End of August

Well, I finally have a few free minutes, and totally should be cleaning, but really that never ends! It's been a while, and I'm feeling back in the swing of things a bit, since my Mom has gone back, after a three week visit. It was nice having a hand with the girls, and I can't wait for my parents to move back next year!

Ok, two weeks ago, I stepped on my cat's foot, and I broke three of his six toes. (Yes, six.) Poor guy, he now has a bright orange cast on for six weeks, and is confined to the house, where Avery thinks the cast is the most hilarious thing ever, and enjoys his slower pace. She can put his tail in her mouth easier.

Capone, in his orange cast, about to be tortured.

One week later, I had to run after her, and clumsily slammed in between my baby toe and "This little piggy had none" toe, and I broke my pinky toe! (I'll spare you from a disgusting picture.) I totally kept my composure, and just said, "Mommy ow, Mommy owee", over and over, instead of screaming bloody murder, and scaring the bejesus out of the girls. Since then, I have stubbed the same spot every day. I'm not this accident prone usually, and so if this isn't karma, for Capone's three toes, then I don't know what is!

Daddy showing Avery how to pet a horse's nose nicely.

We took the girls to the fall fair this weekend, during the morning, which was awesome because we beat the heat and crowds. I ran into my friends, Pants and her twins (Avery's bffs), and my newly wed friends, Jenna and Andrew. We took the crew to meet some barn yard friends, and then put Avery on the baby train ride. She is so fearless, and totally loved the train.

Alec and Hali.

Daddy strapping her in.

My baby, loving it, in the back seat.

Cutie pie!

It was fun having the girls out, despite challenging. I have realised that we have to do these things because time is already flying by, and I am honoured to help create memories for them. Besides, when Steve is there, it's a breeze, he is amazing with the girls, and I love him so much for that.

Baby Row, 4 months.

Rowan has started rolling over, back to front. She turned four months, on the 30th. Little rock star. She lost some sleep, and was waking every hour, during the night, but I've learned with new developments, such as teeth or motor skills, comes unusual sleeping. Now she seems back to normal, and poor Avery is suffering from her eye teeth. So she's waking up alot, and will not let me near her mouth to check the gums and progress of teeth. Brushing them is a nightmare, and Steve's better at it then me. Since he does bath/ bed time with her, she only really lets him brush.

That's about it! Looking forward to the fall, and will take time out soon to make a post about our Salt Spring trip!

Smiley Girl

Just recording this because I'd already forgotten the same from Avery:
I love, love, love how Row's started to take breaks, while nursing, just to smile at Mommy for a quick sec!
God these girls rock my universe!

Pooh Solution

I imagine Avery will probably not love me writing about this in the net, but since the blog is about the girls, not only for them, and our loved ones we don't talk to enough keep updated by reading it, I will talk about poop. (Momma's favourite subject.)

Since Avery started solid foods, she's been battling constipation. We feed her a very healthy diet, high in fiber. Any other kid would freely poop, if they were fed the same foods. Since Avery associates pooping with pain, she doesn't go, making the stools hard, and creating a cycle of pooh pain. We watch her holding it in, and I call it, "Hunch and Suck." Hunches her back, sits down, and sucks in the pooh. It's extremely sad seeing your baby in pain, and you can't do anything about it!

I took her to the doctor when she was about six months old. She hadn't gone in about seventeen days. I knew nursing babies didn't always go every day because the milk is so nutritious and abosorbed so well. She was eating solids though, and it was too long. The doctor said she didn't need water (which I couldn't get her to drink at the time), and to feed her prunes.

I bought a couple jars of pear/ prune baby food, and the little she ate wasn't doing the trick. Here's a picture of that:


We have had nothing but pooh problems ever since. I took her back to the doctor, and we started giving her mineral oil mixed with plain yogurt, when she got backed up, but you're not supposed to over use it, or you can become dependant. I took her another time because she started holding it in, and we were told to keep the pooh soft, and to put prune juice in every bottle she drank. (She was weaned at that point, due to milk depletion.) Like I said before, any other kid would've gone pooh, but she had already established pooh with pain by that point.

Basically, the last six months of pooh has been held in to the point she can't hold it anymore, and then I either give a suppository during the "Hunch and Suck" days, or sit her on the potty where there's no restriction under the bum bum. And so the last week or so, my poor, poor baby has had some blood come out, and I decided to go to a different doctor yet again, and seek some advice. I mean, I didn't know if she was getting damaged, and the other things we were doing weren't solving the problem.

And here we are today, back from the doctor, who was a totally cute freshy doctor guy :), and we are going to keep her on a regular gentle laxative plan, until she is old enough to understand and ready for potty training. We have to give her an enema tonight, in the bath tub, and I am not looking forward to that, or the clean up one bit! But at least the problem should be solved for now, and with the laxative added, we should feel a bit normal.
(And I spell pooh like that on purpose, CK)

3 and 16 months old.

I actually 100% can't believe that three months have gone by! The time is flying way quicker than ever before! It's funny that when Avery and I were a solo team, and she was this young, I felt like having a little baby was so hard, and I couldn't get anything done. I feel completely different this time! Rowan's so tranquil and calm, totally passive and patient. Avery's a non stop monster!

Avery's been trying to help out more now. It's so cute the way she gets mad if I don't let her hold the vacuum and push it around. She will pass me everything unknown that she picks up off of the floor. She's always trying to give Rowan her soother, although, it's more of a smashing in Rowan's general mouth area. I felt sad before about her transition from baby hood, but I'm actually loving her individuality so much, and as busy as she is, she is very sweet and gentle.

Today is the first day we're kind of feeling normal though. Avery cried from Saturday to Tuesday this week because her eye teeth are right at the surface of skin. I feel so bad for her, and wish they would just come through already! She's been waking up at night too, which is draining a bit, but a quick bottle, bum change, and Tylenol (if need be), then back to cozy time.

My mom is coming on Friday to visit us for three whole weeks! My step dad will be here on Sunday, too. I am so, so, so excited! I hope Avery's not too cranky when they're here, but it'll be refreshing for me to have that Grama energy that I sometimes feel drained of having in myself. Mom's so happy to be getting a break from work, and to see the girls.

We'll all be going to Salt Spring Island for three nights, and meeting my brother and sister over there. I have never been there before, so it should be neat. I'm nervous of the travelling with Avery especially, but I figure if we leave early enough, then hopefully it'll be smooth. We'll stop in Nanaimo of course, for food and bum change, stretches, and maybe a new toy or something to occupy. I'm hoping the ferry will be a fun experience for my monster.

I think that about sums up life around here. Until next time...

Rowan at three months:



Avery at sixteen months: