Allison, Day 21 Happy Memorial Day! It's hard to believe that Allison is already 3 weeks old. She's filling out rapidly. Her face is getting chubbier and she's starting to fit into her 0-3 month clothes. Just as importantly, she is establishing a more regular nighttime sleep pattern. She'll typically get up after 3.5 hours and then 3 hours. So, if we put her down at 11:00, she'll get up at 3:30 and then 6:30. We're on a relatively sustainable sleep schedule - say 5 to 6 hours a night. Hopefully as she grows, she'll sleep even longer. Allison is also trying to hold up her head by herself. As we hold her, she'll hold her head straight up for a couple seconds and then if we don't catch her body will flop to one side. She's more cogent - staring in the general direction of Katherine who often times will sit a foot away exclaiming "Hi Allison, I'm your big sister!" We reached a wonderful milestone (for me at least) tonight. Steve fed Allison over an ounce of milk from a Gerber bottle. Steve suspects that we used Katherine's older bottle nipple as Allison could barely keep up with it. But, we were super relieved that she took the bottle readily. My goal is to have either Steve, Patty or my Mom feed her at least once a day - so we don't run into any resistance later like we did with Katherine. By Steve Bush at 9:31:28 PM |  |

Allison, Day 14 Sleep deprivation is taking its toll on our family. We had a couple tough nights this past week. For several nights Allison was getting up at 11PM, 1AM, 3AM and 5AM, and it was taking at least 45 minutes to get her back to sleep after an endless loop of nurse/burp/pooh/nurse/burp.  As of Saturday night we've adopted some new tactics to get more sleep. She's now sleeping in her crib, so we don't have to listen to her thrash, burp, pass gas, and make other noises in our room. I'm modifying my eating habits - no more spicy or potentially gaseous food that will keep Allison up to all hours of the night. We're starting to employ the concept of shifts, where one parent is on shift with the baby moniter at any one time. The good news is that she is putting on weight at a rapid clip.  As of Friday, she was 6 lbs. 11.5 oz and 20" long. This puts her in 75% height and 25% weight, a tall and skinny baby like Katherine. The doctor also said that her wheezing, sing-song breathing wasn't a problem. It is likely caused by still soft cartilage in her nose. Last night we finally got our first decent night's sleep. Allison woke up at 11PM, then 3AM and then 7AM. :)  To counter this, Katherine woke up at 1PM demanding "Allison sleep with Mama, Katherine sleep with Dada in guest room!"  We've been telling Katherine today that Allison is now in her crib, and we expect her to sleep in her junior bed as well. Katherine is adjusting to Allison as well as can be expected, although she still acts up and tests us. When in the minivan she's told us several times "I have to go to bathroom. Dada, please pull over now so we can go to store" and then didn't have to go to the bathroom! Or, she will ask for a food and not touch it at dinner. She especially pushes Steve really hard, knowing that he's more likely to listen to her incessant demands.  Katherine takes pride in being a big sister. She insists on "closing the strap" on Allison's diaper, getting towels for Allison's bath and even trying to lather her up! She is as gentle as possible with the baby - and knows that if she sits on the couch she can hold the baby on her lap. I've reached some exciting milestones as well. As of Day 10, the doctor gave a thumbs up so I can now drive! Also, I've packed away ALL my maternity clothes for future donation, hopefully never to see or wear them again! It's very exciting to actually wear my pre-pregnancy (albeit chubby) clothes.   By Steve Bush at 3:19:53 PM |  |

