23 Months

Little Peanut,

This has been possibly your best month yet!  This is your last month as a one year old and I am trying to cherish every moment we have left!  Things have been going really well this month and I am feeling extremely blessed.  Mommy is feeling a lot better (still nauseous and throwing up from time to time, but much better), your little sister is growing perfectly (already half way through the pregnancy), and you have become a champion sleeper!  You are sleeping 12-13 hours at night and 1.5-2.5 hours for naps.  AMAZING!  You have never been a good napper, so this is truly a miracle, especially after last month where you had all but given up on napping.  I am trying to enjoy every second, as I know it most likely won't last.  But all that sleeping has made you so pleasant to be around!  Instead of being cranky in the evenings, you are smiley and energetic.  What a wonderful change of pace!

Your schedule right now:
7:30 or 8am - Wake up, Breakfast
10am - Snack
12pm - Lunch
1:15pm - Nap
2:45ish - Wake up (I always leave you for a full 1.5 hours no matter what, but lately you have been sleeping for close to 2 hours! Thank you!)
3:30pm - Snack
6pm - Family Dinner
6:30pm - Playtime with Daddy
7pm - Bedtime routine
7:30pm - In bed 

There are two major transitions that are fast approaching that are making Mommy very nervous.  At some point we are going to have to move you into a toddler bed and eventually you will have to be potty trained!  AHHHH!  I am so worried about those two major changes!  Part of me just wants to put them both off for another year, but another part of me wants to just get them both over with.  What to do, what to do?

You are a still a champion eater, although I do think you might be slowing down a bit.  The other day I took you out to lunch to Honey Baked Ham and one of the workers there couldn't believe how well you did.  She asked me how old you were and when I told her, she was shocked.  She said she has a child the same age and they are always forced to eat at fast food restaurants where they have a playground.  She couldn't believe that you would sit so nicely and not whine once.  It was a good reminder for Mommy of how blessed we are to have such a well behaved little girl!

You are saying the funniest things these days and have learned that saying, "Please Mommy/Daddy?" will get you anything you want!  It's just irresistible!  You have started saying "I love you Mommy/Daddy" without any prompting, which just melts our hearts!  When did you get so incredibly sweet?  A few other precious sayings - "Come wit (with) me Mommy" (as she grabs my hand), "Watch me Mommy", "Thank you Mommy", "Play all day", "Read this pease (please)", "Daddy, in the tent" (when she wants daddy to play in her tent), "I see baby Emma?" or "Morning Emma" (to my tummy).  You are still singing all kinds of songs (or at least trying to).   You can sing the Barney theme song word for word and your latest is the Alphabet Song, which you sing out of order ("ABC, ABC, QRS" etc.)  Precious!

You have recently started wanting me to hold you like a baby and sing to you.  It's the most precious thing!  We rock in the chair in your room and you just let me hold you while you request different songs - "Lullaby and Goodnight", "Rock-a-bye Baby", "Hush Little Baby".  Sometimes you let me hold you for several minutes, which is amazing.  You also went through a couple weeks of wanting to listen to lullaby music while we rocked you in your chair.  "Moosic" (music) you would say and then we would rock you for several minutes.  At one point we started doing this in the middle of night when you were waking up, hysterical.  This was probably not the best decision, as it wasn't an easy habit to break, but it was totally worth it!  Those were some of the best cuddling moments ever!

For the latter part of the month you were sick with a never-ending cold.  It started with a runny nose and slight fever and turned into an ear infection and croup.  Thankfully after a 10 day dose of amoxycillian, your nose has finally stopped running!   I sure do hate when you are sick, but I can't say that I don't love the extra cuddles.

Other 23 Month Stats:
- You still wear size 5 diapers day and night (overnight diapers at night)
- You still wear a size 7 shoe
- You still wear mostly 2T clothes, with a few 24 month and 3T things mixed in.  But it won't be long before all you can wear are 3T clothes.
- You weigh 29 pounds and are 34.5" inches

How can you possibly be one month away from 2 years old? Impossible! I love you more and more everyday!

