Icky Day UPDATED

Disclaimer: This post discusses some gross topics... You've been warned


Today, Tuesday, January 28th, has been one that I would NEVER like to relive...

Actually, it all started last night.

By the time I arrived home after work, I was feeling pretty lousy. I was having all the symptoms of your classic cold... headache, congestion, exhaustion, sore throat, cough, etc. Thankfully, my precious hubby offered to take care of the kiddos which allowed me go to bed WAY early. 

While I was in the bed, Landen apparently had an accident while attempting to make it to the potty. He ended up going potty in his pants and on the floor. Keith got Landen out of his soiled clothes and ran the clothes upstair to start a load of laundry. While Keith was upstairs Brayden decided to be daddy's big helper, by wiping the poo up off the floor. Unfortunately, when a (almost) two year old tries to be a big helper, it isn't usually helpful. Brayden managed to smear the poo ALL OVER the floor. 

When Keith returned downstairs (he was only upstairs for MAYBE two minutes) he discovered Brayden's masterpiece. Obviously, at this point Brayden needed a bath. So, Keith stripped Brayden's clothes off, threw the clothes in the washing machine, gave the boys a bath, and returned to the scene of the crime to clean up the poo. After that, things seemed to calm down...

Side note: Declen's schedule was TOTALLY off because he had been held by nearly everyone in the family on Sunday, he had a GI scope done Monday (yesterday) morning, then he went to visit/meet my grandmother yesterday afternoon. 

Declen fell asleep soon after I got to my parents house to pick him up after work and was out for the night, sleeping through EVERYTHING (diaper changes, car rides, etc). He remained asleep until 12:30 am, at which point he decided to wake up and SCREAM on and off until around 4:30 am. From 2:30 am until 3:30 am, Keith woke up and graciously gave me a break. At 5:00 am I told Keith to get up... 

Keith was still asleep when he got up and transferred the clothes from the washer to the dryer. After starting the dryer he looked into the washing machine and saw what he thought was a clump of mud. He reached in bare-handed and grabbed the "mud," discovering that it was actually a wad of poo which  had apparently hidden in Landen's clothes. Keith immediately ran to sanitize his hand, but in his sleepy-stupor thought to himself that he hadn't NOTICED poo on the clothes when he put them in the dryer, so they must be fine - totally disregarding the fact that whether they had visible signs of filth, the clothes had been "washed" in nastiness and needed rewashing. When the dryer buzzed, Keith ran upstairs to find that he had effectively cooked the poo into the load of laundry. At which point, I discover the disgusting mess that developed overnight. YUCK!

Oh... and of Keith's two pairs of work pants... one pair was in the poo wash. While Keith was working to fix the mess... I fed the boys and left for work.

There have been weather advisories out for the southern half of the state, but we were supposed to get FLURRIES in Birmingham.  

At around 9:00 am, the flurries began. By 9:30 am it was downright snowing. By 10:00 am the streets downtown were white and schools began announcing early dismissal. Around 10:30 am we began receiving reports of roads/bridges icing. 

View from parking deck crosswalk at work

At 10:55 am, we were given permission to leave work. I called daycare to let them know I was on my way to pick up the boys.

Roads downtown as we left work

Upon getting in my car I saw that I only had 1/8 tank of gas, something that on a normal day would have been plenty for me to get home. Because of the weather, I decided I needed to fill up my gas tank. In the 10 minutes it took me to travel to the gas station (8 blocks), cars were already sliding through intersections. By the time I pulled out of the gas station, traffic and roads were a mess.

I made it to the I-65 on ramp and realized what a mess we were all in... the interstate was moving slowly, but the cars on the ramp were at a standstill. The pickup that was midway up the ramp was struggling. Then I saw the door open and the driver step out. As his foot hit the ramp, he immediately lost his footing. The driver was still holding on to his truck and was able to regain his footing, and began evaluating the situation. He took his hand off the truck to get a better look and almost simultaniously lost his footing again. This time, he went sliding to the bottom of the ramp. The truck was unmanned and I knew there was no chance of getting on the interstate here.  

I decided to try a different route. Unfortunately, upon getting to a different on ramp and seeing a car facing the wrong direction, I realized that route was no longer an option either. At this point, I get my dad to give me directions for a third route. 

US 11 - Route # 3

My third choice route was relatively successful and I was able to travel 10ish miles in 2 hours with minimal sliding. The roads were white with snow, but it had already frozen and the cars were not making tracks on the roads and the street lines were no longer visible. I reached a point that even when I was idling, my car would slide sideways. I was in a rough part of town and I knew I needed to go a different route. My dad talked me through getting to I-20/59. I was so excited to finally get on the interstate, where the bridges were at least sanded. 

I-20/59 was moving very slowly, but for the most part it was steady and people were generally driving decently. Things got much slower as I approached I-459, and it wasn't long before I knew why. The ramp from I-20/59 to I-459 was almost entirely iced over. Every car/truck/semi was sliding all over the place. 

*NOTE: I had not been to the bathroom since I woke up this morning and it was now mid-afternoon. I couldn't pull over anywhere and there was nothing I could do. I peed, in my car. UGH! Finally, I made it onto I-459 and continued on my way. Traffic was again moving very slow, but it was moving. 

I made it to exit 6 on I-459 and it was pretty clear that I wasn't going to make it home. I took exit 6, initially thinking I MIGHT could make it to my mother-in-law's house, but quickly discovered that wasn't possible. I changed my goal to finding a fire station, but that didn't work either. I knew that it would be getting dark farely soon and I had to find SOMEWHERE to go. 

