Powered By Blogger

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Belly pic, 32 weeks!

I'm rocking my comfy jammies. :) My mom gave them to me for Christmas...

Speaking of my mother, here is the two of us on Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house. I love my mom!

Oh yeah, I also put up a poll on the right-hand side of this page so you can take a guess as to when you think Elise will arive. This is purely for fun!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Sorry I have been MIA!


The holidays were busy, as holidays tend to be. We kept Christmas morning low-key at our house--from Santa, Andrew got several books, a few DVDs, a doodle board (you know, like an erasable one--it's like a Magna Doodle, but it's made by Parents), and an abacus. Yes, my son isn't into toys, but is a "geek" in the making, already. After that, we went to my mom's house, where we all proceeded to be spoiled with presents. She really went all out, even though all I told her I really needed was a big, fluffy robe for the hospital (I have never had a robe before!). I did get the robe, plus pajamas, plus we got a portable DVD player for trips, plus gift cards galore ($100 for a local grocery store, $50 for Friday's, $50 for Olive Garden, $50 for Subway, and $50 for Target). She is taking all of my siblings to Mexico in March and we won't be able to go because of well, having a new baby and whatnot, so she just wanted to get us something. Honestly, I would be happier if she saved her money because it makes me feel bad--she's all by herself paying a mortgage and half-raising my niece...anyway, she has a big heart and that's just how she is.

Back to reality. The tree came down the day after Christmas and got tossed into the yard (it's too hard to watch Andrew with it--he nearly strangled himself in the lights because he couldn't keep his hands off).

My cutie did play in the snow the other day!


I had my 32 week appointment yesterday with the midwife. You can skip this part if you don't want to read about the boring details of my routine appointments! Anyway, blood pressure was perfect, have gained 3 pounds in 2 weeks (yikes, but they said I'm doing perfect), and fundal height measured just over 31 cm (perfect, since I'm 32 weeks today). My midwife is so nice! We talked about gardening for like, 10 minutes because she found out my hubby is a big gardener and it took off from there (too bad DH doesn't tag along to the appointments). The heartbeat sounded just awesome--she sounds so BIG now! I am so happy that I'm measuring on track, because I wouldn't mind another cute 6 lb. baby (I'll take 7 lbs., but 9/10 lbs. frightens me!).

Also, she assured me that I can do this water birth and that I am a good candidate for it and that actually, only 4 out of 10 of their patients get an epidural, meaning 60% do not (I'm talking total deliveries, because obviously an epi isn't allowed w/water birth anyway). That gave me a lot of hope that hey--I, too, can do this.

I then met with the nurse to do the birth plan, and she gave me a pink, knitted hat--they have some volunteers that make them for all the new moms!

Finally, I met with another lady who did my pre-registration. I'm all set!

8 weeks to go before Baby is here!

Here's a self-portrait maternity photo, entitled "Womb, Revisited" (a prior one I posted was from 22 weeks and this is from almost 32 weeks)...

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy holidays!

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season. I; unfortunately, have to work today, but then I am looking forward to a weekend of festivities and fun. Tonight we will head over to my grandparents' house and gather there. Tomorrow morning, we are doing the "Santa" thing with Andrew for the first time (we never had a tree before, plus he was so young in previous years). Then we will head over to my mom's house (Santa comes there too), and finally, we have my husband's family's Christmas party at 3:00 at his sister's house.

Andrew is getting a nice "I Love you So Much" book from me and Daddy bought him a couple books off Amazon that are way above his level, but hey--I couldn't spoil his fun (one of them is about the Periodic Elements; the other is a "Numbers Fun" book that is more for a grade schooler). ;)

From Santa, he is getting three books (he loves being read to and paging through the books himself--"Andrew do it"), an abacus (he likes to count and when we go to the doctor's office, he plays with the beads), and a "Parents" brand Magna-doodle thing (so we can have fun writing letters and numbers). On the way (not sure if they'll get here on time if they don't come today) are three DVDs--two of them are Leap Frog letters DVDs and the other is Super Why (Andrew's favorite show--cannot find the DVDs in stores around here, but Amazon has them). So yeah, no toys for him (because he doesn't play with them and I hate all those plastic toys anyway) because the kid loves to learn; thus, he is getting fun learning tools. :)

I got DH a nice Columbia winter jacket. I can't wait to give it to him (he has never had a nice, new jacket of his own--he has always gotten hand-me-ups from his nephews--they are giant men who grew bigger and taller than him; his mom has picked him up jackets from Goodwill before, but unfortunately, the zippers are all broken on the jackets he has now).

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Andrew loves toast: a cute dialogue...

Every morning he wants a piece of toast (or two) with grape jelly. The conversation goes like this...

Andrew: "Toast?"
Mom: "Sure, honey. Let's go make it."

Head to kitchen to prepare toast...

Andrew: "Cook it?"
Mom: "Yep, we'll cook it. Let mom put it in the toaster."

Andrew whines a little because the toaster takes you know, more than a second to make the toast...

A minute or so later, the toast pops out, eliciting a squeal of delight from Andrew...

Andrew: "Butter?"
Mom: "Yep, Mom is putting butter on the toast."
Andrew: "Wife?"
Mom: "Yep, with a knife."
Andrew: "Sauce?"

("Sauce" is Andrew's word for jelly)

Mom: "Yep, we'll put the sauce on next."
Andrew: "Cut?"
Mom: "Yep, Mom will cut the toast for you."

Andrew happily takes his plate into the living room so he can enjoy watching Super Why with his toast.

Andrew: "Mmm...good".


A side note from Daddy: one time Dad handed Andrew a piece of bread and Andrew handed it back saying, "cook".
------------
Also, last night we were at TJ Maxx. Andrew was in the front of the cart and I grabbed a couple pairs of warm winter socks. Anyway, we walked past the undergarments section and Andrew yelled, "BOOBIES!!!" when he saw the bras. LOL, it was within hearing range of this other young couple and the girl was laughing for like five minutes. It was so funny!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Since I can't send one to all of you...

I will just send you a "Blogcard". Happy holidays from my family to yours! :)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Passing this SWEET DEAL along to nursing mothers...

I just ordered my nursing cover (didn't have one with Andrew but would like one this time so I don't have to nurse in my car so often--this is a very anti-BFing area--seriously I have never seen another mother nursing in public, not once).

Anyway, go to www.uddercovers.com and pick a nursing cover. Plug in the code: "babykiss" and that will take off the price of the nursing cover ($32) so all you have to pay is $8.95 in shipping.

I know several people online who have already done this and received their covers and they said they are nicer than the ones the company originally offered. :)

Friday, December 11, 2009

Flickr Friday...

This is my little man enjoying his time on the potty seat with the blow dryer. Yes, it was the only way I could keep him on there. I am taking baby steps with potty training--he has to get used to the seat and hopefully the rest will follow. You are all probably aware of his fascination with his friend, "Blow Dry". :) This photo is the burden of proof (no lovies or special blankies for him; he wants nothing to do with them).


This is my hubby shoveling the driveway before I left for work on Wednesday. We got 17" total, as I mentioned before. It came in as the 6th biggest snowfall for us. The #1 slot is filled by the Blizzard of February, 2007, when we got 20". I remember it well because I was pregnant with Andrew and it was snowing for DH's birthday on 2/25. He was out shoveling and it was thundering--he almost got struck by some horizontal, purple lightning. Crazy!


And finally, this is an ornament my mother gave to Andrew. It's so cool--it lights up and changes colors from blue, green, yellow, white, to red.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Please keep my friends in your thoughts...

They have just received news that the scans done on their 2 year old son, who is currently battling cancer (Wilms Tumor) revealed a spot on his liver which could indicate that the cancer has spread. My heart is so heavy for them; please pray if you are the praying type or just keep them in your thoughts. I am just in tears over this...

Mom's blog
Husband's blog

It hit!

Just like in the movie, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, we officially are in the midst of a blizzard.

Snowfall totals as of early this morning were 15.5 inches at the airport (which we live in sight of). It's still coming down and it's blowing all over the place. I saw some 3 foot snow drifts. DH and all his online weather geeks are all excited. Yes, my husband has a live webcam set up outside so those other guys can look at it and drool. Silly men! Oh well, whatever floats their boats.

Hope you are all staying safe and warm if you are in the path of this massive storm! It will be making our top ten for snowfall amounts.

Oh, and I made it in to work safely--what little traffic there was was moving along at 30-25 MPH on the interstate. I did get stuck on one of the roads by my house but some nice, helpful guy jumped out of his truck and helped push my car around the corner. The snow is DEEP! I do have some mad driving skills if I must say so myself. I'm good at getting through this. Bring it on!

Yay for a white Christmas. I don't think this stuff will come close to being melted by 12/24.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Our Christmas Tree

Yes, it's real, and it's SPECTACULAR! ;) *wink, wink if you know what that is referring to.



I took a picture of our tree in all its glory. Last night I added one more strand of lights so I was able to move the other ones a little bit closer, but I didn't take a new pic. Oh well. It's our first Christmas tree! Andrew is at the age now where he is excited about Christmas lights, Frosty the Snowman, and snow.

Speaking of snow, we are currently in a blizzard warning. Twelve to Fifteen inches of the white stuff is possible. The worst is supposed to come tonight and tomorrow, and then it is going to be really cold with blowing snow causing whiteouts. I love snow, but I will be taking it easy on my way into work tomorrow.

Stay warm!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Appointment update!

It went well. The nurse told me I am one of those "picture-perfect pregnancies". That made me feel happy.

BP was 106/66 (I always run on the lower side of normal).

I gained 8 lbs. since my last appointment 5 weeks ago, but she didn't yell at me because she said I'm not swelling and that I was doing great and baby was measuring on track.

She also asked me if I was having any back pain or other discomfort and I said, "no--I am very comfortable". Hey, it's the truth! I have no complaints.

Fundal height was 27.5 cm, and I am 28 weeks tomorrow, so perfect.

The heartbeat was in the 140 range.

I drank the orange drink in less than a minute and had my blood drawn an hour later.

I talked to them about my plans for a waterbirth and she said she would want me to see a midwife instead of the doctor for at least a couple of appointments--in general, doctors do not attend the waterbirths, so she said a midwife would be by me the whole time (fine with me, because they are less likely to push pain relief and whatnot). I can take a class on it if I want to--it's just an hour long.

Other than that, not too much new!

Oh, as of right now they are not allowing any children to visit in the hospital, but she said we would see how things go as we get closer to February.

Andrew's alphabet...

goes like this: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, M, X, Y; Z.

He can say, "double" and "you" but I think he honestly thinks we are wrong when we correct him and say, "W". He will keep smiling and repeat, "M...M...M". He hates "W" and even tore up that page, and that page only, in his alphabet animals book.

He will even say, "M" if we go through the alphabet and have him repeat the letters back to us, without him even seeing the letter. He can't be tricked!

It's funny and cute at the same time!

Really, though, looking at it from his point of view, it really does not make sense to have two letters in the alphabet that look so similar, one of them just being flipped.

Andrew gets so excited when we go out because he will shout out letters (just the other night, we were at the grocery store, which happens to be big enough to have aisles named A-Z, plus 1-some high up number in the 20s).

In other news, I have my 28 week OB appointment today at 3:00. It's just with the nurse, but that's okay--they are sometimes more thorough than the doctor. I have to do the GD test, but that's okay--it isn't all dreaded for me like people make it out to be (last time I chugged the orange drink and told them I'd drink another if they wanted me to). I am kind-of scared to step on the scale because I know I have gained. :(

Friday, November 27, 2009

I had to enable word verification for comments.

I have received a couple of junk spam "comments" lately, both on old posts, but still--it's rather annoying. I hope you will all still comment, even if you have to type "yuoum3nklj" to post. :)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday.

I have tomorrow off, but still have to go in on Friday.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Bill Maher on Vaccines

I am sharing a link to his blog. Please understand I'm not trying to be "preachy", but rather; share an alternative point of view. I am always up for some non-mainstream media input. :)

ETA: My hyperlinking has not been working in Blogger, so you will have to copy and paste the link into your browser window. Thanks.

http://therealbillmaher.blogspot.com/2009/11/vaccination-conversation-worth-having.html

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Double digits, baby!

99 days left. Oy vey!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Some love from us!

Day 251 of my 365 Days Project. :) We took this self-portrait last Friday.

Answers to the questions!

Thanks for participating, guys! I really enjoyed this. Now I will get to the answers so those of you bored at work can have something to read while you eat your breakfast or drink your coffee. :)

Do you believe in God? and if so, what brought you to believe? if not, what do you believe in and what brought you to believe in that? This is a tough one. Great question though! I was raised Catholic, but about 5-6 years ago went through a period where I really started questioning my faith. I used to play the flute with the church choir and I was sitting at mass one Sunday when the priest said (this was during the 2004 Presidential campaign) we basically had to vote Republican or we were all sinners. Um, no. Nobody tells me who I have to vote for. Seriously, The Church could support a man who took us to war, killing thousands, but we had to vote for him because he did not support abortion? So, I stopped going. I was also sick of all the hypocritical ways: seriously, all the scandals involving priests and children was really making me sick to my stomach--and those were only the ones that got reported. I am sure there were many more that went on behind the scenes. It seemed to me like The Church was all about money, money, money...which goes against what they preach (not to be greedy). I felt like a sheep, not allowed to think my own thoughts. I also got to see how people reacted in 2001 when my mom filed for divorce. All the gossipy people at church who did not know her background (that my father nearly killed her on several occasions and that he beat his children--he was The Devil himself) would whisper behind her back because, gasp, she's getting a divorce! Even Monsignor G told her she had his permission to get a divorce, because her lives and her children's lives were in danger. Anyway. I can't possibly believe a Bible when I see so much scientifically that disproves it. I do believe it was written to keep people in line, and it was basically plagiarized from ancient religions. Again, this is my opinion, so please don't take offense. I do not have any problem with other people practicing religion and believing whatever they want. But basically, for me, it is show me the proof. If there were a God, how could he allow child molesters and child abusers to continue to ruin lives? I guess I would consider myself agnostic. I'll leave some possibility open, and I won't call myself completely Atheist. It is just my belief that organized religion is a way to control people. I am a free thinker. :)

I've heard you mention you going to have a natural childbirth. What are your reasons behind that decision? Yes. Definitely. My reasons are based on my last childbirth, which was long (27 hours total counting from waking up with contractions 5 minutes apart to the birth). I know that if someone would have been supportive and said, "you can do this" and kept encouraging me, I probably wouldn't have gotten the epidural. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. with the contractions and I labored all day long and finally got the epidural after 20 hours at 1:00 a.m. the next day. The reason why? When they checked me, I was only at a 5. My contractions had been right on top of each other and I could not see (in the shape I was in) how I could dilate 5 more cm and then have to push. I basically chickened out. Well, after the fact I learned that those with low blood pressure (which I have--I am on the low side of normal) should not get epis because it can cause the BP to crash. Which mine did. It went to 88/30 and I started shaking uncontrollably before throwing up my ice chips (lol, I hadn't eaten all day because I wanted to just work through my contractions and I honestly wasn't hungry). Also, last I heard, epidurals were supposed to numb you from the waist down, not the neck down. Because I was numb so high up, they had to elevate my upper body and try and do whatever they had to do to keep me safe. Also, my labor stopped when I got to a 9, so they had to give me pitosin to get the contractions going again. I was SO scared that I would end up with a c-section for "failure to progress". Anyway, I didn't like not being able to feel ANYTHING. When it was time to push, the nurses had to tell me when I was having a contraction, and this was after turning down the epidural twice. I could not feel which muscles they wanted me to use and it was very hard to visualize. The only thing that I liked was I did have the mirror so I could see the progression I was making. An hour-and-a-half later, Andrew was out and that was the best thing ever.

I don't like that today childbirth is treated like a medical emergency. There are so many measures that can be prevented so that the woman can allow her body to do what it is designed to do. So much of this I learned after the fact, but I can say that this time around, I will labor at home for as long as possible (because, let's face it, I'm not going to be one of those mothers with a 2 hour labor). I will not let them break my water (I will let my body do it on its own when the baby is ready to come. The water WILL break when it has to). The later I get to the hospital, the less chance they will have to offer me pain relief. Once I get to the transition phase, I will need A LOT of support from my hubby and he can tell me that the baby is almost here, or whatever. I am going to talk to him ahead of time to be a lot more supportive this time (instead of complaining that it's taking too long, and can he go home? like he did last time). I will continue to tell myself that I can do this. I am a strong woman and I will get through it.


What is your favorite thing about being a mom? And what is the one thing you want your children to know when they grow up? Seeing my son learn and grow has been the most rewarding experience. It amazes me all the time that this little man of mine has learned love and learned to love just from us. It is so awesome to have my son run up to me and give me a hug or a kiss, just out of the blue. I love it. One thing I would like him to know when he grows up is that he can do anything he sets his mind to. If he has a goal in mind, he shouldn't let anyone bring him down or tell him he can't do something.

Favorite 80's Hair Band? Guns 'N Roses

Favorite Broadway musical? I have only seen Cats and Joseph and I really didn't like either very much. I guess I will say that I would like to see Les Mes.

If you were forced to choose between chocolate chip mint and chocolate chip cookie dough ice creams, which would you pick? Mint chocolate chip.

How do you take your coffee / tea? I don't drink either. :)

What is the meaning of life? Basically, to have happy families.

What's one place you've always wanted to travel to that you haven't yet? And why? Australia. I would love go go there. Reason why I haven't? Too long of a flight.

How would you describe your basic parenting philosophy?? I definitely lean towards attachment parenting than anything else. I guess I would fall under the "crunchy" category, more so than mainstream. I believe that you can't spoil a newborn and it's okay to cuddle and snuggle with them as much as possible. I am a big believer in breastfeeding, as I did breastfeed my son for 2 years, 1 month, and 1 week. My original goal was 1 year, and I far surpassed that. I guess I would have never thought toddler nursing was "normal" until it was me doing it. It's not like you look down and see a big boy--it's a gradual thing. For me, 12 months became 15 months, and that became 18 months and so on. There was no damage to him when he wanted to continue to get the very best (especially when I nursed through his second year and got him through another winter). It's such a gradual process--going from baby to toddler, that it really just felt natural to me. That was the most important thing to him: nursing. He would cry when I got home from work and grab my leg, saying, "more", which was his word for mama milk. I couldn't deny him that because society says "no more than one year". We will never get that time back--ever, and that, to me is the best thing I have ever done. We will both always remember the special times we had together while nursing, and that is something that NOBODY else can share besides us. ♥ For me, there was no alternative.

