The last few weeks have been filled with me working part time, two sick kids, doctor's appointments, cuddling, and exhaustion. First Animalia got sick, then Magdi, then Animalia got worse, then Magdi did. I think I was sick in the middle there somewhere too but I didn't have time to dwell. The only one who didn't get sick was the dad. I'm inclined to add a curse at him here, resentful as I am, but maybe one day Animalia and Mags will read this.
So Mags is seriously a cutie. She has her sister's long eyelashes and dimples when she grins her huge toothless grin. And she does love to smile, that is until she's mad and her anger comes swiftly and with ferocity. The girls get along pretty well, Animalia still shows very few signs of resentment, mostly love and kisses and "Look at me baby, I'm your big sister!" Animalia continues to be very helpful and this is a source of great stress to me (no, don't pick your sister up!) but I guess I could be complaining that she's a secret hitter or something so things could be worse.
I love these babies.
Showing posts with label maternity leave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maternity leave. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Back to work
Starting today. Back to work. Part time for a month at least, otherwise it'd be too painful for words. It's already painful enough as it is.
Madi is now Magdalena Luna Lunera Cascabelera Cinco Pollitos, according to her big sister. What a nickname, no? This one is definitely harder to leave than her sister was. She's grown so much but is much more attached than her sister was, even at the tender age of 10 weeks. She needs me more for some reason and I say that knowing the absurdity of a 10 week old not needing mama, but Animalia was just less like that. Does that make sense?
Madi's 2 month checkup:
First vaccines (she cried and then fell asleep but was cranky for 2 days after), weight: 12lbs (catching up!), length: 22.75 inches (shorty!).
Everything else:
Getting used to getting ready in the morning is going to be rough. Dropping off Animalia at school and leaving Madi with Nana and Tata is going to be rough. Pumping during my breaks is going to be rough. It's all going to be rough. I'm exhausted already and it's only 9:30am and I've only done this once so far. Low grade panic setting in... breathe.... breathe.
Madi is now Magdalena Luna Lunera Cascabelera Cinco Pollitos, according to her big sister. What a nickname, no? This one is definitely harder to leave than her sister was. She's grown so much but is much more attached than her sister was, even at the tender age of 10 weeks. She needs me more for some reason and I say that knowing the absurdity of a 10 week old not needing mama, but Animalia was just less like that. Does that make sense?
Madi's 2 month checkup:
First vaccines (she cried and then fell asleep but was cranky for 2 days after), weight: 12lbs (catching up!), length: 22.75 inches (shorty!).
Everything else:
Getting used to getting ready in the morning is going to be rough. Dropping off Animalia at school and leaving Madi with Nana and Tata is going to be rough. Pumping during my breaks is going to be rough. It's all going to be rough. I'm exhausted already and it's only 9:30am and I've only done this once so far. Low grade panic setting in... breathe.... breathe.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
In the last two months...
In the forever since my last blog post there were midterm elections (mostly sucked), Animalia has learned many bad habits from preschool, I was frantic with the last days of work before maternity leave, and I gave birth to a new baby girl. Her name is Magdalena Luna and she is now a month old.
She was 7 lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches long at birth. At almost 4 weeks, she was 8 lbs, 10 oz and 21.5 inches long. She's definitely smaller than her big sister. Maybe she'll catch up or maybe she'll be more me than her dad in the range of genetic possibilities. Not that I'm tiny but I'm certainly not a giant.
This baby is pretty good, sleeps lots. We wake up 2-3 times per night and sometimes only once. If it's just once it's at 4am. She's noisy and funny and occasionally demanding. When she's alert and awake she just looks around and makes sounds. When she needs a diaper change or is hungry, she wants it NOW. The hunger reminds me of her sister. Her impatience with diaper changes is her own. Animalia could marinate in a dirty diaper. Magdi just howls and grunts and groans and insists that it be changed or else she screams like she's being neglected. She has no patience for long walks unless she's being carried either. Animalia says I look like a kangaroo when I'm wearing the baby.
So Magdi or Madi is what Animalia calls her sister and I think Madi will stick but it could change at any time. Animalia loves her baby sister like crazy, likes to help, likes to hold her, wants to squeeze her hard but doesn't, is a little protective, is very proud. The helpfulness is a little scary, sometimes she's like a bull in a china shop so we watch her closely but so far it's been ok.
What else? I'm definitely more insulated or isolated than when Animalia was born. It sounds a little weird maybe but my gazing at the new baby time is more precious since there's less of it. The days just fly by and I realize that I haven't done as much as I meant to or returned all the phone calls, emails or text messages. I just want to sleep, eat and stare at my beautiful tiny girl.
