Halloween & Doctor's Report

Halloween

So, we sort of celebrate Halloween. It's not really a big deal, and Keith & I could totally do without it, but I think it's fun for kids to have a reason to dress up and be kids! Our little "neighborhood" doesn't ever have any kids trick-or-treating and I think it would be weird to show up in someone else's neighborhood to do that, SO we went to Publix. They do stuff for kids on Halloween like various games, face painting, hair painting/coloring, cookie decorating, and just basic kid-friendly trick-or-treating fun. After we left Publix, we drove over to my parents' house and let the boys show off their costumes.

Brayden was a shark (borrowed from a friend) and Landen was a scuba diver (home-made by mommy). Landen's pronunciation of his Halloween costume improved through the course of the night... at first he was referring to himself as a "Super Diaper" which progressed to "Scooper Diaper" and finally landed at "Scooper Diber". Once the accessories came off and he was in all black, Keith told him he was a Ninja. The pronunciation of Ninja never did stand a chance.... Landen got the sounds all backwards and called himself an In-jan /engine/ for the remainder of the evening. He never fails to make me laugh.

Gatorade Oxygen Tanks, Spiral Binding Snorkel, and Play Construction Worker Goggles 

My 3 boys

Shark deciding he doesn't love the headpiece

Shark diet: Marshmallow ghosts

Pregnancy Update: Week 35

1. How Far? 34 weeks
2. Bump? That's an understatement at this point
3. Weight Gain? 7 pounds
4. Belly Button? flat, stretched, and tender (especially when I run into door knobs)
5. Blood Pressure? 136/87 (it's been up this past week)
6. Fundal Height? 39 weeks - running.out.of.room.
7. Fetal Size Approximation? 39 weeks - He weighs about 6.5 - 7 pounds
8. Maternity Clothes? exclusively
9. Fetal Heart Rate? 143 bpm
10. Movement? YES! he is ALWAYS moving SOMETHING (kicks, punches, elbow jabs, etc)
11. Cravings? Lemonberry Slushie from Sonic
12. Aversions? Green Grapes, Red Beans, Onions, FISH
13. Symptoms? Swelling, CLUMSY, Braxton Hicks (some are rather painful), Headaches, Exhaustion, Emotional, Moody, Back pain, Pelvic Pain, Forgetfulness or just general stupidity, Nesting, and then some rather unpleasant things
14. Sleep? NOT GOOD! Difficulty going to sleep. Can't STAY asleep. Uncomfortable. I could go on...
15. Gender? Boy
16. Name? Declen Miles (Landen pronounces it /Duck-oh-lan/... PLEASE let this change before Declen is old enough to know better!!!)
17. Best Moment? Getting to fill out the Big Sibling book with Landen, watching him getting so excited to meet his new little brother, and having Landen rub my tummy to tell Declen goodnight. 
18. What I Miss? having room in my lap for Landen to sit... Brayden is still small enough that he just climbs on top of the bump and roosts there.
19. Doctor's Report? Declen's blood flow/oxygen to his brain looked good today. My amniotic fluid levels are in the upper range of normal. I convinced my doctors to allow me to continue working 1/2 days. I have NOT been diagnosed with preeclampsia but I am on preeclampsia precautions (since I am apparently a "ticking time bomb") and when I am home I HAVE TO STAY IN THE BED. Beginning today, I have to take a baby aspirin everyday (Change: The aspirin made me break out in hives). My doctors all agree that any day now, I have to be prepared for them to tell me to stop working and go on bedrest/have this baby. I apparently have 3 weeks MAX before Declen arrives. BUT THE BEST NEWS OF ALL: The fluid on Declen's heart has resolved itself!!! They said this is something that would not go away before he was born, but would hopefully stop increasing... IT'S GONE! PRAISE GOD!

Buddies, Beds, and Blessings

Life Updates

• Landen and Brayden are really becoming the best of friends! They are to the point now that (for the most part) they play with the same things, like the same books, look out for each other, etc. It’s such a precious time in our house! And though they do occasionally end up getting possessive over toys (or trash or cats or mommy/daddy’s attention or anything at all), they are also getting really good at sharing and helping each other!

Peanut Butter

Poor thing was so sleepy... I just had to take a picture

• Landen is officially sleeping in his big-boy bed (the bunk bed) and Brayden is FINALLY and officially sleeping in his big-boy bed (the toddler bed).

First night for Brayden to actually SLEEP in the toddler bed!

• Nana took Landen to get his first PROFESSIONAL haircut. He did great and it looks great!

• It occurred to us this past week that Declen is going to be here SOON! We dug out the baby clothes and got them in a drawer. It is crazy to think that the clothes we brought Landen home in are already too small for Declen. But it’s always fun to me to pull out the boys old clothes and get that flood of memories that go with the outfits… the milestones, the mishaps, the funny things, the learning experience, etc. Along with getting Declen’s wardrobe sorted, it also dawned on me that I’m probably going to need to get moving on packing a hospital bag (and overnight bags for the boys) one of these days! Especially since I have a history of unexpected birthdays (Landen @ 35 weeks during what should have been his Baby Shower and then Brayden @ 36 weeks)… I plan to pack bags this week!

• Keith has 3 weeks left of clinicals...  THREE WEEKS!!!!! I can't believe he is actually going to be finished with school! FINALLY! 

• We are now on car number 6! The wagon, despite the NUMEROUS desperate attempts at fixing every possible thing that could be related to the car, has officially kicked the bucket. Luckily, we were able to find and trade-in our money pit wagon to help us pay for a 2007 Chevy Uplander (by the grace of God and with the help of Keith’s dad). It’s nice and roomy and CLEAN (though I’m quite sure we will change that very quickly)! All three car seats fit with plenty of room to spare!! God ALWAYS provides!

• We celebrated my Dad's 66th Birthday last night... the whole way home and until he fell asleep, Landen was was singing "Happy Birthday to Papa! Happy Birthday to Papa!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pregnancy Update: Week 34 

(These stats are really more from last week as I have my weekly appointment tomorrow)

• How far? 33 weeks, 0 days - which means I (hopefully) have 4-6 weeks left in this pregnancy
• Bump? Most definitely!
• Weight Gain? 5 pounds
• Belly Button? Pretty much flat
• Blood Pressure? 136/86
• Fundal Height? 33-34 (last week)
• Fetal size approximation? 36 weeks (last week)
• Maternity Clothes? Definitely
• Fetal Heart Rate? 121 bpm
• Movement? YES! And when he moves, my entire midsection goes with it!
• Cravings? Chicken Tetrazzini, steak, green beans, key lime pie, lemon stuff...
• Aversions? Strong smelling stuff, green grapes, red beans, sausage, onions, FISH
• Symptoms? Braxton Hicks, Swelling of my hands and feet (especially by the end of the day), Headaches, Exhaustion, Moody, Emotional, Back Pain, Pelvic Pain, MAJOR Forgetfulness, some rather unpleasant things... and I've currently got a sinus infection & bronchitis so I’m not feeling my best, which apparently affects my blood sugar :(

Swelling by lunch time
Please disregard the polish... it's not a priority

• Sleep? Not great.
• Gender? BOY!
• Name? Declen Miles
• Best Moment? Ultrasound showing that the excess Amniotic Fluid has decreased, Declen’s growth slowed down a little this past week, and his blood flow/oxygen levels looked good!
• Doctor's Report? I don’t have preeclampsia! They checked my liver enzymes and everything came back normal. My platelet count looks good. The Gestational Diabetes (up until the last couple days when I've been sick) seems to be cooperating with my diet and medication. We are still trying to keep as much stress off of Declen as possible, so I am now working 4 hour days so I can rest more, which will HOPEFULLY allow me to continue working longer before starting my maternity/full-time leave (and maybe not have bedrest AT ALL for this pregnancy!). 

Twenty Nine

It's that time of the year again... MY BIRTHDAY!

I think the main thing I've dreaded about 29 is that it's one of those ages that no one believes (unless they know you actually ARE 29 and not just claiming it). But I DO keep thinking about how old 29 seemed for SO LONG... I mean 29 was practically 30, which was practically "middle age" when I was younger... clearly I had a skewed perspective, but then again a WHOLE LOT can happen and change within (almost) 3 decades! I mean, a TON has happened in just the last decade of my life!

29 Things I've Done (or that have happened in my life) over the last decade:

1. Attended, transferred, and graduated from college
2. Had 3 different college majors
3. Traveled all across this country numerous time (by car and plane)
4. Traveled to Peru
5. Traveled to Africa
6. Met my husband
7. Been engaged
8. Got married
9. Learned how to be a wife
10. Been pregnant 3 times (obviously still in the midst of one)
11. My feet and my ring finger have grown 1 full size (since my 1st pregnancy)
12. Become a mommy
13. Become an aunt
14. 2 C-Sections, sinus surgery, spinal blocks, & ear tubes
15. Been hospitalized for kidney stones, pregnancy complications, births, pneumonia, and a stomach bug
16. Had a total of 5 cats (not all at once): Gus, Milo, Charley, Cali, and Tilly
17. Worked 3 "grownup" jobs: Cache (Assistant Manager), Wells Fargo (Interim Loan Processor), Alabama Power (Admin Assistant)
18. Grown from being a college KID to being an adult
19. Owned a total of 5 cars (and yet I still drive the car I got when I was in high school)
20. Moved 8 times (all within the same state)
21. Discovered the value of family
22. Learned to really seek God and His will for my life
23. Gained a true appreciation for my parents (and all parents)
24. Learned how to forgive (others as well as myself)
25. Grown from being a victim to helping victims
26. Actually ached for the pain, suffering, and salvation of others
27. Learned (and continuing to learn) that God ALWAYS provides and that His plan is PERFECT
28. Discovered that no matter how much I research/read/consult/etc there are some parts of parenting that are completely new territory which NO ONE is prepared for!
29. Kept an amaryllis plant alive for 2 years and counting (my 1st plant to NOT annihilate)!!

Keith's 1st time to make a cake

Joint Birthday for me and Janeen
Ok, so it's not really the best pic of any of us, but I love how excited Landen is!

Pregnancy Stuff: Week 30

• How far? 29 weeks, 4 days (That's right... I'm 29 years old and I'm 29 weeks - I couldn't have planned it better if I'd tried)
• Bump? Of course! See picture below

Our family of 4 (and a bump)

• Weight Gain? I've gained 1 pound (so I'm at ZERO from pre-pregnancy)... though from the looks of things you probably wouldn't believe it!
• Belly Button? Shallow, but IN 
• Blood Pressure? 126/83
• Fundal Height? 31
• Fetal size approximation? 33 to 34 weeks
• Maternity Clothes? Definitely
• Fetal Heart Rate? 133 bpm
• Movement? This kid has a TON of energy and with his tushy and feet up it's very apparent!
• Cravings? LEMONADE, key lime pie, lemon stuff... not sure what's going on with the sweet/sour thing
• Aversions? Strong smelling stuff, green grapes, red beans, sausage, onions, FISH
• Symptoms? Some swelling of my fingers and feet by the end of the day, Headaches, Exhaustion, Moody, Emotional, Back Pain, some rather unpleasant things...
• Sleep? Meh it's alright, once I get comfortable. 
• I had a VERY weird dream last night though... something about me being pregnant and then the baby being born and I was out of town so wasn't there for the birth so I didn't get to see the baby for a few days because I had to come back in town to see my baby... I dunno... I was crying in my dream though.
• Gender? Definitely a BOY!
• Name? Declen Miles
• Best Moment? Finding out that the oxygen levels in Declen's brain looked good!! AND seeing his hair on the ultrasound (crazy right!?)!
• Doctor's Report? So I had a good visit to all my doctors on Tuesday. My blood sugar doesn't seem to be related (much at all) to what I eat, which means it’s the placenta that’s causing the craziness – if my blood sugar continues upward, then I will be placed on some medicine, but right now I’m just having to track my meals and blood sugar closely. The oxygen/blood flow to Declen's brain looked really good on the ultrasound/doppler and he had only grown 1 week's worth over the course of 1 week (Good job buddy!). I also learned that my High Risk OB is NOT an advocate for bedrest unless it's absolutely the last resort AND that we are going to try to get this baby as close to 40 weeks as safely possible! :)

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

We learned this past week that baby #3 is a BOY!

I was certain this one was going to be a girl… partially because Landen was certain it was a girl and because I am easily persuaded by my 3 year old, apparently.

Landen: 3 years

No longer seems to care about snuggling with Curious George at bedtime… he is OBSESSED with a stuffed 3.5 inch tall stuffed reindeer with a gimp antler (thrown to us during a Christmas parade). He LOVES it! It doesn’t have any special name; Landen just calls it his reindeer. Keith and I seriously hate that stupid reindeer because it is SO SMALL. It gets lost multiple times each day and the Where’s Waldo skills of a 3 year old are pretty useless, so we are regularly on the floor searching for this toy – his nose has fallen off, it's shirt unraveled, and his right felt antler is rapidly being stretched & twisted leading me to believe that in the VERY near future we are going to have a shirtless brown unicorn without a since of smell. It’s not that we have a shortage of stuffed animals… we have plenty to choose from… so why the trashy reindeer became the favorite is completely beyond me.

Landen LOVES Brayden. Landen will hold his hand and walk him around to help Brayden find his cup. He’ll “read” to Brayden, sing to him, tell him “It’s okay brudder,” share his food with him, give him hugs & kisses, and even share his toys without being told (on occasion). They really are precious together!

Landen still doesn’t like the vacuum cleaner, but when he knows it’s about to turn on, Landen will get out HIS vacuum cleaner (the FisherPriceLawnmower) and help! Landen loves wrestling with Daddy and Brother (modified). He talks to “Silly,” the baby in mommy’s tummy and LOVES for me to read him stories. Landen’s imagination has really grown lately and we will overhear him talking on the “phone,” racing his cars and declaring the winner, pretending there’s a big green giant, and other really silly things.

