Bryson got to help build Nallia’s first bear.

Nallia is the calmest baby you have even seen, Bryson was easy but Nallia spends the day looking around. She likes to be held and does not like a wet diaper but otherwise she is just happy. She is best when you let her sleep in the morning and nurse as she wants. This all leads to wonderful and fun days OR days where Bryson wakes her up every time she tries to sleep then he decides to not take a nap and they are both super tired and grumpy, here is where I wish we had a routine. He has never been one for doing it all the same but she is very much a baby with a schedule. She likes to wake around 8:30am, eat and then take a nap at 10:30ish, eat then nap again. This is the time of day that makes it or breaks it. At about 1pm Bryson has reached the point where he should nap or be happy to have quiet time. Most days he has quite time, about twice a week he takes a nap but on occasion he tries to nap and never falls asleep he just keeps bugging Nallia and singing and talking. These are the worst days. By about 4:30 she is over tiered and he is crazy.

Today was one of those days, not the worst of those, but I am learning to manage better. Once I recognized he is out of the routine we head out. The library saved us today with a new Signing Time DVD, 3 books and a audio book for me. We spent some time there and headed home, at home we were able to watch the Signing Time and everyone was happy.

One day down, one more lesson they have taught me that routine could be boring but sometimes boring is nice and peaceful.

We have been very busy over the past several weeks. We had Bryson and Nallia’s cousins, Katie and Atti, their Aunt Jenny and Uncle Attlia and Grandpa visit a few weeks ago. Bryson lots fun running around with his cousins. Nallia was lucky to get several bags of hand-me-downs from Katie. We spent time at the blueberry farm picking berries, hiking and picnicking at Lady Bird Johnson Grove and even showed them the Sequoia Park Zoo.

The following weekend we headed east to Del Loma, where we “camped” across the Trinity River. We stayed on the deck of a friends cabin as we have for the last few years. Bryson loved the river, the small adventure walks we took him on, the fact we had to take a small motor boat to get there and most of all our hosts had a “Rhino”. This 4×4/golf cart vehicle was every boys dream. Nallia on the other hand was not a happy girl in the 102 degree temperature.

This was a great break just before I sat for the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant(IBCLC) exam the following Monday. I won’t know the results untill October 16th so I am just hoping I passed and making the best of the wait.

Last weekend we had a great visit from Drew’s step dad, Pat and his girlfriend, Connie. Since their visit happened to coincide with my birthday we went to Larupin’s  for a fun birthday dinner. While they visited we also ate at the Samoa Cookhouse and walked the Arcata Plaza. They brought great gifts for the kids, including Nike’s for Nallia and Lego’s for B.

This week it has been wonderfully sunny here in the land of clouds and rain. Nallia is now 7 weeks old and weighs over 10lbs. Bryson has also been growing like crazy, he can now reach the light switches, the truck’s door handles and so much more. He is 37 inches and 36 pounds; we had him in for a check up to get his paperwork done for school this far. If he has not already told you he is going to the “Discovery Room”, this is the younger of the two preschool classes at child care center he goes to at HSU. He is very excited and talks to everyone about how they will be able to play on the big play ground and how the room has play dough. He starts back in two weeks.

Because of the break in school B has been home with us the last two weeks and, do to furloughs and paternity leave, it seems Drew has been home a lot too. I started back at work last week and during the few shifts I have worked both kids have been home with Drew. Yesterday I rushed home only to find EVERYONE a sleep in the living room. So we are busy but at least we are getting some sleep. I am sure Drew will get Nallia’s first month’s pictures up at some point

Notice the shirt says "Happy to be a girl!"

It has been only 19 days but Nallia has grown so fast. She has a curious personality and is of course a bit feistier than Bryson. We had a pretty good week, Drew was back at work and my mom left Tuesday. Bryson had fun seeing her off at the airport. You would think since we live so close he would be over the airplane thing but it seemed all new to him. We hung out at the airport for a few minutes and watched the planes. There were two planes parked on the tarmac, Bryson explained how one was for Grammy and of course the other was “Becca’s Plane”.

In March my cousin, Rebecca, came to visit and Bryson had a blast. Since we took Rebecca to the airport and she got on a plane to fly home to Boston, every time we see a plane there is some hope she is on it. He loves to wear any of the clothes she bought him and recently I got a necklace in the mail from her, every night he tells me how I am wearing my “Becca Necklace”.

After my mom left it has been just me and the kids. What a reality check! Bryson is very high energy, at least when I was pregnant I could play with him and I was just a bit slow, now I am pinned to a chair while I feed Nallia or at best have one hand free while holding her. She doesn’t do very well laying down, she tends to burp and spit up, so we hold her most of the day or I have her in the Moby Wrap.  Nights have not been as hard as I thought they could be. It seems to be best if Drew takes her for a few hours in the evening after Bryson is in bed and I go to bed, then I take her from about 1am on. She feeds most of the night and I change her a few times a night but over all we are sleeping.

Thursday Nallia had her first doctor’s visit. She was 20 ¾ inches and 8lbs 5.5 ounces. She has a slightly stuffed up nose (thanks to B) but everything else was great.  It was just another reminder of how great our doctor is and how supportive the practice is of homebirth.