Zoe at 4 Months

Beautiful girl Zoe

We have entered into the phase of significant developmental changes with Miss Zoe. During the month of December, she turned into quite the chatterbox. She loves talking to her family and her toys. When Rose is in the room, Zoe's eyes follow her wherever she goes, and she loves watching Darwin. She has become increasingly more attentive and reacts to our animated faces with great joy. I'm grateful that she has proven herself to be very tolerant of her sister's less-than-gentle ways, and that she continues to be very healthy and strong.

During her fourth month, we continued dealing with Zoe's skin rash and sensitivity on and off. We were in the northeast during early December and had to apply lotion and vaseline to her face daily, and sometimes several times per day because the air was so cold and dry. I stopped eating dairy after reading about the various causes of eczema in infants, which can include the mother's diet in breastfed babies. We did notice some improvement, but it was really difficult to maintain that diet while traveling, and especially hard over the holidays. The dairy seemed be be a major trigger, but there also seemed to be something else that caused the rash that I couldn't figure out. In addition to the dairy, I eliminated breads (because of yeast) and eggs. When I was off all three ingredients she did seem to do a lot better, but it is so hard to stay away from all of these when eating out. So many restaurants cook with butter!

We noticed the greatest improvement in Zoe's skin during the few days that we went to Hilton Head over Christmas. I think Zoe is trying to tell us we need to live at the beach! Her daddy is in complete agreement. During those few days at the beach, we cooked most of our meals at home since restaurants were closed. I was able to keep to a strict yeast, dairy, and egg-free diet.  Unfortunately, when we arrived back home, she had a few more flare ups, making me question whether it was diet or environmental. It was so frustrating to not be able to control the rash, and to not be able to completely be in control of my food intake because of eating out on the last day of our trip. I also hated lathering her face with over the counter hydrocortisone cream, which seemed to be the only thing that would help clear her face when it was rashy. The worst though, was seeing her uncomfortable and itchy. We had to cover her hands with mittens because I just couldn't keep her nails trimmed enough or prevent her from scratching her head and face. Leading up to her 4 month doctor's appointment, her face was not only rashy, but raw from her rubbing, scratched up from her nails, and a little dry from the cold weather and forced hot central air.

Zoe at 4 months

At that 4-month doctor's appointment we arrived without treating her face with any hydrocortisone so the doctor could see how bad it was. Thankfully, Zoe was given a clean bill of health otherwise, giving the doctor her full attention and showing off all her skills during the visit. We spent most of the time discussing what to do about the rash. The doctor swabbed the areas that were raw to test for bacteria, and gave us two cream-based prescriptions, a 2% hydrocortisone and an antibiotic, after we voiced our objections to an oral antibiotic. He said the skin was likely infected (needing an antibiotic and confirmed to be a staph, not MRSA, infection), and that we really needed to treat it with the hydrocortisone to keep Zoe from being so uncomfortable. In his opinion, it would be too difficult to figure out the cause of the rash. I had hoped we could identify the cause, but really didn't expect the doctor to have an answer. One of the most helpful suggestions we received at the doctor's office came from the front desk staff who suggested filing nails instead of using the scissors.

Within 24 hours of treating the rash with the antibiotic, it was significantly better. Instead of using the 2% hydrocortisone cream, I found a 0.5% over the counter (marketed "for sensitive skin") that seemed to work really well in combination with the antibiotic cream. I decided not to use the 2% after reading the medication information inside of the package that said no research had been done on children under 2. While I don't like that the 0.5% hydrocortisone also says not for children under 2, I feel a little better that it is not as potent. The doctor told us there would be no problems using the over-the-counter (1%) hydrocortisone long-term, but I will continue to use the minimum amount necessary to keep the rash at bay. We only needed the antibiotic a few days to clear up the rash, and used the hydrocortisone daily for a few weeks. Now, at 3 weeks since starting the medication regularly (and me continuing to avoid dairy and eggs, and sometimes bread), we only spot treat with hydrocortisone as needed.

Sweet Zoe enjoying a rest in the co-sleeper

As Zoe approached 4 months, and I started working in the office again, we transitioned Zoe from the co-sleeper in our bedroom to her crib in her own room. The transition was fairly easy, starting with a few naps in her crib to putting her down in her crib at night. We still swaddle her at night only and try to put her down sleepy, but awake. Sometimes she falls asleep while nursing and I am unable to arouse her before putting her to bed. We've also continued using the incline wedge since she seems to sleep better on the incline than flat on her back.

