Family Updates

I can’t believe how time flies! Victoria is already seven weeks old. She’s been smiling (and not from gas) for two weeks now, is cooing a little, and two days ago started reaching and batting at things and trying to grab things (very little, not a lot, still extremely jerky). It will be months before she can really grab something in her hand and hold it, but she is starting to try. She also reaches out to “baby in the mirror” when I change her. And her thighs! So chubby and cute with all those rolls.

People keep saying Victoria looks like Fiona, and they do have similar expressions, but their eyes are so different that I do not think they really look alike. They do have the same forehead and hairline, although Victoria has two swirls in back. They have similar chins, but I think their mouths are actually a little different. They both have big cheeks, sort of similar. Very different ears, and their bodies are not shaped the same. And Victoria is much chunkier. Fiona never had rolls and looked a little thin because her height percentile was (and still is) much higher than her weight percentile. Victoria’s percentiles are very similar, though her head is larger. Fiona’s head was always the same as her height. I think both are extremely cute. I don’t know what we will do with two irresistible girls! We are definitely in trouble.

I can’t believe she is the same age Fiona was when she came home from the hospital. Victoria is bigger than Fiona was at seven weeks actual, but also bigger than Fiona was at seven weeks adjusted. I think eventually they will be about the same size, but for now, Victoria is tracking larger. And she handles the car a lot better, so we can go places. I get to leave the house almost daily. With Fiona, who screamed in her car seat (probably due to reflux) until she was 7 months old, I hardly ever left the house. However, when Fiona was an infant, I got to nap more during the day and take walks whenever, because she slept more regularly (especially during the day) and I didn’t have to worry about any other children. And Fiona liked and stayed in the carriers more, so I was able to wear her a lot. Victoria will tolerate being worn only so long, then starts fussing and has to be taken out. With Fiona’s help, I’ve been able to bake a lot and I am making dinners again (it took six weeks to work through all the food that friends brought us plus the food I make and froze before Victoria was born. Our plan lately has been to make big dinners on the weekend and eat leftovers during the week. So far, so good.

And boy are we tired!!! There is no rest happening here! As soon as one goes to sleep, the other wakes up. At least, so far, we get one 3-4 hour stretch a night, sometimes two of them. Crossing fingers and knocking on wood it stays that way or improves. Fiona was an every-two-hours gal at this stage. Victoria is a 3-4 hours-then who knows could be every hour-could be less frequent-kind of girl. It would not be so bad if I could actually nap during the day, but forces have conspired to prevent this from happening, especially in the afternoon when I am the most tired, when Victoria decides to nurse for almost the entire duration of Fiona’s quiet time, then goes to sleep, and just as I am about to fall asleep, Fiona’s quiet time ends and I still don’t get to close my eyes. I can’t wait for Victoria to decide she likes side-lying so I can sleep while she nurses.

Stuff we did in the last month or two:

We went bowling! And to the Getty Center. And horseback riding. Climbing Club for Fiona at the local climbing gym. We did not plant a winter garden.

Horseback riding:

 

The horse was named Copper. Fiona was afraid to ride, but eventually got on the horse, after several attempts and a cookie. She really wanted to do it, but would become fearful as soon as she got near the horse. I’m not sure why it was different than when she rode horses at the fair or the farm. John got on the horse to demonstrate. Now, Fiona can’t wait to go back.

The Getty Center:

      

Saw this statue just after a nice (older, male) docent informed me I could breastfeed anywhere because they don’t care, and if I want to take a break and change the baby in a nice quiet place, there is a family restroom not far away:

I guess if the statues can do it, so can the visitors. Where is Time magazine when you need it?

For the record, Victoria was in the stroller asleep at the time.

All in all, I’d say the Getty Center is really kid/baby welcoming. Even the changing table in the main bathroom was well located on a counter right next to a sink, garbage can, and paper towel rack, instead of hung in the handicap stall.

Garden Day at school, nursing together, and reading to us:

 

Some December things.

Fiona got her first salon hair cut, while Victoria slept:

Second salon cut:

Fiona sits very quietly and very still for the hairdresser. She later told John that she prefers “mommy salon,” meaning when I cut her hair. But they are much faster and better when the pros do it. We’ll see what happens when it grows out.

Fiona, hand over hand, on the monkey bars:

 

The zoo with my little California girl:

Reading to Victoria and riding her new bicycle:

 

   

Playing salon at home:

First time sitting on Santa’s lap:

Fiona is sort of obsessed with Santa Claus. If i mention the North Pole, she says it’s where Santa lives. She asks all sorts of questions about him. Neither John nor I told her about Santa, so I am assuming she learned of him at school. Her extremely secular, they don’t even celebrate Valentine’s Day or Halloween school. Go figure.

The first stack of holiday cards I mailed just before Victoria was born:

Fiona’s new favorite games are Zoo and Farm. For Zoo, she pretends to be a mommy panda. For farm, she is a mommy pig. Mommy pigs nurse all their babies:

Decorating the Christmas tree and lighting Chanukah candles:

Santa’s cookie and eggnog (Fiona thought he might like it more than plain milk):

Christmas morning:

On Christmas Day, we learned that daddy giraffes nuzzle the babies too. It was really cute and I got my camera out a few seconds too late:

I’m sure lots more stuff has happened but my sleep deprived brain does not remember all of it. The last two months have flown by. I am definitely more tired and pressed for time with two kids than I was with just one (when she was a baby).

Fiona went bowling for the first time and really liked it, though the pictures are not very good and I have not had a chance to upload them to my computer. Fiona also joined a climbing club for six weeks at the local climbing gym. It turns out that one of her former classmates is also in it and another kid who went to her school last year. It’s fun but I am not sure if we will continue with it after the six weeks. It seems like it would be cheaper and easier to take her on our own. But for now, she is enjoying it.

Hopefully I will post more frequent updates in the future, if for no other reason than for me to keep track of Victoria’s development as I did when Fiona was a baby. Already I am taking fewer photos of both girls, I don’t want to forget to record all the milestones.

Off to try to sleep for a couple of hours! Wish me luck!