*17 dias

I wish I could say things are going "great"... here's a short list of the challenges we've had over the last week:

*Ben almost sawed off the end of his thumb and spent a few hours at the ER. Thankfully it happened 2 minutes before my parents arrived from Nevada [my mom had left and came back, then left again this monday]

*Vera had the flu Friday, Ben had it yesterday and I felt on the verge of it 2 mornings in a row.

*Edie wasn't latched on right the first week and so I have some severely sore, bloody, scabbed... nursing parts. It's so bad I was having major anxiety attacks before feeding her and crying a LOT. I finally went to my midwife yesterday [if you are in that situation DO NOT wait!] and got a prescription to hopefully heal. I also started pumping and giving her a bottle which is emotionally hard :( I am really determined to keep nursing and I hope it doesn't ruin it. Any suggestions?

*Vera continues to have a bedtime fit which has us at a complete loss as to what to do. We put her down and then she calls out for the next hour telling us she has to tell us something, can't sleep, is hungry, needs us to rub her back FIVEMOREMINUTES and freaks out when we try to tell her that's enough. Any ideas??

Like several of my friends have reminded me, none of these 'trials' last forever and I am praying for patience and endurance while it all lasts! Friends have been really helpful bringing us meals and taking Vera for a couple hours which has been so wonderful. It also helps that Edie is so stinkin cute and snuggly and is sleeping some decent stretches at night. Vera is also so helpful and loving with the baby and Ben has been amazing and wonderful in helping and supporting me even with the flu and a pretty scary looking thumb.

*

I'm really happy and grateful that Vera is so good with the baby, loving her so much and being so helpful with caring for her. However, she has been 'acting out' whatever emotional stresses she has in other ways including some enormous tantrums and a lot of difficulty going to bed. Today I got us all finally dressed and ready to go to the park [it was noon] but Vera threw a huge fit because I wanted us to take the blue stroller [as opposed pink one of course - I hate pink now by the way] which would be easier for me to push while holding the baby. I mean this was a HUGE fit resulting in no visit to the park. [btw it's not because I wouldn't budge on pink, it's because she cannot win a 'battle' that starts with her screaming and throwing herself on the ground, limbs flailing.]

So anyway we had an incredibly lovely and sweet night that was so welcome and needed. It started out with Vera deciding to make Edie a birthday card all on her own. I think even Ben teared up a little at her final product.

She asked me the letters and did it all by herself! Right to left.


and inside, "me and Edie! That's my crown."

Then she decided she wanted to have a cozy tea party in front of the fire, which I was later invited to. We would take a sip of tea and then give each other a big hug and kiss. It was very sweet and I kept blinking back tears, I love this little girl so much.


Then I was treated to a dance show set to Elizabeth Mitchell's music. Meanwhile Edie slept peacefully. Thank you Lord - strength for tomorrow.

*

Various shots from this first week and a half...

a daddy and his daughters:

cute little g bottom:

first time in the bjorn:

looking at some itty bitty toes:

baby trying to eat vera's neck:

*primer baño

There's going to be lots of "firsts" posts around here.

It was easier I realize with Vera having her in August. It's a little chillier now and so all 4 of us crowded into the steamy bathroom.

hurry, hurry!

All warm and snuggly, dressed in jammies for the first time [she's been swaddled in a t-shirt and diaper pretty much all the time]. Ben and I were really attached to these bunny jammies [is that weird?] of Vera's and it was so fun to see Edie in them.

*el shopping

On Friday we took our first family outing - to the brand new 1-mile-away Target. I feel like I've read somewhere that a high percentage of babies' first outing are to Target... Anyway it was really a lot of fun - especially with a generous gift card :) Edie was so cute - eyes open all the way there and for most of the shopping trip. Vera was super excited too looking at all the fun things to buy. My favorite: "A Tinkerbell bed?! Oh how can I believe it?!!!"






It was a little too much exertion for me, however, and on arriving home my back hurt so badly and I was so tired that I literally burst into tears. Anyone else cry a lot after having a baby??

*la pequeñita

♥ 5 days old


I love these little wide-eyed moments

*hermanitas

We were eating dinner a couple nights ago and heard the sweetest thing coming from our room - Vera was saying a little bedtime prayer - something like, Dear God thank you for my baby, please keep my baby safe, please help her to sleep well... I went in and she was letting Edie sleep with Bunny and was starting a bedtime story. I have a feeling watching this little sister-sister relationship develop is going to be one of the biggest joys for us.


Do you know what this is? That's a square. Do you know what this is? That's a circle. Do you know what this is? -Mom, what is this?- That's a rectangle.

*Eden Violet Siu-Lan Cater

Born 2:14 am - Monday, October 11, 2010

Violet is Ben's grandmother's name and Siu-Lan is his sister's middle name - it means beautiful flower.

 

We got home today and at the moment everything is peaceful!  She's sleeping in her bassinet and Vera is having quiet time.  I'll write more later, but here's a couple pictures from just now before *the girls* went down.  Vera is already so helpful, fetching me my phone and water and shushing the baby when she cries.  She also made us some cookies and taught Edie a bunch of signs, "sewed" her a little shirt out of a string and sang us songs while she nursed.  I'm resting now on the bed [should be sleeping rather than computing...] and am so grateful for everything.  Much more later!  ♥

She keeps saying, "I'm so glad my baby is here" and "I'm so glad I'm a big sister!" and "I love my baby!"

Vera's also our little photographer...

*not pink

I bribed her to wear this cute outfit yesterday, saying she could have a dum-dum on the way to the Farmer's Market if she cooperated. I thought she looked so adorable - though in a strange who-is-this-child? kind of way.

[watching the hula-hoop girl]

She changed immediately on arriving home - putting this little outfit on and calling herself "Pinkergirl."

*listos

It's been a slow process getting things ready - a bin here and there coming out from the garage, clothes finally sorted and put away, itty bitty diapers all lined up so cute and the girls' room finally set up. It's funny how little you really need for a baby yet how much you seem to acquire! I've probably mentioned my favorite motto used to be something like "everything I own I can put in a hankerchief over my shoulder." Something like that - see I even forgot how the quote went. Anyway, regardless of if you need all these things, they sure are cute! and we got a cute new storage system to help organize it all [thank you Myers and Caters!].

Ben set up the crib the other day and my mom fixed the bedding that I had almost ruined by drying it on high. Seriously, one huge reason I wanted another girl was so I could use this cute bedding again :) I picked out the fabrics at a shop in Missoula and my mom sewed it up. I wish I hadn't deleted the pictures from when Ben set up the crib and furniture before Vera was born - it would have been fun seeing them next to these 3 years later.

Wait, I got my tools!!!

*

My mom got here Monday in preparation for baby's arrival. My midwife had hoped - because of low amniotic fluid levels as well as wanting to avoid the traumas of a ginormous baby - that I would deliver this week. Despite a few hippy-type encouragements, it looks baby is happy to wait it out and fluid levels are stable [despite one nurse telling me, oh yes they will continue to go down - you'll have her by 36 weeks]. I tried to not let myself get excited about maybe delivering early, but I went ahead and got my mind set on it :( Anyway... we have lots of projects lined up to keep the waiting time occupied. Yesterday we canned tomatoes and bought supplies for strawberry pillows. We also have a 25 lb. box of apples to make into applesauce, various other sewing projects, a house to organize and a 3 year old to keep happy [not an easy task this week]. I'm tired, but at least we're keeping things busy and that makes time go fast!

*esta semana

::some pictures from the week::

I got some cheap boring thank you cards at a yard sale and then had Vera help me paint some pink swatches to revamp them with.

Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention and glued almost all of them on upside down:

The fun little pre-baby party our neighbors had for us. Slightly unfair that the table was filled with wine, mixed drinks and irresistible soft cheeses straight from her Paris trip [I couldn't not... baby and I are still ok but I feel huge anxiety and guilt every time I do that!].

neighbor friends:

What your lungs look like inside:

I'm trying to enjoy these last weeks (days? :) of showering in peace. Today she entertained herself with a picnic/feast with all her animal friends. Soon it will be back to not knowing when I am ever supposed to get ready.

el mate:



La ballena at almost 37 weeks. I'm only sharing this picture because it somehow makes me look smaller than I actually am. You should see the picture I'm not sharing that Vera took from below - yikes.

*la hadita princesa

Guess what? I'm a fairy, I help people get basil.

I'm a fairy, my name is Tinkerbell. I can make the ceiling change color, do you want to see? Black, pink, blue!

I'm such a good cooker. Did you know that? I'm a real fairy. I can fly through the sky. Look I can fly while I'm eating dinner. Don't I look lovely?

Vera start eating right now. 1....2....

Don't count! I'm a fairy and fairies eat their dinner all by themselves. [yeah right]

and on and on...

At first I thought it was cute - ah 3 year olds and their adorable imaginations and conversations. Then it started getting old. Then I started losing patience. O-KAY I get it, you're a fairy, eat your freaking dinner before I lose my mind.

*

We spent a day and a night up in the mountains with some friends this weekend. It was so nice to get out of town, up into the cool air and to see the changing leaves. I am pretty useless now and mostly sat - in the cabin and in the canoe. I was surprisingly comfortable though and even had the best night's sleep in weeks. We're both kind of home-bodies and but I would really like to get out like this more! No more excuses.

she loves to fish!

little friends