Pregnancy: 21 Weeks and THE NAME!

It was a very exciting week!  We had the big 20 week ultrasound (anatomy scan) and everything looked perfect.  We feel very blessed!  We also announced her name (we have known it for several weeks now, but wanted to wait to be 100% sure she was a SHE!)  Her name is Emma Rose.  Emma was my great-grandmother's name (on my mom's side) and Rose was Brian's great-grandmother's name (on his dad's side).  So not only do we love the name, but it also has significance! :-)

Here's what's going on this week....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is the size of a large banana or carrot.
-According to our ultrasound she weighs 12oz right now (definitely on the bigger side).  This just proves that you have absolutely no control over how big your baby will be.  My body was starving for months (23 pounds lost, remember?), yet the baby didn't suffer at all.  It truly is amazing!
-She is about 10.5" head to toe

What's going on with me?
-I am very close to my pre-pregnancy weight!  Only 4 pounds to go.  So that means I gained 2 pounds in the last week.  I seriously need to slow this weight gain down now!!  But it makes me feel better to know that at this point with Hannah I was 10 pounds heavier.  Maybe I can avoid gaining nearly 50 pounds like I did with her!  YIKES!
-This week I was very uncomfortable.  It is hard to find a comfy position to sit or lay in and I am already struggling to breath at times.  I feel huge already! 
-Nausea and heartburn are still ever present.  The nausea tapers off throughout the day (thankfully!) but then the heartburn starts at night.  No rest for the weary. ;-)  Still taking reglan every morning for the nausea, but nothing for the heartburn yet.  I threw up at least 2 times this week, which was not fun.  And spent the entire day Sunday on the couch.  I felt awful.  It scared me that I might be slipping back into the severe hyperemesis days.  But thankfully I felt a lot better on Monday!
-I wore my first pair of maternity jeans this week.  They are still HUGE, but I'm in that in between stage where my pants are starting to get too tight and maternity pants are too big.  So today I did the old hair tire around the button trick on my normal jeans.  We'll see how long that lasts.
-I had a lot more energy this week, despite not being able to sleep well.  I toss and turn all night and struggle to fall asleep in the first place. 
-Still lots of movement from the baby!  Still mostly at night and Brian is feeling her a lot more now. 
-Next appointment: March 5th for the diabetes screening

A little more info about the ultrasound this week...it was great.  It was so incredibly detailed.  I loved every second of seeing our little Emma dance around on the screen.  She was moving a ton and had her little hands up by her face for most of the time.  She was rubbing her eyes and even sucking her thumb at one point.  Adorable!  She had her little legs crossed at the ankles and at one point was stretching out her little toes.  We were able to see all the parts of the brain and heart, as well as the umbilical cord and diaphragm.  It was amazing.  Everything looked just as it should and we were so thankful.  After recently finding out about so many unborn babies with medical problems, I was feeling so blessed to have a healthy baby growing inside of me.  It really is a miracle!

We also booked a hospital tour for April.  It seemed a little silly booking one, but they have a family tour, so I thought that would be good for Hannah.  However, we are all so familiar with the hospital (after Hannah's birth and my two stays earlier in this pregnancy) that it still seems silly.  But hopefully it won't be a complete waste of time.

My Baby Bucket List

I got this idea from another blogger - http://babydickey.com - and loved it, so thought I'd copy! This is a list of things we want/need to get done before baby #2 arrives. We are halfway there and the spring is shaping up to be crazy, so we have to start thinking about these things! Yikes!

BABY ITEMS we need to get:
-Crib
-Dresser
-Bedding set (bumper, 2 sheets, sham and pillow for chair)
-Chair for the nursery
-Nightstand, hutch, toddler rails, and conversion kit for full size bed
-Crib Mattress (suggestions on which one would be appreciated!)
-1-2 more sheets for the crib (yellow, grey or white)
-Waterproof mattress pads (2)
-Newborn (1 pack) and Size 1 Diapers (2-3 packs)
-Pottery Barn Chair with her name for our monthly pictures (just like Hannah)
-Possibly some new nursing bras and tanks
-Nipple Cream - All Natural (Personal, I know, but it's a fact of life with nursing!)
-Changing pad covers (2 - yellow, grey or white)
-Personalized Pottery Barn blanket (just like Hannah, but in yellow, grey or white)
-Wall decorations for the nursery
-Curtains for the nursery with built in black out panels (yellow, grey or white)
-Sound machine (same as Hannah's)
-Lamp for the nightstand in the nursery (yellow, grey or white)
-Pottery Barn baskets and liners for the hutch
-CD player for nursery
-Trash can to use as diaper pail for nursery
-Baby book - start filling it in now!

