Two Months of Learning

To say things have been busy would be an understatement. To say things have been crazy would be an even bigger understatement.

Spencer is now two months old and I feel like our house is mellowing out. Now some days shit literally hits the fan still - excuse my language, but that's the only way to describe it. When your 3 year old is crying because you cut her sandwich in half and then the baby is screaming because they don't understand that napping for 5 minutes during the day is the REASON they are screaming now... that's when shit hits the fan. We had to establish a routine and structure in this house now more than ever. I thought pre-Spencer that our house ran fairly smooth, but it's completely different when you add a baby to the routine. It's been two months of learning. 

"I wanted my sandwich this big NOT little, mom!"

I've learned that "me time" has become just about non-existent. A mom in Clari's dance class asked me how I'm able to have real clothes on and make-up on. I think she thought I like take hours in the morning to get ready and that my kids sit quietly while I do this. Nope, far from. My "secret" is that I generally get dressed for the day at 5am. Yes I know that's like the crack of dawn, but Spencer goes back to sleep around this time and it's my only alone time. I've learned that you have to take it whenever you can get it. Plus being able to collect my thoughts and get a kick start on the day is necessary. 

I've learned that staying organized is extremely important. Every evening while Ryan rocks Spencer to sleep, I lay everything out for the next day. I lay Clari's clothes down to the socks and shoes on the floor in her room so that it's ready for her. The diaper bag gets restocked every night. All laundry that was done that day is put away. Every toy is cleaned up by Clari before her bedtime show and snack. Coffee mugs are set on the counter and Clari's bowl of oatmeal is made and ready to be cooked the next morning. I know not everyone may find these things necessary, but I thrive off of this. When I wake up I know the house is set for the day and ready to go. The very first week I was solo (family all back home and Ryan working) I knew I had to do something for my sanity and the structure of the house.

What are the girls up to? Spencer has learned to grab things, but gets really mad and upset because she hasn't figured out how to let go. She talks up a storm, but she's gotta keep up with her sister so that's a given. She is now only waking up once at night which has been a miracle. A week ago she was still waking up every 1.5-2 hours. It made for many emotional 4:30am mornings as I'm squirting eye drops into my eyes and begging Ryan to not leave me for the day. Sleep is the key to everything.

Clari has the world's best imagination. Yesterday her stuffed animals were at the beach. She needed beach chairs for them so she had books across the floor with them laying on them. That girl is fierce and I love every moment of it. Also, she's growing up so fast. Ryan and I were talking about him being in a different state for work in 2018. We were talking about us joining him and then it hit us both...she will be in kindergarten. Slow down my little bug!

Entertaining her sister 

Taylor 

First Month Must-Haves

It's hard to believe that it's been just about 4 weeks since Spencer joined us. It's been a roller coaster of emotions and adjustments over the past 4 weeks, but I can finally say that I feel things settling. Spencer is sleeping longer (3 hours stretches is a wonderful thing) and Clari hasn't asked in a few weeks "When is she going back to the hospital?" I'd call that adjusted and settled!

The first month with a newborn is nothing short of survival mode. With our first we read every book and website out there about all the "best" ways to transition a baby at home. That method works well for some parents, but all it did for me was make me one big stress ball. Ryan and I vowed that this time around we would do what was best for our baby's health and safety, but at the same time cutting ourselves some slack.

Here are a few things that were must-haves for me (and baby) over the past 4 weeks:

1. 4moms mamaRoo - Shortly after we had Clari this swing came out. I was jealous that it was after we were past the swing phase and told Ryan that I wanted it for our next baby. I stuck to my word (lucky Ryan) and I can't say enough positive things about this swing. It does the trick every single time plus I like the extra features on it. My favorite is that you can plug your phone, iPod, etc. into it to play music and it will play through speakers on the swing. Spencer loves white noise, specifically "womb sound", so we are able to plug it into the swing and allow it to play for her.

2. Tunic Nursing Tank Tops - The first time we were around other people and I needed to nurse Spencer I realized that layers don't work well unless they are "nursing friendly". Peeling off a shirt plus a tank top to unclip my bra was a struggle and a mess to get back together. These tank tops are a must and I wear them under everything. When we are at home with no where to go I generally just wear these tank tops around the house. Easy access when you have a screaming baby who wants to eat.

