26 Weeks!

I had a great check-up today at my doctor and baby girl seems to be doing well. Her heart rate was 150bpm and nice and strong! This was the ever so important glucose appointment where you have to drink a sugary concoction, wait a hour, and then they draw blood to check for gestational diabetes. Hopefully I passed with flying colors =) I now start going to the doctor every two weeks!!  We also scheduled a tentative date for our C-section!!! Everyone mark your calendars...June 26 is the requested date! They schedule you at 39 weeks and Dr. Stowell is on call on Thursdays so that's how June 26 came to be. They put in a request to the surgery department at the hospital and now we just have to wait to see if it gets approved. If I don't go into labor before then, baby girl will share a birthday with her sweet cousin, Aderi!

We have officially started on baby girl's nursery! Rob and Cathy were our last visitors this past weekend so the room has made the switch from guest room to nursery! Eric did an awesome job yesterday tearing down the bed, vacuuming, setting up the crib, etc. We're still trying to figure out where to position everything because the room is structured different than Ethan's so we will spend the next couple weeks playing around with everything and putting decorations on the wall. I love going in there though and thinking she will be here soon!!

How Far Along: 26 weeks and 4 days =)

Size of Baby: baby weighs almost two pounds (about the size of a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended.

Development: Baby's ears are better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you talk with each other. Baby is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. Her brain is very active right now as the brain tissue continues to develop.

How I'm Feeling: I feel like I've hit somewhat of a stride and feel really good! I even worked out two times last week and went for a mile walk with Ethan today (not far, but just glad I accomplished it)! I'm still not sleeping too well and having a lot of back pain by the end of the day, but I came to terms awhile back that these symptoms would follow me the rest of the pregnancy! I'm also getting fitted for some awesome compression stockings because I've developed spider veins on the back of my left leg. They aren't uncomfortable - I just get a warm "burning" sensation randomly throughout the day in my leg. The doctor highly recommended I wear the stockings to prevent them from turning into painful varicose veins. I can tell my belly is growing and I definitely am getting fuller faster at each meal...I know the stretchy, itchy skin is right around the corner! =)

Cravings/Aversions: Everything's been the same as far as what I've been eating...except I found a new healthy dessert that I made a couple nights last week. It's a yummy chocolate milkshake made with greek yogurt, almond milk, and a couple scoops of instant pudding powder...so easy and soooooo delicious! And it helps curb my sweet tooth at night and I don't have to feel guilty about it!

19 Months Old!

Hi Family and Friends!

Just me and my rolling pin. No big deal.

It's amazing how much new stuff I learn every month! I'm becoming more independent with each passing month and want to tell you what I've been up to lately:

• I am really good at putting my shoes on and taking them off. Mommy puts my shoes on and I pull the velcro strap over. When I get home, the first thing I do is sit down and pull the velcro strap off. Then, I pick up both my shoes and take them to my room and put them in the basket. This makes me feel like a very big boy. 
• I am officially using the sign for "more" during my mealtimes now. Mommy and daddy have been trying to teach me sign language since I first started eating table food. It finally clicked with me and now when I like something I'm eating, I  sign "more" and they give me more food! Mommy is hoping to teach me "please" and "thank you" because she says manners are important.
  
• Speaking of eating, isn't it funny how you go through phases liking certain foods? Right now, I want nothing to do with fruit. I used to love strawberries and blueberries and now I won't touch them. I used to eat at least half a banana a day...now I'm lucky to get a bite in. Some days I like ham. Some days I don't. Here are a couple things I always seem to eat: pancakes, macaroni noodles with spaghetti sauce, cheerios, and saltine crackers. But, don't worry - mommy always makes sure she offers me a well-rounded meal at each sitting =) 
  
• I love to brush my teeth. Every night when mommy and daddy say it's time to brush teeth, I smile really big (to show my teeth) and walk to the bathroom. They pull out my stool and I climb up all by myself! Daddy is really good at brushing my teeth. He does it first and then lets me hold the brush. When I'm done I put the brush under the water to clean it off, put it in the drawer, and close the drawer shut. 
• I have successfully learned how to get off the couch by myself. I roll onto my belly, throw my legs over the edge, and then slowly lower myself down.

  

  Just laying on a hard book playing with my piano.

