{sugarlens}

My Favorite Children's Books!

2012-02-16T20:04:00.008-05:00

I read it somewhere....the best children's books are the ones you don't mind reading over and over.

I couldn't agree more.

We have been checking out books from the library by the truckload. While there are more than several that are pretty good and Anna requests to read them again and again, there are only three that I don't mind reading them repeatedly. In fact, both hubs and I enjoyed them so much that we actually bought them to add to our own little library. That's huge for cheapos like us.

1. Little Blue Truck - Such cute book with clever rhymes. For almost 3 weeks whenever we asked her what she wanted to read before bedtime, the answer was always blue truck. We didn't mind. There is so much to talk about from the pictures besides just reading the text.

2. Little Blue Truck Leads the Way - Since she enjoyed the first book so much, I got on Amazon and found that there is a sequel to the adventures of the Little Blue Truck. I checked it out from the library right away. Not as catchy as the first, but Anna likes it a lot and we gotta have both for the collection.

3. I Can Do It Myself - I picked this up from the shelves at the library randomly one day. Anna has been wanting to do everything herself lately so I figured she can probably relate to this book. She doesn't ask for this book as much as the Blue Truck books, but this is always the one I encourage her to read simply because I just love reading it.

With all these three books, she loves pointing to the pictures and adding her own commentaries. This is how we know that she's enjoying them, too.

Stay tuned, more books will come later - as I am sure we will discover as we go along. And of course, I would love to hear yours!

A Day Late

2012-02-15T20:43:00.003-05:00

by Guest
At this stage in our lives, we don't get much time to ourselves anymore. As far as Valentines is concerned, that commercial holiday is no longer something we participate in. However, I still wanted to do a little something for you even though I was stuck in a hotel hundreds of miles away with a crappy internet connection yesterday. I wrote you a little something that all came together before I fell asleep last night. Hope enjoy it as much as I liked writing it...

CHANGES

Dear MaMa,

I cut my own hair the other day,
And now I have something to say.

Things are no longer the same,
But there's really no one to blame.

I found a piece of white hair on my head,
And now there's a third person in our bed.

My face hurts because she likes to kick,
But what can we do, "MaMa's bed" was her pick.

There's also a little boy that likes to scream,
God I wish this was all only a dream.

But for some reason I can't explain,
I'm still happy and not insane.

As long as you are by my side,
I can take it all in stride.

I'm just glad you are always there,
And I still like you in your underwear.

As a mother you are loving and sweet,
Even though we all leave you beat.

I look forward to more lazy days in bed,
With lots of grey hairs on both our heads.

Hey, I think I just used the same words again,
Oh well, this poem is about to end.

Just wanted you to know that I'll love you forever,
And yes, you are still lite as a feather.

BaBa
2/14/2012

Will Turns 3 Months

2012-02-15T13:37:00.006-05:00

Look who's 3 months old today.

Isn't he such a hunk in this picture? I feel like it deserves a caption that reads something like, "Single male, about 24" tall 15 lbs, chubby build, enjoys long walks in your arms."

But seriously, I think he gets a little yummier every day. We can't stop the smiles and coos. And he's so very busy. He's been following things around with those bright brown eyes, kicking uncontrollably. Lately, he's even been a bit more tolerant of tummy time. He will get a good 5 minutes in before the squirming and squawking set in. Not sleeping through the night yet, but consistently sleeps in 5-6 hour stretches. However the naps are a different story. He's quite the cat napper...but we will figure him out eventually.

I have to admit, though, he has been fussier in the last month--and it's tough. But I know it's just a phase that hopefully be outgrowing soon. I am thankful for those healthy lungs and practicing a little more patience for the times he is completely inconsolable, crying his face off.

Fun fact: They may be 20 months apart, but they are wearing the same diaper size. This guy still eats like he's a newborn, every two hours like clockwork. Hey, you don't get this chunky by sleeping on the job.

A Drive-By Update - Week Twelve

2012-02-09T19:49:00.009-05:00

A Drive-by Update - Week One, Week Six, Week Eight, and Week Ten.

Will

I have concluded: Will = Not an easy baby

He prefers to be held all the time. But just holding him isn't enough, I have to be standing. But just standing isn't enough, I have to be walking. But just walking isn't enough, I have to be swaying, too. On top of it all, this baby is chunky! He tips the scales at just over 15 lbs. So holding him constantly is no walk in the park. Props to Grandma who does it the majority of the day and I only have to take the late afternoon / evening shift.

