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| Photo thebump.com |
Friday, June 29, 2012
12 weeks
Is it just me or is time flying by? The baby is getting bigger and bigger and I have thankfully been a bit less tired and more motivated in general. Nesting is coming! And not a moment too soon, our house is a bit messier than usual!
Boo boos and the potty
This summer is plugging along at a quick pace. I can't believe that June is almost over, but part of that is because from May to July I have my busy time at work. I've been working hectically, trying to get contracts executed by the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. But it looks like everything is going to be done on time and I can relax. Or start another project, but at least this one has less definite deadlines.
James has been having a great time at daycare, they play in the water almost everyday. Rhonda has several sprinklers and 2 water tables which have been wearing the kids out. This summer, James has been getting boo boos far more regularly. Luckily, we haven't had to deal with anything too gruesome, but he is always banged up. I know its his age, he's still a bit clumsy while running full force, which leads to bruises and scrapes. Of course, the magical cure for a boo boo is for mom or dad (or both) to kiss it. Then its automatically better and mom feels like she's in control of the universe. James scraped his knee on the way into daycare yesterday morning and when Adam picked him up in the evening, it was the first thing James said to him. "Daddy, boo boo".
A few days ago, James also got a boo boo from Albert, our "first born" fuzzy child. James was poking the cat and I warned him not to. Albert let a hiss out, but James continued to poke, so James got his first official swat from the cats. He had a very small scratch by his elbow, but James cried like teenage girl watching Titanic for the first time. I comforted him, but also let him know that Albert means business. When Adam got back from walking the dog, Albert and James "apologized" to each other and we again reinforced that messing with the cats leads to scratches, of course after kissing the boo boo a few more times. I suppose James is lucky that our far more aggressive cat, Sassy, came to us with no claws.
Other than boo boos, we've been working on potty training a bit. We are still keeping it very low key, but are going to step up our efforts a bit, so see if we can get James to ask to go to the potty. Who knows if we get anywhere with this anytime soon, but we've set a very loose deadline of having James fully potty trained by 3. I know that might seem silly, but we figured we would put the date somewhere attainable for now. The last thing we want to do is push too hard and have James resist completely. So we're going to add a few potty sitting sessions into James' routine. Right now, he sits on the potty before we put his jammies on for the night. We're going to add 2 morning potty times (first thing and then before we leave for daycare) and an after nap potty time (on the weekends) and go from there. We've already discussed with Rhonda and for the time being James will continue as usual at daycare, unless he happens to ask for the potty. I don't foresee this happening for awhile, but I think we are going in the right direction. It would be miraculous if James was potty trained before his younger sibling comes along, but I know the next six months will be full of change and I don't want to stress him out unnecessarily!
James has been having a great time at daycare, they play in the water almost everyday. Rhonda has several sprinklers and 2 water tables which have been wearing the kids out. This summer, James has been getting boo boos far more regularly. Luckily, we haven't had to deal with anything too gruesome, but he is always banged up. I know its his age, he's still a bit clumsy while running full force, which leads to bruises and scrapes. Of course, the magical cure for a boo boo is for mom or dad (or both) to kiss it. Then its automatically better and mom feels like she's in control of the universe. James scraped his knee on the way into daycare yesterday morning and when Adam picked him up in the evening, it was the first thing James said to him. "Daddy, boo boo".
A few days ago, James also got a boo boo from Albert, our "first born" fuzzy child. James was poking the cat and I warned him not to. Albert let a hiss out, but James continued to poke, so James got his first official swat from the cats. He had a very small scratch by his elbow, but James cried like teenage girl watching Titanic for the first time. I comforted him, but also let him know that Albert means business. When Adam got back from walking the dog, Albert and James "apologized" to each other and we again reinforced that messing with the cats leads to scratches, of course after kissing the boo boo a few more times. I suppose James is lucky that our far more aggressive cat, Sassy, came to us with no claws.
Other than boo boos, we've been working on potty training a bit. We are still keeping it very low key, but are going to step up our efforts a bit, so see if we can get James to ask to go to the potty. Who knows if we get anywhere with this anytime soon, but we've set a very loose deadline of having James fully potty trained by 3. I know that might seem silly, but we figured we would put the date somewhere attainable for now. The last thing we want to do is push too hard and have James resist completely. So we're going to add a few potty sitting sessions into James' routine. Right now, he sits on the potty before we put his jammies on for the night. We're going to add 2 morning potty times (first thing and then before we leave for daycare) and an after nap potty time (on the weekends) and go from there. We've already discussed with Rhonda and for the time being James will continue as usual at daycare, unless he happens to ask for the potty. I don't foresee this happening for awhile, but I think we are going in the right direction. It would be miraculous if James was potty trained before his younger sibling comes along, but I know the next six months will be full of change and I don't want to stress him out unnecessarily!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Catching up
WHEW! What a week it has been! I haven't updated in a while because the last week has been a bit crazy for us! But now we are back on track and back into our regularly scheduled programming. A ton has been going on, James went for his 2 year check up, I survived 3 days with my coworkers at a conference, Adam worked from home 2 days, and James cut his first second year molar! It has been CRAZY.
On Tuesday, the 19th, James was scheduled for his physical at 5 PM. Hindsight tells me this was a stupid time to make an appointment, but it meant that I wouldn't miss any work. If it had worked out, it would have put us at the doctor's squarely during dinner time. Luckily, the pediatrician's office called me around 11 AM and told me that James would need blood work, but the lab closes at 4 PM. They asked that we come in early, so I got off around 3 PM and picked my little guy up from daycare. James is doing well, meeting almost all of his milestones and growing like a weed. He is currently 35 inches tall and weighs 26.5 pounds. This puts him in the 90th and 43rd percentiles respectively. Although, they're still adjusting him for 35 weeks gestation, which seems silly, since he was the world's largest "preemie". We're very happy with his weight, even though he's much lower in percentile than height. A lot of information out there points to better adult weight if one is smaller as a child, who knows how accurate that is, but it takes some worry away for the time being. James got his blood drawn like a champ and we have heard back that his lead test was totally normal. Now for the truly annoying part of the story - somehow James' CBC was not done and we have to go back for another blood draw this week. When I figure out who to give a piece of my mind to, I am certainly going to, because to make a 2 year old receive another stick is pretty ridiculous in my book. Also, James received his hepatitis A vaccine and is now up to date with shots until he goes to school! From now on, we'll see the doctor once a year for check ups, I told Dr. Chander that we would miss seeing him so much, which is why we decided to have another baby. He laughed at me and told me he'd see us in December, after the new babe arrives.
Regarding the conference I attended in Ocean City - was I ever glad to be home. Forced social interaction with my coworkers is not really high on my list of fun stuff to do and I am not great at the small talk aspect of things. Also, I am truly amazed that adults can act so not adult in the presence of an open bar. Part of me was glad that my pregnancy took all drinking out of the equation for me. All in all, it wasn't the worst way to spend 3 days, but again, I was happy to be home.
Other than that, life plugs along. As I mentioned, James cut his first second year molar and has been having a bit of pain from the whole experience. This has made him a bit clingier than usual, but he usually settles down after some ibuprofen. I will be so happy once this whole teething adventure is over, but we are getting close. Then again, we'll have another little one to start all over with!
On Tuesday, the 19th, James was scheduled for his physical at 5 PM. Hindsight tells me this was a stupid time to make an appointment, but it meant that I wouldn't miss any work. If it had worked out, it would have put us at the doctor's squarely during dinner time. Luckily, the pediatrician's office called me around 11 AM and told me that James would need blood work, but the lab closes at 4 PM. They asked that we come in early, so I got off around 3 PM and picked my little guy up from daycare. James is doing well, meeting almost all of his milestones and growing like a weed. He is currently 35 inches tall and weighs 26.5 pounds. This puts him in the 90th and 43rd percentiles respectively. Although, they're still adjusting him for 35 weeks gestation, which seems silly, since he was the world's largest "preemie". We're very happy with his weight, even though he's much lower in percentile than height. A lot of information out there points to better adult weight if one is smaller as a child, who knows how accurate that is, but it takes some worry away for the time being. James got his blood drawn like a champ and we have heard back that his lead test was totally normal. Now for the truly annoying part of the story - somehow James' CBC was not done and we have to go back for another blood draw this week. When I figure out who to give a piece of my mind to, I am certainly going to, because to make a 2 year old receive another stick is pretty ridiculous in my book. Also, James received his hepatitis A vaccine and is now up to date with shots until he goes to school! From now on, we'll see the doctor once a year for check ups, I told Dr. Chander that we would miss seeing him so much, which is why we decided to have another baby. He laughed at me and told me he'd see us in December, after the new babe arrives.
Regarding the conference I attended in Ocean City - was I ever glad to be home. Forced social interaction with my coworkers is not really high on my list of fun stuff to do and I am not great at the small talk aspect of things. Also, I am truly amazed that adults can act so not adult in the presence of an open bar. Part of me was glad that my pregnancy took all drinking out of the equation for me. All in all, it wasn't the worst way to spend 3 days, but again, I was happy to be home.
