3 weeks to go

Three weeks to go... I've been washing baby stuff and putting everything in its place.

On Friday we put the cradle together and I put all fresh linens in it. N doesn't understand why I wanted it 'cause "she's not going to sleep in there". I reminded him that I sometimes liked the baby to nap in the cradle. The little man spent the first few months in it, until it was just easier to put him directly in our bed. I imagine this will be about the same.

Saturday we had a lovely Christmas. We didn’t leave the house except for the boys to play in the snow. It was sad to be so far from family, but also kinda relaxing to be on our own.

On Sunday we got Christmas all packed away (except for outside lights) and the car seat installed.

We've been "playing" with all the baby stuff. The little man has been putting his baby in the cradle and in the carseat. It's really sweet. Now if he just treats his baby sister as sweetly...

Weekend, in review

I think that we are finally starting to get back on track with the sleeping issues. Yay!!! I’m still in the kiddo’s bed half (or more) of the night. His bed is super uncomfortable for my big giant frame, so I’m really hoping he starts sleeping through the night again soon.

Friday night N hung out with his old GM buddies. From appearances that night, he must have had a good time. (snicker)

Yesterday (Saturday) we attempted to go see Santa. We arrived at 10:30 a.m. and were told that the next available time was 4:30 p.m. Um, no thanks.

Last night we went to his company holiday party. It was so nice to get dressed up and go out without the kiddo. I even had a glass of wine. Our friends Ali and Ant watched him for us. Their little boy is about 2 weeks younger than R, so they play great together. We also exchanged gifts and they got him some really super cool stuff.

Today we ran some errands and played in the snow for a while. The boys have been hanging out a lot today, while I got caught up on much laundry and cleaning/cooking. Nesting was put on hold for the sleepless issues… but now that we are all starting to be more rested, I’m sure I’ll be back in full swing in no time flat.

I’ll be 36 weeks tomorrow. Only 4 more weeks to go. I’m going to start packing our bags in the next few days… I think I’ll need 3 of them this time. One overnight bag for R, if baby comes before Nonna. One bag for bringing the baby home from the hospital. One overnight bag for me and daddy. I know it seems soon, but so many of my friends went 3 weeks early that I feel I should be prepared. We will start putting all the baby furniture back together and installing the car seat next weekend. That should give R plenty of time to get used to all of it. I hope!

Pee in the potty and other goodness!

So much going on… lots of power struggles and tantrums… a few sleepless nights… a mild virus… For the highlights…

Tonight we had our first pee in the potty!!! He sat there for a long time and I read him a potty book twice before we actually had any action. Not 10 minutes later he peed on the couch, but I’m still ecstatic!!! We've been in no rush with the baby due in 5 weeks, but we are still following his cues and glad we did!

Thanksgiving pictures of naughtiness... Did they really think this was a good idea?


This week we had snow and today the boys have gone on several walks to make footprints and stomp in the slushy stuff.

Yesterday (Friday) we decorated gingerbread houses. He did it all himself...

Hopefully things will start to mellow out and I can get back to posting regularly before the baby gets here.

Reflux???

Here's the back story... Roni's been really off (lots of tantrums, sleepless nights, not eating, etc) and N and I decided he probably should see the Dr. We saw the nurse practitioner Thursday at about 10:00 and she said it looked like he'd had a minor virus but was recovering nicely. She sent us home with recommendations to use his humidifier at night and put some lotion on his chapped skin. Excellent.

So I get a call at 5:50p.m. that night. It's the NP. She said she’d been looking over the little man’s chart with Dr. Molly. She is concerned about the on-again off-again weight loss and perpetual lack of interest in food. (He eats good when he eats, but it’s a constant battle). So she took her concerns to Dr. Molly and her suggestion was acid reflux. She wants to try an acid reflux medication on him. Dr. Molly’s totally on board for this…I said that I would try it. She said we’d know for sure by the end of two weeks if that was the issue. Combined with his chocolate issue (wakes him up at night screaming) and his infant colic… I’m wondering if she might actually be on to something.

