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.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The last few weeks
Labels:
animalia,
doctor visits,
madi,
maternity leave,
sick,
three,
three months
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.
Labels:
animalia,
doctor visits,
growing,
guilt,
madi,
maternity leave,
mothering,
preschool,
the new baby,
two months
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.
Labels:
animalia,
Beginning,
doctor visits,
events,
growing,
maternity leave,
memories,
the new baby,
thirty one months
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Napuda!!!!
I had to go backwards, searching many blog posts to figure out if I'd ever written about this word and I hadn't. Which is weird because we say it almost every day.
So the deal is that at some point a long while ago I started to yell out a made-up word, nakuda, when Animalia was naked, like in the middle of a diaper change or just after a bath. Nakuda, like naked. And when Animalia began saying it, she missed the k sound and inserted a p. Napuda (pronounced nah-poo-dah). Which still means naked. And can mean any form of naked. Dad wearing his boxers and a tshirt? Napuda! Me showing her my pregnant pansa? Napuda! When she's getting out of the bath she actually requests that her dad yells Napuda! at her.
Sometimes she abbreviates it to Naputs, especially when she's had a long, hot day and she walks in the house, stripping off her clothes and shoes immediately. Then she's naputs (nah-poots). And that's pretty much what she does the second she gets home almost every day. Naputs.
So the deal is that at some point a long while ago I started to yell out a made-up word, nakuda, when Animalia was naked, like in the middle of a diaper change or just after a bath. Nakuda, like naked. And when Animalia began saying it, she missed the k sound and inserted a p. Napuda (pronounced nah-poo-dah). Which still means naked. And can mean any form of naked. Dad wearing his boxers and a tshirt? Napuda! Me showing her my pregnant pansa? Napuda! When she's getting out of the bath she actually requests that her dad yells Napuda! at her.
Sometimes she abbreviates it to Naputs, especially when she's had a long, hot day and she walks in the house, stripping off her clothes and shoes immediately. Then she's naputs (nah-poots). And that's pretty much what she does the second she gets home almost every day. Naputs.
Labels:
animalia,
chatting,
memories,
priceless quotes
Saturday, October 9, 2010
3 years old
I'm so disappointed in myself for not blogging. Not really though. I'm just busy, braindead, tired, pregnant, working, mothering, laundering, etc. No really. I think I was asleep before 9pm more than once this week too.
Animalia just turned 3 years old. We celebrated some the week before with family that was in town for a couple of days at the same time as celebrating her 14-year-old cousin's birthday. Then we celebrated again at Disneyland which has to be it's own post with pictures. Then we celebrated with Nana and Tata on her actual day. Pretty low-key. Pasta, cake, ice cream. Would have been lovely but Animalia was really grumpy and fell asleep in my lap during the pasta. I only realized at that point that she had a fever. Poor thing.
So we went to Disneyland, got back, Animalia got sick for a few days, took her to the doctor who decided that she was fighting off an upper respitory infection for which she prescribed a nasal spray that wasn't covered by our insurance and cost slightly more than $100.
So there's all of that.
And then there's all of the stuff we're looking forward to:
Animalia starts preschool on October 11 at a new Reggio Emilia program mere blocks from home/work. It's half days. Bilingual. She loves the classroom and she cried when we left our visit. Later, she asked Nana if the teacher made her leave so that her mama doesn't hit her. Seriously. Sigh. She's trouble.
We're looking forward to the New Baby. Well, mostly me and a whole lot of it has to do with maternity leave and not being pregnant anymore and spending precious moments gazing into her eyes. Animalia, when asked one day if she was the baby, responded that the baby is in her mom's pansa. But she goes back and forth. Sometimes she points out a tiny piece of clothing at a store and asks if that was hers when she was born. On vacation she wrapped up a towel and said it was mama's New Baby and wouldn't let her dad touch it. I think she'll freak out everytime he touches the New Baby but maybe she'll not. I have no idea.
So everything is going fine. She's still really hilarious.
Animalia just turned 3 years old. We celebrated some the week before with family that was in town for a couple of days at the same time as celebrating her 14-year-old cousin's birthday. Then we celebrated again at Disneyland which has to be it's own post with pictures. Then we celebrated with Nana and Tata on her actual day. Pretty low-key. Pasta, cake, ice cream. Would have been lovely but Animalia was really grumpy and fell asleep in my lap during the pasta. I only realized at that point that she had a fever. Poor thing.
So we went to Disneyland, got back, Animalia got sick for a few days, took her to the doctor who decided that she was fighting off an upper respitory infection for which she prescribed a nasal spray that wasn't covered by our insurance and cost slightly more than $100.
So there's all of that.
And then there's all of the stuff we're looking forward to:
Animalia starts preschool on October 11 at a new Reggio Emilia program mere blocks from home/work. It's half days. Bilingual. She loves the classroom and she cried when we left our visit. Later, she asked Nana if the teacher made her leave so that her mama doesn't hit her. Seriously. Sigh. She's trouble.
We're looking forward to the New Baby. Well, mostly me and a whole lot of it has to do with maternity leave and not being pregnant anymore and spending precious moments gazing into her eyes. Animalia, when asked one day if she was the baby, responded that the baby is in her mom's pansa. But she goes back and forth. Sometimes she points out a tiny piece of clothing at a store and asks if that was hers when she was born. On vacation she wrapped up a towel and said it was mama's New Baby and wouldn't let her dad touch it. I think she'll freak out everytime he touches the New Baby but maybe she'll not. I have no idea.
So everything is going fine. She's still really hilarious.
Labels:
animalia,
birthday,
doctor visits,
preschool,
sick,
the new baby,
three
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I'm being punished...
For some terrible thing I did. Or maybe Animalia is considerately preparing me for the sleepless nights coming after The New Baby is born.
Last night, she fell asleep at 8pm, woke up around 1am, thrashed around in my bed for awhile, then at 2am decides she needs to go potty after which I drag her back to bed where she kicks and rolls around and puts various parts of her body on top of me. I think she fell back asleep around 3am but I'm not sure as I was asleep at some point. At least she fell back to sleep then and not at 6 again but I'm exhausted and so is she.
Last night, she fell asleep at 8pm, woke up around 1am, thrashed around in my bed for awhile, then at 2am decides she needs to go potty after which I drag her back to bed where she kicks and rolls around and puts various parts of her body on top of me. I think she fell back asleep around 3am but I'm not sure as I was asleep at some point. At least she fell back to sleep then and not at 6 again but I'm exhausted and so is she.
Labels:
animalia,
mothering,
pregnancy,
sleep,
thirty four months
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