Allison, Day 7 More coming.     By Steve Bush at 3:16:51 PM |  |

Allison, Day 6 More coming.     By Steve Bush at 3:03:52 PM |  |

Allison, Day 5 We're starting to get a hang of Allison's way of doing things.  Christine and I settled into bed at 10PM (an hour after we got Katherine to bed) fully expecting Allison to continue her sleep and feed cycles of roughly every 2 hours.  As the night pressed on, it was clear that Allison wasn't going to follow this routine.  She was power feeding and working through some major gas bubbles.  Allison would feed, Steve/Christine would burp her and Allison would sleep for 10 minutes and the cycle would repeat.  This went on until about 12:30A.  Then a miracle happened.  Christine fed Allison and dad burped her and she fell into a deep sleep that lasted until 7A the next morning.  Christine had to wake her up.  Hopefully, this will be the routine. Between the gas bubbles and the power feeding with no sleep, Christine and I were starting to get a bit worried about our ability to sleep for the next couple of weeks. Katherine got up at 6:00A this morning and wanted her apple juice and to sleep with daddy.  Allison was sleeping/feeding with mommy so dad took Katherine to the spare bed room and slept until 7:30A. Allison and mom have figured out the art of feeding.  Allison has this cute behavior of opening just her left eye when she's sleepy or breast feeding to check out the world.  She will nurse for a while and then fall asleep. Christine will ask "are you done?" Allison will peer at us using her left eye (or not) then start feeding again. The cycle continues until she passes out and we wrap her up in her blanket. Allison is also a good sleeper.  She has to be because Katherine sings her ABC's at the top of her lungs to "wake up the baby" despite mom and dad's attempts to have her use her inside voice.  It's all about testing boundaries.  Fun to watch the interactions but adds a whole new dimension to parenting. With all of her eating, Allison is starting to fill out - although she is still only 6 lbs! Her face is getting rounder, and she looks increasingly like Katherine when she was born. Patty arrived at 8A and helped Katherine get ready for Gymastics.  We're all going to meet up at the pediatrician at around noon for Allison's checkup and Katherine 2 year Hep booster shot -Katherine doesn't know this yet :(  This afternoon, Allison gets a checkup and hearing test at the Overlake Women's center.  Grandma Dottie is coming over for dinner to visit and fix us dinner, yum. Overall, Christine and I cannot complain.  Allison is sleeping well and we have some time and energy to spend quality time with Katherine and document Allison's first days.  Katherine is adjusting as well as expected to having a baby sister.  The novelty of having "the baby" is still there but Katherine is acting up more to attract our attention.  When mom is feeding Allison, I'm trying to give Katherine some attention. I also wanted to thank Grandma Chang for helping take care of Katherine while we were in the hospital.  It's great to have family around who can help us and pass on the family values to Katherine. I'll update with news and pictures later this evening.     By Steve Bush at 11:10:15 AM |  |

Allison, Day 4 Zone Defense. Lack of Sleep. Everything starting to come back from late night hallway walks to routine detective work to figure out why Allison is crying now.  Katherine continues to evolve too.  Katherine can now open the locked pantry and the refrigerator by herself.  My goal is to update Day 3 and 4 later this evening after Katherine goes to bed with news and pictures. Consider this a placeholder.   By Steve Bush at 3:21:15 PM |  |

Allison Sarah Bush, Day 3 The doctor said we can go home from the hospital today. We're looking forward to seeing Katherine and sleeping in our own beds. More later.  Allison is crying.   By Steve Bush at 12:59:03 PM |  |

