hospital bill

We got our hospital bill from Easton's birth yesterday.

I almost had a heart attack. I frantically scanned the bill, looking to see what insurance hadn't covered. I mean, I figured we would have to pay something, but I didn't think it would be that much. The whole time I'm thinking, "How are we going to afford that?!"

Then I realized our insurance hadn't been billed for Easton's portion yet. He was, apparently, uninsured at the time of his birth. Which makes sense, because you can't be insured until you have a social security number, and you can't have a social security number until you are born. So, in the end, it will just be a bunch of paperwork and a little waiting, and the hospital will submit his charges to our insurance. And in the meantime, I will just be grateful I don't have to shell out $3,000.

the confidence that comes with two

When Natalie was born I was a basket case. We had a hard time with breastfeeding, and she was losing weight and never wanted to sleep. On top of that I had a long and exhausting labor and developed mastitis twice in those first three weeks.

I didn't know which was was up, to say the least. I second- and triple-guessed every single decision I made. Am I doing the right thing here? Or am I screwing up my child and making life more difficult for me in the long run?

This time, most of that worry is gone. For one thing, Easton is an easier baby than Natalie was, which helps. But mostly it is the experience.

Easton had his pacifier almost all night last night? So what, sometimes you have to do what needs to be done to make it to morning. Easton spit up most of his bottle at 3am? Oh well, he will wake up again when he's hungry and I'll feed him a second time. Easton is crying and I don't know why? He can't cry forever, I guess.

"It's a phase" and "It will pass" are some of my favorite mottos in the early weeks with an infant. Life just seems so hard in the middle of the night when you are exhausted and just.want.to.sleep. But come morning and a good, strong, cup of coffee, things just aren't that bad after all. With your second child, you realize that this time will go by so quickly, and before you know it all those sleepless nights and and a fussing baby will be just memories. You learn which things matter in the long run and which things don't. You learn to just enjoy your baby instead of stressing about things you cannot change. You develop confidence in your parenting decisions because you have been here and done this before. And you cherish every moment because you know from experience they will fly by all too quickly.

formula: the pros and cons

I love formula-feeding. I loved it with Natalie, and I love it now with Easton.

I don't have to worry about what I eat or when I eat or how much I eat. And yeah, you burn a lot of calories nursing, but you have to eat a lot of calories, too. The best part about formula-feeding (or really, bottle-feeding) is that someone else can feed the baby when I need a break. Or want to sleep all night long. Or get out of the house for a while.

Of course, there are downsides, too. Formula is E.X.P.E.N.S.I.V.E. There are lots of coupons out there, but still, it's not free like breastfeeding. And also, the stains. Oh, the stains. Formula stains everything. EVERYTHING. No matter how much I treat the stains, how long I let clothes soak, or how clean they look before I put them in the dryer, when I take them out, BOOM. Formula stains. Stains are a personal pet peeve of mine. I work really hard to keep all of Natalie's cute clothes free from ketchup and dirt stains. But poor Easton...everything he has worn has formula stains around the neck. There's no getting over it.

look-a-likes

 How much do my babies look alike?

 Easton, two days old.

Natalie, 11 days old.

Same nose, same eyes, same cheeks. Two little munchkins.

diaper changes

Before Easton was born Darren and I had a discussion about which child's diapers would be easier to change. I'm pretty sure we both tried to "call" Easton's diapers.

Turns out, infant diapers are way more difficult than Natalie diapers. At least with Natalie we don't have to worry about her peeing in our faces or exploding poop across the room.

Fun times, those infant diapers.

Easton Steven

Easton Steven was born on January 25, 2013, at 9:10 pm. He weighed 9 lbs and 10 oz, and was 22.5 inches long.

He had some trouble with his blood sugar and had to be on an IV to help regulate it for several days before we could come home. He is doing great now, sleeping a lot of the night and being a pretty calm baby most of the day.

Natalie seems to think he is pretty cool. She knows he is her "little brother" and calls him "Bee" (trying to say "baby"). Darren and I call him Squeaky since instead of full-blown cries, most of his louder fussing are these cute little squeaks.

A "Very Hungry" Birthday Party

So this was a post I meant to write about five months ago...

Sometimes life just gets in the way of things that I mean to do. But better late than never, right?

I always said I was not going to be the mom who went all crazy for kid's birthday parties. Haha, boy did that ever NOT work out for me.

It all started with cake class. Last spring I took Wilton cake decorating classes through JoAnn Fabrics. They were a lot of fun and I learned a little something. At least enough to do a little icing and flower making and fondant covering and sculpting. I decided I was going to make a fun cake for Natalie's birthday party.

Well, between being back and forth from the cities I decided a really fancy cake just wasn't going to work out for this year. Also, I had seen some cute ideas on Pinterest for a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" themed party.

And I went with it.

Cupcakes were way easier than making a cake, although the caterpillar's head was a small fondant-covered cake. He also had little fondant feet and fondant leaves. I found someone on Etsy to make Natalie's invitations.

We had lots of yummy food, and one thing I saw was to do the fruits that the caterpillar eats during the days of the week. Simple and easy. And delicious, especially with a cream cheese fruit dip.

Once upon a time the Eric Carle store sold Very Hungry Caterpillar plates, cups, napkins, and other party decorations. No more. I went to a local party store and found basic things with coordinating colors, and it worked out just fine.

Best part of the day? Natalie's face when she realized she got a cupcake. She loved it!