July 19, 2017 by Stephanie

Daphne-2 Months

Weight: She is 10 lbs 13 oz (36%), 22 inches long (28%), and her head is 38 inches (42%).

Health: She is a pretty gassy lady. She only poops every two or three days, so it seems like she is backed up with extra gas. Even though our doctor and chiropractor both say that this poop schedule is perfectly normal, we can tell that she is in pain with passing gas. She is still projectile vomiting. Our doctor recommended giving her some probiotic drops to help her digestion a little more. I tried giving up dairy for two weeks (I eat soooo much cheese so this was a hard two weeks!) to see if that helped, but her behaviors didn’t change at all. So we’ll see how these drops go!

Diet: She is still breastfeeding. She does really well, but she still likes to comfort feed in the afternoon/evening time. She will eat every 3-6 hours overnight and in the morning, but once lunch hits she wants to feed every hour, and of course she barfs it back up so it is a constant battle. She’ll scream until she is nursed. Our doctor says that since it is the same time every day and this drastic change is predictable, there is nothing to worry about. She said that Daphne is still trying to figure things out, but with me going back to work we need to work on her just working things out without being comforted by nursing and also starting to pump again to get her used to the bottle. Wish us luck!

Clothes: She went up to size one diapers. I just moved her up to 0-3 month clothes this past weekend, but she has a couple newborn clothes she can still fit into. She still can’t fit into any of her shoes.

Sleeping: She is still a great sleeper at night, so it is hard to complain about her afternoons. She goes down for the night around 8pm. I wake her up sometime between 11 and midnight before I go to bed to have her eat again. Then she doesn’t wake up until about 6am!! The mornings aren’t consistent, but she will fully sleep 2-3 hours between feedings. Once lunch time hits though, all bets are off. She will do small cat naps between the comfort feeding screaming, and she has to be held all afternoon and evening. Over-night/morning she is now sleeping in her crib! The move to her room just happened this last week.

Likes: Nursing. Me. Riding in the car is mesmerizing for her. She loves it. She doesn’t necessarily love these things, but I want to note how different she is from George because he hated getting lotion on, having a bath, and tummy time. She tolerates them and doesn’t cry the way he did.

Dislikes: She does not like pacifiers. We keep trying to make it happen, but she only keeps them in for 10 seconds before she spits it out. I just think of Gretchen Weiners trying to make “fetch” work in Mean Girls. It’s not going to happen. She hates the hours between 12-8pm. Lunch to bedtime is a struggle in our house right now. Yesterday she screamed for a solid hour while I was showering and getting other stuff done, and Tom holding her just wasn’t working. She also does not like her swing.

Nicknames: Sister Friend, Girlfriend, Sweet Cheeks, DC, Daphie, Daph, and Daphne June. Mostly though we call her Sister. George can’t say Daphne (it comes out Daddy), so we stick with Sister.

Milestones: She has started smiling and gurgling a little bit. She is holding her head up really well. When she is on our chest, it is like she is doing the cobra pose when she holds her head up. When you hold her in a standing position, she is putting her weight on her legs really well.

Quirks: This girl has no shoulders. It is hard to keep the seatbelt on her in the carseat because of it. They are constantly falling off.

We parents are: We have been surviving Tom going back to work. I also have started working out, and I am feeling more like I have my body back. We are feeling really confident about being a parent of two, but we’ll see if that feeling remains when I go back to work in 3 weeks.

George is: doing amazing. I haven’t mentioned it, but we have put him in pull-ups for when he is sleeping. He is doing awesome during the day with going to the bathroom, but night time is still a little rough. With his new room, he doesn’t come out of his room until we come to get him. I don’t know if he thinks he will be in trouble or what, but he won’t leave and will just sit/sleep in pee. So we decided that we couldn’t do that to him or us for that matter right now. So while he sleeps he gets the “night time” underwear. He has been doing great otherwise. Now that we have been doing tummy time with her, he likes to lay next to her and giggle at her. He does try to steal her pacy. We have been slowly throwing away his stash, and we hope to be done with them by the end of this summer.

The dogs are: doing alright. Crosby still has stitches from his surgery, which has been interesting to keep him from messing with them. For the most part, they ignore Daphne. Crosby does join me when I nurse her in her room, and he lays behind he rocker. Grace is still the diva that she always has been. She does try to lick Daphne’s face when we are doing tummy time though. She knows there’s some food there somewhere.

I am trying not to count down the days until I go back to work. I am loving this time we are having together this summer. So here’s to making the most of the next few weeks with my sweet girl!

Here is George at two months.

July 14, 2017 by Stephanie

Strong As A Mother

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“You make it look easy.”

“You look so put together.”

“I’m impressed with how you (insert thing I am doing).”

While I am flattered that people think that I am rocking this whole mom thing, I promise you there are moments where I am barely making it.

There was a day last week that I had to lock myself in the bathroom because I was so angry at George who was being a freaking tornado. I raised my voice to match his energy a few times throughout that day.

