15 weeks | Baby Bump

How far along: 15 weeks. (From the Bump) Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now out measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

How big is baby: The size of a Navel Orange. Average size: 4 inches, 2.5 oz.

Weight gain/loss: This last week, I've not gained anything.  From the beginning, I'm up only 3 pounds.

Maternity clothes: I wearing maternity pants, skirts or leggings with dresses to be comfortable, however, I can still fit into my "big girl jeans" without my belly band and actually enjoy wearing them!  Tops, no thank you.  They all make me look bigger than I am.  So, I'm going with comfort and whatever still fits that is part of my "normal" wardrobe.

Stretch marks: Just the left over ones.

Sleep: Aside from having a cold that wakes me up because my nose is running, I cannot breath or because I have a lot of pressure in my head, sleep has been better.  I've found that this week, I've been overly tired and constantly falling asleep.  The moment that Coen is asleep and I'm on the couch, I can almost bet that I'll be asleep with in 5 minutes.  Oh and if I have a pillow and a blanket, forget about it.  I might as well go to bed.  No problems related to pregnancy and sleep, though.  And yes, I'm still co-sleeping.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I'm really enjoying fountain caffine free Coke from McDonald's.  We bought some in cans and it's just not the same.  Aside from that, I'm not really craving anything special.  I just like food.

Gender: We find out in about 3 weeks.

Movement: I haven't felt anything yet, but I'm not surprised.

The belly: Not really growing in size yet, but soon enough.

What I'm loving: Watching Coen learn and grow, every day.

What I (think I will) miss: Just being able to spend one on one time with Coen.  I'm sure it won't matter when I have two loves to stare at and watch, but spending time with Coen just makes me so happy.  I hope that I never get too busy to spend time with him, one on one.

Symptoms: My sciatic is still acting up, but I'm just trying to power through that.  Oh and my knockers are sore... makes it hard to love nursing when I know most of my pain or irritation is because of the pregnancy.  Oh well, just part of life.

The nursery: I think I have a plan, but we won't execute it until April or May.

What's different/the same this time: Nothing really.  The best part is that I really don't feel pregnant.  I just feel normal. I've said this before, but I couldn't imagine being pregnant, ill and having a 9 month old.  That would be miserable.

What I'm looking forward to: Watching Coen love on his sibling.

Best moment of the week: Coen crawling in true crawl form, Coen pulling up on the ottoman and beating on it and Coen pulling up in his crib and just having the time of his life.  He makes me so happy. It also warms my heart to see Coen and S together too.  He sings to him and makes crazy noises that Coen just giggles to and it's really hilarious.  I love leaving them in a room together and just listening in on what's going on.... So much love.

Last appointment details: Read about them on my last update... 14 weeks.

Next appointment: This isn't until March 29....

Plastic Toy Nightmare

With Coen's 1st birthday quickly approaching, I've begun to have a lot of worry about our house becoming a plastic toy nightmare (as my friend Lauren refers to child's toys/house).  I've watched some of our friends houses be invaded with plastic toys and I fear that it's about to happen to us, without even realizing.

My only (possibly) solution to fixing this problem...

1. Request gift cards to a specific store to create a larger project for Coen.  Our friends did this to build their son a play set.  I thought at the time that it was sort of a weird request, because he was only one, but then when it was built and he was older, it was perfect.  And for the most part, everyone followed in suit. For us, this scenario won't work because we don't want a play set in our backyard.  We have plenty of parks around to make use of their swing sets.  But I like the idea of having a main goal.
2. My other option is to say nothing and just let people bring whatever they'd like.  Then it would be my goal to hide most of the gifts right out of the gate and only swap them out every once in a while to bring to life a "new toy" and put away one that has been out for a while.
3. The last option is to say no gifts, but...... I think it sounds rude or maybe too direct.  People are givers and I'd hate to shut them down by saying no.

What are your thoughts?  What have you done for a first birthday party?  Do you just let it be a free for all and let the gifts overpower your house?  The thought of this sort of freaks me out. Help?

the bug bit me & then I bled

Last week Coen was diagnosed with a viral infection that created a double ear infection and pink eye in both eyes.  I thought I was in the clear.  I thought I had missed the boat on getting his bug, but then it bit me ( I supposed co-sleeping with a sick baby will inevitability make you ill). 

