Grabby

That's what I'm thinking as I write this (short) post. Max is sitting with me crumpling up paper and grabbing for anything within his reach. Maggie is under the weather and went down early poor girl (passed out on my lap after her favorite - chicken and stars soup). Max is recovering from being under the weather and just woke up and it's almost 7 pm. Should be an interesting night. Today was the longest day ever with the kids and part of that is we didn't do much because of long naps. This whole week has been like that. But I'm also remembering to cherish the extra snuggles and to be nice. Maggie gets super sweet when she's sick, it's cute. But the coughing, coughing, coughing isn't so cute.

Max has started scooting a little. I'll put him down on a blanket and he prefers his stomach now. A few minutes later I'll look over and he's in a different spot. He's mostly rotating on his stomach but trying to pull those chubby legs up all the while. He's also babbling more and it sounds like he's saying "dada" in one long sentence amomg other babble.

Maggie's back up. Time for tylenol. Let the games begin :-)

One...no two!

I really can't keep up with his milestones. Last week was Max's 4 month well-baby check. He weighed just over 17 lbs, which put him in the 90th percentile still and his height was way over 100%. Have I said that Max reminds me of my side of the family, especially my dad?

This week Max's naps were a bit off and he was a bit more cranky. I've been thinking teething for a long time because of the knawing and drooling but you never know when they'll actually pop through. Yeah, 2 bottom teeth popped through. Nuts! Little Miss Maggie got her firsts at 9 months and her weight and height has always been so petite. Having two different kids is fun!



Best buds

Seen and heard:

Maggie: "Mom, did you know alligators eat trees?" Me: "Where did you learn that?" Maggie: "I just did." Oh, ok. Guess I can't argue with that. We have a lot of these conversations. I just love everything coming out of her mouth.

Somehow I fit in a few hours of learning how to can plum jam last weekend. I've been giving away so many plums and it barely makes a dent. I trippled the jam recipe and after it didn't gell to my liking, I read the fine print that said when you do that, it's hard to reach a gelling point. Next time I'm prepared with a candy thermometer and certain temp to reach courtesy of a fellow canner. I have 8 pints of sugary jam/syrup. It's pretty good and a beautiful garnet color. I had it over some limencello ice cream I made and yeah, that was super yum. Put it over waffles this morning :-)

Next up - savory plum sauce (with ginger, brown sugar) that I'm envisioning over meat during the winter. Maybe some tomato chili sauce or marinara sauce if I can get enough tomatoes saved up and the timing to can them right.

Flashback! Max's Birth

I'm flashing back 4 months. I started this blog after Maggie was born and I was excited to share Maggie's story then. Now it's Max's turn.

After this post, it was Easter Sunday and my contractions decided to stay steady, about 3-5 minutes apart, but all day they were mild. I didn't have to breathe through them but I wanted to be home taking time to relax and focus. Hubby took Maggie to his parents for brunch and I stayed home and ate, knit, and watched this movie. It was perfect. I had forgotten that the main character was named Max. I took it as a sign.

Maximillian is the full name I wanted early on in my pregnancy (and prior when Maggie was a he/she in utero) but hubby thought it was too strong or something. He'd joke that in order to have a son with that name we'd need to be living in a castle as a royal family. It wasn't until after Max was born that we decided on his full name. We knew it was going to be Max, but Maximillian or Maxson? We went with Maxson. If not Maximillian, this was a good substitute. Unique and we could agree.

**Side note: I hear Maximillian slip? out of people's mouths though when they are with Max so maybe that name will always be around? Hmm...

My mild contractions stayed steady through the night and woke me up a couple times but I was able to fall back asleep each time. When I woke up Monday morning, I knew it was "the day". My sister, who had been waiting fervently for this day to come, was in touch and came over to help with whatever I needed. As the morning progressed, my contractions got stronger but I was still able to function, eat, take a shower and dress, and hug my little girl in the sunshine.

By the time Maggie had to go to gym class, it was clear I shouldn't leave the house but I was still talking like I could do errands and was telling hubby not to come home from work yet. I became focused on having the perfect candle for the birth and then panicked because the one I wanted was all used up and I wanted a replacement, pronto! I was thinking I could run out and get it but nope, that didn't happen. My mom stopped at the salon on her way over to bring me this beloved candle, but they were closed. Funny what I focus on in those final hours.

My sister took Maggie to gym and brought home thai food for a late lunch. By the time she got home around 2 pm, my midwives had come and gone after blowing up the new tub (see below - in my opinion, so much better than the horse trough!) and doing some other prepping for the birth. Hubby had just gotten home too. He knew it was time more than I was willing to admit. We talked on the phone as he was driving home and I had to stop and breathe through a strong contraction. He made fun of me later for this because I was still saying on the phone that he shouldn't come home yet because my contractions weren't strong enough.

Maggie fell asleep for a nap after lunch and my sister, Michael, and I hung out together in my living room having some good laughs as my contractions ramped up in strength. She and I had a glass of white wine (midwife recommended :-) and then I took an epsom salt bath to relax with hubby by my side. These were the hours leading up to my active labor. Around 4 pm, my sister called my mom to have her leave work at my dad's furniture store and come over. By the time my mom arrived, somewhere between 5 and 6 pm, I was in my bikini top and yoga pants walking through the house breathing through my contractions and really focusing, relying heavily on my sister and Michael for support. The midwives arrived and filled up the tub. By 6, I was in the tub and in full labor.

