Falling down on the job...

I really did say I was going to keep up with it but I've failed miserably.

Update on Ava: she is 19 months old, 25.6 pounds and growing up WAY too fast. She has quite the vocabulary and her favorite words are "No" and "buggle gubbie" (Yo gabba gabba). She is so much fun and gets into everything!
She loves to swing, play with chalk outside, her duck and pig go every where with her. If it were up to her she would eat hot dogs and catsup at every meal. She loves vegetables and macaroni and cheese. She is a huge fan of milk and has 2 glasses every morning. She still gets a sippy cup of milk before she goes to sleep but I think I'm going to start phasing that one out. She loves to help brush her teeth after her milk. Her toothbrush lights up and it's fun! Her favorite shoes are her camo boots. She does like her tiny ponytail but if she sees the bow in the mirror it will come out. She likes to "help" get her sister up in the morning, and wants to hold her occasionally. She is NOT a fan of Liv playing with her toys. We had a major meltdown while trying to teach the concept of sharing. My words were falling on deaf ears and I was foolish not to know that the world was ending because Liv was playing with her monkey.

Olivia: she is 3 months old, 15 pounds, and also growing way too fast. She is holding her head up while on her tummy. Enjoys lounging in her swing, laughing at her dorky parents, and eating. She is exclusively breastfed, very proud of that, and is sleeping about 10-14 hours at night. Pretty awesome. Ava woke up at least once to eat at that age and was getting a 4 ounce bottle if formula. If I only knew then what I know now, I could've breastfed longer with Ava. I digress. Liv is such a happy baby, she has laughed out loud and smiles a lot. She does not like taking a bottle. It has to be on her terms and usually it's a process! She doesn't take a pacifier either. She did when we first came home from the hospital and at the hospital but since about 6 weeks she hasn't wanted it. She gags everytime you put it in her mouth. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

I'll be back tomorrow to post pictures of my babies.

Having two children.

I certainly couldn't do anything without Shane's help! He takes care of Ava and I take care of Olivia and we swap out in the afternoons/evenings to play with the other child.

I had a scheduled c-section with Olivia and I must say it was way better than the first! Being in labor for 29 hours and then having a c-section, no thanks. It was surreal to walk in and have a baby. Recovery was faster, discharge from the hospital was faster, my milk came in faster. Everything was faster and EASIER! Downside of having a repeat c-section was not being able to pick up and hold Ava for 2 weeks. She didn't understand why I couldn't pick her up and it was harder (emotionally) for me too!

My two week check up went well. I am 4 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight and my incision is smaller this time (I only have one incision not two!) and Olivia's two week check up showed she's back at birth weight (she had dropped a pound when we went home) and she slept through her PKU test and I was amazed! Ava screamed through hers!

These past three weeks has been great with my babies! I stopped taking pain meds around a week and a half and was able to get on the floor to play with Ava and read books, eat lunch with her, change her diaper and I actually felt like a parent to her! That first week was hell. I was hormonal, I admit, but I felt like Ava didn't need me and that was an eye opener for me because I'm a control freak. If it's not done my way it's not done right, but I think that is every new mom's thought process. That week and a half I wasn't able to do anything with her was a great bonding time with Shane. Shane and her are big buddies now, not that they weren't before but they are definitely closer now. He is a great Dad!

I'm more relaxed with Olivia (and Ava too for that matter). In turn she's more relaxed. Breastfeeding has been super easy this time around, I think because I know it's normal for her to have cluster feedings, poop after every feed, and many other things no one filled me in about with my first!

I had my first experience being by myself last Saturday. It was scary and I was really nervous but it went well. Olivia was awake the entire time which she usually is asleep and Ava was easy. It was difficult at breakfast though. Olivia screamed the entire time I was making breakfast for Ava and I and Ava was crying, signing 'milk' and banging on the refridgerator. Talk about pull my hair out! So in between stiring oatmeal on the stove, pouring milk intoo a sippy cup and trying to keep Ava from pushing Olivia out of the swing I'm saying to myself... "I got this under control, I can do this!" and I did get through it. I got Ava's milk to her and picked Olivia up and finished the oatmeal and made myself some chocolate milk and then put Olivia back in the swing and grabbed Ava and we at oatmeal while Olivia sucked on her hands. I felt guilty but what else was I going to do!? After breakfast, Olivia decided to cluster feed from 10am to 12pm (CRAZY, I know!) and so we sat in Ava's room and Olivia nursed and Ava and I read books, played with blocks. Then Olivia finally went to sleep so I put her in her bed and then fed Ava lunch and put her down for a nap. I got about 15 minutes of time to myself and Olivia woke back up because she had a dirty diaper. Then Shane came home and I said "Um, I know you just walked in BUT I really need a shower so here! She's got a clean diaper!"

Anyway, that's all for now. I'm certain I will have more funny stories about having two children and I'll try to keep up better with this blog! Wish me luck :)

Jackie

Welcome Olivia Grace Bush!

Welcome Olivia! 7 pounds 12 ounces! She is a beautiful and healthy baby. Very calm and doesn't cry a lot! Maybe because Momma is relaxed this go around!

Maternity Session 8/29/11

We used Kristy Hamiliton with Vintage Charm Photography to do our maternity pictures. She did a great job and even got some good ones of Ava. Ava doesn't take pictures well anymore, she has the attention span of a gnat!

Getting ready for Olivia!

Here are a few pictures of Olivia's room and things I made for her room. Ava helped Daddy put the cover plates over the cable outlet and helped with the curtains!

Ava is ONE!!!

Here are a few pictures from her first birthday! She had a great time with family and friends. We had her birthday party at Villa West Park and severed brisket and sausage as well as macaroni and cheese with cupcakes for desert!

Ava wasn't a fan of her birthday cupcake but she did have a blast chasing bubbles that Aunt Julie was blowing for her!