It has been weeks since we have given an update. We have had the best intentions but blogging seems to always be in competition with sleep and sleep inevitably wins!
Life with Levi has been a rollercoaster. More accurately life with Levi and Naomi has been a rollercoaster. We have had our good days and our bad days and we are still attempting to figure our life with 2 children.
Levi is very healthy! At his last pediatrician appointment (6/21) he weighed in at 10.5 pounds. His labs were taken that same week and it would seem that his bilirubin and THS levels have gone down. It was the pediatricians opinion that by his 4 month appointment these levels should be in the normal range and that the continued elevation was strictly due to prematurity! This means that we have a 6+ week break from doctor visits!
We have noticed that life with Levi has been a HUGE adjustment! Balancing feeding Levi, feeding Naomi, naps, and playtime with big sister has been a challenge that I have yet to master. Levi, while a joy, is a VERY different baby than Naomi was. For the first few weeks of life he was fussy whenever he was awake. This meant he was constantly in someone's arms and even then usually screaming. Levi is also very sensitive to noise. It is extremely difficult for him to sleep if we are at the park of driving in the car. He is only restful when it is quiet around him. The one area that Levi and Naomi are alike as babies is that they both LOVE(D) to be cuddled!!! In the past week Levi has been fairly adamant that he would like to be held even during naps! This has made for some long days of battles since I do not want to start that habit!
It has been difficult to know how to be a mom to both my kids. It often seems that Naomi is getting the short end of the stick. I find myself losing my patience quicker and having to tell her no or wait a lot. She has really adjusted well overall, but I know it has not been easy! God has been teaching me first hand about my dependence upon him! There have been many days that I have not felt as though I was going to make it through and I am continually asking Him to re-charge me and to change my attitude (there are also many days where I fail to do this and there are tears and harsh words).
We are continuing to take things day by day! I am learning that some things in life just fall by the way side with two. My house is not as clean, sleep is in short supply and "little catastrophe's" occur more often. This last one has been learned through experience. In the past several weeks, I have come out from the bathroom to find Levi lying sideways in his swing (Naomi was trying to get him because he was fussing); I have come out from putting Levi down to find a whole bottle of baby powder empty in my living room (Naomi was washing and changing her baby); while attempting to feed Levi and Naomi at the same time watched the cat lay on top of the wet finger paintings (anyone want a furry friend - I'm not kidding); and have come away from the dinner table only to find Naomi's feet and hands covered with lipstick (if anyone needs a makeover, she is good ;).
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| Naomi's attempt to get Levi out of the swing |
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| Powdering our baby doll |
While life has had its ups and downs in the past few weeks, I wouldn't trade these kids for the world. My heart fills with love when I look into Levi's inquisitive eyes or hear his little coos (we are still eagerly awaiting his first smile). I am overcome with joy when I hear Naomi's giggles, when she asks to "peek" at Levi in the morning and when we sing and dance together at night. I am truly blessed and thank God for these little ones!
