Solids!!

I started Kellen on solid food a little over a week ago. He is totally ready and would probably try anything I give him. First off, let me just say how amazed I am at the number of opinions out there as to when to start solids. Mattaya was started on rice cereal at 4.5 months, but we didn't give her anything else until she was 6 months because the doctor warned us about allergies. Now we live in a new city and have a new doctor. She told us to give him what ever we felt like when he is ready and that it doesn't matter when between 4-6 months you start, if they are going to get allergies, they are going to get allergies. Everyone I talk to has been told something different. My philosophy is as a parent you will know when they are ready.

This boy loves to eat!

I started out with rice cereal, but Kellen was not a fan. So we moved on to sweet potatoes, which he loved and then apples and pears. Something I learned from my daughter: it doesn't matter whether you start with fruits or veggies, your baby will like one over the other. I started Mattaya with veggies. That was all I gave her for about a month after we started to introduce her to new foods. Once we started on fruit, that was what she preferred. I forgot that she was an independent human being and even as a baby I could not control what she liked and didn't like. So unless you are willing to only give your baby veggies,  it really doesn't matter what you start with.

When Kellen is full he starts to suck on his fingers. This is definitely an interesting way to let me know he is done, but it works as I cannot get the spoon close to his mouth.

Kellen telling me he is done

I think we will try peas next.

Bad Doctor=Struggling Mom!

Kellen got a cold over a month ago and about three weeks ago I took him to his old doctor because he was still not doing well. I had been avoiding doing this  because our old doctor is not very good and I have had issues with him, but I couldn't see the new one for a few more weeks because we had to "establish care" with her so I broke down and took him in. I am glad I did because he had a double ear infection. That said, the doctor put him on an antibiotic that he shouldn't have. When I questioned him, he got defensive. This is the second time I have had a falling out with him, the first was over vaccinations. I was exhausted from lack of sleep and so I gave in and gave him the antibiotic and  it messed up his stomach. In a few days he had blood in his stool. I took him back for this and they took him off the antibiotic even though his ears were still bad. When I questioned if this was the right move because of the threat of resistant bacteria, he got defensive again. It was only two weeks until we saw the new doctor so I took my child and left. Kellen struggle for those two weeks. He stopped sleeping well and was pretty cranky. Because he was having a hard time, I was really struggling. I have never been so exhausted! I have to get up at 4 am to go to work and I don't tend to get home until around 6 pm. It made for long hard days. My work suffered, my relationship with God suffered, and my relationship with my husband suffered. I was at the end of my rope!
Last Friday I took the kids for their well child checkup with our new doctor and she was amazing. She validated my frustration and got Kellen on the right medicine. He is doing so much better.
As a parent you are the one who should decide what is best for your child, if your doctor does not recognize this, it is time to find a new one!

4 Months!

Kellen turned 4 months old yesterday! Time goes by way to fast and sometimes I just want him to stay little and newborn forever. He is such a happy baby. He is rolling all over the place, sticks everything he can into his mouth, and loves his sister more then anybody!

Bathtime

Kellen has outgrown his baby bath. I have started giving him his bath in the big tub and he loves it! He splashes and pushes himself all over  the place. He loves it and it is fun to watch.

So Different

Mattaya 5 months                   Kellen 3 Months

It surprises me every day how different my kids are. They not only look different, but their personalities are on the opposite end of the spectrum. This has been challenging for me with the new baby in a lot of ways. There are things that are easier this time around. Breastfeeding is so much easier. I think knowing what I was doing from the get go really helped. I am also not unsure of things like giving baths, changing diapers, etc., because I am an old pro. That said, I have had a lot of challenges too. Mattaya was such an easy baby. She rarely ever cried and was super easy to schedule. I would feed her at the same time everyday, she napped at the same time, and even when her diapers would be dirty was predictable. She was really intense and really determined. She loved her daddy and wanted him most of the time except when it was time to eat. We never could tell when she was teething or had ear infections and was super happy even when she was sick. Kellen is easy too, but he is very emotional. He will let me know if I am holding him to long or the wrong way, if he is tired or hungry, if he wants a toy or wants to eat, usually with a very intense cry or scream. He has a horrible temper and will often stop breathing and turn purple. He is impossible to schedule. I have tried but he is all over the place. One day he will want to eat every hour, the next he will eat every four hours. He sometimes sleeps through the night, but sometimes he will wake up 3 or 4 times. He sometimes takes 3 good naps and other times doesn't nap at all. He wants mommy all of the time. He is very laid back though if his needs are met. He is very fussy and hard to console when he is sick.

