7 weeks on…

… and we’re still all here, sanity still intact. Admittedly, this is only my first week without a Bà Ngoại or Ong Ngoại to help out.

Everyone says that a 2nd baby isn’t that much more work. I think it’s fair to say that this is just another lie, part of this world-wide conspiration to lure unsuspecting parents into having more than one kid. It seems that afternoon naps are merely relay naps when one wakes up right after the other one goes down to sleep. It doesn’t help that Nicolas likes to chatter to himself before going to bed, and that Eloïse’s cries are pretty loud.

Nap time, and still wide awake

That being said, it is infinitely easier with Eloïse this time round. Bastiaan reckons this is because we know what we’re doing and so are more confident & just follow our instincts. It doesn’t mean that hourly grizzles in the middle of the night don’t get to me though. But the other night, just as I got up again, mentally swearing and ready to scowl, Eloïse’s face beamed with a smile… And all admonitions were promptly forgotten… That’s my girl - using her charms to get away with things.

Nappy changes are still painfully messy. N.I.C.O., my Nappy Input and Change Operator, is keen to help by handing me the nappies and cream and generally supervising the procedure. He had a near-fatal encounter, as he tends to pull his fold-up stool right in the line of fire. Had it not been for my lightning quick reflex to put my hand out after Eloïse’s sneeze, Nico’s little face would have been squirted with processed milk. Today she beat her own record. The sneeze-o-meter recorded a 1.2m trail. I realised a few days ago that now every time I change Eloise’s nappies, I feel on the edge.

Brother & sister have their baths together, to speed things up at night time. Nico’s handling it fairly well, even at times wetting Eloïse with his plastic watering can and swiping her tummy with her wash cloth. He’s also been bouncing her in the bouncer when she cries. Next step is to get him to do it more gently so she doesn’t get catapulted half-way through the lounge. He also gave her a rock melon. Must have confused it with a ball after spending the last two days playing football with Bas and I. Lucky it was too heavy for him to kick/throw at her.

Hurray - Nico’s almost toilet-trained (70% is almost). During the day he’s either in cloth nappies or in underpants and is quite happy to pee on the toilet when taken there. On the odd occasion he’ll ask for it (must remember bribes and rewards), and sometimes we’ll have accidents. Thankfully all cacas directly land in the toilet and have been for the last few months now.

Eloïse had a bad case of nappy rash, coupled with some thrush (candida albicans). Tried all sorts of treatment - regular nappy changes, drying well, air time, nappy creams and nothing worked. Got a new cream, Daktozin which is used for fungal infections and while that improved her condition, it still wasn’t all clear. Stumbled across an article while looking for something else - rinse the affected area with 1 tbsp baking powder in 1 ltr water. Within a day her skin was as smooth as a baby’s bum.

I feel a bit bad for not having more stuff for Eloïse - blog posts, pictures, videos, keepsakes etc. But the reality is, I can’t… Not with an active toddler and an awake baby. Oh well, too bad… I’m sure we still will have enough incriminating and embarrassing pictures for her 21st.

Here are some of the cutest (yes yes I know, I’m the mummy so I’m biased) ones:

 

 

Looking more Dutch than Vietnamese

 

 

 

Stunned mullet impersonation 

 

 

 

Supervising Papa’s handiwork from behind her eyelids