Her overnight schedule continues to be a challenge, and was especially difficult at the notorious "4 month sleep regression." I had read about it and thankfully only experienced one night where she woke to nurse every two hours on the dot (11:30p, 1:30a, 3:30a and 5:30a). At least it was over the weekend, when I could sleep in the next day! For the most part, Zoe goes to sleep around 7:30-8pm when Rose does, and sleeps until 6:30-8am with only a few wake ups. I always check in on her before I go to bed (10:30-11:30p), and will feed her if she stirs when I walk in. If she is sleeping deeply, I don't wake her, and sometimes get woken up shortly after going to bed. She has been waking up around 2am and/or 5am to nurse. The 5am is the tough one for me, and it is really hard when she wakes at both times.

Zoe gets serious in front of the camera

Zoe's eyes remain very blue and she continues to have a fair amount of hair in the back (with serious male-pattern baldness). She smiles so much, but gets very serious while I pull out the camera! She is a very sweet child, and still gets a little tired/cranky in the evenings around dinner time.

We continue to cloth diaper both Rose and Zoe, with both only using disposables at night. The disposables are great at keeping all the pee in the diaper all night (8p-8a) so I don't have to change Zoe when I wake up to feed her. Unfortunately, they are not as good as the cloth diapers at keeping poop explosions in. There have been a few nights where Zoe has pooped during one of her nighttime feeds and I've had to change her whole outfit when I just wanted to finish nursing and get back to bed.

At 4 months, Zoe is outgrowing her 6 month clothes. The doctor weighed her at the 65th percentile (14.2 lbs) and measured her at 23.5 inches, or 33rd percentile. I don't think her height is accurate, but I will confirm that her 6 month clothes are more tight than too short. :)  She is such a cute chunky baby!

Having gone back to work in early January, Zoe now stays with my mom at home while Colin and I are at work and Rose is at school. I try to pump a bottle (or two) before I leave for work and about 3 bottles (all about 4oz each) during the work day. I have a freezer full of stored milk, but much of it was pumped before I went dairy, yeast, or egg-free. I think the first day I went back to the office, when Zoe took a full day's worth of previously pumped milk, was what triggered her really bad rash that became infected. I'm nervous about being able to meet her demand by pumping, and try to pump 3-4 times in the office. So far, no one has commented on my door being closed so often, and I've been able to pump a little extra on a few occasions. I continue to be grateful for a job where I have a private office where I can work as I pump.

Sisterly love for the camera

A couple of friends of mine on Facebook posted a beautiful piece about appreciating each moment in time as it comes. I knew the first three months would be difficult and will admit I looked forward to their passing. But now that Zoe is sleeping a little longer, engaging with us, and sitting up more independently, I want time to slow down. I know life doesn't work like that. Days, weeks, months, and years pass quickly. I want these milestones and these memories to be recorded, which is why I write the blog. But I need to remember to balance documenting the milestones with enjoying them as they happen.

Christmas Fun

One of the really awesome things about where we live is that there are so many holiday events for families and kids that are affordable. There are parades, visits with Santa, electronic light shows on houses, light displays on farms, Polar Express rides, and holiday shows.

I wanted to do so many things, but since we were out of town the first couple weeks of December, we missed several of the events. The only things that were on schedules were the parades and the Polar Express rides. We missed all the parades since they were held early in the month, and almost didn't get to do the Polar Express ride at Pullen Park. Tickets went on sale in July and I happened to notice that day. I'm so glad I bought tickets right away because they sold out in a day (yes, in July!).  There are only 6 days (two consecutive weekends) when the park opens up in the evening for Christmas celebrations. Only ticket holders can get into the park after 4pm and a ticket gets you a ride on the train. The train, which Rose loves when it's not the holidays, rides the same route around the park and has Christmas lights on it. You can only ride once, but there are other events and things to do in the park. You can ride the indoor carousel as often as you'd like and it plays Christmas music. There's also a scavenger hunt, visits with Santa, carnival games and art stations for the kids, and the normal park items (slides, swings, etc).

Back in July, I bought tickets for the second Saturday. When we made plans to travel north in early December, I realized we were going to miss it, getting back to Raleigh on Sunday and not Saturday. The other nice thing about our area is that there are a bunch of local Facebook sales pages and mom's groups. I posted on several of these sites to see if anyone wanted to switch their tickets with me and someone did! We just had to make sure we were back in Raleigh to catch our ride around 5pm.  In a previous post, I mentioned that we drove back home from Albany at 2am. With just a few stops, we were home around lunch time, giving us plenty of time to get to the park in Raleigh.

Even though we were tired, it was still fun to enjoy the Christmas fun as a family. Rose loves the train and carousel, so even if she didn't engage in anything else, it would still be worth the $8/ticket ($24 for all of us). Surprisingly, she did some of the carnival games and enjoyed getting treats on the scavenger hunt. Zoe got to enjoy her first ride on the carousel. She was awake for most of the time we were there. The weather was warm, so we didn't have to bundle up much and the food was pretty good.

Waiting our turn for the carousel

Rose and mommy on the carousel

Family picture at Pullen Park's Polar Express

A tired family on the Polar Express train ride at Pullen Park

We have an artificial Christmas tree, but decided that we were going to get a real tree this year. With just a little over a week before Christmas, many of the cut-your-own tree farms were sold out of trees, or only had weekend hours. Instead, we picked out our tree at the North Carolina State Farmers' Market. There was one vendor trying to get rid of the rest of his trees and gave us a pretty good deal on one that was about 8 feet. The weather continued to be crazy warm leading up to Christmas and we were out shopping for a tree in light sweatshirts. I was not complaining!

Picking out our Christmas Tree

While we were up north the first few weeks of December, we did go to a few holiday light displays, one being the famous (and free!) LaSallette Shrine and another at the first or second Winterfest at Diamond Hill State Park in Cumberland, RI. Even though the weather was mild for northeastern standards, it was still very cold and we were all bundled up in heavy winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves. Winterfest was our first time seeing the new laser lights, which were really cool in some of the forest areas of the park. I thought their $10 admission was a little pricey for having to walk around the event ourselves. There was also lots of open spaces without much to see and do, and no place to get warm.

In North Carolina, we had a little cold spell right before Christmas, but it meant that we needed hats and gloves once the sun set. There were several options for checking out large holiday light displays in the area and we opted to go to the farm where we spent a very long day in the fall. Hill Ridge Farms was where Rose enjoyed a hay ride, train ride, tunnels, farm animals, and more a few months ago. At Christmas, the tractor ride takes you through a very large light show, with Christmas music blaring in the wagon. They also run their train around a big open field (with a few lights) and keep many of the farm features available into the evening. Rose is too small for their large bouncing ball and huge tunnel slide, but she enjoyed swinging on the large log, seeing the farm animals, and drinking hot chocolate. They have a few fire pits and sell kits to make smores, but we didn't do that this year. Entrance for their "festival of lights" is reasonable, at $10 per person for the tractor ride, and only an additional $3 for the train. The only downside was that we sat at the front of the wagon and inhaled lots of exhaust during our ride.

Visiting Hill Ridge Farm's Festival of Lights

Heading to the wagon ride inside the farm

Selfie in the caboose of the train

Rose and daddy riding the swing at Hill Ridge Farms

Rose and daddy swinging on the log at Hill Ridge Farms

In addition to our ticketed events, we also did our annual driving around to see holiday light shows, this year adding a trip to try Duck Donuts and pick up hot chocolate for our drive. I probably love the light shows more than anyone else, but hope that both girls enjoy it with me as they get older. There are some very impressive synchronized light shows in the area, with a map to the addresses available online. I posted a video with one of the light shows two years ago and this house continues to be the best in the area.

For Christmas this year, my parents joined us in North Carolina. With rain and mild temperatures predicted for the whole week in the Raleigh area, we opted to spend the holiday in Hilton Head, SC, a place none of us had ever been. I found a reasonable rental through VRBO.com and we set out, packing everyone (including Darwin) into the 7 passenger 4-Runner on Christmas Eve for 3 nights and 4 days. 

The 5 hour trip was uneventful, the rental property was bigger than we expected and the weather remained warm for the 3 days. On the flipside, the weather was damp down there too, and while we didn't have rain, the beach was foggy pretty much every day.  We were able to check in to the property early, but by the time we got settled, went grocery shopping and ate, there wasn't much time to enjoy the beach on that first day. With it being Christmas Eve, we had to get our shopping in for the next day before everything closed. It was late in evening before we realized we forgot to pick up a few essentials (like coffee!!). We had a few adventures with finding an open store, but eventually got our coffee, milk, and bottled water before returning back to the rental. 

The unit was very accomodating to our needs. There was one master bedroom with a patio and full bath, and a second spacious bedroom with a double and twin bed that was attached to the second full bathroom. The sleeping quarters were separated from the main living area with a door and each bedroom also had it's own door. Rose slept in the twin bed in the second room with my parents while Zoe slept in her "beach bed" in the master bedroom with me and Colin. The kitchen, which also had a washer and dryer, opened to the dining area and living area. Cathedral ceilings added to the spacious feel of the apartment. We were super comfortable and about a 10 minute walk to the beach. We didn't notice many amenities offered through the resort complex and all of the outdoor resort pools were closed for the season.

