Friday!!

Happy Halloween!!

I always thought it was a little strange that my town and surrounding cities have trick-or-treating on the Sunday before Halloween.  It actually works out pretty well – there’s no rushing home from work to pass out candy and kids aren’t outside at night.  This year, temperatures were in the 70s for our trick-or-treating.  The weather was gorgeous.  And today it snowed.  I usually get excited about the first snow – you know, when it occurs late November or in December.  But I can’t get excited about October snow.  Very thankful our trick-o-treating occurred early!  Also, going from 70s to 30s in a matter of days... only in Chicago! :P

My boss brought in breakfast treats this morning – bagels, donuts, and muffins.  I had half of a pumpkin pie donut.  Amazing.  Pumpkin pie donut for the win!!!  It made my day. :)  Also, I keep referring to him as "my boss" and he's not.  But he used to be.  So I'll forever think of him as my boss.

Office shenanigans are keeping me laughing nonstop today.  One of my coworkers is leaving and his last day is today.  For Halloween, he wore a shirt with an X on the front and back.  I asked what he was.  His response – an ex-employee… haha!  Another coworker accidentally ate a boss’s coveted long john donut and won’t live it down.  And finally, one of my coworkers had a cyst removed and has had a band aid on his head.  Another coworker is walking around with a post-it note on her head saying that she’s him for Halloween.  So now that I’m writing these down, they don’t seem funny at all.  Trust me, they were.  Guess you had to be there.

W has another cold.  His third one in about 2 months.  It makes me sad and three colds in 2 months seems ridiculous.  Luckily his colds haven’t turned into anything worse (yet), but I’m worried about what the winter will bring. L  I’m thinking about starting vitamins and/or PediaSure.  Anything to keep the colds away!

This weekend, I’m working at an auction to benefit athletics at the high school I went to.  My high school is probably the worst performing in our county and might even be considered as a school for the “underprivileged”.  I hate that word.  I’m proud of who I am, where I came from, and what I’ve accomplished.  I’m excited about giving a little back to the community even if it’s in a very small way.  I also think athletics are so important for high schoolers - team work, camaraderie, responsibility, dedication, and time management (to name a few) are all important aspects of participating in sports.  Not to mention, sometimes kids just need something to do, an alternative to “hanging out” and watching tv.

That’s all I’ve got.  Happy Friday!

Fall Photo Shoot

We had fall photos taken a week and a half ago.  I usually schedule a session around W's birthdays (or half birthdays), but I absolutely love fall and have fallen way behind in taking actual camera photos lately.  So I thought it'd be nice to have professional photos taken outside while the trees are gorgeous and the weather is still somewhat nice.  The photographer did an amazing job and I couldn't stop looking at the photos she sent.  I think there are even a couple we can use for our Christmas cards.

I can't get over how OLD W looks!  He's definitely not a baby anymore.  Also, I think this boy needs a modeling contract - not that I'm biased or anything. ;)  Just a few favorites (we got SO many great photos)...

Quite possibly my all time favorite photo ^

Checking on baby brother :)

Weekend Recap - Halloween Edition

So so much to update on!  This is going to be a really long post.

I was worried about how this weekend would turn out because we had so much planned.  I knew I might have to let go of my hopes for perfectly planned activities and Halloween festivities.  But things could not have gone better and the weekend was even more fun than I imagined.

Saturday started with W going to school and I heading to a doctor’s appointment.  A took W to school and it went great.  I was nervous about going to the doctor’s appointment alone.  I knew I was being ridiculous, but I had fears that something would be wrong and I’d have to hear bad news alone.  I  was scheduled to have another ultrasound because the tech couldn’t record all of baby’s measurements at my 20 week appointment due to baby’s position.  As the tech scanned over baby, he asked “So what was the concern at the last appointment?”.  Concern??  What concern??  I was specifically told not to worry, that this ultrasound was to record the measurements the first tech couldn’t.  So his question sent me into a minor panic.  During the ultrasound, baby was waving and we could see him drinking amniotic fluid.  I’d never seen anything like it – so cool.  Baby had also flipped and was head down.  After the ultrasound the tech told me I did well.  All I did was lay there?  He started to say something and then said, “I’ll just let the doctor tell you.”.  What??  Cue panic again.  I know I was being paranoid, but the tech didn’t help my nerves.  Everything was fine.  Baby is measuring slightly big, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I discussed the c-section vs. VBAC debate with my doctor for quite some time.  I don’t have to make a decision until much later, but he was interested in my thoughts.  Because I’ve had a c-section, I will not be induced and if I go past my due date, I will automatically have a c-section.  Right now, the plan is to schedule a c-section and if I go into labor naturally prior to that, then try for VBAC.  Of course, that could all change.  But that’s the plan for now.  And I’m at peace with that.  In a way, I feel like I’m not really making a decision and leaving it up to God and baby.  If I’m meant to have a VBAC, baby will come early.  If not, then I’m fine with a c-section.

