Pedicure Time With Lauren!

This past Sunday, I decided to take Lauren out for some "Girl Time", and we headed to the nail salon for mommy/daughter pedicures.  Lauren has never had her nails painted but she has always been fascinated with mine and recently expressed an interest in painting her toe nails.  Since I needed a pedicure anyway, I figured it was a good activity we could enjoy together.  

Once we got there, she was very excited to pick out her nail color.  She was torn between blue and purple, and I think she made the wise choice to go traditional.  And boy did she carefully hold on to that bottle of purple nail polish while we waited.

When it was our turn, we took our seats and I had so much fun watching her experience everything for the first time.  She LOVED the warm bubble bath for her feet and kept swirling her toes in the water.  The nail technician did my feet first, and Lauren waited very patiently for her own turn.  She behaved like such a big girl.

When it was finally her turn, she kept giggling and saying that it tickled.  Lauren definitely has ticklish feet, and the poor nail tech had her work cut out for her when it came time to cut her nails and paint them.  We had to keep reminding Lauren that the nail polish was wet and she needed to let it dry before moving her feet around.  She was not as much a fan of the "letting her nails dry" portion of the pedicure, and we had to have a few nails repainted.  But they turned out great and she still gets excited to look down and see her pretty toe nails.

                     

I certainly don't think we will be doing mommy/daughter pedicures all the time, but it is nice to know that Lauren is happy to do some fun girly activities with me.  Maybe next time we will get manicures!!

Charlie Is 2 Months Old!

It is hard to believe that two months has gone by since we brought Charlie home.  Time is moving way to quickly, but we have noticed big changes in such a short amount of time.  The first few weeks were pretty tough.  Charlie cried ALL the time, he was having a hard time with breastfeeding, and was only happy when he was being held or rocked.  As soon as I tried to put him down in his crib, he would immediately wake up and start crying.  I pretty much lived off coffee and adrenaline.  Thankfully, things have gotten much better.  

1 MONTH

When we brought Charlie home from the hospital, his weight had dropped down to 9 pounds, 2 ounces.  So we decided to supplement his feedings with formula.  It was a stressful time for both Charlie and myself.  In addition to the difficulty with breastfeeding, I suspected that he might have a food sensitivity or allergy.  He seemed to have a lot of gas and discomfort after eating and it was hard to settle him down.  It got so bad, that driving around was the only way to calm him down.  Every night, around 8:30 pm, I would put him in the car and start to drive.  He was fine as long as the car was moving, but would start crying as soon as the car stopped.  So, I would get on the Beltway, and pray for zero traffic.  

Jump ahead to May 21st.  Charlie was eating much better and we had weaned him off of the formula supplements.  He was sleeping for 4 to 5 hour stretches in his crib AND he was crying much less!!  I had given up most dairy and changed my breast feeding technique, which appeared to have a big impact on his comfort level after eating. 

At his 1 month check-up, we learned that he 

• weighed 10 pounds, 15 ounces
• and was 23 1/2 inches long 

Once again, we decided to mark Charlie's development by taking photos in the same rocking chair we used for Lauren.  I cannot wait to compare their photos to see if there is a resemblance between the two siblings.  

           

We also learned that Charlie actually enjoys tummy time.  As a baby, Lauren would scream the entire time, but he seems pretty content.  It certainly helps to have his big sister join him on the blanket and keep him company. They are so sweet together and he really loves to watch her throughout the day.  He perks up as soon as he hears her voice, and she always gets the biggest smiles out of him.  

2 MONTHS

Within the past month, there has been an even bigger change in Charlie.  He only seems to cry when he is hungry, tried, or has a dirty diaper...typical baby behavior.  He smiles quite a bit and has even begun to coo and giggle at Lauren, Chad and I.  He still enjoys being held and is the most content when I walk him around the house in the Baby Bjorn.  But, we are also able to put him down in the swing, bouncer seat, or pack n play for long periods of time throughout the day now, which helps when I need to spend time with Lauren or prepare meals.  

Things are definitely getting easier and we have started to develop a little routine.  A typical day looks like...

6 am:            Charlie wakes up and eats (Charlie and I head downstairs for some quiet morning time)

8 am:            Lauren wakes up and eats

9 am:            This time is reserved for Lauren's various classes (dance, tennis, etc)

11:30 am:     Lunch time (Charlie eats every 1.5 hours or so)

12:30 pm:     Nap time for both Lauren and Charlie (most days I can grab a little shut eye at this point)

2:30 pm:       Charlie wakes up from nap and eats

3:00 pm:       Lauren wakes up from nap and gets a snack

6:00 pm:       Chad gets home from work

6:30 pm:       Dinner time for Lauren.  I take Charlie upstairs to eat and get ready for bed

7:30 pm:       Lauren heads up to her room for some quiet time before bed

8:30 pm:       I normally can get Charlie down to bed around this time (after swaddling him & walking around)

1:30 am:       Charlie wakes up for a night time feeding

2:30 am:       Charlie goes back to sleep

5:30 -6 am:   Charlie wakes up again!

It isn't a set routine and can change from day to day, but having some idea of what to expect and what to do next has helped me keep my sanity.  Unfortunately, Lauren's routine has been uprooted a bit, and we are hoping to get things back on track in a month or two.  Once we can get Charlie into a set sleep schedule, we can work on getting Lauren back into a good bedtime routine.

But eating, sleeping and crying less is not the only way Charlie has changed.  At his 2 month check-up, we discovered that he now 

• weighs 12 pounds 2 ounces (50th percentile)
• and is 23 3/4 inches long (75th percentile)

He is growing very well and I have a feeling that he will be a big boy!  

                     

So many changes...I am sure I am forgetting some.  And while I am anxious to move past this chaotic and sleepless stage, it is sad to watch him grow and know that he will not be a baby for long!  So, I am trying to enjoy every moment and look forward to what the future brings for our family!!

It's "Super Lauren"...No Wait, It's "Pirate Lauren"!

A few weeks ago, Lauren suddenly adopted an alter ego named "Super Lauren".  She discovered that my nursing cover made an excellent cape.  So she would drape it over her neck, place her hands on her hips and shout out "Da Da Da Da...It's Super Lauren".  That was usually followed up with her rescuing someone in the house from a bad villain.  And if I wasn't holding Charlie, she enjoyed being picked up and flown around the room.  I am not sure where she got the idea for "Super Lauren", but it is so adorable.  

Then, during a recent stay at Grumpa and Grammy's house, Lauren decided it was more fun to be a pirate.  She got to dress up, have sword fights, and Grumpa even pulled out a boat to play in.  The next morning, he added a camp site, made Lauren walk the plank, and gave her a map for a buried treasure.  Grammy added a bubble wand, which Lauren quickly turned into another sword, and we learned that bubbles always make a sword fight more fun.  She had a blast on her pirate adventure and is still talking about that visit.

           

Once she got back home, we continued having pretend sword fights throughout the house.  Lauren discovered that her plastic baseball bats made great swords and she had a blast stopping the evil villain, which was either Chad or I.  

But perhaps the best thing about Pirate Lauren is that every time we ask her to do something, she looks at us, smiles and responds with "Aye Aye Captain"!  It still cracks us up and I hope she never loses her imagination and goofiness!!

Charlie's Baptism!

On Sunday, June 8, 2014, the family gathered at Rockawalkin United Methodist Church for Charlie's Baptism.  We were extremely thankful to have him baptized so soon because Pastor Patty Frick was able to preside over the baptism before she moved on to another church.  Pastor Patty is not only a wonderful pastor, but she is a close family friend and she also baptized Lauren a few years ago.  To have her handle Charlie's baptism was very special!!

Chad and I were a little concerned that Charlie would cry through the entire service, but we were pleasantly surprised by how well he did.  He woke up during the sermon, and Chad whisked him off to walk around a hallway in the back.  When it came time for the actual baptism, Charlie was perfect.  He was wide awake and did not make a peep.  It was a miracle!!  It was a beautiful service and everyone enjoyed it...except Lauren.  For some reason, she was not thrilled to take part in the Baptism and pouted the entire time.  It was especially humorous because that behavior is so unlike our sweet girl.  I am glad we were able to get a photo of her face!!




                     

After the service, we posed for some more photos.  We had to wrangle Lauren back to the alter after she made a beeline for the nursery.  She did come back with some play food, from the nursery, and cracked everyone up when she tried to cram a pretend hotdog into my mouth during our photo session.  She is such a goof ball, and once again, I am glad Grandpa was able to snap off a photo at that exact moment.

       

After the photos, we headed back to Grandpa and Mee-maw's house for a celebratory family lunch.  It was a beautiful day, so we were able to sit outside and eat on the patio.  Grandpa and Grumpa took turns holding Charlie and managed to get him nap in his bouncer.  He was placed in the shade under a tree and seemed so content.  It was a special day, one we will always remember, and Chad and I could not ask for more!!

Beach, Brunch, & a BBQ

The weekend of June 6 - 8, was a very busy time for the Fisher family.  Somehow we crammed a lot of events into 3 short days, and it was full of wonderful memories.  (And it is taking 2 blog posts to cover everything)

First, on Friday, the 6th, Sarah, Kevin, his daughter Kaila, and I took Lauren and Charlie to the beach.  It was the first time for Charlie and true to form, he was fairly well behaved until the end of the visit. Then he got a bit fussy and began to cry.  I think he was actually cold because he calmed down and fell asleep once we wrapped him up tight in a towel.

Lauren had a blast.  She enjoyed playing with the sand and loved running straight into the waves.  The water was freezing, but that did not stop Lauren.  She certainly scared Sarah and I more than a few times.  Luckily she giggled rather than cried whenever the waves knocked her over!!  By the end of the trip, Lauren was pretty tired and even closed her eyes for a bit in the sand.

                     

                     

                     








We definitely wore out the kids that day!  They fell asleep in the car and it was an early night for both of them.  Charlie slept through most of the night and even went back to sleep until 8 am, which is unheard of.

Saturday morning, I left a sleeping Lauren with Grandpa and Mee-maw, and took Charlie to Easton for brunch with some friends.  We met up with Bridget Lowrie, Chante Lasco, Kelley McFadden and her daughter Allison.  It was nice to catch up with some friends and Charlie seemed to enjoy the company as well.  He only fussed a little bit!!  Next time, I will have to bring Lauren.  I think she will really have fun too!

That afternoon, the whole family headed over to Sarah and Kevin's house for an early Father's Day BBQ.  Chad drove in separately and met us there.  We enjoyed some great food and even better company.  Lauren had fun playing with some other kids her age and Charlie was happy to be passed around and held the entire time.  Sarah and Kevin had a kiddie pool, fun bubbles, and smores around the fire pit...a lot of fun for the kiddos (and adults)!!  It was a perfect way to celebrate all of the wonderful Dads in our lives.  

           

Those were two busy busy days, and even though we partied late into the night, we had to get up early the next day for Charlie's Baptism.

To be continued....

Charlie's First Play Date!

On June 1st, we met up with the Bloughs and the Ackermanns for Charlie's first play date.  It was a gorgeous summer day, so we decided to meet up downtown on the National Mall.  Unfortunately, Emily Ackermann was sick that day and Ali had to stay home with her.  But Lauren had a good time running around with Sophie and Jack, and Charlie was mostly well behaved.  He got fussy towards the end of the playdate, but calmed down once we walked him around in the stroller.

                     

                   

After we said goodbye to our friends, Chad, Lauren, Charlie and I headed over to the local Carousel.  Lauren wanted to go for a ride, so Chad went along with her.  They both had fun!!   Charlie slept soundly in his stroller and didn't even wake up with the loud organ music being piped throughout the carousel.  Gotta love all of that fresh air!!  Luckily he continued sleeping on the way home, and both kiddos took excellent naps.  It was the perfect ended to Charlie's first playdate!

Family Filled Weekend

During the weekend of May 16th, Chad was playing in a hockey tournament in Laurel, Maryland.  It was only 30 miles away, but he and the team agreed to spend the weekend together and stayed close to the tournament site.  I was not looking forward to spending an entire weekend alone with a toddler and 3 week old baby, so I asked Mee-maw and Grandpa to come up to Fairfax.  They arrived on Friday evening and were a tremendous help.  Charlie has been a VERY fussy baby, and I believe he might have colic or a food allergy.  At this point, he is either eating, sleeping or crying.  It would not be too bad if I didn't have to entertain and take care of an active 3 year old.  So having the extra sets of hands is very helpful!!

On Saturday, we stopped at Firehouse Subs for lunch and headed to Laurel to watch one of Chad's games.  It was Charlie's first hockey game and he spent most of the time eating.  The Honey Badgers (Chad's team) won the game and we posed for some photos.  Chad and I wanted to make sure we got a picture of baby Charlie inside his hockey glove, just like we did at Lauren's first hockey game.  Afterwards, we went outside to the playground for a bit.  Lauren enjoyed running around and playing in the sand, and as a special treat, we stopped for frozen yogurt on the way home.  Needless to say, Lauren and Charlie slept very well that night.

                               

The next day, Grandpa and Mee-maw took pity on me and took Lauren outside to play.  They even had a little picnic.  When Lauren went down for her nap, they headed back to Salisbury and Grumpa and Grammy arrived 20 minutes later.  

Grammy's sister, SA, was arriving from San Francisco the next day.  It had been quite a while since we last saw SA, and it was nice to have everyone together once again.  Lauren took a little while to warm up to our guest, but soon she was showing SA all of her toys and even jumped right in during a Facetime chat with SA's daughter, Juliana.  That evening, we stayed in and ate some delicious pizzas from Matchbox, but the next night, we met up with SA in Washington DC.  Lauren even let SA help her with the infamous "Super Lauren" hat.  (Lauren has an alter ego named Super Lauren.  She has a special hat, wears a cape and walks around with her hands on her hips...it is adorable)  

It was nice to spend some time with SA, but the visit was far too short and we are hoping to have another visit with SA and her family sometime soon.

   

On Wednesday, Chad, Grammy, Grumpa and I took Lauren to a kid's ice skating event.  For $5, kids are invited to skate and play on the ice for an hour.  The Ashburn Ice House provides hockey gear, balls, sleds and even buckets for the kids to use.  Lauren always gets very excited, but only lasts a few minutes on the ice.  This time, we wanted to try out the new hockey gear Chad purchased for her.  Honestly, it took longer to get her dressed than it took her to get tired of being on the ice.  But she looked awesome!!

           

      

It was nice to be able to spend so much time with our family, and the extra hands were great!  Chad and I are still trying to get into a routine, so things tend to be extra hectic in our household right now.  We definitely appreciated all of the help from Grandpa, Mee-maw, Grumpa and Grammy!!  And Lauren always loves spending time with her grandparents...hopefully there will be many more similar weekends in our future!!