While I labored in my bedroom in a calm atmosphere, Maggie had woken up and would come in occasionally, whispering and being so cute, but she also spent time with my mom and sister in the other parts of the house proceeding on like normal - eating dinner, watching her shows, and having things explained to her about what was going on. She was a trooper and so excited to meet her brother.
My labor progressed fast, much faster than my labor with Maggie. I knew that as I was in it, but it just suprised me overall. I was more aware during Max's birth because it didn't take as much out of me, but I was still tired in between contractions and remember falling asleep a time or two. The first time I was checked after getting in the tub, I was a 6 and that was encouraging. By 8:30 I was ready to push and my midwives said from the time I was ready to the time he arrived, it took me 20 minutes. I remember thinking that I didn't want this to go into the night (like past midnight because it went waaaay past that with Maggie) but was mentally preparing for something longer since that was all I knew. But just like that, my midwife would say something or do something like put on gloves and change positions and the next thing I knew I was in transition and Max was born! It was 9 pm on the dot. Born April 9. Weight? 9# exactly!

A friend asked me after Max's birth if it was anything like Maggie's. It was in that they were both born at home in the water with the same midwives and people surrounding me, but in many ways Max's birth was easier and more enjoyable simply because I'd done it once before. I knew what to expect with labor and delivery, it was much shorter, I knew how to handle the contractions better, I loved the new tub (so comfortable), hubby was more relaxed, Maggie made the experience sweeter just by being there, and I just felt better prepared all around.  

Max came out wailing and the midwives commented that he had a strong set of lungs. He started nursing right away and he was really aware, opening up his hands as you can see in this picture (not clenching them), which the midwives said was also a good sign that he was comfortable/not scared in his big new surroundings. Foretelling signs of his strong personality? He was born a few days before my mom's birthday. He's an Aries like my mom and mother-in-law.

Read this birth story for more fun. It's wonderful and so similar to mine. Very thankful for homebirths and great birth stories.

Q&A: Maggie (3 yrs, 4 months)

How old are you? Three (pronounced correctly, recently it was "free")

Who do you like to play with most? Ede (Eden)

What is your favorite toy? Barbies (back story: this has been a struggle for me letting her play with barbies and all they represent but I'm letting go. The day before Max was born, we were given barbie hand-me-downs and I was hormonal and frustrated that she loved them so much because shouldn't she be older when that happens? I digress...I found a common ground today - the barbies are played with outside and stored in the outdoor toy storage)

Where is your favorite place to go? Hawaii (we talk about it a lot and I had just told her a lobster story, but she's been once @ 11 mo)
Why? Because I love to play with Ruby and Atticus, a baby doll, and tea party (these are her memories from them visiting over Christmas)

Are you happy to have a brother? Yeah (but) I like to play with AJ (she is going to have a playdate with him today but she loves AJ!)

What is your favorite show? DocMcStuffins

What is your favorite thing about learning to swim? Jumping to teachers

What do you like to wear the most? Rainbow jammies, rainbow dress, and purple dress (one from Nana)

What is your favorite color? Pink, blue, and purple

What is your favorite song? "Stuck like glue" - Sugarland

What is your favorite food? Grains (harvest grains from TJ's), black olives, and star soup (chicken and star soup)

What is your favorite animal? Pigs (of course!)
Why? 'cause they are. I like to hold little baby pigs like Maxy (while smothering him with XOXO).


And there you have it, in the moment and out of the mouth of a three year old!

Elephant hearts and torte

We are blessed with an elephant heart plum tree in our backyard. This year, we've got a crazy amount of plums. I'm considering canning but I would need to quickly teach myself on that. Last weekend I made our family's recipe for plum torte. Not sure where it came from, but it's easy and yummy. Our plums are still a little tart so it's a nice balance with the sugar. I love how you simply lay the plums on top of the batter and the cooking process does all the work!


Plum torte

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
Plums (halved), enough to cover top (6-10, depends on size)

Topping:
sugar
lemon juice
cinnamon

Cream sugar and butter until light. Add baking powder, eggs, flour, and salt. Beat well. Spoon batter into a greased baking dish (I use a pyrex glass pie dish). Cover with plums, skin side up. Sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, then cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I should have taken a picture of the torte...you just have to trust me it's good :-)

More comparisons

While pumping at work, I was sitting there thankful for how much things have changed. This time, I arrived my first day back ready for it all and above all, confident and not stressed. I had my pumping backpack loaded with all the needed accessories, including a baby powder-smelling diaper and 2 little photos of Max for helping with let down. The designated pumping room was already in place and available for us moms (last time I had to ask that one be designated and spent about the first month back pumping in our locking bathroom which was a bit awkward). My co-worker, who had her daughter just before me, is also pumping and we had our first "pumping party" last week. Goofy, I know...you should have seen us. I have the hand me downs my friends gave me...lots of storage bags and the double pumping bra. For you ladies out there that need to pump at work or wherever else, the double pumping bra is essential, as is double pumping. It makes pumping so much more efficient. I only need to take time twice a day at the most and you can do it hands free for the most part (think texting/phone calls/internet/etc). I can't believe I didn't do this last time.

Looking back, I remember feeling anxious, stressed, crying too often, and as a result I had pumping problems that eventually got worked out, but that time involved lots of panicky phone calls, a trip to the Sutter Lactation Station where I had an impromptu therapy session with the lactation consultant, and having my in-laws bring me pump parts mid-day. This, along with everything else that comes with being a first time parent, made things harder to function normally but I also remember all the good stuff too.

I just feel so much more relaxed this time around and am thankful that my sweet Maggie helped paved the way for baby Max.