That afternoon, we went to a Halloween parade and party in Nani and Papa’s neighborhood.  W was SO cute in his fireman costume.  I think A and I definitely redeemed ourselves after last year’s costume.  Best of all, a fire truck and ambulance came to the party.  W was mesmerized by the site of them and the firemen were so cute with W.  They of course loved W’s costume and had him try on their boots, sit in the ambulance, and sit in the driver’s seat of the fire truck.  I took lots of pictures, but most are on my camera.  Here are a couple phone pics…

After a fun party and park time, we headed to Nani and Papa’s house for dinner with W’s cousins.  Yum!!

Sunday was church.  W shared goldfish crackers with Kaylee and Ben.  And before we knew it, it was time for trick-or-treating!  I brought W to Grandma G’s house where he got some goodies and visited with the cats.  We also visited Grandma G’s neighbor, Miss Joan, where W got bath toys and candy.  I should mention that W got treat bags from both grandmas, my boss, and Miss Joan… lucky boy!  After that, we headed home so W could trick-or-treat in our neighborhood with A.  I had low expectations – W is a bit shy and I didn’t expect him to walk up to our neighbor’s houses.  But A said that he did great, even rang doorbells!  W also insisted on stopping at the park mid trick-or-treat outing.  All in all, we had so much fun.  The weather was gorgeous – low 70’s.  I can’t remember a nicer Halloween.

And last but not least, A and I celebrated our 7^th anniversary yesterday.  I can’t believe it’s been 7 years!!  I can’t believe how much has happened in 7 years!!

And finally, W has not napped the past two days.  Is this the end of naps?!?!  Noooo….  On the bright side, he has slept through the night.  We’ll see what happens…

TGIF

We have another really busy weekend planned… and that makes me nervous.  Seems like every time we have a full weekend, something goes awry.  There have been odd nap times, no naps, colds, nighttime wake ups, and kidney stones to contend with.  So here’s hoping things go according to plan.  I’ll be back next week with a weekend recap and hopefully cute pictures too.  Happy Friday!

And if you’re wondering, W still isn’t sleeping.  He slept through the night Sunday and Monday and even slept in.  It was heavenly.  But since then, he’s been up every night.  It sucks.  In an attempt to keep my sanity, I’m blaming teething/molars.  I need SOMETHING to blame.  But I really have no idea what’s going on.  I’m about to lose my mind.  I hoped Christmas pajamas would do the trick last night, but sadly no, not even reindeer could solve the sleep crisis.  The best I could do was a blurry picture…

W points to his reindeer feet and roars... In his mind reindeer roar. :)

Growing Baby Belly

I’ve been a little sensitive lately about growing larger and the weight I’ve gained.  I know I shouldn’t care… and I didn’t… until the comments started rolling in.  A few things to mention...  1.  It’s common knowledge that women show earlier in subsequent pregnancies after the first pregnancy.  Things have already been stretched and once that happens, it’s easier to stretch again.  Like a rubber band or a new pair of jeans, for instance.  Yes, I’m comparing my body to a rubber band. Whatever.  2.  All women are different – they carry babies differently, some show pregnancy early, some late, some have large baby bumps, some do not.  3.  I tend to carry all baby weight in my basketball shaped belly.  That means that my pregnant belly gets huge and the rest of me (aside from any late pregnancy swelling) remains pretty much the same.  This worked to my advantage after my first pregnancy because I was able to lose weight pretty quickly after baby was out.  Hoping for the same results.  4.  Pregnant or not, it’s really not ok to tell a woman she’s big.  Seriously.  And other women should know better.  5.  Getting pregnant was hard enough.  I should be exempt from stupid remarks for having survived IVF.

I’m only 6 months pregnant and the comments are already starting to get to me.  This does not bode well for the next 3 months.  I’m just tired of it.  How does one respond to “Wow!  You’re really big!”?  Thank you seems inappropriate.  F you also seems inappropriate… especially at work!  Ha!  Just kidding.  Sort of.  And I also hear the whispers… “Don’t say that, she’s sensitive, blah, blah, blah.”  I don’t appreciate comments that imply I’m enormous, but I also don’t need people tiptoeing around me and my feelings… uggh.

