isolation from people, even if you are sent to a room full of toys. I find that so interesting!
Your imagination is so wonderful. You still have Bullskie, your imaginary dog and talk about him all the time. There is not one prayer that you pray that Bullskie isn't prayed for. I would love to get inside your head and see what you are seeing sometime! You love to cook us imaginary food. Our coffee table is your "kitchen", and you could serve us for hours! Its so adorable!
I haven't mentioned how sweet you are yet, but you really are the sweetest boy. You have so much love for others. You love to pray for all of those that you love, and you never seem to leave ANYONE out! You have a really great memory! You learn lyrics and words to books so easily. Your favorite song is "Our God" by Chris Tomlin (you call it "Our God is Greater"). You want to hear it every single time we get in the car, and of course, I always play it for you. The theology is on point, and I want those words to be written on your heart. Hearing you sing the lyrics is the greatest sound on earth. Worship in its purest form. Oh, how wonderful will that day be when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior...that will be the greatest decision of your whole life!
Ever since I've had Klaire, I've noticed that you have become a BIG snuggler with me. Anytime I'm not holding her, you take every opportunity to be close to me, and I LOVE IT! You will often ask me while sitting next to me, "Mom, you got lipstick on?" And if I say no, you will just plant the biggest kiss on my lips!"
Speaking of Klaire, you are a wonderful big brother. You usually refer to her as "your" baby most of the time, but sometimes you will call her "our" baby. Ha! I recently told you about a friend of mine that had a baby in her belly and I mentioned the name of the new baby. You said, "I just want OUR baby." You are very possessive of her, but also very proud. You want everyone to see her. You love for your "friends" to get to see her. I love how you say her name. You rarely call her Klaire, she is "Baby Klaire", but you say it so fast, it really sounds more like "BayKlaire." I will be sad one day when she is no longer "Bayklaire." You love to make her smile. She has just now started connecting with us and smiling. I can tell that you are going to be her favorite person in the world soon. How wonderful it will be to see her reciprocate all the love that you have been giving her for months.
I think you are the most handsome boy I've ever seen in my life. Your red hair is still so beautiful, and your blue eyes melt my heart. When you were a baby, your daddy and I did everything but stand on our heads (well, we probably did that too) just to see you smile. Your smile still lights up our life. Anytime I'm away from you for any amount of time, seeing your smile from across the room is the greatest feeling in the world. I'm SO proud you are mine. Hear that, Korben. I'm SO PROUD that I get to call YOU, "MY SON." To say you are special is an understatement. There is NO ONE like you, and your daddy and I will love you unconditionally for the rest of our lives!
Happy 3rd Birthday, sweet boy!
I love you!
Mommy
I can not believe you are three. It seems like just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant with you, which was almost 4 years ago! Your daddy and I picked out your name years before you were born, when we were just dating. We dreamed about what "John Korben" would be like if God ever gave us a son, and I had dreamed of being a mommy since I was a little girl. I am so thankful that God gave you to us. You surpassed all dreams we could have had for what our son would be like. You have completely changed our lives in the best way. We love you with a kind of love we have never felt before, and you have caused us to be closer to God and to each other. You have helped teach me what really matters in this short life.
I feel so privileged to get to spend every day with you. There was a time that I didn't think I was going to get to be a stay at home mom, and God made it possible. I can not imagine if you had spent these past 3 years in a day care. The memories you and I have made together are priceless.
I have no idea how old you will be when you will read this, but I think you may find it interesting at some point in your life what you were like as a brand new 3 year old. So, I'm going to fill you in.
One of the most exciting things I can say is that YOU ARE POTTY TRAINED! At 2.5 you starting going #2 on the potty, and all we have had to work on since is you telling me when you needed to go #1. You made up your mind about a month ago that you were completely ready to be in big boy underwear and you have hardly had an accident since. I'm just so proud of you! It is so nice to not have to buy you pull ups anymore and your big boy underwear are SO cute!
You transitioned to a big boy bed last July and you are still a great sleeper. This is another HUGE thing to a mommy. Knowing that you are potty trained and you can sleep in your own bed so happily makes me feel like we have accomplished two of the greatest tasks parents have to face with a toddler!
