4 Months

How is it already they 15th? And how have I not blogged in forever?

It was supposed to be fall break for me this last week, however, one of my professors quadrupled our normal homework load because, as she put it, we have "all this free time". So I've been busy studying and writing and trying to keep 2 small tornadoes I call my kids entertained.

Anyways, onto a little Deagan update! 

DJ is now 4 months old! (well, nearly 4 1/2 since its been a couple of weeks) Which means, we went to the doctors for his 4 month checkup. As always, he is right on track with all his developmental milestones. He started rolling from his front to his back last month, he grabs at everything, which means everything goes in his mouth, and he's a smiley little guy! He LOVES his jumper, and bounces like a mad man all day long. When he's not jumping in his jumper, he tries to jump while you hold him, which wears me out. He's turning into a chatterbox, and babbles continuously. And he is super ticklish. His laugh kills me because he will giggle while I'm tickling him, and then he eventually just starts yelling this silly yell. It's hilarious! 

He sleeps decently well. He's not a good nap-taker though. His naps only last about 20 minutes tops because he's a light sleeper and so he wakes up at the slightest noise. He goes down for the night around midnight or 1am. He will then sleep in his bassinet until 6:30, when the people downstairs get up. They are kind of noisy in the kitchen, which is right below our room, and it wakes him (and me) up, so I'll bring him in bed with me, nurse him until he falls back asleep, and I let him just sleep in my bed until we get up around 8:30-9:00ish. We hopefully will be painting Savannah's new room this week, and then get him moved into his own room next week (who am I kidding? I don't have time to do all that, do I???) and the hope is that it will be quieter in there and he will start sleeping completely through the night. Hopefully.

 

He adores Savannah still, and smiles whenever she enters the room. And she loves being the big sister and helps change his diapers, sings to him, and shares her toys.

His stats for 4 months are:

Weight: 13lbs 10oz (13th percentile)

Length: 24.5 inches (20th percentile)

Head circumference: 40.75cm (22nd percentile)

He is a whole lot smaller than I had thought he would be. I mean, he was 9lbs when he was born for crying out loud! The doctor wasn't worried, he said that he is still following his growth curve, which I guess means everything is ok. I asked about his spitting-up-every-ounce-of-food issue to see if maybe that was why he isn't very big, and he said that as long as he has consistently wet and dirty diapers, that it means he is getting enough food. He ruled out food allergy, because he's not throwing up any blood, or having any in his diapers. He also ruled out excess stomach acid because it doesn't seem to be hurting him when he does spit up. And he ruled out a problem with his GI tract because it's just spit-up and not bile.

I nurse him the majority of the time, but I do supplement with formula when I'm out and about and can't really sit down to nurse, or if I have someone babysitting him. He spits up whether I feed him or he's drinking formula, and so the doctor recommended formula that has added rice starch to it, or mixing a tiny bit of rice cereal in his regular formula. 

So far, he is doing a whole lot better. He still spits up quite a bit, but it's not nearly as much as he used too, and it's not after every meal like it was before. Hopefully, that will help him continue to grow now that he's keeping more of it down. I've noticed that he eats less often now too. He used to want to eat every hour to every 2 hours. Now, he will go quite a while without needing to nurse. Which definitely makes running errands a lot easier. Last week, I went down to the park for a bit, then Provo, went to lunch with Bryant and some friends, and got all the way home, and not ONCE did he get fussy and need to eat. This was like a 3 hour total outing, and I didn't have to worry about him!

The doctor also asked if he had been excessively fussy. When I said no, he pointed out that his gums were a little swollen, which meant he could be getting teeth a little early. It could still be another couple of months, but those teeth were getting ready to work their way up. 

The doctor also said he was impressed that his legs were really strong for a baby his age. As soon as he laid him on the table, Deagan kicked his legs and pushed himself backwards a bit. When he asked if there was anything we were doing to strengthen his legs so well, I just told him that he's a little obsessed with his jumper. 

Savannah thought going to the doctors was the best thing ever. Lately, when she's not Pirate Savy, she's Doctor Savannah. Can you guess what she will be getting for Christmas? Yup, a pretend doctor kit! Anyways, as soon as the doctor walked in, Savannah said "Oh, hi Doctor! My name is Sanna Peter Pan. Are you going to check Deagan's heart beeps with your stethoscope?" (I'll never understand why she can't say "Sa-VAN-ah", but she can say "stethoscope"...)

And she was directing the doctor on how to conduct the exam "Oh, Doctor, you check his eyes ok? And check his ears and his tummy. Then he needs a shot, but I don't want a shot ok?"

Smarty pants

So yeah, that was a little longer than I thought it would be. I guess I'm just stretching out these old blogging fingers since it's been a while.

Healthy, happy kids. What more could a mom ask for?

