A Weekend Up North!

We spent the first weekend in August up north.  This was Bristol's first overnight trip and she did awesome!  She slept better than she ever had - 5.5 hours one night and 6.5 hours the next night!  Unfortunately, she was back to her old sleeping habits once we returned home, but it was still a wonderful thing to experience on vacation!  :)  As we usually do, we packed quite a bit into just one short weekend. 

We left Friday morning to head north.  We stopped on the way in Gaylord at Otsego Lake State Park to have a picnic lunch, stretch our legs a bit, and give Bristol a break from being in her car seat. 

After our quick lunch and playtime on the beach, we packed up and headed up to Petoskey.  Kevin, Carson and Bristol had never been to Petoskey.  Sara had been a few times as a young child, but didn't really remember much of it.  Petoskey is so beautiful!  We spent some time at Petoskey State Park, at a lake front park right near downtown, and we took a walk down the pier where all of the local kids were jumping and diving off into Lake Michigan.  After exploring a little, we had dinner at one of two family-friendly restaurants in town.  It was quite good!  However, we were a little put-off by the lack of family-friendly places and spaces in Petoskey.  Its definitely not really a place to take younger than teenage kids.  And it was kind of strange to see that there really is no middle class in Petoskey.  That being said, we do want to visit again sometime - however I think we'd probably be better off spending our time in more family-friendly destinations like Charlevoix and Boyne.  :) 

After dinner, we took another stroll down by the lake and pier, then packed up to head back to Grayling, which is where we were actually staying the weekend.  When we got to our hotel, we were a little worried by the looks of it on the exterior.  But once we got inside, it was quite nice!  Everything was very clean, the rooms were very nice, and it was seriously an awesome hotel for kids!  There was a large indoor pool, plus a large hot tub area, plus a 1-ft deep kiddie pool.  Plus, there was an indoor playscape, lots of arcade games, shuffleboard, billiards, and some other stuff.  We were all quite excited to see it all.  Carson and Kevin headed straight for the pool to swim once we were unpacked.  Bristol and Sara sat pool-side watching them, since Bristol was still a little young to be exposed to all the pool chemicals. 

We got up early on Saturday, had some breakfast, and headed out to explore Grayling.  Kevin and Sara used to go camping up there every year, sometimes several times a year... but it's been quite a few years since we've been up there.  We forgot how much we love Grayling!  There is so much to do outdoors.  We found an awesome park with mountain biking, hiking, sports, and a super nice playscape.  We spent some time there.  Then we headed over to Hartwick Pines State Park.  We spent some time in the visitor's center learning about the history of the area, then took a couple hikes.  We wanted to check out the Chapel in the Pines, where Sara was photographing a wedding the following morning.  We had a great time at Hartwick Pines! 

After our hiking, we headed back into town for a bit before heading back out to Hartwick Pines for the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  Then it was back to the hotel for more swimming.

The next morning, we got up, packed up our car, and headed back out to Hartwick Pines for the wedding.  The wedding was beautiful!  Afterwards, we headed home.  We were again thankful that Bristol did amazingly well on a long car ride!  We didn't even have to stop on our way home.  :)  It was such a great weekend, overall.  And it was so nice to get away! 

Elsesser Family Reunion 2012

Last year, we took a trip to Sheboygan, Wisconsin for an Elsesser family reunion (Sara's maternal grandmother's family).  It went so well that it was decided we should have the reunions become an annual thing.  This year, the reunion was held in July in Fenton, Michigan at Sara's Aunt Sharon's house on the lake.  Eleven of our Wisconsin relatives and two of our Florida relatives made the trip for it, in addition to Sara's extended family that lives in the area.  Auntie Ruth, my grandma's only living sibling, even made the trip for it!  We changed it up a bit this year and it became a little more of a reunion weekend, instead of just for an afternoon and evening like last year.  We actually really liked having the reunion weekend.  We really got to know the out-of-towners quite well and had such a great time!  We are already looking forward to next year's reunion, whose location is TBD at this point... most likely either in northern Wisconsin or northern Michigan. 

We had a weekend full of fun... pontoon boat rides, ski boat rides, water skiing, knee boarding, swimming, laughs, smiles, and just plain ol' good times!

Oldest and youngest at the family reunion... Bristol with her Great-Great Auntie Ruth.

We're missing a few of the local cousins that had left already, but this is most of us.

Oldest generation and youngest generation.

A handful of the Elsesser first-cousins (there are tons more... considering there were 12 Elsesser siblings!)... they all grew up together and now see each other only once a year... prior to last year it had been decades... I really hope we never get that way with our first-cousins!

Riley and Bristol - Riley is about 6 weeks older than Bristol

A beautiful sunset to end the evening!

Bristol is 2 Months Old!

Bristol is now 2 months old!  She was actually two months old a week ago today, but I have been waiting to do a post about it until we had her well-baby visit and knew her stats.  On Thursday, she weighed 9 lbs, 11 oz, was 22 1/2 inches tall, and has a 14 1/2 inch head.  So she gained about a pound and a half, grew an inch and a half, and her head grew some, too.  She is just below the 10th% for weight and is between the 25th% and 50th% for height.

