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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.