Emma's Milk and Soy Intolerance

Things have been crazy over here. And wonderful. If I have 15 minutes I usually choose to shower, do laundry, clean up the million diaper trash cans, or maybe eat something. But I also want to capture life here.

To catch everyone up, there has been no rest for the rad. Emma would not sleep at night. At all. The entire night. Dan takes her 9-12 for me to sleep, and then we switch. We were doing EVERYTHING right - we asked many people for advice, but everything they said we were doing or had tried. 

I'll pretend to sleep and then cry the minute they think they can get something done.

Emma also spit up a lot more than Olivia (around 3-10 times after each feeding) and I didn't know what was normal. So I decided to schedule a ped appointment. The nurse said she sounds like a normal 6 week old (doesn't sleep well and spits up - haha) but that she would schedule an appt in a week if I really wanted. I felt kind of silly going in, but yes, I wanted that appointment.

Right when we got there, the doctor told me right away she could tell that Emma had an inability to digest milk and soy. She took a diaper and ran it through the lab for confirmation - and she was right. So my poor little baby has been bleeding inside and in a lot of pain - which is why she can't sleep. 

It isn't an allergy, just that their digestive system is immature and they usually grow out of it 6 months to a year.

Two options are formula for that intolerance (which is a FORTUNE) or for me to completely eliminate dairy and soy from my diet (much harder than it originally sounds - I had to be put on different allergy medicine and buy a special chapstick!). It should take 2 weeks to get everything out of my system and 2 weeks to get everything out of Emma's system. So we have a few more weeks ahead of us, but Emma is already getting slightly better. Makes it much easier to resist cheesecake knowing its for her. AND that if I eat it, no one is sleeping tonight! :)

Emma vs Olivia One Month

A comparison of one month pictures. Emma's eyes aren't that light - I had to adjust the brightness because the picture was too dark.

 

And a quick 'who wore it best'

Emma - One Month

I can't believe I'm already writing this post. Maybe because a good night's sleep no longer distinguishes days - it seems like it's been a day since we brought her home.

I wrote these for Olivia full of super boring topics (like the size diaper she wore). And have used the info so much (like when Target was having a huge diaper sale and I wondered how I could stock up). So I want to do the same for Emma.

She's a little more chill than Olivia - and can handle being put down. I think that gets harder as they get older, so we'll have to see how that one goes. But other than that, they seem like the exact same baby. Will be interesting to see how their personalities differ!

Height: 21 1/4 inches
Weight: 9 pounds

Sleep: I laughed at this one in Olivia's one month post and I'll do the same here. What is sleep? Emma is super sweet and pretty chill. She eats every 3 hours, even at night. But she's just awake, ready to party, and pissed as hell if you leave her alone in the crib. She's all "10pm party in my crib, goes all night! now, where the eff are my guests?" I guess she still has nights and days mixed up and we've been following ALL the tricks to a T and she's just staying a party animal. 

Dan's been taking the 9-12 shift and I've been taking 12-6 and then from 6-7 we're both usually super cranky until one of us gets us coffee. But we're surviving. And I'm doing stupid things with this lack of sleep - but we will sleep again one day.

Eating: She eats every 3 hours. It's really been a great schedule. I have to wake her up every time during the day. She repays the favor at night. When Dan gives her a bottle she eats about 3-4 ounces.

Best Moment of the Month: Meeting Emma, obviously. It also happens to be the same day that Olivia got to meet her, which is my second favorite moment. Olivia loves her so much and it's so sweet to see. O made up the word "huggle" for, I guess, hold/hug/snuggle. We use it now, so Olivia will never realize that it isn't a real word. If Emma is crying Olivia will run over and say "Mama, huggle her!" She gave Emma one of her bunny lovies because Emma didn't have any in her crib. She keeps trying to give Emma a paci - because she loves them so much - but Emma has 0 interest in a pacifier. 

Olivia always wants to hold Emma, see Emma, and when we pick her up from school instead of yelling "mom" she yells "Emma!" She tells everyone about her baby sister and is dying to feed her, change her, play with her, etc. 

We didn't have dinner plans the other night (read, no one had brought us dinner), Olivia hadn't napped and I couldn't get Emma down for hers with Olivia - so I offered to take everyone to Whole Foods to pick out dinner. Emma was crying in her carseat while we were in the driveway and Olivia goes "I know Emma. We're almost at whole foods." 

When Olivia whines in the car on the way home from school, I always say "I know Olivia, but we're almost home." I thought it was so funny! Especially since we hadn't even left the driveway, so clearly we weren't 'almost' there.

Worst Moment of the Month: Definitely spilling mimosa on her face when we went to a baby shower 1 week after she was born. Girl didn't flinch. She probably loved it.

Milestones: Her neck is definitely stronger that Olivia's was - we don't have to support it nearly as much. But she's pretty bad at tummy time. Hates it. Usually spits up and then rubs her face in it. What other milestones are they supposed to hit at one month? #secondkidproblems

Clothes / Diapers: Still in newborn diapers and clothes but the sleepers are getting a little short. I'm sad because I bought 3 Ralph Lauren sleepers (super soft) in newborn and we have none for 0-3 months. I dressed Olivia in all these cute top and bottoms at this age. Poor Emma is lucky to get out of the house without spit up on her shirt (mom is too!) #secondkid 

Favorites: Emma loves ceiling fans as much as her sister did. And she loves being around us. She doesn't love Olivia as much as Olivia loves her - but thats because O smothers her face and squeezes her toes a little too hard for "this little piggy." 

I could not live without the Moby wrap. I wear it to pick up O and Emma naps while O plays on the playground. I can then put her back in it when we get home and go for walks or play outside with Olivia. I wear it everywhere when we go out of the house. It's too hard to have a shopping cart with the carrier in it. If Olivia goes running, do you chase the toddler with the cart or leave the infant? Wearing E is the only way. I have both hands free to grab Olivia when she races to go down the escalator by herself.

I still can't believe we have two kids. But I'm loving every minute of it! (Except 12-6am, someone else come take that shift).

Olivia Update

I meant to get this written before Emma was here. 

I barely remember when Olivia was a baby. We were watching old videos and the way she moved and talked and interacted just seemed like a different child. I am so grateful for the videos, because those memories are so distant.

I am trying to get things on camera - but mrs. "no cheese, mama" doesn't like the photog after her. So writing down these moments are the only way we will remember them. 

These are from the past few months (slacker, I know) but I don't want to forget:

• Back in August, I had this inflatable flamingo that I gave Olivia. She called it her 'purple duck' - clearly we were still working on colors and animals then.
• In November, Olivia's first real sentence was "mama read book please" - I was so impressed with her. This sounds so silly now because she's talking in full paragraphs, but I wrote it down because, at the time, I was so proud of her!
• In December, she started saying "daddy did it" - whether or not he did. I'd ask who made a mess, who got something out, or if she pooped because it smelled - "daddy did it" with the straightest face. We'd call her out and she'd burst out laughing.
• In December, she started saying "Mama otay?" if I sighed or winced in pain. It was the sweetest thing that she would check up on me. 
• In December, Olivia started saying 'I did it!' whenever she climbed up high, put the lid on something hard, finished a puzzle. She was so proud of herself each time. And we could never get her "I did it!!" on film.
• At Christmas, Olivia was a little shy at times when the whole family was all together. They were headed out for the night and we asked Olivia to say bye. She ignored us. Then we said "you can have a piece of candy if you say bye to everyone." She smiled this huge smile, yelled "bye errbody!!!" and ran to the candy. 
• That same night in her bed she said "errbody go??" meaning "where did everybody go?" That was her mantra the whole week. She'd be all shy. And then once everyone left, would be so sad and wonder where they went.
• Whenever she drops something she would say "ut oh, [something]" like "ut oh fork" or "ut oh sippy." We were on the playground and she started running and face planted. She goes "ut oh Livia" (like she dropped herself) and gets right back up.
• On Christmas morning, there was one thing we didn't think through. We told her that Santa comes and bring toys. When she walked down the stairs her eyes lit up over the new toys and she looked around. She walked down stairs and walked around. She looked confused and sad and said "where'd Santa go?" Poor thing. We didn't tell her that Santa isn't actually here - that he leaves the toys for her. She was so bummed and wanted to see Santa. (She wouldn't take any pictures with Santa, so I'm sure she would have been super shy if he were here - but 2 year olds don't make sense). 
• Olivia got make up brushes and nail polish in her stocking because I have a teenager.
• In January, Olivia saw a pregnant lady and said "that lady has a baby sister in her belly too!" So funny that all pregnant women are carrying a "baby sister."
• In January Olivia started saying "hold you mama" instead of "up please" and it's the greatest thing in the world. Dan keeps correcting her and it drives me nuts. I want her to say "hold you" forever.
• Anytime Olivia has gotten hurt, I kiss it and she says she's all better. She will come running to me asking for a kiss and declare it all better after. She had a little bruise on her leg from school. I asked her if I could kiss it to make it better. She said "no mama, Doc bandaid make it better." I've been replaced for Doc McStuffins band aids. 
• In January her verbs were a little off and I think it's so cute. She'd say "dada new diaper me" - meaning dad gave me a new diaper. She'd say "dada donuts me" meaning dad gave her donuts. Love her figuring out sentence structure. And using nouns as verbs.
• She learned to say "good morning!" and says it all hours of the day. Dan would come home from work and she'd say "good morning dada!" She was being so polite, we had to reply "good morning Olivia!" so she'll never learn.
• Olivia has a play kitchen and she constantly make us "cupcakes with sauce" - haha.
• One of her friends asked what I was hiding in 'dat belly' and Olivia came rushing to my defense, "Thats my baby sister in there!" Too sweet.
• She started saying "Oh my goodness!" and it is so funny.
• Dan gave her a pancake and Olivia insisted that she wanted two pancakes. Dan took his fork and cut hers in half and goes "two." She goes "thank you dada" and was perfectly happy. Haha.
• We've never made Olivia eat all her food for treats after dinner. She must have picked up something from school. Because after dinner I gave her a cookie. I asked Dan if he wanted one too and she looked at his plate and said "Dada - you has to eat all that before you get a cookie!" Haha. Touche Olivia. Dan finished his dinner first.
• When we got home from the hospital Olivia said "mama, what's in your belly now that baby sister is here?" ... baby sister's house.
• I was pumping and Olivia looked at me and pointed left "dis baby sisters" and then pointed right "and dis mine?" Haha - nope. But good thoughts.
• On Valentines day we only had plans to grab Olivia donuts - but hadn't told her. If we tell her the night before, she wants them immediately. That morning I said "Olivia it's Valentines day!" and she immediately goes "no want to." Haha - so contrary. I told her that it didn't mean doing anything - but that we were going to have donuts for breakfast. She perked right up 'sprinkles donuts?'
• She has this horrible fear of feathers. It's pretty funny actually. She stops everything and runs out of the room yelling for her dad to clear the danger (like me and bugs). Dan can pull a feather out of a pillow and she freaks. I have no idea where this comes from!
• Olivia has gotten so smart and sarcastic. She will say something sarcastic and we will question her and she'll go "NOOOO" and laugh out loud. I never thought a 2.5 year old would under stand sarcasm. 
• Dan was sitting near a mirror and Olivia runs up and says "hi two dadas" and bursts out laughing thinking she was the funniest thing on the planet.
• I was holding Emma and walking down stairs with Olivia and she stopped, looked at me and said "careful mama on the stairs." She so sweet and always looking out for me and her baby sister. I could not love this little girl more!