That or food allergies/sensitivities beyond the chocolate??? I know that my dad discourages dairy... but I use dairy to get "some" calories in him (he usually eats only fruits and vegetables with some pasta in there for good measure). But I digress...

She said it could definitely cause sleep/behavioral problems and exacerbate the infrequent pooping issues…. Would it explain why we seem to be trapped in a month long loop of crabby/sleepless/tantrum weeks then fine for weeks??

Again Thursday night, he ate NO dinner. Not even a bite and I only gave him things he likes. He’s lost 2/3 of a pound since his late October visit. He weighs 23.0 lbs at 2 years old.

We’ve been doing the Zantac for almost 2 days now and he does seem a little better. He slept through the night last night and ate good both yesterday and today… not sure if it’s the medicine, but I’ll take any improvement I can get.

On a happy note, the timing is good. If there is something wrong, it will be nice to have it figured out (or partially figured out) before the baby comes.

Sick of Turkey!

Well we are sick of turkey. We even ordered pizza last night for a change.

Tonight I am making turkey noodle soup. Oh yay.

Pictures soon!

32 weeks

Gestational Diabetes Free

Thank God, Budhha, the Universe and anyone else I prayed to these last few weeks.

What a relief!

31 weeks and GBS+

Still pregnant… 31 weeks now (out of 40). I had a midwife appointment today. Everything looks good, except apparently I tested GBS+ months ago and the old OBs NEVER mentioned it to me. My midwives were discussing this today and casually mentioned it to me. Since I didn't know about it, they were a little shocked. She said my chart showed that my urine tested positive back in June. Were the OBs ever going to tell me??? So glad I fired them.

The GBS status means that I will need IV (or hep lock) antibiotics during labor and delivery. Not a huge deal, but a little more complicated than I was anticipating.

Also I had my second gestational diabetes screening today. I checked my own sugars right before they drew my blood and it didn’t seem high to me… I have to wait a day or two before I have official results though. I am praying that I’m in the clear and can continue to just eat sensibly. GD would mean a lot of extra appointments for me (including ultrasounds and non-stress tests). It’s hard enough managing the kiddo for the regular amount of visits, if I have to have all the extra stuff I’ll have to drag him to multiple appointments each week. Not fun.

Christmas card picture of the day…


My recent craft project…
fish for the upcoming swap. Each set has 5 fish with magnetic heads and one fishing pole (complete with string and magnetic “hook”). They are turning out super cute.

Sleep stuff is going well for all of you who know our current issues. We may have this kid on track after all...

New holiday card worthy photo...

Scratch #3 from the previous post.

So on Tuesday I discovered a pair of what I thought were adult footy pajamas at Value World. For $2.70 I figured they were worth much more in comedic value. Much to my delight, N also found them amusing and decided to throw them on before bedtime. Well, they are probably adolescent jammies... combine the skin-tight element with the adult wearing them and we laughed our *sses off. Needless to say, we are keeping them until the next time we need a good laugh.

Please consider this photo as our next holiday card... "The boys in their footy jammies"...

A little "Holiday" cheer early

So I can’t decide if portrait sessions are cheesy or worth it. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to get cute pictures of the kid to make photo books for the grandparents and this year’s holiday cards. Needless to say someone has decided that the minute you pull out the camera he should say “cheese” and totally ham it up. Here are some potential Holiday card photos… please vote for your favorite.

#1

#2

#3

Things are going well around here. We are recovering from the birthdays, Halloween, and now Daylight Savings Time.

Here is a picture of mama and giraffe before we walked the chilly streets.

I'm having some hip/pelvis pain... but I think that it's no worse than last time. I'm just feeling things sooner and longer than last time. I'm also starting to have some difficulty sleeping and on the rare occasion I have to join the kiddo in his bed, I'm miserable the next day. I'm also nesting like a crazy woman. I want to throw everything out!

N replaced the radiator in Roxanne and we thought he was going to have to put a new starter in Walt, but then he finally fired up. He will inevitably need a new starter, but it can wait a little longer. The boy and his daddy raked and bagged all the leaves this weekend. So much work for the guys... I helped as much as I could. I mainly supplied them with hot treats.

Zoo Boo last night

Here's our little giraffe...


Tonight we take him 'round the cul-de-sac to "trick or treat" our neighbors...

My Baby turns TWO!!!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest, most hilarious, and tenacious child I have ever met. I'm so glad that you chose us to be your parents. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect addition to our family and you amaze me everyday with your intelligence and antics.

We love you!
-Mom and Dad

Sunday update with pictures

Pregger picture update:
27 weeks pregnant

So this weekend we’ve been busy. Yesterday (Saturday) N replaced the water pump, the thermostat, the headlights and the dome light on Roxanne. Now she will (hopefully) stop leaving little coolant pools in front of our house. Last night he went to see a live show… he’s trying to get in as much live music as possible before bebe #2 gets here and he’s homebound with us.

Today, we accompanied him to a MIVE (Michigan Volkswagen Enthusiasts) dog park meet up. We took Bella with us, but left the big guy at home ‘cause he can be a little hard to handle on leash. She is exhausted from running around with all the bigger dogs. This afternoon we’ve been doing yard work… there is always so much to do in the fall to get ready for winter.

Here are three of the waldorf inspired crowns that I made for my local craft swap.
I hosted the swap/ play date at our house on Wednesday before we knew of the potential pertussis exposure. I’m now waffling on whether or not to get the titer test done tomorrow. Because it doesn’t really matter if I had it or not, I’m better now. I might still go. Tomorrow morning is also my visitation with the midwives. I really hope that I like them as I would like to switch practices right away.

The biggest news of the week… R is totally weaned! We’ve gone over a week without “nu nu’s”. He’s even stopped asking for them. Yesterday he pointed to my breasts and said “nu nu’s, milk all gone”. And I just said, “yep” and that was the end of the discussion. I will now officially have 3 months off until they have to go back into service again. Yay!!!

More pictures

A couple of days ago in the “man chair”


With Mama


With Daddy

Overdoing it and Whooping cough?

Yesterday my friend found out she has pertussis (whooping cough) after a long illness that mirrored what I had a couple of months ago. While the child and I have been fine for weeks, we've all developed some minor runny/stuffy nose issues over night. I e-mailed our pediatrician and she wanted me to bring him in for a check since he was exposed and has some symptoms. So I took my child to the doctor to check him for pertussis, we will find out for certain in about 5 days. I also called my OB for a titer (which I called and discussed with her when my friend first got checked), considering that I may be the one who started all this. The nurse didn’t even check my chart before calling me back. I reminded her that I wanted a titer test done to see if I had it recently, and if NOT, am I immune from childhood vaccinations? I also reminded her that I called (and visited) the office many times complaining of a cough that lasted almost 6 full weeks (not to mention the fever and stuff the first week). After scheduling my appointment for the titer, she called me back 10 minutes later and said that they didn’t want me coming in to the office for this, that I should go to my primary care physician. They didn’t want me near pregnant women if I’m contagious. Let’s not forget the fact that I told them I have no symptoms (I’m all better) and I’m also a pregnant woman under their care.

I say "F" them. So Monday I interview a midwifery practice that delivers at the next closest hospital.

I’ve also been having contractions, but only minor Braxton-Hicks contractions and only after a marathon house cleaning session. I think that I’m going to take it a little easier these next few months and just focus on staying healthy and keeping this baby in until she is fully “cooked”.

Holly Moly!

We bought pumpkins at the farmer’s market this weekend along with some really yummy looking parsnips. I’m going to cook up some butternut squash/carrot/parsnip soup for a play date on Wednesday. I currently can’t get enough of fall’s bounty… apples, pumpkins, squash, oh my!!!

Besides out trip to the farmer’s market, we cleaned our front porch and while I was a little hesitant to remove the spider webs so close to Halloween, it was nice to see a tidy entry to our home! Leaves are starting to fall as well as all those pesky acorns, so there was plenty for us to clean. It was also a nice weekend for washing some windows. I wish I had a little more energy because I can’t seem to get everything accomplished these days.

