Ramblings: Aurora Vivienne's Twelfth Month

This month's photo album can be found HERE. 

Twelve months… One year… I think back on the last months and everything seems to be a little bit of a blur to be honest. I try to enjoy every minute as it comes, but I haven’t been sleeping very well, and that coupled with having quite a bit of work to do and running after the kids has left my brain resembling a piece of Swiss cheese! My brain keeps darting all over the place, focusing on three or four things at a time, and I need to remind myself that it’s OK to slow down sometimes. So Aurora finally turned a year old at the end of August and it was a very emotional time for me (and for Cesar too). I feel that the last year has been so full of changes and that in a sense it feels like it was both longer and shorter than just twelve months. Watching a tiny toddler grow into a bigger, talking-in-full-sentences toddler, and a tiny baby growing into a big, smiling toddler has been amazing. Having two children under two for 8 months was a challenge, and one that I would most likely repeat, even with hindsight. I do have to say that my brain just isn’t as fast as it used to be!

Aurora had her 12 month appointment earlier this week, got all of her shots and boosters, and now weighs in at nearly 25lbs (the same weight as her older sister), and is nearly 30in in length. She’s in great health and growing perfectly well, which I pretty much knew already anyway. She’s a great eater, will try and eat pretty much everything (including pickles and spicy salsa) and still nurses pretty frequently. She’s still not very good with cow’s milk, so we are avoiding that for a while (and there is no need for it anyway, especially as she is still breastfed). Can I say how wonderful it is to finally have a doctor who not only recognizes us and asks how the other kid is doing, but also approves of breastfeeding as long as you and the child want to. I actually realised that we never see the main doctor, but usually a nurse practitioner, and she is absolutely wonderful with the girls, even Luna actually lets herself be examined. So I’m really happy with our choice over here.

I know I say it very frequently, but I don’t think I have ever met a child as happy as Aurora is. She has her fussy moments and her upset moments, but most of the time she is just a happy, smiling little kid who loves to shake her head from side to side in guise of dancing, and walking around holding tightly to your hand. She did take her first unassisted steps really early at 10 months, but then kind of decided that it was faster to crawl everywhere (and she’s FAST). Then just recently she realised that it was also fun to walk by herself again, much to Luna’s delight (and sometimes anger as Aurora can’t yet run with her!). We bought her two pairs of adorable little shoes and after a little adjustment period of a day she seems to walk around in them just fine. A pair of moccasins and a pair of little white boots, both absolutely adorable!

Both kids are napping while I write this, for the first time in what feels like forever! Their napping schedules have been completely off recently and it’s been causing some issues sleeping at night too (nothing different for Luna, but very much off for Aurora). I think we have some more teeth coming in soon too, all the better to chew more food with, and in addition to all of these physical things some language updates too! Aurora can now say “mama”, “dada”, “cat” and “George” (Peppa Pig’s brother I am assuming), although often everyone gets called “mama” as I think it means “pick me up” rather than “mummy” (it’s OK, Luna didn’t actually start really calling me Mama until she turned two and now she says it a million times a day, although Dada was mastered pretty early on). She also tries to repeat everything you say which is really adorable! She has mastered getting up and down steps, as well as climbing up onto things and riding around on Luna’s scooter. Oh and climbing out of the crib she never sleeps in.

Last month came with a visit from my little brother where he finally met Aurora in real life (as opposed to via FaceTime, videos and photos), and four days just weren’t enough! Both girls took to him immediately and demanded to be held and played with quite consistently. I can’t wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas for Dylan and his wonderful wife Lacy to come back and see the girls (and babysit haha!). Karli, my little sister, has also been spending quality time with the girls as she will be flying off to England and France for three months next week (incredibly it will be her first time back home in 16 years). This also means that we will be taking care of the lovely Bria dog during that time. There is a lot of mutual adoration between the girls and Bria already, and I think we will be finding our family bed even more crowded in the very near future! I’m so glad that modern technology will allow my family to keep up to date on how the kids are doing and for the girls to be able to see everyone consistently even if they are far away.

I know a lot of people think it’s important to live close to family when you have kids, but I honestly don’t feel like we suffered anything growing up far away from grandparents, aunts and uncles! It’s true that most of my cousins are much younger than me (so much for some that I feel more like an aunt than a cousin), and I’m not as close to them as I may have been if we lived nearer, but I know that it was always a treat to visit my parents’ families and that we are all as close as we would have been if we had lived on the same street. At the same time, I love watching the bonds develop between the girls and their Nana, aunties and uncle. And it’s nice for me to sometimes be able to ask if one of them can babysit so I can have a shower by myself or run a quick errand!

This time last year I was getting used to having two little children, tandem nursing and working out how to get everyone to bed at a decent time without meltdowns, while working on a huge writing project. A lot of that hasn’t changed, just that now the little girls are quite a bit bigger and we live in California. This is the first weekend in a while that I don’t have any assignments to deliver, so I am going to make the most of it by catching up on writing blog posts, guest blog posts and editing photos, as well as some of my favourite TV shows and much needed sleep! I also need to sort through clothes and donate as much as I can because we are running out of room again. I think while we have kind of decided that we will most likely have another next year or so, I don’t want to keep hanging on to clothes just in case. Our thrift stores here are wonderful and really cheap.

Aurora’s birthday was really sweet, she really loves her new tricycle and I’m looking forward to the days when both girls will be racing each other around on them. She seemed a little overwhelmed by all of the attention (Luna was slightly overwhelmed by the fact that not all attention was on her at times), but it was a lovely day and balloons and cake was enjoyed by all. We are not ones for big parties just yet, I think we will save those for a few years time when they will remember them. In any case, I will remember this one my whole life!

So, anyway, one year old already! This marks the end of my monthly summaries for Aurora, moving into one every three months from here on out, and I feel a little bittersweet about it. I remember writing her first one and wondering how I was ever going to find the time to make sure that I did it every month in the same way I had for Luna. I suppose we always find the time for the things that matter. You probably realize that the sorting of the photos happens over the space of a few days and I can only thank my need for organization that it doesn’t take longer. I rarely write a summary in one sitting, and sometimes I wonder how much I have left out. But in the end that doesn’t really matter, because all of the little gestures and smiles and bites and food all over the wall moments have been captured and stored in my mind forever.

My little Aurora, so affectionate and sweet, so daring and mischievous, always looking for something to try, throw or climb on, and making sure that I always have those eyes in the back of my head open and aware. She’s taught me that it’s OK to scream when you feel like it, happy or angry it doesn’t matter, and that big brown innocent eyes usually mean trouble. <3

A chat with the inspiring Jenny from Mamazou

It dawned on me again this morning how many inspiring people I have in my life and how lucky I am to have crossed paths with all of these people. Jenny Raymond is one of these inspiring women that I have had the pleasure to "bump into" online. Motherhood is not easy, and can often be a little isolating; sometimes you can be surrounded by people and still feel like no one understands you. Instead of just grinning and bearing it, or complaining about it to her journal (me), she decided to actually DO something about it, and has since created a fantastic social hub online for both parents and parents to be, Mamazou. 

