Elliott: 2.5 years old

She may only be two and a half, but I swear sometimes Elliott acts like a teenager. She loves babies, dolls, books, tractors, and “colors” (pens and markers). “Princess Jammie dresses” are her obsession.

She’s going through a real Bauman phase as far as looks go, and I see glimpses of Andy’s family members often. Weight is about 29 lb. I’m unsure  of her height, but her torso is long. 2T dresses are all tunics on her, and she’s got a bit of a booty (also not my genetics 😂). We are exclusively purchasing 3T clothes. Her hair is getting so long and is so beautiful when actually styled. Our girl is seriously gorgeous.

Elliott is an A+ big sister. From the moment Leo was born, she’s never shown a hint of jealousy or acted out in any way. It’s really amazing. When I get her out of bed, she always asks where he is and goes to find him. If he’s balling and wakes up she immediately says “he’s awake, he’s upset, I probly get him” and runs to his side. He gets woken up so often because she’ll just go into his room to check on him and squeeze his cheeks. She is all about Leo and tries to take care of him like Mom. She’s a little too aggressive with hugs and kisses and understands nothing about being gentle or quiet. Poor kid. He takes it like a champ.

And yes, she can now open doors. It’s like she figured it out overnight! It’s obviously not convenient but hasn’t gotten too out of hand. Our front door and sliding doors are too advanced for her still, so as long as she doesn’t wander out to the garage in search of popsicles, we will be okay. Elliott now gets food whenever she wants thanks to opening the pantry door (tortilla chips are a fave), as well as the fridge. She can only get to the yogurt and cheese on the bottom of that though ;)

Elliott is a pretty decent eater for a toddler. Favorites are still avocado and most fruits, but she really loves tortellini, macaroni, and cheese in any way. She knows that a DQ sign means ice cream. Since Andy has been harvesting, we haven’t had as much structured meal/table time so I’m looking forward to getting back to that routine.

Speaking of harvest, she loves tractor/combine rides with her Dad. She still refuses to ride with Papa Rick, but I’m still able to get some short breaks from her and she’s able to see her dad for a bit. Andy added a bunch of toy tractors to her fleet and we got the old toy shed from the farm, and she does play with them.

Aside from us being at the hospital to have Leo, we did leave her for one night while we went to STL for a wedding. All went great as far as I know. And since then she hasn’t been quite as afraid of Andy’s Dad, who she’s always been a bit leary of.

She is still in pull-up diapers and has no interest in potty training. I know she’s smart enough but I don’t want to push her just yet so we are riding it out for now. I wouldn’t mind not having to buy diapers for two though 🙄

Smarty pants knows a million nursery rhyme songs and shapes and colors are right most of th time. We’re working on letters but she’s not quite into it just yet. Either way, she is definitely not behind in the school department. Watching her grow is so fun.

Leo: 3 Months Old

It’s been a great month! One of my goals was to get Leo on more of a schedule, and we have definitely made progress. I moved the rock n play to his room, so he has a more defined place to nap.  I sporadically put him in there or in his crib. He’s growing out of the rock n play and I want to transition him from sleeping with motion. He’s not the greatest independent napper and prefers to sleep with me though. And time-wise, his naps are all over the place. 

I have started to put him in his room at bedtime as well but will move him into our bed at first wake up (usually between midnight and 2 but it’s so sporadic). He still seems to prefer being with me at night though and I’m not ready to give that up completely. He’s already ahead of what Elliott was at this age (she took crib naps at 3 months but I didn’t dare do bedtime there) and I will take that! I’ve tried using the Bassinest more at night so he gets used to lying flat and not on me :) He actually does okay, but definitely doesn’t sleep as long of stretches. He seems to be a side sleeper, and likes when I lie his fleece blanket flat under him so he has something soft to snuggle against..

He loves getting his clothes and diaper changed. Like any time you touch his neck area he giggles with glee!! It is so precious and I love it. Leo is still super chill almost always, smiles a lot, and hasn’t had a cranky day in his life. Please never change!

Kiddo seems to like bath time. He sucks on his hands and blankets constantly. We haven’t really done paci at all this month but he does want to use me to fall asleep often. I make him actually eat and burp first. It’s such a tough call choosing between that and a paci.

Leo still eats almost constantly. Cluster feeding just might be his baseline, and you can look at his thighs for proof- rolls! He’s never been a rolly baby (just big) but that is changing. 3 month clothes are out the door, but 3-6, 6 month, 6-9 month, and even some 9 month are in the rotation. 

I think his head is still a little wonky from pregnancy and delivery, but it seems to be evening out with time. I feel like he could need a helmet but everyone thinks I’m crazy for thinking that.

Leo: 2 Months Old

I’m writing this on the late end of the month so this one is gonna be short on details :)

We went to the doctor at two months and big dude weighed 13 lb 13 oz. I believe he was 23.5 inches long or something. He was like 97% for weight for length 😂 6 month Carter’s clothes have some room but are easy to put on. Otherwise we are in 3-6 month and some 3 month stuff. We bumped up to size 2 diapers pretty quickly but he’ll be in those for a bit. 

We also did vaccinations at 2 months and for once it was actually tough for me to watch! Elliott cried so much as a baby that I didn’t have as much sympathy for her, it was just another day (though she never really did bad with shots). Leo’s cry was so sad with a big pouty lip that it really tugged on my heart strings. My sweet baby!

He really is the best kid. I didn’t realize just how colicky Elliott was until now comparing them both at this stage. He doesn’t cry much at all and when he does his needs are always easy to meet. He’s never had a tantrum in his life and has started to smile. Gah I just can’t get over how sweet he is. 

Leo still loves to eat (surprise, surprise) and mostly nurses every 2-3 hours still. It took a few tries but he did take a small bottle from Andy and one for me, too though with some struggle. I have left him with Andy at home a few times to go grocery shopping. Otherwise, Andy and I went to a quick wedding reception dinner and left both kids with my parents for a few hours. There doesn’t seem to be any attachment issues like Elliott had. Hopefully he will cooperate a little better with bottles! 

He does sleep his longest stretch in the evening (from like 8-1ish in his rock n play) but the times vary. He often wakes up several times after that so early mornings can be really rough. He’s usually in bed with us at this time because by the time I put him down he wakes back up again. The tired feeling has really started to hit me. With Elliott, I could sleep with her all day to make up for lost sleep, but now I don’t have that luxury.  Andy has started in the field as well so it’s mostly me with both kids unless it has rained.  Tired Mom + doing it all alone = lots of mess ups (like locking your daughter in the car with the keys inside, and just generally feeling scattered). In a lot of ways adding another kid has been breezy but whenever we have to leave the house I just don’t have my shit together yet. Something is always forgotten or we are just late to things. I will get there.

We’ve gotten a lot of references to him looking like my dad, and I think that is pretty true. Leo does have similarities to his sister and Dad though, depending on the face he makes. It seems both of our kids have some of each of us, though Elliott is more Bauman and Leo is more Eckhoff. I love hearing what people think. Either way, we make adorable babies. 

