Highnesses...

The other day Merrick had both girls in the bonus room. Claire was screaming her bloody head off, but I figured he had things under control. When he came down them them both I quickly discovered the cause of the screams... this tiny one does not yet like dress-up.

First snow...

The surprise snow storm of the season was welcomed by us. Merrick was already off work, we had no where to be and nothing to do. It was nice to watch it falling gently through the afternoon. By the time Gracie woke up from her nap our neighborhood was bathed in white - glowing in the setting sun. We quickly bundled up and headed out for a bit. We ended up walking to Freddy's where we purchased a very basic sled for Grace and then pulled her home.

Baby Ana visits...

It was fun to see Alex, Kelsie and baby Ana for a few hours while they were here for Christmas. Their trip and our Christmas schedule didn't align very well this time around, so we didn't get a lot of time with them, but we enjoyed our two brief visits.

Our time together has changed a lot in the past few years. Though we see more of each other, our attention is now on our children and getting to know each other's kids. It was so fun for me to be able to introduce Tiny Claire to her Auntie Kels.

*click once on the collage to enlarge it*

Our girls

I can't wait to see these friends again. This was the first good-bye in a long time when we didn't have a "see you ___" all figured out. I don't know when our next visit will be. In my opinion, it can't come soon enough. We miss you guys.

Zoo lights...

On Monday evening we met the Diefs for Zoo Lights. Someone really great gave them a zoo membership for Christmas, so we felt the need to use it right away. It was so cold, and we went right before dinner, so we didn't stay for a very long time, but we enjoyed it none-the-less.

*click once on the collage to enlarge*

School...

Grace got a preschool workbook from Santa this year and has been having fun going through it with Merrick and I. So far she is learning to trace dotted lines and draw between the lines. We aren't wanting to push this, but she is definitely ready for this next step in learning. I'm still not sold on the idea of preschool for her... especially this soon, but in the mean time it is nice to be doing something structured for her.

A very Brownlee Christmas...

A glimpse of our few days in Eugene...

The whole clan - all 16 of us. Sixteen!

The individual families - including the "original" five.

Top left, the Haverlys: Matt, Macy, Mariah, Maleah and Melaney. Bottom left, the Diefenbaugh: Scott, Megan, Kyler, Ella and Brennan. Middle, us Brownlees. Top right, the grandkids! Bottom right, the original five: Gary, Margaret, Macy, Megan and Merrick.

We had an amazing Christmas with the Brownlee family this year. It has been a long time since we have all been together... too long. Our Christmas celebration was simple, quiet, relaxing and fun. The kids love being all together and the grown-ups had a great time brushing up on old Mario Brother skills. We enjoyed a great dinner at the Oregon Electric Station (prime rib!), opened stockings, and watched the kids perform songs, dances and piano solos they had been learning. (Grace had a very special rendition of O Holy Night that she shared with everyone... one line of it at least). We are really looking forward to the next time we are all together again.

Christmas day...

Christmas day was spent at my parent's house. My mom made yummy (vegan) cinnamon rolls for breakfast, so their house smelled great when we got there! The morning was very relaxed as we opened stockings and gifts. I feel like every Christmas has an accidental theme. For me, this was the year of giving shoes. Merrick got two pairs, Gracie got new Adidas. We gave my dad some nice brown shoes and Craig scored two pairs of soccer shoes. All together I gave six pairs. My parents gave Gracie a box of dress up clothes and a great interactive State puzzle that she will get years of use from. I got a sewing machine and Merrick got a chair for our office (which I am sitting in as I type).

*click once to enlarge collage*

Right as we were wrapping up our unwrapping, my grandparents arrived and spent the rest of the afternoon with us. We played Tripoli after dinner and then got the girls ready to head south. We thought that if we waited until Grace's bed time to head to Eugene she would sleep on the way. We were wrong. She stayed awake until we arrived and then happily played with her oldest cousins who were waiting up for our arrival.

Merry Christmas, sister!

Home for the holidays...

I am not going to delve into the details of our Christmas season. Rather, I am going to post a few pictures and mention a few highlights.

