of wishes and photos and house guests

I took Preston for his 4-week appointment this morning and got the news that I was kind of expecting. He’s grown. He is now 12 lbs 3 oz and 23 inches long. Noah is getting his wish for a linebacker. He couldn’t be more proud.

Dr. N told me that I probably wouldn’t be able to keep up with Preston for long and that he’d have to start solids early. (I’m eating about three times as much as I did when I was pregnant (which was hardly anything) and I’m losing weight. That boy takes a lot out of me.) The girls both started small amounts of solids at five months, but Dr. N said that he’s just hoping that Preston holds out until at least three months. Other than his weight and length, he’s where he should be in the other 4-week areas too — holding his head up (which he’s done very well since the moment he was born), following the light with his eyes, startling at loud noises, and filling diapers like a champ.

I’ve been getting the “He’s huge!” “He’s SO big!” “Wow! Did you deliver him naturally?” “HOW did you do that?” comments since the moment he was born (my doctor and the nurses actually made me laugh out loud) and they really haven’t bothered me, besides a couple people who should think BEFORE they speak.

Preston is quite the demanding baby, which, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. I enjoy caring for him. But, since he takes a lot of my time, Liliana has been feeling neglected. She’s been more defiant, high-energy, emotional, and demanding than she usually is. Her independence has regressed and she now wants “help” with nearly everything. She’s still her talkative, extremely outgoing self, though.

At the doctor’s office this morning, she was chatting it up with an old Asian man. She’d grab a random interior decorating magazine and ask him if he’d ever built a house before and did it have a kitchen? When our appointment was over and I was back in the waiting room putting Preston in his carseat, Liliana was talking to another guy in the waiting room who told me that Lili reminded him of his great-granddaughter and then said something about her being very busy. Um, that would be an understatement.

Liliana’s birthday was two weeks ago. She turned four.

Unlike me, this girl LOVES her birthday and LOVES having all the attention on her.

She’s been asking every day since, “When is it my birthday?”

I hesitate to tell you this, but Preston is a great night sleeper. I usually give him his last feeding between 7pm and 8pm, and then he sleeps until 1am or 2am. I love this, as it gives Noah and I a kid-free evening together to do exciting things like dishes and laundry. Or sometimes watch Bones or playoff hockey. (Go Canucks!) (Don’t tell Noah I said that!)

He’s not so much for sleeping in his own bed, but during this five- to six-hour period, he’s usually in his own bed. Last night I actually got him back into his own bed after his 2am feeding and he was in there until 6am. It was FABULOUS. During the day, though, he’s not so much for sleeping.

Some days, like today, he’ll do GREAT and he’ll run 3-hour eat, wake, sleep cycles. Days like today are good days. Then there are days where he’ll run 2-hour eat, cry, eat cycles. Those ones aren’t as fun and are hard on the arms and back.

Kaylie had a week off school at the end of April and it was gorgeous out. We hit up the park at least three days that week.

I don’t think we’ve been there in the month of May yet, I must remedy that.

Although we miss having a pool in our backyard, it is really great to have a park and a sprayground just down the street.

I’ve been trying to get the kids outside more lately, away from the TV. With a rough pregnancy and then a newborn, they’ve had an overabundance of TV and I want it to stop. We got the trampoline set up a couple weeks ago, so that’s been helpful.

Since Liliana stopped napping a bazillion years ago, she’s been having Quiet Time instead from about 1pm to 3pm every afternoon.

She’s been asking, since Preston was born, “Can the baby come with me to Quiet Time?” I let Preston go in there, once, with both the girls and they LOVED it. There’s no way I’m leaving Liliana and Preston in the same room though. I don’t quite trust her. She’s been totally great with him so far, but I’m not quite at the point where I’m going to leave the two together unsupervised.

My sister was here this weekend and it was SO good to see her. All four of us siblings get along famously now that we’re all growed up. The three others got to be together yesterday and I’m pretty jealous that I didn’t get to be there.

Her visit was short, just under 48 hours, but it was a good one. She’s moving to the BC lower mainland in the fall, so hopefully I can make it down there at least once during her school year. Flying to Vancouver is MUCH cheaper than flying up to Terrace.

Maybe next time you come, Erica, Liliana will stop calling you Auntie Tali.

May is full of guests (which is awesome), the next of which comes tomorrow. Can’t wait to see you, Meg!!

Filed under: Kaylie, Liliana, Preston, family, milestones