We also put most of our garden to bed today.

N informed me that Roxanne needs a new water pump and while we are at it, might as well put in a new radiator as well. Why do we have THREE of these cars again? He’s got to get the silver car dismantled soon if he wants to get Walt Whiteman back into the garage before winter. I guess he’d have more time to work on these things if I didn’t have so many other activities/chores for him. But he’s so darn good at everything…

Now that there are no more giggles coming from the child’s bedroom (Daddy’s bedtime routine and mine are VERY different), I can sneak back upstairs and continue sewing my crowns for our local craft swap.

Our love to you all.

Fall

It is finally Fall and now October. I can't tell you how much I love this month. It's my special month, my baby's special month and All Hallow's Eve - pure bliss. We are eating apples like crazy and talking about pumpkins. We bought gourds the other day and I am compelled to plant things. This weekend N has agreed to put some new plants in the backyard (including a tree or shrub for more privacy). I will simply die if I don't get some mums soon. Ah, I love this time of year!!!

Back from NY

We are back from the wedding in NY. What a whirlwind trip. Our trip was fast and hectic, but it was nice to see so many family members. We had a 5.5 hour delay going to NY. Hanging out in the Detroit airport for a grand total of 7 hours with a toddler was not very much fun. But I give my kid props for not totally breaking down until Saturday night. He’s a trooper. I personally think that he gave one of the best speeches at the rehearsal dinner, but that may just be my biased opinion.

He was an awesome ring bearer and the tiny tux was pretty freakin’ cute. Here’s a couple of pictures…

Will fill with many more details later. We are trying to get back to our normal routine and we are all very tired.

Here are a few pictures I took before I left… Next to our big yucca plants… On the front step…

My water swap goodies…

Cider Mill

We went to Yates Cider Mill today. N stayed home to work on Roxanne. The little boy and I had a nice time, despite the sudden cold/windy weather. We both enjoyed warm cider and donuts (apparently a Michigan thing we have yet to fully understand). They had a petting zoo which my boy loves. The pygmy goats are always my favorite and I still long to have my acreage and some goats of my very own.

Eating an almond by a stump he couldn't resist exploring...

Showing me an animal pellet (the kind they eat, not the kind they leave behind)...

Naptime update with pictures

Greetings all,

We are frantically preparing for the NY wedding and fighting minor colds. Hopefully we will be well before our flight next Friday. R and I are really enjoying our parent-tot class. Today we baked bread, pretended to be frogs, and learned the first few steps of knitting. I’m not sure I’ll be taking up knitting anytime soon, but it’s fun to try.

N is working a lot of hours lately, trying to meet a deadline and he may even have to work some on Saturday. I know that he’d rather be playing with his cars (Roxanne, the brown one is in need of repair). Hopefully, he’ll get some free time soon.

I’m getting big. Today I had a minor issue putting on my shoes. Everything seems to be happening faster this pregnancy. I’ll try to get a picture up soon of my burgeoning belly.

Here’s my “pack” of water ponies that I sent off to the water swap…

Here’s the beautiful things we got back in our tree themed swap… I got back a necklace similar to the ones that I created.

Big Blue Eyes...

Here's the article that I may have e-mailed some of you... It's the University of Notre Dame study on parenting practices that produce empathetic, secure children...

Technical Difficulties

We are beginning to sense the end of our desktop computer. We are having lots of crashing and freezing. We are otherwise doing very well and looking forward to the new season of our Waldorf-inspired parent-tot class (starts Friday) and the NY wedding the first weekend in October.

So if I don't blog for a while, know that we are alright. You can always call us if you really miss us. :)

Question of the day: Is it too soon to decorate for fall?

Three Birthday Parties in one week

We are pooped out from Birthday parties. Here is the fabulous farm photo from today...

And here is another one of my famous arms-length photos...

Daddy stayed home and mowed the grass and finally finished the toe-kicks in the kitchen. Afterwards, we "helped" him clean out the garage.

Home Again

Our trip was short, but sweet. The little man can not stop talking about "Grandad" and "Grammy Cathy". He also can not stop talking about my dad's mini-tractor and he begged for "ride". Needless to say, we took at least five rides in the wagon pulled by my dad's tractor.

Here's R with Grammy Cathy.

Here's my dad's tractor after the last ride.

R and Sydney. Sydney is almost 15 years old and we wanted a few pictures of him before he crosses over the rainbow bridge. He's been a good dog and will be missed when he does finally cross.

Here's my dad and I (in one of my famous arms-length photos).

Labor Day Weekend Plans

We are headed to my dad’s for the long weekend. N leaves work at 2-ish tomorrow and we’re off as soon as he gets home. It’s going to be fun seeing “Granddad” and “Grammy Cathy”. The little man is excited to go swimming in the “big water” (pool).

We’ve been working on daddy putting the little man down for bed each night. It’s like night weaning all over again. He’s crying and calling for me, but each night it gets easier for him. N keeps falling asleep during the process though. I usually have to go in and wake him up to come to our bed. Being a dad is a brutal job.

Hopefully we’ll have pictures when we get back.

20 weeks

Here I am at 20 weeks pregnant. Looking very stylish in my Sunday-afternoon cleaning clothes. I’m kicking myself for not having the picture taken while still in my church clothes…

I picked up a couple of pink things at a Mom 2 Mom sale this weekend for bebe#2. I got a whole bag of clothes for her from freecycle today. Only a few will work, many are too worn out, but it’s exciting to plan for my new baby girl.

I made my first cloth wipe (for babies) this weekend. N’s not completely on board for cloth wipes, but he got used to cloth diapers, so I’m sure he’ll come around. Besides they are good for the wallet and the environment.

Updates with pictures

I've been sick for the last few days. Not sure what's going on. I've had a cough for almost two weeks and then Tuesday night I developed a fever and body aches. I took Tylenol and felt better. Yesterday my temp got up to 100.4 before the Tylenol kicked in. I was able to get a good night's sleep last night (Tylenol and lots of cough drops). So I feel a little better this morning. No more fever.

I had my doctor’s appointment today. The baby looked great. It’s a SHE!!! Which is good, because I’ve been referring to her as “her” in my head for about a month now. I won’t say that I “knew,” but I had a strong feeling she was going to be a girl. Just as I had about R being a boy. N didn’t seem as thrilled, but he had to rush back to work. I’ll get more of a vibe from him tonight. :)

Here’s my current Water swap project… plush sea horses. This is the prototype and it’s only about half completed.

Here’s Mr. Dirty Face…

Here’s a sweet little gift that came in the mail the other day addressed simply to #4. Thank you G’ma Buckmaster down in Phoenix!

Quote of the day

“Wealth consists of not having great possessions but in having few wants.” – Epicurus

Blog changes

From now forward I will be using only our initials and/or nicknames to identify ourselves. I’ve just recently had a discussion on security and think that it’s a good idea since I also post pictures. Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Last tooth crabbies and question of the day...

Yesterday was a LONG and painful day. R woke up early. He was excited that his daddy was home and not at work. We cruised Woodward at 8:00 a.m. to see all the cool cars during the famed Woodward Dream Cruise (WDC). Then he only took a 30 minute nap before our friends’ WDC Party. He ate way too much sugar and snacks at the party and crashed once we got home. But he only stayed asleep for 30 minutes before he had an over-tired-induced-wake-up-melt-down. Very long night. He finally passed back out (and stayed out) at almost 11 p.m. Today we are taking it easy and trying to get back on our routine.

This morning he’s been biting me again. This is a clear sign of teeth issues. So I asked him, “show mama the your new tooth.” Fully expecting him to point to the top left 2-year molar, he surprised me by pointing to the bottom right area. This is the only blank space in his mouth. So I asked him, “Is this where the new tooth is?” He said “yeah”. So I guess we are finally on the last leg of the 2-year molars. Which further explains the attitude and sleep issues from yesterday. I will be so happy when these darn teeth are finally finished.

Question of the day: How do you recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs? We had our first one burn out (it lasted 4 or 5 years) and I didn't know if I could put it in our curbside bin or not. I know they contain mercury, so regular trash probably isn't an option. Off to send an e-mail to the recycling company that services our city.

