29 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 29 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~15+" long & ~2.5 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~ 15.5 lbs

Maternity Clothes :  100%. The weather has turned warm. We've kicked on the A/C for good, I think. I grabbed a few more long & lean tanks @ Target this weekend to get me thru the summer. My big problem is that my hips are too wide for the summer maternity bottoms I have.  I was barely pregnant last time during summer, and my hips hadn't spread from months of pregnancy plus delivery.  I think I'm going to have to invest in some bigger shorts/capris.  I have one pair of capris I'm wearing the life out of that fit well, and one pair that needs a little patch-job and fit decent, but I'm gonna need more than two pairs of bottoms to get me through summer.

Best Moment This Week : Josh had Monday off and took Tuesday off too, so we had a lovely long weekend together.  We hosted small group, hung out around the house, went to church, went out for dinner Sunday night, watched a couple movies, cleared out the guest room, and generally relaxed and enjoyed our time.  I watched Jack for a few hours on Tuesday morning, but Josh & I squeezed in a movie and a nap before Ash woke from his nap.

Gender : It's a boy! 

Movement : I know I say this all the time, but he's so strong.  He's finally big enough to be getting up into my ribs.  My uterus takes up most of my abdomen now, and he's taking up his fair share of my uterus :)  Sometimes I can feel him at the top and bottom at the same time, like he's stretching out.  Most of the movement I feel is in the upper-middle or upper-right quadrant and then occasionally in the lower-left quadrant, like he favors the same angle that Ash was in.  Also, Josh was finally able to feel him this week, thanks to a little caffeinated dance party.

Food Craving : Chocolate.  I made an unwise choice Monday night and went on a Baskin Robbins run.  Josh wanted some plain chocolate ice cream, and I got myself some double chocolate fudge.  I regretted it when I woke up with massive reflux the next morning... only a LITTLE regret tho; it was SO good :)

What I Miss Most : I miss having my body and all the things I take for granted when I'm not pregnant - mobility, speed, comfort.  But I do enjoy the conversations my big belly sparks with people around me.  A true extrovert, I don't mind random conversations with strangers - and they're a lot more likely to spark a conversation when I've got a built-in question magnet.  When are you due?  Is this your first?  What are you having?  What do you already have?  How far apart will they be?  I'm not private, and happy to oblige :)  I'm just looking forward to the day when a little activity doesn't cause extreme heart rates and B.Hicks, when "downward facing dog" doesn't bring breakfast to the back of my throat or make me light-headed & dizzy, when I can sleep on my stomach & exercise on my back, when I can eat chocolate with only caloric regret.

Sleep : Not enough :)  I'm getting to bed later than I should, and sleeping poorly.  And Ash finally figured out he can open his door, so when his alarm light turns green at 7:00am, he wakes up and turns on his light and then starts opening his door.  He came in all weekend to wake us up between 7-7:15am every morning.  So much for sleeping in on your long weekend :)

What I Am Looking Forward To : I really can't wait to meet this kid!!  I can't wait to see how he's similar to Ash and how he's different.  I can't wait to see how he's like Josh and how he's like me.  I can't wait to get to know him.

Also, I have my first prenatal appointment with Tiffany (my doula) on Tuesday.  Ash is looking forward to playing with the cool toys in her office, and I'm excited to talk babies and L&D. I even pulled up my old birth plan from Ash's birth, made a few minor adjustments, and printed it out to discuss with her and my doctor.

Belly Button : same. :-P 

Symptoms : I think my ribs are starting to spread.  I have been feeling the pains like they're trying to.

Also, I've started wearing my wrist brace every night to avert the carpal tunnel tingle.  So far that's enough to keep it at bay - thank God!

Otherwise, same old reflux, exhaustion, aches....

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same.  Again, I still feel bigger (and no one believes me when I tell them I'm NOT having this baby for a couple months yet) and possibly more tired (b/c I'm way more active this time and I've been forgetting to take my iron lately too).  But otherwise, I'm in better shape and know how to rely on meds to take care of my reflux, so I feel like it all balances out in the long run.

29 wks

28 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  28 weeks. Officially the third trimester, no matter how you're counting it. Also, I like the coincidence that Ash is 28 months old and Cole is 28 weeks in utero.

Size of Baby :  ~15-16" long & ~2.25-2.5 lbs

Total Weight Gain : ~ 15 lbs.  That's 8 lbs less than where I was last time, but I also know I'm carrying a lot more muscle this time around - so I'm definitely in a better place.  Although my body would beg to differ after pushing myself hard at Body Pump on Wednesday and throwing myself headlong into errands and chores Thursday :)

Maternity Clothes :  100%. I'm officially fed up with my pants, so I was excited to wear capris in the warm weather this week.  Some of my "maternity" shirts are ALREADY getting too short to cover my belly all the way (with under-belly pants).  Not cool, dude!  I'm gonna be seriously limited when the weather gets hot and my belly is EVEN bigger :)  I have a feeling I'm going to spend the month of July in the same few pairs of shorts/capris and the same few "long & lean" tanks I have. :)

Best Moment This Week : I really enjoyed my OB appt on Monday. Talking to Dr Weary always settles my nerves. He explained to me the bio-mechanics of why I feel like I'm going to pass out at what I think are random times (he says they're not random at all!), and understanding it makes it way less disconcerting. He reiterated the contraction concern signs (6+ painful contractions in an hour that DON'T go away when you pee, drink, and lay down), which I needed to hear again. I feel like I'm having contractions all day some days, but it's not hitting the threshold for concern, so that's reassuring too. Basically I just walked out of there feeling at ease about everything. 