Will doesn't nap too well either...but the silver lining of that is by 6:30p, he's ready to drop. So after Anna goes to sleep at 7p, we are free for the night. Oh, and I should also mention that Will is pretty good at putting himself to sleep for the night. We feed him, burp him, and drop him in the crib. He grunts and turns, but usually can fall asleep on his own. Same goes for any overnight feedings. That is huge for me!

Last week we finally moved him to Anna's old room. He was getting too heavy to sleep comfortably in the bassinet (pack 'n play). It was an easy transition and I think we all sleep better at night now.

Will fusses a lot, but on occasions when he's happy, it is the best! He coos and smiles. Just like this picture.

Anna

She's becoming such a chatterbox. Repeating everything after us. Sometimes it gets annoying because we ask her questions, but she just repeats them back to us.

She also copies everything we do. She gives her bear pretend bottles, burps the bear, puts a pacifier up to the bear's mouth, rocks the bears, reads to the bear, and tells the bear: Bear, don't cry. It's okay.

Anna plays a lot by herself now, which is great. But I can't wait until Will is old enough for them to play together. Maybe things will get easier then?

Mama

I am officially half way into my maternity leave. I don't want to be a SAHM, but going back to work will be tough. I don't know how I am going to handle it all. Being a SAHM isn't easy, but I can get stuff done around the house while the kids nap. Once I return to work, I won't have that ~~luxury~~. I guess the weekends are just going to be a lot busier.... Oh well, I prefer not to think about this right now.

I am definitely enjoying my daily one-on-one time with Anna, but I feel like I don't pay much attention to Will since I don't take care of him until Grandma leaves for the day. Recently his scalp was so dry and irritated that he scratched and it bled. It was so sad. My poor boy needs more attention from us.

today / 4 things

2012-02-06T19:14:00.011-05:00

chick-fil-a was a hit with anna!

packed away Will's outgrown clothes. when they say they grow before your very eyes, it's true. he's into a whole new wardrobe. thanks to my friend who provided them all.

some pretty yellow flowers from the yard. in a yellow pot. yep, we are seeing some blooms already!

love this father daughter duo. the end.

My Schedule as a SAHM (w/ a 22.5 month toddler and a 2.5 month old baby)

2012-02-02T22:09:00.016-05:00

This schedule/pattern is for a typical weekday, while hubby is at work, but Grandma is here from 7 to 3. Grandma watches over Will while she's here and I spend time with Anna.

6:00 - 6:30am - I wake up to the sound of Will's fuss. I stumble out of bed and feed him.

6:30 - 7:00am - I don't try to put him back to sleep anymore, so I take him downstairs and change his diaper. I hold him while walking around the house doing random chores, such as feed fish and put dishes away.

7:00 - 7:15am - Grandma arrives. I hand over Will.

7:15am - I go back upstairs to pump. Anna may be awake by now. She lays in bed with hubs for a while. He changes her and takes her downstairs.

7:45am - I go back downstairs. I prep the bottles for the day.

7:45 - 8:30am - Anna and I watch Curious George and eat cereal together.

8:30 - 9:10am - We go back upstairs to read books in bed and get ourselves ready to go out.

9:10 - 9:30am - I fix and pack Anna's breakfast. She never sits still for meals so I feed her when we are out. We put on shoes and coats.

Around 9:30am - We head out! I try to take Anna out on most days to give her a breath of fresh air. We go to libraries, grocery stores, the mall, or the park when the weather is nice. To mix it up a bit more, I took her to a music show one time, which I am planning on doing it again soon. I feed her as she runs around.

By 11:30am - We arrive home. I ask Grandma about Will and fix Anna's lunch.

11:30 - 12:00pm - We eat lunch while watching her favorite videos (lately it has been Classical Baby: The Music Show) or reading books. As I mentioned before, she must be entertained during meals. It is tiring and frustrating.

By 12:15pm - She is all snuggled up in Mama bed (yes, she takes naps in my bed).

12:15 - 2:30pm - While Anna naps, I pump and shower. I clean up the kitchen. I may also prep for dinner. But on most days, after I shower, I take a nap with her.

2:30pm - Anna wakes up from her nap, which means nap is over for me too.

3:00pm - I start making dinner.