I found the water to be a little too cold for my liking, but had the sun been out, I may have done some swimming. Rose had a great time enjoying the pools of water that formed at low tide. We managed to have Zoe dip her bottom in the ocean, but as you can see in the video, the water was too cold for her as well. The day we left for the beach and the whole time we were away, the skin on her face cleared up and looked amazing. I think it's a sign that we need to live at the beach! :) 

Enjoying the foggy beach in Hilton Head, SC on Christmas Day

The day after Christmas, we managed to explore a little bit of the island by car and we did get out again for some dessert after dinner. It was the only time we did much outside of the rental property/resort complex. We just assumed most of the attractions were closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Rose holding Zoe at the ice cream parlor in Hilton Head, SC

On our final day of the trip we had to be out of the apartment by 11am. The morning was spent packing the car, cleaning the apartment, and making sure we didn't leave anything behind. Rather than spend the day in traffic (which we assumed we would get on I-95), we decided to spend the day in Savannah, GA. Colin and I had been on a trip before having the girls, but my parents had never been.  

Savannah was less than an hour from Hilton Head on back roads, so we arrived just before lunch. Knowing the city has many good restaurants, we used Yelp to find one and managed to find a good parking spot near Chippewa Square, between Forsyth Park and the waterfront.  We ate at Fire Street Food, a restaurant that could appease a variety of palates, and then walked around the city, taking in the historic sites, hanging moss trees, and the overall hustle and bustle of a city.  By the time we got to the waterfront, we were ready for some dessert and picked up beignets at Huey's. Since Zoe's skin has been better when I don't eat dairy (more on that in another post), I did not indulge in any, but took everyone's word that they were delicious. With our bellies full again, we continued back towards Forsyth Park (and our car), stopping at a playground to let Rose enjoy some kid time. We found a cute little playground near a huge cemetery that was not crowded at all. At that point we were debating when to leave, seeing that traffic continued to be bad on I-95, and knowing good food options would be slim once we left the city. Rose was getting tired, but fighting a nap as we continued on to Forsyth Park. At the park, we took a few photos at the fountain, saw a man propose to his bride-to-be, and found the very busy toddler and preschool playgrounds (but didn't stop to play here). With it approaching dinner time, we decided to find a restaurant close to the car. Unfortunately, Yelp didn't provide us with many ideal options, so we settled for a little coffee shop near the car. They had a very tasty hummus and pita platter and some salad/sandwich options. At the time, we were slightly disappointed that we didn't get a better meal, but in hindsight we all had a more pleasant ride home with the lighter fare.

Walking down to the waterfront in Savannah, GA

Rose playing with other kids on a waterfront boat

Enjoying the hanging moss trees 

Some toddler fun at a playground in Savannah, GA

After getting the girls fed and dressed in their pajamas (I hate that cities rarely have changing tables in bathrooms!), we got on the road around 7pm. Rose didn't take long to fall asleep and even Zoe slept most of the way. She only needed a bottle once during the 4hour and 45 minute trip. Yes, we managed to skip all the northbound traffic, and were home around midnight. 

It was a nice and relaxing Christmas holiday, filled with love, laughter, and peace. These are the best gifts we can give and receive. 

Dressed up on the eve of Christmas Eve

At some point we will all look at the camera

Impossible to get them to look at the camera
And my poor rashy Zoe!

Opening Christmas presents on the eve of Christmas Eve 

Yay! Another doll

I hope your holidays were enjoyable and that your 2016 is off to a great start. We celebrated the New Year by the backyard fire pit with friends, family, and smores.

Snow Days

Sledding in the back yard

We had our first (and hopefully only) snow storm of 2016 this past weekend. Our northern friends always joke that the south shuts down when it snows. It's true, but we do get a lot of ice. This storm was no different. All day Friday, we had sleet and freezing rain with some snow mixed in. All together we only received a few inches, but it was very icy.

To prevent cabin fever, Colin, Rose and I ventured out on Friday and Saturday for a bit. Neither Rose or I were thrilled to be out on Friday in the soaking rain, but Saturday we managed to enjoy about 20 minutes of sledding around the yard/house. The backyard has a slight slope towards the house and since the snow was icy, it served as a nice sledding slope for Rose. We also sledded down the driveway, but it was not as smooth as the backyard. Rose seemed to enjoy it a little bit, but she definitely didn't want to be out for very long. She takes after her parents who prefer the beach and warm weather to snow and cold.