Gender : It's a boy! Over the weekend we're planning to get some work done on the nursery. Josh has Memorial Monday off (and he's taking Tuesday as a personal day), so we'll have some time to work together on getting the crib put back together (it won't fit thru doorways, so we had to take it apart to take it out of Ash's room) and tame the chaos.  I spent some time in the room on Thursday just getting little things straightened and ready to jump in this weekend.  I'm a little bummed that it won't really look like a nursery for another 4 months since we're leaving the guest bed set up in there until after all our family is done visiting mid-Sept, but excited to get as much as we can done so it's not hanging over my head.

Movement : Cole is a strong boy!  I love feeling him move.  Unfortunately his most predictably active times are when Ash is sleeping (when I'm more likely to sit still), so I haven't been able to let Ash feel his little brother moving. But he does like to say "hi, Cole" to my belly sometimes.  Also, Cole is a butt-head, and every time I grab Josh's hand to feel him kicking, he stops!  Little stinker :)

Also, I experienced hiccups last Friday night at small group for the first time this pregnancy. So funny!

Food Craving : I've eaten an unhealthy amount of peanut butter this week.  But I guess there are probably worse things to binge on.  Like the DoubleStuff Oreos I ate for lunch on Thursday :-D I'm also craving (but not indulging) sweets of all kinds, especially donuts, ice cream, and a caramel ribbon crunch frapp. 

What I Miss Most : feeling "normal".  My digestive system needs help to work, my energy levels are mediocre at best, I can't get comfortable no matter what I wear or what position I choose (except snuggled in my cocoon in bed, and that's not an option most of the day)... I'm just definitely feeling pregnant, and a little alarmed that I still have 3 months to go!

Sleep : same old - waking up at least a couple times a night, peeing and rolling over.  I'm starting to get used to it, though I am feeling pretty tired this week. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : making some progress on the nursery.  Hanging up the maps this weekend and (in a few weeks) sewing up the curtains (gonna try my hand at a Roman shade!). 

Belly Button : same.

Symptoms : I'm getting the beginnings of carpal tunnel. The last few mornings I've woken up with my hand tingling in that old familiar way. But it fades quickly after getting up, and doesn't bother me at all during the day, so I'm not too worried. Last night when I woke to pee, I put on my old wrist brace and it was fine by the time I woke for the day; I'll probably start wearing it regularly. Otherwise it's the same old - reflux, aches, exhaustion.

Compared to last time : I'm happy to report that this pregnancy seems to be treating me as well as the last one in general.  My energy is a little more of a struggle b/c I'm trying to keep up with two toddlers and the house-keeping too.  And I definitely ~feel~ bigger even if I'm not that much bigger than I was.  But so far, they're nicely parallel.

My small group (who has never seen me pregnant) can't believe I've still got almost 3 months to go!

Ash - 2 yrs 4 mos

I know it's only been a month since my last post, but momma wanted to get back on an every-other-month schedule, so here's what we've been up to in the past month.

28 months and cute as ever

One year ago (and look at the title of the book I'm reading)

Two years ago

Size: I'm wearing mostly 24 mo & 2T clothes at this point, but on warm days I still fit into my old 12 mo shorts.  I only weigh just over 25 lbs still.  Mommy realized she's going to have to start measuring me and weighing me if she wants to know more than once a year.

Coming down the twisty slide by myself

Physical development:  I've been a busy guy in the area of physical development.  My body awareness and gross motor skills just can't keep up with my fine motor skills and verbal/mental development, so I'm still a little wobbly for my age, but I'm getting more and more confident all the time.  Too confident.  If you look closely in the picture above and below, you can see a scratch on my face.  I was standing in my bed and leaning out, and I fell and banged my face on the corner of the shelves by my bed.  The second day in a row that this happened, mommy threatened to take away my new bed, so I've been much more careful since then.  But I'm still fearless when it comes to climbing and the like.  I even climbed into my own restaurant high chair the other day before mommy even knew what I was doing!

Enjoying some sweet potato & beet chips - check out my scratched cheek

Verbal development:  Of course, I'm still extremely verbal.  Mommy keeps drilling me on polite manners (please & thank you), but I hate just regurgitating phrases - I like to be original - so it's tough.  I have started a little bit into pretending, so most days when I wake up I tell mommy I'm not a boy.  Usually I'm a truck, occasionally a puppy.  I'll spend the rest of the day pretending I'm that thing, and correcting mommy if she calls me a boy.  I'm also starting to sing songs more often - songs we learn at library story time, or the theme songs from my favorite shows.  I do have a little trouble using words when I'm overtired, but I think this is a universal problem for 2 yr olds!

I created a parking lot with my cars

Routines: We've had Jack with us long enough now that we're all completely used to each other - but we still get along GREAT and mommy seldom has to mediate between us.  Our schedule will change slightly next week when Jack's mom gets done teaching for the year, but we'll still get to hang out most mornings.  Tomorrow is the last MOPS of the school year, so then it'll just be church on weekends.  

