Peck Life

One Month Update

Since newborn days are foggy and fleeting, I’m trying my best to remember this time around. In no particular order or coherent flow, here’s what life has been like lately. Thoughts are jumbled, just like my brain right now but at least it’s being recorded, right?

{One of my favorite candid photos – Ben was crying during his bath and Sky brought in the record player to try to make him feel better}

Ben is already a month old. WHAT? I’m already regretting not taking enough photos of his little tiny self in the early days. Other than the birth, I don’t think I have any of him and I together so I need to work on that. I THINK he is weighing a little over 7 pounds now but that’s just my estimate based on our home scale. He’s a tiny dude.

Life with two kids is…um…interesting now that Josh has gone back to work. I feel like I’m juggling 24/7. When one stops crying, the other starts. When one is sleeping, the other isn’t. When one has a poopy diaper, the other has just made a different mess.

Eating is a challenge. It never fails that as soon as I begin preparing any food that requires heating, someone starts crying or needs something. Once I finally get coffee made in the morning, I re-heat it no less than 5 times. It takes me hours to finish a cup. I’m resigning to the fact that I’ll be eating cold food or surviving on liquids for the next year. Right now, I’m just trying to eat ENOUGH to sustain nursing.

{Toys everywhere…all the time}

Speaking of nursing, within a 24 hour span, I’m spending about 8 solid hours feeding Ben. Half the time, it goes smoothly. The other half is stressful…kicking, and screaming…latching on and off 50 million times. We’re working on it. I feel like a cow and I’m constantly covered in curdled milk {ewww}. Ben is BIG on the spitting up and we might need to get it checked if it doesn’t improve. He absolutely cannot lie flat AT ALL anytime. Otherwise, everything comes back up. I’m determined to exclusively breastfeed at least 6 months and then will reevaluate. Hopefully by then it will be smooth sailing and I can go just as long as I did with Sky.

{All of my boys – Sky likes to hang out and play in Ben’s room when we change diapers!}

Other than kid care, my priorities right now are as follows: sleep, eat, shower/brush teeth, laundry, dishes, family time, and hopefully a blog post once or twice a week. Makeup, hair, CLEANING, decorating, and my vast to-do list are off the table right now and I’m trying to ignore them and not get upset over all the unfinished business but it’s hard when we are home all day and it’s all staring me in the face.

{Sky loves to take photos with his camera…a gift from baby brother when he arrived}

Sky has been a pill and a sweetheart simultaneously. When I’m home alone with him, he watches way too much TV but I don’t know what else to do while I feed Ben. He’s been fighting a nasty cold which has made him particularly feisty and there are some days I don’t want to even be around him he’s so cranky. Bring on the mom guilt. On the up side, he’s gotten a little more independent since Ben came along. He will play with his toys for longer periods of time and has started staying in his room at night. He’s saying hilarious things, being a helper, and showing more understanding and empathy when I need to take care of Ben. I know he’s just trying to adjust too so I’m trying to maintain patience.

{Sky playing in his new sandbox at Nana’s house! P.S. – did you know that he’s THREE?}

Ben is pretty chill and only cries when he’s poopy/wet, gassy, hungry, or wants to be held {which is a lot} but just in the past few days, he’s started to get more fussy and vocal {reflux? growing? gas? I don’t know…}. He’s still sleeping in our room and is waking up anywhere form 2-3 times a night. Ben had his first restaurant visit to El Toreador, also the first restaurant I ever visited all the way back in 1982. I love that it’s still around. It was here that I also had my first margarita in about 10 months – sooo very good.

All in all, we are hanging in there! I know for sure I need to be drinking more water and getting out of the house more. Even on the sunny days we’ve been having, it’s been hard to see the light of day or muster up enough courage to venture out in public. Hopefully it will get easier with time {although I remember people saying “it will get easier” with Sky and I never really thought it did….just different…but still as hard..hmmm}.

One month down, many many many more years to go!

