Kylie's first months

Whenever we've had a baby, Alex always makes sure he takes 2 weeks off of work. It's a very special time for our family. It's like we pause the world outside and live in our own time while getting adjusted to the life with a new baby.  Day and night get mixed up but we don't feel so tired because we take turns sleeping. I do all the feeding, he does all the changing, it's a team effort. This time, having another child needing care and attention, it was even more important having Alex's presence these first days. I got to go on a few dates with Leah and vice-versa, she got lots of one-on-one time with both of us. It really feels like a vacation for us, we enjoy going out - "newborn" is our favorite time to do things with a baby, they just sleep all the time. But when Alex has to go back to work, that's when reality kicks in. I really can't complain, we have really good babies. Leah was a very easy baby so we were afraid that our luck would run out and the next baby would be the opposite, but Kylie is just as good. Didn't cry very much, had no colics, ate well, slept well. I know for some families a newborn can be very difficult, but it's not our case, our newborn girls were both a piece of cake but they take more and more work as they grow.

Both of them 3 days old, in the same spot and smiling for the first time.

We were anxious to see what Leah's reaction to the new baby would be like. I knew she was going to love her sister but I was still surprised that she never showed not even a little bit of jealousy. We were so worried about continuing to show our love for her and giving her attention once the baby was here, but she didn't need any adjusting, she sure felt like we did, like Kylie had always been part of our family, like she had always been here. Leah wanted to hold Kylie all the time, always wanted to be close the baby. She was so in love, we all were.

So happy her little sis was home!

Kylie was a very good baby during her first months. When she was 2 weeks old, right after Alex got back to work, she stared fussing after feeding, crying sometimes until she got tired enough to sleep, she also spit up a lot and even threw up a couple times. I went to see a lactation consultant afraid she could have reflux, but she had gained weight pretty well and the problem was actually that she was eating too much. She started nursing just one side at time and she was a happy baby again. She loved laying on the floor, and it sure made things a lot easier for me. When she got a little bigger she started sitting on the bumbo seat and she just loved watching whatever I was doing. One thing she didn't like though was tummy time, so she quickly found a way to escape. She wasn't even one month old yet when she rolled from tummy to back for the first time. We knew she wasn't really doing on purpose, she just could't balance the weight of her head, and she was already lifting it so high she just kind of tipped over, but yet still impressive.   

She was blessed on May 12. It was mothers day, a beautiful spring morning and she sure looked adorable in her first white dress.

Here's the first video we made for Kylie and it covers a little of her first two months of life.

He hair used to stick up a lot. We loved her messy style but it started to stay down when she was about 5 months old. 

Not sure what I love the most in this picture, whether it's Leah reading
books to Kylie or if it's Kylie's hair.

Some of her development milestones:

Started smiling - 3 days

Rolled from tummy to back - 1 month

Found her hands - 1 month

Started laughing - 1 1/2 month

Rolled from back to tummy - 3 months

Found her toes - 3 months

Learned to blow raspberries - 4 months

Sat up without support - 5 months

Cut first tooth - 5 1/2 months

Started eating solids - 6 months

Started crawling - 7 months

I miss those first months, miss my cuddling baby. She's now 7 months old and so wiggly.
She's very curious and she basically throws herself out of our arms to touch and see things.
She now has 4 teeth  (2 incisors on the bottom and 2 canines on the top).
She's very good eating vegetables, she likes specially the green ones, but she's not doing so good with fruits - she makes funny faces when eating them, like I'm giving her the sourest thing on earth. She loves oatmeal cereal so I mix up the fruits with the cereal but I'm still trying to get her to eat plain fruits.
She loves to watch Leah running and jumping around, however she gets nervous when Leah is too close and I don't blame her, sometimes Leah hugs too much.
She can drink from a straw.
She's probably going through the separation anxiety already. She screams every time she sees me leave her side.
She likes to sleep with a blanket on her face. A couple months ago all we needed to do was put a blanket on her face and she would close her eyes instantly. Now she's a little more difficult to fall asleep but she still loves to sleep holding a blanket up to her face or rubbing my shirt on her nose while nursing.  

She's loving her new ability to move and get into the things. She has fun discovering and playing with random objects in the house.

She's a happy, very smiley baby. We love her so much and are so glad that she's part of us.

The newest addition

So it's been a while again. I just thought Alex's post was so nice that I wanted to keep it on top of this blog forever. ;)

Today a friend asked with this blog was sill active. I noticed that our new baby is already 7 months old and she was never seen at this blog. It's about time for a new post and this one is going to be all about the newest addition to our family. So let's go back to the very beginning.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy of baby #2 was great. I just love being pregnant. I don't love all the heart burns and pelvic pressure which were both a lot worse this time around. But it's just so incredibly amazing growing a little human inside yourself. I enjoy every little bit of the "cooking" process. Feeling the baby move is one of most amazing feelings. I also love having a basketball belly. We didn't feel the need to have a doctor appointment every month. I had an appointment during the first weeks after we found out about the pregnancy and while we were in Brazil we had an ultrasound to find out the sex at 16 weeks. We didn't get back to regular appointments until I was 30 weeks along. The hospital staff didn't like that at all and I had to prove them that I wasn't a high risk pregnancy so I could be kept being seen by the midwives. It was fun to compare this pregnancy with the first one.