Your vocabulary is ridiculous. Even before you could walk, I felt like you could say any word. Now you speak in paragraphs. You wake up talking and you don't stop unless you are asleep. Every thought you have is vocalized and it is very loud! You want to talk to me about everything all day long. You want to be right by my side and ask every question you can think of. You are not that kid that run off to do your own thing, although you have learned a lot more independence since Klaire has arrived. You want to do what we are doing and join in our conversation about it. Most recently, you have watched us as we have watched the horrendous footage of the tsunami in Japan. You have asked questions about it and anytime we see any of the coverage on TV you talk about how sad it is that the people have lost their homes and cars in Japan. You also can articulate what you have learned in Sunday School at church. I loved hearing you tell me about Jonah and the Whale a few weeks ago, and about your lesson on giving. After receiving so many new toys for your birthday, your daddy asked you to pick out three old toys to give to kids who didn't have any toys. Then, you told me yesterday that your sunday school lesson was on giving and reminded me that you gave some of your toys to kids that don't have any toys. I'm so thankful that you were able to comprehend why we had you do that. This makes me so so proud.
Speaking of sunday school, you LOVE to go to church. You go on wednesday nights, sunday mornings and sunday nights. You love all of your teachers and friends. However, I'm not the type of mom that thinks my child can do nothing wrong. Oh no. You get very excited sometimes, and struggle with hitting. Your teachers always tell me that it is rarely in a mean way, it is just an "overly excited, linebacker sort of way." You know it is wrong, and when you give me an account of your time away from me you always give me an honest review of everything you did...the good, the bad, and the ugly. You admit the wrong things you did to us even when you know that there will be consequences. I'm so grateful that you haven't learned to lie yet. I pray you will always be honest with us, and we can keep communication lines open. Hopefully one day you will get the big picture, and realize that we love you no matter what and we discipline you because we love you. At this point, spankings don't seem to have NEAR the affect on you as "taking something away." In fact, the greatest punishment for you is to be sent to your room, away from us. You can not STAND isolation from people, even if you are sent to a room full of toys. I find that so interesting!
Your imagination is so wonderful. You still have Bullskie, your imaginary dog and talk about him all the time. There is not one prayer that you pray that Bullskie isn't prayed for. I would love to get inside your head and see what you are seeing sometime! You love to cook us imaginary food. Our coffee table is your "kitchen", and you could serve us for hours! Its so adorable!
I haven't mentioned how sweet you are yet, but you really are the sweetest boy. You have so much love for others. You love to pray for all of those that you love, and you never seem to leave ANYONE out! You have a really great memory! You learn lyrics and words to books so easily. Your favorite song is "Our God" by Chris Tomlin (you call it "Our God is Greater"). You want to hear it every single time we get in the car, and of course, I always play it for you. The theology is on point, and I want those words to be written on your heart. Hearing you sing the lyrics is the greatest sound on earth. Worship in its purest form. Oh, how wonderful will that day be when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior...that will be the greatest decision of your whole life!
Ever since I've had Klaire, I've noticed that you have become a BIG snuggler with me. Anytime I'm not holding her, you take every opportunity to be close to me, and I LOVE IT! You will often ask me while sitting next to me, "Mom, you got lipstick on?" And if I say no, you will just plant the biggest kiss on my lips!"
Speaking of Klaire, you are a wonderful big brother. You usually refer to her as "your" baby most of the time, but sometimes you will call her "our" baby. Ha! I recently told you about a friend of mine that had a baby in her belly and I mentioned the name of the new baby. You said, "I just want OUR baby." You are very possessive of her, but also very proud. You want everyone to see her. You love for your "friends" to get to see her. I love how you say her name. You rarely call her Klaire, she is "Baby Klaire", but you say it so fast, it really sounds more like "BayKlaire." I will be sad one day when she is no longer "Bayklaire." You love to make her smile. She has just now started connecting with us and smiling. I can tell that you are going to be her favorite person in the world soon. How wonderful it will be to see her reciprocate all the love that you have been giving her for months.
I think you are the most handsome boy I've ever seen in my life. Your red hair is still so beautiful, and your blue eyes melt my heart. When you were a baby, your daddy and I did everything but stand on our heads (well, we probably did that too) just to see you smile. Your smile still lights up our life. Anytime I'm away from you for any amount of time, seeing your smile from across the room is the greatest feeling in the world. I'm SO proud you are mine. Hear that, Korben. I'm SO PROUD that I get to call YOU, "MY SON." To say you are special is an understatement. There is NO ONE like you, and your daddy and I will love you unconditionally for the rest of our lives!