I became aware of Mamazou earlier this year when I finally started appreciating Instagram more than I had in the past. Jenny's posts always seemed so inspiring and friendly, and when she started her #mamazoufeatures series, featuring articles from different people on all kinds of subjects every week, I decided to join in. Since then, and via Mamazou, I have been introduced to a wonderful, and continuously growing, group of women and men, who are all in the same boat as me. It was hard for me to leave my cocoon and safety net of NYC, and thanks to all of these people, and mainly Jenny, I feel connected, understood, and listened to again. There really is nothing like having a supportive community you can count on to hold you up, make you laugh, and tell you off if needed.

Jenny is one of the kindest and friendliest people I know, and she agreed to answer some questions about herself and Mamazou for From the Inside.  

From the Inside: How did Mamazou come about? What pushed you to create this awesome spot for parents?

Jenny Raymond: When I was pregnant, I became so overwhelmed with the information Google had to offer and it sparked even more questions than I was originally searching.  I wanted to talk to people (that I didn’t know) about pregnancy and being a parent and found that the forums I signed up to were judgmental.  I then decided it would be pretty cool if I could create something of my own where people could talk openly, freely and safely.

How do you see Mamazou evolving over the next six months to a year?

I see it going from strength to strength.  There are so many paths that it could go down and so many wonderful companies that I’m starting to collaborate with.  Things are becoming very exciting.  I can’t reveal too much at the moment but watch this space.  We’re constantly working on things to try and improve Mamazou and give our users the best experience possible.

For me personally the Mamazou community has been a blessing and I am always amazed at how kind and caring you are. How do you personally navigate the constant “mummy wars” that people seem to be instigating on every imaginable parenting subject?

Thank you so much – that’s so kind of you to say!  I don’t have time for any nastiness.  If people are going to be bitchy to one another then they’re not welcome and their account will be suspended.  I have no tolerance for it.  There’s so much of that in the world, I’m all about celebrating every journey through life and supporting one another.  It’s all about #perfectlyimperfectparenting

You are based in the UK but seem to attract people from all over the world. How do you go about this?

I’m actually not so sure – they say your vibe attracts your tribe so I’ll go with that.  I wanted to tackle the US market first as they’re bigger than the UK.  Once I started with that… I thought the more that live in different countries, the better. 

Tell us more about your #mamazoufeatures

This is relatively new but as we’re a community all about supporting others, I wanted to create something specifically for bloggers (and recently companies) to get their voice out more.  To be able to share something that’s on their mind but broaden their target audience at the same time. 

Who and/or what do you count as inspirations?

My daughter, Hayley.  It’s so clichéd but she’s the reason I get out of bed every morning and in her almost 3 short years of life she has taught me SO much.  My actions will always influence her so I make sure that I’m the best version of myself, so that one day, maybe, she will be inspired by me.

My father is another huge inspiration to me.  He has always done his best to provide my siblings and I with the best upbringing possible and has worked so hard in order to do so.  He’s so incredibly inspirational.

Can you tell us what your favourite social media platform is and why?

I have to say Mamazou :D not that I’m biased or anything.  It’s a wonderful and supportive community full of so many down to earth parents.  Following that, Instagram!

You can check out the awesomeness that is Mamazou right here, and also on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And if you feel like chatting to some wonderful people, reading some great insights, learning about all types of new and exciting products and just joining in, you can sign up on the homepage of the website!

Photo by Eskimo*Rose Photography @eskimorose_photography

Ramblings: Aurora Vivienne's Eleventh Month

This month's photo album is HERE. 

This is it, the last few weeks until Aurora’s first birthday! How did it go by so fast? Can we push down on the brakes a little, slow things down please? 10-11 months was a huge month for Aurora, mainly because halfway through the month she took her first steps! She had been pulling herself up unassisted for a while, crouching down into a squat to play, and then one Saturday afternoon while I was baking a cake with Luna, she stood up and then suddenly a look of determination tinted with a little fear showed up in her eyes. And she walked! Three steps, then three steps again and then five steps, straight into my arms! I wasn’t expecting it quite so soon, Luna started walking a couple of days before her first birthday, but it has been really cute to see her stop and start and dare a little step here and there. She is obviously taking her time and rightfully so, and she looks like the cutest little penguin every time she walks!

I still haven’t been able to get her walking on video because it’s very random when she does it, and even though Luna usually warns me by yelling “BABY WALKIN MAMA” getting the phone out usually causes her to drop to a crawl and race towards me. One day soon maybe! By the way, it is adorable how Luna is excited about Aurora walking, apart from the fact that she now thinks that she can just grab Aurora’s hand and pull her along with her. I had to teach her the concept of baby steps… That said they play together more nowadays, and Aurora stands her ground with Luna a lot more. Luna is possessive with her toys, which isn’t surprising, but it’s really funny hearing her tell Aurora to “share”. I suppose at some point they will learn the importance of sharing with each other and others.

I just weighed Aurora and she is now 23.4 pounds, so she’s put on a little over a pound since last month. I haven’t been able to measure her, but she is most definitely longer/taller! Her eating habits are getting better and better, she basically eats everything that I give her, especially cheese, and she can usually handle portions of any size now (although she does have a tendency to fill her mouth like a hamster and then attempt to chew which doesn’t always work out so well). She also has 8 fully grown teeth now, and while I hope this is it for a while, I doubt it is. Teething hell is constantly upon us, between Aurora getting 2 or 4 teeth at a time and all of Luna’s last molars coming through together. That said, Aurora is in good spirits most of the time, and is always smiling so it isn’t that bad! We really hit the jackpot in the happy baby category here, and although there have been a few mini tantrums here and there, she is usually easily placated.

July was a fun month with loads of activities, July 4th and the State Fair the main ones. While Aurora didn’t really get to participate much in the fair activities (I’m looking forward to introducing her to the petting zoo and pony rides next year), she seemed to like watching the horses. She also thoroughly enjoyed the fireworks display on July 4th. It was a lovely day all in all, and the first time that we had been able to enjoy a July 4th celebration altogether as a family seeing as one or both of us has always had to work on that day, and I will always remember how excited and amazed both of the girls were when the fireworks started going off! I was quite surprised that Aurora wasn’t scared at all, she was shrieking for joy instead, and then promptly fell asleep nursing halfway through. And by the way it’s World Breastfeeding Week again this week, so I shall be posting some photos on Instagram to do my bit to #normalizebreastfeeding and #normalizeextendedbreastfeeding (I can make even longer hashtags if you like), and just being the annoying person that I always am! Talking about breastfeeding actually, Aurora has a much easier natural “schedule” than Luna has ever had – she nurses in the morning, before naps and then maybe once or twice in between, and then during the night. Thinking about it, Luna was very similar at that age (and I was pregnant), so I suppose it doesn’t show anything about how things will unfold in the future… Another boobmonster in the making then I suppose!

I’ve always loved that moment when you can see a baby absorbing new information, letting it soak into their brains and then waiting to see when it will all resurface. I’ve been going over words with Aurora, saying them over and over again, watching her huge brown eyes take it all in, knowing that it will all come back out again at some point in the future. I love how I say people’s names and she immediately looks in their direction, or towards the last spot that she saw them in. I love how she gets super excited every time Joey Ramone the cat comes near her, and how, even though she pulls his tail and sometimes tries to flatten him, his favourite place to sleep at night is in the top corner of the bed, right by her side.

Another one of my favourite things to watch Aurora do is dance. She has this adorable head shake thing that she has done for quite a while now, but it’s getting more and more pronounced. Yesterday she was rocking out to KMFDM and it was awesome! I wish I could have caught it on camera, but I was too busy dancing too!

I’ve had to take down the baby gate from one spot and put in another as she has been able to escape despite everything I would put in front of it, and has now figured out how to climb up on things and it scares me! I just have to come to terms with the fact that she really is practically a toddler now, and most definitely not a baby anymore. It’s so bittersweet. I want to hold all those moments when she lets me cuddle and kiss her tight and never let go of them, because soon she will be running off to join her sister in her adventures… There is so much more to look forward to, I know, but why does it have to go by so fast?! Little happy pumpkin, full of smiles and so much love, she will always brighten our lives. That cheeky little smile can lighten up the darkest of days, I kid you not!

So, I shall start to prepare Aurora’s first birthday celebrations and wonder how we got here already! A year ago I was lumbering back and forth to the hospital every few days to check her wellbeing, drinking liters and liters of water with the hopes that she would stay inside me as long as possible, and now we have this big, gorgeous, bouncing toddler-baby! Life really is amazing. 

Ramblings: Aurora Vivienne's Tenth Month

This month's album is up on Flickr HERE.

I’m in that stage of “how on earth is my baby 10 months old already?!” now. Ten months mean that her first birthday is only two little months away, which also means that summer is right upon us now and I want to enjoy it as much as we didn’t really enjoy summer last year. Granted there are no beaches a few subway stops away like there were back home in NYC, but there is a river and a lake and the coast isn’t too far away. And there is so much of California that we need to discover and explore! I would love to find that dune in Bodega Bay again, the one where I felt on top of the world. And visit some more ghost towns and sunflower fields!

Anyway! Aurora! 10 months old, nearly 22 lbs in weight and 29 inches in height as per her 9 month doctor’s appointment. Everything looks good, she’s meeting all of her milestones at a good pace and now has 6 teeth (those top front teeth were absolute hell for her), and more popping through (finally). She’s still nursing on demand and now eating three meals a day where she usually eats at least some of everything that I give her. I try to mix it up a little and give her at least three “colours”, and she has never refused anything. Luckily her sister hasn’t yet taught her how to go for days without eating anything more than a piece of banana and a gallon of breast milk. I was just reading Luna’s 10 month summary and I see that things haven’t changed much in that department!

There have been no huge changes this month, she’s not walking unassisted yet thankfully, but lots of little changes, all super adorable and heartmelting. Aurora can now say “mama”, “dada” and “yaaaaay” (followed by clapping, which made me realize how often I actually do that myself). Other than that she still babbles a lot and still sings herself to sleep and screams if I leave her in the crib for too long. That same crib that neither child sleeps in, Aurora just hangs out in it while I shower or nurse her sister. I remember being more obsessed with Luna’s words when she was this age, but seeing as Luna didn’t actually start speaking more than a few words before her second birthday I’m not so worried about Aurora speaking as soon as possible. That was until my mum found my baby book and found out that by 9 months I was saying over 10 words. No wonder you can’t shut me up nowadays! Anyway, I think of these experiences just go to show that children will speak when they are ready and there is no pushing them. I’m sure Aurora’s next words will be completely inappropriate anyway, especially as we are reading Roald Dahl (and Luna loves it).

I suppose one of the things that Aurora has to contend with, and that Luna didn’t have to worry about, is having an older sister. While every month things have become a little easier in some ways (Luna is less jealous and more accepting), in other ways they have become more difficult, especially now that Aurora is so mobile. If I turn my back for a second I never know what I am going to find when I turn back around. Sometimes they are hugging, sometimes they are pushing each other, and sometimes Luna is bashing her sister on the head with what I thought was a lovely toy, but has now become a weapon and relegated to the “dangerous toy” box. I have to say though, Aurora stands her ground pretty well. She’s definitely not going to let her sister push her over, physically or mentally, and while I see many a battle between them in the future I also see a lot of love and friendship. They seem to play together more and more nowadays as opposed to just playing alongside each other.

I love watching Aurora play by herself too, her little face scrunched up in concentration until she figures out how to do something. Frustration expressed in sharp screams when she can’t push a square into a circle, shrieks of delight and lots of hand clapping when she finds a toy she loves. Her favourite position seems to be “standing” on her knees right now, crawling around like a maniac, and also standing up so that she can see everything better. She has unfortunately started a phase where she bites me when she finishes nursing (not all of the time, but frequently enough that it has become annoying), and with 6 teeth out that can be pretty painful! I use the same technique that I did with Luna, unlatching her immediately, saying NO and putting her down, so I really hope it will work sooner rather than later! I think that as with Luna, the biting was only when she was finished or not interested in nursing, and it didn’t last long, especially when she realised that it wasn’t doing anything in her favour. I’m still nursing both, as often as each other, and will just go on for as long as needed now. I have a feeling that Aurora may just reduce her sessions little by little as time goes on. But then again, Luna did that when I was pregnant, and look where we are now. Who knows… I’ll miss this time when it’s behind us, just like I miss the time when both the girls were tiny!

Since I hit my first weight loss milestone at the end of May (the weight I was when I found out I was pregnant with Aurora) I haven’t really been checking my weight at all. I did the other day while weighing Luna and realised I had lost another 5 pounds without even trying! Another 5 and I will be at what I wanted my goal weight to be… A bit over what it was before I was pregnant with Luna, a bit below what it was before I got pregnant with Aurora. One thing I have learnt though, no matter how much I weigh my body will always be different now. And that is fine. I’m slowly learning what looks good and what doesn’t and adding to my wardrobe one thrift store trip at a time! I’m so lazy about exercise though, which is probably what I should be doing, outside of making sure that I do at least 10,000 steps a day, so I need to get back into a regular Pilates routine. I would love to join a gym, especially because it would give me a few hours of “me” time a week, so hopefully in the near future!

Ah, I can’t believe another month has flown past, we have created new routines with our mornings in the park before the sun gets too hot and getting used to Cesar working in the evenings again (thankfully not every evening); I’m figuring out good times and bad times to try and get anything creative done, and also letting myself be inspired by all types of different things that I probably wouldn’t have in NYC. Taking photos and learning to crochet and exploring thoughts and places and ideas. It’s fun and helps me stay sane. With that I shall sign off and make dinner for us all, something light and colourful and hopefully delicious seeing as it is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit here again! Only two more months left of these monthly summaries for Aurora… My stomach already feels an empty pit with the speed at which these little ladies are growing… Make time stop a little please, just a moment here and there so I can make sure that I remember it all. 