Every business I pulled up to was closed or unreachable. I spotted a CVS with lights on and got SO excited! I knew I could purchase SOME KIND of clean undergarment and I could get SOME KIND of breast pump. (note to self... if you're a nursing mamma and there's a chance of bad weather TAKE YOUR BREAST PUMP!) I pulled into the CVS parking lot and jumped out of the car... only to find that CVS was CLOSED! Utter disappointment does not even come close to how I felt. I completely lost all composure. 

My meltdown... there's no where for me to go, my kids are stuck at daycare, my milk ducts are nearing explosion, I'm covered in urine, I've been in the car for 4 1/2 hours, Keith is stranded on Hwy 31, Dad abandoned his car and walked home... it was all too much.

I texted Rachel to tell her where I was and she offered to let me come to her house, assuming I could get back to the interstate to backtrack to her exit. 

A glimmer of hope!

I made it to her exit, she talked me through getting to her house, and I made it to the bottom of the hill at the entrance to her neighborhood. That's where I stopped... not by choice... but because there were SEVERAL cars in front of me that were completely blocking the road, due to sliding back down the hill. There was no option of going any further. I was either going to have to stay in my car until the weather broke and the ice thawed or I was going to have to abandon ship.

I rolled back down the street and found a place to abandon the car. I took a deep breath and climbed out of my warm car. 

One step into the ice/snow and I IMMEDIATELY regretted wearing smooth-soled dress shoes with no socks. My pants and feet were wet and freezing!! I walked about halfway up the hill and this precious good samaritan man, who had a 4-wheel-drive truck parked at the top of the hill offered to drive me to Rachel's house!!! THANK YOU GOD! We walked up to the top of the hill and climbed in his truck... HEAT!! It was SO WARM! Rachel met me with her car at the end of her street and I transferred over to her car. 

I was so cold, it hurt. We drove to her house and at 4:05 pm (FIVE hours after leaving work) we went inside. Rachel, precious Rachel. She let me take a hot shower, fixed me dinner, washed my nasty clothes, gave me clothes to wear, and is letting me stay the night! (not that leaving would be an option, anyway)

For the rest of the family....

Keith made it within a mile of daycare. He abandoned his car and walked the mile, to get to the boys. He's staying at daycare with our oldest 2 kids tonight. Dad abandoned his car a couple miles from my parents house. He walked the remaining distance and is home with my mom and Declen. Our cats are just going to have to be hungry tonight... glad we fed them this morning!  

Thank you, Lord! We are all safe and warm tonight.

Update: I reached a point of shear desperation (and PAIN)... we went to a few of Rachel's neighbors and found an awesome woman who let me use her pump! Oh goodness... SO.MUCH.RELIEF!

14 oz

New Year, New Us

This is going to be a long one (longer than usual) because we have A LOT of things going on right now. For this reason, I’m going to break it down by person…

Keith

Keith graduated from UAB’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and is now a full-time Physical Therapist (with a temporary license) for Therapy South. He takes his boards on January 29^th and has been studying NON-STOP for two months now, so feel free to keep him in your prayers!

Keith's Doctoral Hooding

Landen – age: 3 ½, height: 39 inches, weight: 36 pounds

Landen is doing much better with the whole potty training backsliding situation. We had an additional backslide when the WHOLE FAMILY (immediate and extended family) came down with the world’s worst stomach/intestinal bug the week of Christmas. The boys actually had a good three weeks of stomach/intestinal torture and had to remain in diapers around the clock! Luckily, we are all better now. PTL! Landen can finally say Declen’s name right and usually does so without us correcting him, so thankfully we have a baby /DEC-len/ instead of what sounded disturbingly similar to baby /DUCK-ling/! As always, living with young children brings a wide array of bizarre logic and funny sayings, so to add to the Kids Say the Darnedest Things (KSDT) log…

1.      We were watching Disney’s The Rescuers DownUnder and Keith told Landen that “Down Under” is referring to Australia, a place that Keith has visited. The conversation went something like this…

Landen (as he examines the DVD cover pictures): “What we watchin?”

Keith: “We’re watching The Rescuers Down Under. Down Under is a place called Australia. It’s a country that’s a long long way from here.”

Landen (still looking at the DVD cover pictures): “ohh…”

Keith: “Did you know that daddy went to Australia one time, a long time ago?”

Landen (looking at Keith with amazement): “OH! You went there when you were a mouse?!”

Keith: “Nevermind…”

2.      We were driving down the interstate one day and heard Landen start singing.

Landen: “Happy Birthday, Uncle Raece! Happy Birthday, Uncle Raece!”

*Note: we hadn’t seen Raece in several weeks and it is NO WHERE NEAR his birthday…

3.      Last week, Landen came home from daycare and was telling us about his day and a new student in his class.

Me: “Who did you play with today?”

Landen: “Mario.”

Me: “Mario? I didn’t know you had a boy named Mario in your class. Is he new?”

Landen: “Yeah, he’s new. I like him. He has a black face. He’s my friend.”

(Landen’s class has SEVERAL different cultures and ethnicities represented in it… he has never noticed before. I guess he is starting to be more observant these days…)

4.      I was nursing Declen and Landen was talking to Brayden and me.

Landen: “Hey Mommy, what you’re doin?”

Me: “I’m feeding baby.”

Landen (turning to Brayden): “Mommies have two tummies. One tummy to grow babies and then one tummy to feed babies.” (Turning back to me): “Right Mommy?”

Me: “um… something like that.”

