Yesterday, Peter turned a whopping three weeks old! He's practically an old man now. He is currently enjoying a visit from his NanaB, Granddad, Great Granny Taylor, and Great Grandpa Taylor. NanaB will be staying for the week, but the rest of the crew will head back to Michigan tomorrow. Granddad will come back at the end of the week again though, so there's another opportunity for us to take the official "three generations of Stringer men" photo that we neglected to take today.
Peter is awake more now on some days, and super sleepy on other days. He's definitely not as good of a night sleeper as his big sister was at this age, but just like her he vastly prefers sleeping in someone's arms during the day rather than being put down for naps. He slept for over three hours in his Granddad's arms today. Will he sleep for that many hours in a row tonight? Possibly for one chunk, but probably not for two.
Peter is definitely more laid back than Charlotte was as a newborn, but he can really let rip a good howl when he's ticked off. He's still too young for us to determine any behavior patterns in terms of sleeping and eating, but we're constantly trying to figure his personality out. We're still struggling a little with getting nursing to work, so I'm pumping a few times a day and we give him a bottle or two each day to supplement when he's not satisfied and to ease our fears that he's not getting enough. How is it that we don't have another appointment with the pediatrician until he is two months old? It's going to be a stressful next few weeks for me until I get that reassurance I crave from Dr. Hood.
Charlotte absolutely adores holding Peter and doesn't seem to care whether he's quiet or crying. She plops right down and sticks her legs out in what she thinks is the perfect baby-holding position and demands "Peter please?!?!?" You have to anticipate her mood though -- once she's ready to be done holding him, she doesn't waste any time trying to shove him off of her so she can resume her play. But she also has a fit if we take Peter away before she's had her fill. Sigh. There's not a lot of jealousy per se, but Charlotte is definitely a little crankier lately. She is nearing her second birthday, but I'm sure the diminished personal attention is wearing on her as well. Thank goodness she doesn't seem to turn that frustration on Peter (yet!).
I feel healed from Peter's birth but I'm still not back in my old clothes yet. I'm going to ask Corey to pull some of my stored clothes out of the attic (I was banned from the attic after I just about fell through the ceiling when I forgot to make sure I only stepped on rafters instead of the drywall -- whoops!) tomorrow evening and I hope that there are some fat pants that may fit me. I'm trying to be patient. I have lost over 20 pounds since I checked in to the hospital the night of December 11th, but somehow those pounds don't seem to be coming from the parts of me that would enable me to fit into non-maternity pants. Pooh. I starting to get more than a little sick of wearing the same three pairs of pants over and over again.
I had a minor victory last week when I was able to get myself showered and dressed while taking care of both kids on my own. I have been so lucky to have Corey's mom and my parents visiting not to mention unbelievable support from angels like Joslyne and Kate (one day they brought me Thai takeout AND watched the kids for me while I got myself cleaned up), so I haven't really needed to push myself to figure out the logistics of things like bathing or preparing meals (beyond heating something simple up). This week, I'm going to luxuriate in my last few days of having a second pair of hands and eyes and then bite the bullet once I'm on my own again.
I'm forgetting a ton of things I wanted to write about, but that can't really be helped when I'm operating on so little sleep. How on EARTH do single parents survive these newborn weeks? Without Corey's help and support, I would probably be in the loony bin by now.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
First swim in the tub
Peter's umbilical cord stump fell off the afternoon of Christmas Day, and by the 29th I decided his belly button looked healed enough for me to give him his first official bath in the tub. He didn't seem to mind it too much. My biggest fear was that he would pee all over me while I bathed him, so I took advice from experienced parents who told me to use a wash cloth to block the potential problem. Here's Peter looking a little disturbed by his nudity and the bathing process in general:
Today we gave him his second tub bath. He was NOT pleased. His Great Granny Taylor (Corey's mother's mother) was there to giggle at Peter's protests. Thank goodness Peter didn't decide to pee during the bath because I made the rookie mistake of forgetting that whole wash cloth defensive maneuver.
Today we gave him his second tub bath. He was NOT pleased. His Great Granny Taylor (Corey's mother's mother) was there to giggle at Peter's protests. Thank goodness Peter didn't decide to pee during the bath because I made the rookie mistake of forgetting that whole wash cloth defensive maneuver.
Kidsploitation, Peter style
A few nights ago, we decided Peter's napping position reminded us a little of the Amazing Carnac (an old Johnny Carson character from the "Tonight Show")...
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Ode to Charlie Jo
While visiting last week, Charlie's Grandpa Spike was inspired to rewrite the lyrics to the old Ronnie & the Daytonas song "Little GTO". The result is as follows...
"Little Charlie Jo"
My little Charlie Jo,
You're really lookin' fine.
Three diapers and a wet wipe,
she'll be ready on time.
Listen to her winding up now,
listen to her whine-yine-yine.
C'mon & turn it on, fill her pants, blow it OUT,
Charlie Joooooo.
Wah wahhhh - wah wah wah wah wah whahhhhh... (& so on)
You oughta see her on the big bed,
jumpin' up and down.
This certified clown-clown,
has got plenty of sound.
