The Three-Ring Circus

As I start parenting my two little munchkins on my own (during the day; Dada is very helpful in the evenings, of course :), I am starting to feel a bit like we are a three-ring circus.  Baths last night were an interesting experience.  Clint was working late, so I decided to go for it on my own.  Charlie did a pretty good job of playing by himself in the tub while I nursed Evie (who did her part by nicely enjoying some tummy time between sides while I scrubbed Charlie).  Then I decided to bath Evie, who hadn't had a bath in a few days, and was starting to smell like spit-up.  This bath was a bit more hectic, as I had a naked Charlie quickly dismantling my bathroom while I scrubbed his little sister.  Then, just as I got her wrapped up in a warm towel and was patting myself on the back for having two clean kids, Miss Evie spit up all over me, herself, and the clean towel.  I got that cleaned up (while Charlie continued to tear around the bathroom), but before I could get a diaper on her, Evie pooped in the towel!  So her bath was probably in vain, except for teaching me that I really need to move faster with the diaper. :)

Today's lunch was also wild, as both kids decided they were starving at the exact same time (I have been blessed with children who go from 0-60 in about 5 seconds, especially when they are hungry).  Poor Evie had to scream for a few minutes while I rushed around getting Charlie's lunch ready.  Then both kids got to eat at the same time, although both seemed slightly peeved that they weren't getting my full attention. :)  [This scene was replayed again at dinner, so apparently I need to re-work my meal routine a bit!]

Breastfeeding is also interesting with an 18-month-old running around.  Charlie doesn't seem to mind me feeding Evie (he keeps noting that I'm feeding her with my "belly button" (??)), but he likes to get into mischief while I do.  So far, this has included hurling himself at us over and over.  This would have been annoying, but he was giggling so hard that it was difficult to get mad at him.  Charlie also likes to fill my lap and hands with his favorite trucks and tractors while I'm feeding her.  Poor Evie spent the majority of her feedings today covered in construction vehicles. :(

It is such an interesting shift when you have your second child.  I couldn't imagine seeing Charlie as anything other than a precious little baby before Evie was born, but ever since I arrived home from the hospital with her, I have seen large danger signs flashing over his head  (for good reason, as we've had a couple of near-accidents).  But as soon as I get discouraged about all the craziness, Charlie's sweet, hilarious little personality wins me over (and helps me overlook the danger :).  Charlie's new thing is to say "I kiss, I kiss," which means that he wants to kiss Evie on the head.  He does this many, many times a day and does it so sweetly every time.  I have also been working with him on being "gentle" with Evie, and the praise-hound has really been enjoying this new concept.  After I cheered him on for being gentle with Evie today, he was very gently touching other people/objects (my hand, Clint's hand, his trucks, the sofa, etc.), and then turning around for applause.  It was pretty cute--and he does seem to have gotten the hang of it!  Charlie is also getting in the helpful spirit.  Today, I started feeding Evie in the chair without my Boppy pillow and Charlie ran over with it and wedged it under her.  I was kind of wanting it, so it was really nice to have a helper!

Overall, my favorite thing about having two kids is watching Charlie smile and laugh at Evie.  Below are three pictures we took while Charlie was holding Evie.  She sneezed while he was holding her and it absolutely cracked him up.  He was laughing so hard here--it was pretty cute.

Charlie also loves to entertain Evie during her tummy time.  He was laying down with her today, making silly faces at her and giggling, and I swear she smiled back.  I know it's too young for her to be smiling, but it really looked like she was grinning at him.  Charlie thought so too, and it pleased him immensely.  The only problem with having my "helper" during tummy time is that he has much more stamina for it than Evie does.  He doesn't understand why she gets tired and wants to be picked up after a few minutes, and protests loudly when I retrieve her.  Poor Evie got a little more tummy time than she wanted today, because Charlie's insistent "again! again! please! please!" was hard to say no to. :)

I love these two little people...and even when things are hectic around here, at least they are entertaining!

Evie's First Two Weeks

We have had the most wonderful first two weeks with this precious baby girl.  Evie could not be a sweeter little baby.  So far, Evie is totally content and happy--except when she is hungry, when she turns very mad, very quickly (just like another small Burri).  But hunger aside, Evie just goes with the flow--riding in the stroller, being carted around the house, park, mall, and store in my Baby K'tan carrier, sitting dangerously close to her big brother on my lap during story time, and fitting her feedings in during his naps, bathtime, etc.  I feel so lucky to have this little girl in my life--it is amazing how much we love her already!