I love seeing how different my kids are. They are so unique and special and they both have taught me so much. I am looking forward to how they grow and change. It is so much fun!!!

Grandparents are the Best

We went to Helena this weekend to visit my parents. I have to admit that I had ulterior motives for going as I hate doing taxes and my dad has always helped me. That said, I love going to visit them. They own a really great house up in the woods with tons of things for Mattaya to explore. I grew up in a National Park and spent my childhood immersed in Nature. This is something that I want for my kids and since we live in the city, it is great that they have my parents house to get the Nature experience. There are rocks for her to climb, trees to swing from, and my dad even put a slide in the side of a hill. She has a blast. In the winter there is not much to do, especially when it was as cold as it was this weekend. We went to the carousel and had ice cream  and it was a blast. No matter the season my parents make each visit special and fun.

Mattaya LOVES her grandparents. She asks constantly to be with them. When she gets into trouble or has to be disciplined she asks for her Nana. She asks at least a few times a week if she can go to Helena and live with her Grandparents! I am grateful that my parents have taken time to make Mattaya feel special. I know the same will be true with Kellen.

Grandparents are the best!!

Hanging out at my parent's house

Returning to Work

I went back to work about two weeks ago and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do! Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but it is so hard leaving my kids with other people. Luckily, my mom came out for the first two days and stayed with both of the kids. This turned out to be a good thing as Mattaya ended up sick. The rest of the week went really smoothly. We had a great weekend and then back to work on Monday. This transition was so much easier then after I had Mattaya. I think that I learned a lot from going back to work after her and was more prepared this time. Kellen is going to a friend of mine who is a stay at home mom, so he is getting a lot of love and since I work 4 days a week, I get a lot of extra time with both kids on Fridays.

Here are a few lessons that I learned with both kids that has helped me a ton:

1. If you are breastfeeding start pumping and freezing your milk as soon after you give birth as possible. It takes a while for your body to adapt to pumping so starting early makes it easier once you go back to work. I pump more then Kellen needs, so when he starts eating more, I will still be providing enough. Also, I have about 400 ounces of breast milk frozen, so if I start to dry up, he will get break milk for a longer period of time. I had a hard time pumping with my daughter and she was supplemented with formula from the first day I returned to work. I didn't want that to happen with Kellen, so I really prepared to pump and the work has paid off!

2. Find care that you are comfortable with. I was not comfortable with putting my baby in a daycare. I am grateful that I have such good friends that can watch my babies for me. Mattaya goes to daycare now and she thrives but she needs the structure and interaction that daycare provides. However, she did not go to daycare until she was 1 year old . I had a friend watch her too and it gave me a piece of mind.

3. Get your priorities right. The first thing that I do when I get home is give love to both kids. My husband is my priority, but he understands that the kid's needs are immediate and he can wait a bit. My daughter has had a harder time with me going back to work than my son even though she was in daycare the whole time. I acknowledge her first, give her hugs, then I feed Kellen. Also, house work, dinner, etc., are not as important to me as my kids, so often dinner will be late, or the house will be messy, but my kids are happy.
When I do have to do things, I include my daughter so she gets the time with me she needs. She has helped me cook dinner every night of the last two weeks!

4. Remember that you are always going to be Mommy. This was hard for me to accept after my daughter was born, but now that she is older I have realized that no matter who watches her, she always wants me! The look of joy on her face when I get home from work is priceless.  I know I will always be #1 in her life.

5. Put your husband first. This is hard to do with young kids, but it is God's expectation for us. A child should never replace your husband. Children will eventually grow up and move away. Your husband will be with you until you are old and gray. Children will find their own lives but your husband should be yours. As I stated above, I acknowledge and spend time with the kids right when I get home, but my husband always comes first. I will never put my kids ahead of him. This makes not only my marriage strong, but it also makes my kids happy.

These are just a few things that have helped me. I know there will be more in the months to come!