This year Christmas was as it should be. It was simple. It was with family. It was celebratory. It was fun. Merrick and I did almost all of our Christmas shopping the week before and yet I felt like we did a good job finding something that everyone would appreciate and use. Our family celebration was small - there just wasn't a lot on any of our lists. We exchanged a few gifts (our main gift to the family was our new computer!!!!). Gracie loved her new stocking and was very excited that it was full of things to be opened. She was the perfect age this year to enjoy and understand all that was happening. She was very helpful and very "exciting" about everything. Claire didn't have a clue, but Gracie was sure to stop and show Claire everything that was being opened. She wasn't left out one bit.

And a half...

On the 22nd Grace celebrated her 1/2 birthday. Actually, she seems to think she is continually celebrating her 1/2 birthday as I have many times since the 22nd heard her announce to strangers, "today is my HALF birthday!" (Like they care, right?)

She is still the goofy, fun, silly, stubborn, lovable, loud, crazy-haired kid as usual.

*click once to make these pictures bigger*

I have no words to describe the outfit, or what she is doing in these pictures.

Back in November, before Claire's arrival, I did a post about Gracie. I knew I wouldn't have time to do a detailed 2 1/2 year post for her after the baby came. There isn't a lot that has changed since that time, but there are a few more things I wanted to remember from this stage.

Size: She now weighs 29.3 pounds. I haven't yet measured her height, but need to update her growth chart. She is currently wearing a size 6 or 7 shoe (sixes are almost too small, and sevens are still a bit too big). Her clothes are 2-4t depending on the brand. Gap and Gymboree seem to run true to size (2t is a bit too small, 3t is a bit too big). Some places - like Target and Old Navy - run small and she is almost wearing a 4t from those places.

Sleep: We've battled through a few rough months as Gracie has gradually adjusted to a new sleep schedule. We mentioned her sleep "issues" to the pediatrician and he assured us that she would find what worked for her and to keep doing what we were doing. Now Gracie has a quiet time for about two hours every afternoon. She stays in her room and reads, colors, or does puzzles. Most of the time she does fall asleep, but even if she doesn't I am still able to use that time to get a little of my stuff done. At night Grace is usually in bed by 9:30 and asleep before 10:30. I know that might sound crazy to some, but it is just what works for her. She typically sleeps 10-11 hours at night waking up between 8:30-9.

I have a few great Grace quotes from the past few weeks, but that will wait for another post. Stay tuned...

Christmas parade...

We decided late in the afternoon that a trip to the Christmas Ships would be a fun evening activity. Luckily, the boats were going to sail right through Lake Oswego that night, so we invited my folks along. It was a perfect night - no rain, and slightly warm (for the season). The waiting before hand was a little tough, but once the boats started coming by, Gracie seemed to really enjoy herself. We might have to make this a tradition!

Beauty and the beast...

We had a very special night out with our girls... at the theater. Drew's company was sponsoring the local performance of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and he scored us all tickets to the dress rehearsal performance. It was especially fun because I grew up with the lead actress, Erin Charles, who played Belle. The performance was a lot of fun, and I thought Erin did a fantastic job.

At intermission Gracie got to play with her friends - who she hadn't seen since Claire was born.

It was a sweet reunion for these two buddies.

Gracie did really well during the show considering she has never sat still through anything in her whole life. The only problem was that the theater was warm and she didn't want her dress on. We figured there was no harm in letting her undress as long as it kept her quiet, so she watched the entire second act in her undies on Merrick's lap. Silly Gracie-girl.

Thanks Drew for the tickets! We had a great time.

One month old...

Claire is one month old today. These first four weeks have gone quickly - just like we knew they would. This tiny one is such a sweet, mellow, easy baby. I have been so thankful for the full nights of sleep I've been getting (especially with Merrick out of the country for a week). There isn't much to update this first month, but I do want to document a few things about Claire for our records.