Sweet Evie already loves to pose for the camera. :)

 These skinny little legs are starting to bulk up a bit...

 Like her brother, Miss Mouse loves her paci!  And Charlie likes for her to have it--he gets very nervous when it falls out and alerts me with a loud "Uh Oh!  Baby Paci!"

 Holding it in, just in case...

We love Evie's big, curious eyes..

.

 The mouse will sleep anywhere, anytime. :)

She is quickly getting STRONG--look at that stiff neck! :)

Evie is such a happy baby--she doesn't mind just hanging out--even when she's awake!

 Aside from eating and sleeping, another of Evie's favorite activities is getting her hair washed.  She loves luxuriating in the warm water!

 Wrapping up in a warm towel post-bath is another favorite thing.

 We passed another milestone this week--Evie lost her umbilical cord.  As a result, we now get to have real baths.  Evie thinks real baths are much better than sponge baths!

Evie had her two-week checkup yesterday.  I combined Charlie's 18-month check-up with Evie's 2-week check-up, and it was a WILD experience.  Trying to comfort Charlie after his shots and Evie after her heel stick was not easy.  Luckily, both of the kids quieted and bounced back very quickly.  Evie has done great at her first two check-ups.  Her birth weight was 7 pounds, 9 ounces, and she weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces at 6 days old, and 7 pounds, 14 ounces at 2 weeks old.  Our pediatrician was very pleased with her progress, and we are so proud of our good eater!  Evie's stats today were:

Weight: 7 lbs., 14 oz. (50%)

Height: 20.75 in. (75%)

Head: 14.25 in. (75%)

And here is Miss Evie at her first weigh-in (not the most flattering photo, but seems like one of those things that must be documented :).

After an amazing two weeks up here in Dallas, Grandma Ali headed back to Seguin yesterday (post-appointment, luckily).  We were all SO sad to see her go.  It was unbelievable how much she did while she was here.  Between cooking, laundry, taking care of Charlie, snuggling with Evie, and taking care of me, I don't know how she kept going.  She was last to go to bed at night and first up in the morning.  She says she is sad to leave, but I am guessing that a few days and nights of rest aren't looking too bad right now. :)  I am a little panicked about being left alone with these two little ones, but hopefully Grandma Ali taught us enough in these first two weeks that we can get by until she comes back.  We miss you Ahhh!

I love this picture of Evie looking up at my mom.  Little Miss Evangeline was named in honor of my mom (Alice Evangeline), and she has a lot to live up to!

The Transition to a Family of 4

It has been interesting transitioning to a family of four.  Evie has made it so much easier than it otherwise could be with her sweet, calm disposition.  She doesn't demand much at all, and is a wonderful, cozy little cuddler.  Perfect for these cold fall days. :)  Charlie has been doing really well as well, after a tough couple of days when we first arrived home.  I think Charlie was overwhelmed with all the changes, with his parents being gone for three nights, with a new little person coming home with them, with his schedule being (slightly) disrupted, and especially with my physical restrictions following the c-section (no stairs, no picking up Charlie, etc.).  The hardest thing for me is not being able to pick up Charlie--it makes me so sad when he cries and I can't sweep him up and make it better.  There were several tantrums the first few days, but after the weekend, things settled down a bit, and Charlie quickly returned to his old, sweet, hilarious self.  He seems to find Evie very amusing--he especially loves it when she opens her eyes and looks at him.  He also likes to hold her, but he's quickly becoming pretty bored with her (which is awesome, as it means less risk of little hands getting to her :).  AND, he's getting better and better at playing independently, which will be great going forward.  I'm starting to really enjoy having two kids--especially when Evie makes Charlie giggle.  [I am still terrified about my mom leaving me alone with these two munchkins.  Trying not to think about that. :)]

Sweet big brother loves giving kisses.

 He finds her funny faces endlessly amusing.

 Charlie demanded the Boppy pillow for holding Evie tonight.  He likes the extra support it provides. :)

 Charlie finds Evie's tummy time pretty funny.  When she's down there, he likes to lay down and look at her, and he says "Eeeeeeviiiieeee" in a loud voice.  Then he gets bored and goes back to his tractor. :)

Evie's doing really well with her tummy time (she's been doing it in interesting places (tabletops, bathroom floors during Charlie's bath, etc.) in order to stay out of danger (and by danger, I mean Charlie)).  She will stay on her mat for quite a while and even lifts her head and moves it back and forth.  She is a strong little baby!  

 Clint has lots of little people to cuddle with when he gets home.  So far, Charlie's been surprisingly nice about sharing.

All in all, the transition has gone much better than I expected.  And we feel so, so lucky to have these two sweet babies!

Evie's Friends and Family

Evie is a lucky little lady--she already has lots of friends and family who adore her.  We have had lots of fun visitors so far (and LOVE visitors, so if you're in the area, stop by and say hi! :).  Aside from the family mentioned in the earlier posts, Evie has met:

Uncle Sam and Aunt Audra (or "Nam" and "Auga," as Charlie has christened them).  Evie already loves these two!

Dede and Addie spent a few days in Dallas while we were in the hospital.  They were so fun, sweet, and generous while they were here.  Having such sweet, fun company made the hospital stay so much nicer.  And Evie loved being welcomed into the family by two of her favorite women. :)

 Ivan, one of Clint's friends from medical school, is a resident at Baylor and came by to hang out while we were there.  Evie liked getting the extra medical attention--he pronounced her quite healthy!

 Despite a hectic work schedule, Bethany stopped by as well and brightened up our day.

 And Evie loved meeting Ann (her boyfriend Colin's mom :).  I somehow neglected to get a picture of Evie with Ann, so I'm using this one of her with Charlie.  Hard to tell the difference, right? :)

 Another of our friends, Jason, stopped by.  Charlie is really, really thrilled with the monster truck Jason brought him.

 Papa spent a lot of time at home with Charlie, but came up every evening for some snuggle time with Miss Evie.  She loves him already!

 Shortly after we got home on Friday, Meg and Graeme arrived from Austin to officially welcome Evie to the world.  We had a wonderful weekend with them, and they made Evie's first weekend at home so special.

 Evie thought Uncle Graeme made a great pillow. :)

 Charlie was also thrilled by Meg and Graeme's visit.  He LOVED having so much family in town last week/weekend.  No one loves a party like Charlie!!

 Mom, Meg, Audra, and I took Evie for her first walk on Saturday.  It was a beautiful day and Evie loved strolling around the neighborhood.  Big brother Charlie has also taken her for a couple walks, all of which have been big hits for both kids.

Evie loves all our sweet visitors--thank you all for taking the time to stop by!

Going Home

On Friday, November 4, we headed home with little Miss Evie.  It was an exciting, overwhelming, and wonderful day.  Our morning in the hospital was busy, busy, with staple removal, a bath for Evie, discharge paperwork and instructions, a run to the gift shop for a warmer blanket, and all sorts of other little tasks.  But we managed to fit in some time for a few final pics of the Mouse before she left the hospital for her first look at her house.

 Our busy morning was exhausting!

 Thanks to our sweet friends and family for the beautiful flowers.  They made our hospital stay even brighter!

 Around 11:00 a.m., our quiet hospital room got a lot busier when Charlie burst in to collect his sister.  He got a little sick during the week, so he hadn't seen her since their first meeting on Tuesday.  He was so excited to see "my bebe" again.  Look at that happy face!

 Lucky Evie got a vigorous little kiss. :)

Her wrinkly little feet are fascinating to him.

 After a lot of waiting (and some anxiety from Big Bro as to whether I was joining him at home or not), we finally got our wheelchair and headed out.

 Hard to tell here, but Charlie really liked being wheeled through the halls.  Evie didn't mind either!

 With the mouse all buckled in, we headed home to begin our life as a family of 4.  Should be interesting... :)

Home sweet home!

Evie's Second and Third Days

Getting to know our baby girl has been an incredible experience.  She is the sweetest, most delicate little person.  So far, Evie is one of the most content little babies I've ever seen.  Due to her tiny features, small squeaks, and delicate movements, we've taken to calling her "the mouse."  The Mouse almost never cries--we only hear small squeaks when we change her diaper or unwrap her blankets.  She eats well, but isn't quite as insistent about it as her brother was.  Charlie could never relax until he'd eaten as much as possible from both sides.  Evie, on the other hand, is happy to relax, cuddle, look around, and enjoy her world a bit before she eats the second half of her meal.  We really could not love this girl any more.  And because I am so enjoying this sweet little face, I thought I'd share some of my favorite early pics of Evie with you.  Here she is on Days 2 & 3 of life!

We love you little mouse!