One Month, 19 months and 'How we are doing'

So...yeah, this is late...took me awhile to get it all done!

Yesterday (8/16), Calli was one month old. How did this happen so quickly? I thought time went by fast with Lexi, but it is nothing compared with how fast it is going with Calli. In all fairness to time going fast, she has only been home with us about 3 weeks now so maybe that is why it doesn't seem possible for it to have been a month already? who knows! Regardless, here we are. Her official due date was the day before yesterday. She is still so small - we were out yesterday and someone commented that she couldn't be more than a week or so old...funny, I look at her and think how big she is getting, it is all perspective I guess. In all reality, she is probably still smaller than Lexi was when she was born.
It is funny how quickly you forget all the newborn 'stuff' - like sleep deprivation. HA. I am beat. But, it is a good thing, it means she is home with us, AND that she is eating well. She is still nursing about every 2-2 1/2 hours.
We finally got the go ahead from the dr to discontinue her oxygen, after a disasterous experience with Ap.ria Health.care. If you are ever in need of home health services and have another option, take it!!! They have given us 5 pieces of equipment that did not work or were defective in some way (including the attachment to attach the canula to the regu.lator, the regulator itself, the o2 sat machine we had to use (twice!) it has been a mess. The president of the company will be getting a letter from us.
She really is doing great though. Now we can finally schedule our "newborn" photos, I didn't want to do them with the oxygen on her, so yeah, not really newborn anymore which makes me sad, but what can you do?
She absolutely hates being put into her car seat. In fact it is one of the few times she will cry (the other being when she is ready to eat and I am not fast enough!)

Lexi is doing really well. She is adjusting to being a big sister - much better than I thought she would. THere are definitely some rough moments but overall, she is doing great. She loves her baby sister - she is always patting her head and giving her kisses. THe first thing she says when she wakes up is "baby" or "Alla" (her version of Calli) and we have to go see her.
In the last month, language has been huge for Lexi. She is adding new words almost daily at this point. There are still a few that she struggles with and a couple that I just have no idea what she is trying to say, but it is nice that she is adding all these new words - and awesome to watch her process a new word and try to say it. She is so proud of herself once she gets a new one out. Although, once she learns a new word, she walks around saying it constantly. Her latest is the name of one of our dogs, Annie, she says this all the time right now.
She is really starting to entertain herself, which is a blessing with the baby. Although she seems to forget this the minute I pick Calli up :)
She LOVES her 'babies" (dolls) and I cannot possible emphasize this enough. We can't do anything without her baby. She shares her drinks and food with her baby, she puts one of the premie diapers that are left over on her and even changes her diaper - complete with using a wipe to clean her up - which we then have to throw in the trash because it is "ewwie."
I really am just so proud of her for how well she is adjusting to having a baby sister - it is so much better than I thought it would be.
Lexi is displaying some major separation anxiety anytime she is away from me. . . even if I just go to the bathroom and she can't see me. I think this is in large part to me being in the hospital for as long as I was and her never having been away from me before. We are working on it, but it is hard. Especially hard on R as he feels like she 'doesn't like him' anymore. :(

I had my 6 week postpartum check today and all is well (my last post detailed the surgery, in case you missed that). The dr is pleased with how well I am healing. I still have some...OK, a lot of bitterness about having to have a hysterectomy. I am just sad that we will not be able to have another child - and I am sad that if we do find a way to do so, that I will not be able to carry that baby (funny, since I don't particularly enjoy being pregnant). I hope I don't carry this feeling with me for too long as it is a heavy one.
My job called and asked me to come back to work. After a lot of debate (mostly internal) I decided to do it. UGH. Immediately after accepting and signing the new contract I regretted the decision. At this point I am going to see how it goes and if it is too much then I will resign at semester. I hate to do that, but I have to take care of me and the girls first and foremost. A huge part of this decision was/is insurance. I hate the insurance company my husband's company uses - it is one where we have to go to their drs (they have their own clinics). Which, for me, isn't a problem, but I LOVE our pediatrician and do not want to change. We went to the new place for Lexi's 18 month check up and while the dr was fine...I don't want to go back if we don't have to....to the point that I would pay out of pocket to go see the other pediatrician. Sigh. We will see how it goes, trying to see the reasons I made the decision again...but they are a little fuzzy right now!

Here are some of the pictures from the 'not so newborn' newborn photos: