First Tooth and Toddler Bed

Wow, it's been a big night at the Peacock Coop.  I don't know why, but for some reason I absolutely HAD TO set up Avery's big girl bed.  Maybe I figured it would be like ripping off a Band Aid - do it quickly and don't make a big deal of it, and it won't be a big deal to her.  She loves it and took to it great, particularly enjoying jumping in it and climbing in and out, in and out, in and out.... and repeat.  She hadn't taken a nap in three days straight, and I thought perhaps the nap era was over, but now that it's a big girl bed, she puts herself to bed.... and my heart breaks a little, missing that sweet weight of our little girl in my lap as I read her bedtime stories.  Surely my snuggling days with her aren't yet completely over.

Meanwhile, Riggs has been having a sleep regression, waking up every two to four hours.  Last night was an every other hour night, and when he woke at 3:30, I told Mike, "Either this is a huge brain blast or teething."  Sure enough, this morning his first tooth has popped out, bottom front left, AND he's pulling up on the coffee table.  Two birds with one stone!  Maybe with the help of a little Motrin, we'll all sleep better tonight.

First tooth and first night in a toddler bed.  I sure know how to pack in the milestones.  

These babies are SO much fun right now.  It's exhausting, hard, heartrending work, but incredible.  Avery is really talking and telling us the most interesting things.  Her vocabulary is huge, and she doesn't bat an eye at four-syllable..... and -letter..... words. Riggs is crawling all over the place, particularly to electrical cords and Dante's food dish.  

 Gosh.  I'm blessed.

Just a few here and theres

I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just start typing.  Right now both babies are napping and Mike's sleeping off the midnight shift.  There's a Diet Coke on the table next to me, surrounded by crumbs from the last brownie.  The washer and dryer are performing their usual hum and tumble in the utility room, and all is right with the world.

We went blueberry picking the other day.  Riggs snoozed in the sling while Avery picked every green blueberry she could find.  

 And Avery adores the zoo.  It was such a hit we decided to buy a family year membership.  Maybe once the kiddos wake up we'll take everybody to the splash pad.  The tiger slide is a big favorite, as was the train.  When we went through the tunnel, Avery insists she wasn't scared, but her eyes became so big you could see white all around the iris.

As I sit holding one or both babies, I hope to have developed the habit of jotting down funny, sweet, good memories (there are so many it's hard to remember them all) on my cell phone to write in more detail.  Here are a few of the latest goings-on:

 - Riggs giggles when we suck out his nose or wipe his face.  He thinks it's hysterical and belly laughs so hard it's difficult to accomplish the task.  Maybe that's all part of his plan.

 - When I ask Avery for a kiss, she always plants a big happy smiling one right square on my lips.  I guess it's because she sees Daddy and me kissing like that, and I don't mind.  My heart melts into a puddle when she then turns to Riggs and says, "Riggs kiss," planting one gently on his head.

 - I have to bathe both kids together.  I could just bathe Avery, but if Riggs is in the bathtub, so must she be. After a few moments of sheer panic on my part, she's proven to be very soft with her brother, and I always let her help me bathe him.  I'll sit him up and hold him while she scrubs his back, and he comes out squeaky clean every time.

 - Avery has an impressive grasp on the English language, but sometimes her enunciation could use a little work.  A few months ago she and I were in the Kroger.  I turned around to find her standing in the seat of the buggy and immediately said, "Avery!  Sit sit sit!" which of course she repeated enthusiastically and loudly... only from her mouth it sounded like "Shit shit shit!"  And of course one of my DAR sisters was right around the corner.  You should hear her say, "fork."

 - She counts too: "One, two, fee, six!"

 - Her favorite songs to sing are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the ABC song, Jesus Muvs Me, and the Itsy Bitsy Speyter.  She loves "speyters" so much she often asks me to draw one.  There's a worn-out cardboard box in the living room right now with a spider army drawn all over it.

 - And to my surprise, she has memorized several of her board books already, including Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, I'm a Big Sister, I am a Bunny,  Happy Birthday Little Pookie, and Goodnight Moon.

 - The other day Mike was in his underwear, looking for his pajama bottoms.  He leaned over, and Avery's patted his butt with her little hand and in her sweet 2-year-old voice proudly said, "Daddy panties."

 - Riggs contentedly hangs out in my lap or his Moses basket and takes note.

Life as of Late

Oh hey guys.  Guess what.  I had a baby.  It's a boy and his name is Riggs Michael.

We love him.

So does his big sister.  Actually, she's more over-the-moon-completely-enamored-and-infatuated with him.  We're eating it up.

Birth was completely natural and went exactly the way I wanted it.  We arrived at the hospital around 9 AM, and he was here at 10:46.  It snowed that morning, March 2, and it snowed on Avery's birthday as well this year.  Snow on both my babies' birthdays in the year 2013.

It was pretty hard work.  I'm hoping to post the (extremely) detailed story here sometime when both babies are napping again.  You can see more photos taken by the talented Jess Bollaert here:

Life with two has its moments, but most are unbelievably sweet and wonderful.  Avery is coming into her own, has a great vocabulary (including "octopust," "kaynket," and "pantyrolls" instead of ponytails), and has the sweetest, smartest, most clever and funny personality.  The other day she insisted that the dog says "beep," and I could tell in her eyes that she was having a fun time kidding me.  We're working on manners such as yes ma'am, please, and thank you, and potty training is slow but steady.  I almost took a photo of her first, ah, deposit.

 She's incredibly, heart-stoppingly sweet with her little brother, for which I am eternally grateful.

 So many times I've thought to sit down and write about the cute, wonderful, funny, intense things that have happened in the past few months, but as you might imagine time to sit down is rare.  I will try to make an effort, but in the meantime, please know that we're having the time of our lives.

Jaunt to Gulf Shores

We recently realized that in her 20 months on this planet, Avery has never set foot on the beach.  Neither has her daddy, for that matter, and so without further ado, we decided to make a last-minute last-ditch quick trip to the coast for one final summer fling.  

Mike was only off for four days, and we literally wrung every last drop of fun out of those four days as was possible.  He worked Wednesday night, so he came home Thursday morning and slept for a few hours, then I threw everybody in the car and drove straight to Fish River Grill #2 in Foley to have supper.    Since I'd been to Orange Beach with the girls a couple of years ago, I was designated tour guide.  Avery was a doll on the way down and behaved remarkably well during dinner.  Mike had fried oysters, and I had the fried alligator - it might have been our favorite meal that weekend.

 Then we drove on down to #609 in Crystal Towers, our lovely home away from home.  Mike had booked it last minute, and we were lucky enough to have an entire side of the complex all to ourselves.  When we first walked in, Avery and I genuinely said "WOW!" back and forth to each other.  It was awfully cute, and the condo really was that nice.  Avery's room even had its own balcony with views of the Little Lagoon behind us.  The kitchen and living room had huge picture windows of the beach, and the living room and master bedrooms had sliding glass doors that opened to a lovely, wide balcony.  It was perfect.

 The next morning we had breakfast, slathered up with sunscreen, and headed to the beach.  Our first unfortunate surprise: Avery.  HATES.  Sand.  Despises it.  Has absolutely nothing to do with it.  Cannot tolerate the stuff and is quite frankly shocked and horrified that we would even consider walking on it.  The photo below is the ONLY time she took a few steps on the beach, and even that was under duress.

 So the morning was spent with either Mike or me carting the baby around on our hips or sitting in the water with her on our laps.  We headed up to the condo for sandwiches for lunch and a nap for the baby, then headed back down for another try on the beach.  Once again, sand was a no-go for the little monster.  I found myself enormously grateful to Mike for having the foresight to book a place with such a fabulous pool.

