It's That Time Again...

The weather is bliss right now in Arizona. Cooler nights, which create a cozy feeling. Perfect 75 degree temps during the day, which allow us to be outdoors. With the beautiful weather, we're able to engage in one of our favorite family activities...hiking! Aliyah has been asking to go hiking for quite some time now, so we decided to take the whole family to Papago Park.























Sebastian gathered all the materials needed for a picnic lunch. I packed up our running stroller and we took the drive down to South Scottsdale and spent a few hours enjoying nature right in the middle of the city. I love Papago Park. The views are incredible and it always amazes me how such incredible hiking is right in the middle of the city. One of my favorite things about the Phoenix/Scottsdale area is that you don't need to travel far to hike up a mountain and get some great views.

This was Isaac's first hike, and he was pretty much the same, calm, relaxed baby that he always is. This kid has such a happy, content personality. Aliyah was an incredibly easy baby, but Isaac is even more so. Sebastian and I often kid that his two's and three's will be abnormally terrible, because it seems too good to be true right now. Let's hope we're wrong on that prediction.

All in all, it was a great family hike. We're looking forward to spending lots more weekends out exploring nature until the heat comes back in May.

Life with Two

I thought I would post this. I was writing another post, but saw that I had this one in a draft mode and never published it. Kind of fun to look back and read what I was thinking a few months ago.

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One of the most common topics of conversation I had while pregnant was how going from one to two kids would be one of the biggest challenges in my life.  I won't lie, transitioning from a three to four person household does change things up quite a bit--it takes longer to get everyone in the car, sleep is once again measured in three to four hour periods, I'm on call around the clock as a personal feeding machine and so on. Even so, the change doesn't seem quite as abrupt as I envisioned while pregnant. Perhaps, I was envisioning the worst possible scenarios, but so far I've been pretty blessed in many areas. Isaac sleeps well, Sebastian was able to stay home for two weeks on paternity leave, we've had a great support from family and friends near and far, and Aliyah has adjusted to the big sister role fairly well. She still has her 3 year old moments, but for the most part, we've been pleasantly surprised at how she's taking the fact that the attention isn't all on her.

Three weeks into being a mother of two and this here are some random things I've observed.

1. He looks like his big sister did as a newborn. Sebastian didn't see the resemblance until I pulled out a newborn photo of Aliyah. It will be interesting to see if they end up looking similar to one another as they get older. 
2. He eats...constantly! Especially in the first two weeks, I felt like I was nursing non-stop. 
3. Nursing was not any easier the second time around. Two weeks of intense, searing pain. But I think because I knew what to expect this time, I was able to get through it and know that it would get better, and it has. 
4. With Aliyah, I was able to nurse for 5 months, which was much less than I thought I would do so, but going back to work put a damper on my supply. This time around, my hope is to nurse longer than the 5 month mark, but I will also not stress out about it if it doesn't happen again. 
5. Boys (or maybe just Isaac) poop and pee a lot. I seriously do not remember Aliyah going through as many diapers as he did. More than once, I've used two or three diapers at a time because he will pee all over a diaper while I'm putting  a new one on. 
6. He loves to be held. I'm pretty sure this is a common thing for most newborns since I remember Aliyah loved to be held and would sleep best during the day in my arms. Isaac is the same. 
7. Swaddling is once again the magical sleep potion. There are times when Isaac will get done eating, Sebastian will swaddle him (because he is the master swaddler in this house. I can do it, but Sebastian does it better) and Isaac falls asleep in mid-swaddle. 
8. He's a big boy. One person told me he looked like a three month old already, another told me he's looks huge when I'm holding him and I keep thinking he's already lost his newborn looks. But he is so incredibly cute. 
9. Balancing my time between two young kids is my biggest challenge so far. Especially in these early weeks when Isaac needs so much attention, I find myself with the common worry of whether I'm giving Aliyah enough attention. We decided that we would keep her in daycare part-time while I'm on maternity leave, so she still goes three days a week. I love my days with two kids, but I often feel bad when I'm holding Isaac trying to get him down for a nap, or nursing him because it definitely limits the activities I can do with Aliyah. Also, engaging a three year old all day is quite the challenge when the Arizona heat limits outdoor time, so I am constantly on the look-out for educational things to do with her. So far, online printables, workbooks from Targets dollar aisle, trips to the library and Brain Quest have been my go-to activities. 
10. Aliyah is taking on her big sister role with flying colors. If Isaac cries and I'm not in the room, she'll talk to him sweetly. She loves to hold his hand and give him kisses. 

