This Week in Mommyhood

I survived another week! This is huge because I survived another week with both girls at home with me. The plan was to keep Cati in school but when I tried to do the drop off/pick up thing on Monday, it was too hectic. I had to wake Elina up and she decided to hate the car seat so mornings were starting to feel stressful at the prospect of taking Cati to school. As a result, for the next month Cati will stay home with me and hopefully Elina will get on some kind of schedule that makes taking Cati to school easier on me. With all that said, however, having Cati at home has been surprisingly easy. I was expecting to be overwhelmed but Cati is so good and patient with me and Elina that having her at home isn't much of a stressor. Cati is my little helper and she has learned to become really flexible as I try to figure out how to care for Elina.

Here are the other memorable and meaningful moments/happenings this week:

Breastfeeding Update. I went to another lactation consultation this week and Elina is officially on the boob. I have to wear a nipple shield to get her to latch on but at least she's getting on. It feels so good to be able to nurse her and now I am looking forward to decreasing the amount I'm pumping (I'm still pumping for a few minutes after feedings to keep my supply up) and just letting Elina dictate how much milk I should be producing. I've also been working on trying to breastfeed with the cover so that when I make my first public breastfeeding display I don't look like a complete fool.

Pediatrician Appointment. There is nothing more satisfying than going to the doctor and being told your baby is growing and no longer has jaundice. Last week when we went to the pediatrician Elina weighed 7lb 4oz. This week, Elina weighed 7lb 11.5oz so she is actually getting something from me!

Twins. I can't get over how much Elina and Cati look alike. They are literally twins born two years apart. I'm hoping Elina changes a lot because I'd like one of my kids to look like me :)

Little Talker & Singer. I am constantly amazed by what Cati says, knows, and understands. She understands there is "leche" (milk) in my boobs and when I'm feeding Elina, she says "Elina come leche booby." When I'm pumping she says, "mami saque leche de booby." She was also extra musical this week and has made up a song for almost everyone in the family. My favorite tune of the week was her "Abuelo Luis" song.

Greatest Invention. Before Elina was born I bought the wheeled board attachment for our stroller. I had hoped Cati would like it and she does. She absolutely loves it and loves standing on it. The best part is that she will stand on it for long walks so I feel pretty confident going for walks with both girls.

First Outing. Nothing too exciting but I went to the supermarket with both girls. I was nervous about making this trip with the girls but we survived. Have I mentioned lately how weird it is to have two kids?!

Things Grandmothers Say. Have you seen those videos about things people say? I'd like to add to the grandmother one with this nugget from my grandmother. She came over to our house to meet Elina and the first thing she says to me is that I need to do something to "tighten" my belly. I'm two weeks post partum and I think I look pretty good (I won't go into how much I weigh now because I'm sure I'll get lots of eye rolls) and here comes my grandmother with words that are made to make me feel self-conscious about my post-pregnancy body. Didn't work though and I still feel pretty good about myself. The question is why can't we women be kinder to one another?

Family Time. My dad came down to visit and it's been so cute to see him and Cati together. She made up the Abuelo Luis song for him and literally spent her days asking for him.

Here's to another week of living and surviving!