Jack & I share extremely well

Special events:  It was so much fun picking out the new stuff for my room on Easter weekend.  We spent Saturday morning at Toys-R-Us buying it and at home putting it together.  Then Sunday I got to hunt for Easter eggs, and that was fun too.  Other than that, life has mostly been about the regular routine of gym, church, appointments, etc.  BUT, one of my favorite appointments was when mommy went to interview Mrs. Tiffany to be her doula for the birth of the baby.  She had so many cool trucks and toys in her office that I can't wait to go again.  We had an appointment scheduled and had to reschedule it, and the wait has been so hard on me that we're using a paper chain to count down the days till we get to go visit Mrs. Tiffany at her doula's office again.  I also had fun playing with Arianna when Uncle Mark & Aunt Melissa came over a couple weeks ago; after lunch, we all went to CFA for some free "Mother's Day" cookies and playtime at the play place.  And for Mother's Day, daddy and I treated mommy to breakfast at Village Inn - and we even sat in the same booth where mommy & I had breakfast with Pop-pop just after I was born.

Checking out my new Cars bed

My favorites:  I loved eating the candy out of my Easter eggs.  Mommy would let me have one egg each day, and each egg had 3 pieces of candy in them.  I liked them all - Reese's pieces, M&M - but my favorite were the Skittles; I'm definitely daddy's boy.

A basket full of eggs (and candy!)

Daddy's favorites:  Daddy loves that I'm finally over my obsession with Mighty Machines.  Now on the weekends I'll usually choose a show besides Mighty Machines.  Unfortunately for him, I'm still obsessed with trucks, so it's Chuck & Friends or Mater's Tall Tales instead.

Playing drums and singing "Dadgum dadgum dadgum" like Mater's band from Tall Tales

Mommy's favorites:  Mommy loves when I actually sleep at nap time, and she's looking forward to our summer schedule slowing down a little bit so we can spend a little more time together for the baby comes.  She's also LOVING the warmer sunny days we can spend at the park.

Climbing the "twisty steps" up to the big slide

Upcoming:  June is fairly busy with a potluck party for daddy's office one weekend, hanging out with Uncle Mark & Aunt Melissa again (we're trying to be more consistent about getting together), and Mrs. Kari (mommy's doula for my birth) will be coming to town and we'll get to see her while she's here.  And my paper chain says it's only 15 more days till I get to visit Mrs. Tiffany's office; YAY!

Hooray! (unprompted)

27 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  27 weeks (only ~90 days left!!)

Size of Baby :  ~14-15" long & ~2 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~13.5 lbs. My weight has fluctuated this week. After massive weekend indulgences I was up almost 15 lbs, but eating healthier and flat out less has caused it to drop back down to the 13's again. I'm now at the very bottom of my lowest estimates for recommended weight gain, but I'm less worried about the weight and more worried about my digestive comfort at the moment (see symptoms). 

Maternity Clothes :  100%. I've gotten so fed up with my over-the-belly pants not staying up that I've started wearing my under-belly pants again. Unfortunately I only have one pair; I'm going to wear a hole in them before this pregnancy is done, I think.  I need to buy more tunic/long shirts so I can wear more leggings, the most comfy option outside of pj's... maybe even including pj's :)

Best Moment This Week : I've enjoyed picking up the Game of Thrones books again. I started back at the beginning of book four, and then even backtracked into the end of book three a little, since it's been a couple years since I left off 1/3 way thru book four and forgot enough to need a refresher. I'm reading during nap and at my leisure (occasional tho it may be) or on the elliptical at the gym, and enjoying it immensely. 

Gender : It's a boy!  And we've finally settled on a name.  Cole Garrett Idigpio.

His initials are CGI, which is funny but not tease-worthy.  Ash & Cole (coal) are both products of a fire, again funny but not embarrassing.  Unintentionally we're naming him after me since my middle name is Nichole, so the meanings are the same (victor/victorious).  And Garrett is Brother John's middle name, which was also PopPop Pete's middle name.  

[For those few of you who were curious, the name I had fallen in love with that got the veto was Evan.  Just a name, but it had all the features I like.  It's only 4 letters (I like the short names), it ends in n (a pattern that emerged when I made my list; apparently I like them), I'm not close to anyone named Evan or with kids named Evan, and it carried LOTS of meaning.  Evan is a derivative of John, which means God is gracious.  It was also a way of naming him after tons of my family - Brother John, daddy (Roger John) and both my grandmothers (Eva & Evangeline).  I still like it, but Cole Garrett sounds better to my ear than Cole Evan, plus Josh pointed out that it's just a mumble away from being coal oven :-D  LOL  There were a LOT of good names on the list (Evan included), so I have no doubt that we'll have plenty to choose from if we end up with a third boy someday.]

Movement : Little Cole is a mover! You can SEE my belly jump sometimes when he's being active. He's most active when I'm still and after meals (which happen to line up often), as is typical.

Food Craving : None actually. I've been feeling icky enough to not really want to eat much of anything. I do miss being able to drink coffee w/o reflux, and celebrated feeling mostly better today with a small light Frapp. 

What I Miss Most : Same old, being able to move quickly and being comfortable. 

Sleep : Sleep at this point is just hard. I'm waking every few hrs to roll over or to pee. But the extra iron supplement has mostly ruled out the need for naps (I still like a nap from time to time, but don't find them necessary), so I'm making do just fine on the interrupted sleep at night. Prepping for newborn stage, right?

What I Am Looking Forward To : My regular OB appt is on Monday. I'm looking forward to talking to Dr Weary about my lightheadedness and my stomach pain (see symptoms below), even tho I know they're pretty much nothing to worry about. The solution to them both plus my reflux & B.Hicks is the same - stay hydrated, eat small snacks/meals often, stay in shape and rest when your body needs it. But it's always reassuring to hear him say he's not worried. And to hear that Doppler. Tho at this point, Cole is so strong and active that I don't worry about him; I know he's healthy!! But it's still nice to hear his heartbeat :)

Belly Button : same. I wish it would just pop all the way out or disappear altogether; I don't really like it. 

Symptoms : So, the new symptom this week was stomach cramps.  I had sharp pain in my stomach for days. It usually hurt worst when I ate, which made me figure I was just backed up and bloated (hard to tell for sure when your insides are all a jumble and your belly is huge no matter what). So I started adding items into my diet to get things moving, hoping that maybe if I could clear out my digestive tract I might feel better.  Bought kefir & probiotics, prune juice, peaches (canned), raisins, etc. The diet changes helped some, but by evening I was feeling pain despite meds, so yesterday I went and bought a laxative & stool softener to really move things along. We'll see in the long term if this provides more than just temporary relief. Here's hoping for continued improvement. I really am a stomach wimp. 

Aside from that, it's the usual reflux and exhaustion and back aches. Nothing major. 

Compared to last time : I've never experienced stomach pain like the pain I've had this week, but I'm still grateful to report no carpal tunnel. I wonder if my efforts to stay fully hydrated and gain the minimum amt of weight have helped me dodge that bullet...who knows. 

27 wks

26 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  26 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~14-15" long & ~2 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~ 13.5 lbs, right where I wanna be

Maternity Clothes :  100%.

Best Moment This Week : I'm sorry, this week has been a blur and it's hard to separate the moments to rank them. 

Gender : It's a boy!  I've made no forward progress on the nursery; currently you can't even walk around in the room b/c there's so much stuff just haphazardly thrown in there, but we plan to clean it up significantly at the end of the month.  Then I might hang the maps and start working on curtains.  Maybe :)

Also, I'm working hard on choosing a name, but I just CANNOT settle on one name over the others.  I'm praying for wisdom, as I think that God can use a name to shape a person, and trying to take Josh's input into consideration at least a little.  I've cut the list in half, but I just haven't decided yet.   

Movement : Little mister is quite the little mover!  There are definite down times throughout the day, but he's getting stronger.  He likes to kick wherever my hand/arm is resting, and he does big movements where I can feel him in different quadrants of my belly at the same time or in quick succession.  I wish I had a window!  I also wish I had a name for him most of all when he's moving; that's when I feel like addressing him by name the most.

Food Craving :  Iced tea.  It took me a while to realize I've been craving it, but realized I've been drinking some every few days and ordering it at CFA when we go and it's not just a passing thing.  Also, I really wanted some of those super soft frosted sugar cookies you get in the bakery section at your local grocery store/Target/Walmart/etc, so I bought some to share at book club, but then book club got canceled...so then I ate way too many all by myself. Whoops.

What I Miss Most : Time. I feel like everything with a big belly and two toddlers takes so long. I've got all these errands to run, returns at THREE different stores and LOTS of little chores around the house, and I can't seem to find time for any of it on top of the normal weekly busyness.  

Sleep : There have been no outside factors majorly affecting my sleep, but I'm definitely sleeping restlessly all night.  Like I said, little one is strong, so sometimes he wakes me, sometimes it's aching joints, sometimes it's a full bladder, sometimes it's a chirping bird at dawn... Either way, I'm pretty tired even though I've been sleeping "okay" (for a preggo).

What I Am Looking Forward To : Tomorrow we've having Mark & Melissa (+ Arianna & Ethan, of course) over to hang out and eat with us.  It's been too long since we got together with them, so I'm really looking forward to having out.

Belly Button : same.

Symptoms : B.Hicks.  They're usually spread out b/c I'm mostly drinking tons of water, but they can be so intense when they come. (Irony - having one as I type this)  Sometimes they stop me in my tracks.  Real labor is really going to be hard if fake labor is this rough. :)

Also, I'm waking up in the morning with reflux and the first thing I do when I get downstairs is take my zantac.  That means that my medicine is just barely getting me through and I'll probably have to up my dosage before the end. Some days I'm randomly taking the maximum already. 

Lately, I've been having these lightheaded spells. The triage nurse says it sounds within normal range, but I'll definitely be bringing it up to my doctor at the next visit. They're happening every few days despite my efforts to stay fed and hydrated, and I know the warning signs of fainting b/c I have passed out multiple times before, so I am careful when I start to feel woozy. But it's still disconcerting. 

Compared to last time : No carpal tunnel, more B.Hicks, same reflux.  I've also been shocked to read how MANY visitors we had last time.  Fall is a busy time for visitors, and I have to say, I'm partly glad we're on the opposite side of the year and haven't been as busy this time.  Not that I don't LOVE my friends & family, and I'm sure I'd enjoy seeing them, but two toddlers and keeping house and regular gym visits is enough energy expenditure for me right now! :-D  Whew.

