I’ve been bad about computer time and have even failed to take notes for a bullet update. The only thing I have is from January 19th. Joseph does the gestures we use during our afternoon devotional time. He calls Grandma “mama” so I have become “me” to distinguish. I have a feeling I’ve written this before.
Things are going really quite smoothly here. Joseph had been sleeping better, but the past two nights he’s woken up on his own screaming, and unfortunately, both times it’s been in the middle of a four-hour sleep stretch for Vivienne – the only one’s she’s had so far! I get a big grumpy sometimes, but mostly I’m able to keep a good attitude for my family and not feel so terribly exhausted like I was with Joseph.
Joseph is growing by leaps and bounds and is as charming as ever. He beams at strangers when we’re out and about and he very often points to his nose and says his name “ji-si.” He will sometimes pick up a toy set (like his crayons or a puzzle) cheerfully and right away if asked to. He will sometimes pitch a huge fit that ends in a long battle of wills. It is wonderful to is, it is a challenge to deal with. Having Vivienne means he is forced to do a lot more on his own and I am forced to teach him or at least to have the patience to wait for him to try to do things on his own. That is also exciting to see. He’s adding more and more words to his vocabulary in both Swiss German and English. He likes to show off a new skill right when we’re trying to discipline him. He doesn’t skimp on the cute face while saying it either . . .
At such a fun age, it’s hard not to let Joseph steal the show, but his sister is a charmer as well. Vivienne is so beautiful and cute and cuddly and I feel so close and connected to her especially as we experiment with EC together. I am amazed at the number of times I’m holding her while doing something else and not paying much attention to her at all but I still know quite easily when she has to relieve herself. It’s so obvious that it pulls my attention away from whatever I was doing. Of course, not every time she eliminates is it that obvious. I’m grateful for that or the nights would be terrible! I try to give her diaper-free time each morning after she wakes, but then she’s in diapers most of the day, but I still try for catches whenever it works out. That means most of her poos go in the toilet, sink or bowl, and a surprising number of pees, too. She still seems rather uncomfortable peeing in any position, but we’re figuring it out.
But Vivienne is much more than her elimination, sorry for dwelling on that. Still, it is such an important part of the work she does as an infant. She eats, she sleeps and she, well, poos and pees. Being aware of her elimination needs I’ve been able to notice that once she’s peed it all out after nursing she goes to sleep easily. If she’s still got pee in there she’ll fuss and squirm and won’t settle down with all the bouncing and patting and pacing in the world. Knowing that means I can be patient and keep peeing her or changing her wet diaper until she’s ready to sleep and it often meals she sleeps dry for a good while. I’m hoping to avoid the diaper rash that poor Joseph is sill struggling with (it’s been months now!).
But like I said, Vivenne is much more than the sum of her pees. He is a happy baby most of the time (that is, if I keep her clean and dry and take her to the potty when she wants it) and I enjoy caring for her. This morning she was fully clothed for church when she rolled over tummy to back. This afternoon she was diaperless on a couch with a slight incline. She rolled over tummy to back uphill!!! She can hold her head up and push up with her arms for a good minute before getting tired. She isn’t happy for too long on her tummy, but does a goes job with it. She sleeps best on her tummy, but is often on her side since I nurse lying down at night. During naps she is often on her back. Somehow I fell better with her able to sleep in many positions.
She looks super cute in her girl outfits, and once again I was slow to switch over to the next size clothes because the newborn phase is so short she hardly wore everything once!
Stephan and I have had a few tight moments working through the kinks until we find a good flow for being a family of four, but things have been going really quite smoothly. Joseph is missing his Grandma but he’s doing really well with all the changes. We got a fancy in-line stroller (that means two kids but not side-by-side) as a gift so now I can put them both in the stroller and do some shopping or take a walk, which is lovely. Vivienne still prefers the wrap, but it wonderful to be able to change things up.
Both kids are sill sleeping, it’s a miracle . . .
I’m writing this while one hand is holding my 3-week-old Vivienne. She’s nursing and she’s wearing a long sleeved shirt and wrapped in a blanket. She has no diaper and no pants. [Interruption – continued three hours later] Why did I think I’d be able to write a whole post one-handed without getting interrupted? Anyway, the point is I’ve been attempting to do more EC with Vivienne than I did with Joseph earlier on. I place a cloth under her bum and wrap a blanket around her to keep her warm in this chilly winter weather. [Interruption – continued three days later] I shouldn’t bother to be prolific. My kids don’t let me take the time. The point of starting this post was to say that Vivienne pooed right away on the toilet for me. Since I started this post she has done it numerous times and I am amazed how I can tell she needs to go even if Stephan and I are in intense discussion, and that I can carry her naked-bottomed from one room to the bathroom and she’ll wait to go until I have her in position and then go right away. It’s not always that easy, but it’s so much easier than I ever imagined it could be. I don’t often change a dirty diaper and when I do I am so thankful that most of her poos go in the toilet or the plastic bowl at the side of our bed. The best is discovering she likes the toilet position. She is even mostly happy peeing there (she hates peeing whether it’s in her diaper or in any other position). No wiping, no changing table fights, just *flush* and it’s gone! Poos are starting to get more infrequent at night, so some nights she hardly pees in her diapers at all but saves it for when I put her on the pot. Time to move on, this post must be done.