Trees and no more disease

My tree swap necklaces are finally finished. Here they are…
Here is more of a close up on the hand etched, stained, and sealed pendants.

We are all totally well. The HFM disease only lasted 3 days and now he’s back to normal. He never did develop sores or a rash. And as far as I can tell the only blisters he had in his mouth (the doc told us there were two) must be healed too because he’s back to eating normally. Yay immune systems! Also, I tried chamomile (along with the motrin) and I think that it really helped him feel calm during the worst of it. Thanks for the advice Grammy!

Here's a recent picture of my silly kiddo...

We go on Thursday to find out the sex of bebe #2. I'm conflicted about what I want. My Scottish, frugal side says "boy" and my sense of adventure says "girl". As long as it's healthy, I'll be happy! But, once again we agree on a girl name (don't ask, 'cause I'm not sharing) so that pretty much guarantees it's going to be a boy.

Here is my garage sale find from today. It’s a wool sweater that the woman’s friend brought back for her child from Peru. I bought it for a dollar. It will fit the boy this fall/winter. I just love all the bright colors and it will be super warm!

Also scored a learning tower off of craig's list... here she is in the kitchen...

18 Weeks & HFM Disease

I'm now 18+ Weeks Pregnant. We took this picture Sunday night...


I haven't blogged much because the boy has been ill (and maybe me, jury's still out). We’ve got Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Here’s the details. We’ve apparently been infectious for days. Sorry to everyone at the 2 year old birthday party on Sunday!

Doctor said it should only last for 3 or so days and we are over the worst of it. We are infectious for another 24 hours after the fever breaks. Last night was bad, but not as bad as Tuesday night, so I'm guessing we are on the mend.

Back to operation put weight on the kid. We went and saw Dr. Molly on Tuesday for a weight check. He lost a few ounces. He did get taller, he’s in the 30% for height and 1% for weight. But his weight was 21 lbs 10 oz and three months ago it was 22 lbs 1 oz. He has become more regular in the last months, but not enough to make him lose weight. I also mentioned the teething and night waking. She said teeth should not wake him up at night (which I disagree). With his history of enlarged kidney, she decided to do a urine culture to check for UTI. Do you know how they collect urine on a toddler boy? They put a penis shaped plastic bag around their penis with major adhesive on one side. No exactly comfortable. When he FINALLY pees in the thing (you should have seen him walk in this) the nurse yanks it off. He said “ouch – penis- pinch” for like two hours. Everywhere we go “ouch-penis-pinch”. No UTI. It’s teeth. Now that the second tooth is mostly out, he’s sleeping through the night again.

She did have some good suggestions for increasing calories. Since he won’t drink milk (and why would he when he has breastmilk?) she suggested at least 16 oz of whole milk yogurt each day and more meat. He loves his yogurt so we’ll see when we go back in a month for a weigh-in.

We’ve got another toddler birthday party tonight and a lot of other stuff going on this week. Many good things going on, I will have to update during the next nap!

Crafts and Kids

My friend is hosting the latest craft swap. The theme is “trees”. I wanted to challenge myself, so I busted out the dremel tool that we got for a wedding gift. Below is my free-handed prototype.
N bought me special bits to do a better job. Apparently we are still missing a piece because I couldn’t practice more tonight. Ultimately, they are going to be tree pendants on a wooden necklace for kids or adults. I have a fabulous image in my mind, but minimal skills. We’ll see how they turn out.
We have had lots of birthday parties recently. Here are a few cute party pictures.


Two weeks ago was our last visit to the Bluebird House, our Waldorf-inspired parent-tot class. We made bread. The boy loved it. So last week I put one of my vintage aprons on him and had him helping me with dinner. Doesn’t he have a Jack Nicholson grin on his little face? We both enjoyed ourselves. Oh and you can see the cork floor in this picture. Toe kicks soon to follow, as well as finishing up the moldings. Almost done!!!

We have another birthday party this weekend. Now what to make for the little hostess?