Back to Work...

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."  -Dr. Seuss

That just about sums up the mantra I've been repeating to myself this week.  March 1st has always felt so far away... and now it's only days away.  The end of my maternity leave.  If logic trumped emotion, I would remember that I had way more time with my baby this time than the first time around.  I would remember that Izzy is perfectly ready to be at daycare--eating and sleeping just fine during the day.  I would remember that most people only get six to twelve weeks off with their babies.  I would remember that I need to go back to work, both for my intellectual sanity and our family's checking account.  I would remember that Cooper's been missing going to Krissy's house to play every day.  I would remember that kids who go to daycare still grow up to be well-adjusted, smart, independent, and happy people.  I would remember that I'll be back in the swing of things at work in no time.  I would remember that I get the summers off!  I would remember that I'm lucky for every minute of the past four months at home. 

But logic doesn't trump emotion for a working mom.  And it probably never will.  

Cooper, I am so glad we found a balance of part-time daycare for you over the last few months.  I love that you had lots of time to play with your sister and learn how to be more gentle and loving to her.  You are such a good big brother.  You got to stay home on Mondays and Fridays for the past months (and lots of times even more than that), and you got to have some special time just with mommy while Izzy practiced going to Krissy's.  I cherish our pajama mornings, painting, play-doh, uninterupted play time, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, cooking 'toast and eggs' (a.k.a. French Toast), playing in the snow, and coloring.  We have had a couple of fun 'dates' since Izzy's been here, and I love how excited you get to have special time with mom or dad.  You are at a very exciting age--you're soaking in everything, learning dozens of new words by the week and watching our every move.  You are such a funny little boy, and I love it that you have such a sense of humor at age two.  I love you, Cooper!

You LOVE the snow, and you got so excited when it was warm enough to play outside

Mommy and Cooper

Izzy, I am going to miss spending every day with you.  You will never remember that you got to spend your first 4 months at home with me (and often your brother, too), but I will never forget it.  It was our special time, and I am so blessed to have had the chance to catch your 'firsts,' scoop you up after every nap, snuggle you every time you needed mommy, and watch you grow.  I will miss our Mommy and Izzy time, and you'll only understand when you become a mom yourself.  I will miss your little fingers and toes, your squishy thighs, and your crazy hair.  I will miss your chubby cheeks and kissing you a couple hundred times a day.  I will do my best to make up for the kisses before and after work!!  I love that you have made these last four months so relaxing for our family, because you have been such an easy baby.  I really can't believe you are already four months old.  I have done everything to not take for granted my time with you.  Our days were full of snuggling, rocking, playing, chatting, smiling, giggling, and getting to know one another.  I even curled up on the couch and napped with you a few times.  Time with my baby girl has been so precious, and although I'm sad about going back to work and being away from you, I'm excited to see the little girl you grow to be!  I love you, Izzy!

One of our many 'photo shoots'

Stealing a nap on the couch with you was one of my favorite things!

7 Years and Counting...

Happy Anniversary, Jeremy!  I love you more and more as the years go by... I love the life we have been blessed with, and I love being on this crazy ride with you.  I found this quote tonight, and it made me smile.

"It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life."
Rita Rudner

Although there are some days I would still love to smash cake in your face, I am so glad I have you to annoy me for the rest of my life ;)  I am sure you'd beg to differ on who does the annoying...   

7 Years and Counting - Happy Anniversary!

Izzy is 4 Months Old!

4 weeks to 4 months...

4 months has flown by and Izzy has brightened every minute of our days.  We cannot imagine our lives without her in it!  Here are a few updates...

Growing like a Weed...

Size 2 diapers

6 month clothing

Long feet!  Her socks are all getting too small

Best guess at weight?  14 pounds (well-check is next week)

*Added after 4 month checkup on March 8...
Weight: 14 lbs. 5 1/2 oz. (45%ile) Height: 25 1/2 in. (80%ile) Head: 43 cm (95%ile)

Eating Well...

5 feedings per day

5 ounces in a bottle (6 ounces a couple times)

Take a bottle just fine from anybody now

Snoozing...

Sleeps from 8 PM to 6:20 AM every day, with a couple short night-wakings

(seriously, her magic wake-up time is between 6:20-6:24 AM every day... 

maybe once a week she sleeps past that!)

Usually falls asleep being burped and rocked at night

Still velcroed in the sleep sack all night

Naps are still inconsistent and usually between 30-45 mins (however as I type she's been sleeping for over an hour... not yet her usual!)

Likes...

To hear her own voice

Holding Cooper's hand

Talking on the changing table

Tummy time

Grabbing toys and putting them in her mouth

Sucking on her fingers

Her Nuk to help relax her or fall asleep

Mom's singing

Other Fun...

Likes the exersaucer

LOVES this playskool musical mirror toy we have-it can be for tummy time or raised to be above her while she's on her back-she loves the lights and music

Is soooo close to rolling from back to belly

Loves being in the bathtub with her big brother

Drools like nobody's business

Hair is getting longer.  And more wild by the minute.

Gave us her first real laughs this month

Still smiles for anyone and everyone

Is learning to be tougher... Cooper's play can get a little rough

Is totally fine at daycare-she's been practicing for a few hours at a time

Always finds the TV

All in all, Izzy's getting way more social as she enters her fifth month... she smiles, laughs, squeals, groans, giggles,  and talks to us a lot.  Her little voice even sounds girly, except when she does her weird little gremlin groans or snorts :)

I hope the memories of your sweet little hands are forever etched in my brain... I loooove your little curious hands.  You love feeling daddy's whiskers and his stubbly head, you love holding our fingers, you search for things to grab and hold on to while you're nursing, and you are starting to reach for us.  Melts my heart!  The other afternoon while I was spoiling myself with a nap on the couch with you, I woke up to your hand on my cheek.  I wish you were awake to see mommy's huge smile!  Your little toes are running a close second, and they get lots of kisses with every clothing and diaper change.  I am excited for you to 'discover' that they're there :)  

We love you, Izzy.  Now stop growing so fast!

Loving Tummy Time

Your brother loves you so much!

Izzy's favorite toy... and Cooper LOVES playing under it with her

Sitting up and so proud!

Sweet Little Laugh

Probably one of the most exciting 'firsts' for our babies has been hearing their sweet little laughs.  After patiently waiting, and making complete fools of ourselves trying to get her giggles out, Izzy finally gave in and gave us some REAL laughs!  She's been chuckling, squealing, even giving us little giggles for weeks, but here are her first real laughs... I'm so glad Jeremy and I got to both hear them AND I am so glad I could get it on camera!

Happy Monday-enjoy these sweet baby laughs from our sweet little Izzy.

Loving This...

I just have a weird, mushy, emotional feeling washing over me these days.  There must be an extra surge of hormones rushing through my veins or something...

Loving my smiley, squishy, babbling, sweet-smelling, soft-haired Izzy.  Loving my ultra-routined, daddy-loving, excitable, learning-every-second, crazy Cooper.  Loving my devoted husband who calls me almost every day on his way home from work just to see how the day was, because he knows there is not time to 'talk' once he's home and we're busy chasing the kids.  Loving my extra time off from work and wondering how in the world I will a) leave Izzy, b) leave Cooper all over again, c) go from yoga pants and tshirts to work clothes that still don't fit right, and d) ever lose this feeling of guilt for not being able to be everything to everyone and be in every place I want to be at every minute.  Loving my sisters who 'get' that my life is a little different than theirs right now and understand that I can't always do the fun stuff with them that I used to.  Loving my in-laws who can't go more than a week without missing our kids so much it hurts them!  Loving our house, which seems to be busting at the seams, but is perfectly homey and fits us just right.  Loving that there are only four weeks until spring break and three months until summer. 

Whew!  That's a lot of love to get off my chest!  Mostly, I'm feeling nostalgic that my maternity leave is almost over, and I've been doing a lot of reflecting on how weird it is that this stage in our life is coming to a close.  I don't ever get to be on maternity leave with Baby Izzy again!  Weird.  (Wiping away a tear...) Kathy Lee Gifford (who I find really, really annoying, but I couldn't find the remote and was already busy feeding Izzy) said today, "Parenthood is all about letting go."  Kind of sad in a way, but so true.  It really sucks that our kids don't get to have mom or dad at home with them all the time, and it's almost time for someone else to spend more hours of their day with them than us :(  It really sucks that parents have to do their first 'letting go' when their baby is still so small and perfect and innocent and untouched by this unpredictable world. 

Enough for now.  You know there will be more soon enough!

Check out Izzy!  She has been doing a ton of babbling, squealing, and cooing, but it seems like in the last few days, she just figured out that she can control her voice and that it gets our attention.  Don't wait for a punch-line, because there isn't one.  Just a few smiles and dimples mixed in there... she did this several times over the last few days, and we finally got it on camera.  It just cracks us up!!  That tongue and those cheeks just get me every time!!

And Happy Valentine's Day!  Jeremy and I set up fondue for the first time in a loooong time after the kids went to bed...  I think it will be our new V-day tradition for a while.  The kids got lots of extra kisses, and this mommy got lots of beautiful flowers. 

Cooper's hand and Izzy's feet... our Valentine gift to Daddy

Slobber-girl with her new little 'buddy' as Cooper calls the elephant

My little valentines!

Happy Valentine's Day from Little Cupid

Happy Early Valentine's Day!

This slideshow personalized with Smilebox

The Second Time Around...

Good job, Izzy Girl!!  Tonight we went through our bedtime routine, and you let me lay you down in your crib fully awake... with no fussing!  And you were asleep in just a few minutes.  'Atta girl!

I got to thinking today how many things we are doing differently the second time around... we have moved out of the over-the-top, stressed, crazed, worried, and clueless parent-of-one stage, to the parents I thought we'd always be.  Okay, to say we're not still stressed and worried, and sometimes even a little over-the-top might be a bit of an overstatement, but we sure feel a lot more relaxed.  And I think it has a clear direct impact on Izzy :)

• From the start, we laid Izzy down for naps in her crib as often as possible.  It's rare that she takes an entire nap in our arms.  Those are kind of reserved for 'special' occasions.
• I am a lot more relaxed about nursing, not obsessing about what the clock says, but rather following her lead.  If she's hungry, I feed her.  Period.
• Izzy gets more bottles that Cooper did, so we can hopefully ward off the bottle-strike business we fought through with our firstborn.  Even I've been giving Izzy more bottles, thinking that might help.  The true test will come once she's going to daycare every day.
• If Izzy's sleeping in her carseat, when we get home we let her sleep!  I used to think it was mean to leave a baby squished in the seat for so long, and I'd take Cooper out as soon as we got home... but now it's clear babies sleep so well in there because they like it!!  
• I wear Izzy in the Moby wrap to get things done, and because she just loves it so much.  I think being relaxed about wearing that thing makes all the difference.  And I don't think I'm spoiling her.  
• From the start, we were waaaay more in tune to Izzy's cues for hunger, sleep, boredom, and uncomfortableness than the first time around.  
• We don't go crazy trying to figure out if she's sleeping too little or too much during the day... if she's tired, she'll sleep.  It really doesn't truly affect her night-time sleep. 
• If Izzy starts fussing in the night, I give her the Nuk once before offering to feed her, and guess what??  She almost always will go right back to sleep!  Who'd have thought?!  

All this said, we're not sure what's the cause and what's the effect... Izzy's easygoing personality, or our 'experience.'  Probably a combination of both.  Either way, things are going great!

A recent morning of playtime with mommy quickly turned into a mini photo shoot :)

Izzy discovered her reflection, and loves to look at herself

Yeah!  She's gonna be a little ball player!

And as tradition goes, storytime at our house happens early and often :)

My favorite part of this photo is how Cooper is holding Izzy's hand!  So sweet!!

Do you notice that it's the same book?  "Just a Mess" is the book Cooper is currently obsessed with.

And bath time has a new meaning now that both kids can be in the tub together.  Jeremy and I joked that of the couple thousand square feet of our house, the four of us were squished into nine of them ;)

Cooper is a big helper... washing off Izzy's feet!

And our "No-Man" as I like to call him, is doing well.  He has discovered the power of the word "No," and is using it ALL THE TIME.  Actually, in general, it is finally clicking to him that all his words have power.  He can get things he wants quicker when he uses words.  He can be funny when he uses his words.  He can have a conversation when he uses his words.  He can express his frustration quicker with his words (although tantrums still have the same effect, trust me).  Cooper has absolutely, without a doubt, hit his language 'explosion.'  We've been patiently waiting, and now he's there!!  Except, I really want to know who to send the hate mail to for inventing the word "No."  That person needs to get a little gift from me.

And here's the little goofball himself... trying on Izzy's new hat.  He loved the big pompoms on his cheeks.  Someday this photo will embarrass him ;)