Newborn Session - Part III

Finally getting a few shots of Emmy with Daddy and Mila... and one with Mommy. :)

At the Park with the Girls

First time at the park with both girls. We've taken Mila to the park many times when I was pregnant, but this was the first time I could really enjoy it with Emmy on the outside! Emmy stayed sleeping in the stroller while we played around the park with Mila.

"Wee, Daddy! Weeeeee!"

Fun Times with Daddy

Mila sure is a Daddy's girl!

... and a Mommy's girl too. :)

Toddler This Week: 21 Months, Week 4

Your toddler may suddenly develop a fear of something particular, such as insects or water. This may have arisen from an actual incident – maybe a spider dropped onto your child's arm, and his increasingly capable brain is able to remember it for weeks. Not to worry: Experts say that toddler fears and phobias eventually pass. In the meantime, there are several ways to help your child deal with his fear. For example, acknowledge how he feels and provide some reassurance: "I know you don't like spiders – I'll catch that one and put it outside."

Many 21-month-olds are hearty and adventuresome diners, but plenty of others are quite picky. Your child may get upset if two foods touch each other. She may go on jags, eating just one or two types of entrée or only white and yellow foods (bread, pasta, mac 'n' cheese). Like many kids this age, she may refuse vegetables, especially bitter greens and other veggies with a strong taste.

Try to avoid making a big deal about her eating habits. Continue to serve the family meal to your child, letting her pick what she wants from it. She won't starve, nor are these fussy behaviors likely to follow her into adulthood.

Try establishing – and sticking to – set times for napping, eating, and going to bed. A regular schedule helps your child feel more secure and in control. She can't tell time yet, so it also gives her a sense of what's coming next.

Routines make your life easier too – and not only because they simplify day-to-day planning. If your child knows what to expect every day, you'll probably encounter less resistance.

You don't have to be rigid. What's most important is that things happen in pretty much the same order at more or less the same time each day. Weekend bedtimes and morning wakeups that are roughly the same as on weekdays help keep the routine on track.

-BabyCenter.com

Yes. This is my child.

Since We've Been Home

Mila as a Big Sister
We keep getting asked how Mila is doing now that she's a big sister, so I thought I'd blog about it as well. She's doing great. Mila looooves Emmy. She asks about her when she wakes up in the morning, "Emmy?" and she loves to watch her flail her arms about. When Emmy cries, Mila gets worried and comes running - "Emmy esta llorando!" ("Emmy is crying!") Sometimes, when Emmy cries, she panics - it's actually pretty funny - she goes up to her and starts blowing on her, as if she's hot! It's hilarious! She's also noticed that we try to soothe Emmy by saying, "Ya, ya Emmy... Ya, ya..." (Kinda like saying, "It's ok, Emmy, it's ok...") So if we're in the car and she sees her crying, she says, "Ya, ya Emmy... Ya, ya..." It's so funny to hear her. Cracks us up!

So on that note, Mila's been doing great. I had such fears that Mila would be upset or that there would be jealousy, but no, she's been awesome!

Emmy and Sleeping

Emmy has been just wonderful. Since we're co-sleeping, it's so much easier to get up during the night feedings. She sleeps in her crib until she wakes up for a feeding and then I just throw her into bed with us and slap her on the boob and go back to sleep with her cuddled up next to us. So we end up co-sleeping only part of the night but WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Seriously - it's the BEST decision we ever made. Jorge and I sleep so much better this time around than we did with Mila when Mila was this age. No more forcing myself to get up to nurse, wait til she falls asleep and then carefully trying to put her back into bed - only for her to wake up the second I let go. This time, it's been just wonderful.

