About 100 days to go!

25 weeks

Look at that little cutie behind me!! :)  She's starting to respond well when we say "say cheese" - she smiles!!

I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable now.  Getting up from the floor (after playing with Kaelyn) isn't as easy and I hate leaning down to pick things up!  AND it'll only be getting worse! :)  Heartburn is really going full steam ahead!  I ate an english muffin with peanut butter and ended up with heartburn!  Usually a couple of tums helps a lot.  Not a lot of other changes.  Belly is getting bigger.  Kaelyn has been sleeping a little better lately which means I have been sleeping a little better lately!!  However, I'm getting up at least twice a night to go to the bathroom.  Sometimes it's more like 4 times in the night because when I get up I drink more...I can't help it, I'm just sooo thirsty!! haha  Next appointment is January 17th, ultrasound and   blood sugar test.  Looking forward to seeing our little man!




We took Kaelyn for her first snow sled ride a couple of days ago during a snow storm.  It was a little windy and she wasn't very interested.  :)  But we went around the house a couple of times.  She gave us a few waves and some smiles so it wasn't all bad.  We took a video, but unfortunately it isn't uploading.  :(

Christmas 2012

First, I apologize for the poor video skills. :)  

Kaelyn loves her new sled!  Tim set her in it and started pulling her around and she was loving it.  Unfortunately, we don't have any snow (yet) so we haven't used it outside.  She's been in such a great mood the past couple of days with all the new toys and stuff.  She really has enjoyed everything about Christmas.  We started to realize that any gift left under the tree would be immediately torn into if you were not there to tell her no.  We both turned our backs Christmas Eve night and her Eve gifts were under the tree.  I come back into the living room and she had completely torn open her jammies and was pulling them out of the box.   Such a silly girl!!  We also gave her some slippers for Christmas Eve.  For Christmas she got some really great toys and new clothes - all of which she needed!

Our tree is still up, but hopefully we'll get it taken down tomorrow.  I'm ready to get the house back to normal.  We've got a snow storm coming early tomorrow morning so hopefully I can get some indoor projects done or at least get some started. Tim heads back to work tomorrow night which stinks, but we had the last 5 days off together which was wonderful!!  I'm back to work on Monday so I'm looking forward to a few more relaxing (project filled) days off.  Plus, with the storm coming tomorrow we'll get able to get outside and play with Kaelyn and her new sled!!  YAY!!

I passed...barely.

24 weeks

 I did the sugar test (GTT, Glucose Tolerance Test :) ) on Thursday.  I passed. HOWEVER, it was still borderline so I will test again in the doctor's office at my next appointment.  I'll continue to be a little cautious on my carb and sugar intake.  The nurse didn't seem very concerned when I talked with her so that's good.

Anyway, so Thursday's test began at 7:20 (I checked in around 7:02 and waited a little bit before they came to take my first blood sample).  They poked my arm and did a 30 minute test to see what my sugar levels were at without "the drink".  After I drank a small soda bottle worth of flat orange soda tasting sugary-ness.  It kinda upset my belly at first, but I was fine.  After that I was tested 3 times every hour.  I didn't leave until 11:00!!!  By about 12:30 I had a major sugar crash...it was miserable.

Is it me or does my belly have a flat spot?  haha!  WEIRD.  

I'm on vacation for a full week and looking forward to relaxing and spending time with Tim and Kaelyn.  I was hoping for some snow since we got Kaelyn a sled for Christmas (well, Santa did).  I guess I could drag her around on our GREEN lawn!  haha  :)

Fail.

I had my glucose test this morning (check to see if I have gestational diabetes).  I failed.  As the nurse said I didn't fail by much.  What this means is I have to go to a local lab and have a full GTT test (I have no idea what that stands for, but it's the same testing, but done over 3 hours rather than just 1 hour).  I've scheduled it for Thursday morning.  I have to be there at 7:00 a.m.!!!  I could have done it tomorrow, but with my work schedule I'm not able to make it in and to fast 2 days in a row is just crazy talk.  :)  The nurse recommended I watch my sugar and carb intake....watch my what and what intake?  SERIOUSLY!!  You want me to DIET!!?!  UGH.  hahaha!!  So, not only did I fail, I gained 7 pounds which puts me at a 14 pound weight gain.  I've been hitting the 3-4 pound mark every appointment which is P.E.R.F.E.C.T.  7 pounds = not perfect = not good.  Let's be honest though, my extra weight gain and failed glucose test are clear signs I'm eating way too many sweets.  My BP wasn't so bad at 120/84, and it was only that high because I had skipped my morning BP pill since I was fasting (although, I think they would have allowed me to take it I just had forgot to ask about it).

Of all days I got offered cookies twice and peanut butter fudge once.  I LOVE PB fudge, but kindly passed along with both offers for cookies.  If they had asked me yesterday I would have gladly said yes to all 3.  Anyway, the nurse said it's likely I will pass this next round of testing, but obviously I'm still taking this seriously.

23 weeks along...

23 weeks along with our second baby.  It just doesn't seem possible.  It's been a tough week.  On Sunday both Tim and Kaelyn came down with an awful cold.  Kaelyn had a fever for a day and a half.  She slept a ridiculous amount during that time and didn't really eat much.  Her throat was getting sore and she now has the ends of a cough and a runny nose.  Tim's getting better too which is good.  By Wednesday I was definitely sick, but not as bad.  I managed to make it into work all week so hopefully I can squeeze in a nap or 2 this weekend.  

Little baby boy is keeping busy punching and kicking his mommy.  :)  I'm looking forward to getting much check up over with on Monday.  I just hate fasting!!  UGH!  My boss will be up to visit me (I work for a large company that covers about 6 states and I am considered to work remotely...my boss is in a different state) on Monday and Tuesday which will make those two days go by quickly.  Then I'll be looking forward to my lunch date with a girlfriend on Wednesday then it's countdown til vacation!!  :)  Yay!! Bring on Christmas! 

Kissing all the ornaments...

We picked out our tree on Wednesday and decorated it this afternoon.  Kaelyn was a little unsure of the tree when Tim put it up Thursday afternoon (it sat outside for a night), but she quickly adjusted.  When I brought out the ornaments I let her play with a few unbreakable ones which she very much enjoyed.  As Tim started to string the lights she got even more happy.  She kept handing Tim some of the ornaments and more lights.  She never wanted to really put any ornaments on the tree, but did want to take them off.  :)  There were a couple that she wouldn't leave alone and one of them she had an easy time getting off the tree.  I can't even tell you how many times she kissed multiple ornaments while they were on the tree (and off).  As I would ask her not to take them off she would put her hands down and then kiss it. It really was the most adorable thing.

We still plan to put up some more lights and garland around the house.  We'll probably put some lights on the front porch as well.  I have a few decorations out, but we've got to be sure the house is really festive! :)  I'm looking forward to Christmas morning as I've got my breakfast menu set to go.  The past 5 years or more I've made a late breakfast for my Mom, Step-Dad, sister, Tim and I...nothing fancy, but I LOVE breakfast food so it makes me happy. I'm hoping this year that my sister's boyfriend will also make it over since it gives me a reason to make a little more food!  :)

 22 weeks

Tim finally got to feel the baby move this morning!!  It's so exciting when I get to share the movement with him, I just love it!  The little guy is really starting to get more active which is my favorite part of being pregnant.  A few times I have even been able to see my belly move a little when he kicks.  I'm looking forward to meeting our son in April! :)

5 months ... Already?

 It's crazy to think that we're over half way to meeting our little son!  I feel like my belly growth has slowed down for the moment.  :)  I'm still in between wearing my regular tops and my maternity tops.  Maternity tops still feel a little big, but many of my sweaters I wear to work are "shrinking". I've been feeling good.  I wish I could get a little more sleep, but between our schedule and a 1 1/2 year old there isn't much "extra" time for a nap.  There's no more coming home from work, taking a nap, then eat dinner, then going to bed.  :)

I am trying to enjoy my one on one time with Kaelyn while I still can.  Not that we won't have any in the future, but it will be cut down dramatically.  I've actually already been thinking about her second birthday.  The baby will be born and just a few weeks later she'll be turning 2!  I'm sure we'll probably just end up doing something rather small at our house.  It'll also be a great time for people to visit with the little baby!    