(This is the 4 month update I wrote about Savannah. It's fun to see the similarities!)

3 Months Old!

 

My handsome little man is already 3 months old! 

This last month has been so fun. He's starting to get out of that sleepy little newborn stage and into that active little baby stage.

 

He smiles ALL the time. And I mean ALL. THE. TIME. I love it! He's got cheeks for days that just look so perfectly chubby and kissable when he smiles.

He also is starting to giggle, and he's even given us a few belly laughs. Baby belly laughs are just the best aren't they? He constantly wants to play. When I had Savannah, I read every baby book out there and they all said not to over-stimulate babies because they can't handle it, and it would make them fussy. But D is the complete opposite. He constantly wants you to play with him. I will sit there for 20 minutes tickling him, bouncing him, nibbling those cheeks and tiny toes, and when I stop because I'm exhausted, he gets upset and begins to cry. Then I start back up again with teasing him, and he's instantly happy. 

He's our thumb/finger sucker. I think Savy sucked her thumb maaaayyyybe twice? Deagan is constantly gumming his hands if he doesn't have a pacifier in his mouth. 

He also learned how to roll from his front to his back. I didn't even know he was trying to do it until one day, I laid him down on the floor and FLIP! He just rolled right over. I don't even think he realized what had happened that first time, but ever since then, good luck if you want to give him some tummy time. 

He's also getting better coordinated with his hands. He likes to pull the blanket up and put it in his mouth, and he pulls on my shirt whenever I hold him. He's still trying to figure out how to grab his feet. He will stick his legs straight up in the air and his arms just start windmilling, trying desperately to grab those feet and stick them in his mouth.

He's generally not a fussy baby, but he tends to spit up a lot. And not your normal, post-feeding little drool, it's more like half the contents of him stomach get shot out all over him, me, and anyone near him. I had talked to his doctor last month about it, and he said that in some babies, the muscle between the opening of their stomach and their esophagus isn't quite closed yet, and they spit up more than normal. He said as long as he wasn't in pain, not fussy, and gaining weight, that he was fine and it should go away by around 4 months. But then it just got worse and worse. He wouldn't just spit up right after eating, he's spit up 5 minutes after eating, then every 5 minutes for the next hour or so. I tried everything, changing my diet in case it was something I was eating causing it, I tried 3 different formulas, I changed his position while he eats. But nothing helped. I finally called the doctor back and asked what to do. He recommended some baby antacids. So far, they aren't doing anything either. But he's still gaining weight, so I'm trying not to worry too much.

He just adores his big sister. She is constantly asking if she can hold him, and smothers him with kisses and hugs, and likes to squish his cheeks and hold his hand. I always get after her and tell her to be soft while she's crushing him, worried that she's hurting him, and then I see his face and he's smiling and giggling and happy as a clam. Babies are always so much more tough than we think they are, and he loves the attention his sister gives him. 

I just love my little chunk!

One Week

Yesterday marked 1 week since I had my little boy!

This makes me really sad. Life was going in double time with Savannah, and now triple time with the 2 of them!

Our first week home was perfect. We got home Wednesday and Bryant stayed home from work. On Thursday, we took little Deagan to get his billiruben levels tested because he is jaundiced. They had gone up from an 11 to a 15.5. When we got home, my dad was cleaning up Savannah who had just thrown up all over the couch. I felt so bad. For my dad, and for my little princess. Bryant didn't want to go to work and leave me with a new baby and a sick toddler, but I told him to go because I had my dad there and my mom was getting off work a little early to come spend the day with me. When my mom arrived, she snuggled Savannah all afternoon while my dad did some yard work for me.

(I hate when she's sick! I feel so bad!)

Friday, my dad came back over so I could take DJ back to the hospital to be tested again. His levels went up again, but only to a 15.8, which wasn't a significant jump, and the nurse said that where he is having regular diapers and is eating well, that he didn't need to come back in again (hallelujah!) 

Saturday was my first day all on my own with both kids, and it went a lot smoother than I expected. Savannah was back to feeling 100% and I was feeling much better too. But we still just spent the day being lazy and watching a lot of TV and reading lots of books. That night, I left Bryant alone with the kids and took my sister out to dinner and to do some shopping. It was so nice getting out for a bit.

Sunday was our laziest day. Bryant took Savannah to church and I stayed home with DJ. When they got home, DJ and I continued to stay in bed almost the entire day. 

Today, I made it a goal to get back to life as usual, which means I get to catch up on all the cleaning that I didn't bother to do this past week. But I didn't get very far. I did 1 load of dishes and 2 loads of laundry, and I cleaned the living room about 10 times, but it never ever stays clean. Ever... And I went to the grocery store.

