Molly: The First Weeks
Three and a half weeks into having two kids we’re doing fairly well. Things are going both better and worse than we anticipated.
Of course going into this one of our main concerns was how Caden would adjust to having a sibling. Thus far we’re happy to report that he is doing quite well with the transition. Of course being 2 3/4 he has his moments of poor behavior, temper tantrums and sudden bouts of paralysis where he can no longer walk on his own (generally this happens when only Mommy is home and Molly is crying or needing something), but all of that is to be expected. He is still a very proud big brother and he loves holding Molly, laying on a blanket and playing with her after she eats and he’s always there to check on her and bring us diapers, burp clothes or whatever we might need at the moment. He is a fantastic big brother!!!
Going back to the newborn stage is definitely a challenge for Mommy and Daddy. Its been especially hard on us this time around because it seems as if Molly has a bad case of Acid Reflux which makes her very uncomfortable, unable to lay on her back, lots of spit-up and makes her generally unhappy a good chunk of the time which is so sad. She cries a lot--A LOT which is stressful for the whole family--Zoe (our dog) included. We have been working to get the acid reflux under control and have tried a lot of different things: First Mommy cut out dairy from her diet (not sure if that helped or not but we’re still trying that, next Molly went on Baby Zantac (didn’t work), then was Baby Priolsec (still not sure if its working), we’re also doing probiotics and twice weekly chiropractic care and try different dietary restrictions for Mommy as well. So far it seems that Molly is maybe slightly better but its hard to know. We’re still having lots of crying and uncomfortable moments but we’re cautiously optimistic that things are and will continue to get better for poor little Molly--and then in turn for Mommy and Daddy.
Life with two is definitely busy--very busy. We are so blessed to have tons of family and help around which is fantastic. I honestly don’t know how we’d manage without the help! Jon had to go back to work after just one week but luckily Katy’s Mom was here for two weeks to help out with the kids, laundry, cooking etc. Just this past week was the first time Katy was completely on her own. Of course there are bad days and good days but all of the days help or not are busy! Somebody always needs something and it seems one of the most challenging parts of the day is to make sure that the parents eat and drink (emphasis on drink!)
We don’t want to make it sound like things are all bad though there are lots of wonderful moments and we feel extremely proud and blessed to have these two wonderful kids. When Molly is happy, she’s VERY happy and very sweet! She is very alert and loves to look around and watch things--especially big brother and she especially loves taking showers (just like when Caden was a baby). She lays back, with her head in the water and is completely relaxed and generally falls asleep. Molly is growing like crazy as well. At her 5 day weight check she was back to birth weight and at her 2 week dr’s appt she had gained an additional 12 oz and grown 3/4 of an inch which puts her at 7lbs 12oz and 19 3/4in as of August 25th. She is in the 50th %ile for height and weight and of course being our kid she’s in the 70th %ile for her head size--if she’s like Caden her head size will be off the charts soon! Some of the best times for all of us is when we’re up in Molly’s nursery playing and talking together. Caden loves being there to help with the feedings (he especially loves it when Mommy has to pump--the breast pump is fascinating). The things Caden notices and talks about is amazing...eye color, how big and pretty Molly’s eyes are and the way he talks to her is just wonderful. These are the moments that get us through the tired days and sleepless nights.
We are in for a wild ride with this one!