Another week goes by... (Week 141/3)

Hello there!  Whew, another week has flown by.  Will is back to work this week (part time though, so I still get a little help, yippee) and Katelyn is growing bigger every day.  We're starting to expect her night time non-sleeping, but the lack of sleep is starting to get to me!  I shouldn't complain though, because it definitely could be much worse - so we'll just stay patient and hope she'll eventually realize that she doesn't have to be HELD to sleep in the middle of the night (particularly between 2am and 5am.  sigh).

So, Katelyn has never slept a day in her crib in her room, or the pack and play in our bedroom.  Instead, I've moved the Stokke crib upstairs and put it RIGHT next to our bed.   Why?  So I can completely not sleep since I can hear every grunt and whimper she makes.  Aah!  It's funny though, even with her right next to us, we still have a monitor attached to the top so I can watch her even closer.  Yes, I'm that obsessed.  Here's a picture of Katelyn sleeping in her crib next to our bed.  If only she slept like that during the night!

This last week also marked us taking Katelyn out with us more often.  Nothing crazy, but just errands so that I can get out of the house and not go stir crazy.  I really do feel like I am cooped up in the house all day - and the only travel I get is going from upstairs to downstairs throughout the day.  At least I have a treadmill that I can take little walks on!  Here's Katelyn in her carseat - sigh - I'm back in the backseat of the car again.  I remember how excited/liberated I felt when I convinced Tyler that it was fine for me to sit in the front seat!

Will and I even went to the Irvine Spectrum last week!  That was nice - it was a really nice day and it was great to stroll around in the sun and be around people!  Of course, we were careful to make sure no one got too close.  I think we spent the most time at Barnes and Nobles just looking at some books.  Here's a picture from the elevator at B&N.

It really was a nice day - I really needed the sun too - I was starting to feel vitamin D deficient or something. :)  I am loving my uppaBaby stroller too - she's so comfy and relaxed in it!

I don't know how stay at home moms do it - having a newborn AND a toddler at home all day.  It's hard enough just catering to one kid's needs!  Sometimes I feel guilty because I am SO happy that Tyler has school during the week.  I called this picture a family picture - but oops - it's so not - we're missing Tyler. haha! 

Will is GREAT with Katelyn - I can't complain!  When he is home, I don't change diapers.  Really!  Little girl parts are so different from little boy parts (duh).  That's another thing - I don't know how single parents do this either - I am so relieved to be able to have Will hold Katelyn for a while so that I can take a shower or something!  We're, eh, still not really at the point where she can be content just hanging out in a bouncer or swing or something.  Sigh.  Here's Will and Katelyn - with K sucking on Will's finger!

This picture is kind of misleading because she looks content on the swing - but in reality she'll only last a few minutes.  She has no interest in my kate spade bouncer.  W H A T!?  darnit.  Tyler didn't like it either.  What a waste of money!  I've been buying different bouncers/swings hoping she'll take to one, but the jury is still out.  Hopefully she's just too young and she'll come around.

She has such little hair!  I guess that's to be expected - Tyler was quite a baldy also.

So while we were at Barnes & Nobles last week, we picked up some Kumon workbooks for Tyler.  I did Kumon as a kid for math and I really attribute my math skills to the early start I got!  Before you start thinking I'm crazy (I am a little though, it's ok..), these books were for like 2-4 year olds and are just tracing books.  No numbers of alphabets or anything.  Tyler LOVED them though - they're to practice hand-eye coordination in tracing and doing mazes.  

This weekend we also headed to a local park so that Tyler could get some daddy and Tyler time.  It was the first time that we had both kids in the car at the same time!  Tyler was very excited to have Katelyn actually there - he had been seeing he carseat and/or carseat base for a while.  Will and Tyler played in the playground and I pushed Katelyn around the park (I need the exercise!).

 Here's Will and Tyler at the park.

Katelyn seems to be on a growth spurt.  Always.  Sometimes it seems like she's nursing around the clock.  We're trying to follow an Eat-Play-Sleep cycle but oftentimes she just knocks out after nursing.  Will thought this picture was hilarious.

Katelyn is starting to have more periods of awakefulness.  I sing to her, talk to her and kiss her.  There's not much other interaction at this point.  I do love it when she's wide awake and looking around though.  She seems to stare at things so intently - until her eyes roll back and she's asleep again.

Katelyn and me!  We're trying to get better at taking pictures of her, and pictures of her with us.  I swear, at this point in Tyler's life, we had already filled up a hard drive!  

Yesterday we took Katelyn out to eat lunch with us for the first time!  Tyler's school was having a fundraiser at Jerry's Woodfire Dogs at the Tustin Marketplace.  Think FatBurger but hot dogs instead.  Instead of going with Tyler for dinner we decided to try it out for lunch.  Not bad - but still it's just a hot dog with lots of toppings!  But it was special because it was our first time eating out somewhere with Katelyn!  I think our first meal ever out with Tyler was at Marie Callendars when he was a month or so..

OMG, I finally caught a picture of Katelyn smiling.  I have horrible timing and never seem to catch it.  Yay!  I was very excited today.

This one is more like "Smizing" - smiling with her eyes (who here watches America's Next Top Model? hehe).  How cute is she! :)  Love it!

I finally figured out today the correct way to hold Katelyn in my pouch sling.  Before I was always worried about her positioning, and today I finally got it right.  She was so comfortable, and I wasn't worried about her airways or anything.  She was so knocked out that I even got to walk on my treadmill for a bit!  Hopefully I'll remember how to do this again next time! 

Mmm, Tyler and Will eating strawberries.  Tyler still loves his strawberries - trying to keep things somewhat normal for him with his new baby sister around.  He's been great so far - hopefully no hidden resentment going on...I DO love reading him his night time story and cuddling with him for a little bit before bedtime.  I think it's my favorite part of the day actually!

Another mommy and Katelyn picture.

Tyler the train engineer.  I bought this "Let's Go, Thomas!" toy several months ago and he barely showed any interest.  Kind of annoyed me because it was pricey, even with the coupon I used.  But, yay, interested again!  It's a pretty fancy toy - it's voice activated and stuff!  Tyler likes to have it in his room at night on his table.  He's been complaining of being scared in the middle of the night lately - very strange - and this train, as well as the Twilight Turtle, seems to be helping.

We also got Tyler's school assessment today.  His teachers say he's 'extremely smart' - I wonder if they tell all the parents that!  But I think he is!  Tyler's brain seems to be always churning, thinking, planning, bargaining...he's always up in everyone's business and has an opinion on everything that he's not afraid to voice it!  Here he is with Will's mom.  They came over a couple times this past week too - and may be moving to Irvine sometime this year - after buying a property at Woodbury East here in Irvine!  

And yay! - Mariam stopped by this week again to hold baby Katelyn!  Katelyn was a little more fussy this time, but thank goodness for a loud bathroom fan. :)

Can't believe it's been 3 weeks since Katelyn arrived into our lives.  3 weeks seems like not a long time, but these 3 weeks have felt pretty slow - probably because the days are really long due to lack of sleep.  Sigh.  Things will get better, yes they will!  Besides, every time I start to get frustrated with the newborn phase, I just stare at Katelyn and remember how lucky we are!

Here's Katelyn's 3 week bear picture.  We really need to get better at making the pictures more consistent.

Really looking forward to the next couple days - my older sister Grace is coming to visit! - here's hoping she has some baby-whisperer magic! :)  Have a good week everyone!