I also know that I am the "softer" parent. I think biologically, that can be the norm (although not always). Andrew does listen better to Daddy, but I also think it has something to do with the fact that I am at work during the week (8-4 Monday through Friday) so Andrew knows that my time with him is special so he does demand more from me. He's not spoiled, but he knows that he can always come to me and snuggle if he is feeling sad or scared (he gets scared easily, even in non-scary movies like Madagascar. He's a sensitive kid).

We did co-sleep, and it started because of his horrible reflux. After finding him in his crib with thrown up milk all over the back of his head (even with his mattress elevated), I worried that something would happen to him. My solution was to have him sleep propped up on my arm. It worked like a charm. Co-sleeping isn't for everyone, but I was (am) a very light sleeper. My DH wouldn't sleep in the bed with us. When he got older, I was easily able to transition him to going down in his crib (awake). My philosophy is to do what works for the time being. It was also very easy for those night feedings. :)

All of that said, I don't judge other moms for their parenting beliefs. I want to make that clear because often it is implied that "we" crunchy people feel we're superior, and that is not the case at all for me.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Stealing this idea from a bloggie friend...

I've never had one of these, so how about a Q & A session? That's right--ask me anything and I will give you an honest, hopefully not too wordy, answer. :)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I'm back to work today

I don't feel 100% but I am much better than I was yesterday. I would much rather be at work than at home on the couch all day. I know now that I could never be a couch potato! Andrew was getting bored out of his mind, watching PBS Kids all day. There wasn't a whole lot I could do with him, but I did read a couple books. My husband took him outside for awhile and they went for a few car rides (just to the store).

Last night, for some reason, Andrew woke up at 2:00, screaming. He wasn't making any sense. I brought him in my bed and he was kicking and screaming and acting like he wanted to get out of bed and go. I believe he had a nightmare, because that's just my gut feeling. I asked him if he wanted some water and he said, "no", but when I laid back down, he screamed, "WA-WA!!!" so I went and got his cup and he didn't want any then. Rob came in and turned on the light and said, "what's wrong, buddy?" and tried to hold him, but then he just screamed for me. I held him and he fell back asleep. He's been having these episodes lately. I feel bad for him if it is nightmares. :( Anyone have any experience with this?

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Now I am sick...may be TMI for some.

I caught Andrew's stomach bug. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. with kind-of a bad feeling in my stomach plus a really bad heartburn (I don't normally get that, especially at night). Anyway, I went to the bathroom and was sick.

I waited until 7:00 and then called in to work. There was no way I was going to be able to make it in! This is my fourth time calling in in over 5 years of employment, so they know when I am sick, I really am sick.

Anyway, a couple hours later, I suddenly knew I was going to heave, so I ran to the bathroom (with Andrew following closely) and violently threw up--so much that it came out of my nose and I peed my pants just a little. Or I guess it was my pajamas. Whatever. Anyway, poor Andrew was scared and was whimpering, "Mom?" next to me. Poor little guy. I had to keep him back.

Rob went and got me some popsicles (the Dole real fruit ones, so at least I'm getting some Vitamin C, right?) so I ate one of those and just now finished a glass of ice (It sounded so good, where water sounds gross).

I am going to soak in the tub in a little bit here. At least the diarrhea seems to be gone; hopefully the throwing up is gone too (there's really nothing left in there).

By the way, for those of you who asked about Andrew, thank you for your concern. He only threw up the one time on Friday and was fine Saturday and Sunday. He never got a fever or anything, and was just eating a little less and seemed to not have his usual energy. He's 100% as of today. :)

Monday, November 9, 2009

Some food porn for Rachel. :)

My husband made homemade pizza on Saturday and it was so good! He prepares the dough ahead of time so all we have to do when we want a pizza is pull a hunk out of the freezer and let it thaw (like 12 hours before or so; he lets it thaw in the fridge and then brings it to room temperature after that). We preheat the oven and by the time the oven is ready, the ingredients are all on (mozzerella cheese, fresh mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and turkey pepperoni). It's so easy! Rachel could probably make an even better one. :)


Saturday, November 7, 2009

Andrew got sick last night...

No fever, so no H1N1 here, but my mommy instinct was right on. Earlier in the day, I thought he had "sick eyes"--those of you who are moms will know what I am talking about. However, he was playing and eating like normal, and he didn't feel warm. Well, we were sitting on the couch eating when all of a sudden he belched (the kind where you know it's a "sick" burp and there's more coming) and suddenly started throwing up all over. All over the couch (thankfully it's leather, and easy to clean, plus all over me, and all over himself). I felt so bad for him! He said, "hurts". :(

So, we put him in the bathtub and he was all too happy to be in the warm water (I have one of those kids who wants it all the way hot and we just let it dribble out--if it's any bit cold, he will say, "hot! hot!" (as in, he wants it hotter).

I did a load of puke laundry and had the hubby keep an eye on him in the tub. Then we got ready for bed and he snuggled into me. Nothing better than a warm, cuddly mommy when you don't feel good. Co-sleeping is 100% okay when your baby is sick!

We kept a garbage can in the room, but he didn't need it. I kept waking up to check him thoughout the night, but no fever appeared. Today he is his normal self, but I know that with the stomach bug, there is usually a round 2, so we are keeping it on the downlow today and feeding him safe, bland foods.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Middle name finally chosen

Elise Maya.

I was running some middle names by DH and I think that's the one he liked the most (he's a big fan of the Mayans--history buff, so we will go with that spelling--also, if we spell it like that, people will know it's pronounced "My-ah" and not "Mee-ah").

Elise is the only name that has come to me that I like, so I don't think that any other names will be considered. The same thing happened with Andrew--no other name seemed right.

We still aren't telling people in real life because we want the revealing of the name to be a surprise when she is born. So you all are very special to be part of a select group "in the know". :)

24 week belly pics (+ comparison to last pregnancy)

24 weeks (I look like crap in these pics because these were taken after a long day at work and oh well if I look like crap).

With shirt:

And this was me the last time around, at 24 weeks, 2 days. I think it's safe to say that I am bigger this time!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

My Halloween dragon...

We did not go trick-or-treating, mainly because I was freaked out by the possible swine exposure--all the germs in people's candy buckets just freaked me out. I know there are parents who probably sent their kids out trick-or-treating even when they're sick, and then there's the whole thought of people being sick before they show symptoms. Also, we really don't let Andrew eat that kind of stuff. He did have a couple treats at my mom's house, but that was about it. We then went to my sister-in-law's house, and I snapped these pics. It's the same costume he wore last year, but since it was 12-24 months, it still fit him (it was a little big on him last year).


He was fascinated by his cousin's star nightlight. :)


And here is my post from a year ago, with him wearing the same costume for Halloween, 2008. You can really see how much he has grown! Halloween, 2008

Sunday, November 1, 2009

One of those "Out of the Mouths of Babes" stories!

We took a spontaneous day trip to Madison today, just for something to do. One of the places we went was Jung's Garden Center. I found Andrew one of those stuffed Audubon birds that makes real bird calls. He is walking around the store with it, just in love. We get to this one spot where the ground was uneven and you had to step up slightly (they were like patio pavers in the store) and Andrew fell down with both hands holding the bird. As he hits the ground, he says, "Oh God!"

It was so funny! I think he picked up the expression from Daddy, but I am so surprised he used it in an appropriate situation!!! I did NOT expect his innocent little voice to say that!!!

In other news, Andrew fascinated me yesterday by pointing out (correctly) many of the letters on the keyboard. His favorites are "Y", "K", "H", "B", "R", and "O". He incorrectly points to the "W" and says, "Is it M?", but it's so adorable because he's close. I then show him where the "M" is. Oh, and the "Z" often gets called "N". It's really a sideways "N", so good job, Andrew!

Our new favorite game is where I type out big, bold letters in Wordpad and he tells me what they are!

Yay for Super Why (on PBS Kids)--it is his favorite show and I think he's learning a lot of letters from it (that, and he also likes to read a ton of books with me every night).

Friday, October 30, 2009

The Halloween pic (my costume, not Andrew's)

I even drew a little pink bow on the baby skeleton. :)

Thursday, October 29, 2009

What to be for Halloween...

I am thinking of dressing up for work tomorrow--we have this big party at 2:00 and a lot of staff (and residents) dress up. The residents then judge the costumes and pick the winners--it's really cute.

Anyway, I am trying to be simple here. I'm not going to go out and spend a lot putting a costume together. I thought maybe I could be a pregnant witch? I just need to wear a black maternity top and pants, my mom has a cape, I need to find a hat, and I have a broom I can use. I also thought about taping a little skeleton on my belly to represent the baby. Does this sound like a good idea?

Yays, nays, and any other suggestions welcome!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Back from the appointment!