Ramblings: Speech as a Milestone

Speech. Such a short word with huge connotations. We use speech every single day, a way to communicate, to express ourselves, to show emotion. So simple, but often so difficult. Before I had a child I would often consider speech a tough companion, because sometimes he was so easy to access, sometimes so hard, hanging out a few yards away waiting for me to stumble and wobble over, avoiding deep potholes that were always trying to trip me up. I would be so jealous of those who had no issues talking in public, or getting their point across to others.

Once I had my first child speech became a milestone, beginning in those little babbles that turned to “mama” and “dada” around 8 months, moving along to full words and then phrases a little bit later down the line. I spent my days talking and reading to a little baby who could only communicate with cries and babbles, hoping that it would all sink in and eventually turn into words flowing naturally from her mouth. I still talk and read to my kids all day long, a habit that I won't break until they demand me to.

When Luna turned one year old I expected to start hearing more than just mama, dada and "dat" (cat or dog depending on the animal, sometimes bird or squirrel). Instead we started to hear more and more tantrums, colourful moments of high pitched screams and streams of tears, snotty noses and sometimes so far as crying-induced vomit. A vocabulary that initially seemed so promising stalled and the eardrum piercing scream was perfected to a tee.

No matter how many talks we had, books we read or educational TV shows we watched, nothing changed. We used the excuse of being a bilingual family for a while, every time that people asked us why she wasn't talking, and were met with a few nods and a “ah ok that makes sense”. I told myself that my brother didn't start speaking properly until well past his second birthday and now he's studying towards his PhD, so there was nothing to worry about. I thought about how I am much more eloquent in writing than speech and that maybe it would all click into place for Luna one day.

Luna hit 18 months and then 21 and there still wasn't any improvement. The tantrums got worse, especially as she couldn't communicate all the mixed emotions that were running around her heart and mind, sharing her mummy with another baby, having to wait in turn to be nursed instead of just cuddling whenever she wanted. I found myself having to curb my frustration with her more and more frequently, and began to wonder if we should start seeing a speech therapist to help her through this. I began to feel completely inadequate as a parent, on the one hand wondering what I could have done differently or better, on the other thinking that maybe I was making too big of a deal out of it. Luna has always been strong willed and demanding, emotional and caring, maybe she would find her own way with our gentle guidance, one step at a time. I stopped reading milestone blogs and started just trying to communicate differently with her, calming her down before another tantrum would break out.

And then it happened. Not long before her second birthday she started to repeat words to us, and every day she says one, two or three more new words. At 26 months she can now string two or three words together, tell me she is hungry, tired, sick or thirsty, ask me for a hug or for milk, tell me she wants to read a book or watch Peppa or Elmo, say please and thank you, tell me she loves me, name her teddy bears and tell me what she wants to eat. She can count to five and say all of her colours (usually to the delight of everyone in the supermarket), and even surprises me by picking up one of her foam letters and telling me what it is. While she still has her tantrums and she's still as demanding as ever, we have noticed a significant drop in the screaming and a much higher willingness to take the time to express herself clearly. Every day she will say a new word out of the blue and it blows my mind - she WAS absorbing everything all along, just waiting for the right time.

So yes, I suppose speech is a milestone for a child, but Luna has taught me, in more ways than just speech, that patience is also a milestone to achieve at any age. Communication is not only the ability to speak but also the patience to listen and absorb. Language can often be a tricky thing, and when somebody has a big voice but no words to release it, other ways of expression need to be used. There are other ways of helping a child express themselves; you just need to find out which one, for some it may be sign language, others it may be through pointing or pictures. I realize how much more laid back and "go with the flow" I am now that I have a second child, but at the same time I really hope that she won't find it as difficult as Luna did... There were so many times that we were both in tears out of frustration and it hurts my heart still to think how hard it must have been for her. In the end I shouldn’t have worried so much about it, but it was hard not to when having to deal with upwards of 8 tantrums a day!

Ramblings: Aurora Vivienne's Ninth Month

For me, nine months always feels like a milestone of some sort, maybe because I carried both girls for nine plus months? In any case Aurora was nine months old this past weekend and she immediately appeared to be older, less of a baby, increasingly near that moment when we start to call our children “toddlers”. Only nine months ago she was this teeny tiny little being and now she is a big, happy child who moves around as fast as a dart and smiles more often than the Cheshire Cat. (I don’t know why he came up in the comparison but I’m just going to keep him there anyway!). Her next doctor appointment isn’t until next week, but I did weigh her myself this weekend and she clocks in at 22lbs now. So she’s not gaining as rapidly as before, but still gaining, which is totally normal seeing as she is (very) mobile nowadays.

Last month she was pulling herself up to a standing position, this month she started pulling herself around, cruising as they call it. She also seems to think that she can just stand up all by herself even though she’s not really steady on her feet without holding on to anything just yet. I really have to keep an eye out on where she is and what she is doing even when we are only a few feet away from each other because she seems to be intent on matching her sister in mobility as soon as possible. I won’t be surprised if she tries to walk well before her first birthday. We have always been a bit of a barefoot household (if I could live without shoes I would, although I am a little partial to my Docs), and Luna didn’t wear shoes until she started walking. But that was all during a NY winter, so she was usually bundled in her winter gear anyway when we were out. I want to find something for Aurora to wear that will be comfortable for her in the heat… A friend suggested little baby moccasins and I bought some from a seller on Amazon (which I’m not super excited about), but I would love some recommendations, especially any small stores if possible (while remaining affordable because I refuse to spend tons of money on baby wear). The majority of the clothes in our wardrobes come from thrift stores or are hand-me-downs, so I would also be more than happy to buy secondhand.

This month was also the first that Aurora called me “mama” while actually talking to be. Sometimes it’s a little hard to differentiate between the babbling and a real word, but this was definitely her calling me. Of course my heart melted over and over again. I can’t even begin to explain how hearing that word (even when Luna says it a million times a day) makes me feel: a mixture of pride, love, wonder and a little disbelief. Is that really me? Did I really create these amazing little humans?! I get that in the grand scheme of things being a mother is not anything hugely special, women become mothers every day all over the world, but becoming a mother has been very special for me, life changing even. I’ve never felt such as incredible pull towards life and love as I have since Luna’s birth. Nowadays I just find it easy to be ME.  So anyway, I could listen to them both calling me “mama” over and over again. I don’t mind if that turns into “mummy” and then “mum” over time, although I do have a special place in my heart for “mama”. It’s so universal, simple and beautiful.