She's a gasser and a wail job,
she really drives me 'round (the bend).
C'mon and, wind her up, throw a fit, blow it up,
Charlie Jooooooo.
Wah wahhhh - wah wah wah wah wah whahhhhh... (& so on)
--- instrumental break (while we change a diaper)
Gonna spend all my money,
on my Charlie Jo.
Lots of clothes and a cool car,
and she'll be ready to go.
Gonna pay for her college,
until I'm old - yeah yeah.
But she's the cutest girl around.
Gonna wipe away all my frowns.
When she turns it on, gives a smile, then a laugh,
Charlie Joooooo.
Wah wahhhh - wah wah wah wah wah whahhhhh... (& so on)
"Little Charlie Jo"
My little Charlie Jo,
You're really lookin' fine.
Three diapers and a wet wipe,
she'll be ready on time.
Listen to her winding up now,
listen to her whine-yine-yine.
C'mon & turn it on, fill her pants, blow it OUT,
Charlie Joooooo.
Wah wahhhh - wah wah wah wah wah whahhhhh... (& so on)
You oughta see her on the big bed,
jumpin' up and down.
This certified clown-clown,
has got plenty of sound.
She's a gasser and a wail job,
she really drives me 'round (the bend).
C'mon and, wind her up, throw a fit, blow it up,
Charlie Jooooooo.
Wah wahhhh - wah wah wah wah wah whahhhhh... (& so on)
--- instrumental break (while we change a diaper)
Gonna spend all my money,
on my Charlie Jo.
Lots of clothes and a cool car,
and she'll be ready to go.
Gonna pay for her college,
until I'm old - yeah yeah.
But she's the cutest girl around.
Gonna wipe away all my frowns.
When she turns it on, gives a smile, then a laugh,
Charlie Joooooo.
Wah wahhhh - wah wah wah wah wah whahhhhh... (& so on)
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Peter update - 2 weeks old
Peter took his first big step toward growing up yesterday afternoon -- he lost his umbilical cord stump! Hey, when you're stuck at home with a newborn for 8 weeks (the doctor recommended we keep Peter away from the general public until the flu and RSV seasons were over), this is what passes for excitement around here.
The little guy is doing great. He is getting closer to exclusively breastfeeding (which is my preference -- I hate washing bottles and absolutely detest pumping), and he's filling the right amount of diapers (which indicates he's getting enough to eat since we can't exactly keep track of how many ounces he is getting when he nurses). Like all of the other newborns we know, he has rolled over from his back to his front a couple of times, but we're guessing that he will also "forget" how to do this before long.
Peter had his two week appointment on Wednesday (a little early because of the holidays) and the doctor said he is doing very well. He weighed in at 7 lbs., 6 oz., which is fabulous because most babies don't regain their birth weights (Peter's was 7 lbs., 1 oz.) until they are two weeks old (which is today). Peter had not only regained his birthweight, but he had surpassed it by five ounces. He has also grown by half an inch and measured in at 20 inches long. What little jaundice he had is gone and he's developing nicely.
Peter had a very nice Christmas, but he slept through most of it. That's okay - he will probably make up for it next year. Here are some shots of him that his Grandma JoJo took over the past few days.
And finally, a shot of Charlie Jo doing her new favorite thing -- holding her little brother. He was throwing a fit while she held him on Christmas Eve, so we told her to stick her thumb in his mouth. He loved it and quieted right down. Charlie Jo grinned, then took her thumb out and wiped it carefully on the chair.
The little guy is doing great. He is getting closer to exclusively breastfeeding (which is my preference -- I hate washing bottles and absolutely detest pumping), and he's filling the right amount of diapers (which indicates he's getting enough to eat since we can't exactly keep track of how many ounces he is getting when he nurses). Like all of the other newborns we know, he has rolled over from his back to his front a couple of times, but we're guessing that he will also "forget" how to do this before long.
Peter had his two week appointment on Wednesday (a little early because of the holidays) and the doctor said he is doing very well. He weighed in at 7 lbs., 6 oz., which is fabulous because most babies don't regain their birth weights (Peter's was 7 lbs., 1 oz.) until they are two weeks old (which is today). Peter had not only regained his birthweight, but he had surpassed it by five ounces. He has also grown by half an inch and measured in at 20 inches long. What little jaundice he had is gone and he's developing nicely.
Peter had a very nice Christmas, but he slept through most of it. That's okay - he will probably make up for it next year. Here are some shots of him that his Grandma JoJo took over the past few days.
And finally, a shot of Charlie Jo doing her new favorite thing -- holding her little brother. He was throwing a fit while she held him on Christmas Eve, so we told her to stick her thumb in his mouth. He loved it and quieted right down. Charlie Jo grinned, then took her thumb out and wiped it carefully on the chair.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Not a creature was stirring . . .
Merry Christmas from Tennessee.
Toddlers, in-laws, infants, Mommies, canines, and felines are all sleeping soundly while the wind rages outside. It is 1:00 in the morning. The sky is clear, the stars are bright, and the lights of the neighborhood below us are twinkling. Santa should have no problem finding his way tonight.