 We decided Friday would be our best bet to eat out, so we loaded up in the car and drove a little while Avery took a nap in the backseat.  We decided on the Original Oyster House for dinner but had to take home to-go boxes after an hour and a half wait and complete meltdown from the kiddo.  She had too big of a day and was done.

 Then Saturday we once again went through the sunscreen ritual and headed for the beach.  On the way home, we noticed that though we had a little bit of sun, none of us burned at all.  Mike and I contributed it to our being so careful with Avery.  Friday afternoon I had picked up some little booties for her to wear on the beach in the hopes that would calm her distaste for sand, but no luck.  We were able to distract her fairly well with snacks on our beach mats, so she wasn't literally on top of us the whole time, and she really enjoyed pointing at the seagulls.

For lunch we went to Papa Rocco's for burgers, and Saturday afternoon was spent with the baby taking a nap back at the condo while Mike and I watched Georgia Tech beat Virginia.  It was a really great game.  Then we took a quick walk on the beach, where we took some family photos, and decided on takeout from S&S Seafood Market for dinner.  Wow.  That was right up there with our top favorite places to eat.  I had the creole snapper, and Mike had Greek trigger fish.  The boxes were also piled high with onion rings, hush puppies, and fries.

After Avery went to sleep Saturday night, Mike and I stayed up to watch The Woman in Black, a chillingly terrifying movie with Daniel Radcliffe.  It was the perfect beachside ghost story, and after it was over I just had to go check on the baby.  But I was too spooked to go alone, so armed with a flashlight, Mike and I crept through the condo like two bad little kids ourselves.  She opened her eyes and looked at us as if to say, "What are you crazy people doing?" and we scampered away.

 Sunday morning was spent poolside, which Avery quite adored.  She had a thing about the darker squares on the pavement and wanted to stop and step on each and every one.  Once again, lunch and a nap at the condo, and then we headed to Tanger, where Mike and I bought each other's birthday gifts.  I'm entirely too excited about mine but will have to wait 'till November.

 On our way back from Tanger, we stopped by Bella Luna Pizza for a Mona Lisa with green bell peppers.  Delicious.  We headed back to the condo to pack everything up and settle in for the night, watching the Simpsons just like we do at home.  Then Monday morning we took another quick walk on the beach, and on our way home, we dropped in to Cafe Beignets for breakfast.

It was the perfect quick little getaway, just the three of us, with several life lessons learned along the way.  All in all, it was a happy time, and we can't wait to go back.  Mark Twain said, "I have found that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them," and after this weekend, I'm most certain that I desperately love these two.

Breastfeeding Gift Basket

The Holy Family, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1634

183 x 123 cm

Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Thanks Leigh!

What to do in the South when somebody has a baby? BRING FOOD!

When Avery came along, we had so much food in the house that I didn't have to cook for months. It was very much appreciated - who knows how many meals I would have had to skip without them. But..... what about Avery's meals?

It is an unfortunate reality that breastfeeding takes a backseat to labor & delivery in our society. BUT nursing this baby girl was SO much more difficult, overwhelming, physically exhausting, and ultimately rewarding to me than giving birth to her. Breastfeeding is really more of an art than the science of so-many-ounces-per-so-many-hours. There are no straight lines on the human body, just as there are no straight, definitive rights or wrongs in the art of breastfeeding. It's sleep-depriving, doubt-riddled, mysterious (& too-often misunderstood by society at large) WORK.

So I thought it might be nice to help new moms out in a slightly different way with a few of my favorite breastfeeding things:

- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - This book actually should be read before delivery - if you just THINK you MIGHT be interested in breastfeeding, READ THIS BOOK. Even in the hospital, we received about 1,000 different opinions on how, what, when, and in what position to feed Avery. It was so calming to have one resource for reference amongst the maelstrom of conflicting advice. The Nursing Mother's Companion is a good one too.

- Mother's Milk Tea - to increase supply

- Oatmeal - ditto.

- This chart for easy visualization of how teeny tiny baby's tummy is at certain stages and remember how often it needs to be filled!

- Lanolin - to hydrate sore, perhaps cracked nipples

- Therashells - for the first two weeks of breastfeeding, my nipples were so sore that I didn't want anything touching them. Even a T-shirt was enough to knock my head off. Until that went away (it started to abate after about 7 days), these hard shells were the perfect solution to keep fabric off and let nipples air dry while being able to put clothes on. We later found out that the hospital charged the insurance company $120.00 (!!!) for these. Don't confuse therashells with nipple shields, which are flexible and have little holes in them. Though often recommended by hospitals (I have no idea why!) nipple shields are terrible for breastfeeding babies. They want mom's nipple - not a piece of plastic - in their mouths.

- Soothies Gel Pads - When just letting nipples air-dry (breastmilk is the BEST salve for tender nipples) isn't enough, it's nice to have two packs of these: one to wear and one to keep in the fridge. Lanolin, however, is not good for them, so advise not to use in conjunction.

- Nursing pads - once my supply regulated, I didn't need these very much, but oh my, it was nice to have them in my bra for extra insurance that I wouldn't have a wet T-shirt contest in the middle of Target.

- Bananas and other favorite fruits - easy, one-handed access to good nutrition. I was never so hungry when pregnant with the monster as I was when breastfeeding her, and it never seemed like I had enough hands when she was nursing.

- Granola bars - ditto.

- Water bottles - oh my gosh, at the thirst! I loved the kind that you can close securely because I was always knocking them over in the middle of the night.

- Burp cloth and/or sling from Kate at Mississippi Hippie Baby

- Boon Flo Water Deflector - not only is it an awesomely fun bath toy after baby grows up a little, this deflector was wonderful for my boobs in the bathtub. I would sit in absolute bliss with warm water flowing over my engorged breasts when my milk first came in. Warm compresses also help for plugged ducts and to relieve discomfort.

- Epsom salts - for the mom with a tear or an episiotomy, there's nothing better than a warm, soaking bath. It's relaxing too, and Heaven knows she needs some relaxation.

Most of all, giving a breastfeeding mom your love and support, encouraging and cheering, sharing with her your awe at the fact that she is feeding that baby all by herself and reveling in the miracle of our bodies, would be appreciated from any new mama in the throes of Baby Boot Camp.

At the end of the day, think about Brooke Shields in Blue Lagoon: if you and baby were on a desert island and had no idea what to do, you would figure it out. Beautifully. Skip the Hollywood-dramatized (and traumatized) birthing scene and skip over to 2:10.

Many thanks to my friend Kate for helping me with this list, including The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, The Nursing Mother's Companion, Mother's Milk tea, and the easy breastfeeding reference chart!

What am I forgetting, ladies? What was your saving grace in the early weeks?

Spring Musings

Our Dear, Sweet, Baby Girl,

I cannot believe that this weekend we will be celebrating our second Easter with you. Three Easters ago I still didn't know that you had just burrowed into me, starting the biggest adventure of Mike's and my life. You.
Oh my goodness, you were so TINY last year!

In a chocolate daze from your Easter bunny from your CA. You now have one sweet little curl at the nape of your neck, eight teeth (4 top and 4 bottom), and more teefies on the way.

Spring is my favorite time of year, and you seem to really enjoy being outside. Dirt and dead bugs delight you, as does sunshine and playing out in the rain and splashing in puddles. Your daddy taught you how to run - RUN! - last week, and since then you take off and bolt every now and then. It reminds me of how the cilantro always seems to bolt and take seed way before I'm even remotely ready.

The post-partum depression is a faint, vague memory now. At the time I was desperately worried that it would cloud my happy memories with you, but I'm joyful to report that my happy, cuddly, cozy, sweet, fond memories vastly outweigh those of concern, frustration, and uncertainty.

You actually helped me with the uncertainty most of all: when you were brand-new, your daddy and I were bombarded with conflicting advice from every possible source. We had no idea what to do, and everyone was telling us something different. You, my dear.... You gave us no choice and taught me by hook or by crook how to be a mom. Thank you. I learned - slowly but surely - to ignore outside voices and to my gut instincts (after all, that's where you started) and listen to you and you alone.... And you know what? I think we've fared fairly well.

That's not to say you've been a perfect angel. Far from it. But you do listen to us when we tell you the "N" word in our house (No!), even if we sometimes have to repeat it with varying degrees of volume and persistence. Your booty is too small to spank, so like my grandmother, I have to resort to firmly pinching you on the sensitive part behind your arm. But so far your worst offense has been throwing food off the high chair to Dante. Once, after you'd been warned three times, I reached out and pinched your arm. You replied with a hurt expression, a "na-ah," and a tiny gentle pinch right back. Clearly I'd hurt your feelings. But we're figuring it out together.

(And a side note to any who are gearing up to type any sort of reply that includes any phrase similar to "just you wait....." SHOVE IT. It is NOT supportive, encouraging, or productive in the least. I heard it when Avery started pulling up, crawling, walking, running, and on, and I am SICK OF IT. Stop sullying happy wonderful milestones with feelings of dread. You were probably one of the voices I had to drown out earlier and a contributor to dangerous depression.)

But back to you, our little monster. You have discovered crayons, and you currently have a process that is very similar to stippling: you cram as many colors as your little hand can possibly hold, then you throw them against the paper, creating a somewhat crazed, dotted effect. This fascinates you, and you do it for literally minutes at a time.

Plastic Easter eggs are another favorite of yours, and you love to play Easter egg hunt in the living room, toddling around with my old white basket and picking up anything that will fit and putting it in the basket. Then you'll grow a wild hair and shake the heck out of the basket, throwing everything out. .... and repeat putting things in the basket.

The highlight of your day is when Daddy comes home. He scoops you up in his arms, and quick as a wink you steal his pen out of his pocket. Next to your dad, Dante and Kearney are still your favorite buddies, and sometimes you help me prepare to leave the house by closing Dante up in his kennel. You also like to help me put ice cubes into a bottle of water or a martini shaker (see the martini dance). You have an awesome fascination with shoes, and you want to put on everybody's; you even know which shoe goes on the correct foot, which really amazes me.

Even though you were given no fewer than twenty-seven lovies upon your birth (true story: I counted.), you have nothing to do with them. A true engineer's daughter like your great-great-grandmother, you are no-nonsense, and you love anything with buttons, electricity, or a power cord. You can usually be found toddling around with my phone charger in one hand and have been known to go to sleep with the pool key tightly clutched in your tiny grasp.

Few things on this planet delight you more than feeding us something from your plate; you giggle and crow with glee when Daddy or I eats something out of your hand. And we now must carefully watch the trash. Just last night Daddy found a wash cloth in the recycle bin.

We are so proud of you. Thankful for you. Happy to be with you. You have given your daddy and me a pure joy and have fulfilled our lives in so many ways, more than you will ever know.

Love,

Mama

A Year with Joy Young McClellan

Well, I suppose I should say a year and nine months with Joy, as she's been with us since before we ever met this little powerhouse that we call the Monster. Joy has been so good to us, and she's provided us with treasured photographs and a treasured friendship that we will keep forever. Coming to wherever we are, always patient and understanding how crazy life is with a 5-day-old, standing outside in 90 degree heat at 8 AM so we can get the perfect shot, this lady has done it all to make the most precious photographs.

Avery's first birthday has been bittersweet - no more long cuddles, no more sweet baby smell, no more little grunts and stretches - it's all go, all the time now. And we won't get to see our friend Joy as much. Her sweet smile and the fun times we have with her have been the perfect counterbalance to the tears endured at the doctor's office at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Avery adores her Joy - she will even without hesitation let Joy hold her - and we sincerely hope to stay in touch.

32 weeks pregnant
Newborn
3 Months
6 Months
9 Months
My goodness, we can't pick out our favorite year shot!