Happy 3rd Birthday, sweet boy!
I love you!
Mommy
Friday, March 11, 2011
Family Pics
The fabulous Leigh Ann Hasley took family pictures of us on February 26th. Klaire was fussy that day, but you would have never known it! Leigh Ann got some fabulous pictures of our babies and we are so grateful! I can't believe she has photographed Korben since he was 2 months old, and now he is 3 already! I like to have photo sessions with Leigh Ann just to get to hang out with her! The hardest part is just deciding what pictures to order. Here are a few of our favorites.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Two Month Birthday-February 26th
Klaire turned two months old on February 26th. I guess I am destined to write her "birthday" blogs at least 10 days late. Good thing I still remember what she was like during the second month of her life so I can blog about it!
Month two was tough. She was diagnosed with reflux and was put on zantac...just like Korben at her age. She seemed to have a sensitivity to dairy through my breastmilk, just like Korben. We switched to formula, just like we did with Korben. And had countless fussy nights...just like Korben. It was a very discouraging time, and is already almost a blur. Survival was my key word. My key phrase was "it's just a season." However, by her two month birthday things seemed to get a little bit better and our first Sunday back at church was February 27th. I didn't think we would ever make it out the door that morning, but we did...and it helped restore my soul to be back with the Body. I LOVE my church, and I'm so grateful that there are people here love my babies.
Here she is in the nursery for the first time with her personal bodyguard (or maybe she should be called the "Babyguard"), Linda Cain. We love you, Linda!
The thing that made month two so rewarding was her beginning to SMILE. Maybe there is a reason that babies don't come straight from the womb smiling. Maybe God knows that after two months of sleepless nights and hearing a baby cry that your baby's smile will be the sweetest sight for tired eyes. It makes ALL the difference. I'm not talking about the smiles that newborns do that people say are from gas (which I don't believe at all...how can gas make babies cry and smile?). I'm talking about the kind of smile where you talk to them, and they lock eyes with you and smile like you are the greatest thing in the world. LIFE changing!
I took her to the doctor just a couple days after she turned 2 months and she weighed 14 lbs. and measured 24 inches. That put her in the 95 percentile for weight and the 87th for height. Thriving baby girl. She completely graduated out of all of her 3 month clothes and wears nothing but 6 month clothes. She has also been in a size 2 diaper for at least the past 3 weeks, and I feel like she will be in a 3 in no time. I honestly don't feel like Klaire has ever been a tiny baby. I feel like I've been talking about how big she was since the day she was born. (Klaire, if you are reading this at 16 please don't think your Momma is calling you fat...you were just a BEAUTIFUL, healthy baby! Perfect in every way!)
Her monthly pictures REALLY showed how much she grew this month. Compare the difference yourself!
Other than her apparent growth, one of the biggest differences to me was the skin color change. She has almost completely lost her jaundice skin color. On the day I took her pictures, all I got was a grin, but it still completely melts my heart!
I'm already looking forward to writing my 3 month post because some exciting things have been happening lately! I'll give you a hint *more smiling, more sleeping, less crying* and *THE BUMBO SEAT!*
Month two was tough. She was diagnosed with reflux and was put on zantac...just like Korben at her age. She seemed to have a sensitivity to dairy through my breastmilk, just like Korben. We switched to formula, just like we did with Korben. And had countless fussy nights...just like Korben. It was a very discouraging time, and is already almost a blur. Survival was my key word. My key phrase was "it's just a season." However, by her two month birthday things seemed to get a little bit better and our first Sunday back at church was February 27th. I didn't think we would ever make it out the door that morning, but we did...and it helped restore my soul to be back with the Body. I LOVE my church, and I'm so grateful that there are people here love my babies.
Here she is in the nursery for the first time with her personal bodyguard (or maybe she should be called the "Babyguard"), Linda Cain. We love you, Linda!
The thing that made month two so rewarding was her beginning to SMILE. Maybe there is a reason that babies don't come straight from the womb smiling. Maybe God knows that after two months of sleepless nights and hearing a baby cry that your baby's smile will be the sweetest sight for tired eyes. It makes ALL the difference. I'm not talking about the smiles that newborns do that people say are from gas (which I don't believe at all...how can gas make babies cry and smile?). I'm talking about the kind of smile where you talk to them, and they lock eyes with you and smile like you are the greatest thing in the world. LIFE changing!
I took her to the doctor just a couple days after she turned 2 months and she weighed 14 lbs. and measured 24 inches. That put her in the 95 percentile for weight and the 87th for height. Thriving baby girl. She completely graduated out of all of her 3 month clothes and wears nothing but 6 month clothes. She has also been in a size 2 diaper for at least the past 3 weeks, and I feel like she will be in a 3 in no time. I honestly don't feel like Klaire has ever been a tiny baby. I feel like I've been talking about how big she was since the day she was born. (Klaire, if you are reading this at 16 please don't think your Momma is calling you fat...you were just a BEAUTIFUL, healthy baby! Perfect in every way!)
Her monthly pictures REALLY showed how much she grew this month. Compare the difference yourself!
Other than her apparent growth, one of the biggest differences to me was the skin color change. She has almost completely lost her jaundice skin color. On the day I took her pictures, all I got was a grin, but it still completely melts my heart!
I'm already looking forward to writing my 3 month post because some exciting things have been happening lately! I'll give you a hint *more smiling, more sleeping, less crying* and *THE BUMBO SEAT!*
Thursday, February 10, 2011
1 Month Birthday- January 26th
I am over two weeks late on this post and so much has changed since Klaire's one month birthday. I'm going to try to remember everything I would have written if I would have actually written it on time!
First of all, Happy 1 Month Birthday to my baby girl! My sweet friend from church, Rudda Ward, has offered to make Klaire a new onesie every month for her first year. Isn't that SWEET? I thought this one was adorable. I'm looking forward to seeing the one for February. I am making a commitment to take her picture on every one of her "month birthdays" and blog about her. This month, I even took her to the doctor for a weight check JUST so I could blog about it!
On Klaire's one month birthday she weighed 11 lbs 3 oz and was 21 1/2 inches. The weeks before Klaire's one month birthday had gotten really hard. She was fussing after every feeding, and I could seem to do nothing to console her. Looking back, I can hardly remember those weeks because I was so stressed out. There are few things more stressful than hearing a baby cry (A LOT) and not being able to do anything about it. Everything was going through my head...is this colic? reflux? intolerance to breastmilk? is she not getting enough? is she getting too much? is she just really tired? is this gas pains? After talking this over with my mom, Linda Cain, and the nurse, I decided (on her one month birthday, exactly) to start pumping my breastmilk and bottle feeding her. I had come to the conclusion that she was having gas pains after her feedings and I thought that may have been because I had a really fast milk flow and she was gulping in too much air. I hoped that with a "slow flow" bottle we'd have more control over that issue and it may help her. It totally did! She was practically a new baby by the next day. I was so thankful I didn't have to switch her to formula and her fussiness could be cured by something so simple.
The switch came at a great time because the next day we were planning to go home and visit family. I had been really stressed up until that point about going home because she had been so unhappy. I was imagining that no one would get to hold her and I would spend most of our time in another room nursing her or trying to calm her down. Not so at all! She was the sweetest baby. Everyone had a turn at bottle feeding her, and got to hold a calm, relaxed baby! I was so grateful that her tummy troubles seemed to be better! I said a hundred times while visiting with my family that this was the first time I felt like I could really ENJOY her. I really did enjoy her, and by the time I came back home a week later, she and I had a whole new bond.
When I returned home, a week ago, I attempted to add dairy products to my diet. Up until this point, I had not eaten anything with dairy in fear that she would have the problems that Korben had. I'm not convinced by any means that she is "lactose intolerant" but I definitely noticed a difference with her fussiness level and she had some very nasty diapers that the nurse told me meant "dairy sensitivity." So, I am once again off of dairy products. This is not very easy, but worth it to keep her happy. Food is difficult for me right now. I'm back on Weight Watchers. My favorite foods when I lost so much weight with weight watchers last time were foods that involved dairy. Also, weight watchers is all about HIGH FIBER. That is fine with me, my stomach can handle high fiber. However, I can really tell after eating a lot of certain vegetables that Klaire's tummy can't handle it very well. I can't win for losing! I hate that the healthier the food, the harder it is probably going to be on her tummy! I desperately want to lose weight, but breast feeding makes me SO hungry and it is tough choosing the "right" foods without eating TOO much fiber. Difficult balance.
The past few days have just been wonderful with her! She is starting to smile a little bit and even make some sweet cooing noises. I love that she will actually allow me to put her down for little periods of time (2 weeks ago, I couldn't put her down without her crying) so I can play with her. She will sit in her bouncy seat and fall asleep in the middle of our commotion sometimes, and I think she is even starting to like her swing. It is getting easier!
She is beginning to like baths! The last bath I gave her she didn't cry at all, which I took to mean that SHE LOVED IT!
She fits perfectly in all of her 3 month clothes. I know this means that 3-6 month clothes will be next. I can't believe that! She never even really fit in her newborn clothes! She still fits in a size 1 diaper. And speaking of diapers, I think we go through at least 15 a day. Praise the Lord for people who have given us diapers and wipes.
Here are the pictures I took of her on her one month birthday. I don't feel like they are very good because I know how much cuter she is in real life. However, all of these were taken when she was still incredibly fussy when I put her down and I am choosing to post the only pictures I managed to take without her screaming her head off. I'm hoping we can get some better ones on her two month birthday!
First of all, Happy 1 Month Birthday to my baby girl! My sweet friend from church, Rudda Ward, has offered to make Klaire a new onesie every month for her first year. Isn't that SWEET? I thought this one was adorable. I'm looking forward to seeing the one for February. I am making a commitment to take her picture on every one of her "month birthdays" and blog about her. This month, I even took her to the doctor for a weight check JUST so I could blog about it!
On Klaire's one month birthday she weighed 11 lbs 3 oz and was 21 1/2 inches. The weeks before Klaire's one month birthday had gotten really hard. She was fussing after every feeding, and I could seem to do nothing to console her. Looking back, I can hardly remember those weeks because I was so stressed out. There are few things more stressful than hearing a baby cry (A LOT) and not being able to do anything about it. Everything was going through my head...is this colic? reflux? intolerance to breastmilk? is she not getting enough? is she getting too much? is she just really tired? is this gas pains? After talking this over with my mom, Linda Cain, and the nurse, I decided (on her one month birthday, exactly) to start pumping my breastmilk and bottle feeding her. I had come to the conclusion that she was having gas pains after her feedings and I thought that may have been because I had a really fast milk flow and she was gulping in too much air. I hoped that with a "slow flow" bottle we'd have more control over that issue and it may help her. It totally did! She was practically a new baby by the next day. I was so thankful I didn't have to switch her to formula and her fussiness could be cured by something so simple.
The switch came at a great time because the next day we were planning to go home and visit family. I had been really stressed up until that point about going home because she had been so unhappy. I was imagining that no one would get to hold her and I would spend most of our time in another room nursing her or trying to calm her down. Not so at all! She was the sweetest baby. Everyone had a turn at bottle feeding her, and got to hold a calm, relaxed baby! I was so grateful that her tummy troubles seemed to be better! I said a hundred times while visiting with my family that this was the first time I felt like I could really ENJOY her. I really did enjoy her, and by the time I came back home a week later, she and I had a whole new bond.
When I returned home, a week ago, I attempted to add dairy products to my diet. Up until this point, I had not eaten anything with dairy in fear that she would have the problems that Korben had. I'm not convinced by any means that she is "lactose intolerant" but I definitely noticed a difference with her fussiness level and she had some very nasty diapers that the nurse told me meant "dairy sensitivity." So, I am once again off of dairy products. This is not very easy, but worth it to keep her happy. Food is difficult for me right now. I'm back on Weight Watchers. My favorite foods when I lost so much weight with weight watchers last time were foods that involved dairy. Also, weight watchers is all about HIGH FIBER. That is fine with me, my stomach can handle high fiber. However, I can really tell after eating a lot of certain vegetables that Klaire's tummy can't handle it very well. I can't win for losing! I hate that the healthier the food, the harder it is probably going to be on her tummy! I desperately want to lose weight, but breast feeding makes me SO hungry and it is tough choosing the "right" foods without eating TOO much fiber. Difficult balance.
The past few days have just been wonderful with her! She is starting to smile a little bit and even make some sweet cooing noises. I love that she will actually allow me to put her down for little periods of time (2 weeks ago, I couldn't put her down without her crying) so I can play with her. She will sit in her bouncy seat and fall asleep in the middle of our commotion sometimes, and I think she is even starting to like her swing. It is getting easier!
