2 and 3/4s

When Stella turned two, she enjoyed having cupcakes and seeing friends (if she also found it a little overwhelming when suddenly everyone was singing and looking at her). About three months later, she got really interested in my birthdays--a bit unfortunate since her birthday was then a *long* ways away. So we've been talking about how far off her birthday is for awhile now (after Mommy, before Daddy) and it occurred to me that while we still tell people she's 2 1/2, she's getting closer and closer to being a three-year-old. So while Otto's been going spotty and smiley and cooing, this is what Stella's been up to.


Stella at the beach, looking so happy and carefree!

As she has been for awhile, Stella continues to be very independent. She picks out her own clothes and dresses herself and has strong opinions about what to wear. And lately that only includes dresses and skirts, sometimes in exciting color and pattern combinations.


Red and white polka dot dress, striped tights and blue plaid shoes? Yes, please!


the glasses are upside down, but at least the shoes are on the right feet!


Shirt, skirt and mommy's shoes were the choice this day


She's also discovered the little girl drug called Disney Princesses, which might have some relation to the wearing of skirts and dresses. Now she wants long hair "like a princess." Since seeing "Tangled," it's also long hair to the floor that goes "around and around and around." (We've tried explaining that this will make her least favorite part of bathtime--combing her hair--that much harder to no avail.) I don't think her first haircut will be coming anytime soon!


A new favorite dress with the appropriate accessories--nametag beads turned necklace and bracelets, and, of course, long hair


She's also full of songs--songs she's learned from school (Mary had a little lamb, baa baa black/green/pink/etc. sheep, skinamarinky dinky dink, etc.) and, increasingly, those she makes up to fit the occasion at hand. (Hello, Tyler genes!)

She's also expressing more of her creativity and doing make believe--I'm the princess, and she's the queen (again with the princesses!), creating elaborate picnics for all of us in the living room, and setting up her tent for all of us to sleep in, with blankets and stuffed animals for each of us, including Otto!


Picnic for me and Stella


Then she created picnics for Tyler and Otto, too, recognizing that Otto doesn't really need much food yet (in the foreground)

She's also more interested in what's going on around her. A regular refrain to Tyler and I is, "What are you talking about?"

And, excitingly, she is now soothie (aka pacifier) free! We'd been a bit reluctant to make the break, given the arrival of Otto, but it was definitely time. While on our weekend away at Pacific Beach (more on that soon!), she'd bitten a big hole in her soothie and had to go without for a day and night. And this was getting to be a regular occurrence, and a further sign that she was too old for them. We gave her the last one, as promised, when we returned home and told her to be careful with it if she wanted it for any length of time. I think that she must have been ready to give it up, because the next day she gave it to me and told me to throw it away and that was that. The first night was the hardest as far as crying up and waking up in the middle of the night. The second day she cried a bit at nap and bedtime, but it was better than I expected in that she didn't ask for it umpteen times throughout the day. But by the third day it was over, and I think she also felt really pround of herself.


No more pictures like this--woo-hoo!!

Stella continues to do really well as an older sister. She's gotten less jealous than she was at first and has really incorporated Otto into her little world. When he cries, she'll try and help with blankets or his own soothie (even thought he's not so interested).


Another blessing for Stella being independent--she's adjusted well to the new scene of a slightly distracted Mommy

We'll have another milestone in a few days--she's moving up at her Montessori child care from the toddler room to preschool proper. This will mean a new teacher, a new room, and new kids. We're excited for her, but I feel like I'm getting a peek at how I'll feel when she starts kindergarten. Is there more I should be doing to prepare her? Will she handle the transition OK? Is she really ready?

So that's our daughter! Still the loving, somewhat sensitive, cautious, happy, independent, well-behaved girl who's been in our lives for almost three years! Especially in comparison to Otto, she seems so grown up, yet it occurred to me for all the time and energy that have gone into these years, she probably won't remember any of it!


Beachcombing find for our little girl!