Dr. Akrawi said he would have liked to see her gain a full 2 pounds and is a little concerned that she dropped percentiles this month (from the low-end between 10th%-25th% to just below 10th%).  He said she looks healthy, though, and doesn't look skinny or anything.  She's growing and she is surpassing all of the development milestones, so he's not super concerned about it... but he does want us to come back in a week for a weight check.  He wants her to eat more and wondered if we are doing BabyWise/scheduling her feedings and if I am producing enough milk.  I said nope, we aren't doing BabyWise, that I know his views on that... and explained how demanding Bristol is when she is hungry, that you cannot put it off.  She eats till she won't take anymore.  She'll eat, then need a burp break, then eat some more and will burp again.  I always offer her more after her burps.  Sometimes she'll take more, sometimes she won't, but she definitely has the option.  I also told him that if she does eat more than normal at each feeding (like during her growth spurts), she oftentimes just spits up a good portion of the extra milk she drank... her stomach can't hold anymore.  Yet he wants us to try to get her to eat more... so we'll give it a try, but I'm not going to force Bristol to overeat if she doesn't want to.

We've been using cloth diapers now for about 6 weeks.  They are awesome.  I think the prefolds with covers are actually my favorites.  We have both Thirsties Duo Wrap covers and Bummis Super Brite covers and they are both great.  We also have a good variety of pocket diapers... Perfect Size Fuzzibunz, One Size Fuzzibunz, one-size Rumparooz, one-size bumGenius, one-size KatyDid, and one-size Blueberry.  We haven't been able to wear the Blueberry diaper yet b/c the waist will not get small enough, but we've used all of the others.  My favorite pocket diaper overall are the Perfect Size Fuzzibunz and my favorite out of the one-sizers are the Rumparooz, with bumGenius being a close second.  The others are all great, too, though.  Bristol's raw butt and rash are all cleared up now, thanks to the cloth diapers and CJs BUTTer diaper cream (safe for cloth diapers).  We tried two other cloth diaper safe diaper creams that didn't really help, but they're fine to use now that she's healed up.  And we're still using Rock'n Green to wash the diapers, which we've been very happy with.  I have been amazed at the power of the sun to get all those newborn poo stains out of the white diapers.  An hour in the sun and its like we have brand new diapers again!  It is wonderful!

Ok, now back to Bristol.  :)  She is such a happy little baby and really doesn't cry very often (for her mama, at least... others would beg to differ, I'm sure).  She smiles so much and gets super excited when you talk to her and sing to her.  She "talks" to us quite often, too.  If you say "hi" to her in a sing-songey voice, she will make the same noise back at you... it honestly sounds like she is saying "hi."  She has also learned how to click her tongue on the roof of her mouth, make a kissy noise, and gurgle and blow bubbles.

Bristol loves to play Pat-a-Cake and This Little Piggy.  She loves her playmat, her bouncy seat, and now loves her swing finally, too.  Her favorite person is still Carson.  She will just watch his every move and she gets most excited to see him.  He is awesome with Bristol, too.  He really is the best big brother.  :)
Bristol continues to be so strong.  She really is controlling her head and neck very well now.  She is such a curious little thing and always wants to be looking around so she knows what is going on.  Her favorite way to be carried is facing outwards from your body with your arm across her belly... both to help relieve gas bubbles and mostly so she can see what is happening. 

We really think Bristol has started the teething process.  She is a drool machine, chews on her hands, and just naws on your fingers or her paci.  We haven't gotten a good look in her mouth to see if we can see any teeth under the gums yet.  We're just hoping she has an easier time with it than Carson did. 

Sibling Love!

Carson was so excited when we shared the news that we were going to have a baby.  He had been asking us for a brother or sister for over a year at that point, so he was so thrilled.  His excitement and anticipation grew as the pregnancy progressed.  We found out he would have a baby sister and he looked forward to the day she would join us almost more than Kevin and I.  Throughout everything, we wondered how Carson would actually be once Bristol was born.  Would the novelty wear off quickly?  Would he be wishing for his only-childhood again within weeks?  Or maybe even within days?  Or would he just continue to adore her and protect her?

Bristol is now 7 weeks old and Carson adores her more and more every day.  As soon as Carson met Bristol on her first day out of the womb, he was immediately filled with a sense of pride, love, and "big brotherness" that you could just see emanating from his whole little self.  It was incredibly sweet and so awesome to witness.  And Carson has continued to just adore Bristol.  He is so protective of her.  He showers her with affection - hugs, kisses and praise.  He asks to hold her many times a day.  And each time he holds her, you can see the love he has for her.  When he's not holding Bristol, he is telling her how beautiful she is, how cute she looks, how much he loves her, what he is going to do for her, etc.  When Bristol is upset, Carson is often right there, holding her hand and telling her "your big brother is here sister, everything is going to be ok."  It is so sweet.

