Every book is a children's book if the kid can read! - Mitch Hedberg


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

A Day in the Life of . . .

I did quite a few of these posts over the last two years and I always find it interesting to look back on what my days looked like months earlier. Now with two kiddos it is pretty rough to keep track of a day, let alone take pictures, but I really doubt I will remember what our days were like in the beginning of Kieran's life if I don't document it here. So here is a day in the McClarty house with a 2.25 year old toddler and a 6 week old baby.

1:00 am Kieran wakes for his first feeding overnight. I change his diaper, re-swaddle, and nurse him. He is back asleep by 1:30 am.

5:00 am Kieran is awake again and I hear Reed crying. Jon goes in to check on him, he asks for his pacifier (this is the first time he's asked for it in over a week). Jon tells him he doesn't know where it is and Reed lays back down. Kieran nurses briefly, I change his diaper, and lay him in the swing that is in our room. I quickly change my clothes and jump on the stationary bike. Reed is awake and talking to himself while laying in bed.

6:00 am Reed announces that it is "wake up time" because his light has changed colors. I go into his room give him hugs, change his diaper, and he requests we make something. We head to the kitchen and whip up a batch of pear muffins. While they bake Reed drinks some hemp milk and eats some leftover batter. I clean up the mess we've made, feed Dodger, clean out the dishwasher, and put away my workout stuff.
 

 
6:55 am Reed and I eat muffins.

7:15 am Reed announces he wants to wake-up Dad and is disappointed when we go into our room to find Dad is already up and in the shower. Kieran lets out a couple of cries so I pick him up and he almost immediately goes back to sleep. I lay him back in the swing. Reed asks Dad to put him in the pack 'n play (which is awesome because now he is happy and contained), I brush his teeth, get him dressed, and administer his inhaler. We say goodbye to Dad. I continue being productive by brushing my teeth, put away laundry from the day before, and pick up the house a bit.



 
7:55 am Kieran is up and I nurse him in our bed while Reed hangs out with us and we read books together.

8:15 am I change Kieran's diaper. Reed asks if he can hold Kieran so I help him, then we ask Siri to show us pictures of marine life on my iPad while Kieran has tummy time.

 

8:30 am Reed gets upset because I don't know what the "Elephant Sheep Song" is that he keeps requesting. We head to Reed's room to play with legos. Kieran gets fussy so I leave Reed to play by himself while I walk around the house bouncing Kieran.

8:50 am Kieran pees through his diaper and pajamas so I change his diaper and outfit. We go back into Reed's room and play while Kieran hangs out on Reed's bed and then my lap.


9:15 am I get the three of us layered in coats and hats and head out the door to walk Dodger. Kieran falls asleep pretty quickly in the carrier and Reed keeps himself busy by eating a granola bar and chatting with me.

9:55 am Since it is finally a bit warmer we stay outside and play with the soccer ball, sidewalk chalk, and Reed's favorite - his water bottle. Kieran continues to nap in the carrier.

10:30 am We head in the house and wash our hands. Kieran wakes and wants to nurse. I let Reed watch one of his favorite shows (Perro y Gato) while I feed the baby. Mid-feeding Kieran needs a diaper change and then mid-change Grandma calls. I make my way back to the living room and Reed announces he's pooped. I let Kieran finish nursing.

11:10 am I put Kieran in the bouncer and change Reed's diaper. Then I make our lunches.

11:30 am Reed has spaghetti with a turkey/marinara sauce and a Satsuma.

11:45 am Reed is still eating, but I'm finished with my lunch. I clean up the kitchen and pack up two separate diaper bags and a snack for Reed for later while he finishes eating.

11:55 am Reed is done eating. I clean him up and we head to his room to read two books and tuck him in. Kieran has fallen asleep in the bouncer.

12:10 pm Reed is almost asleep when the postman rings the doorbell. He gets upset so I go in and tuck him back in. I do a leg workout while he squirms around in his bed. Since Kieran is still asleep I jump in the shower.

12:45 pm I get out of the shower, confirm that Reed is asleep, get dressed, talk to a grower on the phone, go through the Christmas presents that have been delivered, and write some thank you notes.

1:45 pm Kieran is stirring so I pick him up and relax in a chair as he settles back down.

2:10 pm Kieran is awake and wants to nurse.

2:35 pm Kieran is done nursing, I change his diaper, and make myself a cup of tea. I put K on his play mat and then when he gets frustrated he plays in my lap.

3:10 pm Jon texts that he will be home soon and Reed wakes up a few minutes later. He gives me a big hug and then lets it be known that he's in a bad mood. I put Kieran in the bouncer again so I can change Reed's diaper and try to calm him down.

3:45 pm Jon is home. He gets Reed and his stuff and they head out to get Jon an allergy shot, donate a toy to Toys for Tots, and then go to Reed's Little Gym class. I go around the house and set out pajamas, close curtains, turn on night lights, and offer Kieran a chance to nurse, then change his diaper.

4:15 pm K and I head to the UPS store to mail some packages then get some gas before we head to Fresno.

4:45 pm Kieran is asleep in the car. We get to Whole Foods and Kieran puts up a huge protest to the carrier, which is unexpected. I rush around the store and while at the checkout counter I figure out why he's upset when he fills his diaper.

5:30 pm I change K's diaper and let him nurse in the car. Then we head into Chipotle to get dinner for my other Guys.

6:00 pm Reed and Jon pull into the parking lot and jump in my car. They head home (with a screaming baby) while I take Jon's car and meet Amanda and Lee for Lee's Birthday dinner.

6:45 pm The boys arrive home and eat dinner. Kieran is pretty fussy throughout the meal.

7:15 pm Jon gives K a bottle and then gives R his medicines, changes his diaper, puts him in his pajamas, and brushes his teeth while Kieran hangs in the bouncer again.

7:30 pm Jon reads a couple of books to Reed while Kieran lays on Reed's bed. Jon says goodnight to Reed and then changes Kieran's diaper - referred to as an "explosion" by Jon.

7:45 pm Reed is asleep and Kieran is again pretty fussy. Jon walks, bounces, burps, bounces, rocks, bounces, K.

8:30 pm I get home and nurse Kieran, change his diaper, and swaddle him.

9:00 pm Lay him down, he is immediately asleep.



Thursday, December 12, 2013

Reed Says . . . November/December 2013 Addition

Obviously this has been a busy couple of months for us and a transition time for Reed. He's handled it like a pro and his only real protest is when Nonna or Grandma has the Little One. He continues to amaze us with his voracity for learning and on the top of his list of favorite activities are reading, puzzles, flashcards, and crafts. He cracks us up daily with his antics and some of the things he says. Recent milestones include giving up his pacifier and an occasional two footed jump. Three catch phrases right now are "what the heck?" "dats the problem" and "oh my gosh (said very exaggerated)"

When asked who his best friends are Reed's answer is usually "Dad and Parker" - in case you are wondering Parker isn't a little boy, he's the mascot for the Fresno baseball team.
 
One day I had put a slice of lime in my water and Reed requested I do the same for him. As I brought it over to him he said "this is going to be tasty!!!"

Shortly after we brought Kieran home I was playing with the boys and found a toy with a mirror on it, catching a glimpse of myself I said "Mom looks scary!" His response back was "no, Mom looks pretty."

I had Kieran in the office with me trying to get some work done one day early on when Grandma was here to play with Reed. The baby started crying and Reed told Grandma "we go in office, I want to make Kieran happy."

We had misplaced one of the toy farmers Reed plays with all of the time. While hunting for him I asked Reed if he'd had any luck locating the toy. His response was "I look everywhere for him. I look Mom's hair and eyes and ears, he's not in there (pronounced dare)."

Jon's nickname for Reed is DBJ which stands for Dingle Berry Jones. I had the radio on one day and Jingle Bell Rock was playing. Reed walked up to the radio and said "dats what Dad call me."

One morning Reed had made quite the mess while eating breakfast. While I was cleaning him up I commented that "he had done quite the number on himself." He then proceeded to point to three different stains on his shirt saying "8, 9, 10."

After decorating the Christmas tree I encouraged Reed to look at the ornaments and told him that most of them have special stories behind them. He pointed to one of Jon's childhood ornaments and said "dat is?" I told him that it was Sponge Bob Square Pants to which he replied "dat Sauce Guy." It took me a while, but I eventually figured out that the on-the-go applesauce squeeze pouches I buy him have Sponge Bob on the label.

One day when Reed was with my Mom they called G-Momma to say hi. She told him "I love you" to which he replied "love you" she responded "I love you too" then he countered with "I love you ten."

Last week we had a particularly bad night when Reed pooped in our closet and then stepped in it. While Jon was cleaning him up he started singing "Old MacDonald had a foot . . . with poop on it!"

While at Grandma's Reed got into a bit of trouble when he dumped out a basket of folded laundry. Grandma made him help clean it up and when they walked out of the laundry room he commented "dat's not adorable!"

One morning Reed was being particularly rambunctious and Jon jokingly asked when he was going to be going away to college. Reed's reply was "I'm not too old."

On Tuesday morning I walked into Reed's room to find the freshly made bed taken completely apart and his two quilts draped over his rocking horse. When I asked him why he had unmade the bed he simply answered "I make saddles for Rocky."

Monday, December 9, 2013

Some Quickie Introductions

Last week was pretty busy including a visit from Grand Aunt Laurie, a trip to HMC, and a play date with the Nenadov Family. Here are a few quick pictures of the happenings.

Kieran meeting Grand Aunt Laurie

My Coworker Nichole putting Kieran to sleep

Grand Aunt Paula finally got her snuggles in

Drake, Heidi, Emie, Reed, Me, and Kieran

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

One Month

Wow, I can't believe that just a month ago we had never met Kieran and now life without him would seem incomplete! So far he's been a great baby. While there have been fussy days and a few sleepless nights, for the most part he is a goes-with-the-flow kind of guy.