• She's on a pretty regular schedule. She eats 8 times each day (6, 9, 11:30, 2, 4:30, 6, 8, 10). This is pretty set, but can vary a bit depending on when she wakes up each morning.
• She sleeps 6 1/2 - 8 hour stretches every night... which means I'm sleeping about 6 hours and then going back to sleep for 2-3 more depending on when Grace wakes up.
• She started smiling at us the day Merrick got home from France... she was three weeks and 5 days old. All things have to be aligned just right - a full tummy, a good nap, voices she knows - but the smiles are coming fairly regularly now. Gracie can get smiles out of her most consistently... Claire hears her voice and grins ear-to-ear.
• With the smiles have come "nice words." She watches our faces and works and works to get happy noises to come out. It is so fun to hear her sweet little voice - a nice change from her sweet little scream that we hear when she is hungry or needs to be changed.
• She turns her head toward voices she knows - mommy, daddy and big sister. She will look up, around and behind her to find our faces.
• She is getting the first signs of baby acne - right in time for Christmas pictures. So far she has shown no signs of losing her hair, but we'll wait and see.
• She has been fighting a diaper rash for the past few weeks, and after trying everything, I think that she is sensitive to the baby wipes I've been using. We got it all cleared up just in time to start antibiotics and it looks like now she might have a yeast rash from the medicine. Ugh! The medicine is working though, and her stuffy nose and little cough are nearly gone.
• She is growing out of newborn size clothing. The clothes Claire is wearing now are the same ones Grace was wearing when she was 4 months old. The nice thing about C being so much bigger, is that the clothing seasons are going to end up aligning almost perfectly... hand me downs will work even though G was a summer baby and C is a winter baby.

Here are a few pictures from the past few days. C is awake a lot more during the day, and when her eyes are open she looks old and alert - as if she is soaking up the world around her. I think that some features are looking more like Gracie as she gets older and grows into her body, but she is still very much her own little person too.

From December 12. Such a good sleeper!

From December 15. With her eyes open more and more each day, she is starting to look more like Grace.

From December 16. I think her hair makes her look old - almost silly - but we love it.

Nap needed...

For the skeptics that think Gracie needs to give up her nap. I present you with exhibit A:

She fell asleep in the car, and when we got home I woke her up and took her inside. By the time I unloaded the baby, this is how I found her... face down on the wood floor. This child still very much needs a nap... most of the time.

Fun with Nanc...

My parents decided to come over since they hadn't seen the girls in two weeks. (Dad got the piggy flu and was horribly sick the week Merrick was in France). It was fun to have them visit for a bit - grandma even had time to paint Gracie's nails. Big time!

Survival...

I've been slacking on the blog front again, but I think my excuse is fairly valid. Merrick has been in France this week (he found out late last week that he'd be traveling, and then left on Sunday... 48 hours notice - nice!) and the girls and I have gone into survival mode. We've been figuring out how to make our days work, how to sleep at night, and how to manage without daddy around. Thankfully we have good friends that have come along side us and kept us company in Merrick's absence. That definitely made the days go quicker. I am also so thankful for a baby who is an amazing sleeper. I have gotten at least six hours straight from Claire every night, and usually it is 7. I loved the night she slept 8 hours, but that has only happened once this week. Grace, on the other hand, is having some trouble sleeping. I think the biggest reason is that Merrick usually does her night time routine with her and snuggles with her before sleep. It is special time for both of them, and she is really missing that.

The three of us have also been sick, and today I decided we needed to go to the doctor. Four weeks of coughing green out of our lungs can't be good. So, we loaded up and headed out. Two doctor's offices, three prescriptions, a big bonk on Gracie's head and 4 1/2 hours later we are home and hopefully on the mend. Who knows what we have or where we all got it. The pediatrician thinks that it probably started as a virus and now we have secondary infections. I'm sad that tiny Claire has to have medicine already (Gracie will be 2 1/2 next week and this is only her second prescription), but hopefully we'll make it through the rest of the winter good and healthy.

Claire is quite a little porker though - she has gained a full pound since her appointment last Tuesday and now weights 9 pounds, 8 ounces.

I haven't taken a lot of pictures this week, but when I have time, I'll try to post more and do some catching up on what all we've been up to. We have had a busy month and Claire is changing so quickly. She is looking more like Merrick (and like Gracie did at this age) every day. Sometimes the resemblance is scary.

ready for a big kiss on the lips

loving baby "littles"

snuggled on mommy's bed

Company...

When I first found out that Merrick would be going to France I called Amy to ask if she wanted to come hang out and keep me company. To be honest, I was sort of relieved when she said yes. It was so nice to have her here to keep me company for part of the week, and to give Grace some attention from someone other than me. Grace and Ephraim had a grand time hanging out and playing... they even got to play with Sydney for a while too!

Amy stayed until Friday afternoon, and then Sarah hung out with us for a few hours. She and Charles came back for a few hours on Saturday... again, it was just nice to not have an empty house for the week. I'm pretty lucky to have friends (near and far) who are willing to help me out like that. Thanks girls!

Adventures in diapering...

While I was pregnant with Claire, we did a lot of talking and thinking about diapers. Many of our friends and my cousins had been using various varieties of cloth diapers. I was fascinated by the whole thing - and the ability to save hundreds of dollars. Back in September we took the plunge and purchased our first set of cloth diapers - traditional pre-folds - and the necessary diaper covers and accessories. We bought 2 dozen diapers, six covers, a washable laundry bag, two travel bags, and two "snappis." All together we spent less than $200... and that has already paid for itself. Now, every time I change a diaper, it is free! I do approximately two extra loads of laundry each week, and I would guess Claire wears about six disposable diapers a week (usually one while I am doing laundry, trips to the doctor, church nursery, etc.) For us, this was purely a financial decision. I'm sure we will reevaluate before buying the next size of diapers and covers, but so far it is turning out to be the right decision.

(picture from 11/22/09)

When daddy's gone...

We dropped Merrick off at the airport on Sunday morning for his very last minute trip to France. (Three days before we had no idea him going was even an option... now he was on a plane). I left the airport, alone, with two children in tow for the first time ever and thought to myself, "I can do this. I will make this week work."

Sunday night I sent an email to Merrick outlining what we had done since he'd been gone and giving him some pictures of his girls.

Things we do when daddy isn't here...

• Feed Tiny Claire.
• Change Claire's diaper.
• Claire poops immediately.
• Change Claire's diaper again.
• Gracie takes a good nap and when she wakes up Claire decides to sleep (no nap for me).
• Go to Freddy's to buy ingredients to make green fluff.
• Rent a red box for Grace and one for mommy.
• Tour the neighborhood (by car) and look at all the Christmas lights while Grace was exclaiming, "Wow, that's big time" and "oh, cool!"
• Feed tiny Claire.
• Eat bologna sandwiches for dinner (with broccoli to make it a bit healthier).
• Bounce on the bed.
• Feed tiny Claire.
• Watch aforementioned movies while eating popcorn.

We love you.

We miss you.

We are going to be okay.

Packed up...

...and ready to go!

Her serious face...

 

Apples and oranges...

Claire and I both had our two-week appointments on Tuesday.

My stats on 12/1/09

Appointment: 2 weeks postpartum visit

Weight: 24 pounds lost =)

BP: 122/62

Nothing really exciting to report from my visit. My recovery and healing are right on track and everything seems normal. I go back in 4 weeks for one final check up before saying good-bye to the office, the nurses and the midwives that we've spent so much time with over the past 10 months.

Claire's stats on 12/1/09

Age: 2 weeks old

Weight: 8 pounds, 8 ounces (56%) - Grace was 5 pounds, 12 ounces (>5%)

Height: 21 1/4 inches (83%) - Grace was 19 inches (5%)

Head Circumference: 36 1/2 cm (64%) - Grace was 34 1/2 (20%)

I think the fact that Claire is a girl has caused us to compare our first baby with our second more than we probably should. It is fun to look at pictures of Grace and see the similarities and differences between the two girls. It is fun to remember how little Grace was and see how big Claire is already getting. It is fun to look back and remember both pregnancies and to see how similar and different both were (and how wrong the old wives tales can be). But truly, comparing our daughters is sort of like comparing apples to oranges.

The pregnancies:

Morning sickness - with Gracie I threw up at least once every day for the first 16 weeks. With Claire I was nauseous all the time, but threw up a lot less. Perhaps chasing an active 2-year-old didn't leave me with enough time in the day to be throwing up.

Food cravings - with Gracie I craved savory foods (mainly baked potatoes), with Claire I craved sweets and junk food (Wendy's and Taco Bell to be specific).

