Aladdin and Tummy Time

Payton loves Aladdin! She asks to watch it EVERY day. I remember going through a phase when I wanted to watch Ribin Hood (with Kevin Costner) every day for like a month... Anyway, it is so funny because when she is watching it you have to pause the movie to get her attention. She totally zones out. I have learned that if you are in a hurry not to turn it on. :o)

I love this picture because she is just so cute sitting in her little chair.


Payton also loves her Lincoln. I would have to say that she asks to do tummy time with him at least four times a day. When I finally agree to it she will pull out this little activity mat, lay down on it and wait for me to put Lincoln down next to her. It is so cute.

A Happy Lincoln

I have noticed that the majority of the pictures we have of Lincoln are of him crying or with a very serious expression on his face. And as cute as these pictures are I wanted to prove with this picture that when the stars all align he does have his happy moments. I always try to catch these moments on the camera, but usually I miss the moment or the pictures I take are just not that good.

Well the stars aligned and I got a great picture. Yay for mommy!

A Short Bike Ride

Dave and I took Payton out to try out her new bike. She loves it and gets so excited when webring it out! She loves to stand by it and sit on it. Pedaling is a different story, she just doesn't get it yet. :o)

We settled for pushing her around in a circle. It was cute to watch. She is so fun!

Lily Padz

A friend of mine from church told me about these nursing pads called Lily Padz. I had never heard of them before, she told me that they are breast pads that prevent you from leaking. They are made from silicone, are non absorbant, and are reusable for up to two months! What's more is that you don't see them through your shirt. In fact, if you are able you could even go braless because they stick to you and not your bra.

I was a little apprehensive about trying them at first because I was going through about three sets of nursing pads a day. How was this nonabsorbant pad going to work?

I am on day three of using them right now. Overall I like them a lot; however, there are some things I am not sure I like.

Positives
1) I really do not leak as much. I think that the times I have leaked were because either I was careless in putting on the pad or it was the first feeding of the morning and I was really full.

2) They stay put, no sliding around under the bra. Come on, we have all been there, you look down and your breast pad is resting nicely in your cleavage. LOL Good times!

3) You can not see the pads through your shirt. In fact you do not even see when the turkeys are done!

Drawbacks
1) A little more pricey than pads if they do not last for the full two months.

2) I have noticed a slight smell at the end of the day. I am not sure if it is due to me sweating or if it is because I have had a little leakage, didn't realize it, and then the milk sat there trapped until the next feeding. The smell does go away when you wash them. They do sell special soap that you can use to clean them but I am cheap and decided to try using dishsoap to clean them as was mentioned by many people in their reviews.

Over all I am happy with my purchase so far. I am sure that I will have more feedback as I use them longer. I ordered mine from Diapers.com for $19.99, but I have heard that you can also get them from Motherhood Maternity not sure of the cost though.

Mommy's Six Week Check Up

So I had my six week check up yesterday. I have to admit that I really wasn't excited about going, I have heard horror stories about those visits...

The first thing they had me do was weigh in. I felt like I was on the Biggest Loser because although the scale is digital the number goes up and down on the screen before it locks in on your weight. I told the nurse that even though I didn't like the number on the scale, I liked it better than the numbers I was seeing on the scale at the gym and here at home. :o) LOL

The visit went well. The doctor said that I am healed but that certain activities may be painful for a while. I am guessing that it may be a little while before I am comfortable in a spin class. :o)

Lincoln's One Month Check Up

Our little man is doing awesome! He was 11 pounds, 10 ounces and 23 1/2 inches long.

He is being treated for reflux...I hope the medication helps better than it did with Payton. I hate seeing him in pain and uncomfortable.

He is a decent sleeper, especially if you swaddle him good and tight. :o) Most of the time he only gets up once maybe twice at night.

He is having more and more peaceful moments. You know the ones, when he smiles and cues. I have found that I get more of these moments if things are quiet. I love those times!

The Olympics

The Olympics have been on a lot here at the Ahlgren house.

Last night I found Payton watching the Women's Figure Skating with her Auntie Ashley and

this past weekend I found Lincoln watching Down Hill Skiing (I think).

Aren't they cute!

5 Minute Showers

I was at my mom's house last week and she was watching Doctor OZ. One of the things he was talking about that day was how taking hot showers could cause you to have dry skin. He posed the question that to combat the dry skin you should take luke warm showers for no more than 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes. My mom thought the answer was 5 minutes...The correct answer was actually 10 minutes. I told my mom that there was no way a person could shower in just 5 minutes.

I have to admit that one of my favorite indulgences is a long shower. I probably average about 25 to 30 minute showers...Maybe I should not admit to that. :o) Anyway, I am always up for a challenge and my mother said that she used to shower in 5 minutes when she had to get up early to attend Seminary classes in our stake. Well, I did it! I have been averaging 5 to 10 minute showers for the last week or so. Maybe I should clarify 5 to 10 minute showers with the exception of my shaving day. :o) That would be impossible.

Belly Fat

There are certain things or topics you should just never bring up to a woman that has just had a baby. One of those things or topics is the size of her belly.

We were having dinner at my parent's house on Valentine's Day. My Grandmother and her "friend" had come down to share the evening with us too. When we were all hugging and saying our hellos my grandmother's friend said in my ear "your belly is sticking out there, you had better work on losing that". I just laughed and said "I know, I am trying" but on the inside was a little upset. I leaned over and told my dad that you just don't say that to people.

There is nothing that I wanted more than to deliver Lincoln and leave the hospital in my regular clothes and at my regualr weight...OK, so maybe there are things I want more but wouldn't it be nice to not have to work so hard at losing the weight you gained during pregnany. I mean your hormones are going crazy, you are famished from nursing and are eating tons, and then you don't fit into your maternity clothes anymore but don't fit into your biggest fat day pants either. The last thing you need is someone telling you your tummy is big.

I know I still have about 15 pounds to lose to be back at my regular weight but I thought I was doing pretty good. After all, Lincoln is only a month old. Give me a break! :o)

A Poopy Diaper Indeed!

Payton has begun the potty training process. Most of the time she tells us as she is in the act making it pointless to take her in and sit her on the potty. However, at least she understands when she has gone.

So my first day with both kidlets on my own. I had just sat down and just started nursing Lincoln when Payton runs up yelling "Potty! Potty!". I thought, really...right now? So I told her that I couldn't get up right then but that if she thought she could do it by herself she could go in and try to use the potty. So she went running into the next room. The next thing I know she is walking back into the living room with her pants down around her ankles, a clean diaper in one hand, and in the other hand she is hanging onto the diaper she was wearing but that is now resting on the pants around her ankles with a huge poopy in it. As calmly as I could I asked her to come over to me and I took the dirty diaper from her. As I breathed a sigh of relief that the poopy didn't fall onto the floor I asked her if she could bring me the wipes too. After two unsuccessful trips to the bedroom I decided I had better just get up and get them myself before she sat down somewhere.

Potty training is definately going to be an experience.

Oh Baby Baby and Shakakhan

Payton's vocabulary has gone through the roof these past couple of weeks. I can actually hold simple conversations with her. We have also reached the stage when I really need to watch what I am saying or even what other people are saying in front of her because it will come out of her mouth within a few minutes. Fortunately I only said, "Ah man!". :o)

The other day Payton, Lincoln, and I were heading back from a play date in Gilroy and Payton kept saying this one word over and over again. For the life of me I could not figure out what she was saying. It sounded like she was saying Shakakhan so I said, "Shakakhan?" to which she started laughing hysterically and saying Shakakhan over and over again all the way home to San Jose. It was almost like the word tickled her when she said it because squealed with laughter every time she did. It was so fun to hear laughing so hard. I never did figure out what she was originally saying...

Earlier the same day, Dave came down the stairs with Payton after giving her a bath and told her to tell me what she learned in the bath. To that she started singing the song Oh Baby Baby, Ba Ba Ba Baby. It was so funny. Just imagine the car ride with her going Oh Baby Baby...Shakakhan...Oh Baby Baby...Shakakhan. I am sure it will eventually get old but I couldn't help but laugh right along with her.

The Dam Broke!

Forgive me for not including any pictures with this post...

Lincoln is very different than Payton in how often he poops. Payton was always a few times a day and Lincoln is more along the lines of once or twice a week. Weird.

Anyway, the stories are always the same. I was getting ready to leave the house for an appointment and heard it, that noise. You know the noise, the one that tells you that the diaper is now full and poop is oozing out the back. You go to change the diaper and yep the poop has come out the back of the diaper. How do you get the onesie off without getting poop all the way up his back and in his hair? Then you have to make the decision, do I clean him up with wipes or just carry him into the bathroom and put him in the sink. Sink, definately sink.

At least now I can say that I am not the only one who has had to clean up the explosion. Lincoln did this to me early this week and then got Dave yesterday. :o) However, with me he was done going when I went to change the diaper, with Dave he was not quite done... Good times!

Sad Lincoln

I have pictues of Payton like this so I thought it only fair to take some of Lincoln too.

How can you not love that face. :o)

Oh Cinderella!

My mom and I went to Target the other day to look for Valentine's Day goodies and other odds and ends. Payton ended up falling asleep in the stroller while we were shopping. While she was asleep my mom and I found a Disney princess bike that I knew Payton would just love. So I threw it in the cart. While we were in the check out line Payton discovered a Cinderella candy dispenser and she wanted it...bad. I kept telling her no and to please put it back. She kept crying "Rella, Rella". By that time I had paid and was ready to go. As I told her to put it back one last time I turned and picked up the box with the bike in it and mid cry she stopped and said as if in awe with wide eyes "Oh, Rella" and started giggling. It was so cute.

She got the bike yesterday for Valentine's Day. She doesn't quite understand the concept of pedaling yet but loves to sit on it.

Recovering...

If you would have asked me the week after I had Lincoln if I would have preferred a c-section to a vaginal delivery I would have said "C-SECTION!!!!". Yikes!

I have to admit the recovery on the two deliveries is totally different. Having experienced both I can say that I handle certain recoveries better than others. :o) Even though the c-section recovery is longer I think I prefer the abdominal healing to the recovery I have experienced to my nether regions with this last delivery. Ouch! My doctor has told me that the recovery with each vaginal delivery gets easier and easier where the recovery of a c-section doesn't.

I do admit that I am feeling really good. In week two I noticed the most improvement. It couldn't have come at a better time. I remember gingerly sitting down and having Dave hand me little Lincoln to nurse and me just bawling from being in so much pain. (Side note: the drugs are much better with a c-section) The very next day was the day I started feeling better.

I do have to admit that even though labor really bites and the recovery isn't the most ideal, experiencing the birth of a baby is amazing. I can not believe what our bodies can do. I have watched my sister and a friend of mine give birth and I was in awe. If you would have told me that I would have been able to deliver a 10 pound baby I would have laughed in your face. I am truely grateful for the experience...and the epidural. ;O)

Payton says a Prayer

There are lots of things that I wish I could be better at. Some of them being saying my morning and evening prayers and reading my scriptures. I pretty much fall asleep during all of my prayers and when do you read anything besides children's books with an almost 2 year old and a newborn.

Well, Dave and I have been doing really good at saying evening prayers with Payton every evening. Every night we ask her who she wants to say the prayer. The other night she said "Payton". So Dave whispered a simple prayer into Payton's ear for her to repeat. Mostly she just says the last word of the phrase you tell her and some times if it seems to long of a phrase she just says "yes". It is so cute. I love her so much! It is so fun seeing her grow up.

Payton Comforts Lincoln

The other day Dave and I went to run a couple of errands. Everything was going great, Payton was having fun running around the stores and Lincoln was sleeping. We ended up staying out a little longer than planned and Licoln woke up ready to eat.

If you have ever been around Lincoln when he is hungry he wants to be fed 5 minutes ago, and is very demanding. Well, as we were heading home amid Lincoln's crying we heard Payton saying "Baby Lincoln" in a very soft, sweet voice. It was so cute, I wish I could have gotten a video.

Musical Toothbrush

To get Payton to brush her teeth I usually sing the A, B, Cs. That seems to be just the right amount of time to brush all of her teeth but not too much time that she won't let me do it. Well, Dave's mom found these toothbrushes that play music for two minutes to encourage kids to brush their teeth longer. Payton got one that plays Jingle Bells over and over and over... She danced all over the place, it was so cute.