It started Sunday night when I thought I was dying.  I had this constant dry itch in my throat that I could never soothe.  It was terrible.  I drank hot liquids, water and tried to keep cough drops going all day.  Nothing was working.  I basically started to sound as though I was loosing my voice and by Monday morning, I basically had "man voice" going, which was awesome. Monday started some pressure in my head and drainage in my nose and throat.  This morning, it's about the same except the pressure is starting to fade a little.

With all the drainage this morning, I had a really hard time clearing my throat.  So much so, that on my drive in I got so chocked up that I ended up getting ill out the window.  Gross, I know.  But it's what happened.  I had never had that happen before, but it was all mucus induced.  I'm hoping I don't have much longer with this mess, and I hope it doesn't get any worse.  What a mess.  It's hardly winter here and I have this crummy cold.  Gah.

In other news, I wanted to touch on how bf (nursing) is going.

My routine is that I'll nurse Coen at home, pump at work and nurse him at night.  If I feel that what I'm giving him isn't enough, I will give him a formula bottle.  When I'm not with him, he gets 2 bm (breast milk) bottles and 1 formula bottle.

Pumping at work has always been a little annoying to me because sometimes it just takes a while for my body to figure out what's going on and find the "let down".  Other times, it's right on point.  I have the same schedule everyday, but some days are just better than others.  Is it my water intake? Maybe.  That really does prove to change the amount that is "let down".

(taking a gulp of water)

Before becoming pregnant, I would pump and bring home anywhere from 12 to 20 ounces of milk a day. It was amazing.  Basically, based on that return, I could feed Coen for an entire with 2 days of pumping and the rest would be saved for another time.  Now, being pregnant and still pumping/nursing, I bring home anywhere from 4 to 7 ounces a day and on average, it's really more like 5 ounces a day.

Is it worth it to keep going?  In my opinion, yes.  Breast milk is the best for Coen and I want to be able to give that to him for as long as I am able. Yes, I've introduced formula, but that doesn't mean that formula is the only thing that I want to give him.  I'm just substituting while my supply dips.  Will I stop before baby #2 comes?  I don't plan on it.  If Coen stops before baby #2 comes, then I will continue to pump just to keep going on my own.  Seems a little silly, but I want to give him what's best and that's all.

Have I thought about stopping?  Only recently, this has happened and it's not that I would stop pumping, but that I would stop nursing.  Mainly because Coen has 6 teeth and lately, if he acts interested, is brought to my chest and isn't interested... he'll bite me.

It happened a few times before, but this last week has been especially bad.  I don't know if it's my hormones or what, but when he did it on Saturday night (in the middle of the night) I was caught off guard with the amount of pain that I had just induced that I didn't know how to react other than just cry.  Then I realized that amount of pain I was in and bloted it with a tissue and realized that I was bleeding.  I started balling.  It's seriously one of the most painful things I had ever experienced. 

Then on Sunday afternoon, he did it again.  This time I didn't bleed, but it was still the same amount of pain.

I've thought about pumping exclusively, but I haven't come to the conclusion that it will be what I end up doing.  It's just a thought in the back of my mind.  I know that I'm not going to be able to go on much longer with a biter.  I'm hoping it's a phase and it's going to pass.  I don't know that you can develope a callus to a biter. 

Anyone experience this before?  Do you have any advise or suggestion on how to continue on and power through?

And there you have it.  Two topics that may not be something you'd ever want to read about... and then you just did.  I'm sorry they are bright and cheery.  Just what's up, right now.

14 week | Update & Other Info

Dr. appointment went great.  We're still shooting for September 1 as our due date.

The heartbeat on this babe was REALLY hard to find.  It's just so low and hidden that it didn't want to be found and we would get it on the doppler, it would scram.  My dr. joked that this must be a middle child because it's already causing trouble.

The heartbeat was in the 130s.  What does that mean as far as gender? I don't know and I don't want to think about it.  It's not how my brain works.  Will I be finding out soon? Yes, in 4 weeks.  So I'm just going to wait until then.  There's no rush.

On another note, a friend of my sister-in-law started a new blog that is really great.  It's based on design and really great style.  Check them out if you get a chance. Like Me Some, this is their blog name.

