Monday Snapshot: Sibling Love

Today I’m the featured Snapshot over at PAIL!  Go on over to check it out and to check out the other Snapshots!

When Paul and I met we were excited to find out that each of us wanted three children as we both had two younger siblings.  We started trying for our first baby about a year after we got married and although the four months it took to get pregnant seemed like FOREVER to me as I'd fully expected to get knocked up right away, we now know that four months is laughably short.

When LP (short for Little Paul as he's the 4th Paul in a row on hubby's side) was almost 1 we decided to try for baby #2 as we were hoping our children would be about two years apart.  Four months passed, then 6 months, then a year.  We had two "positive" home pregnancy tests which turned out to be chemical pregnancies.  At that point my OB/GYN suggested we go see the Reproductive Endocrinologist.  All the usual tests were done and we were officially diagnosed with "unexplained secondary infertility."   I was devastated.  There was nothing really that we could do other than keep trying using clomid and then moving onto IUI.  Another year had gone by at this point and so we decided to take a break for the holidays after three rounds of clomid before trying an IUI.   Three days before Christmas I had another positive home test.  The bloodwork showed that my hcg levels were very low however and I was told to come back the day after Christmas to see if this was yet another chemical pregnancy.  Thank goodness we had Christmas with LP to keep our mind off things! Fortunately the news was good and our baby girl Eliza was born in August, 2012, almost 4 years after her brother.

I was so worried about what the almost 4 year age difference would mean to our children.  My husband and I are both only 2-3 years older than our next sibling, and four years seemed so far apart.  But seeing them together now, it seems so right.  LP loves his baby sister more than anything.  Last night, in the bath together he looked at her andthen said, "Mama, Baby Eliza is soooo cute that I can't stop watching her!"   I feel the same way about both of them.

So far the age difference hasn't mattered at all.  I'm sure they'll have their squabbles, all siblings do, but I know they'll always be as close as they are right now when LP stops his playing to run over and kiss his baby sister, and when she looks for him as soon as he enters the room.

May: What Color Looks Like

When Paul and I bought our first house together, we spent a lot of time redecorating and renovating to make it more “us.”  We chose cherry cabinets, black granite counters, neutral rugs and couches and beautiful muted colors for the walls.

I spent hours searching for the perfect fabric and then sewing curtains and matching pillows for the living room so that everything was coordinated. 

And then the kids came along.

And now our “perfectly coordinated” living room is splashed with accents of primary red and yellow and blue. 

It’s full of raucous stripes and owls and polkadots.

Our beautiful dining chairs and tablecloths have been replaced by shark cushioned chairs and wipeable placemats.

And our once plain, beige walls are covered in artwork, chore charts and calendars.

Our neutral carpet is strewn with toys…

And our peaceful office is now called the “toy room.”

Sometimes I yell and scream about the toys that seem to be taking over the house, about the fact that our rooms are no longer “perfect.”  But then I take a deep breath (or two, or three) and remember that these wild, crazy colors are just proof that it’s no longer just Paul and I living here- it’s a family.  A silly, noisy, crazy family. 

It’s perfectly imperfect.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Now go see what “Color” looks like for Tina Hunter!

A Little Sewing….

I’ve been doing a little sewing here and there as sewing for baby girls is so quick and easy and fun! 

Eliza’s new dress is the Geranium pattern by Made by Rae using fabric from Sarah Jane Designs “Out to Sea”
collection.  There are so many ways to customize this dress and it turns out super cute!

The bonnet pattern is also by Made by Rae and is called the Peekaboo Bonnet.   I use fabric from the same Out to Sea line for the bonnet as well. 

Soooo stinkin’ cute (and yes, I’m totally biased). 

Eliza Rose: Things to Remember, 9 months

Eliza is 9 months old today.  I just looked back at LP’s “Things to Remember” from 9 months and they’re so similar!  Wonder if they’ll end up with very similar personalities (I’d better get some earplugs now if that’s the case!)?

I mentioned in Eliza’s 8 month “Things to Remember” that our pediatrician was concerned because Eliza wasn’t rolling from her back to her front yet and so Early Intervention was going to come and assess her to see if there was some sort of problem or delay.  Paul and I weren’t terribly concerned as LP wasn’t really rolling around much at 8 months either- he must have done it just enough so that the pediatrician wasn’t worried!

Anyway, when I went to get Eliza up from her morning nap on the day the EI ladies were coming she was laying on her stomach in the crib.  The little bugger could roll over all along!  When the EI ladies showed up that afternoon to do the assessment they laughed when I told them.  Eliza wouldn’t roll over completely for them without a little bit of assistance but they said she was very close to doing it herself.  They also said that she favors her left side (just like her brother!) and that the muscles in her right arm and shoulder were tighter than in the left.  They suggested that we should work on handing her toys and things on her right side to get her using both arms more. 

They scored Eliza in 5 areas based on a standardized test they do and she passed everything.  In fact, her lowest score was in “Sociability” which the women thought was pretty funny as she was, to quote them, “the most social baby they’d seen in months!”  Because it’s a standardized test that goes up to 12 months they had to fail her on “waving hello or good-bye” which they said she shouldn’t be able to do yet really anyway.

Since then Eliza is rolling all over the place.  She stays sitting for about 2 minutes before flopping to her belly and trying to move around.  She hasn’t really mastered sitting back up on her own yet but is almost there.  And she’s good at moving backwards on her tummy but not forwards (again, just like Paul at 9 months!).  She’s pretty frustrated about all of this- she wants to go forward so badly but keeps getting herself stuck when she backs into a corner or under the coffee table.    She also wants to stand up ALL THE TIME and gets mad if you try to sit her back down when she’s standing up and holding your hands.  LP was crawling and pulling himself to standing by 10 months and I have a feeling Eliza will do the same.

At 9 months Eliza’s 5th tooth just popped through.  She’s had her bottom front 2 for quite a while and then got her top incisors a few weeks ago.  She’s been the most adorable vampire baby since then!  Last night one of her top front teeth finally popped through!

Eliza says “da-da” a lot but not directed at Paul yet.  There’s no “ma-ma” sounds yet but last night she gave me her very first kiss (either that or she was trying to eat my face- maybe a combo!)! 

I would have to say that Eliza’s favorite time of day is meal time.  She gets very excited when we put her in her chair- her eyes light up when the Cheerios box comes out and she bangs her hands on her tray until we give her some.  We still haven’t found anything she won’t eat- and she still eats everything that we do.  Today for lunch she had grilled cheese (she picks up her sandwich just like LP!), grapes, blueberries, and some banana.  We went out for dinner last weekend and it was so nice to not have to pack baby food to take along and then spoon-feed her.  We love that we are really all eating together as a family (even if it’s not the most quiet or peaceful event!).

Now that she’s moving around more Eliza has become a tummy sleeper.  She flips to her stomach pretty much as soon as you lay her down and snuggles right up.

Phew!  She’s a busy girl at 9 months- I can only imagine how 10 months will be!