Bristol also just adores her big brother.  He is her favorite person.  He was rewarded with her first true smile.  He just captures her attention like no one else.  Bristol loves it when Carson is holding her, singing to her, talking to her, reading books to her, and playing with her.  She already looks up to him so much, it is incredible.  And so sweet.  We really hope they never grow out of their  love for one another.  I'm sure it will be tested at times, like when Bristol becomes mobile.  But who knows, they may surprise us again.

Having two kids is such a blessing.  Our family feels complete and perfect.  We are so thankful for these two children.  We are loving every minute of it (well almost... the gassy evenings and sleepless nights wear on us/me... but I wouldn't trade it for the world, either).  We look forward to watching Carson and Bristol grow up... and hope their love for one another continues... even once Bristol starts going after Carson's toys.  ;) 

Bristol is 1 Month Old!

Its hard to believe it has already been a month since our beautiful little girl joined our family, but it was a month on Wednesday!  I just wanted to wait to post until we had our 1-month well-baby check-up, which we had this afternoon.  Bristol is growing very well.  She now weighs 8 pounds, 4 ounces, is 21 inches long, and has a 14 1/8 inch head circumference.  This puts her in the 10th percentile for weight, between the 10th and 25th percentiles for height, and between the 5th and 10th percentiles for head circumference.  She's still pretty tiny, but she is growing very well, considering her weight dropped to 6 pounds, 6 ounces at 4 days after birth.  She is still wearing mostly newborn size clothes, but has been able to wear a few 3-month outfits that run a little smaller.  She's our little peanut.  :)
 
Bristol is such a joy to us.  We love to see her grow and develop her little personality.  Based on the way she was in the womb, I figured she would be demanding.  Turns out I was right, at least so far.  Kevin says she is dramatic, I say she is a diva.  But really she just knows what she wants, when she wants it, and she lets you know.  Which I don't think is a bad thing, really.  It means she is decisive and will hopefully continue this trait on and become a good leader.  :)

Bristol is developing well.  She loves to play and kick on her playmat.  She gets so excited when she is playing there and will start cooing and squealing.  Bristol is so strong, too.  Since her first week, she has held her neck up incredibly well for being so young and she is learning to control it already, though she still has a ways to go with that. :)  She really likes tummy time and can pull her knees up under her already and scoots around a good deal.  She is always rolling over onto her side from her back and tries so hard to roll from her tummy to her back. 

Bristol also loves her bouncy seat and loves to be read to and sung to.  She basically just likes to hear your voice at all times she is awake.  If you walk away for a second or get distracted and stop talking to her, she is likely to get impatient and let you know she is still there and wants your attention.  :)  Bristol tolerates the swing for a short time, but its not her favorite thing... it mostly makes her spit up.  ;)  She also is a big fan of cuddling and loves to be worn in the Moby wrap.  Sara wears her around quite often, both of them loving every second of it! 

Bristol has started to smile quite often and has begun to smile when she recognizes one of us.  Carson was the first to get a true smile out of her and he has definitely achieved the most smiles from her, too.  But Kevin and Sara have each gotten some good smiles, too.   Its just so sweet! 

We're still having some rash, poo, and reflux issues.  Poor baby girl has had an awful rash since her first week.  It turned into several raw spots quite quickly and still remains that way.  Her poo is quite runny and the pediatrician believes it may be acidic, which does not allow the rash to heal.  I still suspect the disposable diapers and wipes are a culprit, as well.  We had planned to begin using cloth diapers during her 2nd week, but can't make the switch while we're using the different diaper creams and prescription ointments on her rash.  We did stop using the disposable wipes at home now and it does seem to help.  Bristol no longer cries out in pain when we are cleaning her up, at least.  Even the sensitive disposable wipes seem to have been too much on her skin.  Since things aren't getting any better, I'm considering making the switch to cloth and forgetting all the ointments and creams and just using the cloth diaper safe stuff we have to see how things go.  I just hope it doesn't make it any worse. 

We are still trying to figure out what in my diet is causing her the runny poo, gas, and reflux, too.  At this point, I am avoiding all dairy, chocolate, caffeine, coconut, gassy veggies, and things with a lot of sugar in them.  But Bristol's poo is not improving.  Her gas is better, though.  But she still has the reflux, though it doesn't really phase her now.  So there have been some improvements.  If only we could get her poo to not be quite so runny/liquid. 

In spite of the poo, gas and reflux issues and her demanding temperament, Bristol really doesn't cry a lot.  She will get quite upset, very quickly, and gets very loud fast (she has her mama's temper, we think), but she also calms down very quickly once she gets what she wants.

So far, life with two kids is great!  Bristol has fit in almost seamlessly, really.  Of course, life is different (I am really missing my sleep - lol!), but its not as different as we/I expected it to be.  I was prepared for more acting out from Carson, feeling disconnected from Carson on some levels, etc.  But we haven't experienced much acting out at all, nor have I felt any disconnect, for which I am very grateful!   Maybe these things are still to come, but for now we are just rolling with it and enjoying life, trying to make the most of my maternity leave! 

This weekend Bristol will get to meet some of our extended family from Wisconsin.  They're coming to town for a family reunion out at Aunt Sharon's house.  Hopefully we all hold up well and are able to make it through the weekend of festivities.