When Keith and I were discussing baby names, we named a few and Landen chimed in, giving us his total disapproval of the names we were discussing, saying “NO! Those aren’t names!” At which point we asked him what HE thought was a good name for baby and he said “Silly!” Fortunately for baby, we are NOT going to name him that.

We have moved on from having to give Landen a Whopper with each trip to the potty. Occasionally he’ll still ask for one, but he goes to the potty on his own accord now! Landen also wanted to help change Brayden’s diaper the other day… that was interesting.

Brayden: 16 months

Brayden is starting to speak with words, REAL words! He can say doggy, woof woof, outside, duck, sunny, no, mommy (the catch all term for “I need something”), cup, ball, tiger, roar, daddy, Landen (though we can only recognize that’s what he’s saying when he is repeating it after us), kitty, etc. He also says sfumny, a lot (a catch all word that is used in any and all situations, therefore we have no clue of its meaning). He also LOVES giving hugs and kisses (to people, animals, toys, books, the door, you name it). He is completely obsessed with books! Though he might only spend 30 seconds per book, if you leave him alone at the book shelf he’ll “read” for 1 – 1.5 hours at a time (and bring you every other book he handles, to let you see a picture or read approximately 5 words of it to him)!

Brayden is into EVERYTHING! He has this ridiculous obsession with the trash can; he really enjoys throwing things away… and digging things back out. Unfortunately, the things he throws away are usually NOT trash and the things he digs out are usually disgusting. When we tell him no, he’ll usually take one more step toward what he wants before giving in to the spoilers of all fun (parents). Periodically, he’ll just flat pretend not to hear anything and proceed as planned, especially if it involves the litter box, trash can, or toilet. As a result of his "into everything-ness" I get a call from daycare at least twice a week, because Brayden has bumped his head on something. Brayden will eat ANYTHING off someone else’s plate, but when he’s full food WILL be thrown… we’re working on that! He is fearless (aside from the vacuum cleaner)! An animal 4 times his size is fair game for him, and should probably beware! I think he may be teething again because he is biting things (and me occasionally) all the time.

Brayden ADORES Landen. He is finally able to really play with his big brother, now. They play cars, chase each other, spray each other with the sprinkler hose, share (to some degree) with each other… it is awesome! They “read” books, cuddle, watch movies, share food, dance, bathe, and sing together!

Baby Bump: 16 weeks

• Bump? Yeah… I haven’t been able to wear regular clothes in a while now, despite losing weight… I make myself feel better by telling myself it’s because this is my 3^rd baby…
• Weight Gain? Lost 6 pounds… gastritis. It’s great for weight loss, I guess…
• Belly Button? In
• Maternity Clothes? Yes
• Movement? Yep! Little flutters and a couple kicks 
• Cravings? Pineapple! I am no longer craving green grapes, but I could eat my weight in pineapples!
• Symptoms? EXTREME fatigue, fibro flare-ups, oily skin & hair, already getting some sciatic pain, stomach pains/lack of appetite (gastritis)
• Blood pressure? 120/74… WOOHOO! So far so good!
• Sleep? I pretty much want to sleep all the time, though I never really feel rested…
• Gender? BOY
• Heartrate? 140s
• Best Moment? Seeing this sweet boy on the ultrasound!

He's being shy... hand up at his head looking away

Feet crossed, legs stretched out... confirming gender.

Eggs Benedict & a Peach Smoothie

Warning: if squeamish avoid reading the last bit of the blog... just look at the pretty pictures :) Don't say you weren't warned

Landen is making some awesome progress with potty training. FINALLY! He gets SO excited about wearing big boy underwear! We are so proud of him! He does, however, not have much success using the potty at school. I think it’s a pressure thing… At home, he knows mommy and daddy are trying to help him with a goal that HE wants. At school, it’s more of a forced issue. He is really cute getting excited about his underwear. He keeps running up to me/Keith/anyone saying, “I wearin unnnderwear! Wanna see?!” then proceeds to show off is undies with the biggest smile on his face.

Landen (not wearing his glasses bc he was cuddling with me)

Brayden is such a precious little guy. He just LOVES his big brother (who absolutely ADORES him, too!)! They are learning how to really play together now, and it is such an awesome thing to watch.  We initially thought Brayden had a virus last week, but the more investigating we do, the more it seems he is having some milk sensitivity. Previously, we had been giving him formula (or breast milk) and that seemed to be fine. Then we started mixing a little milk in with the formula (still okay). Once we started mixing more milk and less formula, his diapers started going rotten.  Last week, we really began the 3/4-7/8 Milk to formula ratio. Things went bad, quick. Terrible diarrhea, vomiting, gas, fussiness, etc. all entered our lives. Over the weekend, we were at my mother-in-law’s house and we gave Brayden just straight milk with no formula and he starts projectile-vomiting, all over Keith’s mom. (SORRY!!!)  Keith’s mom and brother are both lactose intolerant, so it wouldn't be entirely out of the question for one of our children to be. We've decided to try soy milk for a while and see how that goes. Last night, Brayden had soy milk and kept it down fine. Time will tell.