Other than that, life plugs along. As I mentioned, James cut his first second year molar and has been having a bit of pain from the whole experience. This has made him a bit clingier than usual, but he usually settles down after some ibuprofen. I will be so happy once this whole teething adventure is over, but we are getting close. Then again, we'll have another little one to start all over with!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
The tooth chart
Its been awhile since I put up James' tooth chart, so here it is, fully updated with his newest molar!
Friday, June 22, 2012
11 weeks
The baby is the size of a lime! I can't believe how quickly my little fruit is growing.
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| Thanks, thebump.com |
Monday, June 18, 2012
Father's Day Weekend
Wow, another weekend has come and gone and this one was particularly busy for our family!
We spent Father's Day weekend with as many fathers as we could get our hands on. On Saturday, we went hiking with Adam's dad and other various family members and on Sunday we went to see my mom and stepdad. James had a fairly good time hiking with the family, although he was very tired and grumpy around mid-day. He took a snooze in the stroller on the way back to the car and was back to his perky self in a few short minutes. Sunday, James also had a great time, hanging out with Grandma, Poopaw, and Bailey dog. Poor Bailey, I never know if he loves kids or hates them, but he always comes back for more "love". For some reason, maybe because my mom's living room is bigger than ours, James always does this funny run and jump game when hanging out with Grandma. He also knows that Poopaw is never short on snacks and managed to eat several varieties of cookie. What are Poopaws for, if not handing out sugary snacks?
After bedtime for James, I called my own dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day. It sounded like his day was full of manual labor, but around his place that is no surprise! I like to think I would enjoy living in the country as he does, but really, I think I'm much to lazy to keep up such a large piece of property. I will take my row home in the suburban sprawl for now.
In other news, we are looking for a new light weight/umbrella stroller. After hiking this weekend, I've determined that ours is too short. At the mall or for other short trips, this isn't a problem, but hiking with a too short stroller caused a lot of lower back and leg pain the next day. Unfortunately, I think this is going to mean spending a bit more money, but I will see what I can find.
We spent Father's Day weekend with as many fathers as we could get our hands on. On Saturday, we went hiking with Adam's dad and other various family members and on Sunday we went to see my mom and stepdad. James had a fairly good time hiking with the family, although he was very tired and grumpy around mid-day. He took a snooze in the stroller on the way back to the car and was back to his perky self in a few short minutes. Sunday, James also had a great time, hanging out with Grandma, Poopaw, and Bailey dog. Poor Bailey, I never know if he loves kids or hates them, but he always comes back for more "love". For some reason, maybe because my mom's living room is bigger than ours, James always does this funny run and jump game when hanging out with Grandma. He also knows that Poopaw is never short on snacks and managed to eat several varieties of cookie. What are Poopaws for, if not handing out sugary snacks?
After bedtime for James, I called my own dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day. It sounded like his day was full of manual labor, but around his place that is no surprise! I like to think I would enjoy living in the country as he does, but really, I think I'm much to lazy to keep up such a large piece of property. I will take my row home in the suburban sprawl for now.
In other news, we are looking for a new light weight/umbrella stroller. After hiking this weekend, I've determined that ours is too short. At the mall or for other short trips, this isn't a problem, but hiking with a too short stroller caused a lot of lower back and leg pain the next day. Unfortunately, I think this is going to mean spending a bit more money, but I will see what I can find.
Friday, June 15, 2012
10 weeks and Doctors' updates
This week the baby is as big as a prune says thebump.com! I saw another website that compared the baby to a kumquat, but I can't say that I really know how large a kumquat is...
Yesterday, I went to both my endocrinologist and OB for 10 week check ups. Everything is going well, as it should be and I even got to see the little prune! Luckily, the baby is starting to look less like a prune and more like an actual human! The little arm and leg nubs are very cute and the baby's heart rate was 182, right within the normal range. I let the doctor know we have officially decided not to try a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) and will be scheduling a C-section. Since 10 weeks seems like a good milestone, I figured I'd do this little questionnaire from another website.
How far along? 10 weeks
Yesterday, I went to both my endocrinologist and OB for 10 week check ups. Everything is going well, as it should be and I even got to see the little prune! Luckily, the baby is starting to look less like a prune and more like an actual human! The little arm and leg nubs are very cute and the baby's heart rate was 182, right within the normal range. I let the doctor know we have officially decided not to try a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) and will be scheduling a C-section. Since 10 weeks seems like a good milestone, I figured I'd do this little questionnaire from another website.
How far along? 10 weeks
Total weight gain? Around 3 to 4 pounds right now, nothing too big and knowing me, probably water weight fluctuation.