My boss actually came to me today and apologized (after I told him I was going to beat him up) saying he would never intentionally hurt my feelings.  He really is the best boss and his comment that I was getting bigger was nothing compared to some of the comments I’ve heard… all in the past week.  Did I really get that big over the weekend?!?!  Not sure.  All I know is people need the shut the heck up if they can’t say something nice.

Girl's Names

If I were a reader of this blog, I’d be a little annoyed that I haven’t revealed our names.  Maybe someday.  For now, I like keeping some things private.  I have started including more pictures so at least there’s that.  Because we’ll likely never have a daughter, I thought I’d reveal our top choices for girl’s names.  A never gave me his list of baby girl’s names.  He hasn’t seemed as excited about names this time around and I think we both knew baby #2 was a boy so girl’s names never entered the picture.  But when I brought these up in the past, A was in agreement.  All that to say, this is mostly MY list, but it’s likely we would have chosen Ella or Lily for a girl.  More specifically, I was pushing for Ella Scarlett or Lily Francesca.  Other honorable mentions include: Eloise, Camille, Brielle, Margaret, and Coralie.  Those probably would have been options for middle names.  So there you have it.  Favorite girl’s names that will never be used (by us). J

24 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

How far along? 24 weeks!

Size?  Baby is the size of a cantaloupe.

Maternity Clothes? Yes.  Still able to make some non maternity work, but options are slim.

Weight Gain? Not sure.

Gender? Baby boy!

Sleep?  Ehh... not great and not horrible.  I've started to get more uncomfortable at night.

Movement? This baby is a mover and a shaker.  I wonder if that means he'll be my wild child.  I sent A a video recently of my belly moving.  A also felt baby move for the first time - he could've felt movement much sooner, but we never just sit and relax together (sad, but true).

Food Cravings? Still love those specialty drinks and Coke.

Labor signs? Way too early.

What I Miss? Chicago style hot dogs and sandwiches.  Deli sandwiches sound so good lately and there are so many restaurants that serve them around here.  I would love to get my hands on a sub/hoagie/grinder.  Not sure it fits here, but my boss revealed that there will be a trip to Ireland... in January.  And I would've been asked to go except for the fact that I'll be 9 months pregnant.  Ireland is number 1 on my list of places to visit and to say I'm disappointed is an understatement.  They couldn't have planned this trip for any other time?!?!  I would choose baby over Ireland any day, obviously.  I just can't believe the timing. :\

Symptoms?  Dry skin.  I returned from lunch recently and noticed that my skin had gotten so dry, it was actually flaky on my face.  So weird and it looked terrible.  I use plenty of moisturizer in the morning and it definitely didn't look like that when I left he house.  More discomfort lately.  Any time I try to cook, clean, or run errands for a long period of time, I end up really sore and tired.  Also having a little pain near my c-section scar.

Happy or Moody?  Well, I was happy.  W has slept well the past couple nights.  BUT yesterday and today, I received the following comments,  "Your THAT big already?!?", "Just one baby??", "WOW, you are REALLY big for having so much further to go!!" from separate people.  So feeling very self conscious, sensitive, and just plain gigantic.  People should know better and shame on them for bringing me down (and shame on me for letting them).  On another note, I'm preparing some witty replies to have at my disposal for the next stupid comment I receive.

Looking Forward To?  Halloween with W.  We have parties and trick-or-treating coming up.  Next ultrasound of baby is also coming up soon.  Painting the nursery starts Friday.  Can't wait to see our fall photos.  Our photo session wasn't perfect, but much improved over the 1 year photos.  I think there will be some great shots of W. :)

Best Moment of the Week?  We MAY have a name.... or we may not.  BUT A called baby by my favorite name.  When I asked him about it, he said he didn't like referring to baby as "he" or "the baby" so I'm taking that as a positive sign. :)  Baby Gap had lots of things on sale and sent me a code for 40% off, no exclusions.  So I stocked up on size 3 items for next fall/winter.  Call me shallow, but I love Baby Gap and love a bargain!  I've done this since W was born because Gap seems to be true to size (for him) and it's been great having items ready (at a discounted price) when the seasons change.  Also, we carved pumpkins last night and W was very into it - warmed my heart.  Lots of great moments lately.

A took this picture of me last night and I do think I suddenly look huge (still doesn't make it ok for people to tell me that).  Either baby had a growth spurt, baby is in an awkward position, or the shirt is really unflattering.  Perhaps all of the above.  BUT all that matters is baby is growing and healthy!!  P.S. A put that mirror up above the fire place over the weekend and I LOVE it. :)

Happy 22 Months, W!!

As always, time is flying by and this month seemed to go by exceptionally fast.  I know I say that every month, but I blinked and you turned 22 months old.  2 months away from 2 years old… oh my!

We had a really great, really busy month.  You started school, visited local farms, and went to a corn maze.  You still attend gym class and often visit the library and farmer’s market with Nani.

You were sleeping better until last week when you woke up 6 nights in a row.  I can’t even recall a previous time when you woke up so many consecutive nights.  We’re used to 2 nights in a row every so often, but not 6!  Last night you took pity on us and slept through the night – even sleeping in!  Thank you for that!

You’ve suddenly grown really attached to your blankies.  I’ve used the Aden and Anais muslin swaddle blankets since you were born.  I love that they’re large, really thin, and soft.  Lately, you snuggle with them, ask for them, and carry them around.

You’ve been really interested in letters and the alphabet and I’ve tried to encourage/further that interest.  You have two alphabet puzzles, magnets, flash cards, and bath letters.  We do the puzzles daily.  You know the letter O and a few others – possibly V, M, and D.  You love to point out the o's on signs, sweatshirts, etc., saying ohhhh.  You’re very good at completing your puzzles and I make sure to tell you each letter, the sound it makes, and something that begins with that letter.  Perhaps I’m overdoing it, but you keep showing interest.

You also know several colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  You don’t say them, but if I ask you which object is a specific color, you usually get it right.

New words this month include knee, wall, door, and help.  You say Dee or Dee Dee quite often for Addie and also say Whoa! and Wow!  And we may have discovered that “dot-in” means curtain?  Still not sure?  I also think it’s really odd that you don’t say “hi”, “bye”, “yes”, or “no” and you hardly wave, but I suppose that’s just you and your personality.  You do give high fives and make an affirmative sound similar to “yeah” so there’s that.  You also say oh no.

Baths have NOT been going well.  You cling to me or Da as if you’re afraid.  I’m not sure what sparked that fear.  Actually, I have an idea and it involves poop in the tub, but I won’t go into detail on that.  The point is, baths are really difficult lately and I think I end up more soaked than you.  We purchased bath crayons in desperation and you actually enjoyed bath time last night.  You had so much fun coloring on the walls.  We’ll see if that continues.

You like to put on Da’s shoes.  You love to bring Ma her shoes and purse.  You’re acutely aware of what belongs to whom and often point at objects and identify their owner.  You also like to point out commonalities among us.  For instance, you’ll point to your eyes, then say Da and point to his eyes, then say Ma and point to my eyes, etc.  You still love to help around the house.

You started sitting on the potty and even had success.  I don’t think you’re ready to potty train and we certainly haven’t been consistent, but I wanted to get you used to the idea and familiar with the potty.

You’re OBSESSED with Daniel Tiger and watch it nearly every morning.  I think I’ve memorized episodes and songs.

One thing that I found exceptionally cute – your Da and I were playing with you in your room.  You started playing with your farm and picked up the cow.  You made him walk up the hay chute saying, “up, up, up” as you did, and then made him slide down, saying “dooown”.  You also made him moo along the way.  It was adorable.  I asked grandma G if she taught you that and she said no so you came up with that all on your own.

You’ve been pretend playing – making your farm animals eat hay… or eat your rug? and making goldfish crackers and pretzels dance on your tray.  You also make cars vroom.

You started going down the tall slides at the playground all by yourself.

We had to pick up some pumpkins over the weekend and I asked you to pick up a little one for baby brother and one for Addie.  You picked one out and Da told you to put it in the wagon.  You ran passed our wagon and put the pumpkin in another lady’s wagon.  I think she was quite surprised. J

You recently had an elderly lady come over and compliment your outfit at dinner and tell you that you looked like a little gentleman to which you replied, “whew!”.  I guess you had to be there, but it was hilarious.

You still love to be outside.  It’s your favorite thing and you cry and get angry every time we come in from playing.

I feel like you grew leaps and bounds this month.  You are our everything and more, little man.

I've posted lots of pictures this month so don't have many new ones to share.

Sleep... What's that??

And just when I thought the sleep situation couldn’t get any worse, last night happened.  For the fourth night in a row, W woke up.  This time a little earlier – sometime after 12 am.  A brought him to our bed.  W tossed and turned.  I’ve noticed every time he wakes, he’s very restless – like he can’t get comfortable and can’t stop moving.  A was able to fall back asleep, as indicated by his snoring, but I couldn’t.  It didn't help that the dog was also laying on me.  Everyone loves mom at 12 am!  Finally around 2 am, I figured W was sleeping sound enough to move him back to his crib.  I threw a blanket at A to try to get his attention.  A stopped snoring for a second and then the snoring resumed.  Lovely.  I did my best to get the dog off of me, scoop up W, and head to his room.  A woke up at this point and helped straighten out W’s blankets and turn on the white noise.  As soon as I hopped back into bed, so did Addie dog.  Great.  And she needed to be right up against me.  (Sidenote: She used to do this when I was pregnant with W.  She wanted to be near me at all times.)  So for quite some time, I stayed awake as Addie moved around, licked, and used me as a pillow.  Meanwhile, A was back to his snoring in no time.  When the alarm went off, I was nearly in tears.  So darn tired. 

And then W was in my car this morning and spit up all over the place.  Not my day.

I’m clinging to the hope that W’s on the verge of a major developmental milestone and that’s causing the sleepless night.  Either that or the rainy dreary weather and short naps all week are resulting in overtiredness and poor sleep.  Despite the spit up episode, I don’t think he’s sick.  Probably just too much juice/puree before a car ride.

I just read this: “Most paradoxically, toddlers often act less tired as exhaustion sets in. Hyperactive behavior, fidgeting, and loudness are not signs of excessive energy; rather, they are the wiped-out toddler’s last-ditch effort to keep himself awake.”  Sounds a lot like W!  And I'm picturing some guy from National Geographic saying that - like a toddler is this unknown, fascinating species. ;)

And A, I know you read this… you get Addie and W tonight!  My turn to snore… Zzzz.  (I’m partly kidding – A often gets up with W and is with him until W falls back asleep.)

Ohhhh W...

Oh W, why won’t you sleep??  We were on a very nice streak of you sleeping through the night.  Sure, you woke up early, but uninterrupted sleep was bliss.  Now here we are, 3 nights in a row, you’ve woken up at exactly 1:40 am each night – or should I say morning?  Does something magical happen at 1:40 am?  Does something make noise and cause you to wake?  Does your internal alarm clock tell you it’s time to stand up in your crib and make random noises?  I’d love for you to tell me.  Our weather has been very dreary – are you just not exerting enough energy, not getting enough fresh air?  We’ve tried humidifier/no humidifier, fan/no fan, extra warm pajamas, white noise, removing electronics, and baths.  Nothing seems to make a difference.  You don’t act particularly upset, you’re just awake.  Are you trying to prepare us for your brother?  Trust me, I’m already panicked about the lack of sleep; you don’t need to remind me or rub it in. ;)  And the fact that your mom goes to bed around 9 pm in preparation for the impending wake up is downright pathetic.  She didn’t even go to bed that early in Middle School.  So please, sweet little man, start sleeping.  We’ll both feel better!!  Scratch that.  I’ll feel better.  Because despite the wake ups, you continue to be your typical easy going self.

In other news, we went to dinner last night at Bonnie Brook Golf Course.  We’ve been going there since W was little.  Every Wednesday night, they prepare a specific dish or have a buffet.  It’s usually yummy and inexpensive and we attend maybe once every 6 weeks or so.  But what amuses me most is the crowd.  We are easily the youngest group there.  All of the other patrons are elderly.  And oh my gosh, do they LOVE W.  I can’t even tell you the number of people who approached our table to say hi, tell W how cute he is, comment on his outfit, his hair, etc.  A waitress even gave him a toy car that she said she’d been keeping in her pocket specifically for him.  Having dinner with W at Bonnie Brook is like eating with a little celebrity – a celebrity that occasionally makes loud noises, drops food, and gets green jello all over the white table cloth.  Come to think of it, he’s waaay better behaved than most celebrities!!

Double Stroller

I bit the bullet (where the heck does that expression come from?!?) and ordered a double stroller yesterday.  I’m really excited that I got the stroller I’ve been eyeing for $170 less than I’d seen it anywhere else with free shipping.  I’d been keeping track of the price on several websites and happened to search yesterday and there it was, “Stroller Blowout Sale”.  I think stores are starting to make way for 2015 inventory.  I hope I love it when it arrives!!

3 Things

 1.  Baby #2 may never have a name.  A and I can’t seem to agree and it’s stressing me out a little.  I know we still have time to figure it out, but I also know time is flying by at warp speed lately and I like to have everything in order.  A is all about traditional – he typically likes names like Matthew, John, Ryan…  Nothing wrong with these.  I like traditional too, but those names just don’t seem “right” to me.  They don’t seem to be a good fit.  We were discussing names last week and A said he wanted something “different”.  What?!?  He doesn’t like “different”.  I’m all sorts of confused.  He has a favorite in mind, but I don’t love it.  I feel strongly about another boy name.  It is traditional and just seems right to me, but A isn’t necessarily on board.  Will we ever agree??  Girls names are SO much easier!

2.  This picture… I love it.  As I mentioned I completed the corn maze when I was 7 months pregnant with W.  I remembered taking a picture with a pumpkin and wanted to repeat it this time around.  I didn’t even realize until I was comparing the pictures that I posed in the exact same way. J  And let’s not talk about how my belly is the same size at 5.5 months pregnant as it was at 7 months pregnant, mmmkay??

2012 vs. 2014

3.  W has been waking up at 5 am.  That’s right, 5 am.  It used to be 6-6:30.  Then it was 5:30.  Lately it’s 5.  He has been sleeping through the night, which is wonderful (except for last night).  I was convinced he must be cold.  His room is at one corner of the house and tends to get chilly.  So I ordered some fleece pjs and turned up the heat.  Well, the pjs haven’t arrived yet, but turning up the heat made no difference.  The boy is just not tired?!?  I’d say maybe he needs to spend more time outside running around, but trust me, he does lots of that.  I’d say I need to change up his diet, but he’s so picky, he wouldn’t eat anything else.  So I guess we’ll just go with the early mornings.  The early bird gets the worm, right?  5 better not turn into 4:30, though!!  5 is my absolute limit.  And even that’s crazy.  I’m starting to get really nervous about caring for a toddler and a newborn who do not sleep… yikes!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was fabulous.  As usual, I’m sad that it’s over and I’m back at work.  And it doesn’t help that this Monday is rainy, dark, and dreary.  Anyway, on to the weekend recap…

First I should mention that last week was crazy busy.  I had colleagues in town from Europe.  I really like my colleagues, but anytime they visit, we have all day meetings, which are draining.  Productive, but draining.  On the bright side, lunch was catered all week.  On the downside, I ate waaay too much.  A had CF clinic on Tuesday and I put in a vacation request so that I could attend with him.  My request was denied since my colleagues were in town.  At the time I requested, we weren’t sure what days they’d be in town and what meetings I’d need to attend.  I was really disappointed.  I have this weird fear that if I can’t attend clinic with A, A will receive bad news and I won’t be there.  But happy to report that his appointment went well.  My colleagues left on Thursday and I was able to take Friday off.

So Friday… I declared it mommy/W day and I wanted it to be lots of fun.  W and I started the day by playing with toys and painting.  He had an appointment for a haircut at 10 am.  He was awesome during his haircut.  He got a cookie and lollipop and was perfect.  Then, we headed to Starbucks where we shared apple juice.  After that, we headed home and had some lunch.  Then, it was off to a local farm.  My mom joined us – the farm happens to be right between our houses and only 5 minutes away.  W enjoyed seeing the chickens, goats, donkeys, and turkeys.  He fed the goats and ran around the pumpkins.  Afterwards, we headed home for a very short nap (he never naps well for me).  When he woke up, we headed outside for a walk and played at the park (the weather was beautiful).  Then we met A at our favorite pizza place for dinner.  It was an absolutely perfect day.  I couldn’t have asked for better.  I need to take more days off to spend with W.

 Artist at work

 At the salon post haircut.  Very handsome!

 Starbucks date

 Laughing at the chickens with Grandma G

 Hello goats!!

 Feeding goats with Grandma G

 So many pumpkins!

 W often pushes his lawn mower to the park

Pizza with Da!

Saturday was corn maze day.  After W woke from his nap, we headed to the world’s largest corn maze (at least that’s what they claim).  We go every year and have a great time.  I was a little worried about how far I’d make it since I’ve been having some back pain and sciatic pain.  But I completed the maze when I was 7 months pregnant with W so I was determined to do it at 5.5 months pregnant.  We brought W’s wagon and he did great sitting in the wagon almost the entire time.  After 2 hours of walking the maze, it was getting late and cold so we had to stop.  It’s the first year that we didn’t finish.  A little disappointing, but we still had fun.  I should also mention that A has earned the nickname of Map Master because he’s awesome at navigating the maze.  This year, he navigated the maze while pulling the wagon – very impressive!!  After the maze, A took W down a huge slide at the farm.  It was way faster than it looked and I think my heart stopped as A and W came flying down, but W LOVED it.  As soon as they went down, W was running back up to go again.  After that, we headed to dinner.  A great day!!