This just makes me laugh...

Brayden playing on brother's tricycle

Keith just finished his first clinical rotation. He did SO well and I am so incredibly proud of him! He has the next two weeks off, so he’ll be keeping the boys home with him. This couldn't be better timing, with Brayden’s digestion issues and Landen’s potty training.

And finally….

We’re having another baby!

 Being pregnant, for me can be a bit frightening. I've had some crazy complicated pregnancies so far and that can be unnerving for anyone involved, but I know that whether I have preeclampsia again, a full term normal pregnancy, or something completely different, I know it’s in God’s hands. With that, I find immense peace! It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride so far. Aside from having morning (all day EXCEPT morning) sickness and my typical bizarre cravings, I have had some a lot of bleeding/cramping. It started on Friday, 4/26 and lasted through Sunday, 4/28. Then I had a terrible (like the worst one ever on planet earth) 24 hour stomach bug. I had a little spotting after that, but not bad. Then, on Saturday, 5/4 I woke up bleeding, it was a little more than spotting but not significant; by Saturday evening, it was EXTREME. As of last night, the bleeding had stopped completely. So far, after exams and ultrasounds, there is no known cause for the bleeding/cramping and baby looks just fine! BUT because of the bleeding, I am not allowed to lift anything = not my kids, not groceries, not car seats, nothing bigger than a 5 lb bag of sugar. On the upside, I have gotten to see the little peanut several times, and I have to go back this afternoon for another peek.

Please keep this sweet baby and my body in your prayers, as he/she is trying to have a safe little home in the body that doesn't seem to want to cooperate.

Cravings so far:

•         Beef stew
•         Eggs Benedict & a Peach Smoothie
•         NOT banana sandwiches (it may be a while before I eat one of those again)
•         NOT rice & beans (again with the time-to-recover)
•         Green grapes
•         Lumpless yogurt… I can’t explain it other than the fruit chunks aren’t going over well
• Filet Mignon

Week 29: Brayden Daniel

This sweet baby FINALLY HAS A NAME!!! Brayden Daniel Thomas!

Pregnancy Update:

1. How far along? 29 weeks 3 day
2. Total Weight Gain? 3 lbs
3. Fundal Height? 30 cm
4. Baby Heart Rate? 140s bpm
5. Baby Bump?  I’m carrying him LOW
6. Movement? Definitely feeling him move all the time and he's getting MUCH STRONGER!
7. Cravings? Ceaser Salad dressing with pizza... just go with it.
8. Aversions? Meats
9. Symptoms? Pains (back, sciatic, leg, hip, neck, etc), Cramps (stomach, back, and into my thighs), Legs falling asleep, Braxton Hicks, Congested, Headaches, TIRED, Forgetfulness,  Heartburn, and a few unmentionables
10. Sleep? no so great...
11. Gender? Boy! 
12. Belly button? In but rather shallow
13. What I miss? Energy, feeling safe climbing (and descending stairs), sleep, easy mobility, lying down without getting heartburn, etc
14. What I’m looking forward to? Making a name plate for Brayden!
15. Concerns? Maternity leave (or lack thereof). Finances while I'm out on my non-maternity leave. Retaking this stupid blood sugar test, AGAIN… definitely threw-up all over the doctor's office Wednesday morning in my attempt at the 3 hour glucose test! Now I have to do it all again this coming Wednesday.... ugh!
16. Blessings? My blood pressure maintaining. My job. Keith. Landen. Family. Friends.

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 a Sweet Potato!

Week 18: Sweet Potato

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

Baby is approx 5.6 inches from head to bottom, but approx 10 inches from head to toe!!

I don't think I ever realized just how ugly a sweet potato is, until I compare my little baby boy to one... yikes!