More sooner rather than later. I just had to get some random thoughts in before I forgot them all... the last few weeks have been a pleasant blur with all the nesting going on.
She was 7 lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches long at birth. At almost 4 weeks, she was 8 lbs, 10 oz and 21.5 inches long. She's definitely smaller than her big sister. Maybe she'll catch up or maybe she'll be more me than her dad in the range of genetic possibilities. Not that I'm tiny but I'm certainly not a giant.
This baby is pretty good, sleeps lots. We wake up 2-3 times per night and sometimes only once. If it's just once it's at 4am. She's noisy and funny and occasionally demanding. When she's alert and awake she just looks around and makes sounds. When she needs a diaper change or is hungry, she wants it NOW. The hunger reminds me of her sister. Her impatience with diaper changes is her own. Animalia could marinate in a dirty diaper. Magdi just howls and grunts and groans and insists that it be changed or else she screams like she's being neglected. She has no patience for long walks unless she's being carried either. Animalia says I look like a kangaroo when I'm wearing the baby.
So Magdi or Madi is what Animalia calls her sister and I think Madi will stick but it could change at any time. Animalia loves her baby sister like crazy, likes to help, likes to hold her, wants to squeeze her hard but doesn't, is a little protective, is very proud. The helpfulness is a little scary, sometimes she's like a bull in a china shop so we watch her closely but so far it's been ok.
What else? I'm definitely more insulated or isolated than when Animalia was born. It sounds a little weird maybe but my gazing at the new baby time is more precious since there's less of it. The days just fly by and I realize that I haven't done as much as I meant to or returned all the phone calls, emails or text messages. I just want to sleep, eat and stare at my beautiful tiny girl.
More sooner rather than later. I just had to get some random thoughts in before I forgot them all... the last few weeks have been a pleasant blur with all the nesting going on.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
today she's not hilarious
Today, Mi Animalia is apparently not as hilarious as usual. I've only experienced a few minutes of the horror that is her because I've been at work all day. I can only recount what my parents have told me. She's congested. She won't eat. She cries constantly. She's tired. So she's going to the doctor this afternoon. All of these things are very uncharacteristic of her as I was blessed with the baby nature thought I could handle: good humored, relaxed, very clear in her needs. I feel sorry for my parents.
It was the exact same thing at home without me on Saturday, only again, it wasn't with me. She was with her dad all day long, terrorizing him. He even brought her to me so that I could nurse her and put her to sleep on my break. He was so tired when I got home he looked like he was going to cry. I'm not sure why but it made me want to do an obnoxious football-style touchdown dance. Before that day, dad seemed to think that maternity leave was some kind of nice, semi-paid vacation. We'd had a deal about that... he could sleep at night and go to work and I'd live in the living room and take care of the animal. It was just as well. He doesn't wake up at night NO MATTER WHAT and he'd give me a break to shower and eat when he'd get home in the afternoon. He'd get home and look at the disaster that was the house, dishes in the sink, laundry piled up (clean and dirty, different locations), me still in my pajamas and the baby in a onesie asleep on the Boppy, dinner not even close to being made.
The first time he had her alone all day, she was her typical lovely self, quiet, observant. Nice. He kind of rubbed it in, telling me all HE'D been able to do while I was gone. He decided that he could be a house husband. I guess he'd started to doubt my exhausted tales of her first couple of months.
After Saturday though, he's changed his mind. To which I say "UH! IN YOUR FACE!"
It was the exact same thing at home without me on Saturday, only again, it wasn't with me. She was with her dad all day long, terrorizing him. He even brought her to me so that I could nurse her and put her to sleep on my break. He was so tired when I got home he looked like he was going to cry. I'm not sure why but it made me want to do an obnoxious football-style touchdown dance. Before that day, dad seemed to think that maternity leave was some kind of nice, semi-paid vacation. We'd had a deal about that... he could sleep at night and go to work and I'd live in the living room and take care of the animal. It was just as well. He doesn't wake up at night NO MATTER WHAT and he'd give me a break to shower and eat when he'd get home in the afternoon. He'd get home and look at the disaster that was the house, dishes in the sink, laundry piled up (clean and dirty, different locations), me still in my pajamas and the baby in a onesie asleep on the Boppy, dinner not even close to being made.
The first time he had her alone all day, she was her typical lovely self, quiet, observant. Nice. He kind of rubbed it in, telling me all HE'D been able to do while I was gone. He decided that he could be a house husband. I guess he'd started to doubt my exhausted tales of her first couple of months.
After Saturday though, he's changed his mind. To which I say "UH! IN YOUR FACE!"
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