First Couple Weeks

We are making it at home as a family of 4. It has been an interesting first 2 weeks that we won't soon forget!

I just cannot believe all the sickness that has hit our household!! Russ and I were feeling awful from sinus infections and Granna was diagnosed with the flu the day after we came home from the hospital with Caroline. As a precaution, she stayed upstairs in quarantine until she finished her 5 days of Tamiflu. My doctor also recommended that I take Tamiflu, as well as the anitbiotic I was already taking for the sinus infection, as a precaution so that baby and I didn't get it. I swear, it felt like I was a walking medicine cabinet! We are all on the mend but still have hand sanitizer and kleenex in every room and have lysol'ed everything twice! Thankfully, with the exception of runny noses, the kids seem to be ok.

First night at home!!

Our first weekend was a little challenging since Russ and I were both sick and had 2 kids to tend, but we made it!! Thankfully, we had lots of sweet friends signed up to bring us meals, so we didn't have to worry about food. Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday and it was the first time in a long time that we haven't gone to a party. But we tried to make the best of it by making rotel and watching the game as a family. Tyler loved the "Puppy Bowl" and of course the actual game, too. I am still amazed that a child this young is so enthralled with watching sports...especially on TV! He clapped and cheered when the crowd does on TV and he kept saying "uh-oh" when a player would get tackled.

Getting loving from Aunt Elisha!

Meeting Aunt Kate!

What Sunday morning breakfast now looks like!

C was snoozing away while we ate.

Catching our zzz's when we can.

Watching the Puppy Bowl before nap time.

Tyler loved rotel...it was hard to keep him from double dipping!

The sweet and unbelievably generous Scheidt family surprised us with a yard stork announcing Caroline's arrival the Friday after we got home from the hospital. They did this for Tyler, too, and I just love it! The stork stays in your yard for almost 2 weeks and when they come pick it up, they leave you the "bundle" personalized with her birth stats as a keepsake. Micky and Kelly came to visit and we took the opportunity to get a few family pictures outside.

Silly boy!

Of course, he found happiness in a giant stick!

Looking for an airplane...

Sweet Kelly and Micky with little C.

Tyler is starting to show a little more interest in Caroline. I think he is starting to realize she is a little person because he's seen her do more than just sleep now. He lights up and laughs when she makes noises, cries or moves. He will say "Caroline" sometimes but he mostly calls her "baby". He is noticing her hands and toes and points them out. Of course he is well meaning, but we have to really watch him because he can be really rough with her and try to pull on her feet or touch her eyes. The other day Tyler walked in the door from school, saw the empty car seat on the counter and said "where baby"?! He found us both in the den where I was feeding Caroline, smiled, came running over to us and smacked her on the head!! Such brotherly love!!

"Caroline has 2 eyes..."

Daddy is getting the hang of holding 2 at once!

Caroline seems to be adjusting well to our family, too. She is an excellent eater and breastfeeding has been WAY easier the 2nd time around. I'm not sure if it's because I know what I'm doing and more relaxed so she is too, but I will gladly take it!! I am feeding her every 2-3 hours during the day and then letting her sleep until she wakes up at night. She has been sleeping in a bassinet in our bedroom on the Boppy Newborn Lounger, same as Tyler did, and going at least 4 hours between feedings and sometimes longer! And the BEST thing is that she eats quickly and actually goes back to sleep at night between feedings! Tyler never did that at the beginning! Hooray!! Overall, I feel way more rested, happier, calmer and less stressed this time and I know getting rest is a BIG part of that!

Here are a few other things that I want to remember about these first couple weeks:

• Her belly button cord fell off after about a week and we were able to give her her first bath.

Granna and Big Brother watching bath time!

She was not happy to get out...it was COLD!

• Mom and I have taken her on several walks in the neighborhood. Nothing too long since I don't want to overdo it. We had a nice weekend and we actually broke out the double jogging stroller for the first time and took both kids! I bought this used and I seriously love this thing...I think it might actually stroll better than my single jogger.

• She has used the vibrating bouncy seat and seems to like it so far, like her brother did.

• She is taking a paci...not all the time, but she will sometimes. Tyler was not a paci fan until about 4 months old and even then, it was very hit or miss.

Holding her paci!

• She modeled her first of many hairbows!!

• She is generally a very sweet baby, but has a LOUD cry for such a little girl...WAY louder than Tyler!! 
• She fusses when we first put her in the carseat, but once I start walking with it or the car starts moving, she generally stops crying and goes to sleep. In fact, several times when we have gone places, she has just slept quietly in her carseat in the stroller! Ahhhh!

We are enjoying Caroline so much! She is a sweet and good baby and we love seeing all the ways that she and Tyler are different and similar already!!