The fundal height is at 23 cm, which is perfect because I'll be 23 weeks on Wednesday. The heartrate was around 140 (yay for her measuring it!). I have gained 18 lbs total, but that includes the regaining of 8 lbs that I initially lost due to morning sickness.

I got a "talking to" for refusing the flu shots. Oh well. I am not buying into the fear and hype. My immune system has an excellent track record, I eat healthy, I have upped my Vitamin D, and I gargle twice daily (it can prevent the proliferation of H1N1, which starts in your throat 2-3 days before you show symptoms). Oh yeah, and I have obsessive compulsive handwashing disorder which in turn means I wash my hands so many times a day I can't even count (at work, I wash them in the bathroom and again when I get out because after I wash my hands, I have then touched both the key and the bathroom door handle--thankfully there's a sinkroom just outside the bathroom door).

The doctor mentioned that if I come in to deliver and I have the flu, they are talking about taking the baby away from the mother and putting the baby in isolation. I would be allowed to pump milk but not have contact with my baby. Um yeah, okay. I'll leave the effing hospital before I let that happen.

Nobody in the medical profession belives in natural immunity anymore. I'm also probably an outcast with my "crunchier" ways of thinking; it is not the norm around here at all.

22/23 week OB appointment today

I have an appointment at 11:00 and I can barely remember what they do at these appointments! I mean I know, weigh me, listen to the heartbeat, ask if there are any concerns, etc. I can't seem to remember when they start measuring the fundal height or any of that stuff. I can't think if there's anything I need to ask.

I am so looking forward to experiencing this pregnancy with my new doctor. I loved Dr. M, my last doc--don't get me wrong, but he seemed to rush through things (i.e., would never tell me what the baby's heartbeat was at, only let me listen for 2 seconds, I would never remember questions because it always seemed like we were hurrying to the end of the appointment, etc.). I did like that he was the one who was working when I had Andrew--he was definitely great for the delivery and I felt more confident having someone I know.

I met my new doc, Dr. D when I went in at 12 weeks last pregnancy, the time I found out I had lost my baby. She was the one who did the ultrasound and follow-up appointment. She was just so nice and caring--I decided right then and there that if I was so lucky to be pregnant again, she would be my doc.

For those of you out there who have been pregnant or who are going through your pregnancy now, what were/are your doctors like? Do you like them? Do you feel as though you are on the same page when it comes to major decisions?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

22 week belly pic



Nothing to really add. I am still feeling amazing. I have some minor heartburn if I eat the wrong foods (guacamole is a no-go, ugh...as well as chocolate), but other than that, no complaints! :)

My little girl is very active and I love feeling her move. She is most active at night, but definitely big enough now where I feel her at random times throughout the day. She sits right on my bladder, but that's okay--I need the exercise, especially at work.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Andrew's appointment with the pediatric specialist

So, I don't remember if I told you guys about how Andrew's appointment on 9/22 was cancelled and I didn't find out until I got there because the doctor had to leave to get her child from daycare. Anyway, then I had to chase Andrew around the clinic (it's huge) for a freaking hour waiting for my hubby to come pick me up.

So, because of the aforementioned, we were going to not reschedule the appointment--we figured screw it.

Well, on Friday I decided to call to see if I could get him in and they could, on Monday (yesterday) right away at 8:00. So I took the appointment (and then asked my boss if it was okay to take a couple hours off in the morning for this appointment--he obliged, even though it was timecard Monday--a co-worker agreed to start them for me).

Anyway, we get to the appointment and I am surprised to be the first and only one there, but yeah, it was 8:00, so that makes sense. Andrew happily headed over to the [hopefully non-swine flu infested] table with the beads on the windy wires. After getting checked in, I sanitized his hands, as well as mine, and turned on Sesame Street for him (hoping to keep him from running away). Apparently Mr. Andrew is really good in the morning because he sat right by me. They called him back just a minute later and after we got him weighed (almost 27 lbs.) and lengthened (lol -- about 36"), took him back to the exam room.

Dr. H came in and introduced herself and told me her background--she specializes in infant and toddler behaviors and has some sort of psychiatry background.

She asked me some questions about him and observed him playing with some toys. He had three temper tantrums (or something like that) while we were there, but I didn't really care because I wanted her to see the worst possible scenarios so she could offer her advice.

She said when he bangs his head, she observed him looking to me for my reaction. I need to completely ignore it when he does this and only if safety is a concern (like when he bangs it on the concrete driveway, which he has done in the past), can I move him. Don't acknowledge him, but move him to the grass. If he is doing it in the house to the point of injuring himself, it's okay to throw down a blanket for him to bang onto but don't acknowledge the behavior.

She said he actually does play pretty well and is normal for his age. (No, my son doesn't sit and play for hours like some kids can, but it is not a reasonable expectation to think that 2 year olds will play independently all the time.) She said he was sitting nicely for up to 5 minutes at a time and that is very good.

She had me push the button to have the assistant bring in more toys for him to play with and of course Andrew wanted to keep pushing it (holy tantrum #1), saying, "dowah"--his word for "light".

I am to ignore his tantrums. Don't even look at him. If I'm in a store and we're going through the line and he throws one (this happens often when the cart stops), ignore him and the moment I notice him start to calm down some, give him some physical acknowledgement--a hand on the knee, for instance. When he calms down all the way, calmly praise him and tell him how good he is being.

When he throws toys (or any other item for that matter--he does this often), ask him to pick it up and bring it to me and hand it to me gently. Place my hand over his and show him "gentle", pass it back to him and let him do this 3-4 times, praising him the entire time for being gentle.

I am to offer him more choices. For instance, if we are picking up toys, say, "Andrew? Would you like to put away the green ball or the blue ball?" Bring the toys to him if need be, encouraging him to help.

We should also start open cups with him, just filling it 1/4 of the way with liquid. I can give it to him at the start of the meal and have him practice drinking out of it and setting it down on the table. If it spills, it isn't a ton of liquid. (Mr. Andrew always throws his sippies when he's done with them.)

All in all, a very good appointment. It was good to tell my hubby that Andrew is a normal two-year old, not a naughty one bound for an ADHD diagnosis and lifetime of medication. :)

We will recheck in 5 weeks and see how he has progressed.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Poop!

Yes, Andrew's newest habit is to dig in his diaper after he's gone number 2. Normally I'm pretty quick at catching him when he goes and changing him right away, but last night, the two of us were watching a movie together and all of a sudden I smelled poo and look over at him and he has it on both hands and is rubbing them together. I taught him a new word: "yuck"!

I hope this is just a phase. We are working on potty training but he really wants nothing to do with it. He did sit on his chair yesterday for Daddy while he was watching t.v. but nothing came out. It's a start!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Picture post!

Just some randoms here...

My sister (left) and me...we went to my mom's house on Thursday night because she made some yummy homemade Minestrone soup. It's nice to spend some time with "just the girls" (my mom too). My sister works ALL the freaking time because she has 4 jobs, so it's rare that I get to actually see her, despite living in the same town!

I had the day off on Friday (I decided on a whim on Thursday to ask my boss if I could have off). I ran errands, picking up his birth certificate (finally--I only waited because the County has the same hours as the ones I work, so it was hard to get down there). I also opened a savings account for Andrew ($227 that he has received since he was born that has been stashed in his piggy bank). I figured he may as well earn some interest. We also stopped by Bauer's Market and Nursery (which is in my hometown) to pick up some apples, and I got Andrew a pumpkin of his own. He calls it a "kohkin"--so cute. We also have a big pumpkin on our front step that he admires.

I took this shot of him yesterday--I just told him to say "cheese" and this is the face he made! Silly guy...

When Andrew was napping earlier, I cleaned out his closet, going through the totes of baby clothes. I pulled out anything gender neutral for Baby Girl (OMG, I have a TON of white newborn onesies that look barely worn). The left side of the closet is going to be her side, for now, until we get her a dresser. So, this is my stash. I then put all the totes of boy clothes in the basement--the next person in my family who has a boy can have them then.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Mr. Cute!

Last Sunday, we drove to Galesville just for something to do. It's about a half hour away. We went to Arctic Springs--there is a supper club there (we didn't go there) and they have these springs where they raise trout. Andrew liked seeing the fish, but what he liked even more was the big, open field with a lake on one side. We just had to watch him because he kept wanting to go close to the banks and it was a steep drop into the lake. Talk about giving Mama a heart attack! So, I steered him to the middle of the field and took some pics of him by the trees. Here is one of my favorites.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

20 weeks belly pic

You can ignore these if they bore you! I do them mostly for my own record--I like to compare so I can see the growth every 2 weeks. :)

Happy 20 weeks to me!

Yay! Halfway point.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Over the Top Award & 1-word quiz/Kreativ Blogger Award! (Basically, random shit about me)

And now, I'd like to thank the Academy... ;)

Thank you to Morgan for giving me this award! I am so glad to have met Morgan via another blogger's blog. :) She's a real sweetie.

Award & 1-word quiz!
Here are the rules:
1. You can only use one word!
2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers!
3. Alert them that you have given them this award!
4. Have fun!