She is beginning to like baths! The last bath I gave her she didn't cry at all, which I took to mean that SHE LOVED IT!
She fits perfectly in all of her 3 month clothes. I know this means that 3-6 month clothes will be next. I can't believe that! She never even really fit in her newborn clothes! She still fits in a size 1 diaper. And speaking of diapers, I think we go through at least 15 a day. Praise the Lord for people who have given us diapers and wipes.
Here are the pictures I took of her on her one month birthday. I don't feel like they are very good because I know how much cuter she is in real life. However, all of these were taken when she was still incredibly fussy when I put her down and I am choosing to post the only pictures I managed to take without her screaming her head off. I'm hoping we can get some better ones on her two month birthday!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Kicked it up a notch
This time last week, Klaire had her two week check up with Dr. Beene. She weighed 9 lbs 9 ounces, and was 21 1/2 inches long. Dr. Beene said that she is usually happy to see a baby completely regain their birthweight by two weeks, and she had clearly surpassed her 8 lbs. 15 ounces! That was encouraging. And to think, she had grown an inch and a quarter too! That was a whole week ago, and as much eating as she has been doing, I would LOVE to know what she weighed and measured today!
Klaire has "kicked it up a notch." One of my concerns I voiced with Dr. Beene last week was that Klaire seemed a little "too good." I had to wake her for almost every feeding because I didn't want her to go too long without eating (I only did this because I was still worried about the jaundice not being out of her system). She hardly ever even cried. Dr. Beene assured me that she was just fine, and she would eat when she was hungry. I backed off a little bit and by the weekend she was definitely letting me know when she was hungry. Now, a week later, she is waking up in the night every two hours to eat, and is actually very hard to soothe to get back to sleep. So, I would say that our easy baby has "livened up" a bit, but that is just fine! Now I know she is real!
I think she may have her days and nights mixed up. Her longest stretches of sleep are currently in the day time. She is so peaceful and calm during the day. And starting around 8 at night, she gets gassy, fussy, and never really seems completely relaxed until around 5 or 6 the next morning. She does eventually go to sleep, but not for long stretches. I know this is just a season. I'm trying to enjoy every moment. She really is the sweetest little thing though. Her eyes are open so much more and I melt when I feel like she is really looking at me. I'm just so glad she is HERE! Can I just say how much I DON'T MISS BEING PREGNANT AT ALL? Give me sleepless nights with a crying baby, I don't care...I'm just glad to not have her inside me anymore! I'd much rather look at my baby's sweet little face any day. My favorite moments are seeing her smile after she is done eating. That gives me an energy rush even in the sleepiest of times!
Speaking of heights and weights earlier, I happened to find the little card that was inside Korben's bed at the hospital with all of his birth measurements on it. I thought I would compare it with Klaire's.
They were both born at 38 weeks:
John "Korben" Rodgers
Birthday 3/10/08
Time 11:59 p.m.
Weight 8-3
Length 21 1/2
Head 13
Chest 13 1/2
Adalyn "Klaire" Rodgers
Birthday 12/26/10
Time 9:04 a.m.
Weight 8-15
Length 20 1/4
Head 13 1/2
Chest 14 1/2
So, other than length, Klaire was a little bigger than him in every way! Surprising to me! It will be interesting to compare their growth with each other at each month's birthday. It is so hard to believe that our girl will be one month old a week from tomorrow! I know that this first year of her life will FLY by. That is why I don't care that she has "kicked it up a notch." I treasure this time with my precious daughter. Korben has proven to me that our babies grow up too fast!
Klaire has "kicked it up a notch." One of my concerns I voiced with Dr. Beene last week was that Klaire seemed a little "too good." I had to wake her for almost every feeding because I didn't want her to go too long without eating (I only did this because I was still worried about the jaundice not being out of her system). She hardly ever even cried. Dr. Beene assured me that she was just fine, and she would eat when she was hungry. I backed off a little bit and by the weekend she was definitely letting me know when she was hungry. Now, a week later, she is waking up in the night every two hours to eat, and is actually very hard to soothe to get back to sleep. So, I would say that our easy baby has "livened up" a bit, but that is just fine! Now I know she is real!