                                               

3. DVR - For real though, DVR is a must. We don't watch any TV shows that come on after 7pm anymore. Clari goes to bed around 7:30 and we go to sleep as soon as Spencer does. We are behind on just about every show we usually watch, but thanks to DVR I can catch-up months from now or when they go off to college. Kidding, even though it feels that way.

4. Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter - I actually call this stuff "Magic in a Jar". Anyone who has ever breastfed, whether it was one week or two years, knows that it's a brutal feeling in the beginning. Every time Spencer approached me with her mouth wide open during the first couple weeks I think I would begin to cry. Totally not being dramatic here either. I used this nipple butter after each nursing session. It was very soothing and the smell is great as well.


                                                       
5. Sweaters and Leggings - Pre-babies I was one of those people who would post things about how leggings aren't pants and that you should NOT wear them out of the house. I had Clari and started to jump on the band wagon some. Then I had Spencer and was like "Oh I need to get Clari to preschool, let me just throw on these leggings!" I still have personal rules to wearing leggings (ex. make sure your shirt covers your butt), but especially after having a c-section they were my best friends the past couple weeks. Immediately after arriving home from the hospital I pulled all of my sweaters and leggings out of the closet and put them in a basket so they were easy to get to. I did put on a pair of real jeans for the first time today. Though I was ecstatic that they fit, I really do wish I was rocking a pair of leggings right now.

Taylor 

A Smiling Experience

We welcomed Spencer Elaine to our family the morning of September 19th. Since around 20 weeks in my pregnancy I had been obsessing over Tuesday September 20th because that was my scheduled Repeat C-Section. I even almost ordered wall decor with September 20th on it, insane I know. We had been counting down until that Tuesday. The countdown was everywhere - phones, wall calendar, chalkboard, etc.

                                

The weekend leading up my nesting went through the roof. Ryan was on board because what else do you say to your pregnant wife when she gives you a list to do. You just don't say no to the hormones. We finally finished up the nursery, I washed the last load of baby items, and Ryan cut the grass. My mom was going to come in town on Monday the 19th, but last minute decided to come the day before on that Sunday. Sunday night we went to bed like usual. Hospital bags waiting to be filled the next day, Ryan had his work alarm set, and I was ready to go into the doctor early for pre-op blood work.

At 4:25 am on September 19th, Spencer decided it was time to come. My water broke, we shoved last minute things into our hospital bags, and headed to the hospital. We sat in triage for 3 hours waiting on blood work, prepping for surgery, watching Ryan chug Starbucks (I was so jealous), and me repeatedly saying "I can't believe we are having a baby TODAY and not TOMORROW!" Longest three hours ever. I mostly wondered what Clari was doing and how she would handle it all. And I must say I'm proud of that little girl.

When it was time to walk to the OR, our nurse couldn't believe we were cracking jokes and laughing our way there. No nerves or anxiety for us. This time was different. My mindset was different. Clari's pregnancy was hard and the labor, delivery, and afterwards were traumatic. We had an emergency c-section that could've been planned and less chaotic. I was rushed into emergency surgery immediately afterwards. Ryan was left standing there with a newborn having no idea what was going on. I swore off ever having more children after the whole experience. This time around I vowed to stay positive and live in the moment with it all. My pregnancy was smooth and even though she came a day before we expected, the delivery couldn't have gone better. We were smiling so much as we walked into the operating room because we had faith that this time would be different and it was.

Now that all the grandparents have gone back home, it's time for the Capps Party of 4 to really begin.

                                           

Taylor

A Walking Talking Newborn

As we are down to a couple days before Clari becomes a big sister her questions and explanations of her baby sister have been rather...enlightening. Ryan and I constantly laugh because we are convinced that Clari is also convinced that her baby sister is going to come out as a walking talking newborn.

Lets be real though, this is a REALLY hard concept for kids to grasp. They don't quite recall when they were that size, but they have seen babies enough to know that they are small and cute (Clari's words). We have read books about babies, watched Doc McStuffins become a big sister, and involved her in every piece of baby arrival. It's still a big concept for a 3 year old to grasp.

She's very excited for the arrival of her baby sister and it warms our hearts, but we have to stop sometimes and take a deep breath when she lets us know of what she's going to do with the baby. The other day with a face full of excitement she said "Mommy when she wakes up at night and cries, I will just pick her up out of her crib and feed her! I can pour her some milk out of the fridge." The image in my head of her carrying this little newborn across the wood floors was enough to wake me up more than my cup of coffee. We take these times as learning moments to talk about how much of a helper you can be with the baby, but you just always have to check with mommy and daddy about what you can help with. Clari and her baby sister are also going to play with Play-Doh when she comes home from the hospital and then she's going to teach her how to hop down the stairs. All of this is innocence as she just knows she's getting a playmate. She just hasn't figured out that her playmate isn't going to be her size for awhile.

The innocence in her little heart during this time makes me even more excited to give her a sister. She lights up when she talks about all the snacks they are going to eat together and how she will let her pick the "bedtime show", sometimes. I'm sure that we are going to have quite a few learning moments ahead, but the excitement level in her heart is worth all of them. Here's to hoping the fruit snacks and Play-Doh stay in the big kids hands for now!

Taylor 

September Brings Changes

September is here and it's a big time for our clan. It actually appeared 8 days ago and I'm still in calendar shock. In a matter of two weeks we will have Clari attending preschool and a newborn arriving. To say that my hormones and emotions are a hot mess is probably an understatement. These are big changes to our house and it's all happening at once.

We escorted Clari to her first day of preschool on Tuesday. Some may think "It's only 3 year old preschool for barely half-a-day, what's the big deal?" The big deal is that it's our first born who has entered a time in her life that will continue for years and years to come. It's a big milestone in our lives and her little life. Plus not to toot my own horn, but this girl is FINALLY potty trained. When she was 3 weeks old screaming crying 24/7 I never expected to walk her into a classroom and for her to ask me "Mom, when are you leaving?"

                                

The next chapter is this sweet little sister that is still baking. She is due in less than 2 weeks and we are ready (sort of). We are excited for Clari to be a big sister, to become parents again, and to meet her. With a newborn on the horizon and Clari becoming a preschooler, it has made me realize now more than ever that time needs to slow down. Even on our worst days you can't get those days back.

I'm excited to continue my stay-at-home adventures with Clari and add her baby sister to the mix. Being home all day has me taking a new direction in the blogging world, which I'm loving. Sass and Fruit Snacks describes our family perfectly. There's a lot of sass in a house full of women (daddy is a trooper) and most days the key to the sassy preschooler's heart is her beloved fruit snacks.

I hope you'll continue to follow along on my wild mom-ventures as we avoid sass with fruit snacks!

Taylor 

Patience and Morning Sickness

I have always heard that your second or proceeding pregnancies are tough on the body and mind. Now that I'm experiencing it I must say it's true.

There are days that I'm ready for bed before dinner time and don't ask me the last time I washed my hair. Don't even get me started on dinner time, this week was the first week in weeks that I actually cooked a meal. Luckily Clari loves chicken nuggets and Ryan likes (most of the time) to cook his own creation. I try to take a step back and remember that as exhausted as I am at this point in the day that she has no idea what's going on. When there's a temper tantrum over something small I try to remember that she's vying for my attention.

My mom told me to give her the world of patience now because her little world is about to change forever. It's so true and something I try to practice everyday. Hopefully she soon realizes that she's getting either brother or sister, and not a baby shark or donut though...

I finally feel like I'm gaining a little energy back and can open the fridge without gagging.  Thank goodness for a husband that picks up the slack and all he ask for in exchange is to make sure his favorite beer is bought on my weekly grocery trips. That's a good man.

As much as I complain and feel awful, I must say we are absolutely thrilled. Anxious and nervous as well. I look at the chaos that one child can do to a house and I start to get really anxious over handling two, but I live for the chaos that a family brings to the home. I would be bored if we didn't have a toddler sticking stickers on every inch of our house, a husband who over flows the dishwasher, or myself crying over spilt milk (it was the last bit and cereal was a must have).

       As I said "Clari say cheese! You are going to be a big sister!" She yells "I don't wanna be one!" 

Taylor 

Christmas Wrap-Up

Christmas is by far my favorite time of the year. Minus the fact that Mother Nature didn't quite give us the typical Christmas weather, but I won't complain too much about. This was our first Christmas in the new house which brought on a whole different level of decorating. Pretty sure my husband was going to scream if I carried in another bag from Home Goods, JoAnn's, Michael's, TJ, etc. Tis the season, right?

One of my favorite Christmas activities we did this year was decorate cookies on Christmas Eve. We kept having to put making them off between work schedules and winter colds. It worked out perfectly on Christmas Eve! There was a ton of Christmas cheer and they were fresh for Santa. Clari even wore 

Then of course, Santa came. He went fast too. Amazing how fast a 2 year old can rip through presents.

Taylor