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!)

A Day at the Doctors

I have been dreading today for 2 weeks.

Today was the day I took Savy and DJ into the pediatrician.

Deagan had his first, 2 week checkup, PKU test, and well...ahem... another thing (I cried a bit, he didn't, and I couldn't watch. That's all I'm going to say about that...)

Savannah missed her 2 year check-up because I was still dealing with her insurance (it took me over 6 months to get sorted out! Geeze!) and I had to cancel her appointment
I had made around her birthday. When I finally got her card, I was so close to having the baby, I decided I would just make an appointment for the both of them. She was behind 4 immunizations, so we did 3 today, and we will do the last one at DJ's next appointment. Then no more immunizations for her until kindergarten! Hooray!!!

I am the luckiest mom alive. My kids are super healthy, and Savannah always has been. Seriously, the blessing of having healthy kids is not lost on me. I'm grateful every day for that fact.

So, onto their stats! I always like writing these on this blog because I tend to lose the little papers they give me...

Savannah:

She is 2 years and 2 1/2 months old

She is 26lbs 8.5oz (36%)

She is 36 inches long (81%)

And her head is 48.5cm (68%)

The nurse measured her and left the room to go enter in all her stats. She came back in, and said she needed to re-measure the markings she made on the paper, because the computer was showing that she was in the 80-90th percentile, and she felt that seemed a bit too tall. She left again, then came back in 5 minutes later and asked to just re-measure Savannah all over again. And well, she's just plain tall. And very thin. With a slightly big head.

Savannah did really well. She was excited to see the doctor and as soon as he walked in she said "you check my ears? My eyes? My tummy?". She apparently remembered the doctor, because all this past week, she was running around with our thermometer and checking DJ's temperature for him, telling me she was "doing a check-up". When the doctor looked in her ears, she said "I have pixie dust in my ear". Then pretended to take some out, and threw it at the doctor, then the nurse yelling "pixie dust awaaaaayyyy!"

The doctor said he was very impressed with her language, and loved her energy and personality. My only concern I brought up with him was how picky she is when she eats, and how little she eats most days. He told me not to worry, and that if she was just a grazer, that that was fine and that she would know what her body needs. That made me feel a whole lot better. 

She was a champ about getting 3 shots today. Her daddy held her hand and she cried a bit, and then just snuggled her dad for the rest of the appointment. She was pretty excited about her band-aids though and she was showing them off to her grandparents when we got home.

Deagan:

He is 2 weeks old

He weighs 8lbs, 15.5 oz (59% and just half an ounce below birth weight!)

He is 21.75 inches long (85%)

His head is 35.5cm (21%)

So when we left the hospital, he was down to 8lbs 8oz, and he has gained a half pound to be back at his birth weight, and he grew over 3 inches! Sheesh kid! Stop growing so fast!

He did really great too. My poor little mama heart had a tough time with all he had to go through today, but he dealt with it all like a champ. At first, I didn't even think I could handle being in the room with him, but once we were in there, I thought "nope, I'm staying and I'm holding his hand because I'm his Mom!" So I sat there holding his hand, and keeping my eyes on his the whole time. He didn't even cry! What a stud! (well, he cried for just a sec when they did his PKU testing.)

I was really sad to hear that our pediatrician is retiring. He got a mission call to Chile. When I heard that, all I could think was "But... but... you have to stay! You're the best pediatrician!" He recommended a new pediatrician for us, who is in the same office. I trust his judgement, so I made DJ's next appointment with the new doctor. I am really happy for our doctor. The people in Chile are getting a really nice and considerate man down there! I like him because I never feel rushed through our appointment, like I have with other doctors. He really takes the time to listen to all of your questions and concerns, and always gives good advice, and he knows how to keep kids happy and not worried. He will be missed by the Stokes Family!

Anyways, I'm just glad today is over. Savannah said her legs hurt a little bit tonight, so she snuggled up with her grandma and we put a heating pad on her legs. Deagan has been exhausted and has been asleep almost the entire day, which I'm grateful for. I think tomorrow will be a little rough, but he will be ok. 

Again, I'm just so thankful for healthy kids!!!

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

Just thought I'd do a quick baby update!

I'm 36 1/2 weeks, which means he will be considered full term this weekend. That's always a relief to get to 37 weeks.

I went in this morning to see my doctor, and everything's looking great!

The baby's head is nice and low (I was worried because he was breech for so long, I'm glad he's finally turned!) and his heartbeat is extremely strong at 150bpm. The doctor said he was impressed with how active he was. And he is measuring a few weeks ahead of schedule. The doctor said that doesn't necessarily mean he will come early, it could just mean he will be a big baby! Which I kind of had a feeling he would be, seeing as Savannah was a perfect 7lbs 8oz (which is the national average) and I figured this baby would be a little bigger than her.

I am dilated to 1cm, which isn't a big deal, but I was expecting 0, so I'm happy for a 1, and I'm 80% effaced already, woo!!!

So the doctor said that this baby boy could come anytime he wants to at this point, which got me really excited! He just can't come Thursday, because that's my brother Sawyer's wedding, and he can't come on the 22nd, because that's my anniversary. But any other time, I'm ok with!

After this weekend I plan on doing a lot more walking to help get me moving a little more. I was 4cm when I went into labor with Savannah. 

We still need to find a name for this kid! Ahhh!

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?

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!

11 Months

Little Miss Savy J turned 11 months old the other day! Seriously, where is the time going? 

She is becoming such a little kid these days, not just a little baby anymore. She is full of personality and curiosity and emotion.

Big news for this last month:

She has 2 new teeth

She has learned to say "Whoa" and "Noooo!"

She took her first steps!

We will begin with the teeth. Earlier in the month she was becoming super cranky and cried at the drop of the hat. A few days later, my mom and I noticed bits of her gums poking out like they were fangs. A day or two later, her top 2 front teeth popped out at the same time! She's got this cute little gap in them and I can't help but laugh whenever she smiles at me now. It's just so gosh darn cute!

 

(She went to Chuck E.Cheese for the first time for her friend's birthday. She didn't know quite what to do...)

She has been able to say "MomMomMom" for a while now, and can *kind of* say "Dad" (DaDaDa) and every now and then we hear a "Bomba!" (Grandpa). But lately, her favorite thing to say is "Whoa!". She does it whenever she falls down, or finds something cool or fun. She's also learned (unfortunately) to say "No!" and it's usually when you pick her up or take something away from her, then she melts and cries "NoooooOOOOOoooo!" and then throws the kind of fits you see in movies, with arms flailing, legs kicking, big old crocodile tears and ultimately, smacking mommy or daddy on the head... We've got some discipline to work on...

And her biggest achievement has been taking her first steps! Bryant's sister Chantel was here over the weekend visiting and everywhere we went, Chantel would help Savannah "walk" while holding her hands. Then the other night, we were in my parents living room and were helping her walk, then letting go of her hands and letting her try to keep going. Eventually, she got to the point where she could get 2-3 really good steps in, before diving into someones arms. She has a long way to go before she can walk on her own, she mostly needs to learn to slow down (when you help her walk, it's more like she's trying to run) and get a bit more balance, but I think by about this time next month, she will be walking.

I miss those days of just cuddling up to a quiet sleeping baby... Now she's going to be getting into even more than she already does now!

As you have seen a few blog posts ago, her favorite thing to do is take clothes out of drawers. She could do it all day long and never grow tired of it. She's also a really big fan of bath time. She loves it so much, she get mad when I just giver her a quick bath and she gets no time to play. We usually leave the bathroom partially flooded thanks to her splashing around. I really have to watch her because she thinks its funny to stick her face in the water and drink it. Gross.

We are still working on her sleeping through the night, which she stopped doing about 2 months ago. She's getting better, but we still spend most nights with her sleeping between us for at least a couple of hours. I've found that the trick is to wake her up earlier so that she takes a really good nap around 11am and then another one about 4pm. If I let her sleep late, she takes her first nap about 4 and then a 2nd nap around 8pm, then doesn't go to bed until 1am. Some nights she still wakes up 2 or 3 times crying, but she will fall asleep as soon as I put her in my bed, so I'll wait until she is completely out before I move her back to her crib.

 

She loves to tease people and be silly. Anything to get a laugh out of you, like standing up on the bed, arms raised, and dramatically falling into a pillow. All day today, she's been grabbing my face and blowing raspberries on my cheeks and laughing so hard she falls over afterwords. She also likes to hit, which I'm trying to teach her isn't nice, even if her uncles let her hit them.

Her hair is slowly, but steadily growing. It's usually sticking straight out in the back and it won't lay flat unless you get it wet. But I usually leave it because it's funny and cute.

She's really fascinated by people's mouths and will try to get into your mouth and look at your teeth and lips if you'll let her. She also likes to share her food with you. Beware of any food she tries to give you though, it's usually pretty slobbery!

Speaking of food, she thinks that she's such a big girl, that she's starting to not like her baby food. She's much happier eating whatever you are eating, so I've started to giver her more "finger foods". We went out to eat the other day and it was the first time I have ordered something for her (a plate of french fries. I know, not healthy, but she loves them and they keep her from trying to climb out of her high chair). She's also learned how to drink out of a straw, thanks to her grandma who taught her while we were out to eat at Sammy's one day! Now she thinks that if you have a drink, and it has a straw in it, that she gets to drink out of it too.

She's a huge chatterbox, she likes to "read" books to you and will look you in the eye and talk gibberish as if you should know just what she's saying. She's a good copycat and likes to mimic her dad when he's watching/coaching a basketball/football game, which means that she claps, throws her hands in the air, yells and clenches her hands together by her side like she's mad saying "ooooo".

I can't believe she will be a year old next month! To celebrate, we will be going to Disneyland with Bryant's family! I'll have a party for her here too either just before we go or right after we get back. I'm excited to start planning her party, but I'm sad that she's growing up and changing so fast!

Things I've learned

Still no baby yet.

I've been getting contractions off and on the last 2 days. But they are pretty inconsistent. Some are really strong and start in my back and work their way to the front, others are just small and usually pretty painless. The timing is way off too. Sometimes they are 10 min apart, others are hours apart.

At least I'm kind of heading in a good direction right?

(38 weeks! Hopefully my last week being pregnant for a while!)

Once I'm done with this post, I'm going to download last weeks "Wait Wait, Don't tell" me radio show to listen to on my iphone and head out for a walk. The nice thing about where I live is that no matter which direction you go in, you have to walk up a hill at some point. I'm thinking hills may do the trick here...

At least, I'm crossing my fingers it does.

See, the truth is that I don't think I could physically make it 2 more weeks until her due date. And I especially couldn't make it another 3 before my induction date if she's late. Yesterday was tough. Bryant and I (well, mostly Bryant) cleaned up the entire apartment and by the time I went to bed, I could barely get back up to use the bathroom. I've never been so sore in my life!

I'm really hoping this weekend is my last as a pregnant woman for a while.

But I can't complain too much here, this whole experience has been a great one and I've learned so much.

So if these are my last few days being pregnant (and I'm praying it is) here are a few things I've learned, and, even though I'm no expert, a few tips I have for those who are newly pregnant or will be someday.

1. "Morning sickness" is not an accurate term. If it was, you would only be sick in the mornings. Unfortunately, it can strike any time of day or night and certain things will set it off. You just have to learn to work around it. For me, I learned fruity kids toothpaste reduced the chances of puking while brushing my teeth, gatorade was easier on my stomach for breakfast instead of milk or juice, and sometimes, that pizza box just needs to go out on the porch for the night because that garlic smell was going to make me ralph.

2. Tums. Keep some next to the bed, in the kitchen, and in your purse. You'll need it.

3. You'll have food aversions just as much as you'll have food cravings. Stick to the foods that work, even if it's the same thing for lunch every day for a week.

4. You'll get a super-human nose and every smell will bother you.

5. Don't watch people eat, or sniffle on the tv, it will make you gag.

6. Invest in a good set of maternity clothes. I thought t-shirts, skirts and leggings would last my whole pregnancy. They don't

7. Speaking of maternity clothes, invest in a belly band. No one tells you, but there will be a point where you no longer fit into your regular jeans, but you're not big enough to fit into your maternity ones yet. The belly band lets you hide the fact that your pants are unbuttoned and unzipped, and they allow you to wear your maternity pants a little sooner. So worth it.

