Life with Maks

As you can see, it's been over a month since I last posted. It's not because I have nothing to say about life with our expanded clan. In fact, it's because of our expanded clan that I haven't had the opportunity to post--life is just far too busy these days. Who would have thunk that having two kids would be so, um, what's the word....challenging? I won't bore you with the details. Many of you have more children and busier lives than me. But for those of you without children, let me sum it up by saying that there are days where I don't have time (or maybe I just don't remember the importance of this simple act) to pee. I have gone over 8 hours without doing so. Then again, maybe I'm just turning into a camel.

So, what is Maks like you ask?? He's pretty wonderful, not that I'm biased. He's what you'd call a "good baby" who cries maybe less than a total of 20 minutes per day. Grunting is another story. Maks has a whole symphony of grunts and groans that he graces us with throughout the day. He sounds like a cross between a goat, a cat and a squeaky door.

He's also a very VERY hungry baby. I seem to be nursing him every 1-2 hours. It may be just life's cruel way of giving me what I want though. During Maks' first few days we had a lot of breastfeeding problems to the point that he was drinking expressed milk by bottle only. I was heartbroken, fearing he would never nurse again. I thought I had lost him to the bottle and was willing to do anything to "get him back." I'm happy to report that ten minutes with an amazing lactation consultant was all it took. Maks has been nursing...and nursing and nursing and nursing...ever since. So I really can't complain. This is what I wanted and I'm thrilled that the bottles are back in the closet.

My days are generally spent parked on our sofa with a nursing pillow on my lap. Which would be fine if this were my first baby and I could watch movies all day long. But poor Kaylin is getting the short end of this stick. She too is relegated to the living room, forced to play by herself while mommy feeds Maks. We do get to play "Eye Spy" a lot, and she has her fill of cartoons throughout the day. But I feel a lot of guilt about how her life has been temporarily altered and I cherish my alone time with her much more now. Thankfully, she loves her baby brother (a little too much actually. I'm not sure Maks appreciates all the kisses and hugs she gives him) and is only slightly annoyed that mommy can't play with her as much.

Life will get easier, this much I know. In the meantime, I am enjoying my little man Maks and feel blessed that our perfect little family has gotten just a little more perfect.