25 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 25 weeks

Size of Baby : 13-14" long, ~1.5-2 lbs

Total Weight Gain : ~ 13 lbs.  A baby growth spurt in conjunction with Indulgence Week made me jump a couple pounds almost overnight.  I haven't been 100% faithful to the no-treats policy, but 95% faithful is still way better than 100% indulgent, so I seem to be holding steady this week.

Maternity Clothes :  100%.  I miss the warm weather and short sleeves/tank tops (we jumped from 70's & sunny last week to 50's & windy this week), but I know that in a few months I'm going to be cursing the "warmth", so I'm trying to enjoy these last few bursts of needing long sleeves AND a sweater/jacket.

Best Moment This Week : I took the boys with me Tuesday to interview a doula, since Kari has moved away in the 2.5+ yrs since I hired her as my first doula.  Tiffany was my 2nd choice last time, and was Melissa's doula for Ethan's birth, so I was fairly certain she'd be the one I'd choose, but I wanted to do an interview just to be certain.  The interview went well and confirmed things for me, but I think my favorite part was how much she loved Ash & Jack.  They were excellent (if mildly distracting playing with all the toys there) and make me such a proud "momma" (even though Jack isn't actually mine). :-D

Gender : It's a boy!  Taking iron seems to have helped with my energy levels enough that the nesting is kicking in.  I've been much more domestic lately, keeping up on the regular chores & errands PLUS finding bits of time to start working on the nursery things.  Boxing up Ash's outgrown clothes, measuring for fabric purchases, brainstorming ideas for the layout and decor, building "registries" and shopping lists, using my JoAnn coupons to start gathering supplies, etc.

I'm also working a little harder on choosing a name; I'm ready to be able to call this little sweetie something.  I had a name choice I loved for lots of reasons and was ready to settle on it, but you should have seen Josh's face when I asked "what do you think of ____?"  All his verbals AND nonverbals said NO.  So I'm looking at other options and trying to decide which I like best OR whether I want to put my foot down about that one, b/c I was adamantly opposed to "Ash" and the whole agreement was that I could pick all the other children's names if I'd give him that one (w/no provisions for if he didn't like the names ~I~ chose).  In the end I came to accept Ash, but it was a long (I mean, many YEARS!) journey to acceptance.  Lucky for Josh, I'm more flexible and am fairly certain I'll find a name I like well enough, and might only fight for the compromise of using it as a middle name.  Either way I go, I'm working it all over in my mind and am determined to have a name soon for my own sanity.

Movement : I wish I had the time to pay attention and figure out his routines.  He is strong enough to be felt from the outside for sure, and likes to kick wherever I'm resting my hand or the dog is resting.  I was reading my post from 25 wks with Ash and laughed to remember how he'd dance at church during the music; this one doesn't seem to care much about the music that I can tell.  He does seem to be active more than Ash was; but again, without REALLY paying attention, it's hard to tell.

Food Craving :  It hasn't really changed.  I bought half a dozen of those pre-made salads and ANOTHER pound of strawberries. And chocolate may always call my name, pregnant or not. :)

What I Miss Most : This week it has nothing to do with pregnancy, but I miss Ash sleeping at nap time.  I'm so sick of climbing the stairs to deal with issues like yelling or thumping (kicking the wall, etc) or banging/scraping his head/face b/c he's standing up and leaning out of his bed.  Just this week he's split his eye by the eyebrow AND scraped his cheek on the shelves by his bed.  If it happens again, I told him we're taking the bed out of his room and he can just sleep on the mattress.  Not ideal, especially since we just bought the stinking bed, but I just refuse to deal with it anymore.  I also miss having these couple hours of quiet each day.  I could use a nap, or time to read or do Bible study.  *sigh*  I hope he quits this stupid nap strike soon.  (In his defense, I do believe he's currently cutting the other ridge of his molars, which always makes him crazy)

Sleep : This has been a BAD week for sleep.  I wake multiple times a night just being pregnant.  On top of that, Josh has been waking once a night with a huge coughing fit that wakes me completely; we have no idea what is causing it, but it's seriously getting old. (In a funny side note, Josh was sick with a cough at 25 wks last time; maybe the cause is pregnancy?)  And one night this week Ash woke with the mystery pain, so I had to get up and give kisses and medicine to calm him down.  I'm seriously exhausted.

What I Am Looking Forward To : sleep.  HAH! 

Belly Button : Changes to the belly button are happening ever so gradually, but from my view looking down, my belly dips in towards the belly button, with a little bit of the top part of my belly button poking out.  So there's a little bit poking out, but it's pretty much even with the main shape of my belly b/c of the dip.  Don't know if that makes sense to read.  It is just slightly showing through my clothes if I only have one layer over it.  Also, I can put a little pressure on the skin around my belly button and it flips completely out and you can see the little scar at the inside.  It always makes me think of how Michelle's belly button completely disappeared when she was pregnant with Caleb and you could only see a small scar on her belly.  So cool!!

