Many people asked if it's easier now that we already have experiences with Alex and Sofia. Our answer is yes and no.
Yes in the sense we already know what to expect and how to manage certain situations because really got experiences already with the first two. Also, the midnight feedings feel a lot easier now with Adam because we did it before and we already knew how hard and challenging it would be. It is still difficult but a lot easier now.
What is tough is the part where we need to now handle 2 toddlers and 1 infant and they literally get our hands so full, especially when all three of them fall sick or at the cranky mode. That is when it gets really tough!
1. Happiest I have ever been
Yes, I am confident that ever since Adam came, I am at my happiest point in my life (for as long as I can remember).
Of course I have had many happy moments in my life (like getting married to man of my dreams), but when I see my life now - a loving, supportive husband with three healthy children, I cannot not smile and be really thankful.
When I say happy, I don't mean that I do not still struggle in mothering them. I do, everyday. But there is joy in it somehow.
2. The perfect night routine
We could never figure out the 'perfect' routines when it comes to who takes which shift and what works best since Adrian and myself are working parents. But we finally got it right and seems to be working so far (I hope).
I haven't started working yet, but I like the arrangement now. Of course the ideal arrangement would be Adam sleeping through the night, from 12AM to 7AM would be perfect. Hah.
Adrian now does the first night feeding, which is usually at 12AM, and then I will do the rest. If Adam wakes up at 7AM, then my MIL would help us feed him, while I get Alex and Sofia ready for the day.
3. The amount of milk Adam is drinking
We started giving Adam 2oz of milk, and increased it to 3oz, and now he is drinking 4oz.
Oh, and he is no longer taking any breastmilk because this milk factory sudah tutup. Heh. I am currently still taking the steroid medication to fight these rashes off, so yeah. Formula milk to the rescue!
4. Adam is a little chatterbox
At just 2-months old, he can respond to your conversation - I kid you not.
Try talking to him and you will notice that he will try to respond to you by making sounds and smiling. Oh, he is such a smiler (is there such a word? heh).
5. End of maternity leave
Technically, I still have a few days left, but I have decided to start work on 1-Mar because to be honest, I miss working so much. I know I will miss spending the entire day with the kids, but I need to also go to work so my sanity remains intact. Hah.
But yes, I will miss the kids for sure.
So fast 90 days of maternity leave is coming to an end. That also means Adam is growing up way too fast and before we know it, he is going to be a toddler, and I may want to get pregnant again with another kid - kidding!
6. FAQ - want another kid after Adam?
The answer is a definite no.
You may think that we will revisit the idea in the future, and to be honest with you - as of now, our answers are a 100% no because the chances for the rashes to occur again is like super high, and the frustrating part about this whole thing is I am still having it and I am no longer pregnant.
And it's so traumatising because I still see the scars and marks all over my body and the itch is still here. So no more kids thank you. Or at least no more getting pregnant.
If we really want more kids, we would most likely go for adoption heh. Serious wan.
Stay tuned for a new post - confirming that we do not want to get pregnant again.
7. Alex, Sofia and Adam's dynamic
It's really still quite hard to say, because Adam is still too young to actually spend time with Alex and Sofia. All Adam does is drink milk, sleep and poop - and repeat.
In the beginning, Sofia has a hard time adjusting to the new change, but she is so much better now and taking really well her role as the big sister. The first place she will go to when she wakes up in the morning (everyday without fail) is to Adam's crib to say good morning. It is the sweetest thing ever.
There was one time when Adam was still in his car seat, and Sofia wanted to give him a kiss. So, she leaned forward and put her hand on top of Adam's stomach, and when she lean towards him, she sort of "went on top" of him and Adam cried! Poor Sofia, because she just wanted to kiss him. Hah.
8. Our favourite newborn diaper brands
If you ask me of my top favourite for diaper brands, I would still say Applecrumby - hands down.
But they are not exactly price-friendly, at least not for newborn diapers. Newborn changes diapers so often that it does not make sense to spend that money on Applecrumby's newborn diapers. Of course I have some stocks at home for when we travel or when we go out the whole day, because it's really leak-proof and so so comfortable to the skin.
We don't change Adam's diaper that often anymore (it used to be like 8-10 pieces per day because of hos much he poops), but now maybe about every 4-5 hours.
Our current favourite diaper brands for Adam is Drypers and Mamypoko - more affordable. Heh.
9. Adam can sleep through noises and bright lights
Another 'criteria' in our parenting style.
We enjoy having people over to our house at anytime of the day (usually at night), and we really want (need) our children to be able to adapt to sleeping even when it's noisy. We trained Alex and Sofia when they were newborns, so it only made sense that Adam goes through the same 'training'.
It's a success of course. Adam can sleep through loud noises and even when it is bright, he also can sleep through wan. Actually, we didn't really have any 'training' method.
We just intentionally place him at places with noises since newborn and let him sleep.
We also love going out so of course this 'style' has been super useful - we love it.
10. We don't carry Adam to sleep
Yes, you see that right. As tempting as it is, I made it a strict rule to everyone that they shall not carry Adam to sleep in their arms. I have to do this because I don't think I would have the energy to do that (especially at night) with two toddlers at home. I would crash really fast considering Alex and Sofia are still quite clingy to me.
Carry Adam to talk and play with him - for sure please do that. But the moment he is about to fall asleep, we will put him down on the bed already.
At first, it was tough because he would cry but I am a very persistent person (so is he actually hah), but happy to report that it has been a successful thing. Adam can now fall asleep on his on without needing to be carried. Sometimes, he still cries for a while and we would carry him for a while and then put him down. Just repeat the whole process till he gets it. Hah.
So yeah, there it is. We have been really busy, but our hearts are so full.
Till next update, bye now.