Sleep: Hasn't been great, we're still working out my insulin pump settings, so I've been getting up to eat in the middle of the night.
Best moment this week? Having good doctors' appointments and getting to see the little baby!
Movement? Nothing that I can feel.
Food cravings? Nothing yet really, although I always kind of crave junk food.
Labor signs? No and that is a good thing.
Belly button in or out? In, I don't really look that pregnant yet, just kind of bloated.
What I miss? Eh, nothing really.
What I’m nervous about? Going to the doctor's makes me nervous about how long I will actually be carrying this baby and really hoping that it is long enough to avoid a NICU stay. Also having some fears about a second baby and making sure James gets the attention he needs while caring for a newborn. I know James will be a great big brother, but all 2 year olds have their moments and my boy is no exception.
What I’m looking forward to? Finding out if we are having a boy of a girl (in 8.5 weeks!)
Monday, June 11, 2012
The pool and birthday fun
James' party came and went and we had a lovely time. He got some great outdoor presents - a Little Tikes fold-able picnic table with umbrella (quite fancy compared to what Travis and I had growing up) and a pool! He got some other various toys and clothes, which we appreciate. We especially appreciated a great book from Sarah called Bear in Underwear. Even better than the book itself (which is hilarious, a bear finds a backpack of underwear in the woods) was Jackie reading it to us in her best Kindergarten teacher voice. By the end of the day, James was screaming through the house, coming down from a massive sugar high, but he went to bed on time with not even a hint of a fight.
On Sunday, we went to Toys R Us and used a gift card he'd received and then we went home to play in the pool! James had a great time, splashing Adam and I and running around in general. Mac wasn't so sure what to make of the squealing, wet young human, but he played along nicely.
When I got James dressed in his bathing suit, I decided that he didn't need a diaper. They just get soggy in the water and it wasn't his usual time for #2 (ha, too much info!) so I figured it would be fine. Well not 5 second after getting outside and Adam turning the hose on, James was peeing through his bathing suit, right there on the back lawn. We about died laughing, wondering what James thought the hose was doing, but oh well. Not a big deal at all. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend, but boy am I exhausted this morning!
Friday, June 8, 2012
9 weeks
This week's food update from thebump.com. Although some websites say the baby is as big as a grape, the bump tells me he or she is now a fetus and is as big as a green olive!
TWO!
Well, our little guys is 2 today. And I've only cried once. Twice, if you count last night. Hormones, I tell ya!
Today Adam and I are preparing for James' party tomorrow while the boy is at daycare. Friday is always pizza day at Rhonda's and she made cupcakes as well. We're so lucky to have her. So James will be quite spoiled with sweets for the next few days.
I am looking forward to getting off work early today and having people over for the party tomorrow!
Today Adam and I are preparing for James' party tomorrow while the boy is at daycare. Friday is always pizza day at Rhonda's and she made cupcakes as well. We're so lucky to have her. So James will be quite spoiled with sweets for the next few days.
I am looking forward to getting off work early today and having people over for the party tomorrow!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Almost there
Tomorrow is James' second birthday! I am still in shock at how quickly 2 years can pass. I know there are still difficult times to come, we'll be entering the 2's and 3's and doing it with a second baby, but with James, the sleepness nights and baby phase are now completely over. I would do it all again in a second, but that is neither here nor there.
Some of my favorite things about James are his sense of humor, his laughs, his smiles, and the way he will almost always cuddle. Right now, one of his favorite games is "Kitty". He will ask me to lay down on the couch, then curl up in a ball next to me, just like he sees the cats do. Being pregnant and exhausted, I think this game is awesome. Sure kid, we can play "Kitty" one more time. I love that he loves our animals, I love that he constantly wants to be outside and running, I love that I'm his mom.
While I'd been warned of the challenges of being a parent and making a new family dynamic work, I think I wasn't "warned" enough about the love that was coming. Even though various parents tried to explain it to me before James came, there really is no way to describe a parent's love. Its an all encompassing, brilliant, amazing kind of love. Its the kind of love that makes you not care about being awake all night or being exhausted all day. The kind of love that you know will never fade, but grow larger every single day.
Becoming a mom made me kind of like the Grinch, my heart grew three times that day!
Some of my favorite things about James are his sense of humor, his laughs, his smiles, and the way he will almost always cuddle. Right now, one of his favorite games is "Kitty". He will ask me to lay down on the couch, then curl up in a ball next to me, just like he sees the cats do. Being pregnant and exhausted, I think this game is awesome. Sure kid, we can play "Kitty" one more time. I love that he loves our animals, I love that he constantly wants to be outside and running, I love that I'm his mom.
