I think every parent of two (or more) looks forward to the time when their kids are old enough to be plunked in the bath together; bathing two at once saves time and is also super cute. The other day, Q and I were finally treated to a Zoe/Avery bath – the first, I’m sure, of many!
-M
We’ve been opening presents every night this week, and Zoe has been quite grateful. Every time she opens a present, she exclaims, “Oh, I wanted this!” It makes me laugh – she’s never seen most of the gifts before and she certainly didn’t ask for the pink panda underwear I got for her (for example) – but I appreciate that she’s so appreciative!
-M
I mentioned earlier that Avery and I occasionally meet up with Greta, Wes and their moms. Here are some pics from the trio’s last get-together…
-M
With Avery approaching the six-month(!) mark, I thought it was an appropriate time to share some thoughts about life with two kids. When I was pregnant, a friend of mine with two told me that “It sucks at first – but then it gets easier.” I’m not sure I would use such strong language, but it certainly can be challenging at times!
One of the most difficult things for me is how “on” you have to be most of the time: unless the kids are both sleeping, you don’t get much of a break. I’m often somewhat worn out by the time I get home in the afternoons (after the commute and two stops to pick up the girls), but the last thing I can do is rest. On the agenda instead: preparing dinners, giving baths, packing lunch and picking out clothes for the next day, getting the girls to sleep, washing baby bottles, etc. By the time the girls are tucked away in bed and Q and I have eaten, I’m often too tired to do much but fall into bed. “Me-time,” though not non-existent, is not easy to come by!
Another thing that I’ve struggled with is the perpetually packed to-do list. At any given time, when I’m not caring for or playing with the girls, there’s something else I could be doing – laundry, dishes, tidying up, writing a thank-you note, etc. – and once I cross something off my list, something else quickly takes its place. There’s a lot to do in any household, of course, but when most of your energy is put towards two small kids (and your job), it becomes difficult (impossible?) to keep up.
And, of course, there’s the sleep thing. People joke that now that we’re parents we won’t get a good night’s sleep for 18 years or so. That may be true – and we definitely have learned to function in this constant state of sleep deprivation – but it can be rough. When I get too little sleep over a long stretch of time (i.e. when someone in the house gets sick or Avery has a series of bad nights), I not only get grumpy but also start feeling depressed. And feeling this way, of course, doesn’t make carrying out the parental duties any easier!
Though I’ve focused solely on the bad stuff, it’s not all negative. First of all, Q is amazing with the girls and is always there to help out – which means I never feel alone. And on those occasions where I do need to get both ready in the morning, or put both to bed on my own, I’m usually not stressed about it. (Caring for two can be intimidating at first, but now it’s not as big of a deal.) I’m also trying (after a series of pep-talks from Q) to be a bit more mellow about getting things done around the house. As he has pointed out, if it’s a choice between getting everything in the house perfectly organized in a timely manner or spending more time with the kids or simply relaxing, it’s probably best to choose the latter. As I type, there are two baskets of unfolded laundry in my hallway, and I’m way behind on thank-you cards for Zoe – but I’m trying not to stress. Things will get done – just not as fast as they used to!
And lastly, the kids themselves are the biggest positive of all. I may be tired and/or grumpy more than I would like – but nothing puts me in a better mood than an innocent or sweet comment from Zoe and a smile or laugh from Avery. What’s that cliche that they say about kids? Oh, right – It’s all worth it!
-M
As mentioned below, we kept super busy this past weekend. Below are pictures from our Hanukkah brunch (thank you, Flanzers!) and dinner (thank you, Elan and Ana!), as well as our celebration with Dan and Jenny on Mon. night.
-M
Enjoying a sufganiyah (jelly donut):
Relaxing with friends:
A Dora present!
The third candle:
A present for Avery:
Family time!
X
Around 7 last night, Zoe told me and Q she wanted to go to sleep – despite the fact that Dan and Jenny were visiting and she had gifts to open. Zoe has never asked to be put to bed and I worried she was sick, but I’m now thinking she was just exhausted from all our weekend activities. We had an extremely busy and fun weekend (a holiday potluck at the preschool, zoo class, brunch, birthday party and dinner at friends’), and it was kicked off by the first night of Hanukkah on Friday. Here are some pics.
-M
Today is my mom’s birthday, and Avery and Zoe wanted me to post a little greeting here. Have a fun day, Grandma!
-M
Avery was in a particularly happy mood the other afternoon, and she giggled every time I smiled and said “hi” to her. I had to grab the camera to capture the moment!
-M
Though I tried to put it off (and remain in denial that Avery’s no longer a newborn), we wound up introducing something new to the baby the other night: food! Like with Zoe, we started her off with rice cereal, and it seemed to be a big hit. Here are some pictures, and a video with commentary from Z.
-M
Though Zoe didn’t get to make a snowman (not enough snow) or go snow-tubing (too cold) in Tahoe, she did get to participate in a new activity: the Skyjump Trampoline. We posted some pictures below; now here’s a video.
-M
You know your kid is a true California one when she sees snow and says, “Look, it’s glue!” That’s what happened this weekend, when Zoe spotted some of the white stuff on our way to South Lake Tahoe. We were there for a little get-away with friends, and although there wasn’t tons of “glue” (not enough to make the snowman Zoe was hoping for, anyway), the girls still got a taste of a real winter. (I’m not sure little Avery, who had never felt freezing temperatures before, knew what was happening!) Here are some of my favorite pictures of the kids (including Zoe’s friend Nicolas) all bundled up – and of us girls hanging out back in our warm cabin.
-M
Poor Avery. That’s what I find myself thinking sometimes – especially when comparing her little life to Zoe’s as a baby. Things for Avery are way more chaotic than they ever were for Zoe: it seems like she’s always around loud talking/singing/crying, and she’s often poked, prodded and squeezed – especially when she’s eating. (For some reason, Zoe loves to come “see” Avery when she’s enjoying her milk.) She also doesn’t get our sole attention like Zoe did as a baby; I feel like much of Avery’s time is spent on the sidelines, watching us interact with her much more high-maintenance sister.
Though I feel bad that Avery isn’t in a more tranquil environment and doesn’t get as much one-on-one time with us as I’d like, she’s still a pretty happy baby (and she obviously doesn’t know what she’s missing). Q and others also point out that she’s lucky to have something Zoe never did: a built-in playmate. And the truth is, Avery doesn’t really seem to mind the attention she gets from Zoe; like a good little sister, she pretty much lets Zoe do whatever she wants!
-M
And finally, one last birthday video. (Thanks, PopPop, for your patience.) And I promise: no more birthday-related posts until June!
-M