Jane is 4 Years Old

4 Years Old

Toothless cake

Jane, iubita, you're 4 years old today! What a big girl you are! It seems like yesterday that we went to the hospital to have you and now you are four.

It's been a great adventure so far and you've changed so much since the day you were born.

You look and act like a child now, not like a baby anymore. You are really smart and know lots of things. We are so proud of you and of all the things you can do now. You like to color and draw with chalk, you like to dance and sing and you like to play with your toys and with kids at the playground. You are very nice and make friends easily. You like talking with little kids and with adults alike and everyone finds you a very pleasant and friendly little girl. Other things you like are movies and games on the iPad. You also like dressing up like a princess and also like going to gymnastics. You are getting pretty good too. 

But do you know what I think is your best quality? You are very kind and always try to find ways to help those in need. When Kaley cries you pick her up or give her a toy. When Alyss cries you usually try to comfort her or tell me that Alyss needs my attention. When mommy needs help picking up, you're the one who comes to help. You are so in tune with the feelings of those around you and that's a great quality to have. 

Another gift you have is your intelligence. It seems that your brain always works in overdrive and that you make connections between different things that may not easily seem related to others but make perfect sense to you. What a great gift to have!

Some accomplishments this year would be going to gymnastics and doing really good, being fully potty trained, knowing how to put your clothes and shoes on, jumping, talking a lot in correct sentences and knowing lots of words, singing and acting and remembering lots of songs and lines from movies. Some favorite movies are How to train your Dragon, Robots and Frozen but you like most of the cartoons we have. You also like Team Umi Zoomi, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Little Einsteins and, Dora. 

For your birthday daddy made a tasty Toothless cake and you got a Toothless toy, a couple of shirts, one Anna doll and from bunica: a nice bike! You loved your presents especially since you got pretty much everything you asked for and more. 

Now, at the beginning of a new year of your life we'd like to wish you a very happy birthday and good health for the year to come. There are many adventures ahead of you and we want you to know that we'll always be here for you, no matter what. You are beautiful and perfect and I want you to know that I'll always be here for you and that I'm here to always listen to you, teach you and take care of you. I love you Jane with all my heart, more than I thought possible. May you have a lot of fun and happiness in this new year of your life!

Te iubeste mami mult de tot, pui mic si drag! Sa nu uiți asta niciodată!

2013 - A Good Year

So, I don't know what others thought at the beginning of 2013 but I was a bit skeptical since this year ended with the number 13 which is sometimes thought to be a bad luck number. It turns out that 13 wasn't that bad of a number after all and 2013 was a good year for us.

Johansen Family - December 2013
Kaley (6 mo), Jane (3) and Alyss (1 yr 10 mo)

Here's what happened:

- Alyss turned one and started walking at 14 months

- We moved to Taylorsville at the beginning of June

- My mom (bica) came to visit in June and stayed with us until December 20

- Kaley was born on June 30 by successful VBAC

- David's parents moved to the States from Japan and came to visit in July

- Our apartment flooded in September

- David started a second job selling at Best Buy in September

- Jane turned three in November

- We loved trick-or-treating on Halloween, enjoyed our great Thanksgiving dinner and had fun opening presents at Christmas

Now for each person a little bit to remember...

Kaley - born on June 30 at 11:10pm, at 38 weeks. She was 7lb 14oz and 19.5 in long. She is exclusively breastfed and we introduced solid purées around 5 months of age. Kaley has a hole in her heart that we need to check on periodically. She doesn't seem to be bothered by it. She is a very happy, alert baby. She loves to be help and gives the best hugs. She smiles all the time and people often comment on how beautiful she is and how sparkly, like stars, her blue eyes are. She loves to kick and roll over and she enjoys eating sweet potatoes and squash and drinking from mommy's kefir. Up until 6 months she hasn't cut any teeth yet, to the enjoyment of her mom who is a bit worried about breastfeeding a baby who has teeth and likes to mischievously nibble and play with the source of her food :)

Alyss - man, what a dynamite girl she is! Especially since she likes Wreck it Ralph I think that the description fits her perfectly. She runs around and climbs on everything. She copies everything that Jane does and says. At her 18 months appointment when the doctor asked if she knows 10 words I almost started laughing. Not only does she know a lot more than 10 words but she also understands and speaks both English and Romanian words and even sentences. This baby is pretty much my dynamite baby. She is also very happy and loves to laugh. She already knows the ABC song, Twinkle twinkle little star, The itsy, bitsy spider and even some parts of a couple Christmas songs. She can count to ten almost without any help and knows lines from several movies by heart. She enjoys playing toddler iPad games and puzzles and also loves being outdoors where she loves the park and the swing and to play in the water. 

Jane - our cute, sensitive, dainty Jane! She is such a girl. She puts her hair behind her easy, pulls on her sleeves so that they don't ride up her arms and likes to wear cute clothes. I love how when people say that she is pretty she simply answers "yes" :) She knows she is beautiful and I sure hope she will hold unto that knowledge for ever. As much as she's grown and is more of a child than a toddler now, Jane still likes to crawl around under tables and climb up on tables. She likes to watch a bunch of movies on the computer and play toddler and preschool games on the iPad. She talks a lot and sometimes I wonder how and where she learned some of the things she says. I just love how she actually forms correct sentences and phrases and how we can actually have a conversation. Jane is a very sensitive girl who observes those around her and their feelings. She is touched by music and likes to dance and twirl around with her toys, epically her puppy toys. She loves puppy toys, the 'noceros' (rhinoceros) and the reindeer bath toys and she carries around her beloved pillow what she used to take out in the car but now she just leaves on the couch when we go out. One time we were at the mall and a nice, slow pop song was playing at the radio and Jane almost started crying. I had the same feeling so I totally understood her but I was surprised to see how soft she is. Jane enjoys going to IKEA and to the "parking park" and the dinosaurs at City Creek. She loves her two younger sisters even though she doesn't show it very much. She always makes sure that Alyss also gets gummies, water, apple or whatever Jane asks for. She sometimes holds Kaley and likes to kiss her head. Even though she more often than not makes a mess by leaving toys and books everywhere in the house, Jane also helps mommy with stuff around the house and helps pick up the messes she and Alyss make. Both Jane and Alyss like our sleepy time routine of brushing teeth and reading books and they even 'read' the books to us and know parts of the rhymes in them. Jane's favorite color is pink and her favorite letter is W. She knows many songs and loves to sing. I love how Jane and Alyss sing "oac, oac, diri, diri, dai" or "Monkeys on the bed" while actually jumping even though both the song and mommy tell them no to. 

Dahlee - so, pretty much the biggest, happiest moment this year for me was the birth of our third cutie pie, Kaley Olivia. The birth wasn't too difficult, the only part I didn't enjoy being the labor pain and the painful epidural, and the pushing only lasted a couple of minutes. I still needed an episiotomy but it wasn't as unbearable as last time afterwards this time around. The doctor was amazing and very nice. The other great accomplishment for me is successfully breastfeeding Kaley. She was exclusively breastfed until she was 5 months and we are still doing it and having a good time. I love the closeness breastfeeding brings and even though it gets hard sometimes especially because of having three children so young and close in age it is also very rewarding and comes in handy at night or when we're out and about. I've gotten pretty good at the whole nursing in public thing and not only do I not get embarrassed anymore I actually enjoy doing it. The other thing that I've been learning and working on is the type of parent I want to be for our girls. There are many days when I can't help but wonder "what was I thinking having so many kids so close on age?" but then I look at them and am so proud of every little thing they do, so happy to see them smile and play and giggle, so thankful to see them healthy that I forget all the hard times and just want them to feel loved and happy. We must not be such bad parents after all :) I'm learning about RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) and attachment parenting and I try to help the girls be independent while knowing that we are there for them and love them unconditionally. I'm far from being a perfect parent but I'm seeing my mistakes and am trying to be a bit better every day. Now, If I could only stop yelling :) One other thing that I've researched quite a bit and started applying in our,livesmismhealthy, greener living. I try to get greener products for our home and for ourselves and I also try eating better and using natural remedies and health options. We take multivitamins and minerals, cod liver oil and probiotics and try to go out for walks every day. I hope that we can get better at living a healthy lifestyle and feel great while doing it.

David - our hardworking daddy. I honestly don't know how he does it. He leaves before 8 in the morning and some days doesn't get home until midnight. Oh, how I wish that he had one job that he loved and provided enough so that he didn't have to work menial jobs and be away from me and the girls so much. There have been days when the girls wouldn't see daddy for two or three days in a row and it really saddens me to see them ask for daddy and want to be with him when he has to be at work to provide for us. We love daddy so much and hope that 2014 is the year when our dream of having one great job and daddy home more will come true. The sad thing is that David is so good and knowledgeable at working with Macs and iPads; he is great at teaching people how to use them; he can troubleshoot and fix computer problems while helping others understand the problems; he wrote a book about the use of iPads in the school district where he works, was invited to speak at several educational technology conferences and was asked to help and tutor several people and companies. Yet, he is underpaid and not able to get a better paying job because of not having a degree in educational technology which would require money and time that he doesn't have. There also isn't a huge job market for technology teaching. He could work for a company but we haven't been directed towards such opportunities and are not aware of many companies who would give him an opportunity to show what he knows and can do. So, he keeps trying and learning more every day. He is also a really good and loving dad. He plays with the girls and I love seeing him hold both Jane and Alyss in his arms when we are out and they are tired of walking. He reads to the girls and helps them get ready for bed and almost always stays with them until they fall asleep. He is also a great husband. Who would come home from a long day at work to do dishes and vacuum the living room because Mommy had a rough day and didn't get to do it? I just love him and my girls so much and feel, so lucky to have such a wonderful family.

We hope that your 2013 was a great year and wish you all a new year with much love, health and happiness. Happy New Year 2014!

Our Sweet Little Girls

Jane is Three!

Our beautiful Jane

It's November 5th, 2013 and Jane's third birthday. I can't believe how fast time flies. I remember as if it were yesterday, how around midnight my water broke and I was admitted into the Provo IHC Hospital. Around this time (3:30AM) three years ago the epidural stopped working properly and the, not so wonderful part of labor started. However, at 1:08PM Jane was born; a healthy, beautiful baby girl who brought tears of happiness to her mom's and dad's eyes. Even though the C-section was a blur, I still remember how David brought Jane to me and I kissed her tiny face.
Many things have happened since then. Jane, you are now a big sister and have learned so much in these three years since you were born. You weigh 35lb and wear 3T and even some 4T clothing. You are tall and have beautiful, long hair. A lot of people compliment you for her beauty, cuteness, pretty hair and big, blue eyes. You are a good big sister. You like to hold Kaley on occasion, and marvel at how small and cute she is. You also take care of Alyss and always make sure that she gets something before you do. If you ask for some chocolate, you first give a piece to Alyss and then come and get a piece for yourself. You and Alyss like to play together too, even though almost always your play turns into fighting as you both try to figure out how to do things together. Life can be pretty hard when you are a toddler. You are trying to understand how things work, you want to be listened to and do things that you see grown-ups do and, you want to be always be right. All these struggles turn many times into full-blown tantrums and meltdowns when you go and close yourself in your room or just hold tight your pillow and sometimes put your face in it to cry. You have a small pillow that you sleep with and carry around the house. You used to want to take it outside with you but nowadays you just leave it on the couch in the living room to wait for you until you come back home. You also have a little fluffy puppy and a rhinoceros that you love very much and who help you fell better when you are sad. In the beginning we weren't sure how to deal with the intense feelings that you experience. We are now starting to realize that you are learning and want to be considered as a member of the family who has something to say and wants to be listened to. So, we are trying to be more patient and understanding and to help you understand your feelings and learn how to express them. We know that you are having a hard time sometimes but we also know that you are very smart and have a good heart and that you will learn in time how to deal with your emotions. We just want you to know that we are here for you no matter what.
Jane, we are so excited to start a new year of your life and to see you grow and become a child more, and more every day. I can't wait to take you to sports or dance or who know what else you might want to do. I can't wait to start teaching you how to draw and color and how to read and write. We already have small conversations and you are starting to ask more and more questions about what things are and why they are the way they are. You love to talk on the phone with daddy, you absolutely adore daddy and love to spend time with him. He loves spending time with you too. You like to watch movies on the computer and know how to pick a movie by yourself. You like "Horton hears a who" or "Elephant" how you call it, you like Walle-E, Toy Story (or "Buzz"), "Monsters U"  (or "Monsters"), "Bolt" (or "Puppy") and "Despicable Me" (or "Minions"). You also like "Sophia the First" and "Doc McStuffins" and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on Disney Junior on the iPad. You still love music and to dance and you can sing the "ABC song", "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or "Old McDonald". You and Alyss dance and sing with mommy many times and we have a great time whenever we listen to fun music.
Jane, sweetie, now that it's your birthdayI want to wish you a wonderful fourth year of life. I hope that you will be healthy and very happy and that you and your sisters will have a wonderful time together. I hope that me and daddy will be able to help you learn more and more things about life and that we will be able to be here for you and give you everything you need to be the best three year old that you can be. WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING. We are proud of you and are very excited to have more adventures with you and to see you grow and learn more every day. We love you Jane! Happy third birthday!

Jane Christina Johansen

Jane Christina Johansen - Cute and Sweet

4.5 Years Old

4 Years Old

3.5 Years Old

3 Years Old  

2.5 Years Old

2 Years Old

1.5 Years Old

1 Year Old

11 Months

10 Months

9 Months

8 Months

7 Months

6 Months

5 Months

4 Months

3 Months

2 Months

1 Month

1 Day

Jane is Two and a Half Years Old

Oh man, I can't believe that only a few months ago Jane still looked like a baby and now she is a miniature child who is developing a personality, can talk, run and act like a child.

Jane, pui mic, cat de mare ai crescut. We are so amazed with how much you've learned. You really are not a baby anymore. Only a few months ago you still looked and acted like a baby and now you can walk, run and talk like a little child.
You definitely are developing a personality. You are nice and kind and a joy to be around. Sometimes you do get upset, sad or frustrated with things and you scream or hit us but we do understand how hard life can be and try to help you work things out.
You can also put more words together now and it's getting a lot easier to understand what you say. You also figured out how to go up and down curbs without holding unto something for support and you also learned how to jump and you enjoy doing it very much.
You like taking care of Alyss, playing with her and helping mommy care for Alyss too. One time we were at the library and this little boy came and took a toy from Alyss and you told him to leave Alyss alone and be nice to her. I loved seeing how much you love your little sister any how you cake care of her. Mommy is now pregnant and will have another baby in a couple of months, a new little sister for you and Alyss and I'm happy to know that she will have two big sisters to take care of her and love her.
Our sweet Jane, we love you so much and are so proud of you. We hope that you'll never forget our love and want you to know that we'll always be here for you, no matter what. Te iubim puiul nostru drag.

Merry Christmas 2012!

Jane, David, Dahlee (+ baby 3) and Alyss

Another year coming to a close... Many things have happened; some we welcomed and others we wish took their time to show up, but overall we had a good and fruitful year.

David’s major accomplishment was to get a new job with the Jordan School District as an IT professional. We are all happy for this new job that provides experience, insurance and a step in the right direction. He is also working on publishing a book on the iTunes store, which will be used by the teachers of the schools where he works. Another thing that David got really good at is being a father. He takes good care of our two girls and helps out around the house a lot, especially with laundry and dishes. He’s also become an expert in making peanut butter cookies. Everyone loves his cookies and asks for them whenever they get a chance. J

Jane is a busy two year old. She now runs and is getting pretty good at jumping, which she’s been practicing for a few good months now. Her talking skills have grown quite a bit too. She talks, asks for the things she likes, wants or needs and knows how to express herself pretty well both in Romanian and in English. She is a good big sister too; gives Alyss her binky or bottle and lets us know whenever Alyss is crying. Jane knows seven letters, “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, “Old McDonald” and, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and can count to 3 by herself and to 8 with help. We are also working on potty training and are being pretty successful. She forgets about it sometimes while other times she herself brings the potty to us. One major accomplishment is the fact that she now sleeps through the night, which makes us really happy. She loves Toy Story and has a pretty big crush on Buzz so of course we know what the major theme of this year’s Christmas gifts will be.. We love our baby girl so much!

Alyss is now ten months old. She was born in February and was 7lb 10 oz and 19 in long. She loves to stand up all by herself. She loves to play with Jane and does everything that Jane does. She claps and says ‘bye bye’ and ‘bravo’, loves music and dances a lot and loves food. She eats everything that we eat. She is a clam baby and usually cries only when she needs something. She plays with Jane’s toys and observes everything we do. She is such a sweet little girl who gives really nice hugs. I just love it when she looks into my eyes and touches my face.

As for myself, I am really busy staying home with the girls. It’s a full time job that doesn’t give you any vacation time but it does provide plenty of benefits. I love being home with the girls and watch them grow. I learn more about being a mother every day and it’s wonderful. We go on walks a lot; go to the park on nice days and to the library. The girls like our walks and enjoy being outdoors which makes me happy. A piece of news some of you might not be aware of, we are expecting our third baby in June or July. This pregnancy’s been a little harder on me so far; more morning sickness mainly, but other than that I’m feeling ok and can’t wait to find out in about ten more weeks the gender of our new baby. We love having girls so, another girl will make us very happy, while having a baby boy would also be wonderful. In a couple of weeks we’ll have the first ultrasound and I’m excited for that as well. Seeing the tiny baby move inside my belly always makes me happy and even more excited for the new arrival.

We are all thankful for the good year we’ve had and are looking forward to more adventures the year to come. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas and a new year with love, health and many accomplishments!

Johansens 2012

Jane, a Two Year Old Busy Bee

2 Years Old

Our sweet Jane, you just turned two years old today. What a great time of your life! I hope I will always remember your cuteness and sweetness. You are just such a wonderful little girl! You love to help Mama with everything she does. You bring diapers and wipes for yourself and Alyss, you give Alyss her binky or bottle when she cries, you throw away stuff in the 'guynoy' (gunoi). I just love seeing you grow up and learn so many things every day. You love to sing and dance and you play with Alyss and tickle her.
We like to go on walks every day and do you know what your favorite things to do are? You love going to 'coocookik" (Burger King), to the 'pak' (parc) and to the 'ahbey (library). At the park you enjoy the 'aghan" (leagan) the most and you also like to 'pay' (play) with 'coopee' (copiii). I love seeing you run around, push the swing, climb on the play-set and talk with other kids. At the library you like playing with the choochoo train and you also like pushing chairs and trash cans around and checking out books. You know what buttons to push on the computer screen and you're really good at it. Wanna know something funny that you like doing? You would take a trash can, push it to where the CDs are and fill the trash can with CDs! Who needs CDs nowadays anymore anyway? :)
Of course, you are a little toddler so you also get upset easily and sometimes throw yourself on the ground or  like to hit whoever is close to you. Sometimes Mommy needs to put you 'la colt' or take your favorite toys away for a little bit. Mommy really hates doing it but I do it because I love you and want you to know when something is wrong.
Other things you know right now are the body parts, you know your name and also how old you are. You also know how to say 'thank you' and 'excuse me'. You are so cute and tender when you kiss and hug us. We love you so much! Sa fii sanatoasa si fericita, puiutul meu mic. Te iubesc mult!

Jane and her Twin Bed

Yes, you read correctly. Jane has her own twin bed and loves to sleep in it! We put the bed in our room, got her Tinker Bell sheets and put pictures on the wall. The first night she slept in it she woke up a couple of times and came over in our bed but after that she only cries a little around 4am when David gives her a bottle after which she goes back to sleep. We figure it's more for comfort that a need that she still asks for a bottle at night but we're ok with it. She'll stop when she's ready.

We are excited that she likes her bed and that she's growing up and becoming a child more every day. She's grown taller since she was 18 months and her legs have gotten slimmer. She has all her teeth and molars now, knows how to blow her nose and does everything she sees us do. She also talks a lot. Most of it is still hard to understand but there are words and phrases that we can make out. It's interesting that she understands both Romanian and English but many times she would use English unless she only knows the words in Romanian. I'm still determined to speak Romanian to the girls but will not yet enforce Romanian only in our conversations.

Other Jane updates: she practices jumping and going up and down the stairs without using handrails, sings the alphabet song, still dances when she likes a song, loves to play in the water and go to the pool and is very friendly especially to adults but to children as well. Whenever she sees one of our neighbors she smiles and says 'hi'. Everyone thinks she is really cute and pretty. And speaking of pretty, Jane won the 2012 Springville Baby Photo Contest and a $50 Walmart gift certificate. Way to go princess! We love you and love watching you grow and turn into the beautiful girl that you are.

People's Choice Award

Alyss - Months 4 and 5

Well, got pretty busy and didn't find the time to write in here but here's a little update on sweet Alyss. At her 4 months appointment she weighted 13 lb and was 24.5 in long. She was in the 50th percentile in all her measurements and the doc was pretty happy with how she looked. He suggested that I start feeding her cereal and fruits and veggie purées and even to let her drink from a sippy cup. I gave her cereal when she turned 5 months but haven't tried anything else yet. She still drinks breast milk and is happy with it. We'll continue with it as long as I can provide it. I think it's the best food an infant can have. At the doctors she also got her shots (two again, one in each leg) and a $80 check for being in the shots study. She's already earning her keep. Hahaha! After the shots she got a bit fussy and her right leg hurt a bit and even got a red hard bump that didn't go away for a month. In August will have the last round of shots in the study and after that just the regular shot schedule.
At 5 months Alyss is such a good and happy baby. She cries when is left alone (I think she might be getting separation anxiety) and when she is tired or hungry but otherwise she just plays, talks (she says "ba ba" and "ma ma", she gargles and blows and says the sounds 'p' and 'f') and smiles a lot all the time. She rolls over on both sides, holds her bottle and puts her binky in her mouth and is very curious and alert. I LOVE it when she looks at me straight in the eye and grabs either my face or my neck or even my arm if I'm feeding her. She likes to play with everything Jane plays with and loves to put everything in her mouth. She sleeps well but cries a few times every night to ask for a bottle. She drinks at least 10 oz per night and another 15 oz during the day. She's gotten pretty chubby and even cuter than she was before. Up until July 11th bunica took care of Alyss a lot and even had her sleep in the same bed with her a few times but since bunica left we've been sleeping her on the mattress that Jane used to sleep on and gave Jane the twin bed that bunica used to sleep on. Jane loves her new bed and Alyss loves hers. We all sleep in the master bedroom like a big happy family. :)
Jane's gotten more used to having Alyss around even though she still gets jealous and upset when I hold Alyss or tend to her. That's being a toddler for you. She's happy and tickles or plays with Alyss one minute and scratches her or pokes her in the eye the next. She does help me change Alyss' diaper or feed her and sometimes out of the blue she just comes and kisses Alyss on the head. I love watching them interact and play with each other. You can already tell that Alyss adores Jane. She looks at her a lot all the time, smiles and even laughs and squeals when Jane talks to her. She wants to play with everything that Jane touches. This annoys Jane sometimes, especially when she doesn't wanna be touched, but they manage to get along with some help from me. I hope they'll be good friends.
At the beginning of July we went to California and visited Disneyland and it was the first time for Alyss to go on a big trip, to meet great-grandma and great-grandpa Barlow and great-grandma Johansen, to go to the beach and in the ocean and to go to Disneyland. She enjoyed it all and was very good and only cried when she was really tired. She was also really good during the car ride there and back.
Great grandmas Barlow and Johansen and grandma and grandpa Jo when they came by to visit were very happy to meet Alyss this summer and loved to hold her and take care of her. They all marveled at how good of a baby she is.
Forgot to mention that Alyss won the Springville baby photo contest for "best eyes" in the 0 to 6 months category and a $10 Walmart gift card. She sure has beautiful, sparkly eyes.
We love you so much little Alyss and are so happy to have you in our family.

My first 4th

Huntington Beach - First time at the beach

Holding my bottle

Bunica and Alyss

Two Months Old Alyssuca

Alyss at 2 Months

Our little Alyss is already two months old and as happy as she can be. She eats a lot (about 3.5oz at a shot) and loves to sleep. If you interrupt her sleep she will make sure to let you know how unhappy she is. :) She is also really smart. She smiles a lot and when she sees videos of herself moves her arms and starts to talk. She talks quite a bit, especially when anyone looks at her and talks to her. She's grown 3.5 inches and gained 3 pounds. She weighs 10.6 lbs and is 22.5in long (50th percentile) which is great and very proportionate. The doctor said that she looks very happy and healthy and he also said that he didn't notice any clicks in her hips. We'll have to do another ultrasound at 4 months to be sure but until then he said that we shouldn't worry because he thinks that she's fine and healthy. I'm glad that my instincts that told me not to worry and that everything will be ok proved to be right so far. Even though my brain told me to worry, I never felt that she needed to be put in a sling and I had a feeling that she is ok. I hope that the ultrasound will confirm that.

Alyss at 2.5 Months

Since her 2 months check-up she had a runny nose but didn't upset her too much. We've been breastfeeding full time and she loves mommy's milk. We also have a lady friend who shares her baby's milk with us to supplement when mommy doesn't make quite enough. I hope to be able to keep this up at least until she's 6 months old. Another thing that she does that amazes me is that she moves a lot in her sleep. I put her on her back and she turns on her side and snuggles next to me. She sometimes lifts herself up on her elbow in her sleep too. We co-sleep, which I love and so I can take notice of everything she does. She goes to sleep for the night around midnight, after an entire day of sleeping most of the time, feeds a little bit around 3am and then sleeps until 8am when she feeds again in her sleep and sleeps until 10am. I love how good of a sleeper she is and I hope she keeps it up at night. 

Outside, in grandma Lucy's arms

At her 2 months appointment Alyss had her first round of shots and we're participating in a study where they combined 3 vaccines into one so she only got 2 shots instead of 3. She reacted really well and didn't get sick. She was a bit fussy the day of and got a small lump at the injection site but it all went away within a day. It was a little sad to see the nurse draw blood from her little arm and to see her and another nurse stab Alyss with a shot in each leg at the same time but it all went away pretty quickly and she calmed down almost immediately after I picked her up in my arms. 

Cute smile

I love to feel her little body close to mine. I love to kiss her round, chubby cheeks and her perfectly round head. I love to see her serene smile and to hear her coos. I love to see Jane look at Alyss with a lot of love in her eyes even though sometimes Alyss' cries upset her or she gets an little jealous when David or I hold Alyss. I love to see David hold Alyss and Jane in his arms or on his legs. I just love my cute family and my adorable babies. I'm so blessed to have them and David and I wouldn't change my life for anything. 

Updates

Alyss is such a tiny, sweet baby. She eats a lot and sleeps almost all night long and during the day quite a bit, and occasionally has some colics which make her cry but go away when I give her Cocyntal herbal drops. She is very alert and happy. She likes to be held and cuddles next to me in her sleep. We breastfeed but because I don't make too much (about 3.5oz every 4 hours) we also use milk from a friend who has a 4 months old baby and is kind enough to share her milk with us.

I feel better too. The episiotomy's healed more and doesn't hurt as much. At the 6 weeks check-up I received an IUC (IUD without hormones) which I can keep in as long as 10 years but can take out any time we want to try for another baby. I love not having to worry about birth control. I was pretty scared before I went in but even though the doctor said that I might be feeling pinches or pressure I didn't feel a thing and I sure was happy about it.

Having my mom here is wonderful and a lot of help. She takes care of Alyss a lot so that I could spend time with Jane and take naps during the day. We have a great time going on walks, eating at Burger King and watching Romanian television on her laptop. :)

Jane's gotten a lot better about accepting Alyss. She gives her the binky and the bottle even when ALyss doesn't want them :) and calls Alyss by name. On occasion she still gets upset but doesn't cry uncontrollably or throws huge fits any more. I really hope that they'll be best friends when they grow up.

Too many chocolate eggs :)

Alyss' First Easter

Cutie pie

New Baby in our House

Well, when we decided to have our babies close to each other in age we thought that even though it would be hard having little ones at the same time, it wouldn't be impossible to deal with. The first couple of days after Alyss and I came home from the hospital seemed to try to prove the exact opposite. The first day, Monday I asked David to stay home and help me even though my mom was here and very willing to help. I needed him to be with me and to help me go through the baby blues, the pain from giving birth and having an episiotomy and really swollen hemorrhoids and the huge adjustment that having a toddler and a new baby might've required. So, even though that day wasn't the best day of my life, it wasn't too bad either.

The next day though David went to work and possibly the hardest day of my life was just about to begin. Jane woke up crying and never stopped throughout the day. Alyss was being as good as a newborn can be, just fussing whenever she needed to eat, but because of the extra tension and Jane's crying she decided that she should be crying as well. On top of this craziness I was in really bad pain. The episiotomy hurt, my bottom hurt, I had cramps, my breasts started making milk and were heavy and painful, my nipples were sore from breastfeeding and I was pretty constipated and really needed to get some relief. Well, It took me almost all day to find the relief I needed while having Jane with me in the bathroom crying and throwing tantrums, holding unto me wherever I went and screaming uncontrollably every time I held Alyss to feed her or to change her diaper. Never thought that Jane was going to have such a hard time accepting Alyss  but she seemed to feel really lonely and abandoned. I kept crying and feeling so sad for her. I wanted to reassure her that I still loved her. I kept telling her that but she didn't seem to hear me. I thought that she really hated me for bringing Alyss home.

At the end of the day when David came home I was such a mess that I burst into tears and couldn't stop for a long while. I felt that things were never going to get better, that I was going crazy and that I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up realizing that all of it was just a nightmare.

Since then, things have changed quite a bit. Jane is now more accepting of Alyss. She pats her head sometimes and gives her the binky. In the beginning she wouldn't let Alyss close to her, she wanted to sleep on top of her when we put Alyss in bed with us, and she even tried hitting her a few times.
Things are still crazy and I still feel sometimes that I reached my limits but I love these two so much and I really want them to be happy. I sometimes feel sad that I don't get to spend as much time with Jane as I used to and that I can't give Alyss as much attention as I gave Jane when she was a newborn. I believe now that I can deal with this new situation, even though it isn't going to be easy and I really hope that I will be able to manage my time well and also be able to enjoy life and the excitement of having two beautiful and sweet baby girls.

Exciting News

These last few weeks we had a lot of news and stuff happening. I'll post it in chronological order, going backwards from today on.
Feb 11 - We signed the contract and will be moving into our apartment tomorrow! I also lost the mucous plug once again :)
Feb 9 - Jane had her 15 months shots. FOUR of them!!! She cried when she got them but calmed down quickly and walked out of the clinic holding my hand and smiling. Next round of shots is at 24 months. Phew. No more shots for her for a while. We'll start with Alyss soon. I had another chiropractor's appointment and it felt great to have my back cracked and massaged. I also had a dentist appointment and everything looks good. All I need is a good cleaning, which I'm already scheduled for in a couple of weeks.
Feb 8 - My Mom arrived here safely. Had another dr. appointment and I'm measuring 38 cm at 38 weeks. Baby still hasn't descended. I'm dilated to almost 2 cm.
Feb 6 - Jane walked by herself for the first time!!!!!!
Feb 5 - I lost the mucous plug. Maybe Alyss is going to be here earlier than we think :) Also, had fun watching the Super Bowl and eating ribs, chips and dips, crackers and cheese.
Feb 1 - We turned in our tax return and we also decided to move back into Springville. Same building, different apartment. We're so excited to have our own place again.
Jan 31 - We found out that my Mom's loan got approved and helped her get her ticket. She'll get here on the 8th!
Jan 28 - Eni organized a baby shower for me at Lia's house. Cloey, Gabi and Serena came too. It was fun.

Jane walking - Feb 6 

My Baby Shower