• I am becoming quite the big helper around the house. I love to clean. I've been cleaning for awhile - usually by taking a towel or napkin and wiping everything down. I wipe down the fridge, my toys, the coffee table, anything I can get my hands on. Now that I'm walking, I really like to use the broom. I get really excited when I see a broom or vacuum in public or at other people's houses.
  
• I'm not talking yet, but guess what word I've learned? N-O. My version of this word is "no, no, no, no, no." Usually five times in a row. Sometimes I think I say it not really knowing why I'm saying it. Other times, I definitely know why I'm saying it! Sometimes I say it to Max like when he's doing something he shouldn't be. 
• I'm still taking two naps a day and going to bed at 7:30pm every night. What can I say...I love my sleep!
  
• One of my favorite things is my book called "1000 Words." It's basically a picture book broken up in different categories (animals, food, transportation, etc). Every day I sit and point to pictures and mommy and daddy repeat the word to me. They like to quiz me and ask questions like, "where is the helicopter?" and then I'll point to the right answer. I surprise my parents all the time with how much I know. They tell me how smart I am and it makes me feel good.

  

  I'm a daredevil riding on my knees!

• I can make the animal sounds for cow, pig, dog, and cat. And guess what daddy taught me? How to imitate an elephant! He does the best impression - raises his arm out like the elephant trunk and makes a really loud horn noise. I do it too. And it's really, really cute.
• I can now throw things away in the trash can. I picked this skill up by watching mommy and daddy do it. If I find a napkin on the floor, I pick it up and put it in the trash...and then clap my hands because I know I did something good!
  

As I'm learning all these new things, I have definitely gone through periods of frustration. Sometimes I cry and don't know why. Sometimes I become fussy on the changing table and mommy has to wrestle me like a wild alligator to get my diaper on. There are times where I get so frustrated and mad that I bang my head on the wall or table. It hurts. So I do it again. And it hurts more. I've been through these 'transition periods' before and know it will pass soon. Thankfully my mommy and daddy do nothing but love me and support me and that makes me very happy!

I hope you'll keep checking the blog for more updates on me and my baby sister who lives in mommy's belly!

Playing with my helicopter!

I love my time with daddy!

I love my puppy!



He was NOT happy about finger painting! Eh, at least I tried!

6 Months w/Baby #2!

6 Months!

I'll probably say it a hundred more times, but how fast is time flying! Six months pregnant! Here is a quick update:

How Far Along: 24 weeks!

Size of Baby: weighs about 1 1/3 lbs. and is roughly a foot long - about the size of an ear of corn or  a Subway footlong sandwich =)

Development:  Her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world.

How I'm Feeling: I'm doing well! Like I've mentioned before, I definitely feel the aches and pains of pregnancy a lot earlier this time around. I'm pretty much sidelined on the couch at night with a pillow under my back trying to rest from the day. I was excited to receive our crib, crib mattress, crib sheet, and some nursery decorations in the mail last week - I went on an ordering frenzy...all on sale though! =) I'm looking forward to breaking down the guest bedroom in a couple weeks and putting the nursery together!

Cravings/Aversions: Orange juice every morning...and sometimes at night. I had an insane amount of asparagus the other night for dinner. Literally almost a whole bunch by myself...and I don't even like asparagus that much. I did treat myself to a chocolate/banana milkshake at Steak-n-Shake last week. I've been thinking about it for weeks, finally caved, and didn't regret it one bit!

Boy or Girl: G-I-R-L!

24 Weeks with Ethan and 24 Weeks with Baby #2!

18 Month Check-Up & Loving the Sunshine!

Ethan had his 18-month appointment last week and he got another gold star and pat on the back from Dr. Newby! He officially weighs 20 lbs. 10 oz. which was a sigh of relief because that meant he had put some steady weight back on after being sick a couple weeks ago. They measured him at 32" which is actually shorter than his 15-month appointment, but he wasn't exactly being cooperative =) He was all smiles in the waiting room where the choo-choo train goes around the top of the room. But boy, as soon as we went back into the room and he saw his "favorite" nurse (aka the one who always gives him shots) he absolutely lost it!! All we could do was laugh - I'm sure she gets it all the time! He has definitely started to associate the doctor with shots and was not a happy camper. Dr. Newby said, "don't worry, he'll like us again when he's 2 1/2!" Ethan had a pouty face the entire time we were at the doctor and I couldn't help but snap pics of him. I sent one to Kristen and she did a side-by-side of Ethan and Kaleb, who just had his 9-mo. appointment and wasn't too happy either. Look at these faces!!!