3:30pm - I feed Anna. Having a family dinner together is a thing of the past now that we have a new baby. I feed Anna whenever I have time and that's usually while Grandma is still here taking care of Will. After Anna is done eating, Grandma leaves.

3:30 - 5:45pm - Hubs and I take turns eating. He plays with Anna. I feed Will and try to put him down for a nap. I read to Anna. He gives Will tummy time. We both look at the clock at least 50 times.

5:45 - 6:15pm - Hubs showers with Anna while I entertain Will. Then I dry + dress Anna and give him Will. Then I dry + dress Will while Anna "helps".

6:15 - 6:45pm - Hubs read Anna books. I feed Will and walk him around to keep him calm.

6:45 - 7:00pm - Bed time for Anna. Maybe for Will, too. If not...

7:00 - 8:00pm - We take Will back downstairs and give him more floor time, if he's in the mood. If not, we both look at the clock at least 50 times.

8:00 - 8:15pm - I feed Will for the last time of the day and he is out.

8:15 - 8:45pm - I pump. I tidy up the kitchen and the family room.

After 8:45pm - Free time. Hubs and I may hang out and watch a movie together. Or I may just browse and blog, like what I am doing now.

10:30pm - Lights out for me.

Will has been good about sleeping long stretches at night lately. I (or the hubs) get up once (usually around 2am) to feed him. We make sure to burp him before putting him back down in the crib, but he doesn't need to be rocked to sleep.

Read more about my schedules:
As a SAHM to a 5 month old
As a Working Mom to a 11 month old
As a Working Mom to a 16.5 month old

A Drive-By Update - Week Ten

2012-01-28T19:52:00.008-05:00

A Drive-by Update - Week One, Week Six, and Week Eight.

Will
Will's napping habits have gone from mediocre to bad since my last update. He takes spurts of 30-minute power naps throughout the day. He's tired enough to fall asleep in our arms, but almost as soon as we put him down in the bassinet or the crib, he wakes up. It is a never ending cycle and we are all exhausted!

For 3 days straight, he was really good at sleeping at night. We put him down around 8p and he didn't wake up until 5a the next day for feeding! Nice, right? But lately, he's back to waking up twice a night (around midnight and then again around 3a or 4a).

Grandma and I both agree that Anna was a better sleeper. At 2.5 months old, Anna already had a schedule. She napped regularly and woke up just once a night. I guess we didn't luck out with the second one!

Oh well. I complain, but at the end of the day, I still love my Willy Wonka. I just love holding him...when he's not fussing hysterically, of course.

Anna
It's so hard to tend to two kids at once, especially when both rely on you to do stuff for them. Although Anna is 22.5 months old, self-feeding is still something we are working on. It's not so much that she doesn't know how to use utensils, but it's more that we can't leave her alone and trust that she will eat on her own. One of us has to watch her like a hawk, making sure that she eats while constantly reminding her to take small bites, chew, and swallow. If Will is awake and in a happy mood, it's fine. But when Will is going crazy, I want to pull my hair out.

I am on maternity leave until May 1st. My goals for Anna before I return to work: have her self-feed without us monitoring and potty trained. Am I being over-ambitious?

Mama
Not much to say about me, except that I see myself being impatient with Anna because I am frustrated with Will's fussiness. I need to stop that.

Baba
Hubs turned a year older yesterday. I made Zuppa Toscana and we ate it while listening to Wheels on the Bus on repeat.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-22T22:12:00.007-05:00

Xin Nian Kuai Le! Gong Xi Fa Cai!
(happy new year! congratulations and be prosperous!)

Tonight we all made it to hubby's parents' place for family reunion dinner to welcome the New Year. Even though I was on Will-duty all night long, I still managed to stuff myself with noodles, shrimps, and pork. Yum.

I just love Anna's Chinese outfit. So stinkin' cute. She really got into the spirit. We had been reading about the Chinese New Year in her storybook so when Grandma gave out the red envelopes, she immediately said "hong bao!" But what she didn't know was that there was money inside so she never open them. Hehe. Hmmm...does that mean Mama gets to keep the money? :)

It was a good night, but we were all so tired by the time we got home. I am the only one in the family who's still up, but I just wanted to share these pictures with you! Can't wait to show the last one to Will when he's older.

There are many more pictures here. I especially like this one!

Anna - 22 Months

2012-01-19T10:10:00.004-05:00

Anna is two months away from turning two years old.