5.      Landen talking to himself while playing with the magnets on the refrigerator. He was “driving” the car magnet to different “places” represented by other magnets.

Landen (Picking up the cross magnet and placing it in front of the car magnet): “This is the Promised Land. That’s where we go at church. That’s where I’m driving… and then to the zoo!”

6.      Talking about the alphabet.

Me: “What does an A sound like?”

Landen: /a/

Me: “What word starts with the /a/ sound?”

Landen: “um… apple”

Me: “That’s right! Good…”

Landen (interrupting/screaming): “AND ACROBAT!”

Me (in shock): “Good job, buddy! Where did you learn that word?”

Landen: “I dunno…”

Christmas Football #4

Brayden – age: 23 months old, height: 29 ½ inches, weight: 24 pounds

Brayden is a funny little stinker, I mean he is hilarious! He is FINALLY on the growth charts (in height AND weight)!!! He LOVES to play football and shouts, “AL-O-BAM-MA” repeatedly as he runs around with the football in his hand. His favorite song is Christ is Enough for Me (with I Have Decided to Follow Jesus) and he randomly starts singing “No turning back, no turning back, no turning back” as he is playing with his toys. After singing/running in circles to Ring-Around-the-Rosie with Landen one day, he got up and started running in circles in our living room and would spontaneously shout “DOWN!” and would drop to the floor. Brayden is very sensitive. If Landen gets in trouble and we have to correct him, Brayden will stand in between us and Landen and say, “No Mommy, no Daddy.” I think Brayden is even more of a talker than Landen. He also gets a little confused with his responses sometimes.

KSDT for Brayden

1.      We can ask him pretty much anything, and he will reply with, “no.” He isn’t being obstinate or stubburn (though he definitely has that in him), it’s just the first thing that comes out of his mouth. For instance, he can be devouring something that he LOVES to eat and if we say, “Is that yummy, Brayden?” or “Do you like that?” his response is, “no.” When he wants more of something he’ll say, “more” but when he wants someone to share their food with him he’ll say (and repeat), “some?” When he wants to be held or picked up, he’ll ask, “down?” If he needs help, he’ll say, “help you?”

2.      While we were doing the bedtime Bible story, Keith was sitting in the floor (with his shirt off) reading the Bible to the boys. The boys were in their pajamas and Brayden was wearing onsie pajamas

Brayden (sticking his finger in Keith’s belly button): “Belly Button!” 

Keith: “yep”

Brayden (sticking his finger in Keith’s belly button, again): “Belly Button!”

Keith (trying to get back to the story):  “yeah, that’s my belly button. You have one, too”

Brayden (looking at his pajama covered belly): “belly button? Belly button hiding”

Brayden (tugging on his pajamas trying to get to his belly): “Belly Button? BELLY BUTTON?”

Brayden (Frantically pulling on his pajamas): “BELLY BUTTON!? BELLY BUTTON LOST. BELLY BUTTON LOST!!!!!” (Hysterical screaming and crying)

We had to strip him down out of his pajamas to prove to him that he still had a belly button…

Christmas Movies

Declen – 2 months, height: 21 ½ inches, weight: 13 pounds

Declen is such a sweet little guy. Over the past few weeks, Declen has started smiling and cooing. I’m pretty sure it’s the sweetest thing in the entire world. Right now he is wearing size 3 month clothes and size 2 diapers. He can’t handle when his big brothers cry, so he pouts and cries, too (no sense crying alone!). He is my first chubby baby and I LOVE it! Declen won’t go to sleep in a crib or anywhere for that matter, unless he is physically touching another human being. He’s eating every 2 ½ to 3 hours. For those two reasons, we have discovered that it’s just so much easier for all of us if we co-sleep. He is colicy and despite trying diet changes and various formulas, nothing has helped much. He is MUCH less fussy when I give him reflux medicine (prevacid) and occasionally we get some relief from Colic Calm. He has a lip tie and possibly a tongue tie which could be affecting his ability to eat without swallowing excessive air. He absolutely despises his car seat and will make sure everyone is aware of this, sometimes for the entire duration of the car ride. We have found that he really enjoys swinging and for a while (since our swing motor died) we had to swing the swing by hand. Fortunately, a sweet, longtime friend of my sister (and our family) gave us her children’s old baby swing!! The world is a MUCH better place now with a working swing.

Me

My high blood pressure and gestational diabetes left with the pregnancy, so I don’t have to worry about pricking my finger or taking blood sugar/blood pressure medicine anymore. My recovery from the c-section was pretty smooth (aside from an infection at the incision site that looked/felt/smelled awful but cleared right up with antibiotics). Breastfeeding baby #3 has it’s perks and it’s challenges. On the one hand, I am pumping 18 ounces a day (I ONLY pump when I’m at work which is two times, usually 9:00am and 2:30pm), so it works out to about 9 oz each time I pump. On the other hand, my letdown flat drowns the babe! 

Life with 3 kids is a big adjustment and a sense of humor is vital for survival! I’m pretty sure that every time I think I have my act together, I discover that a) I have my shirt on backwards at work (yesterday), b) we left the van door open all night (Tuesday), c) our toilet has been decorated with dry erase marker (twice in one week! At least is was dry erase!), d) someone mixed up the cat food with cat litter in the cat’s water bowl (Saturday), e)-z) you name it! I DO love it though, and would not trade it for the world! 

My 3 Boys

Since Keith got a job, we would have to put all three kids in daycare which would cost us more than my salary. For this reason, beginning mid-February, I will be transitioning to life as a stay-at-home mom. I’m super excited (and super scared)! I have no idea how to be a stay-at-home mom for ONE child, much less THREE! But God has always provided for us and I know He will continue to do so! I do look forward to actually spending significant time teaching/raising my kids, rather than hoping to spend 2-2 ½ hours with them at the end of the day! It’s a major change, and any advice is welcomed!

Santa's Delivery
Christmas 2013

18 Months (& 24 Weeks)

Brayden is an 18 month old! How is that even possible!?

He is an absolute blessing! His laugh is so heartfelt. His love is so genuine and constant. His curiosity and determination are so defining and encouraging. His words are so carefully planned and practiced. His little heart is so big, while his little body is so small. It is so hard to imagine our life before he joined us!

Sweet boy, you are treasured, loved, and blessed beyond measure! You are a perfect creation by God!

Most children at age 18 months are well beyond wearing "baby" clothes or have completely outgrown "baby" toys. For Brayden, this is not the case. Mentally, he is on (above) "par" but size wise he is small, very small. At this point, we don't know if Brayden is just a late bloomer that will fully catch up or if there is something "wrong". Either way, Brayden is exactly how God made him and that is perfect. He has never let his size hold him back - the child can climb anything! He can wrestle Landen as if they were the same size. If he is meant to have a small stature, then that's how it is and he will be perfectly equipped for whatever the Lord has in store for him.

He had his 18 month appointment on Friday. Brayden has grown 1/2 inch and gained 2 ounces since his last well child checkup. For this reason, our pediatrician wants us to see a specialist - to make sure there isn't something going on that we are missing.

Side Note: We've always known he was small for his age, but it really didn't seem like that big of a deal until we realized he was being held back from kids his age & maturity because he was "too small" or because it wasn't "safe" for him to be in a room with kids that were "so much bigger" than him. It was at this point that it really hit me how people are categorized, and as a mom it made me feel horrible. At 17 months old, he was still in the newborn class. Sure, he had precious teachers who had some great one-on-one time with him (because the babies were sleeping a good bit during the day), but he wasn't getting to play with kids his age - or kids at all, really. It wasn't until registration for this new year, that we realized he was being placed in the infant class AGAIN. Don't get me wrong, we have a great daycare that does a LOT of wonderful things! It's because he's the same SIZE as the babies - he was just being overlooked. This hurt. I mean, he didn't know any different and he was content, but he also wasn't being challenged intellectually. He wasn't getting to play outside, he didn't have interaction with kids, the toys were way to young for him, everyone in his class drank out of bottles and were fed by the teachers (if they were at that point) - how had I missed this!? This child that was "too small" is the same kid that can: flat take-out my 3 year old (who happens to be a FULL FOOT taller than him), climb the shelves in our closet, throw a ball right.into.your.hands, sit at the table (in an adult chair) for meals, speak 70+ words (that I've been able to write down), sit and "read" books to himself, etc. He needs to be challenged, to play, to explore, to grow (in whatever way that may be).

Currently, we are waiting for the appointment to be set up for us to see the specialist. In the meantime, the pediatrician (actually the nurse) called to let us know the initial/preliminary blood work came back normal! :)

Pregnancy: 24 weeks

So this week marks one of the biggest milestones of pregnancy for me. This is because it is, what is generally considered, the age of viability. I mean, I know that this baby is NO WHERE NEAR being ready to join the air breathing world, BUT I also find a certain level of peace in knowing that IF something were to happen, there is a chance he could possibly survive outside the womb. <= Don't worry, I plan to keep him in there for at least another 13 weeks (hopefully more), as I'm counting on this being the longest pregnancy I've had yet... anyway... this post is intended to be mostly a Brayden post, so I'll save the rest of my pregnancy stuff for a later date :)

17 months

Brayden is 17 months old today. 

He weighs approximately 18 pounds, wears size 12 month clothes, and I completely forgot how tall he is… Mom of the year right here!

Brayden is becoming SUPER talkative and babbles almost constantly… though he actually says only a handful of recognizable words… BUT over the past couple of days, he has really begun repeating words he hears us say. He is such a happy and content child!

His favorites: being independent, his stuffed lion (given to him by his Papa), dogs (and barking like them), Cali (our cat), giving kisses, Landen (and anything Landen does), water play (outside, inside, sink, shower, tub, toilet… whatever), emptying drawers/cabinets, climbing on everything, singing, books, dancing, cheerios, crackers, the litter box, his bottle (we almost got rid of it altogether, but then he got sick), most anything he can make noise with, trashcans, sleeping ON mommy’s face, and bananas

His LEAST favorites: closed doors/gates, mommy or daddy leaving the room, nebulizers, vacuum cleaner, being told “no”, being restrained/confined, and being fed by someone other than himself

I cannot imagine my life without this precious child. He is so adventurous, fearless, independent, funny, intelligent, sweet, and sensitive.

~~ In other news ~~

• Brayden’s bronchiolitis is MUCH better!! He’s gone 2 full days without needing a breathing treatment! We are keeping him out of daycare for a while to help him rebuild his immune system
• Keith had to get stitches Saturday for inadvertently attempting to amputate his big toe… complements of a hammer, an old dilapidated lawn chair, and his flip-flop… he’s fine now (stitches can come out in a week)
• Landen had a fever on Sunday that was 105.8*F and went to the ER, after already having been to Children’s After Hours Clinic… apparently he has a virus
• We have decided to name Baby # 3: Declen Miles Thomas. Declen (a variation of Declan means Prayerful man)

From the Mouths of Babes... and 31 weeks

Week 31: Watermelon (or Four Big Oranges)

31 weeks: Baby Brayden now weighs as much as four navel oranges (Length: over 16 inches, head to heel.) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy

 

Life Update: 

• Keith was talking to Brayden, aka my belly, last night and Landen decided he would too! Landen put his mouth against my belly and was yelling, “WA WAWA BAWA WAWAWA.” I was covered in drool by the end of Landen’s conversation, but it was possibly one of the funniest things I have ever experienced! I still don’t know if Landen has ANY idea that there is a baby in my belly. 
• We were able to get several things in the house ready for Brayden over the 3 day weekend:
• Pack-n-play
• Cradle (used to be Keith’s mom’s cradle)
• Baby book
• Bottles and slow-flow nipples
• Infant pacifiers
• Baby monitor
• Cleaned and sorted infant toys
• Replaced batteries 
• Landen is seeing all his old stuff (i.e. toys, bottles, pack-n-play, etc .) and thinks it’s all for him… he’s said “MINE” 16,871,846,741,684 times this weekend
• Landen is getting tubes in his ears on Friday! He woke up Sunday night with a nasty cough, so we took him to the doctor yesterday. The doctor said it wasn’t anything to prevent his surgery on Friday, but she gave him some medicine to make sure it doesn’t turn into anything… because dang-it WE ARE GETTING TUBES THIS FRIDAY come hell or high-water! Oh, and he has a double ear infection and he’s teething his two-year molars.
• Landen has become VERY talkative lately… VERY TALKATIVE! He will talk non-stop, but there is always a question of what he is actually saying… some words sound the same as others, some have a slight resemblance at one point of the actual word, and some words sound a little inappropriate…
• Football (easily confused with Momma) sounds remarkably like butt-hole… this we HAVE to work on ASAP!
• Gus (our cat) sounds like “cgusth”
• Cracker, tractor, doctor, play-dough, and door (I think he may be saying ‘the door’) sounds like “duh-doh”… and these can be all be confused with football and momma
• Bee (the buzzing creature), B (the letter), R (the letter… confused with B), and Wee (the exclamation) all sound like, “BEE”
• Boot, booboo, and poop sound like, “Boo” or “Poo” depending on the day
• Paci sounds like, "Bat-thee"
• Car, star, go, shoe, door, and dog sound like, “daw” (but can sound like “duh-doh”, too)
• Please, peas, tree, and piece sound like, “Peeethz”
• Papa sounds like, “bot-BAH”
• Puzzle-piece sounds like, “Buh-duh PEETHZ” (although it periodically gets additional syllables)
• Macaroni-n-cheese sounds like pure gibberish with “EETHZ” on the end
• Cat, hat, sock, and that sound like, “dat”
• Jacket sounds like, “dat-dat” which can be confused with daddy
• In addition to all of these, sometimes Landen will add “yo” to the end of words, just to keep you on your toes…Not to mention the constant sounds and combinations that he says in-between all his old and new words!
• Keith and I have been working on a puzzle that is so tricky and difficult! I LOVE puzzles, and I can usually fly through them… not this one! We have been working on it, little by little, for weeks now! (If you really know me, you would know that NEVER happens!) But it’s fun!
• Our church opened it's new building a couple weeks ago and it has been awesome! We are already bursting at the seams!
• My sweet friend Brooke cut my hair this weekend! It was great to see her and her precious daughter AND my hair hadn't been cut in close to a year... WAY overdue! It looks MUCH better!
• Landen is in the process of moving-up to the next class in daycare... they are letting him spend part of the day in his old class and part of the day in his new class. He seems to be loving it! It is SUCH a blessing that he is SO happy at his daycare!! 
• Apparently, last night Keith realized that we are about to be the parents of TWO children instead of just one... who knew!?

Pregnancy Update:

1. How far along? 31 weeks 0 day
2. Total Weight Gain? 7 lbs
3. Fundal Height? 31ish
4. Baby Heart Rate? 140s-150s
5. Baby Bump?  Absolutely
6. Movement? He is moving and stretching and getting quite strong! He had the hiccups last night and every time he hiccupped, his head would hit me… (TMI WARNING: I felt like someone was thumping me in the crotch every couple of seconds)
7. Cravings? Chocolate, milkshakes, milk...
8. Aversions? Meats, ONIONS, spicy stuff 
9. Symptoms? Contractions, Moody (sorry…), CLUMSY, Pains (back, sciatic, leg, hip, neck, etc), Cramps (stomach, back, and into my thighs), Hands and feet beginning to swell, Legs falling asleep, Headaches, TIRED, Forgetfulness,  Heartburn, and a few very unpleasant unmentionables
10. Sleep? Yeah, right.
11. Gender? Boy! Brayden Daniel Thomas
12. Belly button? In, but shallow
13. What I miss? Being comfortable!
14. What I’m looking forward to? Making some name art for Brayden
15. Concerns? Unpaid maternity leave.
16. Blessings? My blood pressure seems to be maintaining. Having a job. Keith. Landen. Family. Friends. Landen’s daycare.

Peanut = Ear of Corn

Week 24: Ear of Corn

Your baby has caught up with an ear of corn in size and gained about 1/4 pound since last week. (Length: a foot.)

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Doctor’s Report: Peanut weighs just over 1 ½ lbs and is just over 1 ft long. His head is down; pushing into my cervix (pleasant… I KNOW!). He is measuring about 1 – 1 ½ weeks ahead. Because I am carrying him SO LOW and his head is way down in my pelvic floor, I have to start wearing a support belt. Hopefully, this will make me a little more comfortable and have fewer contractions. With all the pelvic and sciatic pain, my doctor wants me to go see a physical therapist. My blood pressure was good this time! She is hoping I can make it 3 more months (to the end of February)… we shall see.

Life Update:

• Thanksgiving was great! We had awesome food, Landen played with his 6 yr old cousin for HOURS!
•  Landen decided to be more talkative than ever… Dictionary of Landen:
•  “Pea” = please, green, tree, pink, peas, and beans
• “Bawwh” = ball
• “Bouw” = brown
• “OHWWOW” = yellow, anything exciting/surprising/different, or if he falls down
• “Ay” (pronounced like Hey without the H) = hey, peak-a-boo, anytime he finds something he was looking for, cat appears
• “Uh oooh” = when he falls, drops something, can’t find something, or someone/something/cat disappears
• “Up” = cup, or if he wants up or down
• “Yea or Yesh” = yes
• “Yea ya ya ya” = when he is very excited about getting or agreeing to something
• “That” accompanied by a pointing finger = anything he wants, sees, or wants others to see
• "Oh" = orange
• "Bwuh" = black 
• "Behw" = bear
• We put our Christmas tree up! This is the first Christmas tree we have ever had, so we had to get ornaments and I attempted to make some…. FYI making ornaments is a nightmare great. I am terrible at it!!! How is it that I can be SO artsy in so many areas but NOT ornament decorating!?! Anyway, I am still working on the ornaments; I managed to make 1 that was tree worthy. Landen helped Keith hang all the ornaments. When we turned the tree lights on, Landen just stood there pointing at the tree saying, “OHWOW WOW OOOH WOW,” and then he tried to run over the tree with his push car… stinker.
• Landen started daycare (aka school) on Monday. He seemed to enjoy it and was quite a happy kid when he got home. When I was driving him to daycare this morning, I asked him if he wanted to go to “school” and he said, “Yea!” while passionately nodding his head up and down. Once we got there and I took him to his class, he turned and waved bye to me… His contentment with going to daycare makes me feel SO much better about him going!
• Landen face planted off his toy horse yesterday and busted his lip... AGAIN!
• Keith is sick. He starts finals tomorrow. Not a fun combination.
• This weekend is going to be super busy! We are having a Chi Omega reunion all weekend, our small group is doing a service project for the men at the Foundry on Sunday, Keith’s dad wants all of Keith’s brothers (& wives/fiancés/girlfriends and Landen) to get together on Sunday, Keith has finals next week and will be studying all weekend, and I know there is more but I can’t remember it all…

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far along? 24 weeks 1 days
2. Weight gain? 0 lbs (I broke even after Thanksgiving meals)
3. Baby bump? Obviously
4. Maternity clothes? AND a maternity/SI support belt
5. Movement? YES! And he is getting stronger
6. Cravings? Chocolate, pizza, balsamic vinegarette, nutty-buddy bars, Christmas tree cakes, and MILK
7. Aversions? onions, bell peppers, meats...
8. Symptoms? Back pain, pelvic pressure, sciatic pain, headaches, stomach cramps/contractions, tired, legs falling asleep, and some other not so pleasant things.
9. Sleep? It’s not great. My dreams are just plain NUTS!
10. Gender? Boy
11. Belly button? In
12. What I miss? Sleep, being able to reach stuff under my desk, laying on the floor and letting Landen crawling all over me, getting comfortable, laying on my stomach.
13. What I'm looking forward to? Naming this child!
14. Concerns? My sister having her baby and me not being allowed to travel there for her. Maternity leave (or lack thereof).  Missing work to go to all my doctor’s appointments AND to physical therapy appointments… ugh! Why can’t they work hours that I DON’T have to be at work!?
15. Blessings? Family. Friends. Small Group. My job. Keith. Landen. Peanut. Blood pressure maintaining. Daycare being a good experience for Landen.
16. Pictures:




Profile





Profile... hand on face





Kicking the mess out of me... straight legged kicking



Thanksgiving and a Mango, again?

Week 23: Mango, again?!?

Developing this week: Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb. See your baby at 23 weeks gestation.

P.S. I thought Peanut was the size of a mango at 19 weeks... hum... i definitely don't think he is shrinking!

Life Update:

• Ok, so you remember how about a month ago Landen had a double ear infection? Yeah, it's back. DARNIT! The doctor worked him in to her schedule today, and he is now on a different kind of antibiotics than he was last time.... cross your fingers that this one works!
• It's THANKSGIVING WEEK!! WOOHOO!! Lots of really good food! Two days off work PAID!! Spending time with family!!! AHH!! I am so excited!!
• Landen just up and starting doing all the motions for the Itsy Bitsy Spider, right out of nowhere! He is such a fun kid!
• I stood up for myself when this construction worker who comments DAILY on my pregnancy and told him to stop! (he says crap like, "man you have GOT to be having AT LEAST quadruplets" "That is going to be a HUGE baby" "Are you sure you're not PAST your due date already" and other things that make a little more than an emotional trainwreck)
• We (Keith & I) have our very first Christmas tree --> donation from my parents in hopes of cleaning out their storage room... whatever! :)
• We are going to put up the Christmas tree over the break and make our very own ornaments... it's cheap AND personal AND fun AND Landen can help!
• We through in the towel and registered Landen for Daycare.... ugh.. He starts in 1 week.
• Since I have to work M, T, and W this week, I am looking forward to a few things that come with that:
• Less traffic on I-65 -- if you live close by and understand the enormity of the road construction combined with idiotic drivers you will appreciate this too!
• awesome parking spots in the parking deck at work!
• the possibility of my precious husband doing some house work while I'm at work... :)
• and getting paid ;)

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far along? 23 weeks 0 days
2. Weight gain? Probably not even CLOSE to what it will be by next week! Thank you Thanksgiving dinner! :)
3. Baby bump? I COULD be confused with a theif trying to steal a turkey... note to self: stay out of the grocery store!
4. Maternity clothes? What else would I be wearing? nevermind. don't. answer. that.
5. Movement? YES! There really isn't a pattern.... it's pretty much around the clock
6. Cravings? Chocolate milkshakes, those little Poppers that Arby's USED to have (but apparently don't anymore), salad with balsamic vinegarette, nutty-buddy bars, MILK
7. Aversions? onions, bell peppers, meats...
8. Symptoms? Back pain, sciatic pain, headaches, stomach cramps/contractions, etc
9. Sleep? Not so much! Between all that is listed in #8, Peanut's 24/7 cardio routine, and Landen having an ear infection... sleep would be MUCH appreciated!
10. Gender? Boy
11. Belly button? Still in... it never poked out when I was pregnant with Landen, so it will be interesting to see what it does this time around.
12. What I miss? Sleep, being able to reach stuff under my desk, laying on the floor and letting Landen crawling all over me, etc.
13. What I'm looking forward to? Naming this child! Thanksgiving. Putting up Christmas stuff for the first time. Christmas. Time with Keith and Landen!
14. Concerns? Landen going to daycare. My sister having her baby and me not being allowed to travel there for her. Maternity leave (or lack there of).
15. Blessings? Family. Friends. Small Group. My job. Keith. Landen. Peanut.

Peanut is the size of Something...

Week 22: Papaya or Spaghetti Squash

Well, it seems that there is some question about the actual size of this baby, depending on which site you visit. Plus The Bump seems to be dropping the ball on the week-by-week updates from here on out... such a shame. SO here is MY summary - Peanut can hear me when I talk/sing/burp/hiccup/etc. He weighs approximately 1 lb. and is about 1 ft. long from head-to-toe. Peanut is currently working on his aerobic exercises, which seem to involve lots of kicking and punching. From what I've been told, he sleeps 12-14 hrs. each day, but I'm not so sure about that - unless maybe he continues his exercises as he sleeps.

 

Life Update:

• We have hot water again!! WOOHOO!!! <~ almost made me late for work; it felt so good that I didn't want to get out of the shower!!
• I have a cold/sinus infection/ SOMETHING that's making my head weigh much more than normal, creating unbelievable pressure in my face, giving me nose bleeds and headaches, and generally making me feel kind of BLAH!
• I have no idea what this kid is going to be named. NO CLUE AT ALL!
• Unless someone happens to know someone that would love to be a nanny for Landen and ultimately Peanut, then we have no choice but to start him in daycare... something Keith and I both dread, an idea we both loath, and something that in all reality we cannot even come close to affording on my salary... we are pretty much out of options.

 

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far: 22 weeks 0 days
2. Total weight: -4 lbs
3. Baby bump: You bet!
4. Fundal height: I can't figure out how to do this measurement on myself, so I'll just have to wait until my next appointment
5. Maternity clothes: Yep and I no longer have a choice in this matter.
6. Movement: YEAH! All the time, around the clock!
7. Cravings: Not really much of anything... though the stuff I do want to eat is strictly bland stuff
8. Aversions: Stinky stuff, ONIONS, and sweets
9. Symptoms: Stomach and back cramps, dizzy/lightheaded, headaches, sciatic pains down both my legs, sudden need to run to the potty (thanks to strategically aimed kicks/punches to my bladder), slightly dumber than normal, moody/emotional ::SORRY::, very tired
10. Sleep: I've been having a hard time getting comfortable + I wake up 354218614 times during the night = not great
11. Gender: Still a boy
12. Belly button: It's still in
13. What I miss: Being able to easily reach the floor when I drop something...
14. What I look forward to: Keith and Landen being able to feel Peanut kicking and wiggling. Choosing a name for Peanut. Bedtime.
15. Concerns: My health, childcare, having 2 children under the age of 2!
16. 
    

    Blessings: My family. Friends.
17. Picture: I thought I would share my little monkey and my hubby this week... I am running a little late on the Halloween picture. O well.



He LOVES his stuffed animals



Peanut is the size of a Banana

Week 21: Banana 

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Life Update: We got to spend Sunday lunch with my family, celebrating my grandmother's 90th birthday! It is so amazing to think about how much has happened in her lifetime. I mean, 1921, when she was born was BEFORE the great depression and BEFORE WWII; not to mension home televisions, microwaves, computers, cell phones, etc. WOW! What is even more amazing, is that she still has a wonderfully clear mind and can remember stuff like it just happened yesterday! She is an awesome, God fearing woman, and I am so blessed to have her in my life!

ALSO, because of my grandmother's birthday party, I got to see my sister. Seeing how we are both pregnant and living 3 hours away from each other, it's been a while since we were last together.

PLUS, combining all different senarios (highchair acrobatics, bed falls, climbing on random objects, general clumsiness, etc) Landen managed to hit is head 9 times on Saturday! Good grief! I think he must be part cat to have the ability to continue life as normal.

