Grocery Shopping

I was curious how grocery shopping with 2 would look like...not so bad! Josh has been with me almost every time and since we've been blessed with so many good meals, I have only been buying sides and food for Rebekah, so it hasn't taken too long. Josh found this great cart and Rebekah was all for it! I think it's her new favorite adventure!





Luke is doing great- he has his ups and downs for sure and we are trying to figure them all out! He was 6 weeks yesterday- a long and short passage of time. We took him to the dr. b/c he has been struggling with gas and we wanted to make sure all was well. Indeed it is- just newborn fussiness probably due to an immature digestive system. They weighed him- 11lbs, 5 oz, so he is obviously eating well! He seems big and small all at the same time! Luke blesses me with big smiles- he grins with his whole face- these are the things that make my day! Plus, every time I pull out the camera, Rebekah yells, "Smile, Baby Luke!"



I think Luke resembles my brother here...especially the mouth.


Rebekah is still hilarious- she is definitely a chatterbox- she even calls herself "broken record" . If you're ever curious what we talk about, just listen- she repeats EVERYTHING!!!! -and in context! She is amazing. Her new thing is asking questions...example- we're grocery shopping and we pass a stranger- R: "Who's that?" Me: "I don't know, honey, she's a stranger. I don't know all people." We pass the same lady and she says: "I don't know, honey...hi, people!!!" This happens everywhere. She also loves to ask, "What's that?" to learn new words. Interestingly, "that" has taken on a whole new meaning. When R doesn't know what something is, but is interested in it, she will say, "Rebekah hold the that?" So, we talk about "the that" a lot. She also sings a lot to herself- I walked in the living room and heard her singing the wheels on the bus go round and round, while also turning circles and dancing to her own tune. Another funny one- Rebekah puts herself down for naps (i.e. she covers herself up with a blankie on the floor) and tells herself, "No talking, no playing, no crying...Daddy will see you in morning..." I guess I say the same thing a lot! ;) We pray at naptime and bedtime- she gets to say who she wants to pray for...we have had to clarify that we pray for people, not inanimate objects. So, now R says:"Who else we pray for?" she then answers her own question: "Pray Grace! David!" etc...She then solemnly looks at me and says "Not gonna pray decorations! Not gonna pray Mommy's nose! Not gonna pray zebra! Not gonna pray hole! Not gonna pray wall! Pray for people!" (Those are all things she has repeatedly asked to pray for...the hole is a nail hole in the wall...go figure!)

These were at the play area at the mall with either Josh or her friend Josie...




This was at Chipotle...she enjoyed cutting her beans in half...very fun and serious business...

A Sad Farewell

It was our first year of marriage- I begged and begged for a dog! Josh was sure it was a gateway drug to having a baby...however, after getting Samson, our beloved boxer, in 2002, we still managed to wait until 2006 to have our first child. Now, I will say that having Sam as a 5-week-old puppy was akin to having my first child- he whined all the time and I couldn't go anywhere w/o him- drove me nuts to be honest! Josh took him out in the middle of the night and I remember thinking I may not be so good at this whole being a mom thing...ha ha. Anyway, Sam was our firstborn- we took him to the dog park, walked him, rough-housed with him, snuggled with him, etc...until we had Rebekah. You may recall that infants are exhausting...I had no extra energy for Sam and sadly, he relegated himself to his new position as backburner dog. We still walked him and loved him, even took occasional trips to the dog park, but it was not the same and we all knew it. Then, Rebekah got bigger and they became best pals and Sam had a new station in life- entertaining our real firstborn! Sam probably felt valued again...enter our second-born...never mind walking him- we barely get outside with the 2 of them, much less a hyper dog, pulling my arm off as I try to pick up his nasty poop!! Anyway, the poor dog has been neglected to say the least. Now, add to the mix our impending move overseas...taking Sam is not an option, especially to a rented flat. So, we are faced with the dilemma of what to do with sweet Sammy. Yea for Josh's sister, Rachel!!! She and her family (husband Pat and kids Quale and Emilia) are delighted to be the new owners of Samson! We thought we had more time with Sam, but with them living in DC and the temperature heating up, we had to fly him this week!!! So, I took Sam (and our 2 kids) to the vet (aka "puppy doctor") to get a clean bill of health and Josh set up all the other details- the flight, the exact right kennel (crazy restrictions), etc. and we drove to Chicago yesterday as a family to drop him off at the airport...very sad indeed.