THINGS TO DO in the nursery:
-Empty room of everything that's currently in there
-Choose paint color and purchase it
-Paint (walls and touch up trim)
-New carpet
-Fix the closet shelving
-New door hardware on door and closets
-Figure out lighting
-Make letters to hang above the crib to spell out baby's name
-Pick up the nursery furniture when it arrives and assemble it all
-Hang curtains (after we buy them)

OTHER THINGS TO DO:
-Strip all cloth diapers in hopes of using them with baby #2
-Air out the crib mattress for 28 days before baby's arrival (gets rid of chemicals)
-Wash all newborn and 3 month clothing
-Hang and fold washed clothes and put away
-Figure out how to hook up the IP camera we bought to use as video monitors for the girls' rooms
-Preregister at the hospital
-Stock the freezer with meals for after baby arrives!
-Plan a night or weekend away with Brian before baby comes
-Maternity photo shoot
-Set up a newborn photo shoot for after baby arrives
-Pack my hospital bag
-Install car seat
-Set up pack n' play, swing, bouncy seat, activity mat
-Write thank you cards as needed

Pregnancy: 20 Weeks!!

HALF WAY!  Brian seems to think time is going fast, but I seem to have the opposite feeling.  It seems to me like I should have had this baby already!  Those first two months of extreme sickness (severe hyperemesis) took a lot out of me, which made it seem like much longer.  But I will admit that the weeks are going faster now that I am feeling better.  So that's good!  Here's what's going on this week....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is the size of a small cantaloupe, butternut squash, or banana (depending on which food you prefer) ;-)
-She is about 10" head to toe and weighs about 10.5oz

What's going on with me?
-Heartburn is in full force.  Thankfully it usually waits until nighttime to appear, but that makes sleeping a bit uncomfortable.  I sleep propped up with several pillows, which isn't the most comfortable position.  Thankfully I haven't had to take any zantac for it yet, but I'm sure that won't be far off.
-This week was exciting because I finally got to wear some maternity clothes!  I'm only wearing the tops at this point, as most of my regular pants are still too big.  But I know those elastic waistbands are in my near future....yeah!!  (I know, I'm weird, but I love maternity clothes!  So comfy!)
-Lots of movement from the baby.  She is most active at night, when we are relaxing on the couch.  Brian has felt her move a few times now, which is exciting.
-My dill pickle craving has returned.  I was reading my journal from Hannah's pregnancy and found out that my dill pickle craving with her started around the same time.  Too funny!  This just confirms 100% that we are having another girl. :)  I've also been on a sushi kick for the last couple weeks.  I'm sticking to mostly the cooked variety, but I won't lie, I eat the raw sometimes too.  So good!
-Still nauseous for the majority of the day, but definitely worse in the morning.  But I no longer have to lay on the couch for any length of time because of it, so I take that as a win!  But I do end up laying down a lot in the morning if we don't have an activity planned.  I am just SO tired all the time...still!
-I only have 6 pounds to gain back before I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  That means I gained 3 pounds in the last week.  WOW!  I better slow down with this rapid weight gain or I am going to be huge by the time this baby arrives.
-I took my first belly pic last week!!!  YEAH!  I promise to post it very soon!
-My belly button has started to flatten out, which happened with Hannah too. 
-I am starting to get a little sad that Hannah will no longer be the baby of the family.  It's going to be so hard to have to share my time with Hannah and the new baby.  I know I will love them equally, no question, but to have to take time away from Hannah and for her to have to share me and Brian with someone else is going to be tough.  I am enjoying that she has been more cuddly than normal lately (thanks to a cold) and trying to cherish every moment we have left as just the three of us.
-Next appointment: February 8 for another ultrasound!

Pregnancy: 19 Weeks

Another week has come and gone. Here's what's happening right now....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is about 6" from crown to rump (10" head to toe) and weighs about 8.5oz
-Hair is starting to grow on her head, which I can believe because the heartburn has already started.  I imagine that she will be born with a full head of hair just like Hannah.
-She is pretty much fully formed now and just have some growing and fattening up to do.  She will weigh more than 15 times her current weight by birth!  WOW!

What's going on with me?
-Yep, still nauseous all day!  It does seem to get slightly better throughout the day, but still have some days that are worse than others.
-I'm peeing all the time, which really this development is happening later than normal.  Normally by the second trimester the uterus has moved up higher in your abdomen, therefore making the urge to pee less frequent.  However, because of all the weight loss in the first trimester, I feel like most of the normal first trimester things are happening now.  So yeah for frequent bathroom breaks in the middle of the night.
-My appetite is definitely growing.  It's still not huge and I still have a lot of food issues (many things I can't stand the thought of and moments where nothing sounds good), but when I do find something I like I eat a good amount of it.  For example, last night I made a Blueberry Cornmeal Cake and ate two large pieces.  So good!
-I now only have 9 pounds to gain back before I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. So that means I gained 1 pound in the last week.  I did break out a few maternity shirts this week, although not because I needed to, more because I wanted to.  Man they are comfy! :-)
-I finally have a baby bump!  (But of course no belly pic to show for it yet!)  It's still small in the morning and progressively gets bigger throughout the day, but it's there!  YEAH!
-Next appointment: February 8 for another ultrasound! (We had to move it back one day because of Brian's schedule)

Good news!  We have sold several things on Craigslist and Ebay that were taking up space in the new nursery.  We've even made several hundred dollars on it!  Yeah!  There is still a lot of stuff in that room, but we are weeding through it.  Unfortunately a lot of it will end up in the guest room, making that room very crowded.  Maybe it is time for us to actually use the attic.

Pregnancy: 18 Weeks

18 weeks....almost halfway there!  Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?-She is the size of a baked potato...5.5" from crown to rump.  She weighs about 7oz.
-Her ears have developed enough to allow her to hear sounds!  I always loves this point in the pregnancy!  Now she can learn our voices!
-She is moving all the time, but they are still light movements.  Every once in a while I can feel her little foot pushing but it doesn't last long.  Brian has yet to feel any kicks from the outside.  Looking forward to that!

What's going on with me?
-I am still dealing with all day nausea, but I do think I have seen some improvement in the last week.  It seems to come and go more often now instead of being constant.  Loving that!
-I now only have 10 pounds to gain back before I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  So that means I gained 2 pounds in the last week.  Not bad!  Still wearing my normal clothes and even some I borrowed from a friend that are size smaller than I normally wear.  Some day the maternity clothes will make an appearance.
-The results from the AFP test came back completely normal, so that was great news.  We are so thankful that the Lord has protected our baby despite all the trouble the beginning of this pregnancy had!
-Next appointment: February 7 for another ultrasound!
This past weekend we ended up buying the crib for the baby's room.  We hadn't planned on buying it yet, but while we were looking at the one we wanted we noticed that the price was mis-marked.  When we asked about it, the sales associate told us that it was a mistake but they would honor it for us before removing the sign.  YEAH!  So we ended up ordering it right then and saving over $80!  Can't beat that.  It is the same exact crib we have for Hannah (Bonavita Hudson Collection), except in white this time (Hannah's is dark brown).  We love Hannah's furniture and did a ton of research before picking it so we knew we would want the same thing for baby #2.  Thankfully it will take 8-10 weeks before it's ready for pick up because her room is no where near ready for furniture!  We have so much junk in there right now.  We have used it as an office/storage room for the past 3 years and now have to figure out where all the stuff in there is going to go.  I am trying to sell a lot of the bigger pieces of furniture on craigslist, but so far, no luck.   :-(   This is another time that I REALLY wish we had a basement to store all the extra stuff in.  The main thing that is taking up space in that room are 8 gigantic tubs of Hannah's outgrown clothes.  Yes, 8!!  And that's only newborn to 18 months!!!  Oh my!  Good thing we are having another girl that will get to use all those clothes!