In reference to his name, Leo definitely fits. I can’t imagine him being named anything else. I’ve heard of a few other Leos since his birth, so it’s definitely more common than Andy and I normally would be attracted to, but it’s such a suitable name for him. 

He is the best best best! So glad to have this chunker!

Day in the Life: Sep 2017

Monday, October 9, 2017

12:23 Wake feeling rested, look at clock and realize it's still early, go back to sleep
1:19 Wake to feed
4:49 Wake to feed, Leo and I both go in and out of sleep
5:43 Bring Leo into our bed from his rock n play
6:14 Andy gets up to get ready for work
7:00 I get up and do some PT exercises while Leo still sleeps on our bed
7:20 I get back in bed and take advantage of both kids still sleeping. Browse social media, email, etc.
7:53 Get Elliott from bed, change her diaper, and give her my phone to watch videos while I hop in the shower. Leo gets transferred back to his rock n play so Elliott doesn't squash him. He slowly wakes up.
8:23 I hop out of the shower and get dressed
8:33 I change Leo's diaper and nurse him.
8:56 We all head to the kitchen to eat breakfast, yogurt and granola (or "crumblies" as Elliott calls them).
9:09 Empty the dishwasher and pick up breakfast. Elliott goes downstairs to play and Leo and I head down when kitchen is put away.
9:25 Take Leo upstairs to sleep. He's out after a minute or two of rocking in his bedroom and I set him in his crib. Go back downstairs and play with Elliott.
10:05 Go back upstairs since Leo is awake (he only sleeps 30 minutes in his crib like clock work). Elliott follows a few minutes later so we head to my room. The kids lay on our bed and Elliott watches some more videos. I move over and fold some laundry and vacuum the master carpets. Tuesday is technically master cleaning day, but we'll be gone in the morning so I take advantage.
10:38 Sit down and feed Leo
10:48 move to Elliott's room where we play, read books, and simultaneously clean up. Monday is for cleaning the kids' rooms.
11:05 Leo is ready for sleep so I go to rock him. Again he is out in a minute or two so in his crib he goes.
11:17 He's awake. I might as well change his diaper now. I get out the Halo SleepSack to try, swaddle and rock him again.
11:35 Lay Leo down and head to the living room to turn a fairy movie on for Elliott. I reheat lunch (taco bowls - taco meat, black beans, cheese, salsa, and corn) and we both eat at the counter. Reload the dishwasher with the dishes.
12:05 He's awake, 30 minutes like clockwork. Elliott requests a walk so I get the Ergo for Leo and we head down the lane. Leo is not interested so I turn around with the stroller and our walk lasts less than 10 minutes.
12:32 Back from walk. I feed Leo while Elliott hops around the living room playing with a basketball.
12:47 Take Elliott to bed. I head to my bedroom with Leo and change his clothes. Since he's slept so crappy I bring him to our bed but he fights.
1:19 He's asleep and I follow shortly. Triple naps? Don't mind if I do.
2:44 Hear Elliott on the monitor but ignore her.
3:13 Get Elliott out of bed and feed Leo. They hang out on my bed again while I do more laundry and pick up the house. Elliott roams around doing random stuff.
4:12 Elliott needs out of the house so I call Andy and make plans for Elliott to go to the field. They are farming down the road by Bailey's so we load up the car and in the tractor she goes. Leo and I come back home where he gets a diaper change. I feed him and put him in his crib to nap. Update notes for this post.
4:55 Preheat the oven to make dinner. Prep the acorn squash and cut some mango. Move over and fold more laundry.
5:15 Get Leo out and finish up while he sits in his bouncer
5:30 We leave to go get big sis. Andy isn't ready so we get out to chat with Leslie and baby Kaylee while we wait since it's still nice outside.
5:52 We're back home. I finish prepping dinner (squash and grilled chicken). We eat while I hold Leo.
6:35 Elliott draws in the kitchen while I swaddle Leo. He gets fed and I hold him while he naps a bit.
7:10 Elliott gets to watch one episode of Mickey before bed. We head to her room to read and play before bed. I have always really enjoyed bedtime with her for the most part (at least for the last year), so I'm glad that is still the case. Now Leo hangs out with us a lot of the time.
8:00 We leave her bedroom and Leo gets changed into jammies. He gets fed and put to sleep in his rock n play in our room.
8:15 I sit in our bed to browse social media
9:15 An hour has already passed so I might as well go to sleep. Leo doesn't want back up until after midnight! Another great days. 

Leo: 1 Month Old

Baby boy turned one month old on September 1 (this will make it very easy to remember to take photos). He continues to be an easy baby for us.

Baby still loves to eat. I'd say we average 3 hour stretches now since sometimes he goes more or less. I still have to stop to burp him 4 or 5 times because of my fast flow. He still has gurgly burps, but this is tame compared to what it would be otherwise. If he has a choking attack it's my fault for getting distracted and letting him go too long. Thankfully I learned it all with his sister's reflux, so I can control it and he's still a happy dude. 

Kiddo does not sleep nearly as much as his sister did during the day. He is almost always awake for hours every morning, because there is just too much going on. He is also currently in a phase of wanting to be held while sleeping which also contributes to that (although this may not be the case if his sister didn't constantly wake him on purpose). Sleep happens in his bouncer or rock n play otherwise. He sleeps the best in the evenings, so I typically get a good block of time to lounge or get things done (okay, mostly lounge). One night he slept from 6:30-midnight which was nuts to me. He wakes again usually around 11ish and is moved to our bedroom. It's a mixed bag of what his nightly schedule is but most often he wakes between 2-3 hours from then on.

He usually sleeps in our bed for one or two stretches over night. Since it looks like we have another reflux baby on our hands, I burp him and hold him upright for a while before laying him down. Even in his rock n play reclined he tends to wake up shortly after needing to burp or spit up otherwise. I often fall asleep with him upright on my chest before I can put him back in there, so I guess cosleeping it is. I know I sleep better when he is in his own bed, though. I don't feel too slee deprived though definitely get less than before and wish that I liked coffee. Even though I'm wide awake I always make Andy get up to change his diaper once. 

Because I insist on burping him (his sister was a terrible burper and never let me do it), he does not nurse to sleep. During the day there is usually a good break between feedings and naps actually. He falls asleep the easiest if you swaddle and walk around with him. I have held him while making dinner and he's fallen asleep without me trying. Leo will occasionally take a paci. I rarely give him one unless he's really behind on sleep, but Andy uses it as his first defense always. This is ironic because he is the one to complain about Elliott still using a pacifier. Leo will fall asleep on his own in the bouncer occasionally (basically if he whines a bit but I am too busy to attend to him). He doesn't do this in the rock n play.

Leo loves to lie flat on his back, but he doesn't get a ton of time due to big sister's abuse. The bassinest has actually been really handy because I can let him kick in there while he's protected from her rough hands. He also loves to stare out the window right above it. I like that I can put him in there for 20 minutes and get things done or shower. 

I don't know his exact weight but I'm certain he is at least 11 lb. Here is his weight history so far. He also gained 2 inches since birth during that time!

Birth - 9 lb

3 days - 8 lb 3 oz (hospital discharge)

1 week - 8 lb 7 oz

2 week - 9 lb 9.9 oz

3 week - 10 lb 9.9 oz

Size-wise the kid fits just right into 3 month clothes but honestly 6 month clothes are easier to change him in. Leo also produces way more laundry than Elliott ever did. I would leave her in the same sleeper for like 24 hours sometimes (#gross) and he goes through like 3 outfits a day. It's a good thing laundry is easily my favorite household chore. He likes bath time which he gets every 2/3 days like his sister. 

The transition to two kids has been really easy, actually. I'm much more productive I think. I've learned to get out of bed before the kids and this sets up my day much better. Even if I just do a quick pass of the house cleaning, move a load of laundry, or take a shower. Getting out of the house is pretty vital at this point for Elliott's sanity so now that Elliott is old enough we are doing more. Scheduling some sort of activity most days if the week is the goal. I like getting out too mostly because that's less time to dirty the house ;)

Elliott is still all about him. She wants to hold, kiss, hug him at all times. She is not gentle. She is not quiet. This is really my only fear about him, that she'll hurt him. He is amazingly calm when she is rough somehow. I guess he was used to her jumping on my pregnant belly. 

I'm still sore, but can function just fine. If I do activity, it can be pretty painful but I have a high pain tolerance so whatever. I'd love to take the kids on walks every day but maybe after my 6 week follow up! Hoping to not need more surgery. 

Leo's Birth Story

At 40w3d (Monday July 31), I had an appointment with Dr. Emm. I was dilated to 3 and about 80% effaced. Since I was overdue, dilated a good amount, and she was going on vacation that Wednesday, we decided to go in for an induction at midnight. We only told my mom who came over late that night to stay with Elliott.

I had the same ol contractions that I'd been having for weeks. I feel like I was more anxious this time because I knew what I was getting myself into. But we loaded up the car and made the drive, arriving a few minutes before midnight. We went into ER to check in and Dana the OB tech came to escort us up. It was actually someone I knew. Our nurse Danielle (it turns out our kids went to tumbling class together too!) introduced herself, along with our good friend Katie who was also on shift that night. By the time we got settled and going, the pitocin started at 1am at 3-4 cm dilated.

I didn't really sleep at all and was pretty comfortable most of the night. This time I could really read my body and could always tell how far I was dilated without being checked, just based on how I felt. I kept telling everyone that when I want to die I know I will be at 7. 

We progressed at an average pace I'd say, maybe a little slower to start. We didn't take any notes so this is purely from memory and I don't have specific time frames to document. I never walked the halls but pretty sure I sat on the birthing ball, otherwise was in bed since it was nighttime. I knew I wouldn't sleep and if birth was going to run into daytime I didn't want to be too wiped. 

I started to feel uncomfortable with contractions and knew I was 5-6 (I was right). I was still going back and forth about if I wanted an epidural and was totally playing by ear. They had mentioned to me that the anesthesiologist gets busy between 6:30-7:30 am, so if I might want it during that time to be proactive. Sure enough, I could tell around 6 am that I was at 7, because things started to get real hard. I was managing fine, but nothing about labor is easy. Around 6:15, I told them to call for the Epi.

At that time I had already advanced to 8, so things were moving quickly. The anesthesiologist arrived fairly quickly and he set up around 6:45. He said I was easy because I had "good anatomy." The meds kicked in quickly and I had no weird side effects (I had been dreading the needle feeling Allyson had). I was blissful and telling everyone how stupid I was to not get medicine last time. During this time Dr. Emm had stopped by. She had a patient next door that was just a little behind me in labor so she made some rounds while I progressed. 

Around 7:45ish, I started pushing. Since I had an epidural, I legitimately could not feel if I was doing anything. They told me I was doing well so I just kept going. Eventually it got really exhausting though and I was feeling frustrated. I will never forget the image of Dr. Emm pouring gallons of mineral oil on me (okay, not really) and working me. When I felt like I couldn't do it anymore, baby's head emerged! I remember thinking that his head was really small, but little did I know that was just the cone. He came out very quickly and everyone gasped at how large he was. Where in the world do I keep these babies inside of me??

Leo Robert Bauman was born on August 1, 2017 at 8:33 am, weighing 9 pounds even and measuring 20 inches long. 

The cord is super thick and short. Dr. Emm noted that I had a second degree tear and that I was leaving this labor better than I did last time (hallelujah I thought!). She ran to deliver the chick next door then came back for another checkup. I hold Leo and nurse him, do the usual post birth stuff. My parents visited at lunch and brought Avanti's. 

Shortly after he was born, I was getting tired of the epidural feeling. By noon I was real annoyed and honestly telling myself the 2 extra hours of labor would've been a better alternative to this numb feeling. I was also swelling major and bleeding a little more than my nurse wanted. She had Dr. Emm come over her lunch and they decided she would come back after office hours with her partner Dr. Ogunleye to do another patch job.

The whole day my nurse had pitocin going on and off to make sure my extra bleeding wasn't uterine related or from leftover placenta. My uterine contractions were off the charts, I basically felt like I was in transition labor on an off that day. 

Maybe around 4-4:30, I sat up in my bed to nurse Leo and felt a major gush of blood. I got immediately light headed. Dr. Emm came in just as this was going on and she looked at me and immediately knew something was wrong. She was kind of annoyed at my nurse and called for Labs right away, then started examining me. Dr. Ogunleye followed shortly after and they set up shop in the room. I had swollen so much that my stitches were breaking apart and I was creating new tears. I was fine during this time, not really in any pain and keeping my sense of humor. 

After a little bit of them patching, I got very light headed and knew I was about to pass out. They told me that was okay, but I seriously felt like I was going to die. They then decided it was time to move to the OR, and the chaos began. I had to consent to anesthesia, a breathing tube, and knew I was going to get a blood transfusion. My room was full of people. I was scared but honestly so exhausted that I couldn't freak out like I normally would. Andy was pretty calm. A sweet OB tech named Paula told me she would pray for me. That's when I knew this wasn't good. 

I went to the OR and shortly after fell asleep. Honestly, I felt pretty good when I woke up and didn't have any weird effects. I think I was out for about 45 minutes. They said they patched up as thorough as they could and made sure that my bleeding wasn't uterine-related. 

Andy's parents visited Wednesday morning with Elliott. She was all about the baby but we didn't have her hold him. My sisters came that night and brought Potbelly. 

The next two days, I was pretty much chained to the bed. I had a catheter in and basically had a cantaloupe sitting on my crotch. I finally got the cath out and could walk the halls once late afternoon on Thursday. I rinsed in the shower, too, but was still in bed 99.9% of the day. Thankfully I peed on my own within a few hours, so that hurdle was over. I've never felt so physically helpless in my life. 

Dr. Ogunleye gave me the OK to leave on Friday (he had been checking on me once or twice a day). Andy went to Elliott's tumbling class and Allyson stayed with me during that time. We packed up around noon and went home to big sister. I missed her so much! Thankfully she was basically on vacation all week and I don't think she missed us a bit. The next solid week was really hard for me physically. It was until about 12 days postpartum that I started to feel like I could do things again. It's amazing how frustrated not being able to do your own laundry is. Or sit up to nurse your baby. Or get in and out of bed without wincing. The list goes on.

I'm still not myself but I can function just fine. I'm sure it will be a while still, and I don't think I will be having any more vaginal deliveries, but I'm hopeful this whole thing is behind me. Childbirth isn't easy! Thankfully Leo is making up for all of this by being adorable and pretty easy to handle! I'll never let him forget what I went through to bring him here though;) 

Leo: 1 Week Old

We have had our sweet Leo for one week, and so far he has been a pretty superb babe for us. 

After a hellacious delivery on Tuesday, we got to come home Friday. I've been super slow moving but getting a little better every day. The transition from one kid to two is surprisingly easy if it weren't for my own physical setbacks. Elliott adores baby brother (almost at a dangerous level). She would hold Leo all day long if I let her, and is constantly offering him pacis and kissing him. I guess I've done well training her to be a helper because I ask her to fetch me things a lot and she does so happily. 

Baby boy sleeps well. Mostly in his rock n play but in our arms, as well. He also likes the bouncer seat but we haven't tried the mamaroo since it's in the basement and mom can't quite do stairs yet. He spends much more time alert than Elliott ever did probably because there is just more ruckus keeping him up. I don't think we would have to cosleep at all if it weren't for me not being able to lift him in and out of bed. He starts off in his rock n play but since he's waking about 3 times a night I don't make andy get up to put him back every time. I don't want him to sleep in our bed until 16 months like Elliott, but for now it's just fine. The halo bassinest is great in theory but I will probably sell it soon.

Leo came out of the womb an A+ nurser. We haven't had a single trouble and I haven't even been sore. Since my milk has come in, he does have some trouble with keeping up and it goes down the wrong pipe. I'm hopeful it's just a learning curve and he will cut down on the coughing soon. He also still has a bit of gunk in his nose from delivery that gives him some wheezy breathing which I'm sure makes nursing a bit more difficult. I have decided to really cut back on dairy this time since I can already tell Leo is going to be a gassy one. He spits up already when Elliott didn't start until she was a few months old (my milk production is also abundant though). I'm also more strict on making him burp, too. Although sometimes he gets to snooze on me, I don't want him to rely on nursing to sleep like his sister did. For now it's good for my supply so I'm going with the flow. 

We haven't had any tantrums or meltdowns just yet. Honestly, Leo doesn't even really cry. I'm sure that will change as he comes out of the super sleepy newborn phase. At his first pediatrician appointment at 6 days old, he weighed 8 lb 9.9 oz (up from discharge weight of 8 lb 3 oz). Newborn clothes are on the tight side but are still in rotation because I apparently didn't buy enough and we haven't kept up with laundry due to me not being able to lift anything. 

I'm starting to function a little bit better and am really ready to parent like normal. Elliott has been taken care of by others almost exclusively the entire week and I'm looking forward to getting to our own routine. She's been a peach during this transition though, so it's nice to not have that to deal with that. Thankfully it's not planting or harvest and Andy has been with me the whole time. He gets stir crazy in the house so much but it's made him see how much I really do around here!  Our families have brought us food which has been perfect, otherwise Andy would just feed me pizza on repeat.

We are so lucky to have these two kiddos. 

40 Weeks!

Due date has arrived! I actually feel really good considering the crazy heat lately and am trying to enjoy the time we have left as a family of three. Definitely getting antsy but I'm trying to tell myself I'll never get this time back. Kiddo will come out when he wants, I guess.

I'm still super posterior and not sure if I'm dilated. I'm trying to walk a lot, bounce on the yoga ball, and just avoid reclining/sitting if I can. Fingers crossed that helps. Again, it was this way with Elliott and things worked out okay in the end. Baby looks good otherwise. My belly is a little on the small side (again, just like with Elliott), but my doc has zero concerns about my growth. I'm progressing at a consistent and normal-for-me rate. And I truly think my uterus is always so tucked far back posterior that it's decieving. 

I woke up one night with some cramping that resembled my first labor pains with Elliott. I remember getting scared with her, but when I felt them this time, I definitely felt a sense of "let's do this." Maybe that's just because they ended up not being the real thing. It's still best if I don't think about labor, otherwise I feel pretty dreadful about it.

We finally settled 100% on a name! It's been the front runner for a long time, but we both had slight reservations about it. After having a few more name conversations with family and it *wasn't* on anyone else's mind, we knew it was a good choice. We are still deciding which middle name is best but I think we will know when he's born. 

Since I'm still pregnant, I had Taryn take some maternity photos. They usually aren't my thing, but we never take photos of the three of us.  I know I won't regret having some.

Second babies are so bittersweet. Elliott was a tough infant, but is making up for it in spades as a super awesome toddler. She has moments of crabbiness, but overall she is such an easy kid. Our boat will for sure be rocked when this kid comes! Having a girl first was definitely better for me (a cautious child is much better for my anxious heart), and I can only imagine how neurotic I will be with a rough boy. Please be kind to your mother, sweetie pie.

We couldn't be more ready to meet you! 

Florida Vaca March 2017: Part 3

We unload and just rest while my mom goes to the beach. She comes back around 4:30 and we all dress. We decide tonight is a beach visit night and go around 5. Elliott is cautious about her first dips in the water but is liking it.

By the time we look for places to eat it's 5:45 and places have filled up. Elliott is clearly exhausted and sitting down long isn't going to happen. We decide to head home and order from a carry out BBQ place my mom knows. We eat and veg the rest of the night. Elliott isn't having sleeping in the pack n play so Andy takes her to the guest room and she knocks out around 9:30ish maybe. He sleeps with her all night and I stay in the twin bed - best night of sleep I get all trip! 

We all are moving around 9am but by the time we get breakfast and dressed for the beach, it is already 10:30. We set up shop and Elliott seems terrified of the sand and will only stay on the tent floor- ha! She warms up quickly and has the best time. We break for lunch at the snack shack. She would stay in the water all day if she could so we end up staying until 1:30.

We get home and rinse quickly in the pool before she heads into the pack n play for nap. I'm shocked she doesn't really put up a fight and is asleep quickly. Unfortunately it only lasts about an hour and she wakes up very cranky. It's a battle to get her showered but we all dress and head to the Snook by 4:45. We get a table inside with a nice view. Mom and Andy get grouper fingers, mac n cheese for Elliott, and a mahi mahi sandwich for me- all super tasty. We are back home before 6. We lounge and try for early bedtime again but nope, not happening. Andy battles her in and out but says she is out for sure around 11:30!! I got most of the night to myself thankfully but I felt like garbage with sore throat and full body aches. 

I woke early the next morning. Elliott is up around 7:45. We poke around getting breakfast and battle to get her dressed for the beach (she loves to run around naked)!  We make it there around 10. She wasn't as interested but still had a great time wading in the water and watching other kids. She loves to make friends! The other kids there were older though and not interested in her. We pack up around noon and head back to assemble lunches. She eats really well (ham, bread, banana, strawberry, pretzels) so I'm assuming she's starting to feel better. She giggles like a schoolgirl in pool with her dad before heading into a nap. She goes fairly easily and sleeps for 3.5 hours!! We have to wake her up at 5 to go to dinner.

We head to the Esplanade for some action. We get a table right away outside at Mango's and get bread and some fruit for Elliott right away. It's a nice night but a little chilly with the breeze from the water. I get the grouper special and Andy gets a steak. It's good food and comes quickly so we are out. We walk down and stop at a cold stone for ice cream. We eat inside before skipping back to the car. We pack up what we can for the trip home and Elliott watches Frozen on the iPad. I fail again at trying to get her to sleep, but Andy finally gets her to late again. 

We are all up around 7:15, enjoy breakfast, and pack everything up in the morning. We are on the road at 9:15. The car ride and trip through security is easy. She runs around like crazy in the airport. We get pizza before boarding. We weren't so lucky with seats this time and are in the second to last row. It is super turbulent and I grip Andy like a crazy person because I'm convinced this plane is going down.  Thankfully Elliott conks after takeoff and sleeps until we start to descend. The saving grace of this trip has been how well she did on the flights. 

Vacationing with a toddler is hard work (especially for an anxious mama), but we made some great memories. If nothing else, Magic Kingdom day was pretty rad and Elliott loved the beach. Our next vacation will be adults only, though :) 

Florida Vaca March 2017: Part 2

We chilled in the room and started to get ready. We're kind of late and went to grab food at 7:45. Andy is a big breakfast eater (I'm a cereal girl) but he rushed and we were outside for the 8:07 bus. It is super nice to have bus estimate signs now.

We got through baggage and turnstiles and were outside Spaceship Earth at 8:39. I was on a mission and when ropes dropped around 10 till I booked it with the stroller. 5 months pregnant, jogging with a stroller to Soarin' proved worth it because I was in the first showing and in my seat at 9. This might be my favorite ride in all WDW and was a good start to the day.

I was out at 9:10 and swapped with Andy. Elliott and I went on Living with the Land and got off just as Andy was walking off Soarin'.

We get in line for Joy and Sadness which is sort of long and taking forever. We take turns distracting her and when it's her turn she is not into it at all. I should just give up with characters. We head over to Seas with Nemo and again she is not having the waiting in line. She sucks down a fruit pouch and nibbles on goldfish until it's our turn 15 minutes later. She likes the ride but is so tired. We skip the aquarium and Turtle Talk based on her mood and get a frozen fruit bar which she downs. Andy wants to go do Test Track so we split up (he says single ride is 15 minutes). I sit in a few spots before moseying to look at food booths. I knew a ton that intrigued me but ended up in America at the Smokehouse. Elliott is asleep by then, but I get a pulled pork slider which is really good. I sit in the shade to eat while Elliott sleeps until Andy arrives at 11:45. He eats and we head back to Spaceship Earth for our FP. Elliott wakes up after a 30 minute nap but I'll take what I can get. The ride is backed up from being closed in the morning so we wait for maybe 20 minutes in the FP line. Elliott is tired but sits in the Tula while we ride.

We head to the buses and thankfully one starts unloading as we walk up. We get on at 1:04 and pull up to All Star Sports at 1:14. Elliott gets a change and hangs in her diaper watching Frozen. I try to get her to nap again but we are both tired of each other and she's too wound up. I end up taking her out to Andy at the pool where we sit for a while. Andy ends up getting her to nap (after a fight) around 3:45 while I sit outside and snack on fries. I head back around 4:45 because our FP for Mickey and Pals ends at 5:40 so we gotta get going. Andy and I pack up with all the lights on and Elliott doesn't budge from her nap. I almost want to skip the characters but Mickey is her favorite so we wake her up and rush out like mad people at 5:10. We make the bus the last second but it's super crowded and takes forever to stop at Music and Movies. We finally make it to Epcot and literally run to character spot. Andy's mad at me because it's past 5:40. I tell him we have an extra 15 minutes and even if it passes that they can override and let us in. We get up at 5:56 and she of course lets us in with no issue (it pays to research). The waiting line takes forever and has nothing for Elliott to do, plus we just woke her up from restful sleep, so she is a handful. Once we get inside and can see the characters she lights up and wants to run. By the time (finally) it's our turn, she doesn't want anything to do with them. Luckily the photo people are really great and we get some basic shots with Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. Pretty much a bust but oh well.

Andy asks if he can do Mission Space but I tell him that it's already 6:30 and time for our Frozen Ever After FP. We head to Norway and get through the line really promptly. The standby time was 105 minutes I think. The ride is really, really cool, and Elliott loves it. She's watched Frozen 384728 times this vacation and is all about Elsa and Anna. My complaint is that the ride is very short. Do not ever wait in a long line for a ride that lasts 2 minutes. Definitely worth it for us to have a FP.

We are ready to eat and since I know the booths pretty well, I take us to Urban Farms which isn't far from World Showcase entrance. We get pork tenderloin, mushroom, potatoes, and other veggies. It was so, so good and neither Andy nor I like mushrooms! Elliott isn't interested and Andy still wants to do adult rides. It's past 7 so I tell him to run and do it already and I take Elliott to Electric Umbrella to get a kid's meal. I pee my pants a little in line (thanks pregnancy incontinence) but I have no shame so I keep waiting. It takes forever but I get her some mac and cheese and a brownie. She has been liking the Dannon drinkable yogurts that come with all the kids meals. We head outside and she picks at her food until Andy meets us. I pee in a toilet and Andy gets popcorn before we head to the bus a little after 8. We aren't even going to try to stay for Illuminations.

Elliott gets a bath and her cough is full force and she's wheezy. She falls asleep around 10 (omg sleep is killing us this trip).  I am in and out but she's wheezing up against me and breathing really funny. I notice that her breathing is retracted and basically watch her from 3-4am. Use google and YouTube to confirm that she's definitely retracting. I'm too educated and know we need to be seen by someone. We wake her up and go to the ER just down the road.

We get to a room quickly but it takes two hours to be seen by someone. Elliott thankfully sleeps for about an hour of that and I notice her saturations go down when she's sleeping. The doctor examines her and notices crackles that are cause for concern. She orders a chest X-ray (honestly I wasn't expecting that one). Andy goes with her since I can't do radiation and says she complies fine. The X-ray showed inflammation but thankfully no pneumonia. Bronchiolitis and a prescription for albuterol and we are on our way out around 7:30am. I was surprised they didn't swab for the flu or RSV but I don't put up a fight or anything. We go back to the hotel to quickly pack up and are gone quickly.

We stop by McDonald's and head toward Marco. It's a 3.5 hour drive and Elliott falls asleep around 9 and wakes up around 11:15. There are bad citrus grove fires around so we have to detour. We don't get to Barfield until after 1 and are so glad to be out of the car.

38 Weeks

It's like a switch flips when I get to 37 weeks. Pregnancy is pretty easy for me and then I all of a sudden can't stand it anymore.

At 37w5d Dr Emm checked me. I have a posterior cervix again so she couldn't tell if I was dilated but commented that I feel soft. His head is really low and he seems to be in good position. I'm trying to tell myself that I will be overdue and to just not get my hopes up for anything earlier. I'm hoping sitting on the balance ball at night will put things into place. Contractions have been constant for weeks so hopefully that's a sign things will be faster this time. Since he was a super active dude most of this pregnancy, things have slowed down since he's running out of room. I'm convinced he's super long. 

I'm still tired. Stretched to the max. Can't bend over. Wake up at 4am often.

All of the baby stuff is good to go. I caved and bought a rock n play but I'm sure we'll get use of it. Elliott has started playing with the gear and will put her baby dolls in them which is adorable. Bag is partially ready. 

I'm starting to worry about labor. Thinking back on Elliott's labor reminds me that I've survived it before but that it is really really hard. I'm planning to play this one by ear again as far as if I get an epi. As long as things go a little faster this time, I'm sure I can do med free again, it's just whether or not I want to hate myself and die for a few hours.

Please God let this kid come out quickly, easily, healthy, and soon. 

36ish Weeks

We're at the 9 month mark. It does feel like forever since I learned I was pregnant, but this one has definitely gone faster!  Nothing super important to note. He's a pretty active kid and I feel his feet kicking my side a lot. His head seems to be nice and low (seriously feels like he's trying to escape already). I feel like he's going to be really long based on his positioning. His heartbeat at my 35.5 week appointment was 127 but he must've been sleeping because that's been the lowest it's been so far for sure. He's usually racing! I'm up probably 28 lb. Getting dressed is a real chore because I'm extra hippy this time I guess. 

I'm starting to get tired. Most of this is because I don't drink enough water, but I just don't have energy to do much. Since these are my last few weeks alone with Elliott, we've been doing activities nearly every morning, but then nap time is so welcomed. We've been going to the library for the summer reading program a lot (which she loves!) otherwise we have tumbling class on fridays and fill in other days with the splash pad or parks, and she goes with me to my OB appointments. Swimming takes too much effort so we haven't done much of that.

I'm also starting to worry about labor since I'm not in nearly as good of shape as I was last time. We go on a decent number of walks but I also sit a lot. I've started doing some Pilates again in hopes that I don't die. The politics of healthcare are so convuluted that we are going to be paying $$$$$ for this kid and doing anything other than a completely natural labor isn't even an option. If my doc would deliver me at home I'd do it! 

Baby Boy's room is also done (ish)! We have enough clothes and all are clean and organized. Bedding and curtains are up. I plan to purchase letters for his name to go on one wall, though. We are 99% sure we've decided on it but I'll still wait until we're certain. Otherwise I don't plan on doing much else since, let's face it, the kid won't use his room for probably months to come, and I'm just less inspired/more lazy this time. We do need to bring up all the baby gear (bassinet, bouncer, car seat) but we'll get there. There are still a few things we'd like to buy but can't justify spending money on (see above paragraph...). I'm pretty confident I will be a few days overdue this time so not getting too antsy just yet, but birth being over will be welcome. I'm trying not to even think about logistics of life with two kids but I'm sure we will figure it out as we go. I am getting so excited to meet him! 

28 Weeks

This pregnancy is going fast. I have to think about how far along I am which is funny to me.

I didn't really start showing noticeably until closer to 18-20 weeks, but then I definitely popped. Thankfully I seem to have plateaud since and for that I am grateful. I'm not uncomfortable and I'd like to keep it that way, although none of my pants fit and I'll be in leggings all summer. I haven't paid attention to any weight gain but I think I'm fairly close to what I was last time.

Have I mentioned that it's a boy? I found out without a doubt at my anatomy scan around 22 weeks. I face timed Andy from the car to tell him (we weren't surprised). Then we announced publicly about a week later. It had gotten to a point where a lot of people knew, others suspected, but we hadn't acknowledged it so it was nice to get it out of limbo. 

We still have no idea what his name will be. We've gone through a million lists it seems, but nothing is standing out as a clear favorite. We can't seem to agree so hopefully we have an epiphany soon. I hate not deciding.

We have made a lot of progress on baby boy's room. We cleared it of all the junk that was stored in there, moved the bed, and sold the two dressers. We picked up all of the new furniture from ikea and it's been nice to get that done. Since I have a lot of the clothes prepped, I just need to do the decorative touches and we will be good to go.

I had my glucose tolerance test at 28w4d. Drawing blood is pretty painless for me, thankfully, and I don't think the drink is bad at all. I drew at 8:54, 9:54, and 10:54. I saw Dr Emm in between. Fetal movement chart is back so I'll be documenting that from now on. I've gained about 20 lb so far. Blood pressure looks good, no concerns. I did talk to her about starting back on anxiety meds because this month it has been really debilitating for me. I'm still not ready to pull the trigger but it's nice to know she doesn't have any issue with it. 

Elliott is TWO!

We have a two year old!  This age is just so fun.

 

Personality: Is still stubborn and particular, but less so than when she was an infant. Doesn't do anything if she feels forced (good girl). Has an opinion about what she wants to wear and always requests "princess dresses." I have no clue where she picked up that phrase but now we just say anything is a princess dress so she will wear it. Will do whatever her cousins tell her most of the time and plays really well with other kids! Has no problem going up to kids even if she doesn't know them. Doesn't bat an eye when I leave her places but usually doesn't love if I leave her at home with her dad (because FOMO). This lasts about 15 seconds. Andy and I have actually gone on a date or two and I feel like we could have normal adult social lives if we wanted to!! 

Play time: Loves coloring on paper. Enjoys baths mostly and isn't interesting in showering with me anymore. LOVES to sit on my bathroom counter while I get ready. Doing makeup is already a big hobby of hers. Also into dolls, babies, Tractors, and her vacuum and broom. Still loves to read with me, mostly while snuggled on her bedroom floor. Our basement is now done. Though she mostly colors down there, we do also have a slide, balance beam, books, and her kitchen to play with. She also loves piano, dancing, and singing. Will be so excited when warm weather is here for good because she loves outdoors! 

 

Sleep: pretty stellar sleeper. Puts herself to sleep in her bed with little complaints most of the time. Naps run anywhere from 2-3 hours mostly. Bedtime is around 7:30 pm these days and she wakes around 7:30 am. Will take a while to fall asleep sometimes and is okay lounging in bed before I come to get her. We have yet to attempt climbing out and I'm trying to hold onto having that freedom for as long as possible. Sleep is the first thing to get screwed up when she doesn't feel well (looking at you, teething) and she will only sleep in her room with lights off and fan on though. Napping at any sitter's house just doesn't happen and never has (again, FOMO). Still absolutely needs a paci to sleep, but can go without otherwise as long as one isn't in site.

Teeth: Just waiting for the very last 2 molars to finish pushing all the way up and we will have all 20 baby teeth. But they are definitely visible. She had a few months of patchy bad sleep that I contributed to this. She enjoys brushing her teeth but mostly won't let me in to do the job right. We just visited the dentist and she did so well letting him brush and clean them. He says we are all good so far! 

