Time flies! 1 Month...

I documented Max's growth in his "Watch Me Grow" album.  I plan on doing the same for Reese!

Reese 1 week
Sleeps a lot :)


Reese 1 month:
 Loves to Snuggle--the start of grumpy times due to acid reflux.  Makes lots of squeaking noses (super cute!)

And just for giggles and grins.... a comparison of Reese and Max...  each 1 month old! 

 

 

Slow down already, kiddos!

 

Love,

Lis

Trying to "Fix It"

Have you ever watched Wreck It Ralph?  Max LOVES that movie.  In fact, he often carries around a wooden mallet "his hammer" and pretends he is going to "fix it Felix"! (I just thank God he doesn't pretend to be Wreck It Ralph and "I'm going to wreck it!")  Here's a snapshot of Max pretending he is Fix It Felix...maybe we should get the boy a tool belt?

 

Anyhoo, where am I taking this particular blog post?  Well...good question.  Let's take a trip down memory lane for a moment...

Meet Max.  Young Max... perhaps 1.5 months old? 

Grumpy?  You bet!  Why?  Two words.  Acid.  Reflux.  This little man pretty much hated life.  He cried non-stop (unless he was constantly bounced in his lion bouncer-Mike and I still find our legs bouncing up and down if we are sitting on the couch watching TV for an extended period of time!)  Anyway.  It took at least 2 months to get Max diagnosed and even longer to get his meds working to relieve his discomfort...That was when I decided he'd have NO siblings! 


Well, with time we forget, right?  Meet Reese.  Baby Reese...5 weeks old.

Peeved?  YES!  Why?  You guessed it.  Acid Reflux.  I suspected it...once Reese began crying like this pic most of her waking moments, I knew I had to act fast!  With a confident call to the doc, we were in the same day and scheduled for a barium test at the hospital the following day.  I felt somewhat like a celebrity since the doc actually believed me this time! (It took months for them to believe me that Max was not just "a fussy baby".)

It wouldn't be trip to the hospital for barium and testing without Papa Albers - he assisted with Max's as well, although there's no photo proof- you'll just have to trust me ;)  He's probably telling Reese to be a good girl and drink her barium and he'll give her a dollar.  This is why my dad isn't a rich man...always promising dollars to young children.... better than candy, right?!  Well, whatever he told her, it worked...that's not lip gloss, folks!

I know a lot of people out there won't medicate their kids for acid because they are so little, etc. etc.  I tried that with Max.  We tried everything.  This time, I couldn't do that to myself or my baby.  We needed relief.  Max, however, did try one home remedy before Reese got prescribed Zantac.  He tried to "fix Reese" with his hammer...

It didn't work. 

 

I (hopefully) can't ever tell Reese I "dropped her on her head" if she does something silly.  I can however tell her Max took a "hammer" to her head ;)

Please send all prayers and good vibes our way as we experiment with meds to make Reese more comfortable and everyone else in the Drinkall home more sane!

Love,

Lis

Lisa's Maternity Leave : Part 1

Now, don't get me wrong.  I am in LOVE with the time off from work.  I get 12 weeks to bond with my new little girl and it's been PERFECT.  I wouldn't trade this time for anything.  I only feel guilty I had 5 weeks with Max since I was between jobs when he was born and didn't get a maternity leave.  On top of the 12 weeks I get to spend with Reese, I will also get the whole summer with both Max and Reese before I return back to teaching again. 

With this said, there are some times I feel as though I'm losing my mind.  I miss my schedule.  I miss my friends.  I miss showers, cooked meals, and both my arms being free.  Another thing I miss?  My husband.  It's soccer season folks!

My solution to getting my hands back!

With all my "free time" I have snapped numerous pics that tell the story of my maternity leave.  I'll keep ya posted throughout the 12 weeks but here's a glance into my life lately...

Timing is important.  If baby is hungry...baby must eat.  This time I refused to hide at home due to the frightening thought of Reese screaming in public.  I just decided I will feed her and she'll stop.  Therefore I hang out behind the wheel in parking lots.  A lot.  I believe this may be the parking lot of Kohl's aka Reese's Restaurant...

What do I feed my other kiddo you ask?  Poor Max has run out of the yummy meals his grandma and friends have graciously cooked for him.  I try to provide him a cooked meal...except when Mike has soccer games and won't be home till late.  The thought of cooking and having no time to clean up the kitchen makes me want to vomit.  These days call for drive through.  Judge not please.  I know it's not the best option...and it certainly isn't helping me shed those thousands of baby weight pounds...sigh.  Here's a common "soccer game night" view from the Drinkall mobile.  Oh, I forgot to mention it's mostly likely 3:58 PM.  I don't have the energy to get the kids back in the car between picking Max up from the sitter and dinner time.  We have become "early bird eaters". 

 

 

I spend many hours a day dealing with fashion.  It usually starts with tearing my entire room apart trying to find something that fits (this could be an entire post on it's own!) Once that is accomplished, I usually have to change Reese a million times.  She spits up constantly and has started gifting me with the following:

 

 Luckily she has lots of clothes to change into. Unlucky for me?  The laundry never stops and I do NOT have a lot of clothes to change into.  I go back to the dilemma I start my day with:  WHAT CAN I WEAR!?

 

Max is adapting well to "brotherhood".  It was a rocky start when he refused to sleep and was...well... MR. GRUMPY PANTS non-stop.  We finally got him on a much-needed schedule that works well for us.  I also try to keep him busy by convincing him he's an artist and bribing him with treats.  Again.. no judgment needed ;)

 

Here is my own little Bob Ross painting "Happy little trees"

The little artist was so "happy" he tripped skipping up the driveway.

After much convincing that he was in fact NOT going to die, he spent much time in my bed watching YouTubes of Sonic the Hedgehog.  (Don't ask)

 

 Speaking of beds... Not much can get Max out of bed these days.  Not even his cute sister!!  We usually have to bribe him to get up and get ready for the sitter.  This has been getting better since he's on a better schedule as of late.

 This particular ice cream treat was indeed a promise.  "Max if you get up and go to the sitter, mommy will take you for ice cream when she picks you up".  What?  It worked!  :/

 

Anyhoo-  after re-reading my post, I think I could change the title to "What not to do on Maternity Leave".  Oh well.  I'll leave you with a couple of ADORABLE pics of my kiddos at Easter. 

 





 Above:  Me:  "Max, open your eyes!"

 

Above:  Too cute for words!

 

 

Love,

Lis