Allison Sarah Bush, Day 2 Day 2 for Allison.  Last night Allison slept well for a newborn, waking up every 2-3 hours for "check-ups" by the hospital staff.  Steve and Christine got a decent night's sleep, all things considered.  We're tired but not exhausted.  It's all coming back to us.  We experienced a lot of firsts for Allison today: wet and dirty diapers, breast feeding, yawns, sneezes, fake smiles, turns to the light, etc. The second child is just as rewarding as the first.  We missed a lot of "firsts" with Katherine as we were exhausted.  It also gives us the opportunity to relive Katherine's birth and Allison's own growth plan. Christine is recovering well from C section delivery.  She's been detached from all of the cords tying her down and is able to move around the room pretty well. Christine and Allison are mastering the art of breast feeding, every child has their own eating preferences. Steve is spending his time in support of Christine and Allison, posting pictures to the web site and trying to tie up loose ends at work.  He's looking forward to finishing the open items in his parental leave transition plan so he can enjoy spending quality time with Christine, Allison, and Katherine.  The people at Pure Networks have been fabulous in picking up any unresolved tasks. Katherine visited Allison at the hospital today.  Grandma Chang and Patty have been taking care of Katherine at the house.  Katherine has missed mom and dad dearly and was really excited to meet her new baby sister.  Dad met Katherine in the lobby and spent some quality time with her before bringing her back with Patty and Grandma Chang to the room.  At Toby school, Katherine stood up during circle time and declared to all that she was a big sister now.  Patty and Grandma Chang gushed with pride. Katherine literally gazed at Allison in awe.  It was a beautiful sight.  She's truly a proud big sister and will nurture Allison through her growing years.  As a parent, it's truly amazing to see the sister bond start to form.  Katherine will be a great big sister. Grandma Chang couldn't wait to hold Allison.  She beamed with excitement for new new granddaughter.  As a parent, it's rewarding to see the joy a newborn brings to the lives of extended family. Nanny Patty patiently waited her turn to hold Allison.  We are truly blessed to have Patty as a caregiver.  She's shown great love and guidance for Katherine and helped Christine and I raise a well adjusted child.  We're looking forward to Patty's help in raising Allison as well. Mom and Allison are asleep as I write this.  I'm publishing it now without Christine's editorial approval so this entry may be improved later when she wakes up and reviews. :)   By Steve Bush at 3:26:20 PM |  |

Allison Sarah Bush At 2:53A on Monday, May 9, 2005, Allison Sarah Bush was delivered at Overlake Hospital. Mom, Dad, and Allison are all tired but doing well. Katherine is having fun at home with her Grandma Chang and caregiver Patty. Allison weighed in at 6 lbs, 7 oz and measured 19.5 inches in length. She was born with a full head of wavy dark brown hair and has adjusted well to the outside world despite being 2 weeks early. Christine and I expect to be home later this week. It all happened quickly. Christine thought Sunday evening that she was having some more Braxton-Hicks (pre-labor) contractions. Much to our surprise, the contractions didn’t subside but got stronger and we headed for the hospital. An hour and a half later Allison was born. More pictures and details to follow.   By Steve Bush at 4:38:53 PM |  |

I getting nursery ready for baby! Katherine definitely knows that the baby is on her way! Here are some of her funny moments: "Want baby out of momma's tummy now" - putting a sticker or stamping my stomach "I getting nursery ready for baby" - while dropping 2 bulb droppers down the stairs after investigating the nursery "Lambey my baby...Good job, Dada!" - after Steve smiled and said "Yes, Lambey's your baby" "I have baby in my tummy too!" She's actively investigated all of her old baby stuff. Lambey regularly gets her diaper changed in the Pack and Play changing area, gets buckled into the swing and has checked out all the bassinets in the house. For a couple weeks, Katherine would climb into her old crib (bumpers and all), turn on the mobiles and music and then tell us "Get Me Down!" The Joy of a 2.5 Year Old Katherine is challenging us a bit more these days, and it seems to have coincided with her hitting 2.5 years old. It now can take up to 15-20 minutes to get dressed in the morning because she has definite opinions as to what she wants to wear...not always matching of course. And, getting her out the door can be a exercise in negotiation and distraction. Although, when motivated, Katherine can move very quickly. This morning it only took 2 minutes to get dressed because she was so excited to go to gymnastics class and change into her little purple/pink heart leotard for class! She's learning that crying doesn't always get her what she wants. Case in point, she cried for 5 minutes this morning demanding a juice box instead of her one daily cup of apple juice. Steve and I held firm and after 10 minutes she went back to her apple juice. Katherine is also starting to demand that we play certain games like "me chase Daddy and Bisco upstairs" or "me want Daddy to throw ball outside" or "me play with sand box and shovel."  While she can entertain herself for small stretches without imminent disaster, she looks for caregivers to participate in her imaginary tea and birthday parties. Often this involves directing who sits where, who eats with which plates & utensils and what happens during the parties. One of her latest quirks is an obsession with her "stuff." Stuff includes her red vest, 2 pairs of blue Nemo underwear, 2 plastic spoons, an Easter purse, and a Minnie t-shirt. She carries all this stuff around in a little red Stanford backpack in the house and whenever we leave the house. We accidentally left the backpack at home last Saturday and had to go home to get it - she was so bent out of shape and kept saying "I want my stuff. Please go home and get backpack!"  I'm hoping this phase doesn't last too long! Reading Books Before Bed We've established a set routine before bedtime, which consists of reading on our bed and then reading 2 books in Katherine's room. She gets to select the books. More and more, she insists that "I read book" and "I hold book" and she will take a crack at reading her books. For some, like her Fire Engine, Biscuit and Little Critter books (say about 8-10 that we more frequently), Katherine has memorized almost complete sentences. She tries to imitate us by licking her finger to help turn the pages so that she doesn't miss any pages. For a couple choice Audrey Wood books like Sweet Dream Pie and Napping House, she's memorized the entire books and even knows where she may have ripped and taped the pages together. Napping House is a current favorite with its repetition and amusing story line. As part of the routine, she will say "me help read napping house" and then ask "why is everyone not sleeping?" at the end of the book. Sometimes, if we miss or slip up on any key words, she will correct us. :) Burgeoning Vocabulary When Katherine was 18 months or so, I started tracking her vocabulary using Excel. I gave up several months later when the spreadsheet exceeded 300 words. We figure she's got a full-blown vocabulary now - where non-primary caregivers understand her ~60% of the time, her sentence structure is more grammatical and she pronounces words more accurately. For a good half year, she called our dog "Britcher."  Now she calls him "Bisco" and loves to sing the Bingo song with "BISCO" instead. She now calls herself "Katherine" and rarely "Tata." We've discussed nicknames and she will use it as a joke now and then. She uses "I" not just "me" anymore. ex. "I hold book" She uses phrases everyday that we often use like "Come here!" or "It doesn't matter" (no idea where she got that!) or "Good Boy Bisco!" She's learned "he vs. she" and "his vs. her." She picks up rarely used words and will blurt them out at the oddest times like "bebes" (for diabetes). "Doctor said mama not eat chocolate pancakes because of bebes" (we keep assuring her that mom does not have diabetes, but this is just stuck in her head!) We are also starting to teach her about words that start with certain letters. "What words start with B?" or "What letter does Bisco start with?" For some words that we ask a lot, she'll answer correctly over half the time. Other times, it's a guessing game, but she's trying hard and having a fun time with the alphabet. New Experiences & More Developments Katherine's other skills are progressing at various paces. We started taking her to a nearby gym for Mighty Mites classes in February. This was an activity that I would take her to, but it became increasingly difficult for me to help her with some physically demanding activities. One of her favorite activities is jumping into a pit filled with foam blocks - used to provide a soft landing for gymnasts learning rings. After 4 weeks of back breaking work, I moved her to another weekly class that Patty takes her to every Friday. This is perhaps her favorite class now, largely because they bought a little leotard at Target that Katherine thinks is really cool. In pre-leotard classes, she would participate in some activities. Post-leotard she tried everything the coach suggested and can't wait to march off to class in the morning. This class has also highlighted how one set of skills can develop more quickly than others. Her gross motor skills are not nearly as developed as her verbal skills as evidenced by the fact that she is the only child in her class who can't jump yet!  We've all tried to coach her but to no avail. So for now, she rolls around the family room carpet doing somersaults and tries to do a crab walk.   On a positive note, Katherine is now potty-trained except during her nap and in the evening.  She will reliably (95%) make it to the bathroom in time to do her business, and she's almost self-sufficient (depending on #1 vs. #2). The rock incentive system has been shelved for now. Her last "incentive" was a plastic vacuum cleaner that I purchased yesterday after she filled an entire Tupperware with her little colored rocks! By Steve Bush at 4:50:55 PM |  |