Santa has already visited us in Tennessee, and told us he has already visited Pennsylvania and Michigan and will be headed west to Texas next. Cookies and a glass of Cheerwine were consumed by Santa on his visit. This was my first time meeting Santa, (a privilege of being a father, no doubt). He's a great guy, with some surprisingly bawdy stories. Santa left Grandpa Spike and me a toy to assemble for Charlie Jo (he is outsourcing, now). It took us 3 solid hours to assemble. That is 6 manhours, and we weren't fooling around! Hard work being an elf.
Momma and I took Charlie Jo to the 6:00 Christmas Eve service at Epworth Methodist Church here in Franklin. Wonderful service. We did skip out at the homily, as we had been there an hour already and were concerned about Charlie Jo's attention span. We did not want to push our luck. Our little toddler wore her green Christmas dress and her hair in pigtails and charmed all she met. We sat in a pew full of Cannonwooders (the Andersons and the Perretts).
Peter had a busy day yesterday, what with all the eating and the sleeping, and the being awake and looking around. I can't believe he is going on 2 weeks old. What a beautiful kid.
Christmas, like Thanksgiving, is a good time to sit back and take stock. Our annual celebration of Christ's birth is a great time to think about who we are, who we would like to be, and what we would like to do as time rolls by. Niki and I are very thankful for our children, for each other, for our families, and for our friends. We are really lucky to have you and each other, and we know it. We hope that going forward, we can be as good as family members and friends to you as you are to us.
Merry Christmas.
The TN Stringers
Toddlers, in-laws, infants, Mommies, canines, and felines are all sleeping soundly while the wind rages outside. It is 1:00 in the morning. The sky is clear, the stars are bright, and the lights of the neighborhood below us are twinkling. Santa should have no problem finding his way tonight.
Santa has already visited us in Tennessee, and told us he has already visited Pennsylvania and Michigan and will be headed west to Texas next. Cookies and a glass of Cheerwine were consumed by Santa on his visit. This was my first time meeting Santa, (a privilege of being a father, no doubt). He's a great guy, with some surprisingly bawdy stories. Santa left Grandpa Spike and me a toy to assemble for Charlie Jo (he is outsourcing, now). It took us 3 solid hours to assemble. That is 6 manhours, and we weren't fooling around! Hard work being an elf.
Momma and I took Charlie Jo to the 6:00 Christmas Eve service at Epworth Methodist Church here in Franklin. Wonderful service. We did skip out at the homily, as we had been there an hour already and were concerned about Charlie Jo's attention span. We did not want to push our luck. Our little toddler wore her green Christmas dress and her hair in pigtails and charmed all she met. We sat in a pew full of Cannonwooders (the Andersons and the Perretts).
Peter had a busy day yesterday, what with all the eating and the sleeping, and the being awake and looking around. I can't believe he is going on 2 weeks old. What a beautiful kid.
Christmas, like Thanksgiving, is a good time to sit back and take stock. Our annual celebration of Christ's birth is a great time to think about who we are, who we would like to be, and what we would like to do as time rolls by. Niki and I are very thankful for our children, for each other, for our families, and for our friends. We are really lucky to have you and each other, and we know it. We hope that going forward, we can be as good as family members and friends to you as you are to us.
Merry Christmas.
The TN Stringers
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Whoops!
In a few hours, little Peter will be one week old. We haven't done a lot of posting due to lack of energy, but trust me -- he's getting cuter every day. Witness:
Sunday, December 13, 2009
My new favorite photo
Peter came home today! We have been busy wrangling Charlie Jo and getting Peter introduced to his new home, but things have been going very smoothly (or so we tell ourselves). I'll post photos of the grand homecoming (which his big sister slept through, unfortunately or fortunately -- depending on how you look at it) later, but first I just want to share my new favorite photo of Peter the Great.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Do they look alike?
Peter:
Charlie:
Peter:
Charlie:
Charlie and NanaB - March 10, 2008:
Charlie and NanaB - December 12, 2009:
Charlie:
Peter:
Charlie:
Charlie and NanaB - March 10, 2008:
Charlie and NanaB - December 12, 2009:
More Peter Pix From Day One
Sucking on Momma's finger.
Dr. Eia and Peter.
Skyping with the Malahowskis for the first time. Even Bobo and Margie came online to meet Peter.
Joslyne and Demetri, Kate and Christopher, and Zoey baked us some cookies, and Joslyne and Demetri stopped by to meet Peter.
Skyping with Quinn, his bear, and the rest of the Minnesota Sandersons.
Our first picture as a family of four.
Charlie and NanaB leave for home.
Niki and Peter with Beth and Nancy, our delivery and night nurses.
Dr. Eia and Peter.
Skyping with the Malahowskis for the first time. Even Bobo and Margie came online to meet Peter.
Joslyne and Demetri, Kate and Christopher, and Zoey baked us some cookies, and Joslyne and Demetri stopped by to meet Peter.
Skyping with Quinn, his bear, and the rest of the Minnesota Sandersons.
Our first picture as a family of four.
Charlie and NanaB leave for home.
Niki and Peter with Beth and Nancy, our delivery and night nurses.
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