8. Everyone is going to give you advice. People who have had 10 kids, and people who have never had kids. Listen to it, consider it, be grateful for it, but you can choose to follow it or not. Every mother and every pregnancy is different. Take the advice you want and ignore the stuff you don't.

9. Random people will touch you're belly. Just accept this as a fact of life. If it bothers you, just rub theirs back...

10. Accept help. This was a hard one for me to learn. I have a certain way I like to load the dishwasher, mop the floors, put away groceries, but sometimes I just have to get over the fact that Bryant doesn't put the bowls in the right side of the dishwasher rack and just be grateful for a moment to sit and enjoy doing nothing.

11. You're going to become bi-polar some days. Just keep the phrase "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to say that, I'm just hormonal" on hand at all times.

12. Some people get stretch marks, others don't. It's just genetics so don't get upset over them. Wear them proudly as a badge of motherhood.

13. Research, research, research! The more you learn about what to expect during pregnancy, the more comfortable you'll be with it. So when you wake up and your feet resemble the stay-puff marshmallow man, you won't panic.

14. Pregnancy is rough and uncomfortable, but enjoy it. 9 months is nothing compared to the satisfaction I get from knowing I will be a mother for the rest of my life!

Almost there!

So we had a big surprise today at the doctors office!

Last week, if you will remember, I was at 1 and 1/2 cm dilated and they didn't really say anything about how effaced I was. This morning I woke up after a rough night of being unable to get comfortable and constantly kicking the sheets off from being too hot (Bryant was all curled up in the blankets so I know it was just me that was too warm, not the room itself). As I stepped into the shower I thought "I'm so ready to be done being pregnant. I'm so uncomfortable and grumpy and sore. If the doctor says I'm still at 1 and 1/2 cm, I'm going to be mad..."

Well, we went in and they checked all my stuff, blood pressure and weight and everything looked good as usual. Then they measured me and she's still growing right on track according to my belly size. Her heartbeat was perfect (I could sit and listen to her heartbeat all day. It's the best sound ever!)

Then they checked my dilation and effacement.
The doctor said "well, you're about 3cm..." This made me really excited. That was a lot of progress. Then he paused for a second and got a grin on his face. "... And I'm going to say you're about 90% effaced!"

WOW
Big change from last week for sure!

He told me to go ahead and tentatively set up my appointment next week, but that he felt she would come before then and wouldn't be surprised if we saw him in the hospital before next weeks appointment!

Ahhhhh!

I was so excited and so happy! I could potentially become a mother THIS WEEK!

It wasn't until 3 or 4 hours later when I was sitting at work that I started to get nervous. I felt ready to be done being pregnant, but I wasn't expecting to be a mom within a few days! I thought I still had a couple more weeks and I suddenly realized that I still need to get a few things done. Getting a hospital bag ready and getting a car seat are now priority #1.

Then priority #2 is getting my room ready and the cradle set up in there so she has a place to sleep when she comes home.

Then priority #3 is to get the nursery finished. Everything is washed and cleaned and ready to go, I just need to get a couple shelves and a rocking/glider chair.

I should probably get my apartment all cleaned up too for when visitors come over. It's a train wreck right now due to us moving and shifting things around and me not ever in the mood to clean any more. Do you think I could pay my sister 5 bucks to come do it for me?

I should also probably go to the grocery store and stock up on a few things. That way I don't have to worry about either I or Bryant needing to make a trip to go get one or two things.

Don't get me wrong, I am SUPER excited that this baby is finally going to be here! It's just that I'm such a procrastinator that "well, I have time tomorrow to finish it" is sort of my motto. But this isn't a project or a homework assignment. This is a baby we're talking about! Someone that I am completely responsible for!

I'm excited that I might be having this baby literally any day now, but lets hope she gives me just a couple more days to get everything done!

Who knows, all this housework may just put me into labor!

Anyways, I guess the bets are on!

What day will she come on?
At what time?
How much will she weigh?
How long will she be?

I'm going to say:
March 19th
2:30pm
6lbs, 8oz
19 1/2 inches
(small but long!)

Keep your fingers crossed she comes soon and I'll try to keep everyone updated!

Fish are probably the least of your problems...

