Nora - Two Months

Two Months (Already!)

Oh where has the time gone?  Yesterday I was packing up some of Nora's newborn clothes to give to our neighbors (who just welcomed baby Abby on Monday), and that bittersweet wave came over me. Charley and I are planning on being a family of four, so it is a sad to think that we are done with the newborn phase for good.  Most of the clothes were Riley's as well, and it just felt like I was packing away these precious memories. Having a newborn join a family is incredibly difficult, but it simultaneously one of the most joyous, emotional and tender times of your life.  

And my apologies for the formatting of the photos... 



 




Around 6 weeks, Nora clearly transitioned into babyhood.  I remember being told during a childbirth class with Riley that the 6 week mark after having a baby is the light at the end of the tunnel.  The fog of sleeplessness, recovery and fussiness starts to lift, and your newborn starts to become a real person... and it is true!  I feel amazing and almost back to normal, and Nora, for a lack of a better word, is opening up.  It is like her face is starting to take shape (and those alien-like features - no offense kiddo - are disappearing) and her body is starting to fill out and become less fragile.  Those precious rolls on her legs are starting to appear!  And the best part is she is starting to smile.  It is hard to get at the moment, but every once in a while when she isn't tired, hungry or fussy, her eyes will lock on my face or Charley's (and even Riley's!) and she will just light up with a grin.  Those are the moments.

Nora went through a rough patch where she would cry inconsolably for hours, especially in the evening.  She seems to be getting better at the moment, thank goodness.  

The evenings are still tough in the Poole household though.  Nora typically is exhausted at that point because she doesn't really take naps, and needs to be held.  And at the same time, Riley is ready for a bath and bed which is no easy task.  It is probably comical to watch me try to put them down on my own...  If Charley isn't around to take one, it usually looks something like this: I set Nora down thinking she's asleep, and go try to put Riley to sleep.  As I try and get her down, Nora starts screaming and Riley starts to say "Okay? Okay? Inkie? Inkie?" (translation - is she okay? does she need a binkie?).  I then put Riley in her crib and she starts to scream while I calm Nora down... then the process starts all over until one of them gets tired of crying and actually conks out, or I end up pulling the plug and bringing Riley back downstairs until Charley gets home. It is how I get my cardio.

This juggling act is insane. I think it is tough because I want so desperately to spend quality time with both, but my attention truly is divided.  I just hope I am eventually able to find time to play with Riley and provide her with the right amount of love and discipline while also savoring this sweet time with Nora. 

Riley and Nora are just precious together.  Although Riley sometimes gets angry when I am giving attention to the baby (she tells me to set her in the swing or put her "nigh night" so that my arms free up), she is adorable with her.  She gives her kisses, gives her pacifiers and blankets, gets worried when she cries, and has even started pretending to change her diaper.  The other day she put on the cover that I wear when I nurse Nora, and then asked to hold her...  she pretended to nurse the baby!  A little odd, but kind of cute.

I can't believe we are already starting to see their relationship form.  I love that they will have each other.
























So all in all, Nora is doing well.  She had her two month appointment last week as well as an ultrasound for her hips.  I am a little bit nervous for the results, and hope that everything still looks fine. In terms of her stats, she is now 23.5 inches long and weighs 11.5 pounds.  She is in the 95% for length and 60% for weight.  Tall and skinny (a bit unlike her sister who was quite chubby!).

And Riley has quite the personality these days. She is chatting up a storm, and we are just eating it up. She is so much fun to listen to!  She is determined to learn the words for everything in her environment, and repeats the things we tell her.  She still has some very bizarre versions of words that take a lot of work for us to figure out!  I finally figured out yesterday that her word for macaroni and cheese is something along the lines of "narose." She clearly is picking up on a few sounds in those words and repeating the ones she remembers. She is also understanding possessive words - certain things are "mommy's," " daddy's" and "baby's." Language development is just so interesting!  And she has started to string a few words together...  her favorites are "baby burped" and "baby toot" - she is very entertained by Nora's bodily functions apparently.

It is such a relief to finally start to communicate with Riley, but she does get extremely frustrated when we don't understand her.  She is also using "mine" a LOT... it was terrifying the first time she grabbed something from me and said it.  

Not surprisingly, Nora is already a better sleeper than Riley.  Nora really is a rockstar, and typically sleeps from about 9 until 3am.  It is incredible.  And Riley has been waking up around 1:30 almost every night, and is an absolute BEAST to put back down.  Charley and I are at our breaking point with that...

(The girls' cousins in their annual cousin photo)

We are heading to LA next week with the whole family!  A friend of mine is getting married, so we are taking this opportunity to go visit my brother (and aunts, uncles and cousins who live there) and introduce them to baby Nora.  My parents are flying down to meet us and help watch the girls while we go to the wedding, and most of friends will be there as well.  

I've definitely been having a hard time not being able to share Nora with my west coast friends and family recently, so this trip will be nice.  It is pretty difficult not to have some of the people I am closest with around to watch the changes my girls are going through and not be able to experience this time with me.  There really isn't much of a solution other than visits (and I am lucky because Charley is amazing at orchestrating trips), so it gets to me some times.  

Hopefully the girls will cooperate on the flight...

Overall, things are good! Happy two months Nora!