Maternity Photos

{I’m a little late in posting these but still thought it was worth sharing!}

At 35 weeks pregnant on a rainy March Monday, we went to the Washington Park Arboretum and were joined by the lovely Rebekah, who agreed to take some photos for us. Not only is she a talented photographer and blogger, but she is so sweet and I was excited to finally meet her in person! For the pictures, I wanted to not only capture my growing bump, but also a snapshot of our last days as a family of three and I’m so happy with how the images turned out!

The Last Day

These pictures of Sky were taken Easter morning, about 36 hours before he would transform from being our only baby, into an official big brother…we just didn’t know it yet. Part of me is still sad because I thought we had a few weeks left together, just him and me, and I already have so much guilt over not being able to devote my last days of pregnancy to him…or even the first two weeks of Ben being here. I miss my baby! I hope he understands one day…but in the meantime, I’m so happy and thankful I grabbed my camera to capture this last moment of my sweet sweet boy.

The First Week

The first week at home with baby Ben has been memorable and clear – much different than the blur, haze, and shock I had with Sky. I’m attributing this to a lot of things: a better labor experience, maturity in my confidence as a mom, and knowing that these newborn moments are fleeting so I should soak up each sweet second.

I also feel like this time around, the bonding process was instant. I love Ben so much and miss him even if we are away for a few minutes so I actually WANT to snuggle him all the time vs. feeling like managing a newborn is a burden {something that I felt often after having Sky}. I love Sky just as much but it took me a long time to really fall in love with him, if that makes sense.

Health-wise, we are all okay. My recovery process has been going well and I’m just trying to focus on resting, eating frequently, drinking lots of water, and taking all my vitamins, including my placenta pills. Baby Ben has been a little jaundiced but it’s improving. Nursing is….getting better but still rocky. I think breastfeeding is one of the hardest jobs in the world – physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s something I’m committed to and thankfully, I have the supply to be able to provide it, but it’s still difficult at the start. We are both learning and I’m confident we’ll get into a good rhythm as we spend more time together.

Sleeping has also been surprisingly bearable. We don’t get very much of it but it doesn’t make me as angry and cranky this time around. There have only been 2 nights that I can think of where it felt very difficult. Perhaps it’s because we are already accustomed to being sleep deprived?

Sky has had his “moments” but he is also slowly morphing into a really wonderful big brother. When he hears Ben cry, he tries to soothe him and he lovingly refers to him as “his Benjamin baby”. We’ve been trying to take it easy on him and spend time with him so he doesn’t feel like it’s the Ben show 24/7.

Josh has been a rockstar dad. Whether it’s chasing Sky around all day, getting him out of the house so I can rest, doing the dishes and laundry, or running to the store for more muffins {because that’s what I’m craving}…he does it all. He even took both kids to my sister-in-law’s wedding a few days ago, which sadly I could not attend because I spiked a fever and was in bed with chills and horrible cramping, ew.

Ben himself has been snuggly and sleepy. He usually has a few minutes of wakefulness every 3ish hours, eats, then goes back to sleep. Life sure is easy being a baby! He has a calm demeanor and I’m crossing my fingers he stays this way and doesn’t develop any of the same colicky tendencies that Sky did.

I guess the big theme of this post so far is that it’s been easier – easier than the first, easier to love, easier to stay relaxed, and easier to manage. There have been, and probably will be many more, rough patches but we are just taking it day by day {or at least that’s what I have to remind myself to do…}. I have impending anxiety about Josh going back to work in 2 weeks, but for the moment….right now…..everything is okay.

Ok, I promise the birth story will be the next post!!

Picking up the Slack.

Three is a hard age. Sky can go from being the sweetest most adorable child to something resembling the devil himself in a span of 5 minutes. It’s unpredictable, bi-polar, exhausting, wonderful, and horrible all at the same time.

Over the past few weeks of ups and downs….and as I’ve gotten progressively more lethargic and immobile in this pregnancy, I’ve come to realize that it really does take a village to raise a Schuyler. Between Josh and our parents {all of whom live nearby}, I’m not sure I could survive raising this child. How do single parents do it?

