Bike riding

A couple weekends ago we decided to take the boys to Kentucky Dam to ride bikes. We've never done this before but don't really have a good place to ride at our house. It was a nice cool morning (which has been unusual lately) and the weather was gorgeous. The majority of the adventure was so much fun and the boys thoroughly enjoyed it. However Keagan's training wheels don't work well with his bike so he has a bit of a gangster lean going on, and it caused all kinds of problems and arguments towards the end. The training wheel bar kept bending and we were (strongly) encouraging him to ride without them. That didn't happen, but maybe soon?

2 Months!

My beautiful baby daughter hit the 2-month mark on September 8th. I actually took her pictures that day but have had little to no chance to sit down to write a blog. Life with 3...oh-so-busy!

Stats:
Weight 12lbs 1.5 ounces
Length 23.75 inches

Maclyn's doctor basically said she was perfect (though we knew that) and growing well. She does have a clogged tear duct in her left eye and we've known about this since she was a couple weeks old but got confirmation that this is all it is and we are doing all we can at this point (massage and cleaning the eye regularly). Maclyn doesn't seem bothered by it so we try not to worry over it either. She tolerated her shots pretty well, though I am fairly certain they were harder on me this go-round than with the boys...and it was tough then! I was a nervous-nelly before the appointment!

• We have finally gotten into a pretty solid and predictable routine, with nursing every 3 hours and an eat-play-sleep schedule. Naps are not her strong suit, but we are working to improve this and she is getting better. Her late morning nap is pretty predictable, her late afternoon nap is always on-the-go because of picking up the boys and then afternoon/evening extra-curriculars.
• Maclyn has finally fixed her latch and is not killing me every time we nurse. You'd think that by this point, nursing my third baby, I would have breastfeeding down pat. Nope. Every baby has been different and Maclyn has had the world's strongest, most incorrect latch ever. And she is stubborn, so it has taken nearly 2 months to get it better. 
• Everyone always asks me if she is sleeping through the night. She is not (minus the one night she did -last night- after her shots...but that is unusual and actually led me to panic). She does sleep well and generally only wakes one time to nurse.
• She may sleep well at night but she is miserable to get down. We used to put her to bed late (1030/11ish) and just deal with her crazy fussiness from 7pm to bedtime, but then I thought maybe she was fussy because she was tired. Seems logical. So I started the bedtime routine earlier, and she falls asleep while nursing...but the literal second I lay her down her little beady eyes pop open. And this will go on for 2 hours. Yep, TWO HOURS. I have tried so many different routines and none of them seem to work.
• Tummy time. well, it isn't her favorite. But she is getting better at it. What she is really getting better at is play time on her activity mat.

• Maclyn is super sweet and smiley. She is becoming very social, cooing and gooing at everyone and giving out big gummy smiles. She gets sweeter every day. Every once in a while she gets fired up in what she is trying to say to me and gets loud, but generally her voice is soft and dainty. I am certain that will change as she gets bigger and has to compete with her brothers for talking space (and there really isn't much left). 
• Her big brothers are already super interesting to her. She loves to look at them and will immediately jerk her head around to see them. They are still so good with her, but I have to really monitor them because they smother her with kisses and touching and grabbing and patting and she will get irritated. 
• She enjoys being held, but it is on her terms. If she isn't interested in snuggling she lets you know really fast. She likes to be bounced and walked and moved constantly, and is really only OK with sitting if she is nursing. She is snuggly with Mommy, but not really anyone else.
• She does not like her car seat and generally lets everyone know immediately. She will pipe down a little if we get going, but usually our car rides are filled with pitiful cries from the back seat. Finn will calmly say to her "shut your mouth, baby" or "stop crying baby" or "I don't like that crying." I typically ride with my arm over the seat and my shoulder dislocated to hold her hand and/or hold a paci in her mouth, and Finn usually has his hands over his ears!
• Speaking of a paci. She hated it at first. She tolerates it now. We are forcing the issue (quite literally) and she is getting more used to it. I am sure that some of you are thinking I am crazy for forcing a pacifier on her...but she's my third kid and quite frankly I cannot tolerate the crying. She enjoys comfort sucking, and I just can't whip out a boob every time she wants to comfort suck. So, insert paci. And I am 100% certain this has helped us attain a more normal feeding schedule.