Symptoms : I've been taking the iron supplements pretty regularly and it helps most days.  Not getting any sleep has put me on a whole different level with exhaustion though.  Wednesday (the day after I'd had almost zero sleep) I felt like I was going to pass out just sitting down in front of the computer!  I've actually had a couple times in the past couple weeks where I randomly felt like I was going to pass out.  They make me nervous b/c there's no noticeable cause.  Each time I self-inventory and have eaten recently and been drinking a decent amount (if not QUITE my 100oz).  I think I'll bring it up to the dr at my next visit. Thinking maybe my level of activity combined with my increasing blood supply may be putting too many demands on my body at the moment, but I'm not gonna quit going to the gym or start putting Ash in daycare in order to rest all day, so I'm not sure if there's anything to help it.  It's also weird that it's not while I'm working out or immediately after, but later in the day altogether.

Also, the reflux has been worse lately.  I think this is a combination of indulging in foods that make it worse (chocolate, strawberries, etc) AND the shrinking square footage in my abdomen.  In order to combat this w/o upping to the max dose of zantac (I'm saving this as a last resort step), I have started taking chewable papaya enzymes before meals, snacking on dried papaya, and of course chewing Tums as needed.  

Compared to last time : Definitely glad to not be dealing with the carpal tunnel, and I think that working out at the gym (when it's not CAUSING soreness) is helping to diminish the amount & intensity of back aches from last time.  The reflux is only currently better b/c of medication, I think.  And the exhaustion and B.Hicks are definitely more intense this time around, both to be expected.

24 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  24 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~1 FOOT long & ~ 1.5 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~ 11 lbs

Maternity Clothes :  100%.  I've enjoyed pulling out my shorts and (new to me) skirt this week.  The weather has been so warm and sunny that I've been able to wear them.  And since they're lighter, they don't spend all day falling down and I don't spend all day pulling them up.

Best Moment This Week : It was so much fun putting together Ash's new Disney Cars room (he loves it) and celebrating Easter with church Saturday night and a relaxing Sunday morning.  I read him the Easter story in his Bible storybook and let him hunt a dozen eggs in the living room.

Gender : It's a boy!  I finally committed to the map/travel theme for the nursery and went to OfficeMax one morning with the boys and bought the maps.  Then Tuesday night while Josh was playing video games w/his friends, I went to JoAnns w/one of my maps (for color reference) and browsed.  I was SHOCKED to find a striped fabric that was just the colors I was looking for, then found a couple more fabrics that go well with that one.  So I think I have my fabric color scheme... just need to figure out what I'm making and how much I'll need of each.  And the room is UTTER CHAOS, so I need to spend some nap times and weekends working on getting things settled.

Movement : He's still about the same amount of active.  I have to say that I honestly get too busy to notice sometimes.  Running around with two toddlers in tow means I have less focus for the little one inside.  But no matter whether I've taken time to notice him or not, I like the quiet sitting I do on the couch at night or in church during the sermon b/c without lots of distractions and busyness, I get to really feel him moving.  Fun fact, he's actually kicking me (in the upper right, just like Ash did) as I type this.

Food Craving :  I'm finally done with The Fast, so this week is the week of indulging every sweet craving I've had the last two months.  Most of it has been chocolate based.  Reeses pieces, Java Chip Frappuccinos, chocolate croissant, ice cream... and that's just so far!  I still have Oreo's and a long John to devour at some point.  It's been a fun week, but come Sunday I'm heading back into The Fast except for 24 hrs/wk.  I feel like having the boundaries has really helped me to be a lot healthier.  I can tell this week I'm feeling icky, craving salad and fruit and fresh food b/c I've done so much junk food.

Never mind The Fast or The Indulgence, I have been craving salads.  Prepackaged ones with all the goodies included - nuts, cheese, fruit, veggies, chicken, whatever.  I've been eating one of those every couple days.  I've also just made up a kale salad (with apple, feta, cashews, lemon vinaigrette) to munch on for a couple days.  Also, strawberries.  I can't get enough strawberries!  And coffee.  Hot, cold, iced, blended - it all depends on the day and the weather.  But I've definitely been drinking it semi-regularly.

What I Miss Most : Being able to keep up.  We went shopping this weekend and I just couldn't move as fast as Josh.  And when I try, the B.Hicks kick in and slow me down anyway.  My life has been SO SLOW lately.  Everything takes twice as long as it should between my pregnancy and the two toddlers!!!

Sleep : It's bad.  I mean, some nights I sleep more than 2 hr stretches.  But I've also been going to bed too late.  Josh has worked a lot of overtime the past few weeks.  Some nights we don't even START our sit & watch TV routine till 9pm.  That means I'm up past 10pm on a work night, which is just too late.  As evidenced by the amount of coffee I've been drinking. :)

What I Am Looking Forward To : I can't wait to start putting things together in the nursery.  (not looking forward to the cleanup/prep that needs to happen first).  I also can't wait for family visits at the end of summer.  I've been so homesick lately.

Belly Button : same.  It really is threatening to pop this time.

Symptoms : Exhaustion, reflux, B.Hicks, back aches, forgetfulness and clumsiness... the usual.

Compared to last time : Same as last week.  More B.Hicks, less reflux & aches & no carpal tunnel.