I feel like I always mention how happy Aurora is, but it’s really an ongoing theme in her life: she just loves to smile! But her easygoing nature has made teething a lot harder to deal with than it was for Luna (in my opinion). Her teeth are giving her absolute hell! She has had four bottom teeth for well over a month now, and her four top teeth have been threatening to poke through for longer than that, and just haven’t yet. Her gums are so swollen, the poor little thing. I bet they are all going to come through at exactly the same time, as well as a few more on the bottom that I can see right below the surface of her gums. I give her Tylenol when it gets really bad, although I try to avoid too much, and have also started trying a teething necklace (we have a Baltic Wonder amber one), just to see if it helps. She usually gets irritated in the evenings, at bedtime, so I also think that part of the irritation has to do with the sudden heat wave that we are experiencing (in the high 90’s, low 100’s), and the fact that the hottest time of the day is usually 5 or 6pm here!  I’ve been drinking three plus liters of water a day as the girls are nursing around the clock. Poor thing, teething and heat are not great components for a good night’s sleep. (And guess what? I just finished typing that paragraph, went to nurse Aurora and saw that one of her top teeth must have broken through during the night, and the second is right behind it! Hallelujah!).

Writing about teeth automatically makes me think about food, and Aurora loves her food! She’s tried all types of things, has a preference for guacamole (who wouldn’t?!) and watermelon and has become quite adept with both pincer grasp and shoving food in by the fistful techniques. I gave her some cottage cheese and some yogurt a few weeks ago but she didn’t seem to tolerate those too well yet, so we will try again in a month or so. In the meantime she is having fun trying vegetables and fruit, rice and beans and a mix of everything altogether. As with Luna, I’m assuming Aurora will mostly be vegetarian, although I have no issues with them eating meat if they so choose. Cesar eats meat so they will have it around them, I just don’t cook it or even entertain the idea of eating it. I recently read an article that was telling women that it’s OK to nurse when you are vegetarian or vegan, and while I think the message was great, the tone of the piece basically assumed that these diets are “new” and that this information is new. I’ve been vegetarian for over 20 years now, had two healthy, full-term pregnancies and have been nursing kids for over two years now and never had an issue (on the contrary I’m healthier and stronger than I have ever been). Of course it’s perfectly healthy to nurse if you don’t eat meat, fish or even eggs and dairy! The same rules apply for all diets: eat enough and eat well, drink a ton of water and try to get enough rest. Nobody NEEDS meat in their diet, it’s just a personal preference. Anyway, before I go off on a tangent, the kids can choose how or what they eat, but I don’t cook meat or fish. And Aurora has been trying everything that I make and seems to enjoy everything! Maybe I will write an article on the subject at some point…

I’ve been taking a lot of photos with my Canon, going with my plan of only using the fully manual settings, and have been getting some lovely shots of the kids. Aurora’s nine month photo album is HERE, but in the coming weeks I shall be posting a separate album with recent portraits. I love capturing the girls playing together, those precious moments when they aren’t fighting or pushing each other, and actually really interacting. I love catching glimpses of what their relationship may develop into, slowly, over time.

In three short months Aurora will be a year old and we will have two toddlers. It’s incredible if you think about it… Three years ago I was bartending and managing a restaurant in NYC, now I am the mother of two in California. Life makes sharp turns and slow curves, and the ones I have taken in mine couldn’t have turned me into a happier being. And on that note, so long until next month when Aurora moves up into double digit months… <3

Oh, and I forgot to mention… Aurora now “dances”!! She sways back and forth with a huge smile on her face and it’s absolutely the cutest thing ever!

Ramblings: Aurora Vivienne's Eighth Month

This month's album is HERE.

Ahhh it feels like I only posted the last month’s summary yesterday!! It really does go by even faster the second time around… I try to capture everything like I did with Luna, but it’s a lot harder when you have a very demanding toddler needing your attention all of the time too. I had to reread the last post I wrote for Aurora to remember where we were last month and to see what had been accomplished over the past few weeks! We left off at her sitting unassisted and also pulling herself up into a plank kind of posture. Well a few days after I posted that entry she was actually started sitting up all by herself from any position, and crawling around like a little maniac! And then a few days after that she pulled herself up onto her knees and then her feet… So we now have an extremely mobile and fast little baby on our hands! Did I say little? I don’t really think that is a good way to describe her really. She’s huge!

Sometimes I wonder if it’s in what I eat because up until a week or so ago she was still nearly exclusively breastfed with a few spoons of other food here and there every day! She’s about 21 lbs now and over 28 inches long, so cuddly and big and full of chubs! I know it won’t last that long anymore and now that she’s so active she will probably slim down, so I’m making the most of it. She is however already quite a bit bigger than Luna was at 12 months (17lbs and 27in)! We have recently added another solid food feeding into the day, so she’s at two now, and I have also been giving her some little pieces of cereal and crackers now that she has stopped gagging on every mouthful. It took her a while to get used to eating anything other than breast milk, but she finally seems to be enjoying trying out different flavours and textures (and still has that amazing ability to find the tiniest crumb of something that Luna has dropped on the floor – the other day it was a piece of banana peel!). I’m probably going to add another feeding later this month with yoghurt and/or cottage cheese. To be honest I have found that however you go about it, as soon as the child reaches toddler age they become super picky anyway, so all I hope for is that we can at least instill a healthy relationship with food now, and then hope for the best later!

I don’t know if I have ever met a happier baby to be honest. While Luna would cry a lot, and sometimes it was hard to figure out why she was crying, with Aurora it’s easy. She cries when she’s hungry, tired or uncomfortable. Other than that she is pretty much constantly smiling. There is a lot less of the separation anxiety that Luna had at this age, and it is easier to settle her at night. She needs her regular sleeping pattern, and her regular nursing sessions, but other than that she is usually quite content playing with her toys and trying out new things like climbing and standing and balancing. Of course she does have her moments of irritability and crying, especially as she is constantly teething, but she seems to be able to smile through a lot of that too.

The other day Cesar picked her up when she woke up crying around 10pm and when I came walking back into the room her face lit up with a huge smile. There are some days when I feel like I am just one giant milk machine, and a smile like that makes me realize how I’m much, much more than that. I keep telling myself that this is not going to last very long and to try to slow time down until each minute lasts an hour. In a few years the girls will be off playing together, best friends, and those smiles may not be as spontaneous as they are now.

I don’t know if it’s a normal worry, or if I’m just silly, but I do sometimes worry that Aurora will feel left out at times… With Luna being a lot more demanding and Aurora being so laid back I worry that I will sometimes overlook Aurora’s more emotional needs at times. Of course I don’t WANT to, I just want to make sure she is as comfortable at expressing them as Luna is (and Luna is, very much so). Is that silly? Maybe I just think back to myself as a child, often hiding thoughts and feelings because I didn’t think they mattered… And I know that that is more of a personality trait rather than anything else, and there is not anything wrong with being more private. I don’t actually really know what I’m even getting at here! Maybe I just want to be able to always be there for them. I think that’s a very normal feeling. I asked my own mother yesterday if one ever stops worrying about one’s kids, and she said no, and then you start worrying about your grandkids too! I suppose the worry just becomes a little different with age. That said, the worries I had with Luna when she was a baby (is she getting enough milk? why won’t she ever sleep?!) were different with Aurora (how can I make sure she gets the same amount of attention I gave Luna when she was tiny?!). I suppose with “practice” and perspective things shift a little. I know I compare both kids a lot, and they ARE very different, both physically and personality-wise, and while this is completely normal it never ceases to amaze me. I think I’m just amazed at how two people can create two different beings.