Life with a Toddler Stuff:

1. We took the front of Landen's crib off, to convert it to a toddler bed. He thought it was the coolest thing EVER!! We wanted to get him accustom to sleeping in a big boy bed one step at a time (crib -> converted crib -> full-on, brand-new toddler bed for Christmas), so that once Peanut gets here there will be no feelings of baby taking Landen's bed away from him.       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     The transition is going well, we decided to convert the bed first thing Saturday morning so he could have his naps during the day in his converted bed. This worked really well because when he woke up his room was lit enough from the daylight that he wasn't scared or confused by the change.
2. Landen is so funny trying to adjust to going to sleep at night in his convert bed. He knows he can get in and out, so he does. Even if he is so sleepy that he can't stand up, he will come in our doorway/his doorway/his room/the hall sqat down holding his bear with his head down and cry until we guide him back to his bed. Other times, he will come out of his room, crying with paci in mouth, bear in tow, and just walk around until he sees either Keith or myself; at which point he simply turns around (still crying, paci in mouth, bear in tow) and returns to his room. He's so cute.
3. For some time now, Landen will have "happy feet" - where he dances and stomps his little feet. Lately, rather than truely having "happy feet" he stomps just one foot, and not just to music. He stomps everything! Landen has been stomping leaves, sidewalk chalk drawings, shoes, string... everything! It's really funny to watch.
4. Landen is getting to be more advanced in his communication skills:
• when he's hungry - he goes to his highchair and says "up"
• anytime he wants to get up or down from something he says "up"
• if something falls/drops or gets thrown/kicked he says "uh oooo"
• he points to the snack cabinet if he wants a snack
• touches & stands next to the refridgerator when he wants his cup
• shakes/nods his head in response to questions
• says "ya ya ya" to answer yes to something exciting
• points to his head/foot/leg/nose/ear/mouth/eyes/arms/hand/belly button/diaper when asked - and will point to mommy & daddy's head/foot/leg/nose/ear/mouth/eyes/hands/belly button
• shakes his head to food when he's full
• recognizes and points to birds/ cats/ dogs/ trees/ cars/ trucks/ road/ paci/ bear/ zebra/ lion/ penguin/ giraffe/ hippo/ elephant/ rhino/etc when asked
• says "baw" for ball
• says "Oh" for Dumbo toy
• says "Buh" for book
• says momma and dadda
• says "ap-puh" for apple
• says "byebye" and waves
• gives kisses/blows kisses on command - to family members, stuffed animals, and the baby in the mirror
• says "deh" for deck
• says "ay" as he puts a phone to his ear
• says "brrrrmmmmmm" as he pushes his cars and trucks around
5. All of the sudden, Tuesday night, Landen decided that he is scared of the dark! If his little musical nightlight thing goes off (which it DOES after 15 min) before he is asleep, he will start screaming. To test this out, in hopes to verify it was a fear of the dark and nothing else, I conducted an experiment: I put him in the bed with me and used the dimmer remote to turn the lights down. As it started getting pretty dark, Landen squeaked a little. By the time the lights were completely out, he was crying. As soon as I turned the lights back on, all squeaking and crying subsided. He is infact afraid of the dark.
6. Landen is sick. We are going to the doctor today. He has had a cold for 2-3 weeks now, and starting running a fever yesterday. Last night he began coughing alot and with his door closed and his humidifier going, I could hear him breathing from the hallway... poor kid. UPDATE: We went to the doctor this morning... Landen has a double ear infection, sinus infection, AND a cold (I didn't know it was possible to have a sinus infect AND a cold!?!)! Ugh. I feel so bad for the little guy! :(

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far along: 18 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, juice, pasta, & cheese puffs (?)  
7. Aversions: Sweet stuff, smelly stuff, FISH, and random stuff  
8. Symptoms: Tired, headaches, sciatic pain, my blood pressure and heartrate were up a little this weekend, stomach/back cramps, and moody (I was stuck in traffic and almost started crying... seriously)
9. Sleep: can I PLEASE get some sleep!? 
10. Gender: It's a boy!!
11. Belly button: In
12. What I miss: laying on my tummy and letting Landen climb all over me. 
13. Best moment(s) of this week: playing with Landen, taking a bubble bath 
14. What I'm looking forward to: When Keith and Landen get to feel Peanut kick/move.
15. Concerns: Developing Pre-eclampsia again. Childcare for Landen (and eventually Peanut)! Non-existant Maternity Leave for me.

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 :)

just another Manic Monday....

Somedays are just OFF. Today is definitely one of those. Could be resulting in part by the wacky weekend, partly pregnancy hormones, and then partly just plain Monday... Here it goes; it's a long one:
Friday Night -

Landen has a cold = snot everywhere, fussy, snorting and SNORING. He has trouble calming down, clearly a direct result of difficulty swallowing with a non-functioning nose combined with a slight fever and inability to use his paci/lay horizontal for lack of air flow.

He get overly tired... but can't sleep

In an attempt to calm him down and pacify the paci-less child, we put him in the bed with us and try cuddling. In my sadly mistaken opinion, cuddling constitutes a relaxing and comfortable state of peace. WRONG! Landen viewed this attempt as intolerable straight-jacket restriction of all sense of freedom. In his attempt to break free from this torturous state, Landen leans himself forward to gain enough momentum for his backward full-body-arching head butt to break himself loose. Which in and of itself WOULD have elicited said freedom from my arms (especially seeing how the straight-jacket like restriction was merely a figment of his perception); BUT this violent revolt was directly taken out on my nose! He did in-fact break free while also quite possibly breaking mommy dearests nose! At which point I have no recollection of what happened to said child, for the unbelievable pain/tears/jumbling of words/etc led to daddy removing child from mommy's presence...