Deagan has been such an easy baby, just like his sister was. I'm so lucky to have easy-going babies! He sleeps really well, usually giving us 3-4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. He sleeps worse if he's alone in his bassinet, so he usually ends up next to me for most of the night. Savannah co-slept for 6 months, I don't plan on allowing Deagan to go that long.

He eats like a champ! (and a little piggy) Savannah and I spent many a long day and night fighting over breastfeeding. It took us a long time to get the hang of it. Part of it was her jaundice was so bad that eating exhausted her, and I was constantly trying to keep her awake, and because of that, my milk supply was very low, and it took a lot longer to come in. With DJ, he took to it like a pro and eats really well. During the day, he eats about every hour and a half, and at night, he can go up to 4 hours between meals. I'll be interested to see how much weight he's gained when we go to his doctors appointment next week.

Savannah isn't sure how to handle a baby brother yet. She really loves him, but she's also not happy that he takes up some of the attention from her. She always worries about him when he cries. She will come and rub his arms and legs, and say "don't worry baby, don't worry". She also thinks his pacifier is pretty cool, and is constantly trying to shove it in his mouth while saying "open mouth baby! Say ahhhhh". The first thing she asked yesterday morning when Bryant got her out of her crib was if she could hold the baby. I have to keep an eye on her because I've found him with stickers all over his head, and Savannah's "pixie dust" around his neck (A.K.A a carrot shaped necklace with bubbles in it she got for Easter. She's a little obsessed with all things Peter Pan these days. Pirates, Tinker Bell, that show Jake and the Neverland Pirates, you name it!)

On the other hand, if I'm feeding him, she will tell me to put him down and throws a fit if I don't. Today, she kept asking me to put him down and go play with her in her room. She never asks me to come play in her room. In fact, she usually shuts the door and won't let me in her room, like some teenage girl.

I knew there would be a bit of jealousy, but I don't think it's going to be a problem at all. It will take a little while for life to balance out and for us to get a new routine. Pretty soon she will realize that the baby is someone who will always be around and she will get used to him. She will especially love him when she can play with him.

I'm feeling really great too. My recovery for this baby was so much faster than with Savannah. I'm at about 98% right now. My back is still a little sore, and I feel like the muscles in my stomach and legs feel weird now that they are adjusting from suddenly not having to carry around a 9lb bowling ball all day, every day. It's amazing how good I feel now that I'm not pregnant. Things are so much easier. I can breath easier, I have no heartburn, no charlie horses, no cramps in my hips (weirdest. feeling. ever) I sleep more comfortably, which, even though I'm still getting up a few times a night, just being able to rest well when I DO sleep makes a huge difference! I went out for a short walk and was just amazed at how easy it was! My whole body didn't hurt with each step. I can't wait until I get the OK to start exercising. Even though I hate exercising more than pretty much everything else on this planet, I'll just be happy that I can get out and move again!

Anyways, It's late, both my babies are asleep and I should be too.
Goodnight world.

At the finish line

Well, here we are. At the very last few hours before we become a family of 4!

I feel like I've been standing at this finish line for 3 weeks, just waiting for the ok to cross. And tomorrow may finally be that day!

I got the call I've been waiting for all weekend from the hospital. I was expecting them to give me a specific time to come in for my induction. I was really hoping they would have me come in bright and early, so that I would have him by the afternoon, or have me come in late at night so I could sleep during most of it. 

But instead, they told me that I'm on a list of "on call" patients. And one of my friends mentioned that she was 1st on the list with her baby and didn't get in for 2 days. When I heard that, I was devastated. I kind of had an anxiety attack/emotional meltdown. I have been looking forward to tomorrow for the last week and a half, and the possibility that I may have to wait another day or two threw me for a loop. 

Bryant tried to comfort me, and I told him to leave me alone and give me a few minutes. After I had settled down, we went for a drive and grabbed a bite to eat, just the 2 of us. We talked over some more baby names, we are still not 100% sure on one. And he told me not to worry. That I've made it this far, and our son will be here when he is meant to be here, and I felt a lot better.

Afterwords, I called my parents and asked them to come over. I had my dad and Bryant give me another blessing. I'm really feeling a lot better now. I'm still a little stressed about the possibility that my induction may not happen tomorrow, but I am trying to remember that there is a bigger plan out there, and he may just need another day or two. I'm tough, and I can handle this. What's another few hours compared to the knowledge that I will be holding my baby in my arms any day now? That I get to bring him home and he is mine forever? That's a really comforting thought.

Good things come to those who wait.

And you never know, I very well could be called tomorrow morning, and I will have him here by the evening! That's a really exciting thought!

