Life Lately

As you can imagine, things have been a little hectic around here. Between getting into a new rhythm of being a family of four and soaking up the sweetness of summertime, I'm having trouble finding time to keep up with the blog. I'm trying to commit at least 10 minutes a few times a week to dedicate to writing because the days are fleeting and I know I'll be so happy I did in the long run.

Where to start? It's been almost two full months since Quinn entered our lives. Needless to say, it's been an adjustment but we are making huge strides. A really adorable adjustment, but an adjustment none the less. When Parker was first born it took me a couple of weeks to get out of the house. Once we did, I had some major anxiety about her getting upset in public and disturbing anyone around us. With Quinn, we were out and about just a couple days after she was born. I admit that I think I overdid it in the early weeks, trying to keep up with the housework, errands,  being there 100% for both of the girls and basically trying to keep up with my life as it was pre-baby numero dos. It all caught up to me around week 4 and 5 and I was EXHAUSTED. That's when I decided to slow things down and just soak in the days with Quinn while she's still so small. No one looks back on their maternity leave and thinks about how clean the house was, so I'm trying not to stress about it and just enjoy this time.

We decided that it was best for Parker to continue going to daycare during the week so that I can focus on Quinn and catching up on sleep. Parker loves to play with her friends and she gets to participate in so much more than she would be able to if she stayed home with us. The fact that it tires her out for an 'easy' bedtime doesn't hurt either. And of course if it's a nice day, she plays hookie so we can spend the day at the pool or at home playing outside while Quinn hangs out in the shade. At this point it doesn't take much to entertain Quinn so she's perfectly content sitting in her car seat listening to the birds and watching leaves blow in the wind. I'm not sure if we will be having another baby so I am trying to make the most of this maternity leave and take advantage of the time off to hang with the girls making memories.

Now that we are rounding the second month, Quinn and Parker's sleeping patterns have finally settled into somewhat of a routine which makes a WORLD of a difference (for everyone). We still have the occasional night when the girls take turns crying throughout the night but they are very rare. Quinn stays snuggled up with Matt and I in bed for now because let's be honest, I am at the lazy stage where I can't bear to walk to the nursery out of a dead sleep to nurse multiple times throughout the night. She also sleeps on her side facing towards me and it's impossibly adorable so we'll keep her there for now. ;)

As for myself, I feel like I'm in a good spot. I'm getting more rest, am getting in exercise at least three times a week and have mastered when to eat before the little one demands my undivided attention (probably the biggest learning curve). I've lost all but 8 lb. of my pregnancy weight which I'm not terribly concerned about because I'm sure they'll be around until I am done breastfeeding.

So that's my dissertation on the first two months thus far! I plan on doing more in depth posts on Quinn & Parker updates and also a postpartum update down the road. It's amazing to me how quickly you learn and get in a routine that works for you once you bring home the little game changer. The first few nights you question if you will be able to do it, and weeks later both you and the baby are making huge strides. I am embracing all of the ups and downs now because I know how quickly a year can go by. 

Quinn's Newborn Photos

Guys, I am so excited to share some of my favorite shots from Quinn's newborn shoot a couple weeks back. Looking through these all, I can't believe how much she has grown already. It's really crazy how you forget how little they were when they were so new. This is why I am so thankful that we had our wonderful photographer and now friend, Mary Dougherty, capture that point in Quinn's life that we might have not been able to remember otherwise down the road. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Home From the Hospital

We've almost been home for one week as a family of four and my mind is a little foggy. I mentioned before that I wasn't sure how I could love a new little baby as much as I loved Parker but it really just happens. I am obsessed with all of her little coos, her head full of dark hair, her big bright eyes and the smell of her brand new baby breath! She is an amazing newborn who loves to cuddle, eat and stare at the canvas wraps above our bed in our bedroom. She can take or leave swaddling, hates her bassinet, and somehow calms right down when her big sister is holding her. With each day, I see her personality shine through between naps and I couldn't be more in love.

The same goes for Parker. As soon as we had Quinn and Parker walked into the room to meet her, Matt and I were both blown away with just how BIG she looked and acted. It's almost like she was made to be a big sister. She loves to hold Quinn for about five seconds and is getting used to her cries. The first couple of wails from her baby sister made Parker's face squinch up and you could see a little pinch of panic in her eyes. We taught her how to 'shh shh shh' the baby when she cries and since then she is so attentive and empathetic whenever Quinn has melt downs. We gave Parker a doctors kit when Quinn was born and she loves to take her temperature and listen to her 'heart beep'. We are still taking Parker to school during the days so that I can focus on resting and tend to the needs of a newborn. The best part of the day is when Parker comes home and beelines it straight to 'her' baby. She greets her with a little kiss on the head and usually some sweet whispers and then is on to play with her toys. We have noticed that she has been acting up more often and is testing our patience more regularly. We have also been extremely cautious of the amount of attention we are giving her, which is tons so we credit the tantrums to her age (2) and her interrupted sleep as of late. Overall, she is such an angel and I count my blessings each day for such an amazing little girl. 

When we were first home with Parker as a newborn, I remember having some anxiety around being a parent and the overwhelming responsibility that came so quickly. Although this time around we feel completely comfortable and confident in raising another baby, it's the attention balancing act that I really struggled with in the beginning of this week. When we were in the hospital, we had family jump in to help us with Parker and although I'm not sure what I would have done otherwise, I struggled with the fact that I was missing out on those few days with my girl. I was getting pictures of how happy she was and all the fun she was having, but my hormones got the best of me and I had some serious guilt that I couldn't be there sharing the fun with her. Our first couple days home, Matt took her on a lot of fun mini trips out to lunch, to the store, and did all the bathing, bed time stories, etc. so that I could rest with Quinn, and I'd find myself at night so upset that I hadn't seen her much during the day. Since then I went back to my normal routine of giving her her baths and hanging out with her after school talking about her day, and that seems to be the cure. 

In other news, breastfeeding has been going extremely well which is a huge relief as we had some struggles with Parker when she was a baby. Quinn eats every 1.5 - 2 hours regularly during the day and about every 4 at night. I am dealing with some overproduction which makes even putting on deodorant painful, but I am hoping it subsides in the next couple days. 

I feel like I am leaving out a thousand other amazing details from this first week, which is highly probable given my new sleeping schedule. All in all we are so happy to be home as a family of four and Quinn has been the perfect addition to our family. Thank you all for your well wishes and kind words around our little girl. We can't wait to share the fun adventures to come with all of you.

Introducing Quinn Nellie

I wanted to thank all of you who reached out to us sending love over the birth of our baby girl! Quinn Nellie was born on May 15th at 6:16am. She weighed 8 lb. 4 oz. at birth and has brought an explosion of love to our family of four that I never thought possible. Although these past couple of days have been an adjustment and bring with it some serious sleep deprivation, watching Parker love on her little makes it all worth it. I am just so proud to be these girls' mama. Below are a few of my favorite pictures so far. I post most of my pictures on Instagram so make sure to follow along to get the latest on what our little family is up to (@kerilululouise)!