Around Here

Hard to believe that little Isaac's been here for almost four weeks. Some parts of life have changed quite a bit, while others have stayed the same, but I think this weekend was the first time where things felt more settled and normal. Sebastian and I are slowly getting into our groove with things like sleeping, breastfeeding, entertaining both kids and taking time for ourselves. I even managed to leave the house by myself to go the gym and Target since Isaac took a bottle from Sebastian. This is amazing, since I remember we waited a few months to introduce bottles to Aliyah and she refused for quite a few weeks. I'm still nursing him most of the time, but the fact that other people can now feed him helps to know that I can step away for a little bit if needed.

I am loving being on maternity leave and allowing myself the time to enjoy both of my kids without the stress of work. We're keeping Aliyah in daycare three times a week, and so far it's been a good transition for her. I enjoy my time with both her and Isaac and am glad she's home for at least two days a during the week with me. It's fun to be able to play with her and work with her on math, writing and crafts. Though I will admit, since newborns rule the nest, I do find myself worrying whether I'm giving her enough of my time. I never want her to feel as if I am putting her second. Balancing the needs of Isaac with her needs and wants is something I'm slowly figuring out, and each week gets a little bit better. At the same time I'm also happy that I get to spend some precious one-on-one, newborn time with Isaac while Aliyah is having fun with her friends at "school". 

Here's a few snapshots of what we've been doing these past three or four weeks. 

I think it's a given, I could stare at Isaac all day. He's huge compared to Aliyah at almost four weeks, but he is so incredibly adorable. 

Sebastian was able to take paternity leave for two weeks. This was a huge help since it made the transition of going from a family of three to four much easier. I also attribute Aliyah's ability to welcome Isaac with no jealousy to the fact that Sebastian was home and could give her some much needed attention those first two weeks. Even though he said he wasn't going to work, he did clock in some time from home. What a guy. :)

Adorable father and son moments. I'm always amazed at how well Sebastian falls into the father role, no matter what age our kids are. He changes diapers, he swaddles Isaac, he showers Aliyah with attention and he disciplines. It's great to have him by my side. 

Candy Land is a new favorite around here. Often times Sony Baby has to play with us. This makes the game about 10 times longer than necessary, but it's Sony Baby. He can never be left out. 

As I mentioned before, Aliyah has taken to being a big sister with flying colors. Most of the time she doesn't pay too much attention to her little brother, but she is quick to tell us we need to be quiet when he's sleeping, and if he cries she'll rock and shush him--and then come running to me letting me know that she's done so. She loves to hold his hand and give him kisses. I'm so grateful that she's been so good at sharing the spotlight. Especially when this little girl has received a huge amount of attention from Mom and Dad for the past three years. 

Aliyah also celebrated her 3rd birthday earlier this month. I have a three year old? How can that be? One of her gifts was a package of about a hundred temporary tattoos and she was in love. If I would have let her, she would have tried to put all of them on at once. 

And last, but certainly not least. We can't forget out "first son", Sony. This is pretty much how he feels about Isaac. No big deal, as long as he has a comfy spot to sleep. Interesting story: When Aliyah was born, Sony disappeared for three days. We thought he was gone forever, and that would have been terrible, because this cat probably means more to us and a cat should--but then again, he's a pretty cool and awesome cat. This time, Sony decided he didn't need to be so dramatic and stayed put at the house. Now if only I could get him to stop bringing tiny lizards into the house....

Introducing...

Phone Snapshots: A Little Catch Up

Life has been pretty typical here for the Carden's. I sometimes forget how much goes on week by week until I take a look at my phone snapshots. Thank goodness for Instagram, right? Here's a little recap of what we've been up to lately.

1. Easter Egg Hunt: We arrived early to this event, but so did everyone else it seemed. It was packed and pure chaos. Thank goodness for Sebastian's perseverance, because I immediately suggested we leave. We ended up staying and I'm glad we did because Aliyah very much enjoyed it.
2. Coloring Easter Eggs: We dyed eggs this year for the first time. Her patience didn't allow for very bright colors, but she still loved the entire process.
3. Phoenix Children's Museum: Sebastian was gone one weekend, so Aliyah and I made the trip into downtown Phoenix to the children's museum. It was a great little morning trip and a good way to spend some one-on-one time with my girl.
4. Singing Diva: This girl loves to sing and dance and talk. Gosh, how she talks. She is constantly chit-chatting right up until she finally falls asleep at night from exhaustion. She will frequently have conversations with herself and sometimes I will think she's talking to me and I'll ask her to repeat what she said, but she'll reply with, "Oh, I was just talking to myself, Mommy."
5. Barbara's Napa Wedding: I made my last trip while pregnant to California at the end of May to attend one of my very dear friend's wedding in Napa. It was a gorgeous event, and I had a great time. We've had (and still do have) quite a few weddings this year, so Sebastian and Aliyah stayed back while I attended this one solo.
6. Trips to the Library: The library is definitely one of our go-to places when we need to take a little break from the extreme heat. Aliyah has picked up a great love of reading and I've mentioned before that I am impressed at the libraries in Scottsdale and what they have to offer, so we always have fun when we go. Just a few days ago, Aliyah said she wanted to try to read 20 books in one day. But I'm pretty sure it was her bedtime and she was just trying to figure out a way to stay up later.
7. Evening Soccer Games: Sebastian started a Yelp soccer league about a year ago and Aliyah and I have started going to his games in Tempe. Aliyah loves to force anyone on the team to kick the ball back and forth to her. And by force, I mean she locks eyes with them and kicks the ball, so their options are pretty limited. She has a blast each time we go and it's been fun to watch Sebastian and his team get better and better each week. They even managed to move up a a division when they won their previous divisions championship game.
8. Hiking in Tonto National Forest:
We took a weekend trip here last year and made our way back again, this time for just the afternoon. The weather is hot here in Arizona, so it was our last hike until it cools down again. Plus I was about 7 months pregnant for this trip and I've never been so winded trying to hike back up from the Natural Bridge. Sebastian and Aliyah went ahead of me, while I slooooooooowly walked back at my own pace.
9. Family Dinners with Oma & Spencer: Sebastian's Mom and our nephew, Spencer made the trip out here from Georgia again this summer during 4th of July week. Spencer has been attending iD Tech for the past four years now, and the past two years he and Oma have come out here for a week and a half to visit and for Spencer to attend our ASU camp location. The week is filled with lots of fun conversation, wine drinking, and home-cooked meals that are to die-for. I always eat very well when Oma comes into town.
10. Cousins: Aliyah loves when any of her cousins come visit. Being that she is the youngest, she is constantly in their face, but Spencer did really well with her and included her in numerous games and played with her. She is still asking where Spencer is and misses him a lot.
11. Best Buds: Sony is loving all the attention he is getting from Aliyah now that she has finally figured out that jumping on him isn't how he wants to be petted. I'll find these two frequently cuddled up together and Sony loves to plop down right in front of Aliyah so she'll give him some attention.
12. Current Reads: Finding a good book is always tough for me, especially if I've just finished one that I've really enjoyed. My last read was The Distant Hours, which had me up to 2am one night trying to finish it, so I was happy when I picked up two books that are both really good shortly thereafter. The top one, The Best of Everything, is a piece of fiction from the late 50's that is reminiscent of the t.v. series, Mad Men, which I love. I love anything to do with that era, and so far I can't put this book down. Sebastian bought me the second one, Lean In, which is a non-fiction book by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of facebook and it really hits home since it talks about women in the workforce and how there are still too few female executives and why this should change. I like this book mostly because she talks a lot about being a working mom and the challenges that come with it, all without being overly feminist or soap-boxy. A good read that I would recommend to any woman.