I'm most excited for Savannah to meet her brother. Today, I thought a lot about how our family will change. How I felt a little guilty that Savannah won't be an only child anymore, and how I won't be able to giver her as much attention as I have been able too. But this evening, we went to the park for a bit to spend some time together as a family, and my little social butterfly had a whole posse of kids following her around. She was showing the younger kids how to climb and go down the stairs, often yelling "hold on!" or "I'm coming, I help you!" and she was holding hands with the older kids and giving them hugs. That's when I realized that she is going to be just fine. That if I had decided to not have any more kids, it would have been selfish of me. That she needs the companionship and forever friend that only a sibling can provide. She needs other kids around her. She needs them to let her best personality trait, her love for others, shine through and be used. 

The moment I've been dreaming of these last 9 looooong months isn't the moment where I hold my son for the first time, it's the moment where he meets his big sister for the first time. I really hope I get to experience that tomorrow. It will be one of the greatest moments of my entire life. 

So, I've got my toes right on the finish line, and I could use all the good thoughts and prayers I can get to help me put my foot over it tomorrow.

Good night everyone, and wish me luck!

Reasons this kid needs to arrive ASAP

Reasons this kid needs to arrive ASAP:

1. I don't want to shave my legs anymore with this ginormous belly in the way. Seriously, it should be an Olympic sport.
2.  I can't roll over in bed without sitting up completely, shifting my body sideways, and laying back down. It's tedious work.
3. I have cankles
4. My face is so swollen, it looks like I was attacked by bees and had an allergic reaction.
5. Heartburn... 'nuff said...
6. I'm grumpy, and people seem annoy me more than usual.
7. I'm bored, because I'm too sore to do anything like cleaning, walking, shopping, taking Savannah to the park, even sitting too long in front of the television makes my back hurt.
8. I only own 2 short-sleeved maternity shirts, and only one of them still fits. And it's too hot to wear my long-sleeved ones, and pointless to buy any new maternity shirts.
9. I want to be able to drink a mexican coke so bad.
10. I will punch my doctor in the face if he tells me I haven't dilated or effaced any more than I did last week.

But the #1 reason is because I want this baby in my arms. I want to cuddle him, and talk to him, and I want to see if he looks more like Bryant or more like me, and I want to take him home and just give him all the love and attention that I've been waiting to give him for 39 long weeks.

Me at 39 weeks, and Savannah trying to hand me a pretend cupcake she made me.

Still Waiting

 I'm officially 38 weeks, and no baby yet.

I have to keep reminding myself that we still have 2 whole weeks left before his due date. 

I went in for another appointment on Thursday, and I've progressed to 3cm and I'm still at 80% effacement, so at least I'm heading in the right direction.

But I'm getting way too excited. I wake up every morning thinking "I've got a good feeling about today", and then of course, nothing ever happens.

But I am so done being pregnant.

My mom and I were talking about how much we like being pregnant, how we both actually really like the whole pregnancy/labor/birth process, and I truly do! It gives me a sense of empowerment and strength. But as I've said in numerous posts, this pregnancy has been so much harder on my body than my first. There was always something making this pregnancy tough. First it was horrible morning sickness that lasted over 20 weeks. Then it was sciatic nerve pain, then my right hip dislocating twice. Then it was lower back pain. Then it was overwhelming exhaustion (which we found was due to my anemia, and has been somewhat resolved with iron supplements) and now It's cramping in my thighs and calves that will drop me to the floor with no warning. It's a little embarrassing being at the grocery store, or going for a walk in my neighborhood and suddenly dropping to my knees in pain. It's no fun.

I've completely lost the will to do anything this last week. I don't want to cook, I don't want to clean, I don't want to go to the grocery store. Nothing. In fact, I spent almost my entire day today in bed either watching TV, reading, or sleeping. Thankfully, Savannah was fine hanging out on my bed with me all day. We did go outside to play with chalk with her grandpa for a bit before it started raining, and I did a load of laundry. So I was sort of productive. But I won't lie and say that I wouldn't want to just lay in bed all day again tomorrow, because I probably will do just that.

But ultimately, I still enjoy this whole process. I'm very blessed to have had no problems with this pregnancy, other than some aches and pains. 

We are all getting a little anxious waiting for baby boy to arrive. Bryant texts or calls me several times a day asking how I'm feeling, if I've had any contractions, if I need anything, etc. Last week we were leaving for my brother's wedding and I told him to get Savy in the car and I'd grab some spatulas for the luncheon and be right out. But then I decided to fix a snack to take along for Savannah since it was nearly a 2 hour drive to the temple, and then I went to grab a spare dress for her, just in case. Suddenly, Bryant came flying in. When he found me in the kitchen, he let out a huge breath and said "oh, you're ok! You were just taking longer than I thought and I was worried you were on the floor going into labor!"

Then the next night, he had gone to play basketball and I was giving Savannah a bath before bedtime. I pulled the plug and let the water drain and she still didn't want to get out of the tub. So I walked across the hall to her room to grab her jammies and Bryant walked in and heard Savannah in the bathroom, so he poked his head in and said hi, then he started panicking and ran into our room shouting for me again. When I yelled that I was in her room getting jammies, he once again said "Oh good! I saw savannah in an empty tub and I thought something was wrong and you were passed out on the floor or something!"

That poor kid, his nerves are going to be fried if this baby doesn't come ASAP!

I feel pretty ready. I have yet to pack a hospital bag, but I'm slowly working on it. And I still need to wash the car seat and get it installed. But I'm all pre-registered at the hospital, and the pack-n-play/bassinet is all cleaned up and ready to go, and all his clothes and blankets are washed and folded. 

So we are basically just playing the waiting game.

Bryant keeps telling me that I need to invoke the "law of attraction". If I want something bad enough, it will happen. It usually works for him when he's looking for a parking spot, so in theory it should work with a baby too right?

(anyone got any good tricks to inducing labor? You know, that don't include drinking caster oil? I'll try anything here!)

Baby Update

I'm officially 32 weeks today. Which means I have around 8 weeks left in this pregnancy!

I'm officially down to 2 week appointments, and after the next one, I'll be down to 1 week appointments. That seems completely crazy to me! Where did the time go?!

The doctor said everything is looking great. The baby has a great heartbeat, good movement, and I'm measuring right at 32 weeks (Thank heavens! I was starting to think I looked like I was 40+ weeks!) The only issue I have is my iron levels are low and I'm once again anemic (surprise, surprise...) so I'm now on iron pills again. I've definitely noticed an increase in my energy level, I'm now just tired instead of utterly exhausted, but they are really harsh on my stomach, so that hasn't been fun. But, it's better than having a low blood count. 

The doctor told me that with how well this pregnancy is going, that I was welcome to schedule an induction up to a week before my due date. I told him to ask me how comfortable I was by then. But I've decided to let this kid come when he wants too. I think it will be better for the both of us. When the doctor asked how far along I was with Savannah, and I told him she came a week early, he said "Really? Wow, most 1st time moms go over their due date, we rarely see them go early. I wouldn't be surprised if this baby comes early too."

So, yeah, everything is going perfectly so far! (knock on wood...)

I'm getting really uncomfortable, especially in my hips and back. I'm really going to have to strengthen my back muscles before my next pregnancy. I also get winded and short of breath really easily. I was sitting in class the other day, not even moving, when I suddenly felt like I had walked up a huge flight of stairs. I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, and I'm sure everyone in my class thought I was having some type of attack. As a matter of fact, as I'm sitting here at the computer, I'm getting short of breath again and starting to feel dizzy. Time to go lay down!

I can't believe that this baby is coming so soon! And I have a lot on my plate to keep me busy until then. I have finals coming up in a couple of weeks, my brother's wedding at the beginning of next month, my anniversary, and then poof! Baby will be here!

I guess we really need to find a name for him huh?

Baby Number 2 is...

Today was our long-awaited ultrasound! I've been waiting for this day for a loooooong time. 

It was in the afternoon, which made me antsy and anxious all day long. But we made it!

We brought Savannah with us, who had no idea what was going on, and just kept saying "oh cool!" to everything the doctor pointed out. After a while, she began to get worried about me, and she came over and held my hand. It was so sweet of her.

Then, the big announcement came:

Baby number 2 is a.....

(profile)

BOY!!!

We are SO excited! I would have been perfectly happy with either. I wanted a girl because my sister and I are 11 years apart and I always wished I had a sister while growing up, but I also wanted a boy because I want the experience of raising a boy plus their personalities are so different from girls. I just think it will be so fun to have the opportunity to raise both a boy and a girl!

 (eyes, lips and nose)

I'm also excited because I love buying Savannah clothes, and I'm excited to explore the world of little boy clothes. I have been itching all day to do some shopping! The nice thing is, I bought a lot of the big stuff that you need for a baby in gender neutral colors, so they will work for a boy too, so all I really need are clothes! 

And I have spent way too much time today on pinterest looking for nursery ideas. I actually want to re-do both Savannah's and the baby's room, so I have been having way too much fun browsing for ideas!

 (view of the head and face from a top-angle)

(Spine)

I had a really strong feeling this baby would be a boy. I first had my suspicions with how different this pregnancy has been. I have been so sick, and my body is so tired all the time. Much more so than when I was pregnant with Savy. But I also had this feeling that it was a boy. Anytime I pictured Savannah meeting the baby for the first time, I would picture him as a boy. I don't know, maybe it was a weird maternal instinct thing?

