Tolerating My Toddler

So, we're almost a month in with new baby, Nolan, and so far so good. Before I forget them, I just wanted to share some of the funniest and cutest moments from the past month, as well as some things that have helped us cope with an active toddler. Avery is growing up and maturing so quickly. Some of the things she is able to apply (at not even 2 1/2 years old) is amazing. Last night, when Nathan was putting Avery to bed, she said, "Daddy. I'm sick. I have fever. Need medicine." Not only does she understand how being sick relates to having a fever and also getting medicine, but she knows this is a good stall tactic if she doesn't want to go to sleep. She's curious about Nolan's penis, asking "His tail's dirty?" while I was changing a diaper. She'll also tell me "Mom, your baby's crying." I'm amazed that she is so attentive to him, and observant of all the changes around her. I am glad that she's able to articulate her thoughts and feelings to let her dad and I know that she's okay (and also when she needs more time to herself). Last week, when Grammy was staying with us, Avery saw me drop something (I think), and said something incomprehensible followed by "Oh Man!" After listening to her repeat it, we realized that she was saying something hilariously inappropriate..."Fuck-Oh Man" (all ran together). We couldn't stop laughing; the more we laughed, the more (and louder) she would say it. I covered my face with the blanket to hide laughter, and she asked me what was wrong. I told her I was crying because I didn't like her saying that. That made Grammy laugh to the point she had to use the restroom, and Daddy had to leave the room. We've really eliminated almost all cussing in our house, so I'm surprised that she remembers this vocabulary from probably as much as a year ago. Unfortunately, the F-word was one of her first 200 words, and she's always used it in the appropriate setting (which is scary, but impressive). Either way, Avery seems to be adjusting well. She is having more tantrums, and has had 2-3 potty accidents, but overall she seems to love her baby brother. Following are some things that have helped me cope with double the trouble: 1. Recycle Toys - At least twice a year, I go through all of Avery's toys - storing some and giving away others. This keeps our playroom from getting overcrowded, and also allows me to pull out toys that she used to play with every once in a while. It's as if she's getting all new toys, and she gets so excited to see her old toys again. For at least a couple of days, she is more capable of entertaining herself, since she already knows how to use all these toys. 2. Baking Activities - Like me, Avery has a sweet tooth. This makes baking cakes or cookies especially fun. It's an activity that holds her interest (even though I do most of the work), and ends in a sweet reward. 3. Art Activities - Two days ago, Avery and I made bath paints. Toy told me about these paints, so I looked up the recipe online. Making the paints completely held her attention (mix 1 cup of clear soap with 1 tbsp of corn starch, and add food coloring). Afterwards, Avery was so eager to test her paints, that I let her play with them in the bath after we were finished. All together, this activity kept her attention for almost two hours. That means, I had two hours without any tantrums. 4. Time Outs and Going to Her Room - Avery has always done time-outs. Now that we have a baby that might be sleeping, if she throws screaming tantrums that last more than a few minutes, I take her to her room. So far, she just sits on her bed, or goes to the corner and pouts. Each time I've gone back to get her (generally two minutes after I left her), she runs up to me and says "sorry" before I even ask her to. I think this gives her a "safe" place where she can calm down. It also (hopefully) keeps the baby from being woken up. That's all for now. It's almost time for Nolan to eat and I'm trying to keep him on a schedule.

Nolan's Arrival

What a whirlwind. I'm going to backtrack about four days, or so. Last Wednesday, I wrapped up a lot of things at work, and finalized plans with my family for Nolan's arrival. Dr. Norton had let us know that I would be induced on the following Wednesday (February 3rd), so we were using that as our best estimate for his arrival. Nolan had other plans. Around 1 am that night, I passed my mucus plug. I looked it up online, and this doesn't necessarily mean labor is soon to follow. You can still go another two-three weeks, so I just went back to sleep. I noticed some period-type cramping, but other than that, was uncomfortable as usual. Every now and then, I would get more painful contractions. But they would go very frequently, and would come back sporatically. There was no specific timing apart. In the morning, I considered asking Nathan to stay home from work, but decided I was probably over-reacting. Around 9 am, these contractions got more painful. They would be about 6 minutes apart, and then 4 minutes apart, and then 10 minutes apart. I didn't think that was how they were supposed to work, so although I was in VERY SEVERE pain, I thought they were still false labor. I called Tejal, and she seemed to think it might be early labor. Purely because of the amount of pain, I called Nathan and asked him to come home. Even if it just meant I could lie down. By the time he was home, I knew we needed to head to the hospital. We got there around 10 am, and I was already 5 centimeters dilated. My water had broken (although I have no idea when this happened). They got me in a room, and it took three nurses to finally get my IV. Since I was dehydrated, they wanted me to get a bunch of fluid in me before the epidural. It felt like forever, but I FINALLY got my epidural. It was fantastic. They checked me again, and I was 9 cm and +1. I think I started pushing about 15 minutes later. I only pushed for three contractions, and he was out. This delivery was so different from Avery's. He was smaller, so that made it a lot easier. I was also told that the epidural I had last time (which made it so that I couldn't move or feel a thing from the waist down) was very hard to push through. With my epidural this time, I could feel pressure and move; I just couldn't feel any pain. Overall, recovery went well. Nolan is a delight of a baby. He nursed right away, and doesn't seem to cry very often. He is covered in hair (literally head to toe), and resembles a monkey, but oh my goodness, do I love him. He is just perfect, and I feel so lucky to have him. Nathan has his Daddy's Girl, and now I have my Mommy's Boy! Please keep him in your thoughts & prayers. He was re-admitted to the hospital for jaundice. His levels are already declining, so hopefully he'll come back home today or tomorrow.