We kept Zoe indoors for both days, keeping her nice and warm with her avó. 

Zoe is also ready for spring

Zoe's Third Month

Zoe at 3 months

My little girl has passed the "fourth trimester" with relative ease. We have experienced a bit of a witching hour in the evening where she just wants to nurse from dinner time until bedtime. We've started putting her in the bouncy seat while we eat dinner so she can join us at the table. The routine is that sometimes I get to finish dinner before she wants to eat, I feed her, and then Colin puts her in the Ergo carrier while we do Rose's bedtime routine.  Zoe still nurses like a champ, and she still doesn't burp that well. Many times that means she spits up later. The goal for the month was to try and get her to take a bottle and we have experienced much success, thankfully. For Thanksgiving (at 2.5 months), we traveled to the northeast to visit family. My sisters-in-law and mother-in-law were the first people to successfully give Zoe a bottle and she hasn't had any more problems taking one since.

My sweet girl is growing so fast

Before we traveled to the northeast, Zoe's cradle cap appeared to be getting better and her baby acne got a lot better. I had been making and eating lactation cookies during her first month and once I stopped (after reading about skin issues related to mom's diet in breastfed babies), her skin got better. The only ingredients I could think of that caused the problem was Brewer's Yeast. Unfortunately, once we reached the cold northeast, her cheeks became (and stayed) red and got very dry. The raw skin on her face got so bad that I debated going to urgent care and opted instead to call the pediatrician. The nurse on call suggested coating her face with Eucerin lotion and locking it in with Vaseline. The remedy worked a bit, but we had to constantly clean her skin and apply the lotion during our stay. We had to treat the cradle cap a little bit, but it seemed to be improving, as opposed to the skin on her face. I think the rash looks like ezcema and much of the reading I have done suggests it could be a dietary or environmental allergy. We'll have to see if we can pinpoint the problem. Many people have suggested dairy in my diet is the problem and I agree it is the most likely cause.

Celebrating Thanksgiving with the family

Rose loves her sister and gives her lots of kisses

At three months, we are now getting lots of smiles. Zoe loves watching mommy, daddy, and big sister Rose. Darwin's bark sometimes startles her, but it doesn't seem to upset her. Daddy likes to move side to side, making Zoe follow him with her eyes, and Rose loves to try and make her little sister smile by mimicking mommy's sounds. Zoe also seems to love music and it often calms her down when she's fussy. She has started taking a pacifier since becoming more comfortable with a bottle.

Giving mommy a smile during a mid-November walk

Now that I have more experience as a parent, I am trying different techniques with sleep training than I did with Rose. When I put Zoe down to sleep, I make sure she is drowsy, but awake. And, when she wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse, I feed her and put her back down. During the first two months or so, I would change her at every nursing session. I did that with Rose for several months, even when she was only wet. Now, unless I hear her poop while I feed her, Zoe goes back to bed without being changed. It doesn't seem like she minds too much, but it means her diaper is very soaked in the morning. To make it easier on us (so we don't have to worry about soaking through clothes), we now do a disposable diaper on Zoe at night. Unfortunately, if she does poop overnight, I usually have to change her whole outfit because it often goes up her back. The disposable is not as good as cloth on keeping the poop contained. But, if she only pees, the overnight diaper is much better at absorbing it all. We continue to swaddle Zoe at bed time, but not during the day. So, when we put her down for naps, Zoe only sleeps short periods of time.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in RI

Every now and then, Zoe will go back to a 2-3 hour sleep schedule at night, but for the most part she is sleeping 4-5 hour stretches. I haven't noticed a predictable sleep pattern during the day, but we were also traveling and so she had to go with the flow of our travel schedule often. We drove the 11 hour trip and left at 2am to take advantage of both girls preference to sleep longer in the morning. On the way up to NY Zoe woke Rose up at 5am because she wanted to eat. Since Zoe wasn't taking a bottle yet, we had to stop so I could feed her. That meant Rose didn't go back to sleep, but she did talk, read, and sing to herself until we stopped for breakfast at 8am. Both girls napped most of the morning and we took another long break for a late lunch before reaching our destination that afternoon. On the return trip it was easier because I could pump a bottle of milk in the car and feed Zoe as we drove. We made it from Albany NY to Richmond VA without having to stop for anything except gas.

In early November, Rose had her 2nd ear infection and took a long nap with Zoe

With all the traveling and eating holiday meals, I'm still holding onto those last 5-10 pounds of baby weight. I have one pair of jeans that fit (because they have a little stretch in them!). The weather was relatively mild in the northeast (for them), but we had quite a few days in the 40's, which is cold to me. And, walking with Rose is a slow stroll, unless she is willing to go in the stroller. I've continued to work part time from home and it was nice to have family around to help with the girls while I worked.

Stay tuned for an update on our Christmas and New Year, which included a much-needed trip to the beach!

Rose at 21-22 Months

My little Rose is getting so big so fast. I think she's grown a lot in the past few months. I don't know if that has increased her size on the growth chart, but her 24 month clothing is getting too small and she is fitting better in the 2T clothes. Pants are still a big long, but her body is definitely looking more toddler-like than baby-like.

Rose at 21 Months

Beautiful smiles

Rose at 21 Months and Zoe at 2 Months

Though Rose does have her tantrums and we really struggle with getting in the car seat and putting on a diaper and pants at times, I love this age. She repeats everything you say. Her development is wonderful to see. She now strings sentences together to tell you what she wants, she knows pretty much all the words to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," she can count to 10 (but often omits 2, 5 and sometimes 9), she can sing most of her ABC's, she knows many of the words to other favorite songs like "Ba Ba Black Sheep," "Skinny Marinky Dinky Dink," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and a few others.

Rose counting at 21.5 Months

Over the past month, I've also noticed her ability to play independently. It's been really helpful when I have things to do or need to attend to Zoe. As long as I'm in the room, or close by, she can often play by herself for up to 30 minutes. She loves taking care of her babies, putting them to bed or taking them for a walk around the house with her stroller. She also loves sitting with a pile of books around her, looking through and reading some. When we go to museums or play areas, she gravitates to the trucks and cars more than the dolls, but at home she loves her babies and books. She also loves to chase, or be chased, around the house. Playing tag is one of our favorite activities before bed. We have also gotten into the routine of reading "Goodnight Moon" each night before bed. We often read a second or third book. The other staples are "The Giving Tree," "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", and "Sam I Am" (Rose's title for Green Eggs and Ham). 

In addition to books, Rose also loves electronics. We skype often with family and Rose knows which button to press to get to the Skype app. If she finds one of our phones unattended, she brings it to us. We've given her one of our old smartphones connected to wi-fi to play with. It's her device to watch her "Aula de Portugues" (or "Portuguese Class"), which are kid's music videos in Portuguese. She loves "Avo Cantigas" and his songs, but frequently needs "help" getting the app back when she presses a button on the phone.

Rose loves electronics - here at the library

Rose will be out of school for half of November and all of December due to travel and family visiting. She has not forgotten any of her friends as she often asks me to sing "rock-a-bock-tick-tock" (or Rock a Bye Baby) replacing "baby" with the different kids at school. Rock-a-Bye-Baby is now our nighttime song after reading. Since she's been out of school, we've tried getting her some socialization by going to several museums and the park as much as we can. Unfortunately, she's still more strongly connected to her family than to other kids.

Enjoying one of our many fall farm visits

We continue to have success with Rose eating. She loves meals, and beef entrees still tend to be her favorites (meatballs, shepherd's pie, etc), though she also loves soup and fish. She often asks for cheerios, crackers, cheese, or raisins, which we limit to occasional snacks or after she's had most of her meal. This week she's been asking for hummus and actually ate a fair amount of it for snack today. We also continue to only offer water or kefir milk. We have given her regular milk, but she doesn't really like it now that she is so used to the kefir.

Rose also feeds herself just about every meal. She's coordinated enough to use both the spoon and the fork (it appears she is right-handed) and only resorts to using her fingers if she is very hungry and doesn't have the patience to use a fork, or if her attempts at using the fork have been unsuccessful. We still have to cut up some food for her, and she's good at telling us if something is too big, or if a spoon-ful is "too much."  Most foods are fine, except for watery soups, which end up all over the table, floor, and Rose. Her top canine teeth have finally come in, so now we are waiting on the bottom canines and the two-year molars. When her teeth bother her, she is a very cranky child.

Sometimes feeding yourself is messy

We continue to cloth diaper Rose and haven't made any progress in potty-training for the past few months. The novelty and excitement of using the potty has worn off, but Rose does go every morning and when we remind her (pee only). She now lets us know she needs a diaper change when she's very wet or when she has pooped. She likes to help put her diaper in the washing bin, and to help dispose of her poop in the toilet. I hope that school will assist with potty training when she goes back in January, or when she moves up to the 2 year old class in February-March.

I love Miss Rose's personality. She's such a joyful child and makes my life more fun. She has her occasional meltdowns, which primarily take place when she's tired or when her teeth hurt. But overall she is a great child. She's a great helper most of the time and sure does love her music (to sing and to dance). When we go somewhere new or where there are older children, she is very shy until she warms up. If she is participating in a group activity, she is very good at waiting her turn and following directions. She is also very good at sharing and I have a difficult time seeing her surprised and somewhat hurt when others don't share in return. I've also noticed her act bored with programs that she goes to often (like storytime), but she is paying attention in her own distracted way. 

Rose dancing at 22 Months - the girl has some moves!

Thankfully, Rose has remained healthy through these late fall months. She was a bit snotty early in November when she was in school, but since she's been out, she seems to be cleared up. I worry about her going back to school during prime sick season and hope she doesn't bring anything back to us (mainly Zoe), but I'm sure it is inevitable.

Stay tuned for updates on our winter activities and a 3 month update on Zoe. I'm catching up!!

Lots of Pumpkin Patches

I continue to fall behind on the blog posts, but will try to catch up before the new year!

Here is a quick photo recap of some of our fall adventures. We probably visited 3-4 pumpkin patches and went on at least two hayrides. Rose got to step out of her comfort zone a bit and explore some new activities. Zoe, still being so new to the world (and in the 4th trimester), slept during most of the trips, with some nursing sessions as needed.

One of our first adventures of the fall season brought us to Hill Ridge Farms, about an hour from home. The farm was amazing and I wish we got there earlier. We still ended up spending over 5 hours enjoying their many activities and eating lunch. We did the hayride to get pumpkins, did the train ride to see some fall displays, saw some animals, raced some ducks, climbed hay stacks, crawled through tunnels, and rode a giant log swing. There was so much to see and do and Rose had a great time. The food available for lunch was mediocre, but their bakery was excellent.  We will definitely head back there again next year and I look forward to having Zoe get to participate in the fun.

Rose is bravely climbing through the tunnel

One of several hayrides

We also visited Farmer Ganyard at Upchurch Farm and got to meet the farmer himself. We talked to him a bit about how we could support the farmland in Cary to prevent the land being used for development. It's a shame that farmers are better able to support themselves when the farm is a tourist attraction as opposed to it being used to grow food for people.  

At the Upchurch Farm, we enjoyed another hayride to get pumpkins, and got to go through a corn maze.  Rose led the way and only led us to 1-2 dead-ends. She also had a great time jumping in the "corn box." Of course, she did not want to go in the toddler corn box, opting instead for the older kids box. In the older kid's box, there was a slide feature that was not available in the toddler box. Since there were lots of kids playing in the older kid's box, we had to watch her a little more closely.

Navigating the corn maze at Upchurch Farm

Enjoying the climb and slide in the corn box at Upchurch Farm

We had a great fall enjoying the wonderful farm activities located in the Triangle. Since Thanksgiving, we've also been enjoying some holiday activities that will be posted on another day. I'm so glad we live in this area and have so many options for reasonably-priced toddler and kid-friendly activities.

Zoe's Second Month

I've been slacking on the blog. It's tough to keep up with two little ones and the holidays. This blog post is about a month old. I'll try to get her three month update on the blog much sooner.

Here is a recap of Zoe at two months:

Zoe's 2 month photo shoot

Zoe continues to grow like a weed. At her two month wellness visit, she was 11lb, 9oz (69th percentile), 22.8 inches (65th percentile), and had a 15.6" head circumference (70th percentile). She still nurses like a champ, taking large gulps and finishing up quickly. I don't mind taking a break from what I'm doing to feed her because she's usually done quickly. Burping her, on the other hand, takes forever. She continues to spit up a fair amount, has hiccups a lot, and takes a long time to burp. We have also started trying to give Zoe a bottle. We've probably tried 5-6 times with only 1-2 successes. I asked for advice on some mom Facebook pages and we tried having Colin feed her, tried various nipples, different bottles, and holding her in different positions. Nothing has really worked and she continues to act like she's choking when she tries to suck. When she's not screaming/crying, she just chews on the nipple. I hope she starts taking a bottle soon because I am stocking up on the milk storage. The Milkies Milk Savers got me about 100oz of breakstmilk in about 6 weeks. Now that I've started pumping and we are establishing a routine, I find that I am leaking less, so I am using the milk savers less often.

Our biggest obstacle continues to be her cradle cap and skin in general. When we remove the cradle cap, her head gets so flaky and dry and it somehow seems to make her face worse. The rash on her face has gotten better between one and two months, but is not yet completely clear. We voiced our concerns with Zoe's pediatrician, and were told the face rash looked a lot like the cradle cap and both looked inflamed. The pediatrician recommended 1% hydro cortisone all over her face and head, but I've been very hesitant to use a topical ointment often at such a young age. I try to clean up the cradle cap every few days and keep her face clean and dry.

Giving mommy a smirk

Zoe's eyes remain blue, though not quite so clear blue as they were. Her blonde eyelashes and eyebrows have darkened a bit over the past month, and her hair continues to be brown. She is very fair skinned and I still think she looks more like a Miller than a Clemente, but her filling in has made it difficult to figure out who she looks like.

At two months, Zoe is much more alert and looks towards sounds. She knows her mommy and has started giving us our first smiles and coos. Not only is she a big girl, she's also fairly solid. From the beginning, she's always been fairly easy to hold/handle and is already starting to hold her head up fairly well. We did notice a little bit of fussiness that peaked at 6 weeks, but for the most part, Zoe is a pleasant baby. She just doesn't sleep long stretches during the day and she continues to be a vocal child. At her two-month visit, the doctor gave her a clean bill of health and was pleased with her development.

Focused and alert as she looks at her mommy with her filling-in face

We continue our adventure with cloth diapering and were fairly successful during the second month. There were very few blowouts, and occasional leaks. I had purchased some second-hand all in one diapers, a few of which proved to have stretched elastics (they kept leaking). I found the cotton prefolds with Thirsties brand polyurethane (PUL) covers to work really well at keeping everything in the diaper. The only problem is that they are bulky. Between Rose and Zoe's diapers, I'm back to washing diapers every 2 days or so.

Several of the mom and pregnancy blogs continue to give me updates of the developments I should expect with my baby after she's born. Around 6-7 weeks, the blogs tell me I should start to see sleep patterns emerging and longer stretches of sleep at night. Ha! That's a good one. I do remember Rose taking really good morning naps (like 3 hours), and Zoe has also been sleeping fairly well in the morning - usually if she is in the carseat or if I am wearing her in a wrap.  I've been trying not to swaddle her during the day, to differentiate days from nights, so her constant jerky movements often wake her up. At night, she's been sleeping 3-4 hour stretches and very rarely do I get a 4-5 hour stretch. Since she nurses quickly, it isn't so bad. I do feel bad about putting her back down if she doesn't burp quickly. With Rose, I would nurse her on one side, change her diaper, and then nurse on the other side before putting her back. With Zoe, I nurse her on one side, try to burp her, and then put her back to sleep unless she poops during the feed. Zoe doesn't seem to mind and I feel much better having a shorter nursing session in the middle of the night.

Snoozing with mommy on the deck

The first six weeks flew by (in hindsight). A second baby is so different than the first. With Rose, I remember staying in pajamas all morning, having breakfast brought to me in the bedroom as I nursed Rose, and not really getting out much. With Zoe, I'm up every morning at 7am, dressed and having breakfast with Rose. Zoe often gets woken up by Rose, who wants to wish her a good morning, or "a morning" in Rose-speak. My mom helped with Zoe and Rose's care through Zoe's 5th week and then I had a week on my own before Rose went back to school and I started working from home part time.  We managed to get to story time 2-3 times that week and enjoyed walks to the park on nice days. 

The first two weeks I started working (weeks 7-8 of maternity leave), I had Rose in school 5 half-days weekly. Since Rose takes 2-3 hour naps in the afternoon, I figured I could get 2-3 hours of work done in the morning and 2-3 hours in the afternoons. I learned in those two weeks that I could really only count on 2 hours of work in the morning between Zoe's needs and drop off/pick up taking some time, and that 2-3 hours of work at a time was difficult to get anything accomplished in between handling a toddler. We decided to switch to 3 full days for the rest of my leave so I could focus more on work. 

I continue to be so grateful for having a job that allows me to have a work and life balance. While I love spending time with my girls, I really enjoy my work as well. At times it can be challenging to balance work with the girls, especially when Zoe gets hungry in the middle of a conference call, but for the most part, I can work uninterrupted for several long stretches and take breaks to feed or play with Zoe.

I haven't been able to exercise as much as I'd like. The weather this fall hasn't cooperated all that much, and when I have gone for a walk, Rose usually wants to walk too. Our walks then end up being short and slow. As a result, I haven't lost much more weight, but have managed to get into my more forgiving non-maternity jeans. I haven't tried going for a run yet, and expect that to be a challenge when I finally do. Breastfeeding so much makes me feel like I am constantly hunched over, and I really do need to work on my core and back. There just never seems to be enough time in the day for everything I want/need to do.

Stay tuned for Zoe's 3-month recap, Rose's 21-22 month recap, and our fall/winter photo shoot pictures!