(arm, with the hand and fingers on the right)

Anyways, the ultrasound looked really good. Everything is where it should be, and growing right on track! The doctor said he was measuring about the 39th percentile, so he will be like Savannah was when she was born, but his measurements put him within a day or 2 of his due date, so he is perfect! He's breech right now (which I already knew because this kid kicks me in the bladder all day long...) but he said not to worry because we still have a long way to go, and most babies turn themselves the last month. (Savannah was in position for months. And she dropped about a month before she was born. She was just as ready to be born as I was wanting her to be!)

 (this one is self-explanatory...)

The hardest thing to do now will be to decide a name. I'm super picky with names, especially boys names. I want all my kids to have unique names, without them being "weird". At least I have 19 more weeks to figure one out! So if anyone has a suggestion, feel free to let me know!

(foot. It's really fuzzy in the picture, you can see it better on the DVD)

In other pregnancy news, I finally packed on a few pounds. 3 to be exact! I still think it's weird that in 21 weeks of pregnancy, I've only gained a total of 4 pounds, yet my stomach is HUGE! Granted, I'm only 3 pounds away from what I weighed when I was 39 weeks pregnant last time. Which I'm a bit ashamed to admit... Also, I have to do my glucose test next month. Yuck. If anything makes you never want to drink a sugary drink again, it's the glucose test...

My sciatic nerve has actually been feeling a bit better, but my lower back and hips always hurt. I've been doing yoga, and making Bryant give me a massage every single night, and that seems to help.

I'm still having super weird dreams. But thankfully, no nightmares, like I would get while pregnant with Savy. Most of the time, they are actually really awesome, and I'm sad when they end.

I'm also craving the most unhealthy food. For a while, I craved salads and melons. But lately, I've been craving anything fried. Grilled cheese sandwiches, corn dogs, onion rings, you name it! JCW's and I have become close friends these past few weeks. And the old pregnancy classic, ice cream. In fact, I made Bryant go out just to buy me ice cream this afternoon (he brought back doughnuts too. He knows me too well...) He's been such a good sport lately. He's really picked up the slack I've created in housework, and he deals with my hormone-induced mood swings like a champ. I love that boy.

I just can't stop looking at the ultrasound pictures. I'm so excited! 19 weeks and counting until we meet our little boy!

20 and 1/2 months!

It's been a really long time since I have done an update on Savannah, she's growing so fast!

We finally made it to the doctors. We had missed a few check-ups and 7 immunizations, so we had to play catch-up. I had them only do 4 shots. I didn't want to be mean and have her poor legs poked 7 times. We will go in for the rest probably next month.

 (can you spot the bruise on her forehead? She got it from jumping into another kid during nursery)

My little munchkin is, as always, very healthy. I'm so grateful for this! We have never had to deal with anything worse than a cold (and that awful stomach flu we all got a couple of months ago!).

She weighs 24lbs, 6 oz (35th percentile)

She is 32 Inches tall (32nd percentile)

and her head is 47.7cm (70th percentile)

I wasn't surprised about her weight, since she's always been a skinny kid, but I was surprised about her height. She almost always was in the 50-75th percentile for height and I thought she was still fairly tall for her age. Even just today, I was at the store and the cashier asked how old she was. When I told her 20 months, she said "oh wow, she is really tall isn't she?". I just chuckled and agreed. 

 

I wasn't surprised about how big her head was though. She's always measured in the 70's for head circumference. And if you want to know how big her head really is, just ask my dad about her "head getting stuck in the plastic loom" incident that took place the other day. I'm still laughing about it!

 (Her favorite spot is on top of the couch where she can people-watch. Bryant gets mad when I let her do this because he thinks she will do it with a couch that's not against the wall and fall, so I only let her do it when he's not home. Shhhh, don't tell him! And don't worry, I'm ALWAYS on the couch with her the whole time. Just to be safe.)

She did really well during the appointment. When the doctor walked in, she was laying on his stool and spinning on it. When I asked her to get off so he could sit there, he told me to keep letting her do it, and that he thought it was a good thing that she was having so much fun. When it came time for the exam, she was sitting on my lap. When he put on the blue latex gloves, she got a little nervous, not knowing what they were, so he let her touch them and told her they were like balloons. We had brought her Mickey Mouse with us, and he did an exam on Mickey first. Showing her exactly what he was going to do and what all the instruments were for. She thought that was really funny and totally relaxed afterwards. But poor Mickey, the doctor said his nose was a little stuffy...

(Wearing uncle Sawyer's boots!)

She is learning more and more words every day. I think a lot of people don't realize it, but it's probably because I can understand the words she's saying better than someone who doesn't know her, or rarely sees her can. But trust me, she's probably got upwards of 100 words in her vocabulary. She is also able to put words together like:

"Please mommy" (peas mommy)

"I love you" (I yuh-you)

"I love you more" (I yuh-you more)

"I sorry" (I sawee)

"It's ok" (it kay)

"Are you Ok?" (you kay?)