Luna has my skin tone and dark hair, and Cesar’s eyes. Aurora has Cesar’s skin tone and lighter hair, but my eyes. Sometimes when I look at them together they look like twins, and other times they are definitely sisters, but also not the same. Aurora looked more like me during her first months, and now she looks like Cesar’s mini-me, and I bet that this will all change again over the next months. I love watching both sisters interact during the day, playing together then playing alone. Aurora explores every inch of a room, lifting carpets and peering under chairs and investigating all of the toys that Luna discards. She squeals in excitement and is practicing her vocal abilities, she has even said “mama” a few times while looking straight at me, but I don’t think it really means anything yet. Well, of course I do, but I’m also aware that she’s just learning how to make noises!

I’m going to try to post this now as it’s taken a few days to write (two very needy and clingy children this past week!) and otherwise I will never finish it. I’m so glad that I already sorted and uploaded the photos. Next month Aurora will be 9 months old and will be weighed and measured again, and will most likely be taking her first steps unassisted if she continues along this path (cue wide-eyed emoticon). Or maybe she will slow down and take a month off trying to be a toddler… Who knows, every day is a surprise with this little girl!

Ramblings: Luna Marlena's Two Year Summary

The latest photo album is up on Flickr HERE.

It’s hard to start from where I left off three months ago as these past few months feel like a mini lifetime really! Three months ago we were prepping for our move across the country and I could tell that Luna was really feeling all of the changes. She has always been very sensitive to change, whether it is physical, mental or emotional so there was no way that she was going to go through a cross-country move without issue. Thinking about it now the poor kid had a couple of life-changing events happen within 6 or so months of each other, first the arrival of a little sister, then a move. Neither of the events being traumatizing of course, just a bit of an upheaval in the world that must have seemed a lot simpler before!

Ah, two years old… A milestone for Luna and for us too! No longer a baby, but a child, growing so fast and changing on a daily basis. I remember writing about some of the everyday difficulties of raising a high needs baby and toddler back in January, and also mentioning how communication is the key to helping a toddler avoid a tantrum. And it’s very true – I have found that once Luna actually started speaking real words we actually noticed a significant decline in her tantrums and outbursts. Not that they have stopped happening, but there are so many more times when I can actually talk her out of a pending eardrum-shattering scream. It all kind of clicked a month or so ago and now words are pouring out, things that I don’t even remember teaching her but that she picked up somewhere along the way. It’s a whole new world for us all and so much fun! Like when she opened a box of toys and exclaimed “oh my god!” in my voice, or when I ask her what she wants to wear and she responds “pink!”. She can now tell us that she wants her auntie to come back and that she wants to watch Peppa Pig, or that she wants to go to the park, or drink water, or eat a cookie. We have a long road ahead of us of course, but I’m so happy that we are seeing some progress!

We had Luna’s two year well child check-up this week and for the first time in, well, ever, she let the doctor examine her without screaming. We have obviously changed doctors and Luna’s new doctor listened to my concerns about her not handling doctor’s appointments very well and was so gentle and attentive that she actually stayed calm. She wasn’t so calm for the weighing and measuring portion of the check up, and the assistant wasn’t very helpful, so we ended up getting a measurement that was way too high (35.5 inches long!), but her weight was about right (I weigh her with me at home). In any case she now weighs a little less than 25 lbs and measures just over 33 inches. She’s not a tiny toddler anymore! But she is definitely still very much underweight and we have to go in for some routine and not so routine blood work just to rule out any thyroid or blood sugar issues. But, as the doctor said, it is most likely just the way she is and we aren’t worrying about it. She’s shot up over the past few months and although she’s so picky about her food, she still nurses around the clock, so I know she’s getting the nourishment she needs. She definitely has more than enough energy anyway!

As you can probably see from the photos Luna has beautiful curls, and I have had a hard time working out what to do to keep them from becoming a tangled mess. Combing them out has always been a nightmare, and even when I tie her hair back it is still all knotty when she wakes up in the morning! After one particularly horrid combing out process where I had to actually leave globs of hair conditioner in it for an hour and then comb it out amidst bribes of going to the park with cookies if she let me finish, I realised that I needed to brush it without fail every day, even if she screamed… But now it is long enough to be braided and it has changed our lives. One or two braids before bed and no more knots! And it looks so cute too, my little Pippi Longstocking! It’s amazing how fast baby hair grows too - it will be all the way down her back by her next birthday. I had long, long hair for most of my youth, and even though it annoyed me in my later teens, I definitely don’t regret it now. Of course we are going to have to cut her hair at some point, and if she wants short hair then she will have short hair, but I am totally going to have fun with it before that happens!

Talking about birthdays… I am really happy with how this one went! I made a pink cake with white frosting and drew a big goth Peppa Pig on it in black and pink icing. I used to love baking cakes for birthdays and realised how much fun it was again. There I was, all alone in the kitchen giggling to myself at 11pm while everyone was sleeping, drawing this ginormous Peppa Pig on a cake. And it actually turned out OK as she recognized Peppa! For once I didn’t feel like I had failed on the whole Pinterest worthy mummy thing (ah who am I kidding, I couldn’t care less about all that!). Cesar and I put her little red tricycle together and added an old-fashioned horn to it (regrettable addition if you value your ears). I snuck out in the morning with my mother and got some balloons and treats and we had a little birthday party for Luna when Cesar came home from work, including of mini burritos made of her favourite foods: cheetos, guacamole and black beans. She also had a surprise visit from all of her new friends who sang Happy Birthday to her. She took everything surprisingly well, no tears and a lot of laughter, even though she was a little overwhelmed at times! My mother always used to make sure we had lovely birthdays so I hope I can pass that along to my little ones. Especially my cake decorating skills! (Kidding).

I’m very proud of how Luna has worked her way through all of the changes over the past few months. Yes, children are adaptable beings, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always easy! Going from being with her mummy 24/7 to having to share that time with a little baby, and then having more people around her hasn’t been a picnic in the park for her. But she seems to be navigating through it all quite well. Yes, she still has some pretty epic tantrums, and yes she does get upset and even aggressive if Aurora dares to touch her toys, but those moments are also peppered with happy, sweet and adorable times of play and hugs and conversations. She is now learning how to deal with the fact that Aurora can move around all by herself (and very fast too), so the concept of sharing is becoming more of a reality. “NOOOOOOO BEEBEE” has become a constant phrase in this family, either followed by her patting Aurora on the head affectionately or kicking her in the chest. I’m sure they will learn to play together one day. It won’t be much longer before Aurora is the same size as Luna anyway, and with the way she is intent on standing up and walking, they will be running around together before long!

