Happy Valenine's Day!!

These photos are very deceptive.  In fact, I'm very lucky that I even could pull four photos out of the bunch.  I tried my first "shoot" solo with these two.  Let me tell you -- I'm surprised that I have hair left.  I should have done these last weekend while E was around.  But I didn't, so I paid the price.  Finn is still going to daycare during the day, so I was able to set up the area for the photos while Fish napped.  I wasn't really happy with the lighting, but when you procrastinate, you have to deal with what you were given.  And when I finally went to pick up Finn, both children decided they wanted to boycott the photos that Mama had taken so much time to set up.  There were bribes, scoldings and exasperated sighs.  Finally, I gave up, thinking I would call it wash.  But I was able to pull these four out.  Thank heavens!

Fish's face says it all...

Finn Update:
Finn is turning two on Sunday.  It amazes me (and also saddens me) that she is already going to be two.  She is turning into a little girl -- a baby no more (though she will always be my baby).  She has still be wonderful with Fish.  Lots of Baby Brother love -- and she still doesn't know his name.  When we ask her what his name is, the response is always "baby brother".  She still hasn't quite gotten the fact that Fish isn't rough and tumble yet.  There are lots of "Gentle! Gentle!"  But he's been pretty resilient and patient with her.

Fish Update:
Fish has turned into a cranky baby -- but just sometimes.  My milk came in last Tuesday, but I became very engorged this week -- like severely so.  A lot of mothers tend to worry about making enough milk -- I have the opposite worry.  I make WAY TOO MUCH milk and he doesn't have the stomach to eat it all.  In fact, I was making so much milk that he couldn't even keep up with a single side during a feeding and I would have to feed him again on that side an hour or so later, just to empty it a little more (to ensure that he is getting more of the fatty milk).  I was so uncomfortable that I resorted to cabbage.  I used it for one day and the next day, I saw an improvement and stopped immediately (for fear of drying up).   I am pleased to say that today is the first day that my boobs feel normal again.  Hurray for that!  I'm hopeful that means that milk supply have finally evened out and Fish won't be so uncomfortable with all the foremilk (the milk with all the lactose in it that comes first).  He would kick his legs out, trying to work the gas around and I would feel so terrible for him as he was obviously uncomfortable as well.  I had the same issue with Finn, but didn't realize that the gulping that she was doing wasn't normal (I also have a really fast let-down).  With Finn, I started pumping, thinking it had something to do with her latch.  I eventually got back to regular ole' breastfeeding once I self-diagnosed the problem, but with Fish, I know understand that I need to continue to feed him to regular my supply and it's okay if he unlatches to catch his breath.

In related news, I am officially putting away the newborn sizes.  He is too long for them and his belly is getting too big.  We are moving into 0-3 months (the size of the outfit in these photos).  I also did an unscientific weighing (which I weigh myself and him and then I set him down and weigh myself again), as although we are moving up a size, I don't physically see a weight gain yet (I know, I know -- he is only 13 days old).  But it looks like he is gaining weight according to the scale -- I think that my rough calculations were looking at 11.25 pounds.  I know that it isn't a very accurate weight, but it was relieving to see that it wasn't hovering around 9.25 pounds still (which is what he weighed last weekend).  So although I don't think that he weighs exactly 11.25 pounds, I know that he is gaining weight and that's enough for me.

My family is coming out tonight.  They should arrive in the wee hours of Friday/Saturday.  And I think they are staying until Tuesday.  I'm very excited to see them as they are also very excited to meet the Big Fish.  There isn't much planned other than lots of snuggles and hunkering down as I think the Cleveland weather is going to be cold & snowy yet again -- surprise, surprise.  My eyes are on March in two weeks -- even 40 degree weather sounds balmy!