"it's a baby!" (issa beebee!)

"Little baby" (leetle beebee)

"Where did he go?" (where go?)

"Come in!" (comemim!)

"Who is it? ("Who sit?)

"It's a mess!" (issa mess!)

(She suddenly decided that she likes hats, and requests them whenever we leave the house)

The other night we were watching Superman, and at the beginning when baby superman is in the space ship star thing, coming towards earth, Savannah got really upset and kept saying "Mommy, uh oh, babay falling! Baby falling! Uh oh!" Even though it made her really upset and she began to cry, I couldn't help but be very impressed with her sentence!

That's another thing I really like about Savannah is her compassion. She worries about the well-being of others. This morning, we went to Kneaders for breakfast, and a kid in line behind us was sitting on the floor. Savannah kept asking him if he was ok. Then, we were eating breakfast, and my friend's little boy had food on his face, Savannah tried to hand him a napkin telling him he was messy.

(Cowboy hat and snowmen jammies!)

She's very clean for a toddler. Even though she likes to make messes, she doesn't like to get too dirty or messy. She likes to have a napkin while she eats, she will ask to wash her hands if they get messy, and if she walks into a messy room, she disapprovingly tells us it's messy and that "I keen" (I clean). She knows where the dish rags are and will randomly get them out and wipe the floors or the walls. It's great because I never have to dust, I can just let her do it!

I have been debating on whether or not to start potty training her. I was planning on waiting until she was at least 2, but we have had some diaper incidents in the last couple of weeks that make me think she's ready to at least start trying.

If she wakes up in the morning and I don't get in there to take her out of her crib as soon as possible, she takes her jammies off, and then takes her diaper off. I can't tell you how many times a week I have to wash her sheets. If I DO manage to get in there while she is still clothed, she promptly asks me for a "piper" (diaper), and pats her bum.

(She LOVES to read books! Also, her hair is finally long enough to do pigtails!)

A few times, she's even walked into her room, grabbed a diaper, handed it to me, and laid down to be changed. Once, she asked for a diaper and when I checked her, she was clean and dry. 5 minutes later, she handed me a diaper and when I checked her again, she had a messy diaper.

Ug, I'm not looking foreword to potty training. Although it will be nice not to have to worry about running out of them if we are out and about. Plus, it would save me some money before I have to start buying them for the next baby! Bryant and I talked about it and decided that we will start introducing her to the potty after Christmas.

(She likes to sleep with her stuffed animals. Most nights, she kicks off her blanket, and just piles her animals on top of her.)

She is still a huge Sesame Street fan, but she has also discovered Blues Clues. For a while, anytime she went in her room she would yell "It's a clue! It's a clue!". It took me a while to realize that she meant the picture frame with her hand print in it! She also really likes Despicable Me. She would watch that movie 10 times a day if I let her. I can't wait until the 2nd one comes out and I can take her to the theater to see it!

She has been loving nursery. And she's learning a lot too. Every morning, we sit on my bed, and she forces me to fold my arms, and then we say our prayers together. Sometimes, she makes me say our prayers over and over and over. You can never pray too much right? I have to laugh every time we read books now, because when it's over, she yells "Amen!"

She loves to sing songs, or rather, she likes to make YOU sing songs. Her favorite is Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree.

I can't believe she will be 2 in just a few months! I have been trying to soak up every bit of one-on-one time with her, because in just 6 months, we won't get that as often as I would like.

But she is going to be such a good big sister. She will love having someone to play with all the time. I can't wait!

The last couple of weeks

I just finished my biggest paper of the semester. Well, it needs a little polishing and I need to incorporate it into 3 other people's papers to create 1 collaborative paper tomorrow, but I'm going to call it done for now! Just 2 small opinion papers left. One on which type of government is my favorite, and one on why I am either a conservative or a democrat. Easy-peesy! I should be able to whip both those up in under a half hour.

So here are just some bits and pieces from the last little while to keep people updated. 

Thanksgiving at my grandparents house was great! Even though I had horrible morning sickness that day, I managed to enjoy dinner and keep it all down!

 

Christmas decorations are up! We were going to get a live tree this year, but I decided not too. First of all, we won't be here for Christmas, we are spending it this year in Mt. Shasta! So we would have only been able to enjoy it for a couple of weeks. Second, I didn't really want to spend money on one. I'm cheap like that. And Third, I wouldn't have enough ornaments to decorate one. You see that little tiny tree on my coffee table in the picture? Yeah, only one small strip of it actually has decorations on it, the rest is bare...

We spent an evening at the Festival of Trees! Savy liked the Sesame Street tree, the Owl tree is my cousin Alyssa and her family's and of course, a coke tree for you grandma!

Raspberries on mommy's cheek. She just learned to say "I love you!" (it sounds like "I yuh-you!")

And of course I had to add a picture of a silly face by my favorite silly girl!

In other news, I had another doctors appointment. We finally got to hear the heatbeat and everything sounds good! Also, I have not gained a single pound this entire 15 weeks! But my stomach has been growing ridiculously fast. My only explanation is that my flabby stomach is stretching, but already had the weight on there, so It's not like I'm gaining more, since it was already there. Make sense? Also, I've lost a bit of weight in my arms and face (I wish it would in my thighs, holy cow!)

The nurse said that they expect women to gain 5 lbs in the first trimester, but that as long as I didn't lose any, we are good. Also, no more antibiotics, yay!

My morning sickness is nearly gone. I still get sick if I don't eat, but I haven't taken my medication for it in 2 days, and I'm feeling good so far!

I also saw a physical therapist for my sciatic nerve pain. She said my SI joint in my hip had dislocated, so she popped it back into place. Then I had no pain in my back or legs until last night, when I cleaned my bathrooms and mopped my floors. I overdid it I think. I go back this week again, so I'll see if I dislocated it again. She also said my muscles were extremely tight in my lower back, and that was what was pinching that nerve. Looks like I need to take a trip to the massage therapists!

I also have been able to feel a few tiny kicks here and there! About 2 weeks earlier than I felt them with Savannah. I LOVE it!

We also had our first pregnancy scare 2 nights ago. I began bleeding lightly. I knew it was probably nothing, but we went to check it out anyway. My OB's office was closed, and they have no one on-call to talk to. Their voice-mail said if you had a problem, to go to the ER or to Labor and Delivery. Which I wasn't about to do and pay tons of money for. So I just went to the urgent care. The doctor did an exam and listened for the heartbeat. It was nice and strong and he said there was nothing to worry about, that occasional light bleeding was really normal, and to go to labor and delivery if it continued and got worse. It stopped within a half hour of starting, and I had no cramping or anything, and today I felt a couple little kicks, so I think we are OK.

Well, that's all for now. I think we are going to do a bit of Christmas shopping tonight, then possibly take Savannah to see the Rise of the Guardians. Then I'll come home and write up those last 2 papers, and I'll call it a day!

Life around here, and a baby update!

Life has been moving pretty fast lately. I just realized that the month of November is almost over! When did that happen? Anyways, here are just a few photos from the last few weeks. 

 

We finally moved upstairs, and Cowgirl Savy loves our new kitchen!

 

We went and played at her grandma and grandpas new house before it snowed.

 

All 3 of us grabbed some pizza before going to see Wreck-It Ralph

 

Out to lunch with my favorite girl!

 

It snowed a lot. Savannah thinks snow is pretty awesome. 

The snow has since melted.

 

We went to the lighting of the Riverwoods, where we got rained on, but still had a lot of fun!

 

And we went to our first doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago! The baby is doing great, they were really impressed with how well my last pregnancy was, and were even more impressed that the labor and delivery went so easily with the first baby, and they said that I will most likely have just as easy a delivery this time (knock on wood!). The baby measured a week smaller (like Savannah did out our first appointment) so they pushed our due date to June 1st. (however, even though we pushed Savannah's due date back a week too, she still arrived on her original due date. A week is not that big a deal haha!)

After the ultrasound, I went and had my blood work done. A few days later, they called to say my blood work all came back great with no problems. Even my iron levels were normal! Which is great seeing as I've had issues with anemia in the past.

They did, however, say that I tested positive for group B strep again. Last time I tested positive, they said that even if I never tested positive again, they would still always give me antibiotics during labor for all of my kids. This time, I tested a little higher than normal, so they started me on an antibiotic regiment to get the levels back down. We will test again at my next appointment and regulate it throughout the pregnancy. It's not really a big deal, so I'm not too worried. I only had to have antibiotics with Savannah 4 hours before she was born, which is what they will probably do again this time too. I think they are just playing it ultra-safe seeing as my water broke before I had the antibiotics last time. 

I was also given a prescription to help with this morning sickness! HALLELUJAH! At first, it didn't completely get rid of it, it only helped lessen it. But over the last week or so, I've been feeling back to normal. Every now and then, I will feel a little sick, mostly if I haven't eaten or if I'm driving, but it's really made a whole world of difference! Hopefully in the next week or 2 I'll be able to be completely off the medication and back to normal. I'm also looking foreword to getting my energy back, at least some of it. I can tell I'm already feeling better. I can get through the day without a nap, but I'm still in bed by 9:30 or 10:30, when I used to go to bed around midnight. Oh well, If I get the chance to go to bed early, I'll take it!

So there it is! Our next appointment is in about 2 weeks. This pregnancy is going by so much faster than the first! I can't wait to have 2 little kiddos to love and cuddle all day! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone!