Storytime With Tula

Tula spent almost an hour yesterday morning in her bedroom reading to herself.  She has learned how to get onto her chair by herself and loves to climb up there with a couple books and babble away.   I hid behind outside the hallway of her room and got a few video clips of her reading away.  sometimes she would take these long pauses and just stare at the page, other times she would baby talk away for what seemed like forever.  She was totally into it and very expressive, I couldn't help but just watch and listen and not interrupt.  I would give anything to know what she was saying.  It sounded very exciting at some parts!

Maverick's First Bottle!

Maverick had his first bottle on Tuesday morning with Daddy and he took it!  I was very excited!  It took him a little bit to get the hang of it but he soon figured it out and drank about an ounce before falling fast asleep in his Dad's arms.  I am glad to know that he will take one if necessary, and I guess this means I just have to keep practicing with him so that I can go to my NKOTB concert on the 13th and not be worried sick about him all night.  I know Tula took her first one and so we thought we were safe and didn't try again for a month or so and it was too late.  As much of a pain in the butt pumping is, I am really going to try and do it every few days just so I can get him comfortable enough with the bottle that he is fine to take one.  He was too cute trying to figure it out.  Here are a few pictures...

Baby Mav turns one month old today!

This month has been nothing less than hectic in the Coppola household.  Two babies is more than double the work.  It is chaotic and stressful at times, for sure.  But Maverick has brought so much love and joy into this home in the last month that every wink of missed sleep was worth it.  John and I knew having two this close in age would be crazy for awhile, and I feel like we prepared ourselves as best as we could for that, which was really just accepting it would be nuts and dealing with it.  But we didn't realize how much more of a family unit we would feel like, bringing another child into the mix.  Not that we didn't feel like a family with Tula, but sometimes it really just did feel like we were a couple with a baby, ya know?  We could still do couple things, and for the most part she was easy enough to bring along to most things.  We could go for sushi, eat in pretty much any restaurant we wanted, fun stuff like that.  We didn't have rearrange our lives near as much just for her as we do with two.  So it has forced us to spend more time at home, with each other and the kids.  And it has made going out different.  Not that we don't do it, we still do our breakfasts and trips shopping of whatever.  But we are very careful to pick the right times and locations, etc. to make is as easy on is as possible.  We have learned that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure, that if you have an idea its not going to work well, it probably won't.  With Tula, we would chance it sometimes.  With Maverick, and having two little ones, we just don't.  Because we have played it safe, it has made our trips out with just the four of us really, really enjoyable, and I have said a few times this month that I really feel like Maverick has brought a new calmness into my life that I had never known before.   I have learned that I can be a little OCD about things, and he is teaching me to let some of that go.  And even when we are out strolling around San Tan, Tula playing and running with Daddy and him in his sling, I feel more relaxed knowing I am not there for anything else, just to spend time with them.  With Tula, I was still able to take off or do my own thing or whatever, and that isn't an option right now.  So when we are out, for the most part, it is to enjoy being out with each other, and to be really present in whatever activity we are doing.  For me and the kids, leaving the house is still such a treat right now, and something that I still haven't attempted without John.  So we just all love the change of scenery.  But I know for John and I both, Maverick has really redefined our roles as parents and we are enjoying and trying to embrace every moment of having two this small.  Gosh, it really can be so hard at times.  I would never even try and pretend it wasn't.  But they grow so fast, this month has flown, and I just remind myself of how fast that first year went with Tula, and it makes every moment with Mav a little bit sweeter.

Maverick is a fairly easy baby so far.  He is still sleeping so much, so that makes him seem so much easier.  When he is awake, I will say he cries much more than Tula did.  Usually nothing unbearable, throw him in a sling or in his swing and he is happy again.  I find I have to remind myself to play with him sometimes, with a toddler constantly tugging at you to do this or that, Tula often gets the most of the attention and Mav is just kind of there for the ride.  But Tula and I try to make a point of hanging out with him for awhile every time he wakes up.  She loves to go running with me when we hear him cry from the bedroom.  She loves to kiss him and has actually been able to soothe him a few times with her kisses.  I think it's her presence more than anything, Maverick definitely knows and totally adores his sister.  The first smile I ever saw from him, and that was at about 3 weeks old, was for his sister.  And she has had more than one since then.   They have such a bond already, and I cannot tell you what it does to my heart to watch them with each other.  It is truly, truly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  I know how much my sisters mean to me, and I love that I have given then that gift of each other.  I know that there will be ups and downs, but they will always have each other, and that just makes me feel better about life.

Maverick is a big boy, that's for sure.  I think it is possible that he could catch up to his big sis in his first year.  He was 9, 2 at birth and was 10, 3 two weeks later.  I haven't taken him yet to be weighed for his one month, but I would guess he is close to 11 pounds by now.  Tula was 10 weeks old before she hit 11 pounds, so this is a big difference.  Already, I have packed up all the newborn sized clothes, and have even had to put away some 0-3 months outfits.  There are quite a few of his 3-6 month things that are fitting him already.  I will be lucky if I am able to finish this box of size 1 diapers before he grows out of them, he will be in size two by the next box.  He is breastfed exclusively and basically just nurses on demand, but I really don't feel like it's that often.  He probably has about 4-5 good feedings a day, and then a couple quick ones usually on the move while we are playing with Tula.  So he is eating normal, I guess he is just a big boy.  He is all Matson, so I guess he comes by it naturally.

And he is all Matson.  That is fun for me, because Tula is all her Dad and as much as I love looking into her face and seeing John, I missed not seeing me.  With Maverick, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that he looks just like me.  Some people like to say he looks like my Dad,  who I look exactly like, so same dif I guess.  He is definitely "my kid" and I am excited that John and I each have our own mini-me.  So special!  And adorable of course.  Maverick, you really are such a handsome boy too.  He has beautiful blue eyes and a dimple when he smiles that completely melts me.  

Maverick, thank you for a month of more love than I knew possible.  You are the sweetest, most patient little baby I have ever seen.  You are the nicest baby brother and thank you so much for being so patient with your sister while she adjusts to having you around.  We love you so much and are so thankful to have you in our home.  It's hard to believe after only a month, I really cannot imagine life without you.  My sweet baby boy, Happy One Month Birthday!

ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!!!!!!!!!!!!

She said it today!  She totally, clear as day say ma-ma to me.  I was upstairs with Mav and she was downstairs playing after breakfast.  Before Mav, this used to be one of my favorite times of day because I could come upstairs and do what I wanted after breakfast for a good 20 min or so and she was happy to play downstairs by herself.  Now, she usually whines after a few minutes because she knows I am up there with Mav and wants in on the action.  So I heard her down there this morning and she had went to the bottom of the stairs and stood at the gate and was kind of just yelling up to me, babbling and fussing.  I told her "just a minute" and then she started with the "ma ma ma" or "mum mum mum" was a little closer to how it sounded actually.  I went down the stairs so excited and said "Yes....that's me....Mum Mum."  And she totally got it.  She said it a few times throughout the day and tonight, but she will still, when I ask her to say it, look me in the eye and say "Dada" most of the time.  But she DID say it a few times, and she really does say it so sweetly it melts me.  I feel like I have waited forever for this day and I was so excited to finally hear that.  I know it would feel good to finally hear but I had no idea how good. Tula, I love you so much.  Thanks for making me feel like the most special mom in the whole wide world today.  I needed that!

I will post a video as soon as I have it.  I have a feeling that's going to take a while though!  I tried to record her saying it tonight and she wasn't havin it at all!

Check us out!

Aren't we fancy? There is a local photographer we have been really excited to meet with a have some newborn shots of Maverick taken. It took me a couple weeks to finally make the connection with her, but it was so worth the wait! She has beautiful work and does an amazing job of capturing not just the moment, but a feeling. I wanted some photos of us on a Saturday morning, all four of us in the bed, because that is one of our favorite places to be with our babies and some of John and my most treasured memories. She got some great shots, I haven't seen all of them but some are posted on her blog and I am in love with what I have seen so far.

Thank you so much, Jessamyn, for taking these beautiful photographs of my family. They are perfect!

Ch-ch-check us out at www.jst-photography.blogspot.com

Tula is 14 months!

What does Tula love right now?