Leah didn't quite get the idea of having a baby growing in my belly, but she was always very sweet with it. She would hug and kiss and talk to her baby sister. We would always talk about the baby and also got some books about new babies. Towards the end of the pregnancy, Leah started including the baby in her drawings and also when talking about our family. It cracked me up when she noticed that it wasn't  just the three of us anymore. 

22 weeks

28 weeks

32 weeks

35 weeks

37 weeks

39 weeks

I love this picture of how I used to see Leah when she would hug my legs, then look up at me while asking for something. 

Leah was born a week earlier than my due date. We weren't expecting that, so we really didn't get a chance to go through the "just waiting" phase. But baby #2 did let us experience that this time around. I thought that picking up a toddler and running around with her would help labor start sooner. With this in mind and the previous experience helped me to be ready and "just waiting" by the time I was full term. We actually made it to 40 weeks, it was a sweet wait, wondering when the baby would come, waking up every morning thinking "today can be the day", watching my body close for any sign of labor. Alex would get home and ask if I was feeling something before saying anything else.

The Birth

It was the day after my due date. I droped Alex off at City Hall early in the morning and headed back home when I noticed I had lost my plug. Finally a sign of labor that we had already been waiting for so long now, I was so excited! It was how everything started with Leah, so I knew that the baby would be here within a day or so. I wanted to tell Alex but he was spending the day with a police officer (he's now studying criminal justice in school). It was a day he was looking forward to and I wanted him to enjoy it and not be worried about me. So I kept all my excitement to myself. I did tell Leah that her baby sister was coming but she had heard that many times in the last days so she didn't think it was any different. I don't even know when I started having contractions, but they were more noticeable around noon. I had an appointment that afternoon which had no point in me going to if I was in labor, but I just didn't want to stay at home. They checked my blood pressure and the baby's heart beat. Everything was ok. When I told my midwife I was having contractions she asked if  I wanted to check my dilatation and I said no, because I would probably be checking in the hospital pretty soon anyways. I left the hospital and went to get Alex. I had two contractions on our way home, it's probably not a very good idea to be driving while in labor. Alex was excited telling me all about his day, I just listened to him and didn't tell him I was in labor until we got home. I went to finish mine and Leah's bag to go to her grandparents house. It was late afternoon and the contractions started to progress and get strong really fast. We started to count the intervals, they were 5 minutes apart. Soon enough I wasn't able to move during the contractions anymore. Grandpa came to get Leah and we got in the hospital around 6pm. I was dilated to 6 and 100% effaced.

Even though I was still able to handle the contractions I decided not to wait for it get any stronger and go straight for the epidural. Because I was strep B positive and was far in active labor, they hurried to get my IV placed. Within 30 minutes I was on antibiotics and had the anesthesia in. The rushed, busy room got very quiet after a little bit and soon it was just Alex and me waiting for our baby girl to work her way down. Alex put on a movie to watch but all I could do was watch the clock, wondering how much longer it would take, and what time she would be here. Heart burn was killing me so I took some medicine with a very strong taste that was supposed to help. I don't know if it was the medicine or just the labor that made me feel nauseous. We rang for the nurse to come get us a bowl or something, Alex was trying to help look, but I couldn't hold it anymore, I don't think the nurse heard me, but I said something like "It's coming!".  Alex was quick enough to grab the water pitcher and put that in front of me for me to throw up in... Around midnight the nurse came in to check on me and suddenly I felt nauseous again, I threw up a second time and my water broke from the force of me heaving. Because of the anesthesia I didn't feel all the water, but I felt something pop. Sure enough, when we moved the blankets, all the bed sheets were soaking wet. They checked me, I was dilated to 10 and ready to go. I gave one push and she was already crowing, both Alex and the midwife talked about all the hair she had while the nurse asked me to wait while she was getting some equipment ready. I asked for a mirror and was able to watch everything. I pushed again and her head came out. One more push and she was out completely. The anesthesia worked like a charm, didn't feel any pain, but felt her being born. It was amazing! She came straight to my arms and I was showered with love. Alex cut the umbilical cord and I got to hold her for over 2 hours before they took her to be cleaned, measured, etc. It was such a precious bonding time that meant a lot to me. 

Kylie Maria Kendrick chose a fun date, and a fun time to be born. 03/13/13 @ 00:07 am. Our special agent weighted 7 lb 10 oz and measured 20 1/2 inches. She was so pretty and everybody kept talking about all of that dark hair. 