We are still bouncing around with names.  Tim never likes any that I pick so I'll probably just leave it up to him to mention names to me.  :)  He is the one who came up with Kaelyn Riley so I'm sure he'll come up with something great for our son.  Everyone says we have time, but time will fly by.  I know this month alone will probably go by quickly with the holiday coming up!  I have an old dresser that used to belong to my Dad that my sister also used to use growing up.  I'm redoing it to use as the baby's dresser, however I don't have all the paint chipped off yet.  So that's a project I'd really like to get moving on because it'll need to be sanded and then repainted.  I also need to rearrange our bedroom a little since that's where the baby will be sleeping.  I've been debating as to whether we should buy a bassinet or use the pack n play we already have for the baby to sleep in.  I prefer a bassinet, but it would have to be something we could use for a year or so.

I see a new list in my future (baby to do list I'll call it).  I love lists.  Grocery lists, cleaning lists, Christmas lists, work to do's, at home to do's, etc.  Tim teases me about it.  :)  That's okay... I just like to consider myself organized and highly motivated haha!

It's a BOY!!!

We're having a baby boy!  It was so exciting to see him on the ultrasound.  The ultrasound tech did all of the "health" shots of the baby first.  Checking the spine, heart, kidneys, head size, etc.  All looks good right now, she didn't have any concerns.  Once the baby moved around some she was able to get all the shots she needed and got a good picture of his butt and explained everything we saw.  Tim of course couldn't "see" what we were looking at just like he had trouble with Kaelyn's ultrasound visits.  :)  He was moving around and kicking which made it even more fun!!  Now we are working on picking out a name for our little guy.  We have the complete opposite taste in names so this will probably take the remaining 4 months of this pregnancy!

It was funny because during the visit the ultrasound tech listened to the baby's heart beat and it was 130 beats per minute.  In that moment I thought "it's a boy" because I remember Kaelyn's heart beat always being much faster.  :)

After meeting with the ultrasound tech I had my check up.  My weight gain and blood pressure were great! PHEW!    My next check up is December 17th.  This next visit will be the blood sugar test which means I have to fast...no food/drink (other than water) after midnight.  Fortunately, the appointment is at 8:15a.m., but I WILL be starving because the appointment takes about an hour and I can't eat the whole time.  Last time I past with flying colors, hopefully this time will be the same.

No More Mr. Obie

We have been considering getting rid of Obie for awhile.  He just isn't a family type dog.  I decided to send out an email to a few people at work and ended up finding a perfect match for him.  I work with a woman who was just considering getting a new dog.  Her husband is retired and they both love animals.  They have had poodles in the past so understand that he needs a certain amount of upkeep on his hair/eyes (eyes get super goopy with dark colored boogers).  We brought him over to their house this morning (just a few hours ago) and naturally he was very interested in sniffing around.  They both were excited to get him.  Tim also felt that the couple was a good match for Obie.  None-the-less tears were definitely shed and I'm sure there will be more in the days to come.

On to more exciting news...We find out the sex of the baby on Monday morning!!  I'm 19 weeks along and still feeling good.  My joints have been aching and I would probably eat the entire refrigerator if I knew it wouldn't give me heartburn.  Kaelyn has been on a rough patch this past week with her sleeping pattern...well, it all started with the time change, but it seems to be getting progressively worse rather than better.  As I've said before Kaelyn always goes through these ups and downs with her sleeping pattern.  She'll go months sleeping great and then switch to sleeping not so great.  Right now she's napping, as is Tim, so I'm enjoying the quiet time.  :)

4 1/2 months!

 Oh boy, I feel like I'm ballooning out practically right before my very eyes .  The baby is doing a lot of growing during this time so I'll blame it on him/her (NOT the ridiculous amount of sweets I've consumed lately).  I've been feeling the baby hiccup and move around.  That was one of my favorite things when I was carrying Kaelyn.  It always makes things that much more real when you feel the baby moving in your belly.  Heartburn is starting to kick in again...boo hiss!  Otherwise I'm feeling pretty good.  We're getting super excited for our November 19th, ultrasound appointment!!  Still no names picked out.  I think I'm just going to wait to find out the sex before I start really trying to find a name.

 Our little peanut was supposed to have an 18 month check up this morning, but it was rescheduled for next Wednesday.  I'm excited to see how much she has grown.  

Trying out her new hat and mittens!!  I LOVE this face!  :)  

My First Car Accident

I was going home after work last Thursday and while I'm on the off ramp several cars begin to slow way down and eventually stop.  There are two vehicles pulled off to the side of the ramp with their hazard lights on.  Apparently, those in front of me are unsure of what these two vehicles are doing so slamming on their brakes was the best idea they could come up with!  Anyway, everyone eventually starts to creep along.  I glance in my rear view mirror, see a white minivan in the distance, and I start driving.  Before I know it I'm slammed into by the white minivan who apparently had no idea there was a line of cars stopped up ahead of him.  I'm fine.  Baby is fine.  Car, not so fine.

So, I call 911.  I'm pretty shaken up because I've never been in a car accident before...at least in my adult life.  Fortunately, nobody in the other vehicle was hurt either so we didn't need an ambulance.  But we were technically still "on" the highway so we had to wait for a state trooper to show up.  I hand over my license, registration and insurance, as does the other guy (who was more than willing to admit he was at fault and continued to apologize a gazillion times).  The minivan is pretty much totaled - it's an older model and the front was completely smashed in.  They definitely needed a tow truck.  My car didn't seem too bad...it was driveable anyway.  About an hour after the accident the report is filed and everyone is set to head there separate ways.  The guy that hit me had his ride show up and the cop was also leaving.  BUT my car wouldn't start.  I started to panic.  The cop pulled away and I was in tears.  I call Tim panicking because I knew I was in a bad location (still on the off ramp with vehicles flying by me).  Tim was NO help (or was it me just being angry because he couldn't "fix" it from home...idk).  I start to call my insurance company to get a tow truck and an unmarked car shows up.  He helps me get the tow truck there in less than 15 minutes, PHEW!  I get it towed to a local repair shop and wait for my sister to pick me up.

What was an hour accident turned into a 2 1/2 hour accident.  Miserable!!!  Because this is our only vehicle we were in need of a rental car immediately. Fortunately, we got one the next morning through the other guys insurance co.

I got a call today from the adjuster who said the outer damage doesn't look bad, but at closer inspection it is much worse.  $6,000 BAD!!  Rear bumper, rear body panel, rear floor and lift gate all need to be replaced! We're talking 50 hours of labor!!  We won't even get our car back for 3 weeks (from the date of the accident)!  I was hoping to at least get it back by the end of this week. :(  Thank goodness all of this will be covered by the other guys insurance.

BELLY! Week 16

 While I was getting ready this morning Tim snapped a couple of pictures.  :) 

I love that my belly is starting to show! :)  I really love being pregnant minus the last 2 months.  The lack of sleep really starts to get to me at the end.  And at that point I'm peeing so often during the night that as soon as I get to sleep I'm up 2 hours later to go pee again.  But the next 3 months will hopefully be perfectly wonderful! :)

16 week check up

We had a regular check up this morning to make sure all is well with the little baby and myself.  Kaelyn and Tim also came along even though they really didn't need to.  I like it when they come along :)  My blood pressure was looking good, 118/64ish ...I can't remember exactly, my blood tests I did a couple of weeks ago all came back normal, and I've gained a total of about four pounds which is also normal.  We got to hear the baby's heart beat which is always reassuring.  Our next appointment is November 19th and we'll find out the sex of the baby!  I think we're both very excited to find out what we're having.  We've been discussing names, but aren't having much luck.  Tim is stuck on the name Finnegan for a boy. Someone please tell him we're not naming any of our children Finnegan.  ;)  We both kinda like the name Dylan, but Dylan Dunn doesn't sound very good together so that's out.  We haven't really come up with any girls names yet.  It's difficult to find a good website to search baby names on.  I find it hard to search through A's, then B's, then C's...etc which is how most sites are set up.

No pictures this time.  We're taking weekly belly photos starting 2 weeks ago (week 14).  I'll probably do another one tomorrow for week 16 and post that soon.  I'm also keeping a weekly belly journal like I did with Kaelyn.

More to come soon.  :)

Zombie Walking

At 17 1/2 months old she has built up enough courage to walk on her own!!  She was able to walk holding our hand or hanging onto furniture. We had been able to get her to walk a few steps to us if we set her down in front of us.  But on Sunday she walked from Tim to me and back and forth and back and forth!! :)  We were very excited, but I think Kaelyn was even more excited!  With her arms out and little waddle she looks like a mini zombie.  :)

She's been doing, what I call, laps from the living room to her bedroom and back again.  Sometime's she brings her buddies (stuffed animals) from one room to the next, one at a time.  :)  She's really enjoying walking and we love watching her.  It's great to see her so happy and proud of herself! 

Back by popular demand - New baby on the way!

We posted this picture on Facebook to announce our second baby (bun in the oven).  However, many people did not get it.  :)  Even a friend of mine who knew I was pregnant before the Facebook announcement didn't get it.  So much for being creative!!  haha  I'm going on 14 weeks along with our second baby.  We've had two doctor's appointments and both went very well.  Kaelyn and Tim came along for both.  At the second appointment we got to hear the baby's heartbeat.  The whole thing still seems completely unreal.  I've been feeling really good so far during this pregnancy.  I feel like the tiredness is catching up with me now though.  I've had a few food aversions and some junk food cravings.  My belly hasn't popped out as much as I thought it would.  Many people seem to get bigger faster during their second pregnancy.  Some people have asked if this will be our last and I can't say yes or no for sure.  We may very well decide to go for three.  :)  People also ask if I want a boy or girl.  I tell everyone the same thing: if you had asked me before Kaelyn I would have said I want a boy then a girl. Now that we have Kaelyn I could careless what we have next...I'd have 3 girls and be content.  People give me a look like I'm lying.  But honestly, I DO NOT CARE!!  :-)  

The baby's due date is April 12th, but because I had a c-section before the doctor will schedule me for another on April 9th.  BUT if I go into labor naturally prior to the 9th he will let me try and delivery the baby vaginally which is what I want.  The baby will come along about 3-4 weeks before Kaelyn turns 2.

Our next appointment is October 24th.  We'll just have a normal check up with the Doctor.  Then we should have another appointment about November 21st (day before Thanksgiving) and that's when we should find out the sex of the baby!! YAY!!  

Kaelyn is 17 months old and is a sweet girl.  She loves leaves (which you can see she is holding one).  She's a chatterbox (mostly nonsense words, but it's adorable).  At her 15 month check up she hadn't gained much weight so we recently had to go back and do a weight check.  She had gained a little more which was good. She weighed 19 pounds and was about 30 inches long - little peanut!!  She's wearing 12 month size clothes and size 2 shoes.  :-)  She's been rather needy lately and I think it's because she has got several teeth coming through.  Yesterday Kaelyn and I went grocery shopping and she excitedly screamed at every item I picked up off the shelves and put in the cart.  Although, I found it amusing the rest of the store may not have.  haha!  

Down to one car...

It was March 2005, I was about to graduate from college and was in desperate need of a new car. My 1995 Dodge Neon had hit 160k miles and was starting to need major repairs. After a short period of searching I bought a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. It had about 21k miles on it, a sun roof, built in cd player, and only 1 previous owner. I was loving it!

Fast forward to November 2010: Tim and I decide to buy a new car. We were expecting Kaelyn so we wanted to get something safe and reliable. We sold Tim's vehicle and bought our Honda CRV. Since Tim had about 3 different cars in the 5 years we had been together and I was still driving my Hyundai we decided that it would be fair that I would get to drive the Honda and Tim would get the Hyundai. Although at this point the Hyundai had been paid off for years we kept full coverage insurance on it. The miles were still very low and it was in great running condition so we felt it warranted the insurance coverage.

Fast forward to January 25, 2012: Tim was headed home from work. It was about 1:20 a.m. and he was literally 1/4 mile from home. He fell asleep behind the wheel and went into some small trees. Fortunately, Tim was fine. He even walked home while he waited for the cop to show up. The airbag never came out because he pretty much stopped the car with the brakes (plus the little trees that he busted down). From what Tim said the outside of the vehicle didn't have much damage, but when the tow came they had to tow it out on a flat bed. The underneath of the vehicle had been ripped up pretty bad. Tim throws around the word "totaled". And I get a little sad. This car had less than 80k miles and it was 9 years old!! It was still in such great shape! I was sad to think this was the end for my little car. The vehicle was towed to a local shop and we waited a couple days to hear the status. Totaled. Yes, she was totaled. A part of me was really bummed. But we were happy to get the insurance check. For many reasons we have decided not to buy another car right now. Our opposite work schedules allow us to share a vehicle without too many problems. 7 years with my Hyundai Elantra all for some guy to go and total it...'magine! :)

Next vehicle: minivan :) Can't wait!!

How's that baby!

We get lots of questions about what/how Kaelyn is doing. Is she crawling? Does she have any teeth? Is she eating well? Does she sleep well?

Well, she isn't crawling. She does do a little scoot thing, but it doesn't take her very far. Just over this past week she had a tooth pop through and shortly thereafter the other one popped through. So the 2 bottom teeth are working there way up. She is still struggling with solids. We have found that she really likes yogurt so she's been eating that every day for over a month. (I discussed this with her doctor, he was fine with it. He did suggest pushing the rice cereal so we add it to the yogurt.) Usually once a day I try to give her something new (and we have tried many different combinations and have also tried to add them to the yogurt). I made a miniature breakthrough with mango/banana puree. The texture is very close to yogurt and she willingly took a few bites. Her next appointment is February 7th. The doctor (and I) were hoping she would widen her range of food intake by then. He seemed to be concerned about it. :(

As for sleeping she does well. We have our ups and downs, but she is usually sleeping through the night without any issues. Right before her little teeth made their appearance she was sleeping poorly, but that was expected.

She's still a little peanut. She probably weighs about 18 pounds and is wearing 9 month size clothes (she'll be 9 months old in 11 days).

She's a great little girl. She has started to clap which is super cute. In the morning when she wakes up she cries mamamamama... or at least that is what it sounds like to me :) She's doing so much better with other people holding her. She likes to hit the windows and squeak her hand down them. Tim puts her on his shoulders and she loves it - she squeals and slaps his head. One super fun little lady baby!!

A blog about what I'm NOT blogging about...

I've actually started several blogs recently, but decided against posting them. Let me begin by saying that I Google everything (as maybe most of you do as well). Sometimes I get really caught up in things and go on a googling frenzy. For instance, I was totally consumed by Beyonce and Jay-Z having their baby. Yes, I do follow some celebrity gossip, but I don't normally get too wrapped up in it. Well, I started reading these reports about whether Beyonce used a surrogate (based on my research, I vote No on this issue). Then I started reading about their extravagant hospital renovations (first it was half the maternity floor, than they said it was the whole floor... who knows). Then there were reports about the security being too tight for the "normal folk", and reports of people saying they didn't have a problem at all, then about the name Blue (as if their baby is the Blueprint for all other babies as Jay-Z has said HE is the blueprint for all rappers, ugh). Anyway, my afternoon (at work mind you) became about this family. It's stupid and I hate that I wasted my time reading about it. It was short lived and I'm totally over it.

As most know I'm breastfeeding my daughter, Kaelyn. We're reaching the 9 month marker and I'm proud of it. I've done a lot of research on breastfeeding especially since I struggled with it in the beginning. I've become a mini-nazi with the whole "breast is best" attitude. I try not to have conversations about breastfeeding because I swear my eyes widen a 1/4 of an inch and I become a little dictator-ish. And rather than being informative I just sound like I've lost my mind. So, anytime I've read negative comments or ignorant view points (haha) about breastfeeding I immediately want to set that person straight. Many blogs have been started about this...but I refuse to let myself post them. But I'm sure, just like the Beyonce and Jay-Z fiasco, I will get over my obsession. I imagine I will always support breastfeeding, but probably not with the same psychotic-like attitude :)