The Fun Part
1. Where is your cell phone? Home
2. Your hair? Boring
3. Your mother? Amazing!
4. Your father? Abuser
5. Your favorite food? Hotdish
6. Your dream last night? Weird
7. Your favorite drink? Water
8. Your dream/goal? Healthy
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby? Walking
11. Your fear? Death
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren’t? Follower
15. Muffins? Tops?
16. Wish list item? Massage!
17. Where did you grow up? WisconsinMinnesota
18. Last thing you did? Boring
19. What are you wearing? Maternity
20. Your TV? New
21. Your pets? Birds
22. Friends? Yes
23. Your life? Awesome
24. Your mood? Tired
25. Missing someone? Nope
26. Vehicle? Focus
27. Something you’re not wearing? Perfume
28. Your favorite store? Woodman's
29. Your favorite color? Aqua
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Awhile
32. Your best friend? Andrea
33. One place that I go to over and over? Grocery
34. One person who emails me regularly? Mom
35. Favorite place to eat? Fayze's

Now I tag *I'm tagging 7 because I'm a rebel*:
1. April
2. Rachel
3. Jessi
4. Cate
5. Lesslie
6. Laura

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And I apologize to Jessi for getting to this so late! Thank you for nominating me for the Kreativ Blogger Award...this week is less stressful than last, so I am getting to this now... :) I love Jessi and her blog--I met her through the boards I used to frequent (no longer do). Anyway! She lives in China right now with her beautiful family, including her adorable son, Quinlon.


Rules:
1-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2-Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4-Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5-Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7-Leave a comment on each
So, yeah... 7 things about me people may not know.
1. I have a fear of mirrors in the dark. I can blame my mean-ass friends who forced me to endure "Bloody Mary" at sleepovers. Thanks, guys, for the lifelong issues! Seriously, if I go to the bathroom at night (which is frequent these days), I don't dare peek in the mirror. Aaaah!
2. I am obsessive about my hands. I wash them ALL.THE.TIME. Like at work, if I leave the bathroom (we have a key to get into it), after I wash my hands and exit the bathroom, I hang the key back up outside the door and then I wash my hands again, because the key was held by who knows who and they had who knows what on their hands. Ew! Also, I wash my hands "hospital-standard" style, turning the faucet off with the paper towel when I am done. I am also afraid of doorknobs and make a point of opening doors by pressing on a part I don't think people have touched as much.
3. I am freaked out when people talk to me while wearing sunglasses. See, I am an eye contact person, and I don't know where to look. I look at one eye, then the other...it freaks me out and makes me feel insecure.
4. I hate heavy perfumes. It triggers migraines for me. There is a stank ass housekeeper here who LOADS on the heavy perfume and it just follows her in a cloud. She was told by her supervisor that it is against our dress code policy to wear heavy perfumes (a courtesy to our residents is that we don't; some people are sensitive to it). Her response was that she's been wearing it her whole life and she's not going to stop now. Yeah, that's the problem. You've been wearing it your whole life so now you're desensitized to it and don't even smell it yourself, but the rest of us? Yep. It sucks because there is nothing more than Tylenol I can take now, so if I see her heading up to my office to clean, I run and do something else. The smell even lingers after she leaves and it's totally old lady perfume.
5. I had Bell's Palsy my senior year in high school. It really freaked my mom out when I came home from school one day and it looked like I'd had a stroke. I could only smile with one side of my face, only close one eye, and just looked lobsided. Bell's Palsy is one-sided paralysis of the face, thought to be caused by the common cold virus (if you've seen Nancy from "Sewing with Nancy" on PBS, that's what my face looked like). My dad (cheap fucking bastard he is) didn't want her to take me in to the doctor, but she did anyway. The doc said it was rare for someone at age 17 to get it, but that I'd probably make a full recovery. He called in all these people--a neurologist, etc. to check me out. I was a freak show! Anyway, the most annoying part about it was having to sleep with a wet washcloth over my left eye to keep it shut at night so I could sleep, the dry eyes (because I didn't make tears anymore--eye drops were my best friend), the neck pain on the affected side (sonofabitch, it hurt--they prescribed sterroids for it, but I didn't take them because I didn't feel like growing a set of balls or losing my existing boobage), and not being able to make the embrochure required to play the flute. For those who don't know, I was a big band geek. BIG TIME. Like first chair flute in high school and college. This Bell's Palsy happened during contest season, right in the beginning of January...so, as you music lovers know, that is prime time for picking out music for Solo & Ensemble. I would spend hours in the practice room and at home fingering through the piece, attempting to make the sound come out, but it was near impossible. For those of you not familiar with the flute, your mouth has to make an "O" shape. Mine was only half an "O". Not good. Anyway, I FINALLY got my groove back and was allowed to go to Contest the following week after I was supposed to go, got a 1* on my solo (Mozart's Concerto No. 2 in D Major), and went to State, where I got a 1 (best you can receive at State). Needless to say, I was very glad that my Bell's Palsy didn't ruin my senior year of competition. My band director was so proud of me that he awarded me the sole band scholarship, $1,000 towards my college tuition. My mom sat in the front row at the final concert and bawled because she was so proud. I loved that she was there and was totally surprised I got the award. When we got back home, she said to my dad (who was still in the picture at the time), "You missed a great concert. Your daughter was awarded a scholarship". He had better things to do, like golf.
6. I have a calendar in my head. It's kind of like a big oval with the beginning of the month at the inside and the end of the month going out. If you looked at a clock and turned it more oval, June would be where the "12" position is, and December would be where the "6" is. If someone tells me a date, I automatically put it on a spot on the "calendar". I have had this for as long as I can remember and it boggles my mind to think of it not being there.
7. I also have a photographic memory. I recalled a friend's address when we were in a different town I had never been to. I thought real hard and remembered it, to the "T", off of a return address from their Christmas Card 2 years prior. I also know everyone's employee number at my work (4-5 digits) just from working with them. I don't try to remember them, but when I see the people, I automatically associate their faces with their numbers. If you tell me your birthday, I will always remember it.
Okay, that's enough about me! I am now going to tag 7 people!
2. Jewels (not tagging her blog because she keeps it private)
6. Jen

Into the trash it goes...

We got a new garbage can for our kitchen--finally (we had just been re-using shopping bags, but they fill up so fast and look bad on the counter, so I finally picked up a garbage can at Menard's). Anyway, I have been giving Andrew things to throw in there (paper towel, plastic, etc.) and he will run over to the can with a big smile on his face. Afterwards, I clap and say, "yay!!!" and he beams with pride.

Last night, he must have been a little over-zealous because I saw him by the garbage can and the next thing I know, he had tossed his big toy car in there. I told him no, and went to retrieve the car. I also found another toy, his spoon, a hand towel, our cell phone, and a quarter in the garbage. Seems like someone had been busy all day! Ah, the joys of having a toddler. It made me laugh, though!

P.S., I love how my hubby said, "I think he threw the cell phone in there earlier"....yet, he didn't do anything about it. Men! No wonder I couldn't reach him from work yesterday; it was completely dead!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Yep, it's official. He is weaned.

It's now been 77 hours or so since his last nursing session. He slept in his crib last night until 5:30 this morning. I brought him in by me and he asked for "more", and when I told him we'd cuddle instead, he didn't protest too much. No major temper tantrum. I told him I could get him water if he wanted, but he didn't say he wanted any. He fell asleep playing with my hair. I love him!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

And the post you never thought I'd make.... WEANING COMPLETE!

I think.

Andrew hasn't nursed since the early morning hours of this past Friday. He went all day Friday and I had Rob put him to bed and then he slept the night--yesterday was a repeat of that.

Yes, I feel just slightly full today but it's not too bad because, as you remember, he was barely getting anything anyway. He really had to work for what he did get, and he sucked so hard it actually was starting to be uncomfortable for me.

I can be happy that he made it 2 years, 1 month, and one week. :) And now, I can enjoy a 5 month break before the next one gets here, but I really can't wait to nurse a newborn again!

Friday, October 2, 2009

I just gotta say...

I love you all! I am so glad I started blogging a year-and-a-half ago. I started off shy, posting little things here and there about Andrew and as I got more into it, I posted more. I love how I can talk about anything. I love all the support I have received, and the best thing is...all the friends I have made. It's amazing how you can find new friends through friends' blogs and discover people with common interests.

I know I don't have the most exciting blog in the world, but thank you for following it, all of you! ♥

Oh, bonus pic...here is me dressed for a typical work day. That's one of my new maternity tops I picked up yesterday. Yay for good deals on craigslist!

19 weeks, 2 days pregnant

Thursday, October 1, 2009

My silly boy...




He loves to pick up the computer mouse (from our back bedroom; it's attached to the big computer we don't really use too often) and he treats it like a phone.

He says, "hello? mama? hello?", and anytime I ask him who he's talking to, he says "Mama", even if I am right in front of him. Haha.

In other news, today I scored some sweet maternity clothes from craigslist! I picked up 5 tops and they are all in really nice shape. She also gave me two pairs of pants she said I could just have because someone had given them to her. $30 for everything, and most of it is Motherhood Maternity. It's all really stylish stuff I can wear to work (a few dressier tops and a couple sweaters). The weirdest thing? She asked when I was due and I told her February 24th; she said that was when her son was born (2 1/2 years ago). Weird! I feel like a freak because I think all these clothes are so cute, even if I only get to wear them for 5 months. I hopefully will be able to sell them all when I am done with them.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Also, for those who care...

It WAS the dairy causing the uber explosive, nasty poops. We cut dairy out of Andrew's diet when I made that post a couple weeks ago and now we are happy to report normal, solid toddler poo.

I know you were all waiting in anticipation... :)

But thanks for all the advice, and I have to credit Musical Daddy for suggesting the dairy.

Sorry I'm so boring lately!

I guess nothing new has been going on. Andrew has been saying some cute things, including "pazzi" for pizza. We got a new oven (it's a convection oven, yay!) and the first time we used it, we made a pizza. He kept looking at it going, "pazzi? pazzi?", practically in tears because he doens't ever have the patience to wait for food.

I love our new oven. We had a gas stove before and I hated cleaning up DH's messes on and aruond the burners (you ladies with messy hubbies know what I'm referring to here), plus we are silly and wanted a black appliance to match our other kitchen appliances (like our black fridge we got 3 years ago). DH is also quite the cook and wanted a convection oven for some time. We found it at Sears (good price because it was a discontinued model)--it got great reviews. Plus, do ovens/stoves ever really break? I don't think I ever hear of people having problems with them, not like refrigerators and washing machines.

In other Andrew news, I was going pee the other day and he walks into the bathroom (because moms can't go alone) and said, "butt" as he pointed to my butt. It made me laugh. He's so cute.

Oh yeah, and he kisses my belly and calls it "baby". I KNOW he's still going to be shocked when he sees mom and dad holding an actual baby, and he'll be upset when he realizes this baby is coming home with us, but for now, I'll let him in on it easy.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Urgh!!

So, Andrew was supposed to have his appointment yesterday with the infant and toddler behavior specialist (in regards to his head hitting). The appointment was at 2:30, so I left work early at 2:00, picked Andrew up at home, and off we went. We had the hubby drop us off there. First, I thought it was in Peds, but it wasn't, so I had to go up the elevator to the third floor, run across the skywalk, and take another elevator up to the 4th floor where Pediatric Specialties is. Then I get to the desk to check-in and the receptionist tells me the doctor had to leave (this is as Andrew freaks out because I wouldn't set him down and he was having a temper tantrum). She had to pick her son up from daycare because he had a fever, and it had JUST happened. She says she can reschedule me for Friday, but I tell her I can't do that because I can't get off work early (I already left early Monday for the ultrasound, and then this the very next day).

So, since the hubby was going to pick us up in another hour at 3:30, I had to chase Andrew around the clinic. Yeah, for an hour.

I missed two hours of work all for nothing. We're not even going back. I'm sure he'll grow out of this anyway. I'm just frustrated because I was really looking forward to the appointment. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Back from the ultrasound (Updated: added pics)!

The baby is measuring perfectly healthy and on track.

It's a.........................




GIRL!

More pics!




Now we just need to name her. I have one name I really like (Elise) and I think DH likes it too, but I have to feel him out a little more on it. I just need to come up with a middle name. PS, if you are Facebook friends with me, please don't mention that you know the name. Family (including my own mother!) doesn't know what I've chosen, and we are keeping it a secret until birth. I figure my blog network is "safe" since nobody in real life comes here. Thanks!!!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Scary guy!

I was out for a walk with Andrew earlier this evening, and this scary guy in a green Dodge truck drove by me FIVE TIMES! He was following me on my route. He looked to be late 50s and was just gross and creepy looking. EW. I memorized his plates and the 5th time he drove by me, I waved my arms around and shouted, "WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT?!?"

I am having my husband call his brother (sargent at the police station) so they can run his plates and go talk to him. It was so creepy. I ran the last block home, and he wasn't around anymore, so he didn't see which house I went to.

DH was PISSED and we drove around looking for him so that he could try and figure out where this creep lives. He said he'll go buy a gun tomorrow (he won't, but that's how protective he feels right now of us). Also, no more walks by myself, he said.

I was so scared!

I love having my own office.

I have hardly done anything today for work. I ran the reports I have to run, but other than that, I'm slacking today. I can see out the door, so I just have to minimize whatever I'm doing in order to prepare myself if my boss should happen to walk in.

The big thing I'm doing is trying to find the Oktoberfest medallion with my mom and husband. Last year, we (my mother and I) were ONE FREAKING BLOCK AWAY from it the day before it was found. That made us want to try even harder this year. So, I'm on Google maps/satellite trying to get an idea of where it could be. I have the past four years' worth of clues printed out, to see how they played into the location of the medallion. I also have some other historical stuff printed out.

Oktoberfest is huge here. It's a week-long festival, encompassing two weekends of drunkenness. People come into town, our hotels get booked, and the local economy gets a boost. That starts next weekend (the 25th). The medallion hunt I spoke of started Monday. They put out one clue a day until the medallion is found, or until it reaches 10 clues, whichever comes earlier. The prize is $500 cash, plus all kinds of other goodies. The real treat is holding that coveted medal in your hands.

Wish us luck!

Monday, September 14, 2009

25 Firsts!

I am stealing this from Nancy. :)

"25 Firsts"

1. Who was your first prom date? Brian. I just adored him. I had a crush on him for several years, and when he asked me, I was over the moon. Silly girl, I should have known that he really wanted to go just as friends! He is now married with kids and works as a dentist.

2. Do you still talk to your first love? We are Facebook friends, but he is hardly on there--too busy.

3. What was your first alcoholic drink? Smirnoff Ice. I refuse to drink beer or straight-up hard liquor. I am such a lightweight. If I have two margaritas, I am pretty darn buzzed! Because of my migraines, I was never able to get too drunk, but there is apparently a picture of me at my 5 year reunion, "pole dancing" by this big tent. People could not believe I was the same person because I was pretty quiet in high school; after my parents' divorce, it's like I opened up and just spoke my mind.

4. What was your first job? Age 17, working at Quillin's (grocery store) in the deli. Yes, complete crappy job, minimum wage included. I had to clean chickens (get the guts out) and put them on spiggots in the rotisserie spinner. I also had to make salads and do dishes. I only worked there for three months before quitting to spend time with my boyfriend (now hubby) but I told them it was to "focus on school".

5. What was your first car? Interesting fact about me, I didn't get my license until 23! My first car was a 1997 Nissan Sentra. I just sold it to my brother this summer, actually. It had been our 2nd car, but we hardly used it. The reason why I waited so long to get my license: sort-of a long story. I went through driver's ed in high school (paying for it myself, at the insistence of my dad), got my learner's permit, and then when it came time to practice driving, he would not let me. WOULD NOT. So, my six lessons provided by driving school were not enough for me to pass the test. What an ass. So, I gave up. Eventually met my hubby (then BF), who picked me up every single day after school, dropping me off at curfew time. I spent every single weekend with him too. Basically, I didn't even live at home my senior year (Dad told me if I did get my license, I'd be paying for the increase in his car insurance, and no, I would not be allowed to ever take the van). So, college came. I always lived within walking/biking distance. Finally, after I graduated college, I decided to get my license.

6. Who was the first person to text you today? We just added more minutes to our Tracfone last night; nobody has texted yet today. I leave it home with the hubby during the day because I can't use a cell phone at work anyway, so what's the point?

7. Who was the first person you thought of this morning? Andrew. He woke up at 3:30 a.m. and was in his crib saying, "more? more? mama? more?", which means he wants boobie. I am trying to wean him, but it's hard.

8. Who was your first grade teacher? At my first school, it was Mrs. Flury (she was nice), then we moved to a different town and I had Mrs. Prunty (she was mean).

9. Where did you go on your first flight in a plane? 20? We took our first cruise in 2001, and that would have been January, so I didn't turn 21 until summer.

10. Who was your first best friend and do you still talk? Heather, and no, we lost touch. I still think about her and I have seen her once or twice in the store, but I am always afraid people won't recognize me and then they'll think I'm a stalker freak if I say something.

11. Where was your first sleepover? Heather's. My mom had to come get me in the middle of the night because it was storming and I was scared. They had this ship in a storm painting in their bathroom and I thought the storm meant a tornado was coming. I had this irrational fear of tornadoes as a kid.

12. Who was the first person you talked to today? Andrew!

13. Whose wedding were you in for the first time? I would have been in my friend's wedding, but she asked me in January, after I had found out I was expecting the first baby, and the wedding was in May and I didn't want to be a bother with dresses and not knowing what size to buy and all. EDIT: I was only thinking bridesmaids and after reading friends' posts, I was like, "doh"! I was a flower girl in my uncle's umteenth wedding (the guy is a womanizer and an embezzler; thank goodness he's on my dad's side so I don't have to see him; he's a creepy "check out your niece" uncle) when I was 5. I was also in my aunt's wedding right around that same age (with my sister).

14. What was the first thing you did this morning? Fed Andrew.

15. What was the first concert you went to? I went to a Faith Hill concert before she was even big, back when I actually listened to country.

16. First tattoo? Tattoo virgin here!

17. First piercing? Just ears at age 9.

18. First foreign country you went to? Our first cruise we went to The Bahamas, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico.

19. First movie you remember seeing? Our aunt and uncle took us to The Land Before Time. I think I was 8. My dad would never pay for us to go to a movie, so I didn't see a whole lot of them unless I was with friends.

20. What state did you first live in? Wisconsin, then Minnesota, and now Wisconsin again. However, we are literally right on the border.

21. Who was your first room mate? Rob, I moved out at age 18 with him (again, not wanting to pay rent to my dad to stay in the house when I was "an adult".

22. When was your first detention? I never had detention, but I did get a yellow slip in 6th grade for yawning during class! I did one of those loud yawns out of habit, not even realizing I did it. The teacher thought I was doing it to be rude. My mom just laughed when I showed it to her to sign. I was not a troublemaker!

24. What is one thing you would learn, given the chance? I'd love to be able to dance better.

25. Who will be the next person to post this? Hopefully all of you!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Thank you for all your suggestions--I think we found the culprit.

Andrew has been eating a yogurt a day, cheese curds, and string cheese (not every day, but enough). Two of my brothers are lactose-intolerant. It's a very good possibility this is the cause of Mr. Andrew's loose stools. We're starting a dairy elimination diet to see if it helps. If it does get better, then that's probably what it is. He can get his calcium from his Gummy Vites, but this nasty peanut butter poop has got to go! He has 3-4 loads a day and his little bum is red.

I'm wondering now if his reflux he had from newborn to 7 months was maybe related to the dairy in my diet. :(

If he is; indeed, lactose intolerant, hopefully it's not a lifelong thing. I'd hate to think a kid in Wisconsin has to grow up without the wonderfulness of WI cheese curds!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Reason for concern? Moms, help me out...

Andrew hasn't had a solid, formed poop in probably a month. It's not quite diarrhea, although sometimes it is, but more really mushy, peanut butter-like poop. Really gross.

He is acting fine--no fever, no irritability. No weird new foods that would be the culprit.

His poor bum was all red after his fourth poo of the day. I slathered his junk and bum in California Baby Calming Diaper Rash Cream (the best stuff ever).

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

16 week belly pic!

Wow, I can't believe I'm 16 weeks today! I have a feeling everything is going to be just fine with this baby. :)

Look at the difference between now and just four weeks ago at 12 weeks.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Some cuteness!

We took Andrew for a boat ride this evening. This was his second one, and he was certainly less scared than he was last time. He had a lot of fun, pointing to the "birds-uhs" (birds and/or ducks), and making quacking noises. He also identified other boats ("boa"). He didn't even mind when we went fast, going over some big waves. His hair was blowing straight back--it was so funny!



Winter will be here before we know it, so I am glad we were able to enjoy the last weekend of summer.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Not complaining, but..

I have had a lot more headaches this pregnancy than I did with Andrew (I think I maybe had one or two with him). The past 2 weeks, I have probably had a headache 5 out of 7 days a week. I had the nurse at my work check my BP, and it was fine (105/69, which is normal for me). I have no clue, so I'll just say it's the hormones!

I used to get migraines ALL THE TIME, starting in 2nd grade. In college, I kept a headache log and realized that in a month, I was getting 20-25 headaches. I was finally diagnosed with migraines at age 19 or 20, and went through some prescription trials. What finally worked for me was Topamax daily (an anti-seizure medication) and then Imitrex 100mg on the onset of the migraine.

Then, when we got married in 2006 and started trying for a baby, I went off all medications, including the birth control pill. My headaches magically disappeared. Eight freaking years on the pill and I think that was the culprit (but it doesn't explain my childhood headaches, which I think were stress-related).

Anyway, these headaches I have now are very mild compared to the ones I used to have where I begged DH to just kill me (thanks for not listening, honey!).

On a positive note, I have been feeling more movement here and there. It's about 3 weeks earlier than I felt it with Andrew, so yay!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Back from the tonsil appointment!

Update: So, we went to the doctor today and he said both his tonsils and adenoids are a 3+, so he'd definitely like to take them out. BUT, he said, it's a 10 day recovery and they're pretty miserable afterwards. So, the other option is to wait another year and see where he's at. Some kids grow out of the snoring issue, and there's a possibility that in another year, he could just take the adenoids out, which is a very quick and easy recovery. So, we're going to wait. It's not like it's life-threatening--he'll just be a loud snorer.

He also said that at his age now (2), he'd have to stay overnight, because he likes to observe them when they're so young. If he was older, he'd have a same-day surgery.

I think it'll be easier (for me and him) if we wait until he's older and more mature. He can talk in complete sentences and whatnot.

Oh, and while we were in the doctor's office, Andrew banged his head on the floor a couple times because he wanted to run out of the room; he also hit at the doctor (he kind of hits at the air in front of people). Oh, and he was trying to steal sharp medical instruments off the counter. At least he's cute and the doctor said he's a typical 2 year old.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Andrew's appointments are scheduled

Tomorrow morning (yes, tomorrow already!) he sees Dr. C in ENT. I hope we can get some answers. Either he has large adenoids and he'll need to have them removed, or he just snores and he'll outgrow it. Either way, we should know more tomorrow. I have heard from a few people that he is very good and thorough. I like that I got right in with him tomorrow! I was expecting a month (or more) wait. The receptionist (or HUC) I was talking to on the phone asked if he snored and if he had other issues; I told her it was just the snoring and she said it sounds like her son, who had surgery and then did much better.

On September 22nd, he sees Dr. H, the specialist in infant and toddler behaviors. She should be able to help us with his head hitting. I am thinking, maybe the two are related. Maybe he is tired from not getting restful sleep as a result of the snoring, which is causing him to be tired and act out during the day.

Hopefully we get him all fixed up! I don't think there is anything "wrong" with him. He is very social--he smiles at people, says "hi" and "bye" to people in the stores (complete, random strangers) and is very affectionate.
-------------------------------
A question for all of you parents out there, just to find out how normal this is: does/did your toddler snore? I have always thought it was normal, but am finding out that co-workers' toddlers do not snore.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

2 year well check today

Andrew weighs 25 lbs and 12.37 oz.
He is 34.72" tall

Basically long and lean!

I plugged his numbers into the growth percentile calculator, and here's what I got.

At 24 months:
your child is 25 pounds, and that is at the 14th percentile for weight.

your child is 34.75 inches, and that is at the 56th percentile for height.

I asked his pediatrician (who is so awesome, by the way--I love him!) about Andrew's head banging, and we have an appointment on September 22nd to see a pediatrician who specializes in infant and toddler behaviors. Hopefully she will help us find a way to redirect or curb this behavior of his (during temper tantrums, he will bang his head as hard as he can, causing bruises and goose eggs--not cool).

I also asked about his snoring and the Ear, Nose, and Throat people are going to call me tomorrow to set up an appointment for him to see someone. Dr. M. said that it's rare for them to have problems at this age, but if it's anything, it could be large adenoids. (My little brother had his tonsils--which were a 4+ and his adenoids--which were bigger than his tonsils--removed at age 4 because he snored and had trouble swallowing; he was in the 5th percentile for weight and height--just a tiny guy.) We don't know that there is anything wrong, but Dr. M. said it's not normal for a 2 year old to snore the way Andrew does.

Oh, other than that, he was very cute--cheesing it up and smiling for the doctor and nurse.

Monday, August 31, 2009

A "Mommy and Me" pic

I took this on Saturday, with the help of the self-timer and my new tripod.

I have to get Andrew's birthday party pics from yesterday uploaded, but we had a lot of fun! Everyone invited attended and there was a lot of food. Andrew didn't care too much about the presents and kept running away when we were trying to open them. :) Like I said, the kid doesn't like toys. He had fun with his balloon!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

And now, a positive post. 14 week belly pics, and I've officially popped!

In the past 3 days, I have really noticed a difference. Today at work, there were random people noticing my belly and saying they didn't know I was pregnant.

I snapped these yesterday:
Side

Front


I'm still down 2 lbs. from what I started this pregnancy out at, but I KNOW it will start picking up soon. :)

Stupid hubby.

He can go suck a fuck.

Bonus points if you know what movie that is from.

I am having problems weaning Andrew. He only nurses when I get home from work, before bed, and usually just once at night. Last night he slept all the way until 5:20 a.m. and then woke up, so I gave him a little milk thinking he'd fall back asleep. But, he kept sucking and sucking until finally at 6:10 I was like, okay, that's enough now! So I take him off and he whines, so I go put him back in his crib. I let him cry, but you know what he does then? He starts banging his head on the crib rails, hard enough to leave goose eggs on his head. He has all these big bumps now. I feel horrible. This is his way of dealing with things...he doesn't just have a tantrum, he hurts himself. What do I do? Do they sell padding for walls so I can just let him rock and roll in there? Do I get him a helmet?

It is so much harder to wean him than I ever thought it would be. My husband says I don't know how to raise a child and Andrew is good for him, so it must be me that's the problem. He doesn't understand that Andrew is just more attached to me, and it can be normal for toddlers to throw more tantrums for Mom than Dad (right?).

