Henry is 2 months old!

Henry is 2 months old! I feel like I just wrote his 1 month post! This past month went by super fast.  I went back and was reading Eloise's 2 month post and I feel like I could just copy and paste the entire thing, because it is exactly what is going on with Henry.  But, being fair and all, I will write Henry his own.  Poor second child :)
Henry at 2 months:








--He is a happy baby still! He only cries when he is tired and not in his bouncer. He likes to nap in his bouncer. This is different than Eloise.  She liked napping in her swing or in my arms.  He wants nothing to do with my arms or the swing.  He is not a cuddly baby like Eloise was.  He likes to be held over my shoulder if I am holding him, or looking out. He doesn't want to cuddle in my arms and if I do put him there he will get frustrated that he isn't eating. To him, being in my arms means food.  He smiles a lot and coos.  He says things like 'agoo' and such.  He will smile in response to me or Julian and can follow us with his eyes.
-- His schedule is nurse, awake time, sleep. He does this all day until bedtime.  Right now I am nursing him approximately at 7, 10, 1, 4, 6, 7:30.  Then he will sleep anywhere from 5-8 hours and get nursed around 1-2am (depending on how long his first stretch of sleep is) and then we start it over again.
--He takes a bottle really well. He likes the Avent bottles and I try to give him a bottle once a week.  I give him about 5 ounces in a bottle right now. The only way I have found pumping to work is if I pump at the time he is getting the bottle.  I haven't been able to add an extra session in, but for now this is working. If I need more than one bottle, I might have some trouble.  I have a couple months to figure that out. I am just happy he takes the bottle to begin with :)
--He favors his left side and is getting a flat spot. Ugh. This is cause for much worry in my head.  But, he is going to the chiropractor and we are working on some stretches.  When I look back to Eloise's 2 month pictures, she also had a flat spot, so I hope we can work it out and it won't end up being a big deal.
--He had VERY bad acne this past month.  It started out as a little pimple here and there around 1 month and then turned into full blown acne all over his poor face.  I finally took him to see the doctor a week ago and she said it was acne along with heat rash and said to put hydrocortizone cream lightly on it once a day. Amazingly, after almost a month of awful acne/heat rash, within two-three days of cream, the acne is totally gone. I am so happy to feel smooth baby cheeks again.
--Henry is in 3 and 3-6 month clothing and is finishing up his box of size 1 diapers. I am pretty sure he will be in size 2's when this box is up.
--
Other things going on :
--I am down to 124 pounds. I feel like my body is slowly shrinking.  I had started going to my parents to work out 2-3 times a week, but with summer here now and traffic, and putting the kids in the car for 45 minutes there and 45 minutes back, I just haven't been getting there as much.  I also try to work out during Eloise's nap time, but I also want to clean, do laundry, take a shower, etc. So I haven't been working out as much. Ugh. Oh well, I am still losing weight so that is good. My goal is to be 113 lbs eventually but that is like the lowest weight I have ever been in my adult life, so I would be happy with 115-116 which is my pre-pregnancy weight.  Julian is sick of hearing me talk about it and is reminding me that it has only been 2 months and to give myself time.  But, after 9 months of not having my body, it is hard to deal.  But, I am happy with the progress so far.
--Potty training with Eloise wasn't going well. It was a huge fight, so we stopped trying.  We are going to VA at the end of July - beginning of August, so I will try again after that trip.  I am in no rush, and I am pretty sure she will eventually be potty trained :)
--Nothing else is really going on.  We are having a very low key summer. It is hard to get out with both kids, and plan around naps and eating and such.  I am just enjoying my time home with my babies, playing and having really lazy days.

**update**

At the doctors appointment we found out he weighs 12 lbs 9 oz and is 75% across the board.

Also the dr recommended to see a physical therapist because Henry has been favoring his left side - it's slight tortocollis (?).

Planning Disney 2014

Disney World is one of my favorite places to go and some of my favorite memories as a child.  When we were younger, we went almost every year.  Still as pre-teens and teenagers, my siblings and I begged to go there over other places on vacation. Something about it so magical and I love that my kids will get to experience it as well.  Julian wasn't buying into my Disney Love until we went last year with Eloise. One time and he got it. He was hooked. We immediately started planning our next trip, which is Jan 2014.  With two kids, we decided staying on the monorail would make life a little easier.  We also needed a two room place. So we did some research and found David's Vacation Rentals (www.dvcrequest.com) and were able to book a 1 bedroom at the Bay Lake Towers.  It is more expensive than staying in one hotel room (but that isn't an option for us) and it is more expensive than staying at the Art of Animation (which we loved, but didn't want to deal with the buses and being farther away). I know we can't totally get away from the buses, but we can definitely minimize our time spent with them. Plus, once both kids are older, staying farther away and having to take buses is no biggie. But, when one won't even be walking, and we have to plan around naptime/eating time, I feel the money spent will be worth it.

After booking our place, the next order of business is food. Some people don't plan Disney the way I do, but I think it is worth it to plan out the meals and get good reservations, at least for one meal a day.  Plus, if you want to eat at certain places you have to book 180 days in advance NO EXCEPTIONS. With a daughter who can name every princess and her prince and the songs they sing, we needed to make sure we got a character meal with princesses. So the meals that we are planning on doing that need ADR's (advance dining reservations for those of you not obsessed with Disney and their terms) :

--Akershus in Norway (Epcot).  I was between this and Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle.  I think dining in the castle would be so fun and Eloise does like Cinderella. But, her favorite princess is Aurora and she really does like ALL the princesses.  I think it would be more her style to be able to see Ariel and Jasmine and Aurora and Belle and whoever else rather than just Cinderella.

--Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary.  Lots of people are coming for a couple days here and there throughout our trip.  So, we are planning on doing a big breakfast here at Chef Mickey's.  So we will be dining with my Aunt Judy, my cousins, my brother and Jen, my mom and sister and of course US! We don't have any other breakfasts planned because we are staying in a place with a kitchen (yay) and we are going to order groceries so we don't have to worry about rushing around in the morning.

--Mickey's Backyard BBQ. We loved this last time and we can't wait to go again. It was so fun for Eloise to be able to dance with the characters and it was really laid back and fun. Come and go as you please, don't have to stay seated. It was made for toddlers who don't like to sit still :)

--Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios. This is a character meal for breakfast and lunch only, and we will be going for lunch. They have characters like Jake and the pirates, Sofia, Doc, and Little Einsteins.  I am not sure which ones will be there while we are dining.  But, since these are some of Eloise's favorite shows, I am sure she will enjoy it.

We are planning on eating at other places as well, but they don't need 180 days in advance reservations and can wait until closer.

Some people might think we are crazy for bringing an 8 month old on vacation to Disney World.  And even though he won't remember it, we are doing it more for Eloise.  She loves Disney and she is at such a great age.  Disney is only 'magical' for a couple of years for little ones. Sure, it is still fun now as an adult, but not as magical as it was when I was little.  I want to make sure she gets to experience as much 'magic' as she can!

I am so excited for our first vacation as a family of four!

Things we love this time...

**Fisher Price bouncer! Nothing super fancy but it is Henry's fav! Eloise was a swing girl and really didn't love the bouncer. Henry will hangout in the swing but much prefers this bouncer. He slept in it, while in his crib, for a couple weeks. Vibration mode can relax my mister when he is fussy which is glorious. A baby massage chair. Good thing he likes it because this poor second child isn't held nearly as much as Eloise was. He hangs in it quite a bit.




**MAM pacifiers
Eloise uses avent paci's and I even bought a couple different brands for Henry. He isn't huge into the paci but will use it sometimes and will only accept MAM. They gave him a MAM in the hospital so he has used it from day 1 ( no nipple confusion here).




** Swaddle me blankets by Summer Infant.
This kid loves to be swaddled. He can go from crazy to sleep very fast once swaddled. We swaddled Eloise a little and mostly did arms out, but Henry seems to need it much more. I love these blankets and I'm not sure what I'm going to do once he grows out of them. My sweet swaddled pumpkin.




**The Baby Whisperer!! I followed this somewhat with Eloise but this time around I started from the beginning. It has really helped with sleep. He has been giving me 5 hr stretches at night right when the baby whisperer said he would. Eloise didn't give me that long of a stretch until 2 months. I'm sure there will be bumps in the road but so far, following her advice, has given me some sleep. I recommend at least reading her books and taking from it what you want - if you like to sleep.

**Gigi's burp clothes have a whole new meaning now! I liked them with Eloise bc they were handmade and pretty. This time they serve an enormous purpose. Henry spits up all.the.time. These burp cloths are definitely important in our house! Gigi even made mini ones for Eloise to use with her baby dolls! So cute!

**other things we love that we loved last time as well:
- children's place pj's
- boppy and breast friend (one on each level of our house)
- dex baby sound machine (we now have three that we use all night!)
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Henry is 1 month!

It has been a crazy first month, but I am so happy with life right now :).  Henry is such a good baby, and the transition from a family of three to a family of four is really coming along smoothly.
Here is what Henry has been up to in his first month:
-- He can hold his head up at a 45 degree angle when he is on his tummy
--He barely ever cries, but he sure does grunt a lot!
--He eats every three hours during the day, and can go around 5 hours at night. I cluster feed him right before bed (every 2 hours) .
-- I feed him around 730pm and swaddle him (which he loves) and lay him down in his crib and he sleeps until around 1230-130. I am so thankful for this! Then it is touch and go from there. I feed him on one side, we both fall asleep, and then I lay him back down because I am lazy and tired. He will wake up a couple hours after that. But, if I feed him on both sides (which means changing his diaper to wake up him so he will eat) He can go longer.
-- he is in 3 month clothing
-- he nurses only for food, he isn't a comfort nurser. And he is pretty aggressive.
-- he can make eye contact and smiles once in a while.
-- he has taken a bottle
-- he weighs approximately 12 lbs (that's from me weighing myself and then me holding him- his dr appointment isn't until Thursday. But, I will update when we go see his doctor.

** update! Henry is actually 11 lbs 6 oz (ugh I need a new scale) and 22" long!
--he had some heart things going on when he was first born. We went to the cardiologist and he had everything re-tested. She says he is fine and everything looks normal! Thank goodness :)
Henry at 1 month old:



As far as everything else is going....
--Eloise is now 2 1/2 years old.  I started taking potty training much more seriously.  I have dollar store potty prizes and she gets the concept. So, for right now, when she is home she is in underwear, when we go out or when she is sleeping she is in a pull-up.  It has been two days and I am pretty on top of putting her on the potty about every 30 minutes and she has only had one accident.  I hope this continues well.
--At my 39 week appointment I was 151 lbs.  I am now down to 130.  20 lbs down 20 to go!! My starting weight was 116 but I would really like to be more like 110.  I know everyone says to relax and it is no big deal. But, it is hard to go 9 months without your body (well, not that hard :) ) and then another couple of months.  Especially since it is almost summer.  My goal is to be at least to 120 by the end of summer.  10 lbs in 3 months is very realistic. I also plan on joining the gym if I can figure out how that will work with timing of nursing and babysitters. I'll update more on that when I know more.
--I didn't have any tearing this time around so recovery has been fantastic.
--Julian has been an amazing help! The first week after Henry was born, he stayed home from work *Mostly*, and Gigi came and visited which was an amazing help. My mom was sick and is just now getting better so having those extra hands was invaluable.
--We are planning a trip to VA in July for Julian's birthday.  I am a little nervous about handling both kids not at home for a week, but I am sure it will be fine.
--Disney is officially planned for January!! My mom and sister are coming for the whole week.  My brother and Jen are coming for half the week and my Aunt Judy and Kristen will be there for a couple days as well. I am super excited for this!!
-- I want to start getting Henry used to the bottle but I haven't been able to pump enough for an entire bottle unless I pump right before a feeding, and then he eats it immediately.  So, my plan as of now, is to give him a formula bottle, so I can pump a bottle and get a head start.  I plan on doing this around 6-8 weeks. That way I can always have a bottle ready if we need it. I feel like with Eloise, she never took a bottle and that is fine and I loved nursing her fully, but with two, it is hard to not be able to have someone else feeding him.  We will see how it goes :)
I can't wait to see what this next month brings!

Henry Thomas Barker 4.25.13

Henry Thomas Barker was born at 3:35am on April 25, 2013 (his due date)!
Birth Story:
I was woken up with my first contraction at 1:18am. I had been getting Braxton Hicks so I wanted to feel one more intense one before I started timing. Once I felt the next contraction, I grabbed my phone with my contraction counting app, and started timing. They were an avg of 6-7 minutes apart. I waited though, to wake up Julian, just because I wanted to be sure. So at 2am, I wake him up and tell him I'm having contractions. I call my mom at 2:18 am (I know I am being really specific but I like details) and tell her I think it's time so leave to come here. I even mentioned to Julian that if its false labor it would be no biggie. I call my doctor and she tells me to come to the hospital when I am ready. By 2:30 the contractions were BAD. Julian packed the car and since I was being so loud moaning through contractions, I went to wait in the car for my parents to get there. I didn't want to wake Eloise! At 2:55 the contractions were so bad I texted my mom to see how much longer they would be. She said 10 minutes. Julian insisted we leave because he could tell the contractions were really close. We left for the hospital at 3:02 and ran every red light. I walked into the emergency room while Julian parked. I started having a contraction and told the security guard I needed to push. He didn't believe me but I told him it wasn't my first. Nurses came running down, they put me in a wheel chair and got me in a room. They checked me and I was fully dilated and ready to push. But, my doctor wasn't there yet, so they wanted me to wait. It was very intense, the need to push was overwhelming. Finally my doctor arrived, she checked me, my water broke, and three pushes later Henry was born! Julian didn't even have time to get the camera, so all we have are iPhone pics of his first minutes. Thank goodness for iPhones!




















He was 8 lbs 7 oz! I'm still surprised by how big he is. So far he loves to eat and poop, so we will see how his first couple days continue!
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Patiently Waiting....

3 days until Henry's due date! I would NEVER have thought I would have made it this far.  For some reason, I thought because I had Eloise 10 days early, that Henry would also make an early arrival.  I do believe that the longer a baby 'cooks' on the inside, the happier they are on the outside, so I am OK with still being pregnant.  I am getting anxious to meet our little guy, though.  I can't wait to see who he looks like, what his personality is like, how big he is, how he does breastfeeding, sleeping, etc.
People are constantly asking how I am feeling, and truly, I feel fine.  I have the normal pregnancy complaints, but nothing terrible.  Julian says I snore like a water buffalo (I didn't know water buffalo's snore?) and he can't get much sleep, but I am fine :)  I still wake up about 39890489302 times a night to pee, but that was normal all throughout this pregnancy.
Thinking about adding our baby boy to our family has obviously put some worries into my brain:
* Worried about how Eloise will handle having a new baby in the family*
I am thankful for the extra time with Eloise as an only child, and every night I think, this could be the last night I put her to bed as an only child (tear).  But, I like to think of it as we are giving her a great gift.  A gift of a sibling! Someone you can always talk to and go to with secrets and play with! Even though I know the transition will be just that---a transition, I know that giving her a little brother is the best thing we could do for her.  She is going to be a great big sister and even though there will most likely be a period of time where she isn't so sure about this new member of our family, I know she is going to love him big time.  I worry about her not getting all the attention anymore, but lots of people have more than 1 child, and most of them turn out fine, right?
*Worried about getting an induction*
 At my practice, they don't like woman going over 41 weeks, and will induce me if Henry hasn't made his appearance by then.  I have been doing a lot of research because when I hear induction, I automatically think it will most likely end in a c-section.  But, I have a very favorable cervix for an induction, so the statistics aren't as bad.  Since I am already effaced (90% at my last visit) and dilated (3cm), they might not even have to give me pitocin.  They could just break my water and see if labor starts on its own.  I am hoping this will be a non-issue because he will come tonight (!!) but I say that every night and he is still comfy cozy in my belly.  Plus, I like the fact that I don't know when he is coming, it's a surprise. An induction ruins that surprise.  But, as long as he is healthy, I'll get over the non-surprise labor :)
*Worried about breastfeeding*
 It went so extremely smoothly for Eloise and I for 14 months, that I feel like I should be fine.  But, this will be Henry's first time, so it's like learning it all over again for me.  I have to be patient and realize that we will figure it out together.  Another part of breastfeeding that worries me is how much time I have to spend doing it, with a toddler to take care of as well.  If I remember correctly it is every 2 hours for the first 2 weeks and then we can cut down to every 3 hours.  So, I might need some extra daddy/Nan help the first couple of weeks because I don't know how cool Eloise will be with mommy sitting on the couch feeding Henry ALL. THE. TIME. and not dancing and singing like usual.
*Worried about circumcision* 
We are definitely circumcising Henry, but it worries me that he will have to be in pain.  I hate thinking about me voluntarily choosing for him to go through that.  Poor little guy. I worry about this probably more than some of the other things on the list. But, it's good to know that lots of people do it, and these little boys turn out fine.

Now, if I had it my way, and i was totally in control (which I know I have absolutely NO control) this is the birth I would plan:

--I would go into labor during the night like 4-5am, my water would break and contractions would start.
--We would call my mom and dad and they would arrive in about an hour so they would be here when Eloise woke up.
--We would head to the hospital before Eloise woke up, I wouldn't want her to see me in pain,
--I would labor for however long it takes (hopefully not toooo long)
--I would be able to push Henry out in under an hour (keep dreaming lady)
--Henry Thomas Barker would be born healthy and breastfeed easily and I AM GETTING SO EXCITED THINKING ABOUT IT I COULD SCREAM BUT I WON'T BECAUSE ELOISE IS NAPPING.


Dear Little baby Henry,
Mommy and Daddy and big sister Eloise can't wait to meet you!!! Come on out and join the fam jam.  You are going to love it here. Duke barks all the time at nothing and poops/throws up on things he shouldn't. He makes us all laugh everyday.  Your sister loves princesses and sings and dances like nobody's business.  Her voice is special and she will not grow up to be a singer, but you'll enjoy the show, I promise. Daddy is silly and can't wait to play with you! He wants to teach you about sports and handyman stuff. We all can't wait to cuddle and kiss you!! I want you to come when you are ready, but we are so excited that sooner is better than later :)

Eloise facts

As her time as an only child is almost over, here's a little look into what she's up to.
*She is very much into princesses. Like REALLY into them. Her favorite by far is Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and she makes us re-enact her favorite part all the time. She refers to Julian as prince Philip and makes him ride his horse (duke) to the forest to see her (princess aurora). She faces away from him but puts her hand out behind her so Julian can grab it and she can act surprised and they sing and dance. It's my favorite thing to watch her and she says "oh my prince". She can name every princess and sing each of their songs (except Tiana, we don't know her song).  She knows what colors they wear and their prince's names.
* She's also really into goofy lately and likes to pretend she's max (goofy's son) and I'm goofy. The only reason she knows that Max is Goofy's son is because the Easter Bunny (un) fortunately brought her The Extremely Goofy Movie for Easter. She loves it and everyone else tolerates it.




* She has been giving me a hard time about napping and bed time lately. I'm thinking her naps are probably numbered because once Henry comes, I'm not going to have the energy to fight about napping. She can just have quiet time with a movie or something instead.
* She is miss independent lately and never wants help to do anything. It is great to hear her announce that she isn't a baby anymore and she is a big girl, but sometimes I just want to do whatever it is for her, because it is easier. I have learned to be patient and let her figure it out.



*She sings Jesus Loves me randomly throughout the day.
* She really does not like wearing pants and gives me a hard time about it.  Thankfully spring is almost here and I can put her in dresses because then getting dressed isn't a fight.  GYMBUCKS start on April 11th so i'll be going to get more dresses for her! Yay!
* She continues to be a picky eater, but it has gotten better. Her favorite things are:

--French Toast
--Kashi Berry Blossom Cereal
--Puffins cereal
--Yogurt
--Kefir
--Almond Butter and Jelly sandwiches shaped like Mickey Mouse
--Grilled Cheese is still a favorite
--Nutella and Banana sandwiches (thanks Nan)
-- Taco's
-- Chili (sometimes)
--Chicken Nuggets
--Mac and Cheese
--Spaghetti
--Ravioli
--Baked Ziti
--Pizza
--bananas
--apples
--cheese sticks
--toast with butter
--pears
--grapes
--peas
--anything chocolate or dessert related. Ice cream, donuts, cookies, cake, cupcakes, etc. She def has a sweet tooth

*Her vocabulary is still really good.
*She continues Swim class on Wednesdays, Gym class on Fridays and Paint class on Mondays.
*Nini (my sister) is her favorite person in the world. She is obsessed with her.
*She loves to play outside. She loves sidwalk chalk, the playground and her little house that is in the backyard.
*She wears 2T and a size 5/6 shoe.
*She doesn't wear pants to bed. So she either has on a nightgown or a pj shirt without the pj bottoms.
*She knows we are going back to Disney World and likes to talk about who she wants to see when she is there (Aurora, Jasmine, Goofy, etc)
* She has had two sleepovers at Nan's house without me or Julian. She did pretty well, but I miss her too much and it isn't my favorite thing.



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