Louie's 1 month and Santa

Poor second child.  He doesn't even get real 1 month pictures!  The sign says "1 Month; 10 lbs, 21 in; blows bubbles, eats, sleeps, cries"

Let me say right off the top that being a second-time mom is so much easier than being a first-time mom!  This newborn thing is old hat for me now--I know what the cries mean; I know what's normal and what isn't; and I know what will pass and approximately when.  I was talking with my friend Stephanie, and she said that she really enjoyed her second daughter as a newborn more than her first, and I definitely agree.  Not that this time is not challenging, but I know it's fleeting, and I'm relaxing and enjoying it more.  

Breastfeeding is going so much better this time.  You may remember that Gabby had problems gaining weight from the very beginning--she lost almost a pound from birth to her 2 day appointment, and my milk never really seemed to make her thrive.  Louie is a totally different story.  I've been way more aggressive about feeding him from birth and afterwards, and he's really responded.  You can see from the sign that he's already 10 lbs--a point Gabby didn't reach until 3 months!  He only lost 0.5 lbs off of his birth weight, and recovered that very quickly.  Now he's basically gaining an ounce a day.  Go boobs!  It's weird for me to have a baby with cheeks.

Sleep is about average for his age.  He gives me about 2-3 hours overnight, and anywhere from 1.5-3 during the day.  He's having a growth spurt right now (which is how I'm getting all of these blogs done), and is basically only eating and sleeping.  When he's not growing, he's awake for about an hour after he eats, looking around and trying to "talk" to me.  He's fascinated with my face, and studies me for a long time.  It seems like he's trying to smile, but hasn't quite figured it out yet--I'd give it another week or so.

Here's a video of him on his playmat, watching some TV.

As easy as having a newborn is, becoming a family of 4 is taking more effort.  Gabby is still very much a mommy's girl (which makes poor Brian sad), and gets jealous of her brother occasionally.  She's normally really good about waiting her turn for me, but when she's tired or hungry, all bets are off.  She's had a bit of sleep regression--she'll only sleep on the floor of her room instead of the bed, and she'll only go to sleep if I put her to bed--but thankfully no potty regressing!  We had a particularly trying night last night at Gabby's bedtime.  Louie only wanted me to hold him (and screamed when Brian took him), and Gabby only wanted me to put her to bed (and wouldn't stay down when Brian tried).  I ended up holding him in her room and finishing her routine.  I know Brian was hurt, but sometimes kids just need their mom.  I'm sure his turn will come (and, frankly, I hope it's soon)!

I feel bad, but I have very little patience for her right now.  I explained it the other night to Brian that I'm giving about 90% of what I have to Louie, leaving me with just 10% for him and Gabby.  I try to be patient and understanding--her world just got turned upside down, after all--but it's really hard when Louie needs me and she's being whiny and impossible.  Mornings are especially hard, since I get her to daycare and then come home and deal with Louie all day.  We'll get a routine down, but it's going to take longer than a month!  I will say that the best decision we made for my mental health was to keep her in daycare while I'm on leave.  She needs the time with her friends (and to not have her routine altered further), and I need to not have to entertain her when I'm so tired.

Despite all of these adjustments, we are loving having 2 kids.  Louie is so cuddly, and Gabby is such a great little girl.  She's all about holding him and helping me change his diaper (she's gotten pretty good with the wipes).  And besides me, she's one of the few people he'll look around for when she speaks.

These 2 and Brian are my world!

Intel had their family Santa event again this year, and we went with the Frickeys.  We brought a toy for charity, so Gabby got a free Build-A-Bear.

Brian named him Icey when Gabby wouldn't come up with a name.

Louie in the Moby.

Gabby played with some blocks while we waited for our turn with Santa

Ellie and Judy in line

And Ellie and Robbie in line

Ellie was being a total movie star!

And now what you've all been waiting for:  Santa pictures!

Gabby continued her fear of the big guy.  He'd just touched her head here.

She absolutely refused to sit on his lap, or even let go of Brian.

And quickly was done.  Louie was unphased.

Gabby got better once she got a candy cane--next year, we're giving her the candy before picture taking!