AND, our water heater died on Sunday... COLD SHOWERS! =(

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far: 21 weeks 0 days
2. Total weight: -4 lbs
3. Baby bump: You bet! I am 10 weeks behind my sister, she looks like she is 10 weeks behind ME! I blame this on the fact that this is her 1st child. See for yourself in the picture.
4. Fundal height: I can't figure out how to do this measurement on myself, so I'll just have to wait until my next appointment
5. Maternity clothes: Well, I believe I no longer have a choice in this matter. BUT I did get some maternity khaki pants this weekend (courtesy of my birthday money) and I am really excited about them because I now have 3 pairs of pants to rotate between church and work!
6. Movement: YEAH! I am not sure what happened over this past week, but this child must be doing aerobics 24/7!
7. Cravings: Not really much of anything... though the stuff I do want to eat is strictly bland stuff
8. Aversions: Stinky stuff, ONIONS, and sweets
9. Symptoms: Stomach and back cramps, headaches, sciatic pains down both my legs, sudden need to run to the potty (based primarily on direct bladder kicks/punches), slightly dumber than normal, moody/emotional ::SORRY::, very tired, STRANGE DREAMS, and I do believe the floor is getting further and further away by the day.
10. Sleep: It's ok, strange dreams + aches & pains + life = not great but it is manageable
11. Gender: Still a boy
12. Belly button: It's still in
13. What I miss: You know when you're in the car and something rolls in to the floor board and you just pick it up like it's no big deal? I miss that!
14. What I look forward to: Keith and Landen being able to feel Peanut kicking and wiggling. Choosing a name for Peanut. Bedtime. THE WATER HEATER WORKING AGAIN!
15. Concerns: My health, childcare options, having 2 children under the age of 2!, Landen being able to climb up & down his highchair...ugh!
16. Blessings: My family. Getting to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday!! Friends. This weather; it is BEAUTIFUL outside!
17. Picture: Like I said, my sister is 31 weeks and I am 21 weeks, but I look like I am further along... o well! Maybe she's just taller so she has more vertical room to expand!? lol.

Peanut is the size of an Onion

Week 17: Onion

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far along: 17 weeks 0 days
2. Total weight gain: -5 lbs
3. Baby bump: Yep. 
4. Maternity clothes: Yep.
5. Movement: Occasionally I can feel a little flutter.
6. Cravings: Milk, cheese, peanut butter, spinach dip, Stix (even though I JUST ate there this weekend), juice...  
7. Aversions: Mostly sweet stuff... WHAT?!?!  
8. Symptoms: Tired, hungry, heartburn, stomach/back cramps, and moody
9. Sleep: I wish
10. Gender: It's a boy!!
11. Belly button: In
12. What I miss: My ability to complete things without screwing it up... no.brain.what-so-ever. 
13. Best moment(s) of this week: Seeing peanut on the U/S
14. What I'm looking forward to: When Keith and Landen get to feel Peanut kick/move.
15. Concerns: Childcare for Landen (and eventually Peanut)! Non-existant Maternity Leave for me. Developing Pre-eclampsia again.

Update: Landen looks less like a unicorn than before... the blue bump is downsizing. He rebusted his lip yesterday while pitching a fit about nap time... poor kid! My nose, still hurts, but isn't as swollen and most of the bruising is across the bridge and under my eyes. I can pretty well cover it with makeup to the point that I look more tired than anything (unless you see me makeup-less).

Today has been a good day :)

Peanut is the size of an Avocado (Revised)

Week 16: Avocado



Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.


General Update: Keith was sick over the weekend, so we weren't able to celebrate my birthday as planned. He is feeling better, but is still not back to his normal energetic self. Despite that, Keith went to the store in the middle of the night last night to get me a bouquet of flowers (WITH sunflowers! My FAVORITE), starbursts, and a sweet card!! He is SUCH a thoughtful, wonderful husband!

Doctor's Appointment: My blood pressure is staying under control (124/72); Peanut's heartrate is strong and healthy (160 bpm). Peanut is 5 inches long and weighs 5 oz, with head on my right side and feet on my left side. Next appointment is November 1st.
I was signing in at the doctor's office and I could not, for the life of me, figure out the date... IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY! I should know what day it was!! <- Pregnancy makes me stupid!!

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far along: 16 weeks 0 days 16 weeks 1 day
2. Total weight gain: I'll know this afternoon :) -5 lbs
3. Baby bump: Yep. No doubt about it.
4. Maternity clothes: Most of the stuff I'm wearing these days falls under the Maternity catagory...
5. Movement: Occasionally I can feel a little flutter.
6. Cravings: Milk, Lemon Pie, Stix Favorite = Japanese-side Steak meal… Keith took me to Zaxby’s Friday after work to quench one of my cravings!
7. Aversions: Diapers, Bacon, Bratwursts’ (YUCK!), Hamburgers, Onions, etc.  
8. Symptoms: So tired!, thirsty, hungry, emotional, MOODY, nosebleeds, and tummy/back cramps, headaches
9. Sleep:  Have I ever gotten a good night's sleep? I can't remember.
10. Gender: HOPEFULLY we will know this afternoon!!! IT'S A BOY!!!
11. Belly button: In
12. What I miss: Energy, my brain, etc. - I lose, forget, misunderstand, & screwup EVERYTHING!!!
13. Best moment(s) of this week: Getting to eat Zaxby’s, Landen saying, “Uh Oh”, watching Alabama annihilate Florida… ROLL TIDE!!  
14. What I'm looking forward to: THIS AFTERNOON’s doctor appointment and ultrasound!!  Choosing a name
15. Concerns: Childcare for Landen (and eventually Peanut). Non-existant Maternity Leave for me. Developing Pre-eclampsia again.