So last night was our 3rd prenatal class at the hospital! I tell you what, I'm super excited that we only have one more because after 15 minutes of sitting there the old back started to ache again, and I sat there twisting and turning and bending in my chair trying to get comfortable for the next 2 hours and 15 minutes.

But this class really has been so informational and so helpful! This time, we went over the cost of having a baby (yuck, they don't tell you this before you decided to get pregnant. Probably because then no one would want to get pregnant...) and then we had a lady from the Welcome Baby program that's done through United Way come by and tell us about their services. They offer home visits after the baby is born and they basically just go over a few things with you, and offer you a list of resources like where you can get free eye exams for the baby and play groups, so I signed up for that.

Then they had a pediatrician from an office that was down the street and he gave us a quiz with questions like "at how many months should a baby start walking, how many until 50% of their language should be understandable, how big is their stomach after they are a week old..." That kind of stuff. Bryant and I did pretty well, but it was tough because I was going off of my nieces, and two cousins milestones and they all have developed differently, so it's hard to pin point an exact time frame.

Then he let us ask questions we had, and surprisingly, it was mainly the husbands that were doing the asking. My favorite question though, was is it safe to have animals around? It's a totally legit question and a good one for us since we have Ace, but one girl (the same one who asked the "what does labor smell like" question if you will recall...) asked "is it ok if we have fish?" the Pediatrician said "oh yeah it's totally fine to have fish." and she said "but is there any risk the baby could get salmonella from them?" and the Pediatrician got a funny look on his face and said "well, possibly if your baby somehow got into the tank, pulled out the fish and were to play with them. But fish generally don't have salmonella and I don't think your baby is going to get into the tank..."

This girl cracks me up every class because she is so overly worried about everything. Her other two questions were if it was necessary to burp your baby if you were breastfeeding (uh, yes, they are still eating and still get air in their tummies) if you could breastfeed exclusively until they were 18 months old (hey, this is your personal preference, but you have to remember that they will have teeth by then... Plus, just personally, that seems a little old to still be breastfeeding). And if it was ok not to get their immunizations in case it causes autism (well, personally, I'd rather have a kid with autism then a severely sick or dying kid... just saying. And didn't she hear that the doctor who published that research came out and said it was totally bogus and that he made it all up?)

Anyways, after the pediatrician visit, the nurse showed us basic child care, like how to bath them, swaddle them and change their diapers. I was surprised how many people in there have never changed a diaper in their life. How did they all get away with it?! Lucky ducks... I was elbow deep in diapers between several babysitting gigs, two brothers and a sister...

All in all, a good class! Only one more to go and it's a breastfeeding class.

As for Baby Stokes:

I had another appointment today. We are officially down to once a week visits! Once again, everything looked great! She's still low and basically in the same position as she was 2 weeks ago. We discussed Group B Strep again because in the prenatal class they said that 80% of womens water won't break on it's own and that the baby was safe from group B strep if you were given antibiotics before the water broke. Then, of course i've been dreaming almost every night that my water breaks (usually at work) and I get panicky. The Doc said that if it does happen to break, they give me the antibiotics like normal and she should be fine. He said that without treatment, the chances of her being infected were 1 in 100,000. And even if she were to get infected, they just giver her the antibiotics right after she's born and it's all good.

I also set up an induction date just in case she's stubborn and won't come on her own. They try to shy away from inductions so the soonest they would do it was a week after her due date. But lets all cross our fingers she's not a late baby! I want her to come before my in-laws have to go back and seriously, my back can't take this anymore, let alone 5 1/2 more weeks...

Valentines Day and Baby Update!

Yesterday was Valentines Day. I was really excited and I had some fun things planned that I wanted to do, but unfortunately, I'm still sick. Bleh.

I did however, get to go to a romantic lunch with Bryant. He was able to get off work a little early and he called me and had me meet him down at the Chefs Table in Orem.

Sooo yummy!

We had a gift card there that Bryant won a few months ago from work, and we didn't use the whole thing so this was the perfect day to use the rest up!

(yuck, I'm really starting to look bloated aren't I?)

I had the chicken salad sandwich with a salad and Bryant had the fillet minion (spelling on that?) which I stole a few bites of...


Afterwords, Bryant wanted to take me to a movie or bowling, but I was starting to lose energy fast and my nose was blocked like the hoover dam so we headed home and I took a long nap.

Then, we headed off to our first prenatal class! A few of my friends have told me not to waste my time there, that I would know exactly what to do when the time came, but honestly, I'm so happy I went! I learned a lot and I'm looking foreword to next weeks class!

We learned about warning signs to look for, the different stages of labor and delivery, and then learned some breathing and relaxation techniques (which Bryant just sat there and giggled because I couldn't breath at ALL through my nose!). Bryant was a good sport and really supportive the whole time. It feels good to know that he's going to be a good "birthing coach".

The lady who teaches the class did a really good job. She's been a labor and delivery nurse for 13 years and is pregnant with her 7th baby (I'd say she's well qualified to teach the class at this point...) And she answered everyone's questions, no matter how odd they were, like the one girl who asked if she would shake uncontrollably after she delivered or what it would smell like during labor and delivery and if there was any particular smell to be worried about (obviously, she's been reading too many weird things on the internet and is getting a bit anxious or paranoid. Really? What does it smell like when you deliver a baby? That was not even at the very bottom of my list of concerns...)

As for Baby Stokes...

I had another appointment today and, once again, she's super healthy and everything in looking great! I'm still gaining weight right on track (a pound a week! Sounds like a lot, but the doc said that's what he wants me to gain) my blood pressure is normal, her heart rate is normal and her head is nice and low (which means her feet are still always in my right rib cage) and she's growing perfectly.

I go in again in another 2 weeks, then we start weekly appointments to be checked for dilation and all that fun stuff. It's crazy to think that here I am, almost 34 weeks, and she could (safely) come anytime after 37 weeks. Which means she could come in 3 1/2 weeks if she was ready. (I think with how well she's been doing so far, she will come pretty close to her due date though)

So there you have it! My valentines day and a Baby update! I'm off to go clean up the crib we just got from my aunt!

Superbowl!

I don't watch football
(note: football is always on here in the Stokes' home, but am I ever watching it? Nope, I'm spacing off or reading or doing homework. Sorry Bryant)
But every year, I make sure I request Super Bowl Sunday off from work.

Most years, we go to my Uncle's house for a super bowl party. The last couple we have gone to my grandparents. This year we were thinking of just staying home and having a few friends over, but, we don't have too many friends and couldn't find anyone who wanted to come over last minute.

Bryant's Brother Tyler wanted to come watch it with us so we decided that since it was just the 3 of us, we should head on over to my uncles.


Other than being really squished on the couch (poor Tyler had to deal with my brother and cousins wrestling and fighting while he was trying to enjoy the game) we had a lot of fun.


Baby River was getting upset when the Steelers started closing the gap (actually, he just saw his sister Macy and really wanted her to pick him up)

Overall, it was a great night.


So I apologize for the lack of blog posts lately. My life has consisted of work and homework and not much else. And frankly, these days I don't feel like doing much of anything. That "uncomfortable" stage in pregnancy has finally arrived. A month ago, when everyone asked "how are you feeling" I could honestly answer that I was feeling great! Now, I just reply "oh you know, uncomfortable, sore, tired..."

Because that's how I feel.

The biggest problem is sleep. I never get it anymore. I'm in bed most nights by 10:00 (and you're talking to the girl who was a night owl pre-pregnancy!) but around 11:00, baby starts kicking. These days, her feet are always in my right ribcage. Ouch! Then I sleep from midnight until 3. Then it's bathroom run, a glass of milk and more kicking. Then I sleep from 4:30 to 6 when the leg cramps begin. Then it's up to use the bathroom, a quick walk around the apartment, another glass of milk and a tylenol, and more kicking. Then it's toss and turn until I need to get up for work at 7:45.

But it's all worth it.

Another problem these days is the stress and anxiety that something could go wrong. Some days, it's all I can think of. Thankfully, my doctors are great and I always feel reassured when I go to my appointments. Every time I go in, everything looks perfect. I'm gaining weight right on the money, She's growing right on track, my glucose test came back perfect, my blood pressure is good, her heartbeat is right where it should be, etc...

The only things that are cause for concern are my iron levels, which are just slightly low (which is higher than it has been in the past) so they stuck me on iron supplements, just to make sure I'm where I should be. And I tested positive for group B strep. At first, hearing this made me extremely worried. A bacteria? what? But the doctor almost shrugged it off as no big deal. He said that It's pretty common and that all they have to do is give me an antibiotic every 4 hours during labor. And it seems like most people I talk to had group B strep during at least 1 of their pregnancies and never had any problems at all.

Other than that, Baby and momma are perfectly healthy and that makes me feel more excited for the labor and delivery process than worried.

I just have to tough out these next 7 1/2 weeks!

Lots of naps, lots of naps, lots of naps...

I can do it!

I'm old... And baby update!

Ok, Ok, so I'm 23, not old at all.
But New Years eve I felt old.
Why?

Because all the excitement had me exhausted by 12:05 and in bed soon after.

Where did those days go when New Years was an excuse to party until the sun came up and sleep all day the next?

Oh yeah, they were back in high school and my first years at college. Now that I'm preggo, I'm tired by noon. (Last night it was killing me that it was only 6:30 and Bryant didn't want to head to bed like I did. I was exhausted!)

This year, we decided to hang out with my parents and their friends. I tried really hard to guilt people into inviting Bryant and I to their parties but I got the same response from everyone "oh, we are just staying home this year, maybe going to bed early.." Bah humbug to you.

Don't get me wrong though, My parents are pretty groovy.
I just feel sad that no one wants to hang out with us anymore, but I understand that it is a little weird that a lot of my friends are still single and such. We need more couples to "date" as Bryant puts it.

But we had a fantastic night nonetheless.


We played fun games and my Mom did Bajio style salads for dinner. Yum!

The best entertainment of the night was this adorable toddler. She's my parent's friend's granddaughter and she was super cute! My mom passed out those popper things you shoot off at midnight and she had fun going to each person asking if she could "blow up" theirs.

She also had a lot of fun with Bryant and even gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek when she left. My heart melted. I can't wait to watch him play with our kids!


After everyone left, Bryant and I crashed. We were so extremely tired. But we had a lot of fun! Next year will be interesting when I have an 9 month old to put to bed early. I think gone are the days of all night partying...

Speaking of Baby, we had another appointment today. I had to wake up extra early to drink this sugar drink for a glucose test to check for diabetes. It tasted like ultra-strong fruit punch and it burned my throat going down, but it wasn't as bad as the nurse made it up to be. We went to the lab and got the blood work done (the rubber band around my arm hurt worse than the needle) then headed over to the office for the check up.

(27 weeks along!)

Thankfully I didn't gain near as much weight as I thought I did over the holidays. Only 5lbs which is what the doctor said he wants me to gain each month (he said between 5-8lbs a month and I've never gained over 7 so I feel pretty good about that)

My blood pressure was good, sugar, protein and potassium levels were good and my belly measured good, which means baby is growing right on track (woe is me with all the stretch marks I've gotten this week though!)

(I've really started to get big these last couple of weeks, there's no mistaking me for chubby anymore, I'm pregnant!)

We got to get another ultrasound this week because at our 20th week ultrasound she was hiding her face and we couldn't check her lip for a cleft pallet. This time, he was able to get a good look at one side and while he was trying to push her to move to the other, she balled her fists up and hid her eyes, then, right at the perfect moment, she yawned! It was so adorable! He froze the picture and said that there was no better way to check for a cleft pallet than a yawn and she looked perfect! We also got to see her nose and eyes, but it's too hard to really tell what she will look like. I wish he would have printed that picture for us but he didn't :-(

He also double checked to make sure she was still a girl haha! Her bum was way up high, which explains all the kicks I've been getting in the ribs, her feet are up in there!

Our next appointment is in 4 weeks, which will put me at around 31 or 32 weeks along. After that appointment, they are going to have me come in a lot more frequently because she could really come at any time after that. He also said to start watching for contractions. He said I should be getting Braxton Hicks contractions, which are painless and "fake" contractions. He said if I didn't get them, that was perfectly normal too.

I'm still feeling pretty good. Just the normal aches and pains that come with pregnancy. Lots of backaches and leg cramps. Tying my shoes is becoming an annoyance these days. She's getting pretty strong too. Her kicks can be so strong sometimes that it hurts for 10 minutes after!

We are really getting close here! I'm so excited!