Busy Day

Saturday went really well and bedtime went much better.  Charlotte still is on Denver time, but we don't mind all that much.  Well, I should say I don't mind all that much...Chris isn't so excited about the 6-6:30 am wake up call.  Neither is Cooper.  We will adjust.

Today went really well.  We had a very busy day today.  The babies were both so good while we were out and both don't mind the car.  We went and bought the double stroller and checked out jumpers/exersaucers.  We tested them out in the store (Charlotte made the decision for us) and found a great deal on the Fisher Price jumper through Craig's List.  We had not bought one for Cooper yet, but Charlotte needs more activity than us playing with her and her floor time.  We need a few more things, but not immediately so we'll make our way through it.  We are having a little bit of a sticker shock with formula, baby food, and the additional diapers and wipes we are going through.  Luckily both kids wear the same size diapers, so we can buy in bulk.  Costco here we come!!

We also went and test drove the Lexus today and Chris was sold on it within 2 blocks.  It's such a great deal and it's exactly what he wanted...fully loaded, practically brand new, drives like a sports car, but feels like luxury, with the practicality of having room for both kids.  My coworker has to work things out with work regarding getting a rental car, but we'll probably get the car in a couple weeks.

Today we had to deal with questions from strangers for the first time.  We didn't really think about how we would answer questions.  Many people ask if they are twins.  Today we simply said, "No, they are 4 months apart in age," and left it at that.  You could tell the wheels were turning and they were trying to figure out how that worked out.  One woman had the gall to look at Chris, since he was holding Charlotte, and say 'different mothers'.  She said it in Spanish, but we know enough to know what she said.  We both were a little insulted.  We both are her parents!

We don't think it's necessary to harp on the fact that we are in the process of adopting (nor do we want to go into detail about it), but we are also proud of adopting.  We just aren't sure how to handle it.  While visiting with my coworker, they recommended to make light of the situation:

"We had him and won her in a raffle.  Sort of a two for one deal."

"We had him for a few weeks and thought it was too easy, so we went out and got another one just to see how hard this parenting thing really was."

I don't know, I might have to do some reading on this.  I also need to go out and buy a baby/parenting book...I can't keep up with how to do everything and I wouldn't mind a resource to give me some hints on things.  The experience of being the eldest child and helping friends with their children only goes so far!

Grandma Jacqueline and Great Grandma Gleason went on a shopping spree for Charlotte.  I can't wait to see what they got because the outfits for Cooper they've sent are some of the cutest things I've seen!!  I thought I wouldn't love girl clothes more than boy clothes, but I'm in heaven with all the pink, purple and ruffles.  The clothes she came home with are absolutely adorable, and the big bag of clothes Caren passed down to us are beautiful!  We'll definitely do a fashion show soon!

Tomorrow is Chris' first day alone.  I think eventually he'll figure it out.  Tonight he left for an hour and a perfect storm of sorts hit.  Both babies were awake, both needed a diaper change and both got hungry.  So, I changed their diapers, put Charlotte in the high chair and fed her Apples &  Chicken while I nursed Cooper.  Pretty amazing what you can do with one hand. 

I admit, I got a little scared and overwhelmed and called Chris on speaker phone to ask how far away he was.  He can't exactly do that with me...so we're thankful Caren is coming over to help with his first day.  I have told work about my current home situation and they are completely understanding.  They told me to let them know how they could help and are willing to be flexible if I need to leave early or come in late.  That relieves a lot of stress.

We are so happy to have two children.  At first we were both a little worried about, well just everything.  We didn't know what to expect or how we would feel.  It melts my heart to see the kids together and Chris with his little girl.  It makes me love Cooper even more because we have Charlotte, and love Charlotte even more because we have Cooper.  It is true, your love for your first child isn't cut in half by having a second, it more than doubles.  This is what I saw when I looked over today:

This week we need to get all of the paperwork for Charlotte sorted out and contact the California social worker.  We also need to get Charlotte's medical insurance taken care of--that's critical to us.  We're hoping she can just go on my work insurance so her and Cooper can have the same pediatrician.  We may not be able to since we don't have custody of her, the state still does.

Other to-do things:  Call the credit union about car financing, fill out our FSA reimbursement, and begin the design work for Kate's wedding programs (she's promised to help me with these because of our family stuff going on now).