What a difference a pound makes...

I have a ton of things to blog about once I upload pictures from my camera, but until then - enjoy this!!

Caroline was 6 lb 2 oz at birth. We thought she was so tiny!! When AP started measuring on time and even ahead of schedule, I was expecting a 7 or 8 lb baby. I couldn't have been more wrong! Ann Parker was a mere 5 lb 3 oz!! That one pound makes quite a difference!! We saved the ankle bracelet from both girls for their baby book. We decided to bring out C's to compare. The one on the left is Ann Parker's and the one on the right is Caroline's. Same foot, big difference. If you can't tell, the next picture is AP's sitting inside C's. I wonder if she will be tall like her daddy and big sister or small like her mommy. Only time will tell!!

Hard to believe

It's hard to believe that this time three weeks ago we were making our way to a friends birthday party. It was just me and Caroline, just like it was every day. I had no idea that that would be the last time it was just me and Caroline. I was exhausted but I didn't know I wouldn't make it to bed that night because my water would break. So much has happened in just three short weeks.

In three short weeks this tiny girl has already stolen our hearts...

Last Monday I was at home with both girls for the first time. My mom and sister were set to arrive later that day. Everything was falling apart that morning. All three of us were crying and miserable!! Little did I know I was still sick and would be admitted for a third time that afternoon. Things are much better now, but I wanted to add these pics from that day. They crack me up now but at the time no one was laughing...

These are pics I sent to Adam convincing him to come home and help!!

Two weeks (and a few days)

Ann Parker went to the pediatrician for her two week check up yesterday. She weighed 6 lb 1 oz!! That's 1 lb 1 oz that she gained in 10 days!! She is getting only breast milk (although 99% is pumped) so the doctor was quite impressed by her weight gain. She is almost the size of Caroline when she was born.

She is just now fitting into newborn size clothes and diapers. She's so tiny!! She is taking about 2 oz at each feeding. She eats every 2-3 hours during the day and takes 4-5 hour stretches during the night. She's only getting up once during the night!! Last night she was up three or four times, so let's hope that was a fluke.

She is a sweet baby and we all just love her so much!! I can tell that I am calmer this time around, which makes things so much more pleasant. The hormones are worse on me this time though, which makes things less pleasant! :( I go from being so happy looking at my two precious girls to horribly sad that my pregnancy is over and wanting more kids so badly to being so exhausted and drained and feeling like two kids is overwhelming. I know that in a few weeks time I will be settled into a routine and things will be easier, but it is hard right now!

All in all, we are doing good. Some moments are harder than others but that's life. I love Ann Parker so much and think she's the greatest addition to our family!

Love

Is there anything sweeter than this?

One week!

Last Friday our new little baby turned one week old! It was a happy day because I was released from the hospital for the second time! (sadly I was readmitted for a third time because of this infection but hopefully we will finally be home soon!) It's so hard to believe it has already been one week! What an adventure you have had sweet girl! She had a weight check on her one week birthday and she was up to 5 lb - only 3 oz. away from birth weight. She is a wonderful eater and an even better sleeper. She will eat every couple of hours during the day but will only be up once through the night. After Caroline I am not holding my breath that it will always be like this, but it's a great way to start off!

She loves to be swaddled and thankfully Adam is the best swaddler ever. She wants to lift her head so badly. She wants to know everything that's going on! She is wearing preemie clothes and diapers but she will be out of them in no time! She is the sweetest little baby!

It's strange going from one child to two. I am not nervous about feeding her or changing her- I have that down. I always feel like I am forgetting something though. I worry that I am not taking enough pictures or I am not doing something for Ann Parker that I did for Caroline. If we have a third child one day I know that will be the case!!! I feel like I had so much time to devote to just Caroline and now I have to split my time. I just want to be the best mom I can to both my girls.

At times I still cannot believe she's here. There is so much waiting and anticipation leading up to the birth and then in the blink of an eye she is here, I am no longer pregnant, and life starts to take on a new "normal." I am so happy that Ann Parker is part of our new normal!

Twenty three months old!!!

Twenty three months old-April 20, 2012

This is the last monthly post before Caroline will be two years old. I said I would stop the monthly posts at two. I will miss doing it each month but I know I will still do some updates!!

This was a big month for C. Most notably, she became a big sister!! She is the sweetest thing with Ann Parker. There are certainly moments of jealousy and plenty of tantrums, but it's a huge life change so that is all to be expected.

Caroline has become more and more vocal as the days go by. She speaks in some basic sentences and can get her point across. We are all thankful that this is happening. Her favorite word is "no" which she says even when she means yes. Other favorite words ate daddy, ice, teeth, shoe, and wee wee (swing). I can only assume they are favorites because she says them about a million times each day!!

She is a great eater. She has a sweet tooth like her mama, but she loves a ton of fruits and veggies. Recently we discovered that edamame is a favorite. She will try most things that we give her so that makes dinner time much easier!

She is still in size 4 diapers and wears anywhere from 12 month to 2t clothes. She's super skinny and super long! She wears a size 7 shoe, which looks so big to me!! Speaking of shoes, she is a little obsessed! We are going to be spending a fortune in the future on shoes for her. I can see lots of fun shopping trips in future! I love it!! I am not sure Adam will...

She has been sleeping so well in her big girl bed. She has only gotten out a couple of times in the middle of the night but overall she has sleep well. I am glad we made the transition when we did. It was time. She looks so tiny in the bed though!

When she wakes up in the morning she always wants to snuggle with Adam and then eat breakfast in our bed. When I got to be huge pregnant and was exhausted all the time it was so easy to turn on Mickey Mouse and grab her food. She was so content for the next 30 minutes and usually that's all I would need to be ready to get up. Now that I have more energy (not so much energy- just an infant that requires more active attention) she doesn't understand why she can't eat in my bed everyday.

She is doing great in school and we are looking forward to more days in the fall. She loves her teachers and all her friends. She still loves being outside- running, swinging, strolling, jumping on the trampoline, or playing with bubbles, she loves anything and everything outside! She says outside like "ow-sigh" which sounds so adorable from her little mouth!

She has such a funny personality and is such a joy in our lives. She is so smart and loving and just a perfect little Caroline!

Happy 23 months little girl. I cannot believe that this time 2 years ago we were anxiously awaiting your arrival. It seems like you have been a part of our family forever. I love you more than you will ever know!!

Please forgive the iPhone pics...I am uploading from the phone today!