Food aversions - the first time around I couldn't stomach the thought of fish or Asian food. In fact I couldn't shop at Safeway because you walk in right next to the deli Chinese food and the smell got me every time. The second time around I avoided foods that I had eaten when I had been super nauseous... black beans, avocados, mangoes, corned beef & cabbage.

Fatigue - with Gracie I was fatigued and exhausted early in pregnancy. I took a nap nearly every day. When pregnant the second time around the fatigue didn't hit until the third trimester. I was tired throughout, but thankfully I had enough energy to keep up with Grace during the days. I'll be honest, the last few weeks were tough.

Swelling - with Grace I had to take my wedding rings off around 30 weeks... and they didn't fit again until months after she was born. With Claire I never puffed up. I was wearing my rings the day she was born. It was nice to not feel self-conscience when out in public, very pregnant, without my rings.

Shape - I carried Grace really low in my hips (which meant that I needed maternity clothes early on). Claire sat a lot higher - up in my ribs - the whole time. She never really dropped until labor started so she had less of a cone head than Grace even though Grace was a c-section.

Weight - I gained more with Grace per week I was pregnant.

Hair - with Grace my hair fell out in clumps. I was sure I would be bald at the end of 9 months. I don't think I lost a single hair during my second pregnancy. It grew like crazy and was thicker than ever.

Movement - I felt Grace around 20 weeks and Claire at 16 weeks. Both girls were very active, but in different ways.

Braxton Hicks - none with Grace and a ton with Claire. They started at about 29 weeks and went to the end.

Similarities - Some things were common with both pregnancies... I didn't ever have heartburn, I never got a dark line down my belly, my belly button didn't pop out and I peed all the time.

The girls:

Hair - Grace had a full head of light brown (slightly red tinted) hair. Claire has an even fuller head of very dark brown hair and it is ridiculously long.

Eyes - Grace had blue eyes at birth that turned sky blue and are now sort of a blue/gray color. Claire's eyes were a darker shade of blue at birth... we'll see what color they become. Now that Claire's eyes are open a little more often it looks like the shape of their eyes is different.

Nose - we think their noses are very similar... more like mine than Merrick's.

Toes - Gracie's little toes are short and very flexible like mine. Claire's toes (and fingers) are a lot longer and more like Merrick's. Claire curls her toes up tight when nursing. Gracie used to do the very same thing.

Chin - Their chins are very different. Claire has a dimple right in the middle of her chin.

Some people have asked to see side-by-side pictures of these two. I tried to find shots that were similar for better comparison. (I think if you click on the picture it will get bigger.)

Brownlee & reguly...

We were so blessed to have Merrick's parents stay with us the week after Thanksgiving. It was nice to have the little bit of extra help around the house and GREAT to have the extra attention for Grace. She soaked up every minute of uninterrupted grandparent time with them during their stay.

Margaret cooked most meals - delicious! (I love that Gracie's bib is being worn as a cape... a lot of good that will do her)

Gary spent a lot of time playing with G and holding C. Claire would sleep really well in his arms every time.

Grandpa brought Grace a new indoor bowling set... so much fun!

Strike!

Grace smothering her sister with kisses and hugs.

Not quite sure what to think about this family she has joined.

Thank you so much, Brownlee and reguly, for coming and staying with us. We hope you come back again soon!

Two...

For us this transition from one child to two has so far been easier than expected. I am not sure if that is because Gracie is adjusting well, or perhaps because tiny Claire is sleeping 7 hours at night. Maybe it is because of the extra help we've been getting from family, or perhaps because so many friends had warned us about how hard it might be... Whatever the reason, we are thankful that we seem to be managing and moving forward just fine.

There are some speed bumps that come along with a second child that slow down the pace of life a little. We haven't left the house often, but getting out the door takes way longer than it should. If I remember to take Gracie potty, I forget to change Claire's diaper. If I remember to nurse the baby, I forget to feed Grace. I blame my sleepiness for my poor parenting - and am very grateful for the extra hands we've had around to make sure that buns are clean and mouths are fed. There is still some adjusting that needs to happen, but I'm confident we'll get there soon.

God definitely knew which little person was supposed to join our family. Claire is fitting in perfectly, and I know that life will continue to get easier. We know this wild ride will have ups and downs, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Our girls - snuggling on the couch while watching "101 Dalmatians."