- Dancing. Absolutely her favorite activity of all time. She snaps her fingers (she has her own version where she just pinches them together), spins around, claps, and shuffles her feet. It is adorable.
- Giving hugs and kisses to other kids her size, she will chase them around to give them.
- Playing with older kids. Anyone bigger than Tula but smaller than Mommy is very, very intriguing right now.
- Holding baby Mav for about one second and then shoving him off her lap, throwing her hands in the air, and saying "All Done!"
- She loves that she can use her only phrase, "All Done", to communicate whenever she wants whatever is happening to stop. This list includes, but is not limited to, finishing eating, anyone who is holding her brother, sitting in a highchair at the restaurant, the carseat or stroller, and diaper changes.
- Sweet potatoes. Pureed. I think she will love these forever and they will be the main course at her wedding. This kid would eat them for every meal, every day I think. I have been trying all sorts of finger foods and sometimes she takes stuff but never enough to fill herself up, I usually have to feed her after a meal.
- Showers. Another cool new thing we just tried, she likes to sit on the floor of the shower while I shower and play. I can put her down and not hear a peep from her till I am done, she loves it when I sit with her and splash in the water though. I started doing this a little at the end of my pregnancy cause it was an activity I could do with her that didn't require me to move a bunch.
- Waving hi and bye, usually bye is after the person she is waving to has looked or walked away, and unfortunately for them they have no idea what they just missed.
- Her new "cheesy grin" that started awhile ago to appear very sporatically but is now showing up a few times a day. She loves to do it to strangers while we are out, I think because of the reaction it gets. Basically, she just scruched up her face into the fakest smile ever. Oh yeah, she does it right before you are about to tell her "no", when you say her name and she knows what's coming next. Yep, she's a smart cookie. It still gets us every time and makes "no" a difficult word to say.
- Coloring. This month, she went into daddy's lunch box and grabbed his pen and a piece of paper and started to try and draw on the paper. When I saw her sitting in the pantry doig this, I was shocked. We had never even really tried coloring with her. I just don't know how she would have known that the pen and paper even go together? I was convinced at that point she was brilliant.
- Tula loves making me beg her to say Mama...lol. She still hasn't said it and it drives me crazy. I know it's worth the wait and I firmly believe at this point she just loves hearing me ask her to say it. She says "dada" or "daddy" and "all done" clearly, but thats about it for words right now. My Mom and Dad claim she said "turtle" at the zoo, I haven't heard it yet but she has a little turtle animal they got her and we are working on it. I will let you know if and when that happens.
- Mommy's milk! Brother is here and my milk is back in full swing, my supply was so low at the end of my pregnancy there was pretty much nothing left. She is still nursing, I think right now to have what her brother has, more than anything. But she loves the new milk and I am sure she is still wondering what the heck happened.
- Toots. Tula figured out her toots this month, that they come from her and from below, though she is unsure of where exactly. Whenever she lets a loud one rip, she looks up at you and then opens her mouth in this "I am shocked" face, lifts up her shirt, and looks down. Not sure what she's looking for, but she knows it comes from below.
- Helping Daddy. This is a huge one. She loves to do anything he is doing, and will just hang out and watch him do any task. Fixing stuff, building stuff (Mav's furniture was a fun job!), cleaning. Anything he is doing, she loves to be right there.
- Visitors. Tula LOVED having Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie Jen here for their visit when Mav was born. She liked to go and knock (bang) on their door when they were in their rooms, she loved all the fun games Auntie would play with her, and going out for a ride in Gr and Gr's car, spending the afternoon with them. She misses everyone so much, and after a week of them all being gone, she still randomly will knock on the spare bedroom door in the mornings, I think hoping it will fling open and there will be a grandparent behind it!
- Waiting for Daddy at the door. Tula has figured out the sound of our garage door opening and knows it means daddy is home. She will run to the door and wait patiently for him to open it from the garage and greet him with a huge hug.

At 14 months old, Tula is now a big sister, and that is by far her biggest change this month. She has adjusted fairly well, there have definitely been a couple tantrums (these are new) and sad faces when she sees me nursing him. She likes to watch me change his diaper though, and yesterday noticed his penis for the first time. She was pointing at it, and last night when she went for her bath, she was bending down trying to look in between her own legs. I think she was just putting it all together, she definitely knew something was different. She likes to hold him briefly, kisses him lots, and loves to poke at his eyes or pinch his nose (we are working on these ones). I have never said the word "Gentle" more in my life than in the last two weeks. But all in all, she loves him and is a fabulous big sister. She loves to help me, pass me diapers of wipes and throw things in the garbage. She is a sweetheart and John and I are loving seeing her loving and tenderhearted personality shine through right now. She has big kisses for anyone, and we are amazed at how much love she has inside her for such a tiny thing. We are so, so blessed.

Tula, 14 months have flown by with you. And every month I love you more and more. Thank you for being such an angel, I know this month has been a big transition for you and although you will never remember it, watching you feel sad about it sometimes breaks my heart. I want you know know that I love you so, so much. Any, any, anything in this whole big world may change but my love for you never will. No matter what. Kisses! ~Mommy

Mav's First Bath!

Well, not his first bath ever, but his first "big boy" bath where we actually got to put him in the water. His umbilcal cord stump finally fell off yesterday, it has been hanging on by one tiny thread for a day or two, and was still bleeding a bit last night so we figured we would wait for today for his bath. I find it so strange that Mav's fell off over two weeks earlier than Tula's did, I remember feeling like we waited forever for hers to come off. And we did, she was almost a month old! With Tula, and in CT, they told us we HAD to use alcohol at every diaper change, bath, or any other time you remembered. I remember being so anal about it, if I had dressed her after a diaper change and forgot to do it, I would undress her again just to rub alcohol on it, I was convinced that it was an absolute neccessity. Well with Maverick, it was a little different. They actually told us in the hospital not to use anything on it and not to touch it or play with it. That studies have been done and there are no benefits to using the alcohol, and it doesn't speed up the process either. Well I guess they were right, a week and a half later it fell off, we didn't play with it once. Funny how it took us that many years to figure out that the alcohol wasn't helping, and to just let Mother nature run her course. Makes so much sense.

Anyways, he seemed to like the real bath a lot more than the sponge bath. He loved having the water poured on him and was very calm the whole time, didn't make a peep. We did it after Tula went to bed so she couldn't bother him at all while he was in there, I think it will be awhile till we do bathtime together with them. Here are some pics of Maverick's first real bath, I posted a few more tonight in the gallery if you are interested!