Life with Will
Anna threw tantrums for a while after Will was born, but now she's totally used to him being a part of the family. She loves her baby brother and comes running whenever he cries. While I am on maternity leave, life really is no different for Anna - in fact, it may actually be better! She has been getting out of the house more than ever and is loving it. We snuggle up in bed (in the middle of the day!) and read books.

Yes, life is good for this little girl.

Talking
Anna continues to add new words to her vocabulary and learning phrases. She can speak in up to 5 word sentences, such as: Mama clip nails, Grape juice all done, Baba says no touch, Baby Will cry a lot.

She still can't 100% effectively communicate what she needs, but I think we will get there soon. She will, however, tell us exactly what she wants to watch, which coat she wants to wear, and what she doesn't want to eat.

It's hard to learn a different language in an English-speaking environment, but she knows a lot in Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese). However, although she can understand, she only responds in English.

Personality
I still think Anna has the sweetest personality and a well-behaved girl. She asks for permission before doing something - like if she can sit at the kiddie table at the library or get a diaper so she can put on her bear. When she's around other kids, she asks to share if she wants to play with their toys and has no problems sharing the toys that she's playing with.

Generally, she listens very well and will do whatever we ask of her. She wears a smile on her face and just happy all around. I hope her sweet personality sticks around!

Eating
This month, Anna stopped drinking milk. She woke up one day and quit cold turkey. The only way we can get a little bit of milk in her is through cereal. She used to drink about 16 oz a day so I am still struggling with what I can feed her to make up for those lost calories and calcium. For the time being, she's encouraged to eat all the ice cream and cookies as she pleases.

She is also slow eater and holds food in her mouth for a long time. It takes FOREVER for her to eat and it drives me nuts! We nag her a lot during mealtime, "Anna. Bite. Chew. Swallow. Hurry."

Despite the hard times, life with a toddler is a lot of fun. Now I know why people say that being a parent is the best job in the world. It is.

Two Months Big

2012-01-16T12:52:00.004-05:00

Will is already 2 months old. I can hardly believe this boy is growing so fast.

My boy:
...does the best stretch. I pick him up from the bassinet and he reaches his arms up, balls his tiny hands into fists, and arches his back. Am I the only one who finds that adorable?
...loves being held to sleep. He will fight, but eventually looses the battle and falls into a peaceful slumber.
...watches people with marvel. His eyes are like magnets, glued to everyone's move. It's like he's saying, don't leave me.
...coos so much it's a tiny giggle. And smiles readily.
...has a gazillion facial expressions that makes me wish I am forever armed with a camera so I can capture every bit of it.

2-months stats: 14 lbs 2 oz, 23 inches

Warning: this is a "my kids are so cute!" post.

2012-01-15T21:11:00.002-05:00

My kids are so cute! Look at that gorilla pose. The innocent look. The twinkling eyes. The mouth-wide-open smile.

The end. :)

A Drive-By Update - Week Eight

2012-01-13T13:19:00.017-05:00

A Drive-by Update - Week One and Week Six

Will
Will is 8 weeks old. Now that he's transitioning out of the sleepy newborn stage, his sleep has gotten a little rough around the edges. Sometimes all Grandma does all day (from 7a - 3p) is getting him to stay asleep. He doesn't nap well in the bassinet so she puts him in the bouncer and whenever he starts to stir, she rocks him a few times to keep him asleep. That seems to be working well.

However, after she leaves, I don't have time to sit by the bouncer and rock him so it can be hectic during the late afternoon hours (3p - 5p), when I try to cook and feed Anna, as well as try to sooth Will. Sometimes, though, the unthinkable happens and he naps until 5p, after we are all done with dinner. Then I wake him up and we all have family time together.

Night time sleep is getting better. He falls asleep between 7p - 8p, wakes up around 11:30p for feeding, then 3a - 4a, and then 6a - 7a. At least, this has been the pattern for the last few days, which isn't bad. But sometimes he doesn't fall right back to sleep after a feeding and it takes me 45 minutes before I can put him back in the bassinet.

Will can be really fussy. And we can try everything to calm him, but he will just cry and kick. I can't bear putting him down and just letting him cry it out because he's still so young. So I have been relying on the pacifier. We gave Anna pacifiers when she was a baby, but she eventually grew out of it so we never had to wean her. I hope Will will do the same.

He's still growing like a champ. Just look at this photo.

Anna
When I was working full-time, I didn't get a chance to read to Anna much and she wasn't that into books. Everything changed when I started taking her to story-time at the library and checking out heaps of books. Now she's all about book. So much that she will voluntarily turn off TV and bring me books. She wants to read books when she wakes up, before bed, during meals. All the time. Her love for books is so great that I use it as a weapon. Two more bites and Mama will read one more page. Haha.

Mama
I am 8 weeks into my 24 weeks of maternity leave. It will be May soon enough and I will have to go back to work. I am not dreading it - I can never be a SAHM. But I do need to start thinking more seriously about what I am going to do about Anna after I go back to work. I would love to put her in a half-day preschool this fall, 2 or 3 days a week.

On another note, I am 8 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. All that pumping and nursing is helping me shedding the pounds. I snack like crazy, too. Ice cream. Fudge cookies. Chocolates. The way I see it, I won't get a chance to binge like this ever again. So bring them on.

Chicken Pot Pie w/ Puff Pastry

2012-01-10T21:55:00.008-05:00

With the leftovers from my Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot, I made chicken pot pie.

Now, this isn't the first time I made chicken pot pie, but it is the first time that I didn't open a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup. I loosely followed this recipe, which has more than 600 reviews and a perfect 5 stars.

I didn't have some of the ingredients it called for - potato, celery, and half-and-half. So I used elbow macaroni (Anna's new favorite type of pasta), peas, and whole milk. With casserole-type dishes, it is always okay to substitute with whatever you have on hand, I think. Also, instead of 2 cups of broth per recipe, I used 3 cups. At first I used only 2 cups, but I found it a bit dry while cooking so I just added more. Whatever works!

The best part of the pot pie for me was that rather than using the traditional pie crust, I used puff pastry. Mmmm....I love puff pastry. So light and flaky and buttery. Full of fat, perfect for Anna.

So here is how I made the pot pie:

In the morning before I took Anna out to story-time, I prepped the ingredients. I had already made chicken stock and chicken was already shredded from the previous day.

During Anna's nap, I cooked. I boiled some elbow macaroni and drained. In a separate pan, I melted butter and sauteed the vegetables (onions, peas, carrots, and corn) for 10 minutes. Added flour. Added chicken broth and milk. Added salt and pepper. Added chicken and macaroni. Mix well. Transfer the mixture to a 13x9 glass baking dish. Took the puff pastry out to defrost from the freezer.

(This took only maybe 30 minutes and I was able to nap too!)

Then after Anna's nap, I put the puff pastry on top of the mixture. Baked in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and the puff pastry is golden brown.

The verdict: Very good! No more Cream of Chicken Soup for me, ever. The puff pastry definitely made it better and a whole lot easier. As for Anna....the girl wasn't too interested in it when I sat her down to eat, but while she ran around playing, I was able to trick her into a few spoonful.

Will make it again. For sure.

5 More Must-Haves

2012-01-08T15:05:00.008-05:00

I posted about my 7 Must-Haves and 3 Nice-to-Haves baby gears as a first time Mama back when Anna (an early Spring baby) just turned 3 months old. We lived in a one-level condo at that time.

Every item I posted there still holds true - I still find them all important to survive the first few months/years of parenthood.

But now that I am a second time around Mama with a toddler and living in a three-level house, there are some things I have with Will (a late Fall baby) that I didn't have with Anna that I find extremely helpful.

1. Electric Pump - With Anna, I only had a manual pump and I pumped exclusively for one whole year! Looking back, I don't know how I made it and I have to give myself some credit. It was a huge commitment. While I was pregnant with Will, hubs saw a great deal on this electric pump and bought it for me. Pumping is still a pain, but with this electric pump, it is manageable and doesn't take up too much time, especially when I have Anna to chase around. Luckily, Will is a great nurser and I can nurse him too if I really don't have time to pump on a particular day.

2. Bottle Warmer - We have two of them - one in the kitchen and one in our bedroom. There is no way we are running up and down the steps in cold winter nights. It is the cheapest one on Amazon and it works fine. With Anna, we kept constant warm water in our water heater, but bottle warmer is a faster solution. Will screams bloody murder if he doesn't get his bottle soon enough.

3. Baby Monitor - I find this another must since we live in a three-level home now. Again, it is the cheapest option on Amazon - no bells and whistles - just sound detection. It works for us.

4. BundleMe - We received this as a gift from my friend and it has proven to be useful. We don't have to worry about Will getting cold whenever we are out and about.

5. Bath Sponge - For $8, this was a great buy! Will is nice and snug in the bath tub and even Anna uses it too. It is light and stores easily. Definitely wished we had this with Anna from the very beginning.

After we are all done with this baby stage, I hope to hand them down to Anna and Will's future cousins! :)

Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot

2012-01-06T12:53:00.005-05:00

I recently cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot and it was so easy that I just had to share.

There are lots of recipes out there (just Google "crock pot whole chicken"), but I pretty much made up my own since I didn't have a lot of the spices they called for like thyme, paprika, or cayenne pepper.

I seasoned my 4 lbs chicken with whatever I had in the pantry (salt and garlic & pepper rub), tossed carrots and red skin potatoes into the crock pot, and placed the chicken on top of the vegetables. Cooked on high for 6.5 hours. The result? Tender, moist chicken meat. The meat literally fell apart when I used a pair of tongs to pick it up.

That night, we had drumsticks and thighs for dinner (along with bok choy and rice). Next day for lunch, I used some of the white meat and made chicken salad with seedless grapes (yum!). I still have a bunch of meat leftover.

So I guess my point here is that this chicken can be made into several meals and I love the simplicity of it all.

Oh, even though no liquid was added to crock pot, at the end of 6.5 hours. the chicken produced the most flavorful and concentrated chicken stock. Anna is teething and hasn't been eating well, so I made rice porridge and added the chicken stock to it. She ate it all up.

So, how does this chicken compare to My First Roasted Chicken? I like this one more because it's less prep work and I can just let it cook all day long while we go out and play. However, if we were having guests and presentation is important, then the old traditional in-the-oven is the way to go.

Winter is here and I am sure to be using my crock pot more often. I hope to share more of my meals as I go along.

Bouncy Bounce

2012-01-03T20:43:00.008-05:00

On the day that Anna turned 7 weeks old, we took this video and it has us laughing to this day. Also in the post, I mentioned that Anna was starting to smile and coo.

Today Will is 7 weeks old and here is a video of him doing the same bouncy thing. And similar to Anna, just in the past 2 or 3 days, he has been flashing us smiles and having "conversations" with us. So sweet!

Just thought I share!

Oh, video was taken in Anna's newly decorated big girl room. More pictures to come.

See ya later, 2011!

2012-01-01T16:03:00.005-05:00

The days are long, the years are short. I totally get that now. I am finding it hard to believe that 2012 is already here. The years tend to go by faster as I get older, but 2011 flew by at lightening speed.

Anna grew day-by-day and before our eyes went from a crawling baby to a a beautiful, intelligent, funny girl. We celebrated her first birthday at home, surrounded by family and friends. She took her first steps, spoke her first sentence (“bye-bye beach”) and knows her numbers and letters to the alphabet. She says please, thank you, sorry, and you are welcome. She is my pride and joy.

Spring brought the news that another baby was coming into our lives, and if that wasn't the icing on the 2011 cake, I don't know what was.

We spent the summer taking Anna everywhere, from touring Baltimore to digging our toes in the sand. Fall included the celebration of my brother's wedding, Anna's second Halloween where she was the most adorable butterfly I have ever seen, and the biggest of all - the arrival of William.

We ended the year with a cozy Thanksgiving and Christmas with family.

It certainly was a good year, with more positives than negatives. I can only hope that 2012 can hold a candle to how great 2011 was. Happy New Year, everyone.

A Drive-By Update - Week Six

2011-12-30T21:28:00.008-05:00

I am hoping to continue these "Drive-By" posts to help me remember my days as a temporary SAHM. I wrote the first Drive-By Update at Week One.

Will
He turned 6 weeks old earlier this week. The guy just keeps on growing and growing - 3-month sized clothes are already getting to be just right instead of too big. For a few days, he was really good at sleeping long stretches at night, like 3 to 4 hours, and I thought we were golden. But last night, he was particularly hungry and got up every 2 hours on the dot to eat! He drinks 120cc if being bottle fed and nurses just under 10 minutes if being breastfed. He eats 10 or 11 times a day.

He's still a good baby...most of the time. Even when he's having one of his fussy moments, he can be calmed down easily...most of the time. Sometimes I get really annoyed when he doesn't go to sleep, but when he finally does and I look at him all peaceful, my heart just swells. He's the best! Of course, he's sleeping right now as I write this. Ask me again when he's screaming.

We are giving him more tummy time and he's doing great!

Anna
The first week after Will was born, we could tell that Anna was sad. She was curious about the baby, but she wasn't the same happy self. I am glad to say that she's back to to her normal self. I think the fact that I am spending lots of time with her has something to do with it. I am in charge of Anna while Grandma is on Will-duty during the day. Then after Grandma leaves, hubs focuses on Anna and I take care of Will. Some days it can be a madhouse, but we also have good days.

After I return to work in May, I don't know how Grandma is going to handle jugging two kids. I am looking into sending Anna to preschool in September, but most preschools don't accept kids until they turn 3. I have a lot to think about and research to do.

Mama
I am completely healed and have my postpartum checkup next week.

As for day to day life, I feel fine, but on some days, I am completed wiped and frustrated. I need a vacation where I can just sit and veg and eat without being interrupted. Hubs and I are thinking about a trip before I return to work. The question is kids or no kids. If we take the kids, it won't be a relaxing vacation, but I think I will miss them too much if we leave them behind.

For a while I was pumping exclusively (4 times a day) and Will only drank from bottles. But recently, I cut one pumping session and started breastfeeding him during the evening hours. I am a worrywart and because there is no way to tell how much he's drinking when being breastfed, I still prefer bottle feeding. Washing all those pump parts and bottles is a pain in the butt, though! 6 weeks down, 46 more to go.

Scenes: Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-28T21:37:00.006-05:00

Our Christmas Day was spent at home in comfy clothes. Santa pleased everyone, except for hubs who ~~has everything he needs~~ didn't receive anything. Whoops! Good thing his birthday is coming right up. Anna decided to skip her nap that day so I was expecting a little terror when my family came over at night. But she relished being the center of attention and played until bath time. Christmas dinner was a hot pot spread and roasted chicken. Everything was simple & delicious, if I do say so myself. After dinner, we all relaxed by the tree while listening to live Christmas music and sharing in some laughter.

Hope yours was holly and jolly.
Wishing you a happy New Year.
xoxo.

More images from our Christmas Day here.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T20:15:00.004-05:00

I hope yours was amazing. We spent Christmas Eve with hubs' side of the family. The entire family was there for a delicious feast. 8 adults, 6 kids, 1 dog, and a partridge in a pear tree. Anna had some great bonding time with her cousins and added more bears to her growing collections. Little Will enjoyed his first Christmas Eve too!

We didn't send out Christmas cards this year. Again! But I made this little collage. I just love Anna's expression below. It's her fierce look.

More images from our Christmas Eve here.

9, 10, 11

2011-12-21T12:53:00.003-05:00

2009: Pregnant with Anna.

2010: Anna @ 9 months.

2011: Anna @ 21 months. Will @ 1 month.

Anna and her first and second Christmas ornaments.

What a crazy, fun, and EXHAUSTING three years it has been!

Will is One Month!

2011-12-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

Back when I found out I was pregnant with Baby B, in my heart of hearts, I had hoped for another girl. Raising Anna was so much fun and I thought it would double the fun to raise another one.

So when we found out that we were expecting a boy, I was excited and couldn't wait to meet the little man. But part of me felt a little disappointed. We already had a perfect girl name picked out, too.

But then a month ago, Will arrived. And everything changed.

I can tell you now that Will has entered our lives, I cannot imagine having anything other than my delicious baby boy. He is tiny, vulnerable, and sweet. When I feed him, I love leaning down and smell his fuzzy little head. I love watching him sleep as he cuddles up next to me. I am head over heels about my little guy!

Life is busy now. I don't have time for myself (I have been writing this post in my head for 3 days), and I hope it will change someday, but right now spending time with the kids is all I want to do. They will grow up way too fast and be too cool for their Mama.

As for Will's one-month stat: He's a big boy, not surprising because the guy has a monstrous appetite. He eats, sleeps, and poops. The end.

Anna - 21 Months

2011-12-14T20:04:00.007-05:00

Anna turned 21 months old today. It was a big month for her -- she went from being the only child to having a new sibling, and then adjusting to her big girl bed. She is handling everything so well, I am proud of her.

Life with Will
Anna never shown any jealousy toward Will, but she probably cried more and threw more tantrums this month than all other months combined. There may be a slight exaggeration to that, but only slightly. Poor girl can be the most caring sister one minute - bringing Will's blanket and tucking him in - to a little terror wailing for no apparent reason the next.

