June 4, 2013: Nora at 2 weeks

Nora is technically 4 weeks old today, but I'm back blogging to catch up for the last few weeks.  We've been busy with a full summer schedule and honestly if I have a minute, I'm always going to choose food or sleep over blogging at this point :)  I can't complain too much because Nora is going 3-4 hour stretches of sleep at night, usually feeding at 10pm, 1am, 4am and then up at 6am.  Nick is great about getting up with her for a shift overnight and by our third baby, I think we have finally figured out a good compromise to sharing duties.  Nora is growing so well and had a great check up at 2 weeks.  She was 7 lbs (12%), 19 3/4 in (25%), and head circumference 13 1/2 in (11%).  Still my smallest baby, especially her head...we're not used to that, all her little hats that Liam and Bryn wore are way too big :)    Nora's only issue has been her reflux.  She spits up a little with almost every feeding.  She also has a lot of milk that refluxes up that makes her choke/gag/or cry out.  And a few times a week she has a HUGE projectile spit up.  It's pretty sad and I hate it for her, but overall she's still eating well, gaining weight and actually pretty happy despite the reflux.  So far now we have not medicated her although that might change. In fact at this point, she's probably my happiest infant.  She only cries when she's hungry or having some reflux, but she's very easy to calm or appease.  She has a lot of alert time during the day (and around 4am) when she's just looking around taking it all in.  Bryn named her "Peepers" because we will ask if her peepers are open or closed :)  On the same note, one day when she was napping and lightly snoring.  Liam looked over and said "Nora snores" and then realizing they rhymed called her "Snora".  It's funny now but she won't like it in a few years :)  Liam also tells us multiple times a day that "she's sooooo cute" and Bryn still tags along for diaper changes and begs to hold her.  They have never showed any aggression or even annoyance with her, even when they have to be patient so I can tend to her first.  I'm feeling back to normal by now and it's nice to be getting back in a routine.

Having 3 kids now has led to some creative parenting...

Sometimes you sit on the table during meals...

Although you love your boppy and now the swing, in a pinch you've been known to hang out on the closet floor while mommy is helping a toddler in the potty...

Sometimes you feel like just another one of Bryn's baby dolls...

 You can sleep anywhere, anytime, in any position...

Since you ride with the big kids in the back, you are often serenaded by Liam and Bryn singing "The earth is our mother...we should take care of her..."  It's basically the slowest, most monotone song that would put anyone to sleep...so yes, you seem to like it :)

 (And I like to think of our car as a SUV on the outside and minivan on the inside thanks to the 3rd row!)

Now I don't write down when you last ate or how many diapers you have in a day.  But I do still have a monitor on you (and your siblings while you all nap/play quietly in your rooms).  And I've actually had 30-40 min of quiet time at once allowing me to eat!

 Sometimes you have pint-sized babysitters, but they are very gentle and pretty helpful (and always supervised!)...

 In your first few weeks of life you have been to the movies (to see Epic) and to one of our favorite restaurants...

You also go to swim lessons, gymnastics, ballet and piano lessons...and lately you are Peepers while there which Liam and Bryn love thinking you are cheering them on :)

 Being a 3rd child you quickly realized the importance of your pacifier (which we call your piper) and you cling to it for dear life!

 You've already had your first slumber party with Bryn..sure it only lasted a few minutes with mommy watching but she is already begging for you to come snuggle in her crib again.  Seeing you both in there reminds me how big Bryn looks in the crib and how small you look...