Let me also tell you that we really struggle with getting George to eat. For real, he is THE worst at meal time and exhibits all the typical toddler behavior of changing his mind and being picky. Most days I feel like a failure because his dinner consisted of raisins and a slice of cheese (or last week it had to be shredded cheese).

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However, I don’t want to talk about THOSE moments. I want to talk about the strength that being a mom gives you. I want to appreciate the all the small wins I have throughout the day (even if it is only one teeny win).

I am pretty impressed with myself with this transition to two children.

When I think about the things that we do as moms, it really is undeniable that we are some pretty BA people.

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I have survived on 3 hours of sleep because kids don’t understand quiet time.

I have managed to get both kids in and out of the car while running errands and kept them both alive by myself.

At least once a day I am carrying both children.

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George gets his teeth brushed every day. He turns into the Hulk when the toothbrush comes out, so the fact that I can tame him enough to get those things clean is a miracle.

I still am reading George his bedtime stories even though Daphne is taking on the bewitching hour like she is trying out for the role of a banshee on the show Charmed.

I know the difference between excavator and a backhoe which means I have spent a million hours reading books and watching YouTube videos about the various trucks and tractors in the world and looked like I was interested for the sake of my son.

Anytime I am wearing Daphne, I feel like I can take on the world.

I have held Daphne breastfeeding with one hand while assisting George with bathroom things with the other. (I seriously thought I was Hercules for this feat).

Come to think of it, I can do a lot of things with one hand that previously needed two.

Also breastfeeding. This time around I am not dreading it, so I call that a win.

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I think that we often compare what we are doing with our kids with other moms. Then we just see what we “aren’t doing well.” We all are doing amazing things though, and that shouldn’t be overshadowed by what other parents are doing. If I only thought about how poorly George eats dinner, I would be really upset all the time about this Mom gig. (He eats really well every other meal by the way. It’s just dang dinner.) We have to give ourselves a break and take in the compliments that we are doing a good job with these little humans.

I think that we as moms are really bad at taking compliments. We don’t want to seem cocky or that we are better than other moms. But we should feel proud of ourselves. We should marvel at the wins we get throughout the day no matter how small they are. I high five myself every morning when I get both kids in the car dressed.

We are getting these tiny little tornadoes where they need to be and helping them grow into decent human beings instead of actual tornadoes. Maybe we don’t have it together all the time, and that’s ok. I am sure though that we are all doing things that our previous selves would be impressed by or never imagined that we were capable of. Us moms have the kind of determination to get things done and make things happen. I am impressed every day by women out there and what they are doing for their littles.

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So thanks for those that have been hurling those comments my way. I do appreciate them, and it’s what we do right? We get it done. Sometimes gracefully, and other times we are hoping there is at least one more box of raisins to get us through to the next meal. We just have to carry these angels as far as we can in whatever way we can manage.

We carry them because we are strong as mothers.

What are your strong mom moments?

July 13, 2017 by Stephanie

Bachelorette Rachel Week 7

I felt a little lost on my Monday night last week!

Here are my thoughts on the week before hometowns.

They are getting way too much into their heads. They are all freaking out about Bryan getting a one on one when they don’t even know if they have one later on in the week.
She is smitten with Bryan, but is it just physical?
Come on Dean.
Ok so what is this family dynamic that Dean is withholding?
Do you believe in the toothfairy? Dean, she is putting on the pressure. Cut out the wisecracks.
I feel like Rachel is in an adult role right now, and Dean is a 5 year old asking the most random questions about nonsense.
I think the one on ones were obvious picks.
Yes Dean! Thank you for opening up. I thought it was a lot worse than that. I am a little nervous about he reacted with what is your favorite dinosaur.
I think Peter is one of the final two.
There is so much pressure on the group date.
I don’t understand why she is kissing Matt as she is sending him home. This goodbye makes no sense. I am so confused by her emotions.
I don’t really have much to say on tonight’s episode.
I am not surprised by Adam. I don’t think he or Matt really stood out until this episode.

Favorites: Dean and Peter

Here are some great breakdown videos.

With the first one, I actually really like Ashley I.’s commentary.

Are you watching? Who do like for the final two? What are your thoughts?

July 11, 2017 by Stephanie

Daphne’s Nursery

With everything going on this summer, it has been hard to put together posts about the house. My goal is to do so before I go back to work in August. Four weeks is enough time to get pictures hung and document everything right?

Daphne’s room is the only one I feel confident saying is complete. And of course it’s for the roommate that doesn’t really care what her room looks like.

I had picked this theme and color scheme long before we were even pregnant. I love the combination of navy and kelly green, and with the gray undertones-Perfection. I also loved the idea of sea creatures, so that is where the sea life came in.

Here is the grand tour of her room.

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The dogs love this room because the windows have the best view of the entire yard and street. This is the view from the doorway.