Eating: mostly anything but is showing more pickiness now. Requested yogurt a million times a day but didn't usually eat it so we are backing off that. Loves all fruit and dairy and is finally warming up to meat. Pasta dishes are also hits mostly. She still eats what we eat and I try not to dumb down her diet. She doesn't get juice but rather gets water with a splash of pedialyte, which she loves. Otherwise she's not a huge drinker. Definitely knows what chocolate and ice cream are and don't even think about not sharing them with her. 

Potty Training: she started to show interest in the potty around 18 months. I got her a small potty then and she would sit on it (with clothes on) whenever I went to the bathroom (she likes to do whatever I'm doing). She started ripping off diapers around 23 months and was irritated from them so we've been actually putting some effort in since then. She sporadically goes diaperless usually a few hours each day but has yet to actually pee in the toilet. It's clear that she knows how to hold her pee though, because she can go a few hours without a mess without issue mostly. She will tell you when she goes though even with a diaper on, so I'm hoping we will get there without much fuss. Andy isn't really into doing it because he's even lazier than I am but I'd like to not have 2 kids in diapers..

Milestones: has a pretty extensive vocabulary and rarely says anything out of correct context. Knows the words to our favorite songs and can patch up some of the abcs (she tries). Counts to 9 hit or miss but definitely 1,2,3.  Still amazes us with her brains. Has great balance and can do stairs without assistance or even holding onto anything. She weighs 26 lb (40%) and is 34 cm tall (60%).

I'm still working on her baby book 😔 I had stayed current on it through month 6 before stopping (also when cheer season started so I will use that as my excuse). Hoping to get that done to give to myself as a Mother's Day present! 

Happy birthday, sweet angel! 

 

   

Florida Vaca March 2017: Part 1

Day 1, Sunday March 5:
The night before our trip I was really hating myself for picking the early flight. I procrastinated with a lot and felt unprepared. I was googling parking reviews at 10:30 PM and Andy was angry with me..

Neither of us slept well but were both feeling fine come 2AM. Everything was ready to go so I pretty much rolled out of bed, grabbed Elliott and went to the car. She didn't fall asleep till 9:45 the night
before, so I was hoping she'd sleep in the car. Nope! But she wasn't cranky. The roads were empty and we got to our parking lot shortly after 4AM. We booked with PreFlight Airport parking which was really nice as far as airport parking goes. The shuttle was fast and we were at the United checkin desk around 4:30.

Security wasn't bad at all and we walked to our terminal. I had Elliott in the carrier and noted that would not be happening the rest of the trip - not comfortable while pregnant. Our gate was full, but Elliott was happy walking around and munching on food. I had called United the day before when check-in wouldn't let me select seats. I got real worried we'd be separated but customer service assigned for me, row 9, extra legroom for no charge! Yeah! Note to self: make the call.

We boarded early despite my gut telling me to keep Elliott out but she did really great. She cried in her seat during take-off (surprise, she has control issues and was clearly anxious about what was happening). But she slept once we were sailing and napped for probably an hour and a half until the captain called for landing. We arrived in Orlando at 9:29 AM- early for our 10AM ETA! We were off the plane in a second and even though we moseyed, were at baggage quickly. We waited until 10:30 for our bags, but Elliott was happy as long as we let her roam free. We trekked down to Avis for the rental car and waited probably 20 minutes before going to get it. We got a new Ford Escape which was perfect. We hit the road around 11:15. It was comfortable 70s weather.

We were pooped so decided to just go to the resort for lunch. I updated our checkin time online (we were earlier than expected) and got the text our room was ready as we were walking from the car. I immediately was bummed about our building selection. The resort reminds me of teen spring break and is hoppin with activity. Our room is fine for the 3 of us but pretty small - definitely wouldn't want to be here for a week. It works fine for the price but we will upgrade for future trips. We head to the food court around 12:15 and get pizza for lunch.

Despite running on little sleep, Elliott won't nap. We do rest though and she falls asleep around 3:15. We wake at 4:45 and head to Disney Springs. Although things are way nicer than they used to be, this still isn't my scene. It's crowded and touristy. We make it over to D-Luxe burger for dinner. Andy waits in line for a while and I run around with Elliott. I get a veggie burger, Elliott and Andy get cheeseburgers. I really liked my burger. We split a root beer float and it was just okay - needed more ice cream!

Andy wants to shop at leisure but I remind him how busy the next days will be and the importance of pacing ourselves. We stop at UA before trekking to the car around 7:30. Elliott fights sleep for hours but finally is asleep at 9:45.

Day 2, Monday March 6
We had a hellacious night of sleep. I was on the edge of the bed and Elliott woke a lot and was up in my business. She wants to be up at 5am and plays until I get her back to sleep around 6:40. Andy goes out to get food for us. I get up to shower at 7:20 and am quick. Andy gives Elliott some fruit, yogurt, and milk and I scarf some cereal. We get to the car at 8.

The drive to Magic Kingdom is quick and easy. We get to the lot and fight about Andy paying $20 for parking when it should be free for us. Get on the tram and fight again because I forgot to tell him selfie sticks aren't allowed. He thinks he's going to be sent back to the car and I tell him to chill.

The monorail is closed for servicing so we have to take ferry which is a process. We get through bags and I look down while at turnstiles and it's 8:52!!! Freak out at how long that took and tell Andy we have to run. The morning show starts just as we walk into the park and I book like a mad woman. I head through toward Tomorrowland ignoring that everyone is just standing there. Get to the entrance just as the show ends! It's crowded but almost everyone goes to Space. We are one of the first to Speedway but Andy stops to take off Elliott's coat while a dozen people pass him!!! I wait while the two of them go. I seethe a little about our start but lighten up when I see Elliott's face smile when they pull by at 9:15.

We head to Pooh for a 20 minute wait. Am thankful for interactive queues and she plays with other kids. She's very antsy but it's doable. She really likes the ride and claps when it ends. We head over to Dumbo where the wait looks overwhelming. The interactive queue isn't open there but we wrangle her and it goes by okay. Her face is funny when Andy does fast drops but she really likes elephants and is having a ball.

We go to Little Mermaid and it's a walk on. Another ride that she loves, surprise surprise. I'm thinking this is just too good to be true how well she's being.

At this point I remember we forgot to put on sun screen.. bad mom award. It's mostly overcast and we are in and out of buildings but I pray we don't burn. We head over to Small World for a 20 minute wait. She has hit the wall and is tired but enjoys the ride. We hop on Peter Pan with our FP and she is again tired, but in awe. We go across to Pinocchio's for lunch at 11:00. It's not busy so we get food quickly. Pepperoni flatbreads for Andy and I and mac and cheese for Elliott, all okay.

Elliott and I go to use our FP for Rapunzel. I let her watch Mickey in line but it's a short wait. I'm not prepared when I walk in the room and tiana is like right there. The exchange is awkward since I'm fumbling so much. Elliott just sits there pretty free of emotion. Rapunzel is super chatty, but again doesn't get any reactions from her until I tell her to blow kisses as we leave. Of course the photos of all of this are terrible.