I think she may have her days and nights mixed up. Her longest stretches of sleep are currently in the day time. She is so peaceful and calm during the day. And starting around 8 at night, she gets gassy, fussy, and never really seems completely relaxed until around 5 or 6 the next morning. She does eventually go to sleep, but not for long stretches. I know this is just a season. I'm trying to enjoy every moment. She really is the sweetest little thing though. Her eyes are open so much more and I melt when I feel like she is really looking at me. I'm just so glad she is HERE! Can I just say how much I DON'T MISS BEING PREGNANT AT ALL? Give me sleepless nights with a crying baby, I don't care...I'm just glad to not have her inside me anymore! I'd much rather look at my baby's sweet little face any day. My favorite moments are seeing her smile after she is done eating. That gives me an energy rush even in the sleepiest of times!
Speaking of heights and weights earlier, I happened to find the little card that was inside Korben's bed at the hospital with all of his birth measurements on it. I thought I would compare it with Klaire's.
They were both born at 38 weeks:
John "Korben" Rodgers
Birthday 3/10/08
Time 11:59 p.m.
Weight 8-3
Length 21 1/2
Head 13
Chest 13 1/2
Adalyn "Klaire" Rodgers
Birthday 12/26/10
Time 9:04 a.m.
Weight 8-15
Length 20 1/4
Head 13 1/2
Chest 14 1/2
So, other than length, Klaire was a little bigger than him in every way! Surprising to me! It will be interesting to compare their growth with each other at each month's birthday. It is so hard to believe that our girl will be one month old a week from tomorrow! I know that this first year of her life will FLY by. That is why I don't care that she has "kicked it up a notch." I treasure this time with my precious daughter. Korben has proven to me that our babies grow up too fast!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My two children
I've survived a week having two children at home with me. (Side note- I still can't believe the words "children" and "kids" apply to me. How can I be old enough to have KIDS?) To be honest, it has been nothing like I expected...it has been MUCH, MUCH better! I have to give credit to my two sweet kiddos. First of all, Korben is in love with her, and has blown me away with his maturity and patience. And Klaire, has been the easiest, most laid-back baby ever. I know that any of these things could change in an instant, but for now, I'm just grateful.
After Klaire was admitted to the hospital for her jaundice, Korben went back home with my mom for 3 nights. Aaron met my mom in Clarksville on Tuesday afternoon and brought him back home so we could finally be a family of four! I was so excited and yet so nervous for him to get home. I will never forget what he said when he walked in the house. I greeted him at the garage door. He hugged and kissed me, then quickly asked where Baby Klaire was. I told him she was in the living room in her bouncy seat. He walked right up to her and said "Hey Baby Klaire!" "Mom, her jammies are SO ADORABLE!" and put his hands over his mouth and giggled! We have had countless more moments like this. He says that her outfits are "gorgeous", and mimics everything I ever say to her. Such as "Hey, pretty girl" or "Klaire Bear". I was warned of him being jealous of her, but I genuinely feel like Korben and I are on the same team and we are bonded through equal love for her! He even wants to help me change every diaper. Honestly, he has been a GREAT help to me. He goes and gets diapers and wipes, throws things away for me, gets pacifiers and blankets, and even throws dirty things in the washer. He is my right hand man, and I can't wait to tell Klaire one day what a fabulous big brother she has (Well, she will probably already know that!).
A wise friend of mine with three children gave me some great advice. She told me that she has taught her kids that when she is in her chair in her bedroom nursing the baby that the two older children can come in there, but they can't bring toys in there or play. We taught Korben that rule the very first day I was home alone with them all day, and it has been monumental to us! When the door is open to my bedroom, from my chair I can practically see everything in the house. When I'm feeding Klaire, Korben knows he can come in and talk to me, but he completely understands that toys have to be dropped at the door. This has been such a simple blessing to not have to monitor or worry about spider man flying at my daughter's head.
When Aaron left for work one morning last week, Klaire starting crying shortly after because it was time for a feeding. Korben said "She wants her daddy." I thought it was so sweet! To be completely accurate, he said "He wants his daddy in reference to Klaire. He still calls her a He most of the time, although he knows she is a girl! He is working on getting the right pronouns!
