My Life as an African Gypsy

A friend of mine here in Mozambique just announced she was pregnant with her second. I am so very excited for her. When I saw the announcement on facebook though, I felt funny tinge of jealousy. Seriously, Layne? Jovie is 4 weeks old! No, I am not going to try and get pregnant right away. We actually will get on birth control this time, however, I told Jon that I'm pretty sure I am going to want a third. I hear when you are done having kids, most women just know. Well, I'm not there. To think of never being pregnant again is a sad thought to me.

When I told Jon that I just love the process he laughed and said, "No you don't!" I do. I don't love the last uncomfortable couple of months, but who does really? I love the first appointment, all nervous and anxious to see the little bean and the pulsing heart. I love reading about the current week of development and all that is being created inside of me. I love all the ultrasounds I get, seeing the baby's first profile shot. I love finding out the gender, no matter if it is a girl or a boy, it is just exciting. I love deciding on a meaningful name and slowly working it into our family even before birth. I love the first moments of feeling the baby kick, and then the first time Jon gets to feel it. I love seeing my baby for the first time after delivery, and feeling like you've kinda known them already. Yeah... I love all that. I hope to do it again sometime.

As for my Anaya girl... she seems like such a big girl these days. Her little personality is so fun. I frequently tell her, "Anaya, you are such an enjoyable girl!" Some day she'll probably roll her eyes at me for such comments, but it won't bother me, I'll just say them all the more. She is smart, funny, daring, determined, sensitive, and absolutely beautiful. I couldn't love her more!

And my Jovie... she is growing and changing by the day. She has these hysterical guttural laughs that she makes in her sleep. She grunts more than any baby I've ever known, and I frequently exclaim, "Goodness!"or "Holy cow!". She has this little grin she'll make when I'm talking in too high of a pitch and making crazy faces in attempts to get a response... totally worth my craziness. I love this little person and cannot wait to know her better.

A lot of my posts have been about Jovie lately, so I thought I'd take a minute and brag on my first born. Anaya is only 17 months, but her vocabulary continues to amaze Jon and me. I decided to write a list of her words of as many as I could think of, more for myself to get an idea of what all she is saying and keep it for her baby book, but I thought I'd share. She will repeat almost anything you say, but the following are words she says regularly, on her own. Yes, she sounds like a 17 month old saying them, so they are not perfect pronunciation, but you'd be surprised at some of them!

So here we are at 18 days old. Is she really so new to our family?

Jovie is on a pretty consistent 3hr feeding schedule. There are a few feedings a day that we still have to hold her off a bit, but overall she's adapted well. The 3hr day schedule  for feeding has helped our night schedule, and we're down to 2 feedings a night, which usually end up at 3hrs on the dot. It is crazy how newborns' bodies can get on such a timely schedule, no watches necessary!

I already have a favored boob. I think it is the opposite one than with Anaya. I remember pumping with Anaya... I'd get 3-4oz from one side and 1oz from the other. Yes, they looked lopsided, too! Not quite sure how it happened, and I know I could work to even it out, but that's work and I don't care that much.

I praise the Lord for another quick eater. I hear stories of 45min nursers. =/ Jovie is 15-20min total.

Napping. Hmph. Like most newborns Jovie likes to be held. To be honest, this Mama likes holding her! The problem is that my little Anaya, still a baby in my eyes, needs some one on one attention during the times Jovie sleeps, and I cannot give that properly while holding sleeping Jovie. When I am breastfeeding I can only devote so much attention to Anaya, and while she's been gracious, I can tell she has her moments. When Jovie is awake playing she tends to get a lot of attention, too, as I am trying to stimulate her little brain. We try and involve Anaya as much as she is interested, but that isn't very long! All this to say, when Jovie sleeps she has got to learn to sleep in her pack'n'play, so I can tend to my Anaya girl. She does it sometimes no problem, but yesterday afternoon she had cycles lasting about 2-3hrs of falling asleep in my arms, getting laid down, sleeping 3 minutes, and then waking up screaming.

So far this morning she has done well. The goal is to lay her down as soon as her eyes begin to droop, hope she can fall asleep on her own, and then stay in the pack'n'play the whole nap. When she cries for 1-2 minutes, I go shake or pat her little bun for a minute, and then give her the chance to fall asleep, not letting her cry for more than about 2 minutes. If this continues a few times, I will pick her up 'till she settles, and as soon as her eyes droop, lay her back down.

I don't handle crying well. I'd like to think I'm a toughie, but I'm not. 1-2 minutes is torture for me. I rarely ever made it 5 minutes with Anaya crying. The cry-it-out method isn't my game. I had great success with Anaya, however, doing a similar method to the one I'll try with Jovie. Key is/was consistency and a huge dose of patience. Sometimes it is a matter of patting their bun and leaving 50 times. (not literally... usually!) Soon it becomes less and less, and they do figure out how to fall asleep with no assistance. Today Anaya is the easiest napper/go to bed girl; we lay her down, tell her we love her, and leave! I hope the same for my Jovie.

P.S.

I hate this learning their cries stage. (Actually, I may argue they are learning to give different cries as much as we are learning to interpret them.) I know before long I will be able to tell when she is in pain, when she is mad, when she is sad, etc., but  for now it is all guessing. I remember it with Anaya. No fun.