Clintonville's Duckling Day 2015

The Whetstone branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library hosts many events, but one sticks out above all others: Duckling Day. We attended the annual event in Clintonville this past Saturday, and Edith had a great time.

Hundreds of kids dressed up as ducks march alongside or around the library, and the morning is filled with special events. Outside the library are live ducks to look at, and toy ones in kid pools. (Edith definitely preferred the latter.) Inside are duck-themed crafts, a puppet show and music. And the kiddos go home with goody bags that include a duck-based book, which I think I was commanded to read six times before I finally put Edith down for her nap yesterday.

Atticus had a duck costume, too -
over his carrier!

This was Edith's second Duckling Day. (Here's a run-down of her first.) Atticus attended his first this year, although he slept against my chest in my Moby carrier the entire time. Not so memorable for him, perhaps, but I hope it was for Edith.

Photo Friday: Edith's First Bike

Edith received a balance bike for her birthday in November from Grandma and Grandpa, and it was finally warm enough to use it earlier this month. She especially likes the bell.

April 13, 2015

5 Things I've Learned as a New Mom of Two

 
I've been a mother of two lovely children for almost three weeks, but I've already learned a thing or two ... or five.

1. Twice the Kids = AT LEAST Twice the Time to Prepare to Go Out.

It's true that I already had trouble getting out the door on time when it was just Edith. After my first outing alone with two kiddos to library story time last week, I quickly realized I need to budget even more time. Double the coats, car seats, diapers, etc. and you seemingly quadruple the amount of time it takes to get somewhere.

2. Boy and Girl Diapers Are Equally Difficult to Change.

I'm not sure if I had changed even a handful of diapers before Edith came along, but I soon learned the mechanics of changing her diaper. But I had heard the horror stories of boy diapers -- namely, the spraying. And sure enough, the first time I changed Atticus's diaper, the pee arced to the floor. And again the third time. But no more cleaning the floor since then, and I've changed dozens of his diapers now. At least boys make no secret when they're peeing all over everything.

3. It All Comes Back.

The smell of newborn poop. How to hold an infant with no head control. The sound of upset cries and fussiness. It's been more than two years, but now it seems like it never ended.

4. You Never Get Used to No Sleep.

Wake-up calls at 2 a.m. (and 5 a.m., and 7 a.m.!) are no fun. Occasionally they are sweet, but not over and over again, night after night. I constantly need a nap.

5. Everything Is Upended. Until It Isn't.

A new baby disrupts everything. That's not necessarily bad, but it is chaotic. Edith and I had two years to form and follow a routine that worked for us, and now it's been upended. But I know that everything will fall into place once again, and sooner than I could ever realize.

Photo Friday: Atticus's First Two Weeks

April 4, 2015 - Two days old

April 4, 2015

April 4, 2015

April 5, 2015 - Three days old

April 10, 2015 - Eight days old

April 14, 2015 - 12 days old - Edith and Atticus
with Grandpa and Grandma

Waiting for us on the rug when we got home from the hospital!

How Atticus Came into the World

Atticus's day of birth was infinitely smoother than Edith's rough-and-tumble birth more than two years earlier. I never could have guessed that birth itself could be so easy. (The recovery, however, ...)

Three ultrasounds in a row indicated that my amniotic fluid levels were borderline-low, so I was scheduled for an induction. Although I knew this was for the safety of the baby, I wasn't happy with this outcome. For one, I was scared that it could lead to a c-section.

Less rationally, I didn't like having a date set for Atticus's birthday. That meant I would know every "last" ahead of time -- the last time I would take Edith to the library as an only child, our last day alone together and all the rest.

I had some contractions the Monday night before the Thursday induction, but they went away after a few hours. I didn't get much sleep the next few nights.

But on April 2, Paul and I arrived at the hospital shortly before 7 a.m. to get the party started. I was hooked up to a couple of monitors, and an IV was inserted into my arm to give me pitocin, designed to jumpstart labor. (They never even had time to hook me to the monitors with Edith!)

The contractions weren't too bad, and Paul and I chatted until the nurse suggested around noon that I get an epidural if I wanted one. They wanted to break my water soon, and I would be more comfortable with the epidural, even if I wasn't in much pain at the moment. Although I was nervous about getting an epidural, I knew FOR SURE that I didn't want a repeat of natural childbirth. The epidural was painless, my doctor broke my water at 12:30 p.m., and we waited.

Things progressed nicely. Around 3 p.m., my nurse said the baby would be born within the hour. Not long after, she told me she'd check on me around 3:45 p.m. I told her that I was feeling some pressure, so she decided to check me right then. The verdict? It was time.

After 20 minutes of pushing, Atticus was here.

Paul took a week of paternity leave last week, and I don't think I even touched our laptop. Although things are more chaotic (and my blog posts may not be as regular for a while), I will be publishing photos and posts about how things are going. But mostly I will be enjoying our growing family.

Welcome, Atticus!

Introducing Atticus Richey Erwin, born Thursday, April 2!

Time: 3:45 p.m.
Weight: 8 pounds 12 ounces
Length: 21 inches

I was induced Thursday morning due to low amniotic fluid, and we couldn't be happier to meet our little guy six days before my due date!