One thing that has blown my mind about Korben is that when we told him we were going to have a baby back in May, he didn't understand anything. He was two years and two months at the time. As the pregnancy progressed, he understood a little more, and REALLY seemed to understand at the end of my pregnancy. Now he is two months away from being three, and I feel like there is nothing he doesn't understand. He is so smart. I feel like I'm talking to a six or seven year old most of the time. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when he actually is six or seven! Ahhh...when did my baby grow up? I could cry thinking about how big Korben is. Everything about him looks huge to me now. When I hug him (I can hardly pick him up by the way...40 lbs,I think!), all I can think of is how "solid" he feels! When I look at his eyes, I seriously think "His eyes are so big." And his eyelashes are SO LONG! And don't get me started on how big his bottom looks when I change his pull-up! Holy Moly! All of these thoughts I have after only 3 weeks of tiny Klaire in my life. Wow, did she ever put things in perspective.
I love when he takes her hand and makes her wave. He most always says "Hey Big Brother" for her. I can't wait until she can reciprocate the love that he is constantly giving to her.
I apologize if this is poorly written. I am grateful for any spare moment I have to jot down memories and I don't have time to proofread. I also don't have time to attach pictures. Terrible, I know. I will do that soon. Just glad to get these random little stories typed out so they don't escape my brain.
After Klaire was admitted to the hospital for her jaundice, Korben went back home with my mom for 3 nights. Aaron met my mom in Clarksville on Tuesday afternoon and brought him back home so we could finally be a family of four! I was so excited and yet so nervous for him to get home. I will never forget what he said when he walked in the house. I greeted him at the garage door. He hugged and kissed me, then quickly asked where Baby Klaire was. I told him she was in the living room in her bouncy seat. He walked right up to her and said "Hey Baby Klaire!" "Mom, her jammies are SO ADORABLE!" and put his hands over his mouth and giggled! We have had countless more moments like this. He says that her outfits are "gorgeous", and mimics everything I ever say to her. Such as "Hey, pretty girl" or "Klaire Bear". I was warned of him being jealous of her, but I genuinely feel like Korben and I are on the same team and we are bonded through equal love for her! He even wants to help me change every diaper. Honestly, he has been a GREAT help to me. He goes and gets diapers and wipes, throws things away for me, gets pacifiers and blankets, and even throws dirty things in the washer. He is my right hand man, and I can't wait to tell Klaire one day what a fabulous big brother she has (Well, she will probably already know that!).
A wise friend of mine with three children gave me some great advice. She told me that she has taught her kids that when she is in her chair in her bedroom nursing the baby that the two older children can come in there, but they can't bring toys in there or play. We taught Korben that rule the very first day I was home alone with them all day, and it has been monumental to us! When the door is open to my bedroom, from my chair I can practically see everything in the house. When I'm feeding Klaire, Korben knows he can come in and talk to me, but he completely understands that toys have to be dropped at the door. This has been such a simple blessing to not have to monitor or worry about spider man flying at my daughter's head.
When Aaron left for work one morning last week, Klaire starting crying shortly after because it was time for a feeding. Korben said "She wants her daddy." I thought it was so sweet! To be completely accurate, he said "He wants his daddy in reference to Klaire. He still calls her a He most of the time, although he knows she is a girl! He is working on getting the right pronouns!
One thing that has blown my mind about Korben is that when we told him we were going to have a baby back in May, he didn't understand anything. He was two years and two months at the time. As the pregnancy progressed, he understood a little more, and REALLY seemed to understand at the end of my pregnancy. Now he is two months away from being three, and I feel like there is nothing he doesn't understand. He is so smart. I feel like I'm talking to a six or seven year old most of the time. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when he actually is six or seven! Ahhh...when did my baby grow up? I could cry thinking about how big Korben is. Everything about him looks huge to me now. When I hug him (I can hardly pick him up by the way...40 lbs,I think!), all I can think of is how "solid" he feels! When I look at his eyes, I seriously think "His eyes are so big." And his eyelashes are SO LONG! And don't get me started on how big his bottom looks when I change his pull-up! Holy Moly! All of these thoughts I have after only 3 weeks of tiny Klaire in my life. Wow, did she ever put things in perspective.
I love when he takes her hand and makes her wave. He most always says "Hey Big Brother" for her. I can't wait until she can reciprocate the love that he is constantly giving to her.
I apologize if this is poorly written. I am grateful for any spare moment I have to jot down memories and I don't have time to proofread. I also don't have time to attach pictures. Terrible, I know. I will do that soon. Just glad to get these random little stories typed out so they don't escape my brain.
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