October & November
October and November passed in a blur with school, an occasional sprinkler job, mowing, and regular house tasks occupying the days. We enjoyed an outing up the canyon for dinner. Thankfully we pre-cooked our tinfoil dinners, so the wet wood I brought was less of a problem. Whoops.
Hailey and Bruce around our fire in Provo Canyon.
In November, we also enjoyed a trip to Temple Square as a family. Hailey enjoyed seeing the sights.
Rachel, Hailey, and Bruce at Temple Square.
December
December brought a cold whether, Hailey's 2nd birthday, a new baby, and Christmas.
December 5, 2011 McKayla Camille Sommerfeldt joined our family. Ryan and Jen were married two weeks later, and my mom came to help with the girls around the wedding. It was great to have Mom around while Bruce was occupied with school. After my mom left, we spent time with Bruce's extended family. Hailey loved playing with her cousins and we enjoyed the time with family.
We spent Christmas at the Sommerfeldt's home. All of Bruce's siblings and their families were there so Christmas was much like Christmas' growing up- big and noisy. Hailey missed most of the excitement of Christmas morning because she wasn't feeling well and had a swollen eye. She snuggled on my lap with both eyes shut while everyone open presents. Eventually, I gave her some allergy medicine, the swelling subsided and she resumed her normal activities, but not until most of the presents had been opened and the other kids were off playing. Good thing she's too young to know that she missed the most exciting day of the year.
January
Bruce started school and we resumed normal life. Bruce is taking 18 credit hours and working. He's been working on an urgent project, so he's been working more hours than usual, but thankfully the first weeks of school have not been too demanding, so we still enjoy time with him.
I have been trying to establish a routine at home that includes housework, playgroup for Hailey, trips to the library, crafts and other activities, walks, and naps. The house is never as clean as it should be, and I'm tired more than I'd like, but overall life is good.
Hailey
Hailey balancing on Bruce's hands.
Hailey's vocabulary has erupted. She loves to ask "why?" and "what are you doing?" and can communicate most anything, though there are a few occasions when we can't decipher her words.
Hailey and McKayla
Hailey had an adjustment period after McKayla was born with a touch of jealousy as she adjusted to Mom's spit attention, but after a week or two she adapted. Hailey loves to help take care of McKayla. She gives her a bottle, rocks her rocker, get the diaper and wipes for Mom and Dad, and holds McKayla on the couch. Hailey also lifts the car seat from the couch to the floor when McKayla is in it, covers McKayla's mouth when she cries, and assists in less helpful, but cute ways.
Bruce and Hailey reading a book. Hailey LOVES to read.
Hailey blowing out the candles on her horse-shaped birthday cake.
Hailey loves to ride in a "big girl seat" with a seat belt, rather than in her car seat. She loves to cook food in her play kitchen, "go to work," and "go for a run." When she goes to work she puts on her backpack, gets her musical push toy, says, "I'm going to work. See you later." goes from the living room to her room and back to the living room where she announces, "I'm back." She enjoys playing with Emma. Emma and Hailey especially enjoy playing with play doh, going for walks with their dolls, and playing with "guys" (the figurines from Tangled).
McKayla
McKayla has been a different parenting experience than Hailey. I remember Hailey sleeping very well, fussing only when hungry or messy, and being an easy-going baby. McKayla is in the process of learning how to sleep well, must be burped and kept upright after feeding, loves to be held, and occasionally puzzles me with her fussing.
McKayla resting.
McKayla had trouble gagging in the hospital, so when we brought her home we had her sleep in our room. That's sweet, but I'm not a co-sleeper. Babies are noisy and it seemed that I was either awake feeding, burping, and changing her, or I was awake listening to her periodic gurgle, gasp, or grunt, hoping she wasn't choking. After a being home a few days she was no longer gagging and would have been moved to her crib, but by then Grandma Waite was in town and held her at night. That was wonderful- it relieved me of the noise making, allowed McKayla to get the snuggling she wanted, and limited my night waking strictly to feedings. After Grandma left we slept at Scott and Lisa's, so McKayla joined us for part of each night.
Grandma Coleen Waite and McKayla. McKayla is wearing the blessing dress my that Grandma made for her.
She feeds about every 2 hours which is tiring for me, particularly since she had to be burped. By the time I wake up, feed, burp, and soothe her back to sleep, I'm only a hour and half away from the next feeding. When the holidays ended, we returned to our apartment and McKayla would start the night in the crib, but I would often fall asleep on the couch while feeding, or while soothing her back to sleep. These days I spend most of the night on the couch with McKayla, but she's getting older, so hopefully she'll start sleeping better.
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