It’s been wonderful to see her get to know her Grandma and Auntie on a day to day basis (and this goes for everyone really). I didn’t realize how much we were all missing having family close by until we moved. I think Luna will always take a little time to get used to “new” people, and it takes a while for her to be completely comfortable, but once she is she doesn’t forget! I was also able to leave her with our friend Tiffany for a few hours while I went to the dentist, and she only cried a little when I left. And while we did have very supportive friends back in NYC, it really does make life a little easier having family close here. And of course it’s so heartwarming to know that my kids will grow up having their grandma, aunties and uncle close by.

And now for the next steps on the journey, actively moving towards full potty training (she’s in pull-ups and knows what a potty is so I just now have to encourage the use of it), learning the alphabet and building up Luna’s vocabulary. Possibly even getting her nursing sessions down to a couple a day for my own sanity. We are currently reading The BFG together and it reminds me of how obsessed my little brother was with it when he was young. It’s like revisiting an old, old friend. Reading all of my old favourite children books, Dahl and Blyton amongst others has been inspiring me to take those ideas I had when Luna was born and really do something about it!

So… I’ve been writing these posts for two years now, and I have found that what I have created is better than any baby book, and will therefore be making a book for each child out of each post, including the photos. But this also means that, apart from yearly posts, from now on I will not be posting on a regular monthly or every three month basis for Luna anymore, but more on a random basis, after a big milestone or change, or just because I feel like it. It feels so bittersweet, looking back on the past two years, remembering the blur of those first few months, never sleeping, ever, watching her grow and change and become this little being who is so unique and special. This won’t ever stop of course, but sometimes I would love to stop time for just a little bit and hold these moments for a little bit longer.

Ramblings: No more two under two!

A few days ago Luna turned 2 years old and that was also the last time I could say that we had two children under two. I use the word "whirlwind" a lot and I can say that the past three years have been a bit of one, but paradoxically they have also been a time of intense calm for me. Peace even (within, because that word has sadly nothing in common with the world that we live in today).

I used to rush through the days, packing in as much as possible, looking to always experience and learn and taste and feel. There was no time to spend doing "nothing", days spent in bed or on the couch watching TV resulted in a feeling of guilt. Guilt that I was missing out, guilt that being too hungover to move was a terrible way to spend one's short life. There was always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to see. I would rack up the hours at work on purpose, just to make myself feel useful. I would even thrive on the feeling of being overwhelmed. There was something satisfying with getting through an endless list of tasks that needed to be done simultaneously. Every so often I would stop and think about slowing down, but a day or two later I was back at it; "down time" was spent running from bar to bar, or running around trying to accomplish something or other, often left open ended when I lost interest.

These days I sometimes regret that I didn't pursue my writing and photography more during all those nights and days I spent either working or stressing about work or in a bar, or even just watching crap on TV, or even all those moments when I was reading 2 or 3 books at a time. Nowadays I cherish those moments when I have the time, like this, to write a few words down, the beginning of an article, an open ended letter, a stream of consciousness type rambling of words. But while I sometimes wish that I did have a little more time, it's all so worth it. Having kids or being a parent may not be for everyone, but it has been wonderful for me. More than that, it has been extraordinary and life-changing. The moment Luna was placed in my arms I knew that I had to live up to the person she needed me to be. And I've probably already failed a million times, but I will continue to strive to be better and better. Motherhood came completely naturally, so much that I couldn't wait to add another little being to our clan. Aurora just slid naturally into our arms and our lives, taking over our hearts just as much as her sister did. Going from one to two was actually slightly easier than going from none to one. Although each baby is completely different there are less of those new mama fears and worries when it comes to the second. I also had a much easier recovery from Aurora’s birth, so that also has a lot to do with it.

That said, it has in no shape or form been easy. I still think that we were slightly (completely) insane to even consider having children so close together. Luna was only 8 months old when I found out I was pregnant with Aurora, and they are only 16 and a half months apart. This basically means that for 7 months we had two children under two. Luna has never slept through the night and still wakes up multiple times. Aurora slept for 6 hours in a row from about two weeks onwards but around 3.5 months decided that just wasn’t fun and now also wakes up multiple times during the night. Neither have ever slept in the lovely crib that is at the end of the bed, well not really anyway, and I spend a lot of the night turning between the two of them to nurse them back to sleep. But you know what? It’s OK. I’ve found that unless people know my kids they tend to think that I am exaggerating so I don’t bother to say much anymore. We’ve had an extremely tough time with Luna, but at the same time I know that she feels secure and loved. All of the sleepless nights and battles and tantrums are worth it. I mean, how long is it really going to last anyway? How many sleepless nights did I have of my own accord, either by drinking them away in a bar or by stressing out about things that were never really that important in the long run anyway? THIS is important. Our children are important. And maybe I am just a big softie but that’s OK, because now isn’t the time for real tough love.

I’ve read enough articles and internet comments to know that everyone has their own stance on parenting, whether they are based on their own upbringing or their own experience, and most people feel very strongly about their own opinions. I learnt a long time ago to not listen to any of that. As a mother (or father) only you really know the best way to raise your child, what works for all of you and no one should be able to tell you any different. With motherhood comes a lot of insecurities and some people seem to thrive on making new mothers feel like they are doing the wrong thing. That’s why it is so important to find that support group, whether it be your partner, extended family or friends, people who listen, help and only offer advice when asked. I can’t even tell you the amount of times I heard “just leave her to cry for a bit” or “wean her now otherwise she will still be nursing whenever she needs some comfort”. Those phrases tend to make even the strongest of people wonder if they have made a mistake and are raising their children to become “entitled brats”. I don’t know how loving a baby computes into raising an entitled brat, but there is a huge difference in picking a small infant up when they cry and doing an 8 year old’s homework for him or her. Ah I could rant about this forever! All that to say less judgment and more compassion would probably help a lot of new parents feel more confident about their decisions!

Ah, those first weeks were full of changes and restlessness. Luna had a hard time accepting her sibling, which for a 17 month old is pretty normal. If you combine separation anxiety and the inability to communicate your wants and needs effectively the result is often multiple and pretty epic tantrums. I felt a lot of guilt during those weeks, guilt that I was somehow ruining one child’s early years by forcing another child onto her. Even today, nearly 8 months later, there are moments when I feel that I don’t spend enough one on one time with Luna anymore, or quite the opposite, that Aurora is getting the short end of the stick because Luna is just so demanding. And then for 5 perfect minutes in a day they will both “play” together around a pile of Lego, before Luna decides that Aurora cannot touch her toys or Aurora knocks down a tower that Luna has painstakingly built. But during those 5 minutes I know that it is all worth it.