I am not sure if Anna is acting out because of Will or because she's just reaching that age. What I am really hoping for is that it is because she's growing molars.

She sure loves her brother, though. Her bears are her prized possessions and she shares them with him. She hugs and kisses him. She wants to change Will's diapers and says Will new diaper. When she hasn't seen Will for a while because he's upstairs sleeping, she will ask to see him. Will is lucky to have Anna as a big sister.

Eat
The first week after Will was born, Anna ate terribly and it STRESSED me out. Now she's gradually getting back on track, but that's still far away from what I would like to see her eat. Normal things like chicken nuggets or pizza that any kids would love are no big deal to her. She will eat two nuggets, four at the most. Pizza is a hit or miss. One thing she loves is grapes. Is there any way to inject some fat in those things?

I am afraid that Anna has associated eating with watching TV. Before Will was born, our strict rule was no eating in front of TV (unless she really hadn't eaten anything all day and we just wanted her to sit still while we feed her). After Will came home, things got so busy and crazy that I didn't have time to entertain her while trying to feed her so I turned on the TV. Now for lunch and dinner, she sits at her table in the family room and says TV. While I don't think TV is evil, I do think she watches a little too much of it. My goal is to stop this habit soon.

Play
Besides her blocks, she's also into Play-Doh. She doesn't actually make anything, but she brings the jars out and says play clay. I am trying to get her to color more, since that's an activity I enjoy, but she's not too interested.

Lately, she is better at entertaining herself (perhaps it is because she doesn't have our undivided attention anymore). She has conversations with her bears and takes them all around the house. I think there may be more imaginative play in the near future. The other day, she took a fork and a plate from the dishwasher and pretended to eat.

Books haven't been on top of her list, but I am going to bring them back to her life. When she's in the mood, she can sit still for a long time...but she wants to read the same book over and over again.

Things to Remember
There have definitely been times when Anna's tried my patience the past month, but she is still the sweetest. Her smiles and laughs light up my life.

Hubby puts Anna to bed everyday, but he's on travel today so I did it. She didn't want me to leave her room so she patted the spot next to her and said stay. So I laid next to her for about 10 minutes, waiting for her to fall asleep. She wasn't sleeping and I had to leave....this was our conversation:

Me: Anna, Mama has to go now, okay?
Anna: No. Stay.
Me: But Mama has to go check on Will.
Anna: Check Will.
Me: Yeah, Mama has to go check on Will. Mama go. Yes?
Anna: Yesh.
Me: Okay, and Mama got to go eat too.
Anna: Mama eat. Yesh.

And I left and didn't hear a peep from her.

Happy 21 months, Nana! You are still the best!

National Christmas Tree, the 2011 Edition

2011-12-12T12:48:00.011-05:00

When I imagined life with 2 kids under 2, it never crossed my mind that I would be running around this much...especially in the cold weather. But it turned out that with some planning and patience, taking a toddler and a newborn out isn't impossible, it just may involve a few tears and cries.

Anna is at that stage where if she doesn't get what she wants or if something is taken away, she throws a fit. So if we want her to do something, it's wiser to ask her nicely and get her agreement rather than with force. Two sure ways to get her buy-in are 1) her baby brother Will and 2) bribe her with grapes.

For example: When she refuses to follow us, we say to her, "Baby Will is leaving, don't you want to come?" She will pick up her pace.

Or if she doesn't want to leave, we say, "There are grapes in the car." And she will chant "Grape! Grape! Grape!"

We used both lines during our visit to the National Christmas Tree.

This year, the National Christmas Tree is significantly smaller because the original one was toppled by strong winds earlier this year. It was pathetic looking, in my opinion, but as always, I still enjoyed walking around. Except for one or two years, hubs and I have always made the effort to come see the tree. I think we will hold on to this as one of the family traditions now that we have kids.

Anna really enjoyed the trains. So much that she didn't understand why there was a fence blocking her way...and, of course, she cried in protest.

Lastly, a shot of (sleepy) Will.

lately / 2 things

2011-12-09T12:44:00.002-05:00

Am taking daily naps with this little guy. It doesn't get any better than that.

Am hoping to start potty training Anna. But if that doesn't work out...just her sitting on the potty is pretty darn adorable. PS. She is reading The Economist.

Have a terrific weekend!