 I love this picture

 Going down the slide with Da

Cousin love

Sunday, I had hopes of being productive, but that didn’t happen.  I was tired after our previous busy days and W has been waking up at 5 am.  W was great in church.  We ran a few errands, I did a little cleaning, A took W to the park, and I made dinner (which did not turn out well – won’t make that recipe again).  The Bears finally won… yay!

22 Weeks with Baby #2

How far along? 22 weeks!  Over the halfway point.  I can't believe how fast this is going.  Makes me nervous because there is lots to do!  I often catch my reflection and think, "I just can't believe this round of IVF worked.  I'm so thankful."

Size? Baby is the size of a papaya.

Maternity Clothes? Yes.

Weight Gain? About 15 pounds... eek!

Gender? Baby boy!

Sleep? I don't want to jinx it, but pretty good recently.  I think I'm finally over my cold!

Movement? Lots of movement everyday!  I don't remember W moving this much.  Baby has frequent dance parties. :)

Food Cravings? Still love those specialty drinks.  Not a craving, but I've had a couple work dinners recently and I do miss not being able to order a glass of wine or a cocktail - Sprite just doesn't seem as sophisticated. :)  (But I'd never have another drink for the rest of my life if it meant a healthy baby)

Labor signs? Way too early.

What I Miss? Chicago style hot dogs.

Symptoms?  I've had back spasms, sciatic pain, and shin splints the last few days.  Not sure if I really overdid it the past weekend or if my body is reacting to extra weight.  It's also getting harder to bend over.  Nothing I can't handle!

Happy or Moody?  Happy!!

Looking Forward To?  I'm taking this Friday off and so looking forward to spending the day with W.  I've been talking to the painter and hopefully painting the nursery will start soon.  I can't wait for it to come together.  Also excited about all things fall - corn mazes, farms, trick-or-treating, costumes... the list goes on and on.

Best Moment of the Week?  Lots... Love feeling so much movement - I laid in bed with my hand on my belly last night and felt baby moving all around. :)  W has been tons of fun lately and I think his cold is nearly gone (hoping!).  A had CF clinic yesterday and it went well.  A few major work projects are now complete and I'm much less stressed.  Phew!  I also told my boss I would NOT be traveling to a work meeting in Cincinnati in December and she was fine with it.  Happy she agrees!  Traveling at 8 month pregnant during the winter - no thanks!!

A special appearance from Addie dog for the 22 week photo!

Also, I think my belly looks much bigger than this photo portrays.

Weekend Recap

Not too much to report.  We had a relatively low key weekend, which was wonderful.

I had to return a few items at the mall on Friday.  I asked A if he and W wanted to meet me there for a quick dinner and playtime at the indoor play place.  It turned out to be a perfect plan because the weather was really cold and rainy.  We don’t eat at the food court very often, but I have to admit, I actually enjoy it (food courts pre children disgusted me).  No waiting for your food to arrive, it’s ok to be loud, no pressure to behave perfectly, you can sit wherever you want – the perfect place for toddlers to eat. J  So after some Sbarro pizza, it was off to the play place where W had a blast.  He loved the slide and tunnels. 

For some reason, W woke at 3 am the following morning (he is still battling a cold so maybe that had something to do with it).  We brought him to our bed and it turned out to be fun waking up next to A, W, and Addie (we need a bigger bed!).  Addie sneezed loudly around 6:30 am and woke up W.  He sat up and burst out laughing – not a bad way to start the day.

Saturday, I took W to school.  A and I are planning to alternate weekends so one of us gets a break every other week.  Not to mention, it’s not so easy for me to sit on the floor and bend over these days. ;)  W was great.  We had lots of fun and I noticed him observing the other children.  He hasn’t quite worked up to actually playing with them, but I think he’s getting close.  And really, it’s a small class (6 children altogether) so none of them interact with one another a whole lot.  The other thing I’ve noticed is W isn’t shy at school.  He starts playing right away, plays alongside other kids, and had no problem making animal noises as his teacher read a book during story time.  I really love his school.  After that, I got my hair cut, and we ended the day with dinner at Sweet Tomatoes.  I had planned on cooking, but the weather was yucky again and I didn’t make it to the grocery store.

Sunday was the usual.  I made buffalo chicken dip to snack on during football games – delicious!  My team lost again!  We played outside for quite awhile and went for a walk.  I overdid it at the park and I’m now having back spasms and sciatic nerve pain (ouch!), but W had so much fun so it was worth it.  He has started going down the tall slides by himself?!?!  What?!?!  When did he get big enough to do that?!?  We had homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner.  A wonderful weekend.

Friday Randoms

I’ve been getting over a cold all week.  Colds suck in general, but a cold while pregnant is the worst.  I’ve had a headache and sinus pressure for a week straight.  I was lucky enough to never experience any colds while pregnant with W.  This virus needs to leave my body ASAP!!

Speaking of colds, W has yet another cold!  Uggh!  I think he had the last one for over two weeks.  I’m ready to put him in a bubble!!

A colleague came over to complain about people who choose the stall right next to you in an otherwise empty restroom.  YES!!  Why do people do that??  Isn’t it an unwritten rule that there should be an empty stall between you and the next person at all times (unless the restroom is full)??

I think my dog needs Prozac… or wine.  Hmm…  Both?

W has been sleeping through the night lately… Yay!!  But wakes up around 5:30 every day… Boo!!  This can’t be normal.  Everyone else who has toddlers talks about how they sleep until 8-9.  WHAT?!?  W has never ever slept past 7.  How did I end up with an insomniac… I LOVE sleep?!?  At least he’s a cute insomniac.

Another busy weekend lies ahead.  School for W, pet blessing at church, a haircut for me, and plenty of errands.  I’m already tired.  Annnd colleagues from Germany, Ireland, and Atlanta are in town during the upcoming week, which means meetings, meetings, and more meetings.  And a work dinner.  Ugggghhh.  So not looking forward to it.  BUT I’m taking next Friday off so that’s something to look forward to!!  Mommy and W day… I’m excited and I really need a break from work!!

I LOVE the cooler fall weather!  Bring it on fall!  But winter, how about you take some extra time off?  No need to make an appearance until say… NEVER?!?

Speaking of fall, I scheduled fall pictures… outside.  I have no idea why I do this to myself.  1. The weather probably won’t cooperate.  2. W probably won’t cooperate.  3.  If the weather happens to actually be nice, it will probably be crazy windy and my hair will be all over the place.  4.  There probably won’t be any leaves left on the trees, which defeats the purpose of outdoor fall photos.  Our last couple photo sessions have not gone all that well and somehow, the photographer was able to get some amazing pictures… here’s hoping.  Someday I’ll learn to forget the outdoor photos and just be satisfied with a couple inside pictures.

I’ve heard lots of moms talk about silly fears for their second child.  Things like I’m not sure how I’ll love another child as much as my first and I’m worried baby #2 will not be as cute as baby #1.  I don’t have those fears per se.  For me, pregnancy is a bit strange.  I love my baby, but something about it seems unreal.  Or maybe surreal is a better description – I just can’t believe I’ll be having a baby.  I know I’m not explaining this well.  But the moment I meet baby, EVERYTHING changes.  Instant love.  This little moving being inside me becomes a real person.  MY person, MY baby.  Again, that’s a horrible explanation and I’m rambling (we’ll blame the cold symptoms).  Anyway, my silly fear is that baby #2 won’t get as much attention or the same attention as W.  People gravitate to W’s red hair.  He’s greeted wherever we go.  He’s so loved.  I’m worried that baby #2 won’t have the same experiences or recognition and will feel left out.  Silly, right?

Happy Friday!!

Life Altering Decisions in the Wee Morning Hours

After A had left for the hospital with severe abdominal pain, I made my way back upstairs and crawled into bed.  I wasn’t really sure what to do, how to feel.  I was dazed and confused more than anything.  My mind raced and I thought about how A was in the hospital a mere 3 months ago.  I’ve known A for 10 years.  In that entire time, he had never been admitted to the hospital, never visited the ER.  Not once.  He’s been so fortunate.  I’ve been fortunate.  And suddenly, in a 3 month period, one hospital admission and one trip to the ER.  Being pregnant during both hospital visits was especially hard.  Pregnancy fatigue and extreme emotions added to an already stressful situation.  In those early morning hours, as I waited for word, I thought to myself, “This is my last pregnancy.  I can’t keep doing this.  I can’t handle any more health scares.  I can’t raise children by myself.  What if these illnesses are just the beginning stages of more serious chronic health issues?  This should be my last baby.”  Perhaps a bit dramatic and my thoughts were definitely the result of fears and utter exhaustion.  But when A isn’t feeling well,  I am essentially a single parent.  We do have help from our families – lots of help in fact.  But preparing dinner alone, giving baths alone, playing with W alone, getting W ready for bed alone, makes me feel so… ALONE.  It’s a very isolating, overwhelming, consuming state.

Perhaps I’ll change my mind, but right now, the message seems loud and clear.  I’m not sure that we would’ve wanted to try for more children (after all, we do only have 2 embryos) and we’re thrilled with the family we have.  But it is very disheartening when you feel like such an important decision was made for you.