In the morning Leah came to see us. I didn't want her first impression being of me holding the baby, so Nana came to hold Kylie and we met Leah in the hall and explained to her that Kylie had arrived, and that she was a big sister now! We went all together to meet the baby. Leah loved her baby sister from the very first moment. She was so sweet, wanted to hug and kiss the baby all the time. 

And then there was 4!

My turn!

Ecclesiastes 3 : 1, 7

1 - To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

7 - A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

I figured this was an appropriate opening to my first post on my wife's blog.  She's been so good at posting here and on the portuguese blog she has.  I suddenly had the desire to have a go at it.  I know she has a main theme more or less on what she talks about in the blog, but I want this post to be about her.  This woman is incredible, and I have no idea what I did to earn my place at her side as her husband, but whatever it was it had to be amazing.  She's always shown a level of strength that is extremely hard to find in the world these days.  I know that without her I would be a weaker man, fumbling, without much purpose at all through life.

Dayane is a wonderful mother, she works so hard to keep a level head through the difficult situations that parenting brings, and she emphasizes the happy times to show what life is all about.  Every time I see her playing with Leah, or even when we're just talking about her, you can see the genuine care and love that she holds for our daughter.  Dayane makes fun of me sometimes for this, but I can be somewhat of an emotional person when it comes to family, and instances like those push me to a breaking point I have to constantly take care not to break down at the sheer beauty that is my wife, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Recently we all went to Brazil to spend some time with her mother, but I was only able to spend about a week there because of work.  Not wanting Dayane to be limited in being with her family, she took Leah before me and stayed a while longer.  I hate being home alone, it's so quiet, I don't get to hear Leah running to me when I get home.  I don't get to hear how Dayane was upset that her dinner recipe messed up somehow (rare occasion, she's actually a wonderful cook), and I don't get to lay down holding her close to me to sleep at night.  The first few nights were especially strange because usually I can hear the white noise that Leah sleeps with in her room.  But since she wasn't there, it was turned off.  I almost got up to turn it on a few nights to help ME sleep!

The only way I was able to pass the time was by thinking of things that I can do for her.  Just because I love her.  So this time what I did was create a set of clues that took her to different places both here at home around the city, and in Brazil.  Places that had special meaning to our relationship, both during our time before and after marriage.  Places that held special memories for me and our past.  For each place that she discovered and arrived at, I rewarded her with two things: First, my memory and feeling about that location, and second, a piece of a password that would open a file on the computer and give her access to a movie I had made.  Well, actually it was more like pieces of a code, so that she could try to discover what the password was (I couldn't make it TOO easy for her).  

Needless to say, she figured it out pretty quick actually, I knew I should have made it harder!  Her face was beautiful as she watched the movie I had created.  Nothing makes me happier than making my wife cry of happiness :-).  I wanted to share the movie here, but with it being in portuguese I'll write the translation below slide per slide:

Infinite: It is an adjective that describes something that doesn't have a beginning, or end, or something without limits, or that which is innumerable.

Synonyms of Infinity: Unlimited, Immense...

...Eternal...

'Eternal' Marriage doesn't just begin in the temple...

Because just as eternity doesn't have an ending, it also doesn't have a beginning.

My entire life I asked myself where you were...

...what was your name, what you looked like, when I was going to meet you.

But the truth is that we had met before this life,

Because I had always loved you even before I found you here on Earth.

True love is...

...Infinite...

--------------

I love you to infinity!

Dayane Medeiros Kendrick, I love Heavenly Father for allowing me to be a part of your life, I love your parents for trusting me with your care, and I love you just for being exactly who you are: A loving, caring, beautiful, sexy, amazing woman with whom I know that is my only chance for happiness in this life, and the life to come through the gospel of Christ.  Thank you for loving me, thank you for being here, and thank you for taking me with you wherever you go.  I love you.

Alex

Halloween 2012

This was Leah's first halloween for real. Last year we were in Brazil so this was her very first time trick or treating. She was very excited, loved everything about it and was so happy to have that much candy in her hands all at one time. She also loved passing out the candy from the bucket to the other kids when we got back home.

We sure had to record everything. She was the cutest pirate ever!

We are alive!

In Portuguese we have a little saying that says "Who is alive will always show up" So here I am after a year! Since I started a blog in portuguese I left this one behind. But I thought it would be nice to keep a family record in English too. So I will no longer write in Portuguese here and hopefully update it frequently. There's no way I can catch up on everything we have been throughout the last year so I will just restart with what we have been up to  most recently. 

Biggest new is that we have another bundle of joy on the way! We are half way through the pregnancy of our second baby girl and couldn't be more excited! We already love her so much!

Leah and I spent last September in Brazil. Alex joined us there for the last few days. We had a great time, it was so good to be with my family and friends and see Leah bonding with her cousins, uncles and grandma. We sure miss them a lot. Here is a video that kind of sums up our vacation: