Andrew and I got to enjoy 4 full days alone in our house with Oliver since our families were more than happy to have Aiden in Indiana. It was very cherished time.
Andrew's family arrived on Thursday to meet Oliver. We managed to have enough beds for 7 adults, twin 4 month olds, a 3 week old and a 3 year old in our 2 bedroom, 1600 sq ft house (we borrowed 2 pack n' plays).
All the cousins!
All their grandkids!
Aaren and Josh ran around with Aiden, taking him snow tubing and to the Seattle Aquarium (We are still hearing about the paper he saw in the water).
We're sad to see our month of family visits ending. Our fridge and freezer are full, and we're probably as well rested as we're going to be for the next several weeks. This is the start of Andrew and I on our own with the 2 boys. Luckily, Andrew still has two more weeks off for us to continue easing into our new life.
When Oliver was yawning the other day, Aiden told me so panicked "On no, he don't have any teeth!"
Aiden had lots of fun with Dzia Dzia and MeMe this week. He went to day care almost every day, but got picked up early for ice cream, the Giggle Jungle or bowling.
On Saturday I dropped my parents and Aiden off at the airport to fly back to Indiana. I told Aiden to have fun on the airplanes and he said "I not gonna cry mama" which he didn't. I however, moped about my parents leaving for the rest of the afternoon. Aiden traveled well and is having a great time at MeMe and Dzia Dzia's. Tonight he will head to his Granny and Papo's house.
Andrew and I are enjoying our one-on-one baby time. Sleep is still in about 2-3 hour increments. Andrew is taking the late night shift with Oliver and then when he comes to bed Oliver is sleeping in the bassinet in our room (when he sleeps). We've been staying in our room in the morning until about 10 or 11 to try and get some extra rest/sleep while Oliver eats and naps.
Unfortunately, I had a second occurrence of mastitis flare up Wednesday which turned into an abscess. Since I didn't seem to be better by Friday I went to the midwives for a follow up, then had to go for an ultrasound, followed by a drainage (which failed after trying 3 different needle sizes, ick!) and instead they had to take tissue samples for biopsy. This ended up being quite the unexpected ordeal, plus because of the procedure I was told not to nurse on my left side for 24 hours. Luckily, we had both my parents with us for one more night. So Andrew was able to be with me through these appointments and bring Oliver while my parents had Aiden. This also meant we had extra help through the night while I had to nurse and pump. By early next week I should be getting the exact antibiotic I need to take care of this for good.
Aiden and Oliver have gotten a few gifts in the mail.
Andrew and I took Aiden out for frozen yogurt and picked up burgers on the way home while MeMe and Oliver enjoyed some peace and quiet together at home. The conversation between Andrew and Aiden in the car, it's funny how a toddler mind works sometimes:
Andrew: Do you want to get hamburgers and hot dogs?
Aiden: Yeah!
Andrew: Okay, we'll get Five Guys and take it home with us.
(pickup food and driving home)
Aiden: Daddy, are we taking Five Guys home with us?
Andrew: Yeah
Aiden: Where are they?
Andrew and I were able to go out and see The Book of Mormon at the Paramount with a few friends this weekend. It was hilarious!
Before pretending to fall asleep on the couch Aiden informed us "this police man need a nap cuz he put so many persons in jail".
Brothers!
We've still been doing well. Oliver went to the doctor today and weighed in above birth weight, which is great. I've recovered from mastitis so breastfeeding has improved, and we've been able to get out of the house here and there. Sleep is still about the same (2-3 hours at a time) but with the extra help I'm able to get a reasonable total amount. I'm not feeling the baby blues nearly as much as I did with Aiden and I'm grateful for that. We've been counting down the days until Dzia Dzia arrives and we get to pick him up from the airport tomorrow!
Oliver had his first visitors this week. Tom, Emily, Kelly and Matt came over Friday to hang out and bring dinner. Emily also came over Monday morning to help while Andrew and I both got to sleep. Thank you!
I caught a sleepy smile.
This is how gaming happens now.
And of course there's lots of naps.
All around we've had a successful week adding Oliver to the household (better than expected based on our first newborn adventures). Aiden is still going to daycare, and that has been good for him and us. The 3 day holiday weekend was a bit exhausting with a 5 day old and 3 year old, but Andrew and my mom worked hard to keep him entertained and busy, playing at the mall and the Giggle Jungle plus getting ice cream. Aiden still really likes his little brother, especially rubbing his head and giving him kisses. He likes to ask what Oliver can and can't do because he's little and pointing out all the things Oliver is using that Aiden also used when he was a baby. I'm glad he's happily sharing his old baby stuff (for now). Despite my previous experience, breastfeeding is proving to be a challenge again. While I know what I am doing (sort of) this new little human still has to learn what a good latch is. Friday night I had chills that made my whole body hurt and 101.8 fever which ended up being mastitis, so we were calling the midwives and at 1am Andrew was running to the pharmacy so I could start an antibiotic immediately. On a positive note, this means an over supply of milk (yay!). My mom being here has made such a difference in this experience! Andrew and I can't thank her enough for taking time off work and being away from home for so long. We've been able to enjoy time alone which would typically be unheard of with a newborn. We're getting extra sleep and naps and Aiden is not attention deprived in any way, plus there's food in the house. We also appreciate that she's managed to stay on East Coast time while being here, so she takes the very early morning shift with a baby that only wants to sleep while being held or doesn't want to sleep. Andrew covers the very late night hours. I sleep in about 2 to 3 hour increments between feedings throughout the night.