While I'd been warned of the challenges of being a parent and making a new family dynamic work, I think I wasn't "warned" enough about the love that was coming. Even though various parents tried to explain it to me before James came, there really is no way to describe a parent's love. Its an all encompassing, brilliant, amazing kind of love. Its the kind of love that makes you not care about being awake all night or being exhausted all day. The kind of love that you know will never fade, but grow larger every single day.
Becoming a mom made me kind of like the Grinch, my heart grew three times that day!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Two years ago...
With James' second birthday right around the corner, its really hard not to think "2 years ago..." all the time. But that's really all I've been doing lately, reminiscing on two years ago and how much life has changed and how lucky I am to have a brilliant, funny, adorable little boy. A brilliant, funny, adorable, and often TAXING almost two year old... This age is hilarious and exhausting simultaneously.
Over the weekend it was two years from the time time that I was put on bedrest for the 6 week duration of my pregnancy. I felt so scared and worried and stressed at the time. My doctor told me that I only really needed partial bedrest, but that she would put in the paperwork so I could stay home from work. I remember leaving the appointment, getting in the car, and calling my mom in an absolute fit of tears. I'm sure she loved that one, but you know, what are mom's for, even when you're 27 and hugely pregnant. Funny enough, she also had an appointment with our doctor that day (yea, we share a GYN, for the added bonding experience! ha!) so she came to the hospital early and listened to me blubber. Funny enough, almost all my stress was about work, I wasn't really worried about James at that point. He never moved during non-stress testing (as he should have...) so they did an ultrasound twice a week and saw the little guy moving around in there. I like to think that he knew his momma would rather see him than feel him kicking for those 30 minutes. Once he even waved at us on the screen, sort of like "ha ha, I'm in here and I won't move just because you want me to!" James was always active at night, which accounted for his napping during testing.
I wish I could sum up the stress I was feeling in that very moment, most was very irrational, but I was so upset and scared. I knew that I would be leaving my job for a new position shortly after my maternity leave ended and that I wasn't as caught up at work as I wanted to be and I really just didn't know what to do with myself. But I pulled it together and listened to my mom's advice. The next day I went to work, packed up my desk as though I was not coming back at all, told them I was going on bedrest, and went home. Actually, I think I stopped by Wendy's for a Frostie on the way home, but that was that.
Flash forward two years, if someone told me I got to stay home from work and rest, I think I would hug them and do a happy dance, but oh how two years can change a person. The rest of my last week without a child was pretty uneventful. I went to both doctor's 2 or 3 times and I went to see a movie with Adam and my girlfriends Jackie and Sarah.
All of it seems like a long time ago, but also like it was yesterday.
Over the weekend it was two years from the time time that I was put on bedrest for the 6 week duration of my pregnancy. I felt so scared and worried and stressed at the time. My doctor told me that I only really needed partial bedrest, but that she would put in the paperwork so I could stay home from work. I remember leaving the appointment, getting in the car, and calling my mom in an absolute fit of tears. I'm sure she loved that one, but you know, what are mom's for, even when you're 27 and hugely pregnant. Funny enough, she also had an appointment with our doctor that day (yea, we share a GYN, for the added bonding experience! ha!) so she came to the hospital early and listened to me blubber. Funny enough, almost all my stress was about work, I wasn't really worried about James at that point. He never moved during non-stress testing (as he should have...) so they did an ultrasound twice a week and saw the little guy moving around in there. I like to think that he knew his momma would rather see him than feel him kicking for those 30 minutes. Once he even waved at us on the screen, sort of like "ha ha, I'm in here and I won't move just because you want me to!" James was always active at night, which accounted for his napping during testing.
I wish I could sum up the stress I was feeling in that very moment, most was very irrational, but I was so upset and scared. I knew that I would be leaving my job for a new position shortly after my maternity leave ended and that I wasn't as caught up at work as I wanted to be and I really just didn't know what to do with myself. But I pulled it together and listened to my mom's advice. The next day I went to work, packed up my desk as though I was not coming back at all, told them I was going on bedrest, and went home. Actually, I think I stopped by Wendy's for a Frostie on the way home, but that was that.
Flash forward two years, if someone told me I got to stay home from work and rest, I think I would hug them and do a happy dance, but oh how two years can change a person. The rest of my last week without a child was pretty uneventful. I went to both doctor's 2 or 3 times and I went to see a movie with Adam and my girlfriends Jackie and Sarah.
All of it seems like a long time ago, but also like it was yesterday.
Friday, June 1, 2012
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