• Maclyn prefers to poo in a clean diaper. I mean, who wouldn't?? But really, it seems that 20 seconds after I put a new diaper on she will mess it up.
• She got her first bottle around 4 weeks, and she generally takes it really well. I had to work a few days here recently and Josh kept her. She was such a good girl, taking her bottle and napping. I was so proud!
• Maclyn really has never been a huge spitter-upper, which is glorious considering the boys were. But she has been on Zantac since about 6 weeks though because she did have signs of reflux and in desperation I called and talked to the nurse. We did a trial of Zantac and it helped tremendously, especially with the occasional projectile spitting and extreme fussiness. We have not been as diligent about giving it lately, and I believe her little digestive system has matured, so I am wondering if we could quit using it.
• Hiccups. Oh! The hiccups. They are intense and often...exactly as they were when she was in my tummy. I feel bad for her because she gets them so often, but they don't seem to bother her. 

 

I may be way off because she is still only 2 months old, but I feel like her sweet personality is starting to show. She really is sweet and soft, quite dainty. She doesn't seem to get perturbed too often and her cries are not ear-piercing. She has some pretty good cry endurance in the car, but at home I can usually find a holding position to suit her. Looking back to the boys, their little personalities were perfect leads to what they are today: Keagan was a sensitive baby and he is that way now. Finn was loud and demanding, knowing just what he wanted...and he is still this way!

Here are some videos that are super sweet of baby Maclyn:

Oreos!

Everyone needs a break from the kids every once in a while...so why not take an Oreo break! I have been putting away some Oreos like it's my job (maybe the source of my baby weight not coming off...grrr) and I have managed to try all the newest flavors except one. That one is Swedish Fish Oreos...and, really I cannot even try to wrap my brain around that flavor. All the other flavors are weird...but this one is weird and sounds disgusting. I did, however, find the elusive Toasted Coconut Oreos...on Ebay. Yes. I had a moment of end-of-pregnancy insanity and ordered Oreo cookies off Ebay. A form of nesting? Maybe. So here is my list, in no particular order:

Toasted Coconut Oreos: These taste just like the name...and that's a win-win in my book because I love coconut flavored foods. These are the ones I have been trying to find for months. And these are the ones I found on Ebay. Definitely worth it. But not a favorite of the family.

Blueberry Pie Oreos: Stacey told me about these...I immediately got on Target's website and ordered them. Listen, I got them super cheap, only had to buy one package, and got free shipping. So a couple days later a package arrived with my Oreos. The only problem was I was so excited about my "find" that I sent them to the wrong house!! Luckily, that house was my in-laws house so, other than worrying that Poppy would eat them before me, I knew they were safe. I actually shared these with the boys and they probably ate more than I did. Keagan asked me to buy more the other day! (That tells you how good these are...he generally doesn't like the crazy flavors) I am sure Target.com is gonna think I am nutso for just ordering one package at a time.

Choco Chip Oreos: Found these gems at Wal-Mart. And they did not disappoint. Who wouldn't want a chocolate chip wafer with chocolate chip cream in the center?? Duh. These are another flavor that the boys loved!

Fruity Crisp Oreos: Weird, right?! I saw these on the internet one day and then found out where they could be purchased. Well, no where near us. And I couldn't find them online to purchase (unless I did another Ebay purchase and these were going for the price of gold. Crazy. I'm not that crazy)...so I texted Mom and told her these were being sold at a grocery chain that they had near them. She said she was going there that afternoon anyways so she'd look. Lo and Behold, Mom found them!!!! I thought it was a long-shot but a text came through that afternoon with a picture of these in her cart. Whoo hoo!!! While Keagan didn't care for these, Finley and I did. And I believe Mom and Hannah liked them, too. (I shared when they brought them to me after Maclyn was born...wasn't that nice of me? That's true love) Finn said that they tasted like Starburst candy. I thought they tasted just like the Fruity Pebbles cereal (or Fruit Loops). They had a crunch to them in the cream and I really liked that aspect. 

So other than the Swedish Fish Oreos, which I doubt I will try unless they are gifted to me (then I will likely eat the entire package...), I am completely caught up!! I think. Nabisco is always coming up with limited edition flavors...it is an uphill battle.