A friend that also co-sleeps sent me another interesting article:
Co-sleeping and Biological Imperatives: Why Human Babies Do Not and Should Not Sleep Alone
http://neuroanthropology.net/2008/12/21/cosleeping-and-biological-imperatives-why-human-babies-do-not-and-should-not-sleep-alone/

Mila and Sleeping

However. Yes, there's a "however" here. We totally didn't expect for this to be an issue... and suddenly it's now our most biggest stress ever. Where we would have been having trouble from Emmy, we are having serious trouble with Mila. She is refusing to nap. She's refusing to go to sleep. Where before Emmy was born, I could go put Mila in her crib and lay down in the bed next to her for 5 minutes and then say goodnight, walk out and she'd happily play in the crib until she fell asleep - now... it's crying for 3 HOURS STRAIGHT because she wants to be picked up HELD to sleep. It's an absolute nightmare.

Our theory is, we left Mila at home with Abuelita and Tia Yaya all of a sudden. She didn't get a chance to say goodbye. We just suddenly left before she woke up one day - and then we were gone for 2 days straight! We think maybe it was too much for her and now she thinks we'll leave if she falls asleep. She will cry inconsolably - and we're right there in the room next to her! Ahhhh! It had taken us so long to get this perfect nap/sleep routine with her and now it's absolutely ruined! We don't know what to do - it's like she wants to either be held in our arms or she wants to hold my hand (or Jorge's hand) as she falls asleep... and even THAT has still been with lots of tears!! Like screaming as if it's the end of the world type of crying... truly heartbreaking. For every nap and bedtime. It's hours of torture. The first couple of nights she was so bad that she just cried right through her ENTIRE naptime. And she'll refuse to nap so much - that she'll stay standing up in the corner of the crib waiting for us to get her and eventually she starts to calm down because she's so tired - that she'll even try to sleep standing up. Oh my goodness! And we're right there next to her crib this whole time, it's not like we've left the room!!! TORTURE!! We've been up for hours with this craziness!!! Not to mention we also have a newborn to take care of!

It's been 13 days since we've been home it's been slooooowly getting a teensy bit better since that first day. At least Mila will eventually fall asleep, but it's still very, very difficult. 

We are so desperate with this lack of sleep we ordered Supernanny's book, "How to get the best from your children" and it covers toddlers and bedtime. It just arrived this evening but I've been devouring it while Emmy nurses - we need to implement something asap! The book suggests that if she wakes up during the night, you could try the "Controlled Crying Technique" - it's mentioned on the Supernanny site here: http://www.supernanny.co.uk/Advice/-/Parenting-Skills/-/Routine-and-Teamwork/Controlled-Crying.aspx ... if she's able to get up and out of bed, you can try the "Staying In Bed Technique" mentioned here: http://www.supernanny.co.uk/Advice/-/Parenting-Skills/-/Routine-and-Teamwork/Getting-Toddlers-to-Stay-in-Bed.aspx ... and here's a clip of it in action: http://www.supernanny.co.uk/TV-Show/Clips/Clips/Stay-in-Bed-Technique.aspx

We're going to give this a shot... wish us luck!!!

Newborn Session - Part III

My little sweetheart!

Baby This Week: 2 Weeks Old

A whole week has passed, but doesn't it seem more like a lifetime? As you're adjusting to feedings and getting by on less sleep, your baby is also adjusting to his new world. He sleeps in short naps, wakes to feed, and spends some time quietly alert before drifting off to sleep again. Babies' eyes focus best on objects between 8 and 15 inches away — not coincidentally, the distance to your face when held in your arms.

Your womb was a warm and cozy environment, and it takes time for your baby to adjust to the various sights, sounds, and sensations of life outside your body. You may not be able to detect much of a personality just yet as your baby spends his time moving in and out of several different states of sleepiness, quiet alertness, and active alertness.

The only way your baby knows to communicate is by crying, but you can communicate with him through your voice and your touch. (He can now recognize your voice and pick it out among others.)

Your baby probably loves to be held, caressed, kissed, stroked, massaged, and carried. He may even make an "ah" sound when he hears your voice or sees your face, and he'll be eager to find you in a crowd.

- BabyCenter.com

Mila and Abuelito

Love!

Mila, My Little Basket Head

Funny girl!

Many Faces of Emmy

She makes the funniest faces!

Still learning how to focus her eyes... LOL!

Haha! There ya go!