Two Under Two

Parenting has fuzzy math. For some reason I thought having one kid and adding another to the mix, just might be double the work. WRONG! Adding a newborn to the mix with an energetic toddler already on board is more like 2.5 to 3 times the work.  No wonder parents stop at two kids. And the whole "man-to-man defense thing" describing how two parents balance two kids is big an understatement. You still need help.

Based on our preliminary experiences of the last 4 weeks, here's what I have come to believe:

1.  Parents with one kid --a balanced decision of both the head and heart (50/50).
2.  Parents with two kids --a slightly unbalanced decision of heart over head (60/40).
3.  Parents with three kids --the result of losing one's head or a birth control malfunction(75/25).
4.  Parents with 4 or more kids --total surrender and submission. 

"I make midnight visits to my parents' room."

Keep in mind Charm City Daddy and I have always said we wanted 4 kids, but I must say we are reconsidering this theory everytime we:

• buy diapers or change a diaper
• try to leave the house on time.
• consider going to church service.
• consider going out to eat.
• are awakened by one or both children and kept up all night trying to keep them asleep and or in their beds.
• see a preview for a new movie we know we'll never see in theatres.

And many more---and we're only 4 weeks in!

Sure the positives far outweigh the negative and in reality we want to have as many children as God will bless us with--and we can afford (let's not kid ourselves). Right now the magic number is two. We are blessed and at times--just a tad stressed, but it's alllll good.

I just needed to speak the truth for a moment.

Less Like a Newborn

At four weeks old, Lucas is looking less like a newborn and more like a little baby--and a mini version of his father...so much for my hope that he would take after his mama. :)

Hi-Five!

After patiently requesting "hi-fives?" from her little brother for the last 4 weeks (even in the hospital), yesterday Lucas finally obliged big sis Olivia.

It was a great moment. 

Next on her list..."Pick Up?" But that too, my dear, will have to wait.

Easter Fun

With all of the various festivals and egg hunts going on in our area, we celebrated Easter over a 2-week period.

Knowing we'd have a new baby and toddler in tow and walking quite a bit, the "Easter Bunny" brought Olivia a new bike and she loves it.  We don't leave home without it. She hasn't mastered pedaling yet but luckily daddy can steer and push it from the handle.

Daddy pushing Olivia to the egg hunt.

She's also caught on that the little yellow compartment in the back holds juiceboxes, apples and goldfish and won't go on a walk without them.

Lucas: 2-week Appointment

An Ode to Risky Business

Lucas' two week stats:

• Height: 21.5 inches
• Weight: 7 lbs 15 oz (1 solid pound of weight gain--nursing is going well this time around!)
• Head Circumference 35.3 cm

The First Bath

It's funny the shortcuts you take as parents the second time around.

With Olivia we used her brand new baby bathtub and cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom first, filled up the tub and everything. Lucas, on the other hand had his first bath in the sink with nothing but a face towel placed on the bottom to keep his little butt from sliding around--(I learned that trick from my mom).

No sense in wasting all of that bath water for just a few minutes of baby torture anyway.

The Birth Story

Although Lucas' birth didn't begin as the same production of Olivia's birth since his delivery was induced, it certainly ended with a little taste of drama that has my husband appreciating my worth (even more) as the mother of his kids.

Our induction was scheduled for 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, 2011--Lucas' due date and the only day of the week that my OB was on duty for delivery as she rotates with 3 other doctors in the practice. Since she didn't get to deliver Olivia, we gave it another try with Lucas.  The only catch was I had to deliver within a narrow window before she went off duty.

We arrived to the hospital about 15 minutes late, because once again CCD couldn't decide what to wear. You heard me. AND you'd think after all of the pondering he would come up with something thoughtful or polished. Nope. He wore his favorite madras shorts, business school fleece, a faded, tattered marathon souvenir t-shirt, and top siders.

By 6:30 a.m. I was settled in my birthing room watching the morning news.  Upon arrival to the hospital I was still 2+cm. There was no way Lucas was making an appearance anytime soon despite my best attempts to get things going by being super active the day before.

By 6:45 a.m. the doctor-on duty (not my OB yet) broke my water, and increased the pitocin drip. I asked for a the stadol almost immediately and took a nice little nap. Mmm. It was wonderful. Contractions increased and remained regular and dilation progressed consistently and all the while Lucas' heart rate remained unchanged and completely unphased by all of the medical practice occurring to evict him.

By 10:45 a.m. I was 4 cm and ready for epidural, so I took it! CCD commenced to chatting up real estate with my OB (which they always do during my usual doctor visits) and then chatted up investments with the anesthesiologist. CCD even gave the man a business card---just after he inserted a rather large tube into my spine! Hello!? Focus on me and this baby, people.

We love our doc!

By 12:39 p.m. I was at 6 cm, zero station  (pitocin increased again) and CCD left to grab lunch and some Tums. After all of the nonchalant chatting, his nerves suddenly hit him. Go figure.

By 1:30 p.m. my doctor's shift was OVER but no baby yet. Once again, my OB wouldn't be delivering my child--but instead another doctor--the lead doctor of the practice--would. With this shift change I have now met and been treated by all doctors in the practice. And I like them all!

By 2:15 p.m. I'm feeling the head pressure in position to push. I'm also watching the contractions go off the charts and quicken in frequency--but luckily feel nothing thanks to that epi. I call the nurse in and knowing my history of quick pushing with Olivia she tells me to wait for the doctor.

By 2:20 p.m. the doctor arrives and we're ready to start pushing. The first contraction comes and we push. We wait for a second contraction we push again and Lucas Truman Cooper arrives at 2:28 p.m.

See my birthmark? Left thigh. Mommy loves it.

CCD cutting the cord with his tattered shirt.

And just like Olivia's birth, I had to force CCD to pick up the "nice camera" and "real camcorder" and use them instead of his freaking blackberry camera for which he hoards pictures that he never downloads or backups anywhere. Burns me up just thinking about how many memories bite the dust when he upgrades his phone every 12-18 months.

Lucas' heart rate was steady and calm during all of the induction and labor, but just after delivery his heart rate shot up and the nurse gave him to me right away for skin-to-skin to regulate his heart rate down. I took the opportunity to try to latch him on to nurse. He latched and his little heart went right to normal rate.

Soon after Olivia arrived with Charm City Grandma, and Charm City Great-Grandma and we were able to take our first family picture--although Lucas is hidden and nursing.

Notice that Olivia donated her "Big Sister' sticker to Daddy as soon as she saw him.

I am not sure what my hair is doing or why I have that facial expression, but hey it captured the moment.

About an hour and a half after delivery the nurse gave me my choice of emptying my bladder. I chose to try to get up and walk to the bathroom since the epidural was wearing off. She helped me stand up, we practiced walking in place and then we started toward the bathroom when about halfway there, I told CCD we needed his extra help--and apparently in the next second my eyes rolled back, my face went limp, my color faded, and I fainted right then and there. CCD was already up to help me and caught me just in time to get me back to the bed. I woke up to him telling me to wake up and then rushing to get Olivia out of the room as all of the L&D nurses rushed into my room. I was OUT of it. I thought I was asleep at home in my own bed and he was trying to wake me up and I was pissed. I love my sleep. The first thing I said when I regained consciousness was "man, that was a good sleep" which the nurses found hilarious.

You see, this is what happens when your distended bladder presses on your recently emptied uterus. Yep. It scares your husband A LOT.  I will never forget how CCD looked at me, petrified that I had fainted and for an instant had possibly left him with two kids. We laugh about it now, but he was visibly shaken on both fronts. He was also upset that I had opted to walk to the bathroom with dignity instead of taking the bedpan option. But now with this fainting episode I had no choice but to take the dreaded catheter. Ugh.
And in that moment CCD and I realized that having 2 kids is truly a blessing with which we can be completely satisfied.  With two healthy pregnancies and deliveries--neither of us will ever take any part of the miracle of the entire childbirth experience AND recovery for granted ever again.

More than Twice the Work...

You may have noticed, that I haven't been around here much.  I log onto my Google Reader everyday but am still way behind on reading my favorite blogs too...about 535 posts behind to be exact, but I am slowly making a dent each day. Today I got the count down to 365 posts! Whoo hoo!

I am definitely taking my time and enjoying little baby Lucas this second time around in motherhood and maternity leave. Also balancing two kids is crazy and exhausting! Instead of feeling like twice the work it actually feels like 3-4 times the work. Olivia is talking more and more (now in sentences) and her energy level and entertainment needs are through the roof. She also has realized that she has the freedom to climb out of her twin bed--and travel to our room to wish us a "GOOD mornin'!" This morning we got our wake up visit at 5 a.m. Luckily, Daddy is in charge of cutting her off at the pass (if I hear the door squeak or catch her headed our way in the video monitor) and escorting her back to the bed. Olivia's been better lately, but during our first few nights with Lucas, I think she thought she was missing out on a party in our room with the new baby and bassinet. She loves him and accepted him as part of the family immediately. Now if we could just convince her that he can't fulfill her constant requests for "hi-fives?" just yet. haha.

Olivia is a wonderful big sister-- helpful and full of kisses.

Olivia has earned the new nickname "Tazmanian Devil" as she is a one-man, smiling, giggling, wrecking crew. Our first night in the hospital was a nice little preview of the MAYHEM that is our mornings (before the nanny arrives), evenings (after the nanny departs), and our weekends (when the nanny is off). We tried to have a nice family dinner with our new addition--just the four of us.  Lucas was easy--he was asleep. I just relaxed in my deluxe, comfy hospital bed eating and Daddy had to do all of the chasing, scolding, and "sit still" and "wait" and feeding, and cleaning up. By the end of the meal he was exhausted, frustrated, and proclaimed it the "worst meal ever!" All I could do was laugh. Charm City Daddy then decided to bail early b/c he had to get Olivia home and  in bed because he "couldn't take much more of this." He stayed home with her and I spent both of my nights in the hospital with just little Lucas in perfect silence, with room service, awesome nurses and techs, and premium cable television. PURE. BLISS.

But alas it all came to an end when Lucas and I arrived home from the hospital--on a Friday afternoon, which meant CCD and I would have to balance both kids over the weekend. Needless to say, after our first weekend with two kids we  couldn't be more excited to see a Monday morning! We now find ourselves living from "nanny time" to "nanny time."

Lucas on the other hand--is quite easy at this stage. Eat, sleep, poop in that order. He is staying more alert in his 3rd week and putting on weight like a champion boxer. I am enjoying dressing him up. Oh and despite what everyone says--I am here to say that BOYS ARE FUN TO DRESS UP TOO! We've been getting in some good laughs at his little outfits...particularly the white button up shirt.

Check him out in mommy's impromptu photo shoot on her bed. haha.

Stay tuned for more Lucas pics, updates and the birth story.

Lucas Is In Da Buildin'

He's Here!

Lucas Truman Cooper
Born March 30, 2011 , 2:28 p.m.
6lbs. 15 oz. 21.5 inches long

And we could not be happier.