It's 11:45 and We need to go recharge our batteries. I'm really happy with how the morning went and don't want to push it. Andy wants to ride a big ride so goes to Splash for a 30 minute wait. Elliott and I walk in the stroller, get a Dole Whip Float before going to buy the new baby some goods on Main Street.

At 12:15 I really want to go so start heading back to the car. Andy can take the bus. The ferry takes forever and getting the stroller on the tram is interesting to do alone, thankfully a man offers to help. I don't remember our exact lot name so spend 15 minutes roaming around. Get to the car at 1:00. Elliott passes out in about 30 seconds. Andy is on the ferry at this point so I wait for him there. He walks right by me so we fight again about the whole situation. We get to All Star Sports around 1:45 so Elliott got about 45 minutes of sleep.

Her nap is ruined and she's wired. I'm still tired though so we all hang in the room and decide to get up around 4 and eat at the resort since We ate lunch early. Burger and chicken nuggets are standard.

After the morning debacle we decide to bus it tonight. We wait maybe 10 minutes and get on at 4:45. We are at turnstiles at 5:15 and note that it was much more chill than earlier.

We get a picture together in front of the castle before heading to our FP at jungle cruise. Elliott is tired and waiting in lines is getting rough. But she likes the ride. Then we go back over to tomorrowland and decide to do Peoplemover. She definitely enjoyed that one. Then Andy goes to use his Space FP and I get in line for Buzz. It takes way longer than necessary and even though she is excited in line, isn't into it once it's our turn. By then Andy is back and we head to teacups since we never did those earlier. We wait maybe 15 minutes and again she likes it.

At this point, she is real tired so we go to Baby Center to change into Jammies. We walk down Main Street to the Confectionery and get cotton candy to share. We play by the Train Station until Wishes starts at 8. Despite being cranky, she is into the fireworks and sings along with me in awe. Standing in the back gave me new insight to Disney Goers. People are stupid. A lot of people left after the first section (at minute 4). Since I'm a nutjob I know that Wishes is 12 minutes long. We did decide to leave just before finale fireworks since we really wanted to get the first bus back. That was a good idea because our line was already pretty full. We got on quickly and we're on our way by 8:20- back in our room before 8:45!

She fought sleep once again so I eventually gave her a bath. She ended up falling asleep around 10 (OMG).

I should note that she started to cough tonight at MK. Throughout the night it got real gross and she would wake up choking on phlegm. But somehow we both slept better than we did the night before. She woke up at 6:10 and I was just thankful it wasn't 5.

 

         

Pregnancy #2 Update

Written 21 weeks

Not much has happened the last 10 weeks. I've gotten past any nausea and am feeling really great. I'm in much worse shape this time around so need to get in gear to prep for labor. Nicer weather should help with that! I started feeling kicks between 17-18 weeks and shortly after could see them from the outside. This kid is pretty active and almost any time I lie down I can feel nonstop movement, which I love.

I'm at the point where you can tell I'm pregnant depending on what I wear. Some people may just think I have a beer belly or something. It's definitely there from my perspective, though. Seems to be on par with my previous pregnancy growth but I don't take belly pics so who knows. #2ndchild We never made any formal announcement and really just told close friends and family. It doesn't really come up otherwise and I'm fine if people wonder. We're just letting the news spread the old fashioned way, I guess. Maybe we will address it at some point, I don't know.

I've had a few appointments since the last update. Elliott has gone with me the last two and behaved very well. She is very interested in what's going on. She gets that a baby is in my belly and is all about giving it kisses by the dozen which is super sweet. She's a baby lover!

Nothing at all important medical-wise to report. My doctor is switching practices and I'm actually quite excited. Her current office is older and she's upgrading to a nearly new building. My first appointment with her there is this week when I have an ultrasound. She said it's a fancy new 4D one so I'm pretty stoked about that. I definitely see her for her and not her staff /facilities so now I love her even more.

We should find out gender this week! I'm still convinced on boy and will be pretty shocked if we have another girl. Though I have no preference. I bring up names every now and then (I'm decisive and have mine selected) but Andy is hard to convince and changes his mind every time it comes up. We'll see. I'm not sure if/how we'll announce. Totally playing this one by ear.

Parenthood: Round 2

Yep, we are going to do all this again. I'm pregnant.

I sort of had a hunch and asked Andy to pick up a test for me. He apparently doesn't know the difference between a pregnancy test and an ovulation kit so that delayed that for a day :) Officially tested on Monday, November 21 and I just said "shiiiitttttt" when I saw the result. Taking a pregnancy test at home by myself (except having a toddler two feet away staring at me) was a little different than before :) After sort of deciding we would add another to our brood, it happened immediately. Kids, it really only does take one time! I wouldn't have it any other way, though!

Since I took progesterone with my last pregnancy, I called my doc to order a blood test. It was already the day before Thanksgiving. I normally avoid going to St. James like the plague because I know too many people but I was lazy and my SIL who works the desk was gone that week. I figured why not? I was still registered by a basically-family member but oh well! I hope HIPAA holds up. I went back on Friday and the place was dead. Still a little low on the progesterone so we are going ahead with supplements this time.

Since I'm writing this at 11 weeks 2 days, I can say the second time around is way different. I am lazy and way less obsessed about it. I am terrible about taking my supplements as needed and actually stopped at like 10.5 weeks (rather than 12). Overall things are just more lax.

Otherwise, things are comparable. I didn't ever get ill, but this time around I have gagged way more than before (every morning while emptying Elliott's old milk cups..).  The past few days have been much better. I was pretty equally exhausted both times, but this time is worse because I have a child to keep up with. Elliott has watched more TV in the last 6 weeks than she had her whole life before that. I vow to be a more enriching SAHM! (Who's kidding though, right?)

I was NEVER emotional when pregnant with Elliott, but this time around I am a real basket case. It is so unlike me!! The number of times I've sobbed is truly stupid. Mushy commercials get me (this has never happened). Yesterday, I showed Elliott a bunch of random videos of family trips to WDW and just cried thinking about taking her. I usually go months without crying or even tearing up at all.

I went to the doctor by myself December 14 when I was 7w5d. All was good and heartbeat was 167. Not much else to add. I left Elliott with my mom. She doesn't ask questions but probably wondered where I was going. She's intuitive.

Nobody knows the news yet at this point (except that time I broke down sobbing to my cheer bus driver, who gave me a hug and mumbled "are you pregnant?" I was too shocked to be able to deny it, and rather said "how do you know that? Nobody knows that." Otherwise we will keep it to ourselves AT LEAST until the end of January when I'm 14-15 weeks. We will find out gender at our ultrasound early March. But I'm telling you, it's a boy.

I went back to the doc last week at 9w5d just to go over medical history and get blood drawn. Since I've done it all before, not much is new. I go back in a few weeks toward the end of January.

Just per usual, I am cautious about things and will feel much better once we get past the first 12-14 weeks. I had started taking some anxiety medication not long before getting pregnant, but have slowly weaned myself since finding out. I notice a difference, but it's manageable. We are just plugging along every day! So happy to have this dude to grow.

Due Date is July 28!