Josh, in particular, has been so great about getting Sky out and about lately. If it’s not raining, they are at the park. For a while, I wasn’t giving enough credit to this. I’d be thinking in my head “why can’t you guys be at home working on the house or doing X,Y, or Z project?” but it finally dawned on me that getting Sky out in the fresh air is just as important…in fact, probably more important. It’s something I don’t have the energy to do with him everyday so I’m happy they get quality bonding and play time together.

 If it’s not the park, it’s jeepin’ around the cul-de-sac until the last flicker of daylight has faded, watching critters at the pet store, or building race tracks out of painters tape {an idea originally brought to life at nana’s house!}. I’m starting to appreciate this more and more by the day because when it’s just Sky and I, we are low key. We do things like snuggle on the couch, read stories, color, fold laundry, and unload the dishwasher – all very exciting {ha!}, but definitely not the type of stimulation he should be having 24/7.

This fall, Sky will start preschool. While I can hardly believe that time has arrived, I’m excited for him to have some outside stimulation and socializing. He has to be fully potty trained to go….so that will be our summer project.

In the meantime, the plan is to enjoy him as much as possible over the summer while I’m on maternity leave….get outside a lot, have play dates, go to the library story time, and let him ease into his role as a big brother…and a big kid. My baby is growing up!!

Letting Toddlers Help

Sky took the lenses out of a pair of sunglasses and likes to wear them when he’s “working” so he can “see”. Here he is diligently folding towels, one of his favorite pastimes. I know it’s February, but Christmas jammies are still just as comfy.

Living with a 3 year old, there is always a constant struggle of getting things done {anything…} in a timely, efficient manner. Sky will delay any task he can such as eating breakfast, getting dressed, changing his diaper, going to bed, turning off the tv, etc. AND will simultaneously have a tantrum if he doesn’t get to “help” with grown up chores like folding laundry, pouring juice/milk, letting the dog outside, or closing the garage door. Combine the two, and it can take hours upon hours to finish a project {or even a basic household chore}, or worse yet, get out of the house anywhere on time.

It’s an area I constantly struggle with. I know he’s not always doing it on purpose. I know he just wants to help. I know my patience is often too short. And, I know I need to have more discipline and structure for him.

So, when I recently came across this article: Putting Aside Perfection: Letting your younger kids help, it really hit home. It was my gentle kick in the pants to remind myself that while it’s very easy to get flustered and feel like nothing is ever getting accomplished, it’s harder {but better}, to help your toddler foster independence, teach them how to do basic life skills, and at the same time, work on improving my own patience and threshold for coping with an indecisive, demanding, and stubborn little person.

Around the same time I found the first article, I also found this one: How to Spend More Quality Time with Your Child. While it doesn’t focus exclusively on the topic of letting kids “help”, it is a great reminder that between day-to-day life, ACTUAL UNINTERRUPTED, PRESENT, QUALITY TIME with your child is what fosters a relationship. Letting your kids into your life and finding ways to connect with them is important. So, if the garden needs watering and the bathrooms need cleaning, why not use it as a way to connect?

All things that have been on my mind lately as Sky seems as fiesty as ever and we prepare to welcome a new little one that {i'm sure} will totally change the dynamic of how our home functions.

How do you find ways to connect with your kiddo and let them still feel like they are contributing and "helping"? Any tips to share?

Even more great resources:

22 Chores Toddlers Love

“Jobs” Your Toddler Can Help With

3 years in the making...

Sky was born in December 2009. If you do the math, it’s pretty embarrassing how long it took me to get these photo books together! It was one of those ongoing projects that continually got put on the back burner. But, what really matters now is that they are FINISHED!!!!!!

There are wayyyy too many pictures of Sky’s first year so I ended up with 3 separate “volumes” of 100 pages each. After trying a few digital book companies, I finally settled on MyPublisher because I found their book software the easiest and most intuitive to use. The paper and picture quality is beautiful and I’m so happy to finally have something tangible to look at!

My next endeavor is to complete 2011 and 2012, which I’m hoping will be easier because at that point, I finally started organizing my photos better and have a folder for each month of the year dedicated to my best shots. It's so nice to have something to display on the coffee table or just look through when you don't feel like scanning through a million photos on the computer. Plus, Sky enjoys looking at pictures of himself from when he was just a little tiny baby {my how the last 3 years have flown...}!

Photography with Sky

Last weekend, Sky found our old point and shoot digital camera and has been hooked ever since. He’s careful enough now that I let him use it. He runs around the house yelling things like “SAY CHEESE” and “Lily, sit still so I can take your picture”. It’s so adorable.

I’ve been thinking of something to give to him when his baby brother arrives as a “present” from his new sibling. Maybe a camera of his own? There are lots of great toddler options out there that take pretty decent photos. Any suggestions?

A smattering of his pictures. Obviously, trucks are very important! All photos by Sky.

This boy makes me want to tear my hair out on so many occasions….but when that’s not happening, he sure is the best thing in the world. Watching him take pictures, pretend to focus the camera, and then seeing the huge smile of satisfaction on his face when he does it all by himself is priceless! He's the cutest!

Christmas 2012

Before we officially ring in the new year, I wanted to share some snapshots of our holiday. This was the first year Sky was really “into it” and I loved seeing him get so excited! He actually opened his “big” present from Santa before Josh and I could even get out to the tree – what a silly boy!

Father-son play time: a new bowling set {there’s water in the pins so they have some weight!} and a much coveted Bruder recycling truck.

Sweet Lucy. She actually stood still long enough to take a picture!

New slippers and phantom baby bump…

Sky loves learning to use tools…he received a wood “build an excavator” kit for ages 8 and up but had no problem putting it together with dad!

My present to Josh: a new record player. It feels good to have that sound in the house again after our old one broke about a year ago.

My handsome husband and his new toys: a tool belt, hatchet, and Woodinville Whiskey.

Danish kringle – pretty much the best thing EVER.

The perfect present for the grandma’s: Canvas Prints. Printcopia approached me a while ago and asked if I’d be interested in trying out their services. I first did a larger print of Sky at the ocean and I liked it so much that I made 8x10 canvases with a recent picture of my sweet boy. They turned out so cute! Not only can you make canvases, but you can also make prints and use photos directly from Facebook or Instagram! {PS – Printcopia also has some sister services: car magnets, banners, and signs incase you need any of those things}. Follow Printcopia on Twitter to get the latest info on sales and deals – they regularly have great discounts and coupons!

Strongly wishing this was my red wine…unfortunately, it was not.

Sky was REALLY excited to frost cookies….he did ONE cookie, ate about 3 spoonful's of frosting, and was over it. On to the next thing…I guess that’s the life of a now 3 year old?

Details and Disclosures: Printcopia gifted me one of their canvases in exchange for a review but I was not otherwise compensated for writing this post. All opinions and commentary included in this post are my own and it’s the honest truth.

Three

My sweet baby boy. Today you are 3. How did that go by so quickly?

You are a mama’s boy at heart. If we could be cheek to cheek 24/7 {including while you are asleep}, you would be ok with that. You like to snuggle and give kisses. When I go to work or am not around, you become more adventurous with dad and do wild things like wrestle and dance. You are usually a fun, inquisitive boy to be around {except when you don’t get to do something on your own or have it your way}.

Your construction vehicles are your most favorite toys and prized possessions. Lima beans were one of the best things we ever brought you. Scooping, dumping, lifting, loading…you can’t get enough. You’ve been rid of your binky since July but still love your blankies…2 of them to be exact.

Your vocabulary is astounding and you are just now starting to feel empathy toward others…still trying to fully understand sharing…but realizing that everyone has feelings. Many times, you don’t have manners at home but if we are out in public, you understand – holding my hand, waiting your turn, and listening.

You love Lily dog…Lucy dog…Scotty cat and all other animals. You are excited for your baby brother and tell us you’ll take care of him and change his diaper. You say the silliest things, love to dance, learn, and make us laugh with your funny stories.

You love to rock out in the car {sour grapes?}:

Rockin' Out from Emily Peck on Vimeo.

You are my joy sweet Sky. I love you I love you I love you. Happy Birthday!