I need to make some Q icons...

Tags: pics, quentin
Current Mood: cheerful

So, I've posted about how great and easy Q is, and it's very true. He sleeps so well at night that I was warned today by the pediatrician to make sure that I feed him lots during the day to make up for those long stretches of sleep. He hasn't lost any weight since we left the hospital, but he hasn't really gained either. Of course, the weight comparison was from two different scales, and we're dealing with differentials of ounces, not pounds, but it's still a good idea. He sleeps long stretches during the day, too, and I need to make sure I feed him every 2 hours, instead of letting it stretch to 3 like it sometimes will if I let him sleep.

No, but the real challenge here so far, in this first week of being a family of four, is managing Cassie's energy level around the newborn. She loves him SO MUCH. So much that today, when I suggested that she and I make a date for some Cassie-mommy only time, she almost burst into tears. "But I don't want to spend time with you without Quentin! I love him!" That, combined with the fact that she is, as many of you know firsthand, a very bouncy, energetic kid, is making me incredibly tense and probably too hard on her. Tonight, she stood on the couch next to me while I was holding him, which was unacceptable, and always has been (we had been working on highlighting expectations of being more settled for some time before Q was born--no jumping, running, bounding, gymnastics of any kind in the house). She got yelled at, because I'm at a no-tolerance level for anything that might put Q in danger of being squished by his sister...and then not five minutes later, she launched herself into the couch next to me while I was holding him. And got screamed at, and sent upstairs. Which she resisted, so there was more yelling, which I hate. Jay took her upstairs and let her scream it out in her room, and then I went up, after passing the baby to Jay, and had a heart-to-heart with her. I explained how dangerous it was for her to be jumping around anywhere near the baby. I explained how important it was for all of us to keep the baby safe. I went so far as to tell her exactly how serious it could be if she actually fell on the baby--I felt it was important for her to understand the consequences of her actions. I hugged her, and told her I knew that she loved him, and that she's a natural jumping bean, and that it's hard for her to not be so energetic, but that it's very important for her to understand when it's okay to bounce around, and when it's not. We ended up in a good place, and she apologized, and promised to listen better to what we tell her to do.

This has been the hard stuff so far, and it's doubly hard, I think, because it's very easy for me to forget that she's still only 4 (if only for 2 more months), because she looks, and often acts as if she's older. I know, intellectually, that she just doesn't have the context to understand why being calmer around the baby is so important, and I'm not the kind of parent who thinks "because I say so" is good enough on its own. It's going to be a constant struggle, I know, but before too long he'll probably be bouncing all over the house along with her, and then we'll have different issues to deal with...

Of course, it didn't help that she missed her nap today because I had to take her with me to Q's first pedi appointment in order to get her seasonal flu mist vaccine in her. And then we ran errands, so I was pretty wasted by the time we got home tonight as it was.

Also posted at http://kouredios.dreamwidth.org/140765.html; feel free to comment there if you so choose: add comment/ comments.

Tags: cassie, parenting, quentin
Current Mood: exhausted

NAK

The past few days have gone pretty well. Q's had some small struggles with gas, but I think that can be ameliorated with my watching what I eat more closely. Asparagus and garlic appear to have been recent culprits. Two nights ago we struggled with bubbles until about 4am, with a few catnaps in there, but once he finally got comfy, he slept a 5-hour stretch. And last night, we got two 4-5 hour stretches with one feed/dipe/clothes change in the middle, around 5am. We're remarkably lucky. (Obnote: Cassie did NOT sleep this well, like, ever. Well, now she does.)

My mom left yesterday morning, after spending the last three weeks with us, and that went really well, too. I was only annoyed and prickly occasionally in the first week or so, as I adjusted to her being here. She was a great help with Cassie, taking her to school and dance, and swim, and picking her up from daycare. Since Cassie was at school when we started the induction, and Q was born before she was even done at DC, mom was around for the whole labor, and that ended up being okay too. Since I didn't have time for an epidural, she didn't have a chance to make me feel bad about it (though, this time, I wasn't going to let her anyway.) She did give me props for going without one (as if I had a choice), but it didn't grate--she's not the only one who's done so. :D

She just finished the babywearing poncho sweater that she started when I was still wearing Cassie. It was a request, and the pattern had a lot of techniques in it that she hadn't used before. Plus, it's big and the gauge is pretty small. It came out great, and I'll have to model it for some pics soon.

We ventured out as a family of four last night for the first time, in order to attend baby Zaphod's welcoming ceremony. It was beautiful, and wonderful, and I got to show Q off to bunches of people at once and serve as an attention buffer a bit, I think. I got lots of surprise that I was out, and looking good (!!), but I tell you people: a newborn that sleeps makes all the difference in the world.

Though I am a bit sore today, so I'm ensconced in the couch for the duration, probably.

When we got home, there was a Christmas card from my high school BFF with news of her 2nd baby on the way, and a picture of her first, with gorgeous natural ringlets, OMG, so I called her and shared our news and heard of hers. She's completely out of the social networking loop; she doesn't even do facebook yet. I also had a voicemail from my mom that she had spun out and gone off the road on I88 on her way home, but she's fine (and really lucky there were no other cars nearby), just really shaken up.

And now Cassie and Jay are out shopping and getting haircuts. When they come home they'll probably play some more with the Wii Jay just got us as our family Christmas present. He's completely addicted already, and it's hysterical. His parents will be by sometime today to met their 6th and final grandchild, and I'll try to take a Christmas card picture with both kids.

Life's pretty good. :D

Also posted at http://kouredios.dreamwidth.org/140328.html; feel free to comment there if you so choose: add comment/ comments.

Tags: cassie, family, quentin, update
Current Mood: chipper

I wasn't able to post this until I got home; LJ and DW got blocked again at the hospital. As well as pictures on FB, and other weird, specific things. But, we're home now, and I have Cassie meets Quentin pics!

( Cut for the squeamish and/or uninterested )

Cassie admires her baby brother:


Also posted at http://kouredios.dreamwidth.org/140175.html; feel free to comment there if you so choose: add comment/ comments.

Tags: baby!, birthday, cassie, pics
Current Mood: accomplished

Apparently I, like Kass, can access LJ and DW on weekdays, but not weekends. Weird.

Anyway, Quentin James was born today at 3:55 pm. They're still measuring him and cleaning him, but we know he was 8 lbs even. And that he's GORGEOUS. :D



Off to figure out how to let Cassie see him over Skype.

Also posted at http://kouredios.dreamwidth.org/139904.html; feel free to comment there if you so choose: add comment/ comments.

Tags: announcements, baby!
Current Mood: accomplished