So, yes, we packed up and all 4 of us went to the airport and then stayed the night in 1 room! Yikes! Both kids did great in the car- truly! We were in the car from 10:30am-4:17pm and Rebekah fell asleep at 4:15pm...seriously! Luke slept virtually the whole time. We didn't have a sad farewell b/c we missed the first flight out and the processing took so long that by the time it was over, Sam was kenneled and it was done. Rebekah knows he went to be with Auntie Rachel, but we're not sure what she really thinks.

Now, for the hotel room- my personal nightmare! 1 bed, 2 pack 'n plays, and 4 people...wow. We ended up sleeping Rebekah behind a barricade of chairs in a p 'n p- no problem! She didn't nap and due to dinner traffic (we were in traffic for an hour just to get to Wriggleyville where we drove past the stadium and ate dinner quickly), she went down later, too, so she was out immediately. Unfortunately we were in the same room that needed to be dark- at least for the falling asleep part- and Luke decided to flip out...so we exited and nursed him, then all turned in. He slept in the other p 'n p right next to me- I tried to catch every noise so as to avoid waking up R...that meant lots of wake-ups and extra feeds. At some point, Josh had the genius idea of setting up a make-shift bed in the bathtub for Luke- made his noises a little muter for R, but very much still audible for us. Let's see- I fed him at 9pm, 12 am, 3:20am, and at 5am I knew he wasn't hungry, but we didn't have the luxury of hoping he'd go back to sleep, so I finally pulled him in bed next to me to stay on paci-patrol...it was fun to snuggle but we both woke up hot and sweaty* at 7:20...now as for R, she only woke up once and just for a minute- I patted her tummy and she went back to sleep until 7, too! Sadly, Josh got the stomach yuckies R had last week (I had it a bit last week, too) during the night...rough night (at least Josh had bathroom company)! So, we packed it up and came home earlier than we would have otherwise. Both kids did great on the way home, too- I am super-impressed with R's road trip prowess...with nothing to do but play with shoes and talk to Mommy and Daddy, she kept herself happy both ways with hardly any fussing! Luke looked around and slept as long as his paci was in and that was wonderful, too!



As for Sam, I forgot to mention that his later flight was delayed 2 hours, so he didn't get in until late, poor Rachel and Pat! However, looking at a texted pic of Sam chewing a rawhide bone, Sam is having a ball and adjusting just fine!

This was his last bath (seriously, maybe his 5th bath since we've lived here- ouch!) Rebes was thrilled to help out...

This lovely maroon contraption was a gift from a sweet friend- thanks Meagan! It's called a Hooter Hider...I imagine you get the idea...R apparently does. She often thinks I'm hiding the baby, which is a favorite game of hers- she can hardly wait to tell you where she has hidden some priceless treasure! Anyway, once again, my personal belongings are no longer mine alone.



*I have been obsessing about Luke's ever-worsening acne...it seems to get better (see last post!), then get bad again. I was examining it today and putting 2 and 2 together- heat rash! He does have acne, but a lot of his splotchiness and red bumps are heat rash, probably from my excessive swaddling (i use 2 blankets). So, today at his normal awesome naptime, I dropped the swaddle- no bueno! No nap...so, now I am trying to swaddle him in less clothes and 1 blanket...poor little guy- needs the swaddle to sleep and keep his paci in (no flailing arms), but the swaddle makes him break out in heat rash, which can't be comfortable.

My Darling Boy & Girl

Luke had an exceptional night last night! The past few nights have been getting progressively better sleep-wise. He has always slept at night, sometimes needing me to return for burping or a little more nursing, etc., but he has been good at wanting to sleep at night. However, he was getting up to eat a lot so it seemed, especially last week. Finally, we seem to have turned a corner- last night he slept from 9:30-4am!!!! It felt so good to get that much sleep in a row- plus, I was able to pump afterwards and get a bottles'-worth! You know that's worth gold to me!

So, after all that good sleep and a morning snoozer, Luke awoke very smiley with one little sad face- funny thing is he never cried, even with that lower lip! I am LOVING those killer dimples!







This was priceless- I so wish you could hear Bunny's voice...she sweetly looked at me and asked, "Wunt sum Mommy's drink?" It was caffiene-free Diet Pepsi- hoping she wouldn't like it and she would quit asking me every time I have a "pop" as Midwesterners call it, I said okay. She was shocked...and ecstatic. (see first pic) Then, she tried it...drum roll...her response, "YUUUMMY!!!!!! Wunt sum more Mommy's drink!" What?! Backfire to say the least. So, she got a few more sips and loved it (see second pic)

"Pumping Baby Luke"

Oh, the joys of motherhood! It's hilarious watching Rebekah emulate all that I do! As my dear friend, Mindy, said it's precious and scary to see them copy us so much! Anyway, Rebekah is really into "Mommy pump for Baby Luke!" So, yes, Rebekah pumps her bellybutton at the same time as I pump for Luke.

It has been great that Luke is such an eater- he takes the bottle in less than 10 minutes and takes it from me! We weren't real consistent with bottles with R b/c I hate pumping. So, Rebekah only took a bottle from my parents and since they live 13 hours away it only worked out when we visited. Honestly, nursing is a challenge for me- I know it is what God designed and I think that it is super-cool, but I don't absolutely love it like so many women do, which makes me feel bad. I think I don't love it for mostly selfish reasons- I constantly worry that something I ate is bothering my baby, that I'm not making enough, that I'll get an infection, etc...plus, the pressure of being the go-to 24/7 makes me feel trapped at times- this is the main reason I struggle. Then, I feel guilty b/c so many women are dying to nurse and can't and I can and don't always want to...so, I am working thru this. Josh is a great encourager and helps me with perspective...so all that to say that we are working on my pumping abilities, hoping to be able to store up enough to actually use it and have it be helpful. The crazy thing is that when the baby takes a bottle, you have to pump to make sure your body keeps up with milk production, but if you have time to pump, you have time to nurse, so what's the point? Plus, I am convinced I don't pump as much as I nurse, so it's a little stressful trying to replace milk. So, I am pumping after each nursing to store up extra in case I can't always pump right away. (this is tricky with 2 kids, but obviously R entertains herself) I would like to use some formula at some point if necessary, but with our upcoming changes, spending $ on formula if we don't absolutely have to is silly. So, that's that- more than you needed to know! ;)


Reclaiming the Bumbo...the next one was at Half-Price Books- she was delighted with the store and so many books at her disposal!!!


R wanted to hold big Baby Luke!!

...and she wanted to help Mama with the bottle...


Look at those dimples... :) He really is darling!

A little dreamy-eyed- I am surprised how much he already fills his carrier!



Yesterday I couldn't find Rebekah's Teddy Grahams that she misplaced. I told her I couldn't find them, but I'd look. I did and I found them. Rebekah was thrilled! She exclaimed in her adorable voice, "Teddy Grahams!!!! Mommy find them!" What was so precious was that she sounded proud of me. :) Similarly, Mamama bought a "poppy" for R- it is one of those plastic toys that pops off the table. You have to have just the right finesse to make it actually pop. R has already figured out that I am not so good at it and she'll start to ask me to do it, then say, "Daddy do it." Well, Daddy wasn't around, so she settled for me. She said, "Mommy try poppy." I obliged and lo and behold, it popped to great heights! With joy, surprise, and once again pride, R said, "Mommy did it!" Then, R tried- so cute- she flexed it, set it down, put her face 2 inches from it and coaxed very quietly, "Pop." Sadly, it did not.

