lately

This past weekend was a wonderful change. Ryan was home and we didn't have any projects that were demanding our attention. Therefore, we got to spend the weekend together as a family and it was wonderful. Ryan and I went on a date Friday night while mom and Steve watched Coranelle. She did pretty well and gave them some good smiles and laughs. They found that she did fine, so long as they didn't try to hold her. We got to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant and share fajitas and have margaritas. Then we went to a local coffee shop for some live music and a latte. It was fun to get away for a bit. Coranelle refused a bottle, which I figured. But, she went down to bed and when I got home, I nursed her. It worked pretty well!

This weekend, we also made a run to cost-co, went on a walk together and took Coranelle swimming. Coranelle was pretty happy all weekend and it was fun. At the pool, since there were 2 of us there, we could take turns hanging out with her while the other person got to go down the awesome water slides. It also snowed here again this weekend, so we enjoyed reading and playing by the fire. It was very refreshing and fun.

Some updates on Coranelle: She is now transferring things from one hand to the other. She loves playing and chewing on pacifiers. She's very close to sitting up on her own, but falls one way or another when she gets distracted by something. She's trying to scoot forward on her tummy, but cannot yet get her tiny belly off the ground. She's now eating bananas, applesauce, rice cereal, oatmeal, pears, peas, carrots and yams. A good little eater! I am worried that she is more interested in eating than nursing, so I am concerned about my milk supply decreasing. Either she is just nursing very quickly and efficiently, or there isn't much there. There's always something to worry about. I have tried pumping a few times, but don't get much out. That could be because I have a little hand pump and pump between feedings, but I don't know. I am trying to eat well and drink lots to keep the supply up. Any suggestions or thoughts would be quite appreciated! I am not ready for her to self-wean. Especially since she hates formula and won't take a bottle. Yikes! But, I did get her to drink from a Sippy cup yesterday with some apple juice and water in it. We'll keep working on that. If she'll take milk from it, we might have solved one of our dilemmas.

Coranelle is giggling more. The sound of her laugh makes parenthood so fun and worth while. She loves when you drape a blanket over her and pull it off. I could do it forever to hear her laugh! Last night, Stefan and Rachael came over for dinner and she was a pretty happy camper. (So long as they didn't try to hold her). But, she flashed lots of smiles and played with them. It was nice to have an evening that we could talk to them, without her wailing. It's one of the first times she's been that good and Stefan even commented that his ears weren't ringing this time from her screaming. I like this new phase! Stefan was making Coranelle laugh with all of his faces and sound effects. And, Coranelle loves Rachael and it is clear that Rachael is great with kids. She's got my touchy, little peanut figured out and is very gentle and caring with her.

We talked a lot about weddings last night and it will be fun to see and help everything come together for them. It is so fun to see Stefan this happy. I love the two of them together. I tell Ryan that Stefan has an important role in my life. As my parents got divorced when I was little- we spent a lot of time going back and forth between families. That could have been a lot harder if I didn't have Stefan. He was always there, no matter which house we were at. He was the only other person who knew what it was like to go back and forth and be a part of two very different families. When I was homesick, or missed dad, he was there and understood. He took care of me and kept me company. When we had to adjust to one family after being with the other, he was there. In college, I lived with him and he always made sure I was doing okay. When I was sick, he looked out for me. When I got a concussion, he kept me awake. When I was dating different guys, he gave me advice and consolation when things ended. He's an awesome brother and it is wonderful to see him with someone as great as Rachael. They are so good for each other and it will be awesome to have Rachael as part of the family and a good friend.

Alright, my window of Coranelle's contentedness in her jumpy seat is over. Got to go. Have a great week!