I'm sure most of you would find these really boring, but I wanted to capture all of the sweet things Olivia does.

My parents got us a snowman building kit. It was too icy to build so we
improvised. Also, check out Olivia's snow boots.

When you don't own a sled.

My parents got her a valentines day sucker where the handle was lips. Too funny!

Pregnancy Weight Gain Round 2

I wrote about the weight gain with Olivia here. Since it's one of my most googled posts - I figured I would write about my weight gain with Emma - a vastly different experience.

First - with both Emma and Olivia, I was sick for the first 5 months. With Olivia, I could barely eat anything. Nothing sounded good. With Emma, I only felt better after I ate. So naturally, I gained more weight earlier with Emma than with O. 

I was starving with Olivia no matter how much I had eaten, what I had eaten, etc. I found it so hard to stop eating - even healthy food. With Emma, I had a month that I was extra hungry in the second trimester, but mostly was perfectly content barely eating. Once I realized that my weight was surpassing my first pregnancy and I was on track to gain 50 pounds, I started tracking everything I ate in an app. I made sure that I never ate over 1800 calories (with a few exceptions like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas). I monitored sugars and protein - and made sure I was drinking enough water. 

The weight kept piling on.

For a two month span I gained half a pound a day. Half a pound a day!! If 3500 calories is a pound, I would have to be eating an EXCESS of 1750 calories a day to gain that much. The math doesn't even add up. It's not possible.

Dan confirmed what I knew to be true: "you are eating less than when you aren't pregnant." 

Emma's health was the most important thing - but when you constantly hear about mom's that use the 'eating for 2' excuse and packed on too much weight - or how children whose mom's gained more weight than normal in pregnancy have a higher chance of health issues and diabetes as they get older - and that any more than a pound a week gain is a cause for concern - you start to wonder if you are doing something wrong for your baby.

I thought for sure the weight gain would level out. So many people barely gain weight in the third trimester - maybe I would be one of those people?

Nope.

On the day I delivered Emma, I weighed exactly 50 pounds more than normal. 50 pounds?!?! So many friends had made snarky comments in the past about people who gained more weight than recommended. I know that none would believe me. I know they would think I wasn't being honest with myself. Or I wasn't actually measuring my food (counting every single cracker - measuring berries and greek yogurt - logging each tic tac I ate, typing every recipe into a calorie counter and measuring out every serving size). 

It was exhausting but I never gave up.

I wasn't swollen at all, so I knew it was additional fat. 

I decided that with all the weight I gained. Lugging a 27 pound toddler around who wants me to "hold you" all the time. And trying to walk 2 miles a day. I wasn't going below 1800 calories a day. There's no way I could get in the nutrition Emma needed at 1200 or so calories. Not while pregnant, active, and a lot larger than normal. 

If my body needed 50 extra pounds of baby + fat for Emma, then I was fine with it. And when she arrived, a wonderful size and healthy - I was so thankful for each one of those 50 pounds. For whatever reason, it gave Emma exactly what she needed. 

And now that they have been thanked, I'm ready to see them go. :)

Two Weeks with Two Kids

I can't believe Emma is already two weeks old. Soon she'll be leaving us for college.

I've been reading through old blog posts to remember what life was like with Olivia at this age (I barely remember) - so I want to take time to document Emma. But time is hard these days.

Dan took a week of vacation after having her and then went back to work. But he still picked Olivia up from school the first week. This week, we've been on our own and doing really well. 

Emma still doesn't sleep much at night. After a few hours of feeding and rocking, I sent Dan in to try for half an hour. She's definitely my child. Come morning and a cup of coffee all is forgiven.

Olivia went from narcoleptic newborn to fussy baby at the 3 week mark. So I think we've got one more week before life goes crazy on us. So I'm soaking up the "two kids is easy!" for another few days. 

Olivia is great with her and wants Emma to be a part of everything that she does. Even when Emma is napping. Poor Emma gets woken up, poked, and 'huggled' at all hours. It will be much harder having her on a schedule than it was with Olivia. We still need to feed O and get her down, pick her up from school, and sometimes Emma's nap or eating will be a little messed up. But hopefully she'll learn to go with the flow, and we'll learn a little more of a schedule that works for both of them.

Emma sleeps in her crib (and Dan and I just ordered the DockAtot, which hopefully will be the miracle that the amazon reviews say it is) and naps wherever: arms, bouncy seat, Moby wrap, swing or carseat. She has a few hours a day where she eats every 30-45 minutes and is pretty fussy. That should go away around 3-4 months. I'm waking her every 2.5 hours to eat during the day and she's making sure to return the favor by waking me up more often at night ;).

I love having a little newborn to cuddle and hold. And love when she's wrapped up the moby like my kangaroo baby. I am also loving every minute with my little sidekick, Olivia. She's getting smarter and more articulate - and FUNNY. By the minute. I need to post an update on her so I don't forget all these little things. But she's turning into a kid - and I am loving this time with her. 

I'm so lucky that Olivia loves her baby sister as much as she does. I think this would be much harder on her if she didn't like Emma. I keep telling her how proud I am of her, and I do tell Emma to "wait, I'm with your big sister now" to help keep Olivia from feeling like Emma gets all the attention. When others are fussing over Emma, I ask Olivia to tell them her name and show them her baby - so Olivia gets attention to. Overall, I think I was just blessed with a two year old with a heart of gold who really cares about her sister. I know we'll have our moments, but, overall, I'm just so proud of her!

Wait about a week and I'll post "what did we do? our lives are crazy. send nannies." But so far, life is wonderful.

Emma's first bath - decorated by big sister.

Making cookies with my big girl:

Swaddle Designs Giveaway

I have a new favorite baby product since having Olivia. I thought all muslin swaddles were created equal. And then SwaddleDesigns sent me two of theirs.

These are the softest muslin swaddles I have ever found. Since we are neurotic (hello breathing monitor) I love that these are breathable, and I don't worry about Emma being swaddled in them in her crib. They are great as a nursing cover because they aren't too hot. You can throw them over the car seat to block germs, rain, or wind - without blocking the air. 

They have some of the cutest prints - including this xoxo print for my little Valentine's baby. 

We also have this Sterling Lillie pattern which goes perfectly with Emma's nursery.

Swaddle Designs Image - Click here to order

But, the best part is the fabric. I wish my sheets were made out of this material. And my clothes. And Emma's clothes. I think I need to try their sleepsacks and crib sheets. 

Dans favorite part? The 'how to swaddle' tag in the blanket that he can reference each time. 

Picture from Swaddle Designs "How to Swaddle" instructional page.

SwaddleDesigns is giving one reader two muslin swaddles of their choice from their black and white collection (xoxo, pandas, hedgehog, and lillies). To enter:

1. Visit SwaddleDesigns and choose a favorite product (comment here that you did for one entry)
2. Follow @SwaddleDesings on Twitter (comment here that you did for one entry)
3. Like Swaddle Designs on Facebook (comment here that you did for one entry)
4. Follow @SwaddleDesigns and @kelley_lovelikecrazy on Instagram (comment on the Instagram post that you did for one entry)
5. Tag friends on the Instagram post for additional entries

Winner will be chosen Friday using the random number generator, starting with blog comments and then moving to Instagram. Open only to US and Canada. Good luck!