I found it hard to juggle a needy toddler, a newborn and my freelance writing career. I couldn’t concentrate on anything for more than 5 minutes, even during the evening or night hours when the children were finally sleeping. It’s still hard, and most articles that I write have taken one, two or even five days to write and post. Anyone who says that by working at home they are able to be 100% there all the time for their kids is lying. When I am writing, I am concentrating about 50% on my writing and 50% on what my girls are doing. And usually have to drop the former for the latter, because that’s just the way things are for now. It’s hard to find time to actually talk to your partner about anything, and communication is absolute key in a relationship. Sometimes I look at the clock and am so excited about Cesar coming home from work so I can actually spend 5 minutes by myself in the loo, but then I remember that he has been out at work all day, dealing with a busy, often crazy, job and also needs a time out. There isn’t always a balance and some days I feel like I am hanging from a thread… But then there will always be a miraculous moment of joy that brings everything back together again. A kiss, a new word, a milestone, dinner made for me or even just 30 minutes to get my thoughts down on paper. A beautiful flower in the breeze, a quiet walk in the park, an hour to listen to an album on my headphones, one or both of the girls sleeping longer than 2 hours in a row. A shower by myself! Most days I have both in the bathroom with me while I try to look decent – but I am proud of the fact that I have never gone a day without showering (the bathroom is set up with kid seats and toys for this purpose). So I suppose I can complain about not sleeping but never about not being able to shower!

All in all the tough moments are always outweighed by the wonderful ones. Seeing my children interact with each other, all of the moments of affection, the “I love you”s, the times when both children are sleeping peacefully together and Cesar and I can talk and laugh about how beautiful they are and how much we love them, running around the park, seeing them interact with their grandmother and aunties and old friends and new friends… If you asked me if I would do it over again if I had the choice I wouldn’t even hesitate a second to say yes. If you asked me if I would do it again with another child I would probably say no, not so close together. Two this close is doable, three would be tough on us all. There needs to be at least a year or two between Aurora and another one. Tandem nursing is tough enough (mainly because Luna nurses as much as, or even more than Aurora), there is no way on earth that I want to be nursing three children of different ages in the near or far future!

I don’t regret how I lived my life before having kids, but I sure as hell don’t regret living my life as I do now. I’m so in love with my life, and with my little family, and feel like I can finally imagine a future that makes complete sense to me, and to my family. And I hope that one day when the girls are fighting about a pair of jeans or a CD (haha) that they don’t hate us too much for having them so closely together!

Ramblings: Aurora Vivienne's Seventh Month

This month's album is HERE.

Oh my where do I even start? Maybe with the fact that Aurora is already 7 months old and I don’t know where the time has gone. Only a few days ago she was this long, skinny little being with huge eyes looking up at me, and now she is suddenly this big, chunky baby with two teeth, a beautiful smile and some fabulous plank moves that would make even the most hardcore trainer proud! We went for her 6 month well baby appointment a few days after she turned 6 months and she weighed in at 20.2 pounds with 27.5 inches in length. And then she went through yet another growth spurt because she seems to have grown longer again! She’s wearing all of Luna’s clothes that she was wearing last summer so it really won’t be long before they are both wearing the same size. It’s a little strange though, because all the 12-18 month sizes we have are more for toddler wear than baby wear so we have been trawling the thrift store for more items! It’s interesting having a child in the 95+ percentiles after having a teeny tiny one – especially as weight-wise they were practically the same at birth. I’m very, very happy with the pediatrician’s office we chose for the girls. They are efficient, super friendly, great with kids and they are also totally onboard with everything that we practice (exclusive breastfeeding until at least 6 months, “extended” breastfeeding, slow introduction of solids etc). Then again Aurora is a happy, healthy and chunky baby so it’s not like they are going to start telling me to do something different. The real pediatrician test will come later this month when I have to take Luna, who despite having had many doctors and cardiologist visits is terrified of the doctor’s office. Dreading that already.

So, two teeth already! The bottom middle ones have pushed through and it still seems to surprise her as she keeps touching them with her fingers and tongue. I think the next two will be out within the next month and teething has been a bit of an arduous process up until now. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Aurora has rarely been a fussy child, so fussiness is a pretty new occurrence. Luna was often fussy, so I didn’t really notice the difference between teething fussy and the regular grumpiness. Teething coupled with frustration at not being able to move fast enough result in an often less than happy baby, but one who still smiles as soon as you say her name! It is therefore always a pretty temporary state, one that is quickly pushed away with a change of scenery.

The frustration is at the highest level these days though! Over the past month Aurora has perfected the art of rolling across the entire room, but got bored of that pretty fast. Then she figured out how to get up on all fours, and then how to do the plank. She hasn’t yet worked out how to actually move forward, but she does crawl backwards, so I suppose that’s one way of getting about! She just tends to back herself into a wall or a chair and gets stuck there, which is funny and endearing and obviously highly annoying for her. She now sits unassisted without an issue, plays with her toys, is able to grab anything that is out of reach and has nearly worked out how to actually sit up all by herself. I already know that within the next few weeks she will be crawling and maybe even pulling herself up, as Luna did, and I keep wondering how it all went by this fast. I keep having to tell myself to enjoy each moment and to not be worried about capturing them all, as that would be impossible. Luna will be two in a week or so, and Aurora is already 7 months old and it doesn’t seem that far away that I had just found out I was pregnant with Luna! It’s pretty insane really!

I’ve always noticed how Aurora loves to get Luna’s attention, but nowadays she really goes out of her way to try to play with her, as much as babies play anyway. She pulls her hair a lot more than she pulls mine (possibly because Luna tends to put her head within Aurora’s reach), tries to pull toys out of her hand and “talks” to her all the time. Depending on her mood, Luna will be patient and playful or grumpy and slightly aggressive, so we are constantly hovering slightly to make sure Aurora doesn’t get shoved around too much. Then again she’s only 4 pounds lighter than her older sister so she will be holding her own pretty soon. Especially with the way she wants to be up and about like her sister already! I bet she will be an early walker!

We started Aurora on solids a few weeks ago, about a week into her seventh month. She’s had mashed avocado, pureed peas and carrots (I wish I had had the small bullet attachment when Luna was little, it makes blending anything so much easier!), pear, banana and apple for now. I have also found the following in her mouth at different times: chocolate chip cookie, goldfish, peanut butter and toast and whole milk. Oh and a piece of Easter egg! Luna tends to drop food on the floor when she is no longer interested in it, and Aurora just seems to sweep it up and shove it in her mouth! This has lead to me being a lot stricter about checking the carpet for discarded toast, cookies and goldfish as I have a huge fear of one of my kids choking. Cesar had to sweep a piece of food from the back of her throat the other day and I found her gumming on a wad of paper in her mouth a few days after that! At least we now know that she doesn’t have any peanut allergies or lactose intolerances though I suppose ha! On the other hand she’s not all THAT interested in eating foods, she will have less than a spoon at a time and gags a lot, so I’m not pushing it much. Once, twice a day for now.

So there we are, another month has flown by, and I feel like I can’t even keep track of everything properly anymore! Where did my teeny little smiling baby go?! She’s now this big child who can sit up and move around, say mamamamama!, hold out her arms for me to pick her up, and doesn’t like it when I leave the room. Cesar sometimes asks why I take so many photos, but I can’t help it, I want to capture their expressions and their faces and their moments because they don’t linger. Luna already looks so different to what she did a year ago! Aurora already doesn’t look anything like the newborn baby she was 7 months ago. I love looking back at all of the photos my mother took of us all growing up. Maybe one day my girls will like to go through theirs too.