Good Thing #5

Kuhn Rikon Paring Knife 

I picked one of these up for picnics and checked baggage when we travel.  Now I use for all cutting and chopping.  They come in a rainbow of colors and are one of my favorite things. 

Celia Pictures

Baby Burrito...

One arm break out...

Hands up and ankles crossed...

My what big eyes you have...

Born in Britain but still a southern girl dressed for game day...

One Week

Celia's one week birthday was full of excitement. 

Her cord fell off. 

Then she had her first photo shoot...

Then her Aunt Kim made a surprise special delivery to meet her and bring her a nap nanny...

A nice end to a good first week on earth!

Day 5 Report

Yesterday a midwife came by the house to check on Celia.  At first she was concerned about her weight loss in the hospital.  But  after finding she weighs 7 lbs and 3 ozs - gaining nearly three ounces and well on her way back to her birth weight - the midwife was satisfied.  

Celia had perfect timing :  she waited until after her weight check but while the midwife was here to have her first blow out.  Good girl for impressing the midwife with color, force and volume.  

She is slightly jaundiced.  But day 5 is peak day so the midwife was not the least bit concerned.  Yeah!  We did it!  I have extra milk so we will continue topping up for the next week just to make sure she is on an upward trend. 

Celia's pet name is Kitty.  She cries like a kitten, makes purring noises like a kitten and even before she was born she gently stretched like a kitten.  

She will sleep endlessly if being held.  Last night we took turns holding her while watching TV.  Big mistake - her awake time was from 12-2 am.  She was happy but awake.  Thankfully Brent is home so Kitty and I can stay up all night and sleep all day - for now. 

Celia is my first baby to nurse well from the start.  She immediately opened wide and latched perfectly.  I almost skipped trying in the delivery room because the others did not take to it.  But to be fair, I offered it to her and she knew exactly how to do it.  Nursing has never came easily to me in the early days.  Caroline and George had big challenges we overcame.  Celia has nursed roughly 50 times and every time I can not believe she is doing it with ease. 

The girl refuses to burb.  

What do the other children think about her?  George is not bothered one way or the other.  He kisses her and shares his onk (blanket scraps) with her.  He likes to heist her paci.  Brent is home so he has loads of undivided attention.  He is 2 so no noticeable increase in the number of hissy fits.  The girls like to hold her as much as possible.  We all stare at her in amazement. 

I am feeling well.  I have been well looked after.  Brent is home for two weeks.  So I have been able to rest and focus on Miss Celia and her feedings.  In the evenings, I cover homework and he handles dinner.  A wonderful friend came to the house when I was in the hospital and cooked a week of meals.  This is the best gift ever. The late night last night has been tough today though.  When I finally went downstairs at noon today, Brent gave me a funny look.  I looked as if I had been to war - still in my pajamas, hair a mess, shirt covered in milk.  A coffee and shower made it all better.  

We are savoring our babymoon...

She is Here!

Cecilia Marie

4th of November, 2011

5:28 pm GMT

7 lbs and 10 ounces

20 inches

Hotel Hospital

The girls and I were chatting about the baby coming and the days following her birth.  How long it might take to have the baby, - will she be here by lunch or will it be dinner?  Visiting the hospital and their plans for the weekend.  They asked if you can die while having a baby - it can happen but rarely in modern hospitals.  They find the idea of the spectacle of milk coming in particularly funny.  

They are most impressed with two days of breakfast in bed while in the hospital.  Their conclusion was it sounds as if I am going to a hotel for the weekend.  Not exactly my darlings, not exactly! 

4 Is The New 3

More than once I've heard a family of 4 children is the new family of 3 children.  I am happy to support the trend.  

Other moms have varying reactions when talking about my having 4 children.  The most common response (to my face anyway) is they waited too late when they started having children and ran out of time.  They say how lucky I am to be so young. 

A mother of four has said how hard it is having four and seemed genuinely miserable.  Thanks for the reality check - I guess. 

I understand when mothers of 1 or 2 find it unthinkable to have so many children - especially when they are well beyond the baby stage and/or have a full time nanny and/or work full time.  

But what baffles me is when the mother of three says how brave I am and how they could not image 4 children.  My thought is really?  One more is what will throw you into complete chaos and insanity?  These are the comments which leave me scratching my head. 

Pulling

Mary Kate pulling Caroline into town...

Napoleon Dynamite was their inspiration.  I am still amazed they were self-entertaining. 

Countdown to Baby X

At my last (and last) appointment, Baby X is doing well and scheduled to make her debut in less than two weeks.  The doctor said this has been a remarkably healthy and easy pregnancy - especially considering my age (thanks) and the number of children.  The first half was not easy but the second half has not been too bad.  He comments every visit about Caroline's birth weight - 9lbs 2 ozs.  He is always very concerned about this happening again.  But this baby should weight right about 7 lbs.  

The easiest way to travel to the hospital is via the train.  This strikes me as odd to walk to the train station with my suitcase to go to the hospital to have a baby - at least I will not be in labor.  If I do go into labor,  we will drive and deal with parking when we arrive.  We will bring her home in the car though.  Things I never considered until living in London.

3 Years On

At this time 3 years ago, we were in London for the first time for Brent's interview.  We were taken with London and ready to start a great new adventure.  At the same time, we were beginning to accept our family was meant to be four.  I was still reeling from a miscarriage.  I had time so we would see what happened.  In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined three years later we would have George and be weeks away from  welcoming a fourth child.  It has been an exciting three years but I hope the next three are rather boring in comparison!  

Rosemary Beach

Rosemary Beach was wonderful!  We highly recommend it.  I do not know if the Redneck Riviera can be beat - beautiful water, sugar white sand, friendly people and excellent air conditioning. The house was well appointed and the perfect size for our party.  Since school had started in the US, we had the beach and village mostly to ourselves.  We went to the beach and pool everyday, ate lots of snow cones  and candy and watched endless episodes of Chopped on the Food Network.  I was terrible at taking pictures but here are a few:

We landed at the Ft Walton Beach airport and went directly to The Crab Trap for dinner:

Sleepy heads still on Phoenix time...

Watching Peppa Pig on YouTube:

And the best part...the beach...

Even with loads of suncreen George turned into a gingerbread boy.

The after beach shower...

Yes...lots of paci abuse on the trip.  During one of the flights I said to Brent I was glad we did not take it away from him yet.  Wonder if I will still be saying it when he is 7!

Grocery Delivery Man

Grocery delivery man:  (spoken in an Eastern European accent) You order much toilet paper.

Me:  We use a lot of it. 

Grocery delivery man:  How many people live here?

Me:  Soon there will be four children.

Grocery delivery man: Oh and you are American?

Me:  Yes, I am.

Grocery delivery man: You are small to be American and have so many children.

Me:  Thank you (I think).

Grocery delivery man: I have one son same age as your boy.  My wife has let herself go.  Says impossible after having children.  What is your secret?

Me:  Good genetics and I try not too eat too much. 

Grocery delivery man: That must be it.  I tell my wife not to eat too much.


I say good luck with all that and do not tell her where I live!  

Pink TP

I had not considered toilet paper came in a color other than white.  

The girls flipped out to find this in their bathroom today...

It is also sold in aqua and pebble here. 

Who knew?

Other than having an incredibly hot hubby, I've never considered having anything in common with Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham.  But I have to agree with her statement: 

"“I’m not really one of these people that likes to go out and pose and flaunt being pregnant,” the burgeoning fashion designer told Women’s Wear Daily. “Not like there’s anything wrong in that. I’m so proud to be pregnant and I feel so blessed and so happy, I really do.”"

George at 27 Months

George at 27 months is so 2!  He can be sweet and adorable one minute, then losing his mind the next.  Never a dull moment.

Taking the Kikis to school with his bag and a sock...

George's big news is he moved to a big boy bed!  Not only moved but transitioned with little trouble.  The first night and nap took coaxing but from then on he climbed in, pulled up his duvet and said night night.  We moved him, not for the baby, but because we were concerned he would fall climbing out of the crib.   Surprisingly he had not tried to climb out yet.  When he wakes he does not come out of his room until we come to him or call him to come out.  When daily tasks like changing a diaper or sitting in his highchair are ordeals, we had very low expectations about the switch.  It went better than we ever imagined. 

George went through a huge growth spurt. He is busting out of all his clothes and is firmly a 3T. He has preferences as to what he wears, particularly pajamas.  First he picks the Elmos, then George Pig, then dinosaurs, and last "ne-nahs" or fire trucks.   

He is obsessed with the Curious George movie.  In reference to the movie he put three words together for the first time: "No monkey off" when the movie was over.  He is making progress with talking and says new words every day.  With all the time in the car taking his sisters to school he is singing to Laurie Berkner and know so many of the words to the songs.  He knows most of the letter sounds.  Those Leap Frog Letter Factory videos work. 

His awareness of procedures continues to impresses me.  He hands me a towel when I step out of the shower without asking.  When helping with the laundry, he names which clothes belong to who.  He puts the groceries away or takes them to the counter below the upper cabinet where they belong.  He knows after nap we go in the car to pick up the Kikis (the girls pural are Kikis, Mary Kate is either Maki and Mimi and Caroline is Kiki).  He also has a good memory.  If I use a bribe:  candy, playing on the playground when waiting for the girls, reading books - he does not forget! 

He mentions his cousin "Mont" everyday and "talks" to him on the phone.  He says daddy is at work. He  fills his pockets.  He is very encouraging and says "Yeah" for even the smallest victory.  He still has a hearty appetite and has a refined palate.  He discovered band-aids (plasters)...

George is a brilliant and gorgeous boy!