Pouty face must be genetic.



We really didn't have too much to chat about because we are happy with how he's progressing and so is she. We have obviously learned that Ethan is following his own growth/development pattern so even though it doesn't necessarily meet the "average" for other kids his age, he's been progressing steadily and at a positive rate so that's all that matters! 

With the couple of nice days we've had in the last week, I've made it a point to get Ethan outside as much as possible. He absolutely loves being outside. He smiles every time I tell him, "let's put on our shoes and jacket!" We've taken a few walks in the neighborhood and he is quite the explorer. He just takes off down the sidewalk and observes every little thing. He likes when the leaves blow and he'll pick up a leaf and then put it back where he found it =) He waves to every car that drives by and it's an added bonus if it's the mailman. And dogs? Loves for them to just lick him right in his face! Today was in the 70's so we were outside pretty much the entire afternoon in between his naps. After lunch, I took him downtown so he could walk along Kirkwood. He would take two steps and then stop because something grabbed his attention. Take two more steps and stop and point. Thank goodness we weren't in a hurry =) Everyone thought he was so cute and could tell he was a "new walker." The highlight of his day was finding a stick which he carried with him the rest of the way.

At one point, he just sat down right in the middle of the sidewalk and I could tell he was getting worn out. We came home for his afternoon nap and then headed to Bryan Park for some more fun. Wow, I think every child under the age of 5 was there. Ethan was pretty hesitant to just jump in and join the fun. He walked around the perimeter of the playground taking it all in and checking out the other kids. He wanted nothing to do with the playground equipment - haha! Instead, he sat in the dirt and played with sticks and bark. I'm okay with that!

We soaked in all the sunshine we could since the high tomorrow is in the high 30's! Today was just a preview of all the fun times we have to look forward to this spring/summer. I love that he enjoys being outside and can't wait for warmer days ahead!

Baby #2 Update!

22 Weeks!

We've got a really exciting week coming up with Ethan's 18-month appointment on Wednesday and a monthly checkup (with ultrasound!) for baby girl on Thursday. I can't wait to see her again because this could be the last time before she's actually born! I'm also hoping to get some better ultrasound pictures =) I'll have to make sure I eat a little sugar before I go so she's nice and active! I have been in total nesting mode this past week. I have a list of things that I want done or need to buy and I want them done...NOW!  We are turning our guest bedroom into baby #2's room. The closet in the guest bedroom has pretty much served as extra storage for the last year that we've been in our house. My sole mission was to find a new 'home' for everything in that closet and you better believe I did! What a relief to have it empty...now it's time to fill it up with baby clothes! I made a trip to Hobby Lobby on Saturday and purchased the nursery decorations that I've been eyeing for some time. Even better is the fact that it was all 50% off!


Color scheme: teal, gray, yellow, and salmon

Saturday night, I went to Walmart to use a gift card I had and came out with a couple necessities and a few fun things for this sweet little girl. I was literally walking through the racks of clothes just laughing - still can't believe I'm buying for a girl!! Frills, polka dots, pastels, dresses, headbands, oh my! I walked away with three cute outfits...and no, they are not all pink! It's always a great feeling spending free money! The crib was ordered last week and should be here by the middle of March so that's when we will really start to assemble the room and start decorating. I will update the blog after our appointments this weekend...until then, here's a quick pregnancy update with baby #2!

How Far Along: 22 1/2 weeks!

Size of Baby: roughly 11 inches long and just over a pound - about the size of a large mango.

Development: Baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are all becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as the hair dryer or the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb. You might also start seeing her squirm beneath your clothes!

How I'm Feeling: Last week was the first week I really started to feel "pregnant." I could tell my belly was growing and getting tighter and just felt a little more uncomfortable than usual. I can't get over the fact that I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant! I feel good and am enjoying this time very much!

Cravings/Aversions: Smoothies. All I want is a fresh, healthy smoothie. And I feel like there is no where in town that makes one (that isn't loaded with sugar like from McDonald's, Dairy Queen, etc.). Staying on the sweet tooth, I definitely went to Walmart on Saturday night and purchased (along with other things) a gallon of peanut butter/chocolate brownie ice cream. Like whoa.

Boy or Girl: All girl! And boy is she active!! She keeps me on my toes and I can feel her probably 75% of the day. I laugh thinking about what it's going to feel like when I'm really pregnant - she already gives me some good jabs out of no where!