Darr Family Blog

Weekly Happenings: This past week was one of experimentation, of sorts. Abigail had been showing signs of having the same milk protein sensitivity that Joseph had as a baby. We tried giving her different types of formula to see what the results would be, eventually settling on what we figured we would: soy formula. She has been a different baby! She’s more at ease, sleeps more (believe it or not, she wasn’t sleeping as much as she ought to have been), and generally more relaxed. I’m so glad that Paul is here with me to help me assess this type of stuff and to be a sounding board! The rest of the week was pretty basic: school for Joseph, work and school for Paul, and home stuff for me.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been really nice. It’s been sunny and in the low- to mid-70s for most of the time. It’s crazy to think that it’s January!

What Paul’s Been Up To: Mostly juggling work, homework, helping out around the house (and jumping in to make dinner as soon as he got home from work a few times), and making sure Joseph gets some much-needed attention while I’m still really busy with Abigail. He also was able to get our taxes done already. I’m so blessed!

What Sarah’s Been Up To: Mainly adjusting to a new aspect of our schedule with the bottle feeding, but it’s all coming back to me. In addition, I’m learning from some things that I might not have done as well with Joseph and adjusting how I do things with Abigail.

What Joseph’s Up To: School, homework, and still getting to have some fun downtime with toys (as well as getting “electronics time” which means he gets to play with his 2DS or watch his tablet). He loves to help me with things for Abigail and loves to talk to her, tell her jokes, and do silly dances for her. He gets pretty excited when she gives him a smile. Another thing he’s started wanting to do is read in bed at bedtime. We got him a lamp that lights up his room just enough to read by, but still keeps the room dark enough that he eventually falls asleep.

What Abigail’s Been Up To: As I mentioned before, she’s been a happier baby since the big feeding switch. Last night, she even slept for 3.5-hour stretches (which makes Momma happier, too). She’s been holding her head up more, making little baby noises, and smiling more. It’s hard to believe that she’s one month old today. She’s been such a blessing in all of our lives!

This Week in Pictures:

Weekly Happenings: Well, we survived our first real week in our new routine (Paul at work, Joseph at school, me taking care of both kids solo during the day, etc). I managed to get Joseph to school on time every day and I even managed to take Abigail grocery shopping by myself. Some fun family things we did were take a trip to the library and go out to eat as a family to one of our favorite burger places (Bobby J’s). Paul also made sure to take Joseph out yesterday for a fun boy’s evening. We’re trying to make sure he doesn’t get lost in the fray that is life with a newborn. They went to La Cantera so that Joseph could play at the playground and even went to Barnes & Noble so that he could pick out a new book. A special treat for a very special little boy. Other than that, we pretty much hung around the house.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been interesting, to say the least. The cold weather was only around for a few days. Most of the past week was warm for January (in the 70s) and sunny. The past few days have been rainy, but also warm.

What Paul’s Been Up To: Mainly school and work, with Scouts tossed into the mix. He’s also been doing the bedtime routine with Joseph each night, since I tend to be pretty busy with Abigail in the evenings.

What Sarah’s Been Up To: I already mentioned my first solo trip to the store with the baby (which seemed like a big deal, all of a sudden, haha). I also managed to make dinner a few nights this week (another big accomplishment in my post-baby book). Other than that, I’ve basically been working at keeping the mini-humans happy and thriving.

What Joseph’s Been Up To: At school they are doing more work with math, which is good for him to get more experience with. He’s still a great help with Abigail, getting me things when I’m busy with her, making sure she has her binky when she’s sad, etc. He also likes to do little things that he thinks entertains her (like dancing for her when she’s in the swing). He’s overall a helpful, patient little man.

What Abigail’s Been Up To: Eating, sleeping…well, you know a newborn’s routine. I’ve managed to capture a couple smiles on camera, though I don’t know if it’s more than just her experimenting with facial expressions. It’s amazing to think that in a few days she’ll be a month old.

This Week in Pictures:

Weekly Happenings: We pretty much stayed at home this past week. Joseph started back to school, so there was the usual ferrying him back and forth, but other than that, it was a pretty home-body week. On Friday night, we did go downtown to meet up with Tracy’s husband Ted. He was in town for a convention, so we picked him up and took him out for dinner at Augie’s (a pretty good BBQ joint that’s close to the zoo). It was nice to see family, even if only briefly for an evening.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been really back and forth. We are constantly switching between AC and heat. Earlier this last week it was warm enough to not even need long sleeves, but the last couple of days have struggled to get above freezing. Then this next week is supposed to warm up again…oiy. That’s Texas for ya’!

What Paul’s Up To: He started back with school this past week, but had the week off from work. He goes back tomorrow. I’m not sure I’m ready, but he’s got to do it sometime, right? I’m sure we’ll all be fine. During this past week, aside from homework, he painted an accent wall in Abigail’s room and went with me on my first grocery shopping trip with Abigail. It was a huge help!

What Sarah’s Been Up To: Basically a rinse and repeat of last week: keep the tiny human alive and the medium human happy (without forgetting the needs of the other adult human in the household). It’s a balance for sure, but I feel like I’m slowly getting into a groove.

What Joseph’s Been Up To: He loved getting to go back to school and to show his friends his new baby sister. I’m glad he’s back in his routine because I didn’t realize before just how much those three hours mean. He’s being entertained and educated and I can play catch up with Abigail or run errands without feeling like he’s getting pushed to the wayside.

What Abigail’s Up To: Sleeping for three hour stretches during the night, eating, and all the other baby basics. The big news this past week was that her umbilical cord fell off, so now she has a normal belly button. We also took her to the doctor for her two week check up and found out that she gained seven ounces in a week alone. That’s my good eater!

This Week in Pictures: