Baby number two... A different baby?!

It has been four weeks since I became a mom of two. Many things have surprised me (I'm not just going to watch Netflix all mat-leave? Baby girls can't use pee as a weapon? I can go six days without washing my hair, comfortably?). One thing that has been a huge shocker is that - much like birth - this baby's story is much different than Oliver's. Funny how I assumed they'd be totally the same. 

They may look identical in same age photos (see below) but here are some ways number 2 is a far stretch from number 1:

Weight gain

Oliver struggled to get back to birth weight in the first month after a huge loss in the first days. 

Dakota was back by day 2 and has an appointment with our midwife tomorrow at which I fully expect to find out she weighs 25 lbs. 

Snuggle habits

Oliver would probably crawl inside of my skin were it possible. He cuddles the life out of anyone.

Dakota's actions all but say: hands off me when I'm sleeping you space invader!

Diaper changes

Oliver dirtied diapers round the clock for the first few days but quickly levelled out where I could change him late before I slept and be good til morning. 

Princess Kota wakes me up with a sassy cough every fe hours during the night to remind me she only lets perfectly dry diapers touch her skin. 

Spit up

Oliver spit up, I kid you not, less than ten times ever. 

Dakota is still awesome in this category but has upped it to a few a week. 

Car seat feelings

Ollie elected the car seat as his first best friend. 

Dakota works her lungs out each and everytime we go near it. 

What hasn't changed:

- both kids think daddy's arms are the very greatest place to sleep 

- both are so good at nursing they should teach classes

- both love baths, music, ceiling fans 

- both look like my dad to a strange degree

- both should sleep more (please)

Oliver, left, and Dakota, right, at 3 weeks old

What Ollie Ate

Recently I had a friend/fellow mom ask me what Oliver eats in a week. 

Well, here it is!

Monday 

For breakfast we baked homemade oat orange muffins. For lunch I made pasta with farmers sausage and tons of veggies. To drink he had a coconut water and banana smoothie. We had a light dinner of homemade ham and onion quiche and cucumber salad. Throughout the day he snacked on plain popcorn that he made himself with my supervision, strawberries, and a mix of cheddar and cherry tomatoes from my friend Bethany. 

Tuesday

Breakfast was oatmeal + yogurt and a  fruit salad (pear blackberries orange kiwi). 

Lunch was squash soup, pickles and brown rice triscut crackers.

For dinner we had roast chicken with mashed potatoes and green salad by daddy. 

And for Snacks- fruit, popcorn and a blueberry granola bar. 

Wednesday

Breakfast was yogurt, berries and whole wheat penguin crackers. 

Lunch was chicken salad w avocado and apple, plus some cucumber. 

Dinner we had sausage and roasted Brussels sprouts. 

Snacks- pita chips and strawberries with dip (see Instagram) and 1 piece of chocolate. 

Thursday

Breakfast: egg, tomato, avocado. 

Lunch: tuna salad, baby carrots, half banana, yogurt. 

Dinner: chicken mushroom zucchini pasta. 

Snacks: peanut butter cookie, rolled up turkey meat. 

Friday

Today I made him a homemade drinkable yogurt and put it in an Iogo container I had saved. As well some granola with dried blueberries and fresh banana. For lunch & dinner he is with my mother in law, so he will likely have some combo of fish, quinoa, fruit, veggies, Greek yogurt, natural peanut butter, pickles... His usual. 

Hope that helps!

Five Things You'll Find Out as a New Mom

I guess I shouldn't say "new mom" -- I'm an old mom with two and a half whole years under my belt. But a "mom of a new baby". With a newborn in your care everything changes and here are some things you may not have known:

1. You will feel excited about 4 consecutive hours of sleep. Not to scare you, if anything - isn't that grand? I can be excited about something so horrible. I literally look at my phone's clock and whisper "freakin' right!"

2. You will google crazy things. Things I should erase my history for. "Bible verses about strength", "YouTube video to put baby to sleep", "is salt water bad for nipples" and "alcohol while breastfeeding" come to mind. I'll spare you the post partem bleeding and diaper related searches. 

3. Your older children will both horrify and amaze you. Oliver has taken to being a big brother like a champ - helping like crazy, wanting to hold and kiss her, and telling everyone he talks to about baby Koko - but he's not without his freaking out, needing mommy, crying for no apparent reason moments too. When he starts throwing things across the room we know it's time for some one on one attention. 

4. You will negotiate, audibly, with a pair of pants. This morning I was literally chanting "come on size four, you can do it". They couldn't, but 6 pulled through and I thanked the jeans out loud. 

5. You will experience the deepest love imaginable. It will shock you, give you chills, take over your brain. And you'll never be able to properly explain it to anyone. Until you meet another new mom - soaked in sour milk, looking beautiful because she found 30 seconds to put on concealer this afternoon (not morning, no not ever) - and you'll just smirk at each other and know. There is nothing like being a new mom.