Hopefully I will have a belly picture to post soon.  With my last pregnancy I was so good about taking a weekly belly shot, but this time around I have yet to take one.  Yikes!  I blame it on the intense sickness in the beginning, but now that I am feeling better I blame it on not being in the habit like I was last time.  And for some reason, every time I remember to do it I am already in my pajamas and look awful.  Who wants to remember that?!  Maybe I will take one tonight, before I get into my 'comfy' clothes. ;-)

Pregnancy: 17 Weeks....IT'S A GIRL!

 

This is my second pregnancy update since finding out we are expecting #2....not what I had planned, but I am just thankful that I am feeling well enough to write this post!

For those that don't already know, we are expecting another GIRL!  We had an early ultrasound last week that gave us the great news.  We were definitely surprised, as we truly thought this was a boy (since the pregnancy has been so different from Hannah's), but we are thrilled.  Hannah can't wait to have her little sister here with her! 

Also, for those that might be wondering, this will be our last pregnancy.  After spending two months flat on my back and in and out of the hospital with severe hyperemesis, I cannot put my body through that again.  I lost 16% of my body weight (23 pounds!) in less than two months and was connected to an IV pole for the majority of that time.  There were days when I truly didn't know if I would make it.  But by the grace of God, I did!  As soon as I hit the second trimester, there was a marked improvement and I have been disconnected from the IV ever since.  I am still constantly nauseous and throw up a few times per week, but that is nothing compared to where I was!  Now time for the weekly update....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is over 6 in long from head to toe and weighs over 6 oz (according to our last ultrasound)
-She has started to develop her baby fat....can't wait to snuggle with that cuddly baby!
-Her skeleton is transforming from soft cartilage into solid bone

What's going on with me?
-Nausea is ever present.  I am now taking Reglan orally (instead of the pump being attached to me 24/7)
-I have gained back 11 pounds of the 23 I lost since the beginning of the pregnancy...progress!  Only 12 more pounds until I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  Maybe I won't gain 50 pounds during this pregnancy like I did with Hannah!
-I had my monthly obgyn appointment today and everything was great.  The heartbeat was strong and they drew some blood for the AFP test, which will test for possible chromosomal problems with the baby such as down syndrome.
-I have started to feel the baby moving, which is so fun!  It's still too light for anyone to feel from the outside, which makes it feel like a little secret between me and my little baby girl!  Love! :-)
-I am exhausted all the time....VERY exhausted!  This should have ended with the first trimester, which makes me a little concerned since at my last check my thyroid level was extremely low (indicated hyperthyroidism).  They will retest my levels at my next appointment (at 20 weeks) and we will go from there.  Unfortunately there isn't much they can do for it during pregnancy.
-Next appointment: February 7 for another ultrasound!


And now for a little pregnancy survey fun....
~when is your due date: June 22, 2012
~what are your fears: That I won't love this baby as much as Hannah....silly, I know, because deep down I KNOW I will!
~what are you most happy about: Having another baby...completing our family!
~do you want a boy or girl: Originally I wanted a boy, but know that we know it's a girl, I am thrilled!
~does the father want a boy or girl: He didn't care at all!
~have you felt the baby move: Yes!  Best feeling in the world!
~do you have names picked out: Yes!  We will announce soon!
~are you scared about labor: A little, but this time I will be getting an epidural which makes me less scared in some ways and more scared in others.
~who will be in the delivery room: Brian, midwife and nurse(s)....possibly my mom and mother-in-law....we'll see
~are you having the birth videotaped: I definitely didn't want to with Hannah, but this time I think I do.  Not of the actual birth, but a side view would be nice.  I wish we had more videos of Hannah's birth and since this will be my last birth, I would love to document it better.