The Amazing Jude

So I know I've mentioned a few times that Jude is a great, fantastic, super baby, but haven't really said much more than that.  I suppose I've been refraining from boasting about my little angel babe until I knew it wasn't a temporary fluke.  Well, it's been 3 1/2 weeks since he arrived in our world, and I'm still impressed.  We have our moments, but really, this experience has been nothing like the first few weeks with my firstborn.

I was fully expecting the worst for our first night in the hospital, and it appeared to be headed in that direction.  Jon took the 9pm-11pm shift with a somewhat fussy baby while I sorta drifted in and out of sleep.  But after that, the child just slept.  He slept so hard that I couldn't get him awake to eat, which is why we had all that drama over being "dry" and not urinating the next morning...  The second night in the hospital was pretty good too, if the hospital staff didn't keep coming in to the room for checks I might have actually gotten some decent sleep.  In fact, the whole first week home I actually had to wake Jude up to eat ever 3 hours at night.  At our one week doctor's appointment he weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, which means he gained an entire pound in the 5 days since we had left the hospital.  I figured with that kind of weight gain I could let him sleep as long as he wanted to at night, but that was also the day that Jude decided to get himself up at night.  And so, for the past 2 weeks he's been waking up twice on his own, usually around 1-2am and then again between 4-5am.  He nurses, I change his diaper, swaddle him up, and he goes right to sleep.  Just. like. that. 

Apparently, lots of babies do this.  But since I've only ever had one other baby, and he kept me up ALLLL night for the first 2-3 weeks, and then half the night for the second 2-3 weeks, well I just wasn't expecting to get that much sleep at this point in my life.  Typically I wouldn't get all excited over only 6-7 hours of interrupted sleep each night, but I cannot even begin to tell you what a difference it makes (that and the face that I don't have to deal with that stupid carpal tunnel this time around!).  I can't imagine taking care of a newborn and toddler-Jack in the zombie state I was in 19 months ago, this is much better.  In fact, I told Jon that if I knew our future offspring would be like Jude I'd easily take 4 more!

I think Jon appreciates the nighttime routine too.  He hasn't had to pull one evening shift yet.  Jude's been sleeping in the bassinet next to me at night, which is very convenient.  I just reach over and pull him in bed, then put him back when he's done eating. We've even mastered the "nursing while laying down" bit, which means I can almost sleep while he's eating.  If we don't do that then I'll either listen to teaching on my iPod or read a book with "Polaris", the nifty booklight I got for Christmas.  Jon nicknamed it such becuase he claims it is incredibly bright.  I used to agree, but now that I use it to change poopy diapers by ... I realize it's not really that bright.

For some reason I've been more reluctant to move Jude to the crib than I was with the last baby, even though it's only on the other side of the room.  Jon kicked Jack out of our room at two weeks when he went back to work.  So, at his insistence, Jude slept in his big boy crib last night and everything went well.  He'll stay in our room until we move, and then he gets his own space.  And hopefully by then I'll only be getting up once a night.

#2 is an old pro at the eat-awake-sleep cycle already!  He's gotten much better, and more efficient, at nursing.  We spend a little time staring at one another, sharing smiles, or getting kisses from big brother, then it's down for a 2-or-so hour nap, and back up to do it all again.  He's also got the whole poop and pee thing down.  I forgot how many diaper changes newborns require!  I've only gotten peed on once so far, and while I was trying to manage the small fountain, he promptly followed it with a forceful poo.  Jon and Jack got a kick out of watching Mommy deal with that. 

The biggest challenge so far has been burping.  He's either very easy to burp ... or impossible.  Just this past week he's been having some gas issues.  So I've been pulling out all the stops, trying every burping maneuver in the book.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  I've officially decided that burping is my least favorite aspect of newbornhood.  I think I'd rather change 20 poopy diapers then burp.  At least I KNOW they are poopy and I KNOW how to take care of it.  But, that's not an option.  So would someone please invent a burping machine?!?  I would gladly write a recommendation.

I was worried that he wasn't eating as much as he should, but we had his 3 week follow-up appointment yesterday and he weighed in at 9 pounds, 4 ounces!  Maybe I just worry too much.  Actually, the nice thing about a second baby is that you don't worry as much.  I've heard moms are more laid back the second time around and I have to agree.  The combination of a great baby and a more easy-going mom have served us well.  And so, he's finally growing out of his newborn clothes, all 5 outfits that I was so well-prepared with.  I'm very excited because we have some adorable new clothes for him to try out, and I'm tired of looking at the same 5 outfits week in and week out!  And you know I love me some chubby baby!  We love watching him grow, but are relishing every second of his "newbornness", becauase I know how fast these days will fly by and I wouldn't miss them for the world!

FAQs

Q:  "Janine, how do you keep your house so clean, especially now with two little ones."

A:  "Ummm, I don't ???"

I get asked this question quite often, surprisingly, because I feel like my house is usually a mess.  Except on Saturdays when Jon's in his deep cleaning mode.  So I guess the real answer is, I tend not to post messy house pictures on my blog.  That, and most of my pictures are focused on my kids, not my living space.  But, lately I've been inspired by another blog by a photographer who takes the most poignant pictures of her girls and home, which happens to be beautiful, colorful and generally very messy.  I swear I saw mold around her bathtub in one shot.  So, in the spirit of "being real" here is a picture of what my living room looks like EVERY DAY.  By 10am.  Courtesy of Tank.   Well, except for the occasional baby item.  Oh, and those playing cards have since been relocated.

But if you're one of those personages that happens to randomly stop by and claim my house is "clean", well, then I may have an answer:

• We're one of those "everything has a place and everything in it's place" kind of families (mostly due to my husband).  So it's very easy to pick up and put away in just a few minutes.
• I try to clean everything up during nap times so it doesn't catch up with me at the end of the day.  We always clean up the living room at before bed.  And usually, if I'm having a good day, we try to have things picked up before Daddy walks in the door.  Sometimes I let things messy just to make sure he understands what we go through here during the day.  :)
• I'm married to a very neat and clean product of a military academy.  Jon vacuums every Saturday morning just because he enjoys it.  And when I let the dishes pile up in the sink 'cuz I just don't have the energy to tackle them (like last night for instance), he usually has them all washed by the time I come downstairs in the morning.  Whataman!!

Even so, there are some days when the mess is just plain overwhelming.  I can't tell you how many times one of us has nearly killed ourselves, or the small child we're carrying, while tripping over a toy.  Then there are the times when Jon and I are having a relaxing evening watching a movie when a random cow puzzle piece starts "mooing."  Which is why I'm so looking forward to THIS:

a current formal dining room, in our new house that, since we have neither a dining table nor formal dishes, we'll be changing into a playroom.  I can't wait to keep all that mess in one room!

Until then, please comfort yourself with the fact that we can be a very messy family and that, although in the past I have avoided posting pictures and videos because they showed the dust on the bookshelf or crumbs on the floor, I'll try not to avoid said behavior anymore!

Sooo sleepy

I think the past 3 weeks are finally catching up with me.  Today was the first day where I honestly felt like I could hardly function.  Let's just say the TV was on a lot longer than I'd like it to be.  I also took a nap while both boys were sleeping.  If you know me at all, or have been reading this blog for a while, then you know I'm not much of a napper, so I was pretty pleased with myself for successfully catching a fee zzz's this afternoon. 

Despite the extra sleep, today was a little rough in Mommy-world.  It addition to the usual sibling rivarly we've been experiencing lately, it also involved one bloody little boy lip, two pee soaked baby outfits, a cup of water spilled on my laptop. some spit up, clean, neatly folded laundry thrown about the living room and a husband who didn't get home from work until after 6.  It's really no surprise that a few days ago I considered, for a few seconds, how much easier it would be to go into work for a day and let someone else manage the boys.  Then again, I'd hate to miss out on these cutey faces Judey-boy's been giving me lately ...

So I'm a tad worn out and a touch grumpy.  Rather than attempt to write anything creative, I think I'll just post some pictures of the cutest boys on earth over our fun weekend with Nonnie and Poppie. 

 Poppie is sporting his special grandpa shirt while holding his 8th grandchild!

Jack had a great day at the beach!

And, to celebrate the birth of another grandchild and Jon's new Master's degree, we had dinner out at Dockside, the same restaurant where Jon spilled the beans on #2 and where we took Jack at 5 days old.

18 months ago ...

I just love how different these two are.  I can't wait to see more of Jude's personality come through.  And more of these brotherly love sessions ...

What's In a Name?

Image from www.babynamewizard.com.

If you haven't heard yet, our second born is named Jude Edward.  The Jude part was easy.  It's been my favorite names for a while now.  I started liking it at some point in college, it may have been during my semester in Oxford, when I lived right down the road from a pub called "Jude the Obscure" based on the book by Thomas Hardy.  We ended up going with Jack for our firstborn since that was Jon's favorite.  And I'm glad we did because Jack is definitely a "Jack" and Jude is most certainly a "Jude."

Image from www.babynamewizard.com.

I've gotten quiet a few comments on his name lately, especially from the nurses in the hospital and at Jude's check-ups.  A few people have asked if he's named after the actor, Jude Law.  Um, no.  And a couple other's have mentioned the Beatles song.  Nope, not named after that either, although I do sing it to him occasionally.  There is the book of Jude in the Bible, which I happen to like, and not just because it's short.  But the real reason he's named Jude is just because we like it.

Image from www.babynamewizard.com.

The name Jude, of Hebrew origins, means "praise; thanks."  We are very thankful for our amazing little guy, not to mention my fantastic pregnancy and delivery.  So I think the title is very apropros.  Jack's name means "God's gracious gift."  I talked before about the theme of grace all through my Jack-pregnancy, but I think it's resurfacing again during this time of transition.  Both Jon and I are extremely thankful that Jude was our second child and have really sensed the grace of God as we've been dealing with Jack these past two weeks.  So far, both my boys are living up to their names. :)

Choosing Jude's middle name was a bit more of a challenge.  I was originally pulling for Elliot or Quincy, but Jon prefers to give a nod towards family heritage.  And I can see why, especially since Jack's middle name, and all of Jack's and Jude's cousins middle names, are after family members.  This is not as easy as it sounds.  No offense to members of my family, but there aren't a lot of great names on our tree.  We kept coming back to my Pappy's name - Edward, which means "wealthy guardian" (so I'm thinkin' Jude will be taking care of his parents in the distant future).  It reminds me of England and one of my favorite movies, "Sense and Sensibility."  I prefer their pronunciation too - "Ed-wahd." 

We grew up just a few houses down from my Ma and Pappy and would spend a lot of time at their house.  Ma would play games with us and give us lots of candy, and Pappy would take us for lawnmower rides or load us in the back of his truck for day trips to the cabin.  He was a great mechanic (I could have used his expertise on more than one occasion), a fantastic gardener (if he was still alive I'd be inviting him down to our new house to help me start a garden!), extremely patient (he would answer all of our "Why Pappy, whyyy?" questions, loved lima beans (which Jack and I eat several times a week right now!) and was an excellent napper (we're hoping this mantle has been passed on to Jude).  I also happen to think he was pretty handsome as a young lad, just like his great-grandsons have already proven to be.

Pappy also grew up in a house full of boys, if only he were still alive, I'm sure he could give me a good idea of what's going to be taking place in our house over the coming years.  Although I'm sure he'd just shake his head and chuckle like he used to when my brothers and I would get a little "out of hand."  Unfortunately, Pappy never met either of my sons, nor was he ever introduced to my incredible husband, but I'm pretty sure he would have loved all three! 

A new normal

Jon and I joke that the first two weeks of Jude's life have been like a vacation for us.  Jon is totally finished with his graduate degree and so, with no work or school to distract him, the boys and I have been really enjoying his undivided attention.  We've been taking walks, playing on the beach, shopping for the new house and the baby (thanks to some great gift cards!!), and eating lots of lunches out. :)  I also haven't had to worry about making dinner since several of our friends have made us some amazing meals, with plenty of leftovers!  We feel very blessed!

But Jon went back to work on Tuesday and it's been just me and the kids during the day.  And so, we've spent the last 48 hours trying to figure out what a "normal" day will look like in our house.  I've actually been taking notes on our "routine" (which is currently not very routine), you know, conducting qualitative research, collecting empirical data, searching for patterns, seeking out correlations between two variables ... see, I knew my degree would come in handy.  Oddly enough, life now is very similiar to what it was just a few weeks ago, with just a few minor changes.

Jack still eats breakfast after he gets up in the morning, although now I'm nursing Jude with one hand and doling out cereal and bananas with the other.  I still get my 30 or so minutes of free time in the morning to shower and get ready while Jack plays in the "pen", although now I have to keep an ear out for the littlest baby hanging out on the bed.  We've managed to keep up our daily walks, I've regained the stamina to walk longer and harder again without lugging around that extra weight, but I have to say pushing that double stroller is definitely a work-out!  I feel like I'm changing a hundred diapers a day.  The sad thing is, sometimes I forget about Jack's diapers ... so we've had more than one "accident" this week.  Jack still takes a great afternoon nap, although he's usually the one asking me to go to bed rather than me telling him.  I think we've all gained a greater appreciation for "quiet time."  I will say the house is much more messy than usual.  I just can't keep up.  And I'm not quite sure why, it's not like Jude plays with toys.  There always seems to be a ton of dishes in the sink too, which is interesting since I haven't managed to make dinner yet.  Then again, I haven't really had to.

Has Jude really only been "here" for a little over two weeks?  It seems like forever ago that I was pregnant and he was kicking my ribs.  He's already such a part of our lives now.  It's hard to remember what a full night's sleep feels like, or what I did with all those extra hours that I now spend feeding a newborn ... then again, I think Jack still remembers.  He seems to be doing a little better though.  He insists on giving Jude a binky, though he tends to shove it in the poor kid's mouth. 

He also likes to point to Jude's nose and eyes (!!!), and play with his hair.  Sometimes he gets too rough and starts smacking his head.  And then there's the swing.  Jack is totally enthralled with the 5 speed settings and the music/nature sounds option.  I think he just likes pressing the buttons.  If Jude is in the swing we usually keep it on the 1 setting.  Yesterday I walked into the room and Jack was giving Jude the ride of his life when he cranked it up to 5!  And of course nursing still presents it's challenges.  Jack likes to "watch" Jude eat, and for some reason finds it really funny.  But his favorite activity during nursing sessions is using Mommy as a jungle gym.  Jon captured this picture of his crazy antics (don't worry, Jude was done eating by the time he got the camera out). 

And so we're all busy adjusting, getting a little closer to our new normal which, I have a feeling, is not very far off!

Nothing to wear

Ugh, the after-party.  Otherwise known as post-partum.  The part of motherhood where I lose 13 pounds in two weeks, look in the mirror and say, "Wow, I look skinny!" and then go to put an old pair of jeans on and discover I can't even pull them up past my knees.  So I'm still wearing maternity pants, but since I no longer have a belly to hold them up, well, they tend to fall down.  And then I have to find a shirt that fits at the top, but still covers the elastic band on my pants.  Thus my wardrobe of choice these days tends to be sweat pants and plain old t-shirts leftover from high school and college.  Real self-esteem boosters.

Thankfully the cutest accessory arrived two weeks ago, and when I wear it no one notices my baggy pants and big t-shirts. 

Who needs new clothes when you can just wear babies??

Hey Jude

I mentioned that my brothers surprised us by showing up on Sunday morning.  They actually arrived at 2:30am, entered the house, and crashed on the couch, without us or my parents even noticing.  Late that morning I was upstairs getting ready for church and thought I could hear Jared's voice.  So I came downstairs and there they were!

It was great having the whole family down during Jude's first week ... especially since both Uncles brought their fancy cameras.  Judey-boy was wide awake and quiet for a whole hour while Uncle Micah shot photos.  We got a lot of great pictures that I'm so excited about!  Can't wait to decorate the walls of our new house with photos of my handsome boys!  Here are a few of my favorite shots:

You can see more pictures here. 

A special thanks to Uncle Micah for making the trip and taking the photos, and to PADot for making it all possible! ;)