We are realizing that R has memorized most of her favorite books- it has been really fun hearing her complete lines and anticipate them. I know I have mentioned this before, but I still am amazed. We also marvel at her ability to speak in sentences and answer most questions. I know I should correct it with a proper "yes" but her "yeaaa!" is so cute. :)

Sicko

So, Weds was a test of my mothering abilities. I failed...miserably! Both kids woke up with a bang! Luke was ready to eat- immediately if not sooner- and Rebekah threw up all over herself and our rug. Josh came to get me for back-up and we dealt with it all. Assuming R had just chugged some milk too fast, I happily planned on proceeding with my day- we had lots of fun plans, which helps me not to obsess about timetables and naps and staying on schedule. I tend to over-analyze things at home, but be more flexible when out and about, so I try to do that more. Anyway, Josh went to work and the day just got worse! In total, Rebekah threw up 10 times and took 5 naps- 2 on me until Luke woke up crying and needed me. It was nuts and I called Josh crying myself twice to come home and help me! With her sick and them napping at totally different times, there was no going anywhere, not even outside. Rebekah was obviously not herself and was very needy. Luke is 4 weeks old, so needy is the name of the game. However, I only have 2 hands...enough said. I could not hold/feed them both at the same time. It was a nightmare for me and for R- she was desperate for snuggles and impatient with her brother needing a feeding. On the upside, I realized that my normal days are not too bad! Yesterday definitely made me thankful for many things- 1) infancy doesn't last forever, 2) my husband is precious and dropped everything to help me and love on our kids, 3) on a normal day, Rebekah is funny and independent and lovey all wrapped up in one precious little package, 4) the Lord is my strength- I just need to trust him.
All is well today and I am a much better-rested mother after a family nap this afternoon. (Luke and I had too many meetings last night, so a nap was nonnegotiable).

More funny stuff:

2 or so weeks ago, Luke was smiling at me (I'm sure of it) and I was in a silly mood, so I started tapping his chubby little cheeks and saying "boop" each time I did it. Rebekah was a huge fan. Since then, every day, she has "booped Mommy," "Mommy, boop Bekah's arm," "Boop Luke!," etc...it's so funny. Tonight as I put her to bed, Rebekah interrupted our story time with "Boop Oaf!" So, she practically leaped over me to boop her big, stuffed animal. We then resumed our book.

As I was nursing the other day, Rebekah looked at me and pointed to you know what and said, "Luke's breakfast." I laughed pretty hard.

Rebekah loves a tiny little book about Baby Moses (granted she calls it Baby Jesus) that my mom gave her for Christmas. It has little flaps with the last half of the sentence underneath them. We thought we had lost the book but my mom found it in her purse from when she was here. Being the wonderful grandmother she is, Mom put it in the mail- Rebekah delightedly exclaimed "Baby Jesus!" when we opened the package. That was cool enough, but then I was delighted when I realized once again how smart my kid is- she knew what was under each flap- she anticipated what was coming and said each line before I did. Amazing.

Each night we pray before R goes to bed. I started asking her who she wants to pray for- the list has been "David, Grace, Anabelle, Mamama/Grandi, Nana/Papa, Daddy, and Mama" (out of pity, I think). She smiles coyly with each name. I love it. Tonight, Rebekah insisted on praying for "decorations"- her ABC's on the wall. I tried to tell her that we pray for people, not decorations. She didn't buy it. Then, I drew the line at praying for the flowers in the decorations.

When I was changing her diaper yesterday, I exclaimed, "Oh, Rebekah!" She immediately furrowed her brow and quipped, "Oh, honey, what'd ya eat?" I guess we've had that conversation before. (the answer was popcorn kernels)

Before 4 outfit changes- trying a sucker for hydration- yes, that's vomit on her shirt...

Loving on Baby Luke

Mama Rebekah

As to be expected, Rebekah is quite the little mama! She has taken to nursing her baby doll, complete with a good burping and kiss on top of the head. :) So precious. She is particularly fond of using my nursing pillow and is very frustrated when I have the nerve of using it myself! Fortunately we have a back-up Boppy that will sometimes do for Rebekah's use...





This is from this morning before we all got ready- Rebekah asked to sit on my lap while I had Luke. I gave her my knee. She took it, then eyed my actual lap where Luke was still presiding and pointed at it and said- "that lap." Point taken. That used to be her lap and now this baby has taken over! I thought it might be a good time to help her hold Baby Luke- she was a huge fan!


On Saturday night it rained all night- I know b/c I was up nursing- a lot! With such a steady rain and a river, we get tons of water on the roads- this was on my way to church...