23 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

23 weeks

How Far Along : 23 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~11" long & ~1+ lbs

Total Weight Gain : ~11 lbs.  Just when I was starting to worry b/c I hadn't gained weight in 3 wks, I had an overnight jump.  I'm still 6 lbs less in gain than last time, which puts me close to the same actual weight as I was then.  A happy-medium place to be.

Maternity Clothes :  100%.  I'm still using the belly band to help hold up my over-the-belly pants as my belly is still not quite big enough, but hopefully it won't be much longer.  I'm also really looking forward to the shorts and tanks season (still months away, I'm sure - though it's a beautiful 70° today).

Best Moment This Week : I really enjoyed taking Ash to the dentist and the barber all in one morning (clean teeth & a clean cut), but as usual the best was probably my OB appointment.  My appointments are still only every 4 weeks, so it's a monthly treat to hear that little thump-thump on the doppler.

The bones of Ash's nursery put together at 23 wks

Gender : It's a boy!  It's funny to go back and read about how far along we were at this point with Ash.  We already had a name picked out, and had the basics of the nursery almost completely put together.  For poor little #2, we've got nothing in the nursery yet and no name at all.  But this weekend we're taking Ash shopping, so the crib and rocker will move to the guest room and the transformation will slowly begin.

Movement : Still consistently moving at night when I'm lounging on the couch watching TV before bed and while I'm trying to fall asleep.  He moves at other times during the day, but I'm too busy and distracted with two toddlers to find patterns.  I'm grateful he moves just enough to keep worry at bay, but not so much that I'm uncomfortable.

I had thought he was getting super-strong and shoving his feet into me periodically until it occurred to me that I was having Braxton Hicks contractions that were squeezing the poor little guy.  So his feet were digging into me, but it wasn't his doing.  I've been a lot more careful this week to stay hydrated, and if I feel B.Hicks coming on I take it as a reminder to drink some more water and sit down and rest if that's possible (not always with 2 toddlers).  I'm a little relieved to know it's not him already showing aggressive tendencies. :)

Food Craving :  I've been drinking a LOT of (decaf) coffee & (not always decaf) iced tea.  Yum!  I've also had some really healthy cravings, like pre-made salads from the grocery store (greens, dried fruit, cheese, berry vinaigrette) and fresh strawberries.  Of course I'll still take pizza or CFA any day, but it's nice to feel the treats fast paying off in my mentality about food (at the moment... check back in after Easter!! ;-D)

What I Miss Most : Not constantly feeling tired, mostly.  Also being able to lay on my stomach.

Sleep : I'm pretty much waking up every couple hours to "roll over"... if only the operation of getting my body flipped the other direction within my pillow cocoon was as simple as a "roll over".  I tend to spend the night on either side leaning either forward or backward with the pillow keeping me at a
45° angle.

What I Am Looking Forward To : Tomorrow we take Ash shopping for his new bedroom stuff.  He doesn't even know yet, but it's going to be so much fun!  Then Sunday I can't wait to read the Easter story with him and let him hunt his dozen eggs (with just a couple M&M's, Reece's pieces, or Skittles in them).  I always loved the Easter egg tradition, when I was young enough to hunt AND when I was old enough to help hide the eggs for the little ones; I can't wait to pass it on to Ash.

Belly Button : same.

Symptoms : So it seems that I'm still dealing with occasional nausea. I can almost count on having one nauseous day each weekend (in addition to random weekdays too). I'm beginning to think that maybe sleeping in on Sat/Sun (therefore eating breakfast later) is too long between meals. Conundrum since I can't eat too late or chance reflux keeping me up at night, so I usually don't eat after dinner. Not sure how to fix it at the moment, but I'll figure out a balance eventually between my need for food and my need for sleep :)

Then there was the outbreak of B.Hicks this weekend that almost had me worried.  But I really did get under-hydrated.  Sometimes drinking water makes my reflux flare up, so Sunday when I was feeling nauseous I didn't feel like drinking more water.  Seems everything is about balancing two opposing symptoms/needs.  Since Sunday I've been much more intentional to drink all 100oz of water each day and keep my water bottle nearby to ward off those pesky contractions.  I'm definitely feeling them earlier/stronger than before, and recognizing them for what they are this time.

Otherwise it's the same old : reflux, fatigue, occasional aches.  Pretty ordinary, and it's been a decent week since I got past the weekend issues.

Compared to last time : Like I said, some things are worse than last time - like B.Hicks and nausea.  But other things are much better - less reflux, less back-aches (regular time at the gym paying off), and no carpal tunnel yet.  I'm so happy about that last one; I remember how annoying it was to have that constant tingle in my hand, and so far this time I've had none.  Here's hoping I can say that all the way through till the end.... :)

Ash - 2 yrs 3 mos

Getting big! 27 months old today.

Since it's been 3 months, it's no surprise that I've grown and developed SO much since my last post.  Mommy thinks she will aim for posting every other month instead of quarterly; too much growth happens in 3 months at this age.  All I know is that I'm having a blast and getting bigger and smarter every day.

Parallel play with my buddy Nathan - or back to back play, if you will

Size:  I'm wearing all 24mo & 2T clothes now.  Mommy is gradually putting away even my 18 mo pants & pj's b/c they were all too short for me.  Thankfully she found another stack of pants in my size sitting in the closet to replace them.

 

Outdoor play in any weather - snow day fun and climbing up to do the big twisty slide

Physical development:  My new friend Jack has taught me some new tricks, the best of which is playing on the playground.  After seeing how confident he was climbing up the steps and going down the slide, I decided to try it for myself; now I LOVE the slides!  I've started toddler "running" and can go fast enough for mommy to have to speed to keep up with me.  I can also climb in & out of the van and into my carseat on my own; this makes things much easier on mommy so she doesn't have to lift me up into the seat with her growing baby belly.

See my regular big boy cup?

I've started using a regular cup instead of a sippy cup at meal times.  Mommy says I can't dip or dunk in my cup till I'm 3, so I've got lots of time to practice before then.  I love being such a big boy.  I'm also helping out with little chores around the house like setting the table at dinner time with the dishes mommy gives me and putting my dirty dishes on the counter after meals.  One of my favorites is helping to unload the dishwasher; I get to put away the silverware and the pots/pans from the bottom cabinet, and the rest I grab out of the dishwasher and hand to mommy to put away up high.

Reading in the car

Verbal development:  I'm just beginning to be able to express myself a little better with comments like "I don't want to go to the gym.  There's too many kids there," or "No, Daddy; I don't like that."  Like most toddlers, sometimes I struggle to use my words when other kids are doing something I don't like or playing with a toy I want, but with practice I'll get better at that too.  I'm also learning lots of my letters and the sounds they make.  I can't draw them yet, but I like to find the A & S & H on the fridge to make my name, and I LOVE to have mommy & daddy write names on my papers or magnadoodle.

Me & my best friend Jack

Routines: Starting in the beginning of March, mommy finally got another nanny job.  She's working for a sweet Christian couple who have a son just a month younger than me.  Jack is a VERY talkative little guy with a laid back personality; sound like anyone you know?  Yeah, we get along great and I love him already.  He's with us M-F 8-4:30, so now we do all the stuff we used to do (MOPS childcare, gym 3x's a wk, etc), just with Jack in tow.  I love having a friend to play with!

Picnic at the park with Jack

Since the weather is starting to get nicer, we try to get to the park at least once or twice a week.  We drive all over town trying out new parks when time permits, and we have a couple favorites within a few minutes of our house that we stick to when time is short.  Also, we had a fun family Saturday at the park with the dogs, and mommy & daddy are thinking we should try to keep doing that every couple of weeks b/c it was so much fun and good exercise for the lazy pups.

"Driving" at the park

Special events: Of course the most special event the past few months was getting to see the baby at mommy's doctor visit and finding out that I'm going to have a little brother.  I'm still not completely clear on what all this baby talk means, but so far it's been fun to see mommy's belly get big and I'm not opposed to having a baby brother.

That aside, my favorite event in the past 3 months was probably Touch a Truck.  I still like to talk about the trucks I encountered there; it was so much fun!  And I also had fun going to the zoo with mommy during spring break, checking out the animals (I loved the primate house), and having my first ride on the carousel. We also took Jack to the zoo, and we spent a Saturday driving up to Denver to eat lunch with Jordan & Jason & Autumn at a Japanese restaurant and playing at their house.  Really, it's been a busy and fun few months.

Climbing into the trucks was tough, but I loved it!

Driving a big truck at Touch-A-Truck

My favorites: I've been loving the biggest twisty slide at the parks.  It's high and thrilling, but the way it twists I can control my speed, and they almost always have a longer flat part at the bottom so I can control my dismount as well.  Feeling in control is important to me, though I do occasionally opt to go down sideways or head first just to be crazy.

A trip to get sushi with mommy & daddy

Daddy's favorites: Daddy still loves our bedtime routine, as it's the most consistent time we have together.  Also, mommy's been busy on Tuesday nights for a couple months, so that's our night for bath/shower and Mighty Machines and bedtime stories, which is pretty special - though we're both happy she's done with that now and will be home with us on Tuesdays again.

Exercising with daddy

Mommy's favorites: Mommy loves watching me get gradually comfortable with things as they become more regular routines in my life.  It took a long time, but now I look forward to church instead of dreading it, even when mommy's not staying in there with me.  And while I still sometimes SAY I don't like the gym and complain on the way there, I always have fun there and talk happily about the things I did afterward.  These are huge steps for an introvert like me, and as an extrovert who feels lost in helping me deal with my issues in big group situations, mommy is relieved that I'm making progress with consistency.

Looking good, even when I'm just coloring at home

Also, mommy has been reading me Bible stories at nap-time from my Jesus Storybook Bible and is really enjoying the Story within the stories.  [Mommy note : I'm personally looking forward to Easter week.  I found this outline for what to read that week leading up to Good Friday & Easter and love it!]

Playing in my sandbox out back

And I think Mommy loves the zoo even more than I do, so she's enjoyed the trips we've taken to the zoo; we're definitely getting our money's worth out of our membership! :)

My first carousel ride

Upcoming: Mommy & daddy have been talking about letting me pick out a new toddler bed and a few new things for my room to make it a "big boy" room.  [Mommy note : don't tell him we're stealing his crib for the baby; we'll do his room this weekend and put off the baby room till much later so he won't correlate the two events at all]  If you know me, you can be pretty certain I'll choose the Disney Cars bed & accessories. :)