Saturday-

Saturday is our day to FINALLY celebrate my birthday! Bruising, swelling, and all!

We take Landen to my parents house so Keith and I can get some wonderful Stix lunch, and it was, some WONDERFUL Stix lunch! YUM! While we were there, it occurred to us that we don't really know how to have date conversations... I mean, we know what's going on in each other's lives (duh!), we always talk about Keith's school/my work/Landen/groceries/chores... What do people talk about?! Anyway, it was a great meal date! :)

As we were leaving the restaurant, my mom sent me a text saying that Landen was asleep. SO... in our freedom from the child and actual free time, we got adventurous: we went to the Dollar Tree... ha! Seriously though, I really wanted to get Landen some big fat crayons and I knew they had them for cheap. Then we decided to watch a movie, (and with movie tickets being priced slightly above outrageous) we went for some Netflix. FYI: I should never be allowed to choose a movie. ever.

After the worst, stupidest, Norwegian (with English Subtitle), B list (if that), movie... we went to pick up Landen.

As it turns out, our little snot producing climber face planted off my parent's ottoman while we were watching the previously mentioned movie... They didn't tell us, even once we got there to pick him up, they didn't even say a word until I looked at my poor child, and ASKED... upon looking at him, I noticed something didn't seem right - other than the constant flow of snot and drool - no, my child is now part unicorn... how on EARTH did he get a horn in the middle of his forehead? well, diving off the ottoman and face planting on the hardwood, of course. no big deal.

Anyway, we watched part of the Alabama game at my parents house and then retreated back to our place to ::hopefully:: put our 3 foot walking germ to bed. no luck. Landen eventually ended in our bed = mommy gets no sleep for fear of: a) daddy rolling over child during the night, b) Landen somehow slamming into mommy's already swollen discolored nose.

Sunday-

The booger monster seemed to be feeling a little better. He and daddy went to church, while mommy attended church online.... I didn't want to deal with walking in public as the sleep deprived pregnant women with broken nose holding on to the boogery unicorn. I simply could not handle encountering anyone from the "awkwardly intense busybody club" species, a species that I highly doubt will EVER make it onto the endangered species list.

After church, Keith's brothers came over to celebrate my birthday... Keith's mom was sick so (due to the unbelievably short list of medicine approved for pregnant women) we avoided any additional germs by staying home. Lunch was great. We had fun. Nothing beats family fun.

Then Landen, in an apparent effort to keep up with the rest of the weekend, through his sippy cup over the outside baby gate and took a dive OVER one of our baby gates landing face down on the gate and deck... ugh! Blood. Everywhere. Screaming baby. Frantic Daddy/Uncles. No missing teeth. No serious damage. BIG FAT BUSTED TOP LIP on my sweet snotting/drooling/whimpering Unicorn of a child.

After that (and all the cleaning up involved) we went to our small group Bible study... broken child in tow. It went well, Landen played and fell asleep in the car on the way home. Happy ending after all.

Monday-

O Monday........ I may be a little grateful to be out of the disaster-prone weekend... but wait it's the work week.

Make-up-ing a broken nose is anything but pleasant. Off to a good start.

Then there's people: Don't you just love how people always ask how your weekend/day/night/whatever was? I mean, we all know that politely you should say, "O, it was great! How was yours?" I know that no one actually deserves to be bombarded with the true answer to this... but MAN I definitely ran it through my head a few times before actually saying, "It was pretty good. Thanks."

Then as I am beginning to get my head screwed on (somewhat) straight, I get cornered. in the bathroom. by none other than Ms. Busybody herself, no not the one at Michael's; the one in the 12th floor women's bathroom. the one who not only begins to discuss pregnancy weight distribution, proceeded by a very detailed account of HER L&D experiences, but continues to tell me that I look extremely tired and therefore really should start taking care of myself if i want this pregnancy to go well. excuse me, DO I KNOW YOU!? No. Go away.

Thank goodness for blogging, to really allow the truth to come out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the way:  How on earth does ANYONE make use of the following items without feeling completely inhumane?!?!?!

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.

Peanut is the size of a Naval Orange!

Week 15: Naval Orange

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is sqirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

Pregnancy Stuff:

1. How far along: 15 weeks 1 days
2. Total weight gain: -4 lbs
3. Baby bump: Yep. Although, the bump has risen!! Weird, I know! I was actually able to wear my jeans this weekend with them BUTTONED, no rubber band needed!!
4. Maternity clothes: See #3! Still wearing maternity pants and some maternity tops. MOST of my regular person shirts are still fitting
5. Movement: Occasionally I can feel a little flutter.
6. Cravings: Milk, French Fries, Spinach Dip, Lemon Pie, Zaxby’s Zalad, Cheese Cake Factory Favorite = Chicken Piccata and Plain Cheese Cake, Stix Favorite = Japanese-side Steak meal…. Oh if only I had unlimited food funds to actually purchase these awesome meals….
7. Aversions: Bacon, Bratwursts’ (YUCK!), Hamburgers, Onions, etc.  
8. Symptoms: So tired!, thirsty, hungry, emotional, MOODY, nosebleeds, and tummy/back cramps
9. Sleep: I would love to go to sleep RIGHT NOW! I keep waking up every 1-2 hours for NO APARENT REASON…. Ugh!
10. Gender: OK, so Keith did the pencil test and there is a chance that it MAY have swung in a circle, which would lead to the belief that this baby is girl, BUT Keith was a little impatient/uninterested/wobbly so I am not fully convinced that this was an accurate reading.
11. Belly button: In
12. What I miss: Having a brain! I’ll start talking, and completely forget where I’m going with the conversation OR I will be unable to finish the sentence because I just cannot get the stinkin’ words to come out!!!
13. Best moment(s) of this week: Getting to meet Keith’s granddad! Landen FINALLY getting over having a fever!!!  
14. What I'm looking forward to: When Keith and Landen get to feel Peanut kick/move. My next apointment, when we get to have the UltraSound done - and hopefully Peanut will cooperated long enough for us to know if it is a HE or SHE!
15. Concerns: Childcare for Landen (and eventually Peanut). Non-existant Maternity Leave for me. Developing Pre-eclampsia again.

Wednesday!

Disclaimer: I am a little emotionally drowning at the time... there is a chance that some of falling-apartedness may or may not be related to pregnancy hormones.

Well, it's Wednesday! Which means..... WE ARE HALFWAY TO THE WEEKEND!! WOOHOO!

I say this, not because I want to seem like I am wishing my life away from one weekend to the next, but because this week has been ROUGH!

• My mom, who usually keeps Landen while I'm at work (and keith's in school) has been sick... terrible for her & highly inconvenient for us!
• Landen is still running a fever... yep! This is day # 7 for fever running. I think that one of these days he will wake up as the love-child of tylenol and motrin... talk about a gooey mess!
• With my mom unable to keep our fever monster, we have had to go to some desparate measures...
• Keith skipping class meetings (NOT GOOD FOR GRAD SCHOOL)
• Leaving Landen with various family members... even while THEY are working (from home)
• Depending on Keith's brothers to pick up and drop off Landen at "school"... it's a scary thought that gives me chills
• Calling a Thomas-Family friend, who is in town visiting her mother (who had surgery) to take care of OUR child two of the days she is in town... Bless her! She is going to help us!!
• Keith and I have come to the conclusion, much to our own disappointment, that we HAVE to find some full-time childcare. This presents a problem (or 500)...
• the cost of childcare is ABSURD!! I mean, i can't work without having childcare, but we will altogether have to forfiet food/housing/necessities in order to pay for said childcare
• The only childcare facility that we have visited thus far that meets my (mom, elementary teacher, OCD about a few things...) standards actually costs MORE than my total weekly income....
• I hate the idea of my child not being cared for by me, or a family member who loves him to a somewhat similar level as me (or Keith, of course)
• Whatever childcare we DO find, will also be needed for Peanut... at which point the cost will entirely wipe out all of our income, savings, and hope for food/shelter/necessities for the rest of our lives... okay, maybe that's a little exagerated, BUT STILL!
• I am so tired that I am beginning to think there MAY be a sloth or slug somewhere in my genetic line...
• Sleep is something that I not only need and want, but it is something that is proving to do little more than irritate me as I wake up 62768436541 times during the night, have crazy nightmare-ish dreams, and cannot get comfortable
• I am SERIOUSLY craving a Zaxby's House Zalad, with the fried chicken dipped in hot sauce and with ranch dressing... is your mouth watering like mine is? Ok, you can get one too, IF you bring me one!!! and NO i don't want to know how many calories are in this delectible heaven of a meal!

On a lighter note, I feel that I should share some pictures of my sweet, teething, DROOLING, fever monster... It's been a while

And... Yes! Landen's FAVORITE place to play and sit and dance and everything else... is on our coffee table!

"Hey"



You can't hear it, but he is saying, "bbbbbrrrrrrrmmmmmmm
bbbbbbbrrrrrrrmm," as he pushes his car.



Check out that big'ole toothy, drooling smile -> you'd have no idea

he has a fever and is rediculously fussy!