And Baby Makes Three...: Fiona Check-Up

A few days ago, Fiona had her first check-up at the doctor. According to him, everything looks great! She has already gained more than pound since she was born, so even though it is a little frustrating to feel like I am feeding her around the clock, it looks like it is at least doing her some good! It's always nice to have a medical professional reassure you that you're doing an alright job so far. Almost three weeks old and still alive and kickin' --- gold star for Mom and Dad!!

Other than that, we've just been trying to make it through one day at a time. Everyone who told me that going from one kid to two is a tough transition was sugar coating it -- these first few days have rocked my world! Part of that is due to the fact that I've also been recovering from a c-section, which has made otherwise simple actions (like getting up from a seated position!) more difficult, but it's also a little overwhelming to try to balance the all-consuming demands of a newborn with the needs of a high-energy toddler. The thought that Sam would ever feel like Fiona has replaced or displaced him breaks my heart, but I think that David and I have done a great job so far of making sure that he feels included and loved. While he has his moments of jealousy, he is mostly very sweet with her -- he calls her "his baby" and likes to give her kisses and pat her head. The whole thing melts my heart, and there are times when I feel that my chest is not big enough to contain the love I feel for these little souls.

Another adjustment was having David go back to work, which happened a few days ago. He got two weeks of paternity leave, which was awesome, and not having him around the house has been a little rough for me. He is such an enormous help when he's around, and I got very used to being able to depend on him as an extra set of arms to hold Fiona, as well as a shoulder for me to cry on when my hormones are going crazy! Sigh -- I guess I'll have to learn to do it without him!!

In the mornings, I get Sam ready for daycare while David gets ready for work. Then, my two boys leave together, and it's just us girls at home. Since I've finally been cleared by my doctor to drive, I have been trying to have at least one outing a day for me and Fiona, since otherwise I get super stir-crazy. She is definitely not on any sort of routine or schedule yet, which means I am pretty exhausted most days, and despite my best intentions I never seem to be able to stick to the "sleep when the baby sleeps" mantra (is anyone able to actually do this?!). Luckily, since this is not my first rodeo, I have some perspective and can understand that this phase is blessedly short, so I am doing my best to not stress and try to enjoy every minute.

Here are a few new photos to tide you over! :)