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My sister-in-law made this bow rack to hold all the hair accessories for Daphne. All the bows were handed down from my niece too, so I love that. Someday she will have enough hair to actually wear them, but for now George likes to wear them. We need to add some more hooks to hold all her headbands.

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This is the same set we had for George, but with the new colors I feel like it looks so different. I love the cubbies to hide away all the things I need quickly during bedtime routines and diaper changes. There are onsies, sleepers, diapers, and more there. I got the green boxes from Amazon, and my in-laws found the blue whale bins at Home Goods. The one by the crib holds blankets. I got the stuffed octopus that is on the crib at Target.

The two pieces on the wall are from Hobby Lobby. They were having a wood sale, and we basically stole these for how cheap we got them.

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I love this sign. Such a good reminder.

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This whale bins and laundry basket I got on Amazon. The stuffed whale is from Target. The oars are from the Hobby Lobby steal. The little lighthouse was given to me by my grandpa, and I enjoy those little personal touches. And we have no shortage of books around here.

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This rocking chair was in George’s nursery as well. This time around, I did not make the chair cover. I got an outdoor chair cushion from Target. The seahorses are from Hobby Lobby as well.

The stool Tom made so I could feel more comfortable with my feet propped. We will be able to use this much past breastfeeding days too.

I got the curtains from Target when they were having a sale. I felt like I had really hit adult status because we have never had actual curtains before.

This is my favorite room in the house right now, and not just because it is done. I love the colors of the decor and the paint, and I especially love that we used the same furniture with George but it looks vastly different.

Now to just finish the rest of the house. And how do you decorate bathrooms?

July 1, 2017 by Stephanie

Bachelorette Rachel Week 5

The showdown continues. Two nights this week-so much drama to analyze.

Lee is acting like he doesn’t know why Kenny is confronting him. No one is buying your crap.
I cannot watch Bryan and Rachel kiss. It’s gross. I like him, but how they kiss is just too much.
Lee is trying to provoke Kenny. He is so slimy. You can tell he is just trying to aggravate him.
I wonder if the transitions are as awkward in real life as they make it out with what the produce.
Lee is admitted that he is just there to mess with everybody.
Jack Stone..Jack Stone. He just seems silly awkward.
Oh Shagging! One of my regrets from grad school is not taking Shag lessons.
She is going to dump Jack. And he doesn’t have a clue…
Lee is really ignorant. He is playing a game, and it is sickening.
Jack seems like a guy who is living in rainbows and sunshine, who is always happy and doesn’t see the bad side of life. Which I find interesting since he is a lawyer.
Holy Moly that black dress is stunning on her. I just can’t get over how beautiful she is.
They didn’t show the men’s reaction to Jack leaving like they normally do when someone leaves on a date. That means that he was not really entwined in the house dynamics.
Lee, you don’t like conflict? You are stirring the pot and making comments about you being there to mess with people. How is playing this game not conflict?
Sparks are going to fly on this date with Bryan.
I wonder if people notice them when they are in other countries. I mean there are cameras, but are they celebrities like they are here in the states?
They are obviously going to grow closer doing this repelling thing.
She is going to scare herself out of liking Bryan.
Anthony is very insightful with his conversation with Eric. It is about the trust.
Wow Bryan is throwing the L word out there. They have been there for only a month and spent maybe an hour together? Super fast!
Why is Dean wearing a cup on the outside of his outfit? And why are they in wrestler uniforms when the professional hand-ballers were in short sleeve shirts?
So do they allow the parents to talk to their kids? I don’t feel like we have seen that before that much. I thought they couldn’t have phones.
Lee is a douche. Lifting weights and writing toasts? Toasts for what? I don’t imagine you are invited to very many parties.
Josiah seems like another smooth talker. He doesn’t even let her finish a sentence before butter is coming out of his mouth.
How is her hair perfect after being in the hot tub with Peter. I would look like a frizzball!
Peter don’t worry and get in your head! Group date roses generally go to poeple who need validation. She was just making out with you in the hot tub, and after your conversation obviously she is into you.
What is Lee talking about? Unless there is a lot that the show is withholding, he is making up stories about Kenny’s dark side. Why doesn’t Rachel just ask the producers what happened?
Josiah-“No one in this house saw me leaving.” Rachel-“I did.”
NOOOO! I liked Anthony!
I like that Eric asked real questions. They don’t show that enough that they are actually talking about real life. He is super nerdy though, trying to act all cool. I don’t feel like he really went in depth about his past. It all seemed buszzwordy and surface level.
Tom and Morton. I love them.
I feel like a lot of these guys are just saying what they think she wants to hear.
I think Matt is in the friendzone.
Kenny needed to go home. Bye boo.
Why are the leads always surprised how emotional this process is?
Oh Will…this date is painfully awkward.
If you can’t be romantic at a castle, where can you?
I am sad to see Will go, but you could tell there was nothing happening between them.
Either Matt or Adam are going home at the end of the rose ceremony.
Huh. I did not think that Alex was in jeopardy at all.
On to another week!