Baby Acne and Baby Smiles and Baby Sounds (updated)

I have not remembered the exact timing of all of Stella's developmental milestones (thank goodness for the blog version of the traditional baby book!), but one I did remember for Otto was that baby acne would likely hit right around four weeks. And why was this less than pleasant baby phase so memorable? Well, Stella's birthday is November 25th, which meant that she was one month at Christmas. Of course, we still thought she was very cute, but she was sporting a teenage complexion and a middle-aged man do for all the holiday photos:


Her head is covered up, but here's Stella out in the snow around 4 weeks old

So I knew with Otto to be prepared. And it did come. Maybe with slightly less vengeance than with his sister, but he's been spotty for a few weeks.


Otto seems to be taking all this baby acne in stride

And really it's no big deal. It will go away and we'll stop having to warn people meeting him for the first time that he's not as his most dapper. Plus, now we get real, honest-to-goodness smiles!


Luckily caught one of Otto's smiles on camera!

In addition to the smiles, we're getting more alertness and facial expressions, like this one which seems to convey, "What the heck are my parents subjecting me to now?!"



Yesterday while trying to crank this out during a quiet moment, I also forgot about the new sounds and noises Otto is making! More than expressions, we're now getting "goo"s and other cute little sounds as he interacts with us.

Now we're hitting the six week growth spurt, eating marathon. Can't believe only one more month before I go back to work!

First Month with Otto

Newborn time: cycling between eating, burping, getting a diaper change and sleeping. I'd forgotten how being in the middle of that schedule makes time move differently and makes it harder to get anything done (while at the same time not always feeling like I'm doing much.) But this morning Otto is having a little snooze, and of the many things I could try and get done, and as Otto's a month old today, a blog entry seemed fitting.


One month already--it doesn't feel like that much time has passed....

So many things have been different this time around. Otto's birth was really different. Tyler shared the basics before, but this time we were in the hospital longer, the labor was a little longer but the intense time was much less. And after Otto was born we were, as expected, as in love with him as possible. But it didn't feel so new this time. Rather, it felt as if now things were somehow complete. We now had the two healthy children we were hoping for and it felt right and natural to add him to the family.


Otto with an adoring daddy!

It's also been easier to do the newborn stuff. Breastfeeding? No problem. Crying jags at night? Now we know it won't last forever, and we have better soothing skills. Gassiness? I already know the likely culprits to cut out of my diet. Getting out and about? Piece of cake.


Taking a snooze after a little snack!


Otto's first bath--just as relaxed as his sister used to be!

I'm also being smarter about making sure I get sleep this time, which cures a whole host of ills I experience when over-tired (including being irritable, anxious and easily overwhelmed). We know this time that this is a marathon, not a sprint, so we're happy for any help we can get, any time anybody wants to spend holding Otto and sleeping whenever I need it and can get away with it. And Tyler and I do more dividing and conquering. When Stella was a baby, we both would be up at night for feedings and diaper changes. Now that Tyler's back at work, I let him sleep as much as possible, and he does the same in the mornings or weekends when I need to play catch up.

I think I'm also helped this time by having a toddler who still needs schedule and routine. Stella's still in childcare four days a week, so I get a nice mix of morning and evening time with her with our usual activities (dinner, bed time, making pancakes, etc.) and then I have my four days with Otto that can be a lot of nothing if need be.

And Stella's been adjusting about as well as a 2 1/2-year-old can probably be expected to. She generally seems to like Otto, giving him blankets, talking about being a big sister, sometimes asking to hold him and taking turns doing things like laying on the play mat.


Holding hands! Stella got so much positive attention this time when she first did it that it's become a regular thing for her to do.


Sharing bath toys during Otto's first bath


Being part of the birthday fun! (She's very anxious for her next birthday)


Multitasking--brushing Stella's teeth while giving Otto some tummy time


The biggest challenge is the jealousy over me feeding Otto. Almost as soon as I'm holding Otto, she wants to be in my lap. Now.


We took this because Stella was getting jealous of us taking photos of Otto, but it turned out so cute I just had to include it here too.


I worried before Otto was born that being a second baby would mean an early babyhood overshadowed by his sister. But we are just as enamored with him as Stella, and in some ways he might be getting less of our undivided attention (and there probably are fewer photos and videos), but he's probably getting better quality attention since we're more relaxed and experienced this go around.

And because we still think Stella's pretty cute, I wanted to include these shots:


At the Samoan festival, happily running back from throwing away some trash!


Tyler and Stella as moody French film stars

Six Years

I know that most of you are waiting for more pictures and stories about Otto (and believe me, they're coming), but I wanted to do a quick entry about another person who I'm constantly in love with and in awe of: Sarah!

...since today marks our 6th Wedding Anniversary!

In past years, we've marked our wedding with cards, renewed vows, remarkable dinners or, of course, travel. But, while having a 4-week-old and a 2-year-old might make some of those things a bit ambitious, I thought I'd at least take the time to make this quick post to mention -yet again- how much I love my fabulous wife.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first picture of Sarah and I together, snapped by someone's Polaroid camera at a random party just a month or two after we started dating. If for no other reason, it will always be a favorite of mine, and the original hangs in the hallway of our house.

And it begins! Our wedding day! (Fun fact: You can see our friend, Alison, adjusting Sarah's dress on the right. Her son, Oliver, was born two days before Otto!)

Sarah and I on our honeymoon! (Regular readers will recognize this as our "profile picture" in the upper right corner.) We took the ferry our of Bellingham up to Southeast Alaska. It was an amazing experience, and one we largely credit for the reason we decided to go on our Round the World trip together.

Our second Wedding Anniversary, in Istanbul, while on our trip. While it's been years now, that trip was still one of the defining moments of our lives and -specifically- our lives together. If you can survive marathon bus rides, strange stomach bugs and questionable accommodations together for 7 months, it leaves no doubt that you can survive anything.

Stella's birth... still one of the most amazing experiences of my life. And, along with watching her through Otto's birth, I will forever be in awe of what she's capable of.

And, finally, recently, Sarah with Stella and Otto. Sarah is my amazing wife, but both Stella and Otto are lucky to have her as their amazing mother.

...Which brings us, briefly, to today. I'd be lying if I didn't say that things haven't been exhausting recently. A newborn and a toddler live to come up with new ways of making adults tired. But, I couldn't hope to have someone better to be exhausted with. Knowing Sarah for these last 7+ years, and being married to her for the last 6, has been one long lesson in the best sense of the word: I've learned how much I'm capable of loving someone else. I've learned to explore the world and to embrace food and life. I've learned how much I could love the two small people we've brought into this world. I've learned compassion and learned strength, and how to treat others with dignity and respect. I've learned all these things and more because I've had someone to inspire me: Sarah.

I love you, Sarah, Happy 6th Anniversary!

Otto's Arrival!

Last Sunday, July 17th, at 2:55pm, our family had it's newest edition arrive: Otto Allen Hill-Stach! Otto weighs in a 9lbs, 1oz, and is 21 inches long and is, well, amazing.

I'm sure that Sarah will want to tell the birth story in more detail at a later date, but here are some rough details for those of you who are interested: Her labor started around 12:30am, and we headed in to the hospital around 3:30. From there things progressed steadily, until they stalled out a little before noon, with Sarah dilated at 8 centimeters. Around 1:30, the mid-wife suggested breaking her water to help move things along, and -once broken- things progressed very rapidly, with Otto making his appearance at 2:55pm after only 10 minutes of pushing.

Like Stella's birth, Sarah managed the whole thing with out any sort of pain medication and amazed not just me, but also the nurses and mid-wife, who were heard commenting things like: "Can you believe she's at 8cm, and still walking around and talking like this?" I am, again, amazed and inspired by her.

Anyhow, on to the baby photos!

The man himself! (Or should I say "Otto-man"?) What a handsome fella! It's amazing how much different he looks than Stella, he's very much his own little person.

Stella meets Otto. It's crazy to think that these two little people will likely spend their entire lives hanging out together and being best friends. And, here they are, just meeting.

Stella seems to really like Otto overall. There have been a couple moments since his arrival, that you could tell she's a little jealous of the attention he receives and the amount of time he spends on mom's lap, but overall, she seems to really like her "baby brother Oddo."

Sarah looking stunning the day after giving birth. Anyone who believes the stereotypes that men are strong while women are prone to tears should watch Sarah and I in the delivery room.

The Birthing Room, with my parents and Otto on the left. I thought I'd include this so I could mention a little piece of trivia: This was also the same room that Stella was born in, and both Stella and Otto ended up being delivered by the same mid-wife. Continuity!

Anyhow, I'll end this by saying that we are all happy and excited to be settling into our new life as a family of four. Someone asked me the other day, if I felt a sense of pride because I have a boy now, and I while I sort of go back and forth on that (since, honestly, I would have been just as excited about having another girl); I will say that I feel sort of a sense of completion now. Both Sarah and I have always imagined ourselves with two children, and now we have them. We've arrived at our imagined goal... and now, we are all looking forward to our shared future opening up to us, together as a family.

But, first, I probably need to check to see if Otto needs his diaper changed.

40 weeks!

Today is Baby Number 2's due date, and it doesn't look like anything will happen before the day is over. I'm not too impatient yet--honestly, I was happy to have the past few days this week with Stella in child care and me being on maternity leave to take care of some last minute details and get some extra rest.


40 weeks! And ready, physically, mentally, etc....

The added time has had some advantages:


A little more mommy-Stella time before I'm officially having to share my attention with the new one


Checking out the fantastic new Bar del Corso pizza place that opened this week on Beacon Hill

Taking long walks with Tyler around Seward Park, getting a pedicure, meeting friends for lunch and brunch. And if nothing happens in the next 24 hours, I figure my reward is to see the final Harry Potter on the big screen. (And I'm superstitious enough to hope that means I'll go into labor before that can happen!)

So, baby--if you're listening--we want you to come when you're ready, but we're ready for you any time now!! And hopefully I won't be doing any 41 week entries....

Preparations

A week ago, we thought we'd have a one-day-old baby today. But we found out last Wednesday and Thursday that things had, in fact, changed--my uterus had grown in such a way that my placenta went from being .77 centimeters (too close) to my cervix to over 4 centimeters away, well outside the dangerous zone. As probably most of you know, this was a major relief. While I had accepted the need for the surgery and was excited to meet this new baby, I did experience a profound sense of relief to get to go back to the original plan and back to the midwives at Swedish Ballard.

With that came the funny feeling of having both more and less time--we suddenly didn't know when the baby would arrive and needed to start figuring out things like birth plans and contingency plans for how we'll juggle Stella and labor. It's also meant that we've had (hopefully only) a few more days since I officially finished up work for my maternity leave to finalize last minute details.


39 weeks! Stella fits snugly under my belly where she likes to "bonk heads" with the baby.

Like setting up the baby's space. As most of you know, we're in the process of remodeling. Someday we'll go from a 2-bedroom 1.25 bath house to four bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. But that day isn't going to be in the next week or so, so Baby #2 will be formally living in our room with us for the first 3-6 months. In reality, that's where Stella spent all of her early days as well, so we've just been making a more formal space for it. We have the changing station, clothes and the Moses basket ready to go!


I'm standing in the corner where the Moses basket is, but you can see the dresser and changing station. While Stella had a fully decorated room, I think this is cozy and practical and will work well for a few months at least!

And I'm pleased to say I finished the baby's quilt. I had a long period of procrastination but was able to finish it all up the week before the due date, so baby, like Stella, can have this as a special gift right away.


The pinwheel quilt! If I'd had more time, I might have been a little more ambitious with some of the quilting, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.

We're still trying to prepare Stella. I think she knows and understands as well as a 2 1/2-year-old can. She'll talk about being a big sister and how when the baby is around she wants to hold it and burp it and kiss and hug it gently. But we'll see. I think it's going to be a pretty major adjustment...


Stella "hugging" the baby--she'll say "hi" to the baby when prompted, but she mostly still wants to be on my lap and the center of attention....


And now we're preparing for birth. I'm hoping that the experience is as good as it was with Stella--14 hours, no interventions necessary, everyone healthy and happy. Because of the c-section plan, we had cancelled our child birth class, but today we met with a friend we met when pregnant with Stella who has since become a doula and are really diving into thinking about the birth plan, how I'll cope, and how Tyler can again be an invaluable support to me during the process.

But mostly we're getting very excited to meet this new little person and get started on this adjustment to having a newborn again and a family of two little ones. I remember when Stella was born being overwhelmed by how much I loved her and how amazingly it didn't decrease the love for anyone else in my life. I know that will happen again, though knowing it intellectually is still different than really feeling it. I know this will open my heart up to people and the world again in a way that is such a gift. So even though I'm going into this whole baby venture with eyes wide open (which includes remembering that it's not always lovely and fun) I'm feeling thankful to have the opportunity to experience pregnancy and birth again and share this journey with Tyler.