Progress

We've had two days with big sleeping accomplishments - yesterday Charlie took a 2-hour morning nap, and today he took a 2-hour afternoon nap. The amazing part of this is that he was sleeping in the bassinet (the mattress was on an incline), not in the bouncy seat or car seat! He's still waking up quite a bit at night, but I keep hoping it will get better soon.

Other random news - Eli let me put Charlie on his prized Spiderman couch with him for a few minutes without too much protesting. This is progress from last time. It helped that Eli was distracted with the Laurie Berkner Band DVD :) He loves the music.

My family came over last night to visit. My parents and Gram are all doing the low glycemic diet and are losing weight. I'm really impressed with their dedication and think they look great! I wish I had more willpower right now to do something similar to lose the last of the baby weight, but I went to Trader Joe's last week and bought my favorite Almond in the Coconut chocolates... that's not exactly low glycemic.

Here's Eli on our new couch! We finally have a place to sit in our living room. It will still be a while before the room feels put together, but we're happy to make progress a little bit at a time.
Poor Eli had a night terror last night, or something like it. He woke up around 9 p.m. screaming and pretty out of it, and it took a long time for him to calm down and go back to sleep. Apparently it's more likely to happen when kids are overtired, and Eli was totally wiped out after not napping (since we have afternoon church this year). Today he slept until 8:45 a.m. and still took a 3 1/2 hour nap! I was able to take a 2-hour nap while Charlie was also napping, and then even took a shower, dried my hair, and wrote this blog post while Eli slept. Amazing!

Charlie at 7 Weeks

Charlie is 7 weeks! Every week gets easier. I wouldn't say it's easy yet, but not as hard as a few weeks ago. Last night Charlie slept from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., ate and went back to sleep, then was awake at 4:30, ate and went back to sleep, and was up for the day at 7:30 a.m. It seemed to help that he was cocooned in his car seat (most nights he sleeps in the bouncy seat). I had tried the car seat at night a few weeks ago and he hated it, but I decided to give it another try - this time he didn't protest.

This was HEAVEN compared to a few nights ago when Charlie was up at 1 a.m., 3 a.m., 5 a.m., 6:30 a.m., and 8 a.m. The night after that was also difficult as he woke up around 1 a.m. and then was up for the day at 4:30 a.m. (and didn't take a nap until 8 a.m., which was when Eli woke up) Two bad nights in a row completely wiped me out... I swallowed my pride, called a friend and she came over that morning with her little boy and watched the kids while I napped for a few hours. Thank you Ronni!! And yesterday Carrie came over and played with the kids while I rested some more.

Enough about sleep though! In the last few days, Charlie has seemed less fussy. I love that Charlie regularly coos/makes noises in response to someone interacting with him. On Sunday he gave me lots of smiles while I held him in church, which was fun. He has the cutest dimples in his round cheeks when he smiles.
I feel like we haven't taken as many pictures with Charlie, so I made a point to take some tonight when we were all playing downstairs in the basement.

And if you look closely, you'll see that Ben and I were matching today but didn't realize it until tonight since I wasn't awake when he left for work this morning :) Funny.
Eli was in a happy mood tonight! He had fun playing with his trains and building the track. He calls the trains "stuck" when they attach to each other w/ their magnet ends. I tried putting Charlie in the bumbo seat for the first time and Eli thought it was the coolest thing. Charlie wasn't so sure about it... (and later Eli tried to sit in it and got stuck) It's so sweet seeing them interact with each other, even if it's for a minute. One Eli story from tonight that may not make much sense, but we think it's funny - when Ben was in the bathroom with Eli about to help him brush his teeth, they were going back and forth saying one of Eli's favorite phrases - "No Way!" and teasing with his toothbrush. After a little while, Eli said emphatically, "E-NOUGH!" This made Ben laugh because he'd never heard Eli use the word "enough." I'm glad he's developing his vocabulary :)

A New Blog Header, Exercise, and a Beautiful Day

I'm a pretty sentimental person, so I shed a few tears when I finally removed the Eli Love blog header! Silly me. Eli was just 4 months old when I started regularly posting to the blog and I really love the picture that was on the top of this page for so long.

BUT - I am excited for

The Adventures of Eli and Charlie

*I'm sure I will change the picture as Charlie gets a little older and/or if I can get a good picture of the boys together with both looking/smiling/etc. This will do for now.

It's been an interesting end to the week. My early morning college babysitter came the first day (Wednesday) and then was a no-show on Thursday!! I woke up at 7 a.m. (Charlie and Eli were still asleep) and waited for her and even tried her cell 30 minutes later, but she didn't answer. She emailed me later that morning to apologize (she overslept) and said this wasn't sure this would work out because she has too many commitments that keep her up late at night. Oh well! (she did say she could do Mondays/Wednesdays, but I don't totally trust her to wake up early on a Monday... we'll see about Wednesday)

So my extra sleep was short-lived. That's okay, because now it's the weekend and Ben is around to help.

But first - today we actually made it out the door at 8:45 a.m. This is a huge accomplishment. We went in to the sick call at the pediatrician's office to check out Charlie again (I've lost track of how many extra times we've been to the doctor since his birth, poor guy). I was concerned because all week Charlie has had his cough and at times would struggle while coughing, choking on his mucous. It scares me, especially at night.

Here's Eli, all ready to go:

I was happy that his pediatrician was there this morning and was the one to see Charlie, whose lungs sounded clear, thank goodness. Charlie weighed 11 pounds, 2 ounces today, so he's gaining weight just fine. As Dr. Andy put it, it's hard to be concerned when he's so chubby - his cold isn't keeping him from eating (you should see his arms and legs, it's hilarious on such a young baby). It is a little disconcerting that Charlie has this cough that he can't seem to beat (it's been five weeks now), but we're just going to keep watching him and hopefully he'll stop gagging on his congestion soon.

After the doctor's office, we went to a playgroup at the church, which was followed by a yoga/pilates class taught by my friend Jenna. She teaches at a nearby gym and was nice enough to teach a group of us - I am so sore tonight!! Yesterday I went to my gym for the first time in a LONG time and did the elliptical for 25 minutes - I thought I was going to die by the end (and went to bed at 8:30 last night because I was so tired from the exercise and not sleeping much the night before w/ Charlie).

This afternoon we went on a long walk and picked up a Homemade Pizza to cook for dinner. I love the sausage and carmelized onion pizza (my half of the pizza is cheeseless).

This picture below is funny to me because I picked up our mail right before our walk and Eli LOVED the Target ad that came today - there were some Elmo and Thomas the Train toys advertised that were so fun for him to look at. He insisted on bringing it in the stroller.

Charlie got a little restless toward the end...

When we were out near the shops walking around, I got all kinds of comments, mostly from elderly people. My favorite was an older man who held the door for me and asked if these were my kids (he said I looked like a teenager). We played at the park for a little bit before heading home. Eli loved going down the slide.

Have a happy weekend! I'm off to get some rest before Charlie wakes up...

Charlie at 6 Weeks

We made it to 6 weeks!! Here are some pictures of a happy Charlie:

Smiles mean so much from a baby who can be so unhappy! Charlie was up and fussy a lot last night. Tonight I have a headache and feel totally wiped out, but he's still awake for some reason. I'm really hoping he's more sleepy and content tonight! I feel really grateful we've reached the 6-week mark. The first few weeks are definitely the hardest and then it gets more fun with the cute smiles and cooing. Happy 6 weeks Charlie!

Thank You Charlie!

I'm not sure if Charlie could sense my desperation last night when we went to bed or that he was so exhausted from not sleeping well for the last few days, but we actually had a good night last night!! My sweet child woke up at 3 a.m., ate, and went right back to sleep (I almost cried). Then he was up at 6:15 a.m., ate, hung out in my arms, and is falling asleep in his bouncy seat about an hour later.

Amazing what a little more sleep feels like.

Thank you Charlie!

Last night I decided to email one of the university's sorority list-serves that my neighbor recommended to see if anyone was interested in doing the same deal as my previous babysitter for another couple of weeks... I got a wonderful response back from a senior who is finished with classes, has some extra time, and has nannied before. Perfect! I will gladly sacrifice some things financially this month to get more rest.

It's another really cold day here, but I checked the weather and we're actually going to be in the 50s in a few days.

Things are looking up! Tonight we'll probably be back to the old ways, but these rare times when Charlie does sleep well give me such hope for better nights to come...

Sleep Charlie!! Sleep Already.

This is probably a post I'll want to delete tomorrow, but oh well. This is not a sugar-coated blog :)

Charlie has now had four bad nights in a row where he's woken up at 2 a.m. and stayed up until about 4 a.m. Then he often wakes up around 5:45 or 6-ish and is awake for a while.

And thus was the case this morning. It is now 8:45 a.m. and he has been awake for the last three hours. Of course Eli is still asleep (he had a hard time falling asleep last night) and I keep wishing Charlie would fall asleep so I could close my eyes and go back to bed.

Sleep Charlie!! Sleep already.

I am going on almost 6 weeks of disjointed sleep. My wrists are sore from constantly patting Charlie's back as I bounce, rock, or pace with him through the night and during the day. This morning I tried laying Charlie in bed next to me from about 7 to 7:15 a.m., but he grew fussy pretty fast. I tried putting him in the bouncy seat next to my bed and laid there on my bed while I pushed on the seat to rock him... but that failed too. Now we're downstairs and Charlie is finally somewhat content in the seat staring at the light coming in from the window as I rock the seat with my foot. I can't believe he's still awake (or that Eli is still asleep). I really miss my 7-9 a.m. babysitter who finished up last week.

I feel bad for the poor child. He STILL has the same yucky cold and coughs constantly. He is often gassy and uncomfortable. He is often fussy and squirmy in my arms and doesn't last long when I put him in the Baby Bjorn, Beco carrier, Moby wrap, sling... but still dislikes being put down.

On Saturday I left the boys with Ben and was gone for a few hours getting some things done - when I came back early in the afternoon, Eli was napping and Ben was still in his pajamas and holding Charlie on the couch after struggling to keep him happy. Ben asked me, "Does Charlie stress you out? He stresses me out."

Why did everyone convince me when I was pregnant that my second child was going to be easy?

He's not.

I love Charlie. I love how snuggly he is when he finally falls asleep in my arms. He has just started to smile occasionally, which is very cute. But I am exhausted from the constant movement and energy required to keep this kid from crying. I really hope reaching the 6-week mark in a few days will be the magic turning point and things will improve from there.

And... he finally fell asleep. Guess who's waking up?? :)

Happy Pulaski Day...

The Many Moods of Charlie

"What?? You're not holding me anymore?"
Charlie cries as he realizes I set him down after he fell asleep in my arms.

Offended, he kicks and screams......and doesn't stop until he's picked up again Later, I manage to make something for us to eat for dinner while Eli entertains Charlie by giving him kisses - so sweet. Charlie's 5 weeks today! Yesterday he weighed 11 pounds at the doctor's office - he's getting chunkier by the day. I need to get a picture of his many leg/tummy rolls that are developing - they are pretty cute. He's wearing the other onesie from Stacy that says, "If you think I'm cute, you should see my blog." Pretty funny! I really need to update the blog so it's not just Eli Love. But that takes more brain power and time than a quick post... (last night it was the old routine of Charlie waking/eating every three hours, so it wasn't as glorious as the night before, unfortunately)

Anyway, it will get done... at some point. I just barely updated our phone's voice mail to have all four of us on there. We love you Charlie!

Quiet Afternoon at Home

Charlie had his 1-month shot today (for the Hep B vaccine), so he slept for a while in the later part of the afternoon. These longer chunks of sleep are rare for this guy!

Eli took a short nap and was grumpy when he first woke up, but soon perked up to his normal self.

We talked on the phone with Davey (Uncle Munkle) -
Colored on some junk mail (sorry Garnett Hill) -
Put crayons in the dump truck and dumped them back out -
and had some fun one-on-one time, which I think we've both missed.
As much as I dislike having this table in my house, it's so cute to see Eli coloring, playing, eating, etc. I'm glad it makes him so happy. I can't wait for spring when we can enjoy it outside on the deck...

And speaking of happiness, last night Charlie slept for six hours! I woke up after about four hours and then kept waking up every half hour, worried that something was wrong with him, but he was fine. I'm not counting on him doing this consistently every night yet, but it was nice to know it's possible! Good job Charlie :)

This is What Reflux Looks Like

Pretty much anytime Charlie is laying flat, he looks like this - (UNHAPPY):

So he sleeps in the bouncy seat. Sleeping upright also helps with the constant congestion that keeps him from breathing very well at night. On a brighter note - isn't his onesie cute?? My friend Stacy made it for Charlie and I love it!

Yesterday I had a bout of food poisoning or a stomach bug. I'm not sure which, but either way, it was miserable! I'm not fond of throwing up or any other gastrointestinal distress, and this lasted all day and into the night. My mom came over today to help since I was still feeling wiped out. Charlie is a much happier child when he's upright in someone's arms, so it was a huge help to have her here! Eli had fun with grandma around too. I feel much better tonight, though I'm still pretty tired.

And here is a shot of Eli with his new favorite bath toy - Sesame Street bath finger paints! He took the LONGEST bath ever and threw a huge fit when we finally dragged him out. This was a gift from our friend Karrie and it was a hit!

Tonight I cleaned out and updated our filing cabinet - it was a huge project and I feel SO good that it's finally done. It's so satisfying to knock that one off of my to do list. We had papers piling up on the dining room table over the last few weeks and it was driving me crazy. It's amazing how hard it is to keep up with things with a newborn and a toddler consuming my days and nights!

Charlie at 1 Month and Eli at 21 Months

These are some pictures from yesterday, when Charlie was wide awake...

I on the other hand, was barely awake. This kid woke up to eat at 1 a.m., 3 a.m. (and stayed up for an hour), then 5:30 a.m. two nights ago. The thing that has saved me this week is that I hired a babysitter to come every weekday morning from 7 to 9 a.m. so I can go back to sleep. It's kind of a random thing and she's only available this week and next week, but I'll take it!! Hopefully after that, Charlie will be going longer stretches at night. Last night he did a much better job and was up at 2 a.m. and 5:45 a.m.

Here is my long, round, almost one-month Charlie (tomorrow is the official one-month mark)
He's losing his hair, poor guy :)



Here he is with some clothes on:
Eli was very sweet with him and read his favorite book, I Stink! to Charlie

And here is 21-month-old Eli, working on his alphabet puzzle:

stuffing veggie booty in his mouth:

drinking some milk in the sippy cup:
At 21 months, Eli is saying and doing so many cute things. He loves to copy us, especially when we're on the phone. The other night we were talking with Ben's brother Caleb and wife Elizabeth, and they told us something annoying with their health insurance - I said, "That's awful!" and Eli kept repeating, "Awful! Awful!" He also loves to say, "Nice!" because Ben said it the other day at dinner, I don't remember what the context was.

Eli likes to sing songs, and knows most of the words to Happy Birthday, ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, You are My Sunshine, Mr. Golden Sun, I Love You (the lovely Barney song), the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and the Backyardigan's Pirate song. When we're driving in the car and a song comes on that he doesn't want to listen to, he says, "No no no" over and over until we skip it and go to to the next song on his CD.

I was pretty anti-television with Eli before Charlie was born, but now I will let him watch one show a day. He likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Bob the Builder, and Little Einstein's. His favorite DVD is the Laurie Berkner Band music DVD - he loves the "Oohhh Ahh" song. If he takes a nap, he gets to watch a few Sesame Street clips on YouTube - his favorites are "Elmo's Song," "C is for Cookie" and "Do De Rubber Duck."

Eli loves coloring on paper and in coloring books, playing with trains, sliding down his slide in the basement or pushing cars/trains/balls down the slide. He has been a good sport about being cooped up this winter! We can't wait for nicer weather (it's not coming anytime soon, unfortunately) so we can spend more time outside.