I am just so sad right now. I want Andrew to be done nursing--two was really my outer limit (I knew we'd make it to one, but I never, ever in a million years imagined two). I don't want him to hurt himself. I need him to be weaned before February (there is no way in hell I want to tandem nurse). The average natural age of weaning (in the world, not the U.S.) is 2 - 2 1/2, so I would think he would wean on his own? My husband thinks I'm just doing a horrible job and there must be something wrong with him if he's hurting himself, and that he thinks the doctor will eventually want to put him on medication. MY HUSBAND DOESN'T UNDERSTAND TERRIBLE TWOS AND THAT THIS IS PROBABLY JUST PART OF THAT.

I'm going to stop now because I can't be crying at work. I feel so helpless because I am just trying to keep everyone happy and apparently it's impossible.

Next Tuesday Andrew has his 2-year check-up and I will see if the doctor has any advice.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Two years ago...

Two years ago, I was in active labor on this day. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. with contractions that were 5-8 minutes apart. By 11:00 a.m., they were 4-5 minutes apart and starting to become more painful. I couldn't really eat anything all day. By 3:00 p.m., they were 3-4 minutes apart, and I was having trouble talking through them. I was mostly on the couch, but walking around some of the time. After talking to my mom, she urged me it was time to go in. So, off to the hospital we went. They checked me in triage and I was at a 2 and 90% effaced. They confirmed that my contractions were 5 minutes apart, and said I would definitely be back later, but to go home and labor some more there, because I'd be more comfortable (why, in the appointments do they tell you to come in when they're 5 minutes apart, then? Oh well).

So, I went home. Two hours later, I was lying on the couch watching Thirteen Going on 30 (giggle), one of my favorite girlie movies, trying to distract myself, when I felt a gush. I thought, oh good, it's my water!

But, it wasn't my water. I went to the bathroom and it was blood. It was really gushing out. Like, I had to use some pads and I was going through a few of them and just peeing it out (like a heavy period day). Uh oh. My belly felt hot to the touch, and I was so scared. I was on the phone with my mom as this all happened, and she said to call the doctor or go in.

I called and the nurse was like, "well, it's probably just bloody show, but you can come in if you feel like it". Um yeah, we're going in. I am not chancing this!

I was in tears in the car, so afraid something horrible had happened, like my placenta detatching. We get there and they ask me if I want a wheelchair for the ride up, and I take one simply because I have a super pad on, but feel like I am going to gush over all over the place.

I get in triage and now I'm at a 3 and 100% effaced. They monitor my contractions and my doctor comes and checks me (yes, my doctor was the one on-call that night--yay!); he doesn't seem to be concerned at all about the bleeding and says it's probably from dilating. ?? WTF ?? I finally get admitted around 7:00 and they take me to my birthing suite.

Wow! It was gorgeous! They had recently remodeled, so we're talking hardwood floors, a very large room, a big-screen t.v., a couch for the hubby, a rocking chair, and a nice bathroom with a deep bathtub. I was very impressed. First I got settled in and then they hooked up my I.V. (I was GBS positive; the only "downfall" of my entire pregnancy, but really no big deal) and then told me I could walk around if I wanted to. So, we did. I went down the hall because I knew my friend's mom was working in the nursery. I said "hi" to her in-between contractions. One of the nurses showed me how to grab the handrail when I was having a contraction and squat and push through it (I felt like such a dork). I had to go to the bathroom and had this, and I'm not kidding you, over foot long clotty thing come out of me. I had more blood. Come to think of it, I should have motioned the nurse to come into the bathroom and see, but I flushed it because I was in pain from my contractions and if the doctor said I was okay, I must have been. I walked around for awhile and then headed back to the room.

After a little while, Dr. M came in and asked how I was feeling. He checked me and I was at a 4 at this point? I think? He asked if I wanted my water broken, and I said, "sure" (why not get the ball rolling; I had been in labor now for 16 hours). He said, "you have a tough bag! It took a couple attempts with the hook thing, but he got it. It seemed to bring on more frequent contractions, but I didn't really notice.

Around 11:00 p.m., I decided I wanted to labor in the bathtub. Maybe the hot water would help. I spent two hours in there. At one point, I yelled at DH because he was sitting next to me, smacking his gum (I kid you not) and asking me questions DURING the contractions. After I yelled at him (barely), he said, "I'll just go home if you're going to be like this". I was like, "no, it's not that! Seriously, just don't smack your gum, and don't talk to me during a contraction because I need to focus and get through them". The nurse came in a couple times and told me what a good job I was doing!

At 1:00 a.m., Dr. M came back to check me. I was now dilated to a 5. A five. Seriously? I had now been in labor for 20 hours and I was to a 5. Wow! So, I asked for the epidural. They came right in and inserted it. Why are people so scared about the needle? I mean, when you're in a ton of pain from the contractions, a needle is the least of your worries (a little advice to those who haven't been through labor yet, LOL, I know this was one of my concerns pre-labor). Instant relief. I felt nothing, literally, after about 60 seconds of that being in. The nurse told me to get some sleep, but I was too excited about labor! I could not sleep a wink. I was glad DH got to get some sleep; he was on the couch. The next time they checked me, I was at an 8. The nurses were coming in seriously every 10-15 minutes, maybe because one of them was a student nurse being trained (she graduated from my high school in a tiny town, two years after me--funny how you don't mind having someone you sort-of know seeing your girlie parts on display, not to mention being completely naked in the tub).

So, finally I was to a 9. And then, still a 9. And still a 9, and my contractions had basicaly stopped (not that I could feel them either way). You know how when you have an epidural, they have to keep checking you to make sure it isn't up too high (they had ice in a rubber glove)? Well, I couldn't feel it wherever they put it. I was numb up to my clavicles, and I could feel my neck starting to tingle. They elevated my upper body then. This was when all the chaos went on, because it was all of a sudden time for them to give me pitocin to get my contractions started up again (mention of the "P" word elicited fear in me because I was afraid of ending up with a c-section), but it worked. The contractions started up again. Then my blood pressure crashed to 88/30. I started shaking really bad, uncontrollably. I threw up my ice chips (all I had eaten all day, so it wasn't very much). They had to give my epinephrine to get my BP back up. There was chaos in the room, so this part of the story is hard for me to remember.

Eventually, I was to a 10 and it was time to push. This was at 6:30 a.m., 25.5 hours after my labor had begun. I couldn't believe it was finally time to push! The only thing was, my legs were dead weight and I couldn't feel when a contraction was coming (even after they turned down the epidural twice. Why in the world didn't I tell them to just turn it off? I didn't know it was an option, that's why. Oh well, live and learn). The nurses told me when a contraction was coming, and then I would push with these muscles I couldn't feel. Very strange! I was also coughing the entire time because I was on the tail end of this horrible cold. Every time I would cough, it helped him come out a little more. He was crowned for what seemed like a long time! I used the mirror and I would rub his little head. So, this went on for 1.5 hours and at 7:53 a.m. on August 25th, 2007, Andrew was born.

He had a squeaky cry! "Uwaah-squeak...uwaah-squeak!" His little mouth was quivering and at first, his little nostrils were flaring. He was so little! That was my first thought. I said, "wow, he's tiny!", and he was. He weighed 6 lbs, 6 oz., which I found out later. First it was time to snuggle! They got him on my chest skin-to-skin and helped me get him latched for the first time. They wrapped us in a heated blanket and I just enjoyed snuggling with him. He was so cute and small! OMG, I couldn't believe it. Later, I asked DH what he thought when he came out, if he was freaked out, and he said he was more amazed that something that (seemingly) big could come out of there!

Our first family picture:



The rest was history. We had a ton of visitors because it was Saturday. At one point, it was like a zoo in there and I seriously wanted everyone to shut up for just a second (the nurse came in and asked, "do you need some water?", our code for "get these people out of here--but I was cool with it; I knew they'd eventually leave). My perfect little guy roomed with us (our room they gave us had a double bed, so DH stayed there with me). He liked my body heat, and a couple times the nurses would get him all burrito wrapped in his basinet, and they would put heated blankets on him, but as soon as the heat wore off, he would be crying. Both of us got up with him and comforted him the first night. By the time I went to sleep, it was 1:00 a.m. on SUNDAY, so I had now been up for 44 hours straight! I couldn't do it anymore. I remember rocking him in the rocking chair and my head kept nodding. I was thinking, "this isn't safe". My aunt was working that night (Labor & Delivery nurse) and she came in and said she'd hold him and snuggle so I could get some sleep. She took him and brought him back early in the morning. I slept like a zombie, especially after I got my cough drops (they had to bring me some from the pharmacy because I was literally coughing all night). I loved nursing him, and it really clicked after the first couple of times of having the LCs help me.

Finally on Sunday at 11:00, it was time to check out. I got my cutie into his carseat (OMG, so tiny) and we went home. The newborn outfit I had as his going home outfit was too big on him; luckily, one of my friends bought him a couple preemie outfits. When we left the hospital, he weighed 6 lbs, .5 ounces (by his 2 week check-up, he was all the way up to 7 lbs, 5 oz.; amazing).

Wow, if you read this all! :) I hope the next labor is shorter (haha, 27 hours is a bit long) and I am not getting the epidural for sure. I am not sure about other pain relief via an I.V., but I hope to go natural.