He is already starting to have some milestones (see below). Yesterday I got a bunch of genuine smiles out of him and last week he shocked me by rolling over. I know this was a fluke because he hasn't done it again, but I was sitting right next to him during Tummy Time when he got really frustrated and suddenly turned himself onto his back, I was in such shock I scared Jon when I started yelling for him. I really do feel like time is already flying by and he is growing up so fast.


We've had a lot of people ask about the name Kieran Scott. First Scott is Jon's middle name so that is in honor of his Dad. Kieran however isn't a family name it was just a name we both really like and it is Gaelic which is a nice nod to Jon's Irish and my Scottish heritage. And no, the name isn't after a soccer player on Arsenal (although if we didn't like the guy we could have never named our son the same thing).

Monthly Statistics

Weight: 10 lbs

Height: 21.5 inches (measured myself so who knows!)

Clothing Size: I'm still able to squeeze him into a few "newborn" size pajamas, but for the most part 0-3 month or 3 month outfits fit pretty well.

Kieran likes: Being held, his bouncer, the swing, his car seat, taking baths, looking in mirrors, the baby carrier, and nursing
 
Kieran dislikes: Having a wet diaper, having his clothes changed/taken off, not being able to move his arms in the swaddle, not being able to get a burp out, and going to bed at the same time Mom wants to.
 
Nicknames: Kier, K, Special K, 401k, Superstar, Cuddle Bug, and Buddy Bear.

How Kieran is sleeping:  Typically he naps on and off throughout the day in various places (carrier, car seat, crib, swing, bouncer, someone's arms), nursing often (about every 3 hours), then he has a wakeful stint around 9:00pm Jon usually takes this shift and gets him to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00pm, laying him in the swing in our room once he's asleep. Kieran is now going about four hours between feedings overnight. Typically this means there is a feeding between midnight and 1:00 am and then again between 3:30 and 5:00 am. After this second feeding is when I struggle to get him to go back to sleep. Sometimes I'm successful and he'll sleep until 7:00am. Other times he is so alert regardless of what I do, so we just hang out then he usually nurses around 6:00am and will sleep in the bouncer while Reed and I go about our normal morning routine.

Favorite Moment: I don't think there is anything that can compete with hearing him cry as he was being delivered and meeting him for the first time. While I didn't love staying in the hospital it was really nice for Jon, Kieran, and I to have some alone time to bond as well.
 
Milestones:
11/04/13 Kieran is born
11/06/13 First night at home
11/14/13 His umbilical cord stump falls off
11/15/13 We have Kieran circumcised
11/17/13 He makes his first public outing, accompanying me to the grocery store
11/17/13 Kieran goes to his first Sunday dinner
11/23/13 Jon gets him to take a bottle for the first time
11/25/13 We give him his first bath
11/27/13 Kieran rolls over (from front to back)
12/03/13 He gives me smiles when I'm tickling his belly

Favorite Photo Shoot Outtake:

Monday, December 2, 2013

Week 4 (aka Thanksgiving and the week Kieran meets A LOT of people)

This past week has been a busy one. Before we get to all of the introductions I have to say something about Kieran's first bath. In the tradition of his Big Brother, he hated bath #1 and let us know by crying, peeing, and pooping. He calmed down pretty quickly after it was over and has had two more baths since then, which he thought were awesome.




On Tuesday we hosted a little get together at our house to watch an Arsenal soccer game, eat pizza, and introduce some of our friends to Kieran. Quite a few people were able to make it, I think I got pictures of everyone that held Kieran except Lee, and there were others that took a peak but weren't brave enough to hold a wobbly wee one.

Cam, Bri, and Daylynn
Laurie and Russell
Auntie M and Hunky Kevin
Shannon
Lindsay

Allison
Reed and Clara doing puzzles

Karl
Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving. I did a good job of taking pictures of anyone holding Kieran that was just meeting him, but beyond that I didn't document much of our day. My parents actually came to Jon's family's dinner this year and Reed loved having both Grandma and Nonna in the same house. Since we didn't do anything with the Gillette side this year I ran over to Aunt Penny and Uncle Mark's for a bit so Mark, Hunky Greg, and Penny's parents could meet the Little Guy.

Grand Uncle Mark

Grammy Linda

Grand Aunt Penny

Hunky Greg

Grand Aunt Lynette

Grand Uncle Allan

Grand Aunt Di-Di

Papa and Gran
One of the traditions at Thanksgiving every year is a Boys vs. Girls game of Trivial Pursuit. Reed got involved this year by being the official Dice Roller and had quite the series of gestures and movements he had to do before rolling the dice each time. It was a lovely evening and the girls won for the first time ever!!! I'm so bummed I don't have a family shot of the four of us or any pictures of any of the boys' Grandparents, or other people at the dinner, but I guess my hands were pretty full and the memories will just have to do.