Lastly, if you are in my local area, you might find interest in this new place that just opened up.  Would be a fun place for a birthday party or maybe even a baby shower.  It's called Lattes and Lollipops.

Happy Friday!

14 weeks | NEW Baby Bump

Belly picture thoughts: I plan to post pictures again, but I need to a) capture a picture of my belly (because I haven't yet), b) feel comfortable about posting what is both remaining baby pudge and what is new baby (because right now there isn't a true difference) and c) wait a few more weeks until I'm showing a bit more (just to confirm that it's a baby belly and not chub).

How far along: 14 weeks. (From the Bump) Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

How big is baby: The size of a lemon.

Weight gain/loss: + 2 lbs.  Not really concerned since I have been trying to just not starv myself and keep up on water.  Honestly, I thought I'd be up more since I've had this constant need for sugar.  Specifically chewy sugar (air heads, gummy worms, gummy snacks, mambas, etc...)

Maternity clothes: I'm wearing pants that are maternity, mainly for comfort and for variety.  I have no shame in wear normal pants totally un-buttoned and un-zipped with my belly band though and will continue that for as long as my pants will allow me.

Stretch marks: Yes, but nothing new.  Just leftovers.

Sleep: Still hit of miss, but I think I'm just used to it because it's my new norm.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Sugar.  (see weight gain/loss) Aside from that, night to night... sometimes things that are suggested for dinner don't sound good.  I am in the mood for a really good salad, but I don't think that's pregnancy related.  I think that's just because I want a good salad.

Gender: We have to wait 6 more weeks, or there about.

Movement: Nothing that I really pin as true baby movement. I'm sure it's coming though.

The belly: Still starting to look like it's wanting to take form, but no true outline of a "baby belly" yet. 

What I'm loving: Being pregnant and feeling great.

What I (think I will) miss: Just being with Coen and Coen only.  Sounds selfish or ungrateful, but I just think that I'm going to have moments when I'm going to wish I would've had a little more time with him and just the three of us.  It's just hormones making me emotional about him growing so fast and in complete disbelief that he's almost 9 months.  Oh and I still want that marg. 

Symptoms: Honestly, nothing. I am still experiencing some sciatic problems in my back, but I don't know if I should relate that to being pregnant or just the co-sleeping position that I'm putting myself in.  Either way, it's still around.

The nursery: We talked about this last night, only for a second.  We've decided we're going to try and sell our sleigh bed, toss our dresser and try to relocate my sewing table/craft storage area to a new place.  We're still waiting on my husband's co-worker to bring over the crib & changing table that they are giving us (wow!) and then we'll start to make some real moves.  I'm going to the fabric store this week to see about some fabrics for a friend's project and will see about other fabrics for this nursery while I'm there!  Here are my ideas that I've come up with on Pinterest, if you are interested: New Nursery.

What's different/the same this time: I went back and read where I was last time and I was having some really bad back pain in my last 14 weeks and I have to say that I'm pretty much in the same boat this time around too. (see symptoms)

What I'm looking forward to: Being a mom of two beautiful babies.  Juggling the craziness but diving in head first.  Having Coen have a life long friend.  Just having another life to love.

Best moment of the week: I don't know that I would call it the best moment of the week, but Coen was really sick this week.  He had a fever of over 100 degrees that lasted almost 24 hours, he had a viral infection, a double ear infection and pink eye in both eyes.  He was not himself, wanted to sleep and nurse most of the week and had no interest in eating.  He had moments where he was himself and would yell and giggle, but they weren't as frequent as they normally are.  It was sweet to cuddle a lot with him, but I felt so bad that he felt so crummy.  He's still not 100% but he's almost there.

Another memorable moment this week was realizing I only have 3 weeks left in my class that I'm taking this quarter!  Yippee! And yes, that means that I'm a part-time student, full-time employee and full-time mom.  Holy Moses, when do things start to slow down?

Next appointment: I go to the dr. today at 8am, so I'll update this when I know something.

Birthday Wishes

Today, my sister turns 28!

Aside from celebrating her birthday tonight, she's had a busy week (packing) and a really busy weekend ahead of her (packing everything into a truck and taking off for Chi-Town). The weekend they move is here and they are off (Saturday) to start a fabulous new journey together!

If you'd want to wish her a happy birthday, too, head over to her blog and show some love!  She's working on a facelift with Jess at Diamond Doll Designs, so if nothing else, go and check it out!  I think it's really coming together nicely!

Happy 28th Birthday (Aunt) Julia!! 

Hope you're having fun packing! See you tonight.

FIND THE JOY

Leah from Marital Bless posted about this aritcle, Joy, or "Just Wait?" by Katie Wetherbee, and it really hit home.  It's right on point about how parents react to new parents or how people talk to other people in general and I couldn't agree more.

Why do people have to be so negative?

Why can't they find the joy in all of the "Just Wait's" and then share those?

Reading this was just really timely, since I had just posted about all of the things that I've hated talking about with other new moms or moms in general. 

Whether you're a mom or not, read this article and FIND THE JOY! Please.

13 Weeks | NEW Baby Bump

How far along: 13 weeks, on the nose.(From the Bump) Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

How big is baby: The size of a peach.
Due Date: I don't have an official date from my doctor yet, but if you go by my dates from my last cycle it says September 1 but my ultrasound said that the baby was measuring around August 26.  So, basically we'll shoot for September 1, but deliver with a c-section in the last week of August.

Weight gain/loss: I'm currently under my pre-pregnancy weight with Coen at 179 and I've been teetering around 177 to 182 over the last few weeks.  Just depends on what I eat.  As far as gain is concerned, until the scale says so at the dr, I'm going with no gain.

Maternity clothes: To be honest, there were still a few items that I would still wear, post partum because it was just easier and it gave me more options throughout the week.  So, yes, but very little. Mainly just pants for comfort.

Stretch marks: I still have stretch marks that remain from Coen's pregnancy that arrived in my 39th week.  They are faint and not really irritated any more, but I'm sure with this one they will come back and even multiply.  We'll see.  No new ones to report.

Sleep: Sleeping is hard.  Mainly, because it's broken up and not a smooth night of sleep.  My fault... maybe. I've gotten in a rhythm with Coen that we put him down around 8:30pm but now he wants to go down around 7:30pm.  From the moment we put him down until about 11pm or 2am, he'll wake up.  There's no pattern to the time that he wakes up, it's just sometimes he'll sleep 4 hours and sometimes he'll sleep 7 hours and then he wants to either snuggle or eat.  And then he'll be down for about 2 or 3 more hours until we get up for the morning.  Co-sleeping was hard at first, but I feel better about getting sleep while he's nursing or sleeping rather than trying to stay up and rock him back to sleep.  I have to be able to function.  Don't judge me.  You do everything you can for you children and this is just one of those things for us right now.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Mainly, I like food.  However, I do find myself wanting more comfort foods rather than whatever we have planned for dinner.  I love milk, just like last time and I always will choose pasta over anything.  However, the other day I was really into salads and broccoli.  Yum.  Just is so weird and ever-changing.

Exercise: Never got back into that routine and actually cancelled my gym membership when I found out about this pregnancy because I just knew that I wouldn't have the time.  I'm hoping for some warmer Spring like weather here soon so I can at least take Coen on some walks in his new jogging stroller.  We'll see.

Gender: We don't know yet and we know that we'll find out, we just don't know when yet.

Movement: Nada. I'm not worried.

The belly: I don't know if it's starting to take shape or if it's just pushing the remaining pudge from Coen out.  Either way, I don't look pregnant, I don't have a belly and I'm not really showing at all.  This is about how I look now and it's the same as before, so far.

What I'm loving: Not having any sickness or feeling pregnant and this is a great feeling when you're chasing around an 8 month old!

What I miss: I just realized the other day that I miss a good margarita.  Oh well.  Not the end of the world.

Symptoms: Nothing except I'm really tired.

The nursery: We're waiting to make any changes until we know the gender.  I have some ideas but nothing will be done for a few more months.

What's different/the same this time: Nothing really.  I feel the same.  I don't have anything to complain about except sleep and I don't know that sleep is all pregnancy related.

What I'm looking forward to: Expanding my family and meeting this little one.  I'm also looking forward to my next appointment with my dr., because I love her.  And I'm looking forward to warmer weather that stays around (aka skipping winter altogether).

What am I not looking forward to: To be honest, I'm really nervous about having another c-section so close to my last one and I'm nervous about the recovery without the constant support of my husband.  Last time, my husband was on summer break (because he's a teacher) and home with me the whole time.  This time, he'll be starting his first week of school and unable to support me like he did the last time.  Yes, he will take a little time off, but now 2.5 months.  Makes me nervous, but it will work out, I'm sure.

Best moment of the week: Watching Coen play with an empyt distilled gallon water jug for about 30 minutes.  He was having the time of his life and yes, I was right there with him making sure that nothing happened. It was very entertaining.

Last appointment details: My last appointment was on January 31 and it was pretty routine except for the ultrasound to see the baby's little heartbeat which make me hold my breath just about everytime. I also went in with an unusually full bladder that I wanted to quickly empty, so thankfully, he didn't take too long to find what he needed to find.  Coen was sleeping through it all, but it was still sweet to have him there.

Next appointment: My next appointment is next Friday, March 2.  I'm looking forward to this because while I feel a little like I'm on auto-pilot, I still have some questions and want to make sure I know what's coming up next.  I don't even know when she'll do my anatomy scan or anything.  I need to get some more information and feel better connected to this pregnancy instead of feeling like I'm just floating along.  It will come together, but seriously I really do feel like I JUST did this and can't help but float.  Mainly, because I did just do this... ha!

Hate

Hate's a strong word, but I'm going to use it for this knowing that it's a strong word, just to get my point across.

• I hate comparing babies to other babies.  It's not apples to apples.  It's not cut and dry, it's very different from one to the next and truly there is just no comparison.
• My family is really tall, well taller than average, let's say....  I'm 5'7'' and I'm the runt.  My sister is 5'10'', my brother is 6'5'', my mom is 5'8'', my dad is 6' and my uncles (on my mom's side) are all about 6' or much taller.  We have a tall family.  That's not to mention my husband's side, either.  From a male perspective, he's the runt of his family and he's 6'4''.  What I'm trying to say is that if your family's tallest person is barely 5'10'', genically, we cannot even compare our babies because they won't be close in height, ever.
• Weight is another thing that people like to compare with babies.  Coen hasn't been to the doctor for 2 months.  He went at 6 months and he not scheduled to go again until 9 months.  I do have a scale at home, however, I'm not worried about his weight gain.  I know that he's eating (good lord, he's eating us out of the house on most days) and I know that he's growing out of clothes and into bigger clothes.  If he wasn't doing those things and I didn't feel like I was carrying a monster around in his car seat, I would be worried, but he's doing those things, and gaining weight.  What weight?  I don't know, but we'll find out in 1 month!  When that happens, I'll let you know what he weighs so you can feel better about comparing.
• Teeth.  Seriously, I've learned if nothing else is similar, the teeth thing will be the one thing that is just something you can NEVER ever compare.  I have friends who have 12 to 18 month olds with 1 to 3 teeth and I have friends with babies that are 4 to 8 months with 4 to 7 teeth.  You just never know how they will come in and when.  Yes, Coen has thrived in this area with 6 teeth before he was 8 months, but there is no comparison there, so please stop.
• Crawling.  Yes, Coen crawls.  He does an army crawl, he gets up on his hands and knees and rocks around, and he can even do a downward dog (yoga pose).  Is it a full out crawl? No.  Can he get from one end of the room to the other by himself?  Yes.  Am I worried that a full out crawl is not in his future? No.  Do I care if your son can full out crawl and he's 2 months younger?  No.  Is his army crawl fast?  Yes.  Can you leave him on the blanket and hope he stays in one spot?  No.  He's fast and will be gone in a flash!  Will a crawl happen soon?  Who knows.  I'm not worried.

Maybe it's the only way that people know how to make conversations about babies, and maybe they aren't comparing but just asking to know.  But 9 times out of 10, the people that are asking are either mother's or grandmothers of babies that are close in age to Coen and they are asking to compare.  Do they get the answers they want from me to help with their comparison?  No.  I don't feed into the madness.  Honestly, if I could share a story about Coen without someone chiming in with, " well, my baby does this... or my baby did that.... or my grandson has this..." then I'd be a happy camper, but that's never going to stop.

Just because they'll never stop doesn't mean that I will stop hating it.

Seriously though.  My sister brought up a good point.  As adults, we do not compare ourselves to another adult as far as our diet, our teeth, our weight or how we walk.  It's just not comparable.  We are all indiviuals, growing and doing our own thing. 

So please, stop comparing.  Please.

back to room sharing

We talked about having the babies both share a room.  We have a three bedroom house and when the 2nd baby arrives and takes over the third bedroom, that would leave us without a guest room.  The guest room isn't really the issue, the issue is if we have similar sleeping habits with baby #2 as we have had with Coen, then we will have a co-sleeper and no bed to share with the baby.  I'd share our bed, but it's just too hard with them being up and down at night and keeping everyone up, verses, just me.

Why we thought room sharing would work?  Well, they'll be close in age, Coen will be sleeping well through the night by this time and we shouldn't have that big of a problem.  Maybe a few rocky nights, but no big deal.  The main reason being that our guest room is large and could easily house them both with two cribs, two dressers and everything else that they would need.

But...

After talking about clearing out the guest room, painting it the same color as Coen's room, moving all of Coen's things in there, then painting Coen's room and moving all of the guest room things in there, we decided that it's just too much work.  I mean, we're ambitious, but not that willing to do all of that in just a short time.

So, instead, we're going to try and sell our guest room furniture (sleigh bed) and various other things in our guest room to make room for baby #2.  An in effort to still have a place to co-sleep, we'll add a twin bed in there, against the wall to serve as both a day bed but also a place for me to sleep when this baby is needing so co-sleeping time.

We'll probably still paint but this way, we aren't painting twice.  Depending on how I'm feeling, we might leave it alone.  If my husband had it his way, we wouldn't paint, but I'm not sold on that idea yet.

We'll see.

So, room sharing is out.  And so are any house guests that used to require a guest room.... sorry.

feeling a little mia

I haven't been avoiding writing about pregnancy #3, I've just been waiting for the right moment to disclose all the weekly updates.  Being pregnant so closely to Coen's arrival has us running in 100 circles.  So much going on...

• Do we buy a new car?  When?  Do we trade in my car that we own or my husband's car that is smaller and not feasible for two car seats?
• Do we have them room share?  If so, do we repaint everything so that it looks like the same room in the "new" room or do we just leave it alone?
• Of the bills we have, what do we pay off first?  Do we need to consult Dave Ramsey?
• Do we need a new washer and dryer? Eco-friendly, save on our water bill, be more gentle on our clothes... safer?
• When do we buy another crib?  Do we want to take the one from Sean's co-worker?
• When do we finish the basement?  The moving idea will have to go on hold, but finishing the basement must become a priority.
• Do we still go on a family vacation or do we hold off to save money? Or do we try to go somewhere closer and save money?  Or do we just go to Chicago for vacation?
• What can we donate?  What can we get rid of? 
• When can we get our house guests items out of our basement so that we can re-organize our items?  When will they make this a priority?
• We need patio furniture, when do we buy this?  Do we live without for this summer and buy next year?  Or do we just wait for a big sale or to find it at a thrift store?
• Where can we find extra money?  Do I start selling Pampered Chef again?  Do I sell something else?  Do I find another job?  Do I work from home part time on the weekends doing something totally different?  Doesn't money grow on trees SOMEWHERE?  If so, can someone tell me where? 

Just a lot going on.

When we calm down and figure some things out, I'll start formulating the updates.

Until then....

Coen, 8 months

Dear Coen,

I cannot believe we’re only 4 months from you becoming 1 year old and about 6 months before you become a big brother!  It’s crazy how quickly our time is flying by, but it’s so exciting, I cannot get over it!

This month we learned a few things:

·    That you aunt and uncle are going to be moving out of state, but to a location that we can visit and enjoy!

·    That you’re going to be a big brother.

·    That our cat cannot respect anything and cannot control his bladder.

(Reading with Aunt J.  Every time I went to snap a picture, you looked up.)

Your firsts this month, were sort of limited because last month was such a big month!

·         You had your first incisor come in on the top right.

·         Then you had your second incisor come in on the top left. (Totaling 6 teeth)

·         You had your first big trip to the mall with lots of mall shopping, mall napping and mall eating. We will not be doing this much, so it’s why I’m listing it.  Just a day out with the ladies while the boys (husbands) were out of town.

·         In a few days you’ll be experiencing your first Valentine’s day, which I enjoy but we don’t really do much for.  I did make a few little items for your sitter friends and I’m very excited about giving them those things.

·         You had your first cereal puff for babies.  It’s pretty cute to a) watch you eat it, but b) watch you try and grab them and hold onto them.  It’s just one step to you working on feeding yourself!

·         You also had the last of your first swim lessons (this time with your dad) and it was great.  You did great in the water and really enjoyed it!

·         You met our friends the Coburn family.  The kids love you, you willingly shared your toys, rolled around and showed them all your moves.  You also ate a whole jar of food and threw a little bit of it!  You really know how to show off!  Ha!

·         And lastly, you had your first tax appointment with the family and Charlene.  You were great and very friendly with your new friend.

(Swim lessons with your dad... See you can swim!)

This was from the morning that I thought you were never going to take your morning nap.  Then, just like that... after about 3 hours of play, crying and eating, you were down for the count and I was so thankful.  Luckily, you slept long enough for me to squeeze a few zzzz in there too.  What a cute face, even when you're zonked.

This was another weekend picture of you sitting in your swing watching your favorite show "Word World".  It's about 15 minutes to 30 minutes that we can have you sit, potentially learn and we can run around to get something done.  It's a great show all about letters and words.  The sing cute little songs and you love it.  As soon as the school bell chimes, you are hooked.

This is from when you had just gotten up from a nap, I was in the middle of folding clothes, so I put you in the laundry basket to hang out for a minute while I finished up.  You had a great time.  You thought it was hilarious and then you started chewing on the side of the basket, so we wrapped up and hopped out.

This is your friend Clayton from the sitter's house.  We didn't plan this but seriously, how cute are you two and your matching, but opposite outfits?  I loved it!  You are about 5 months younger than him, but in this picture you look pretty close in age.  He just started walking which is really cute to watch!

This piano your Nana got for you.  You have a big one at the sitters house that you love to play but this one does the trick when we are at home.  You know how to play it with your hands, but I have to say that you're much better with your feet because you just kick away and make all the noise in the world.  It's hilarious how much it sounds like you're playing a song, sometimes.  You're just that good!

And bath time... still your favorite.  Seriously, this picture makes me laugh every time that I see it.  It's just pure joy and it makes me so happy!

Sleeping in your car seat after we arrived home from the sitters house.  You were out for a while this night too!  Sometimes you crash on the way home and other times you don't.  Most of the time it's just a cat nap, but sometimes it's so long we just put you in bed until you wake up.  Usually you wake up about 30 minutes after we arrive home because you want dinner.  A little cuddly, sleepy baby is just so darn precious.

We were at Pottery Barn Kids and we found a jingle bell rattle in the clearance bin.  After giving it to you and having you fall in love with it, I realize that this jingle bell rattle was $11.99 on sale.  It wasn't worth $11.99, but you loved it so much, I let you have a little fun with it before we scooted out of the store.  Now, I'm on a hunt for a jingle bell rattle that makes a lot of noise for you to shake around like you did with this one.  It was perfect.  You need some new instruments!

Oh and notice you're sitting in your stroller without your car carrier and you love it!  Gives you more freedom to look around and see new things!  Makes it easier on me too!

Anyway, it's been a great month!  You're continuing to grow in change in ways that we're still amazed by.  We're still learning about your new eating habits and knowing what you like and what you don't like.  You're favorite vegetable are sweet potatoes and you love almost every fruit that we've tried, including pineapple, raspberries and blueberries.  We're still working on green vegetables.  For some reason, those just don't go down for you like the other orange vegetables do.  We'll give it a few more weeks and try them again.  Cereal you eat with no problems too and the BM to formula combo works for you too. 

You're still teetering on 3-6 month clothes, 6 month clothes, 9 month clothes and 6-12 month clothes.  You can wear a combination of all of these, depending on the brand.  It's sort of crazy because right now, it looks like you have tons of clothes, but as soon as we send the rest of your 3-6 month clothes out the door, we will have only a few things left.  Still, it's fun to discover new things that fit you that look great for this season!

You're still wearing size 3, Luvs diapers and you still are small enough for everything that you've used since you were a baby, except your bouncy chair.  I forgot to note this in my blog when this happened, because I'm pretty sure I was in denial that it even happened.  But, we'd use your bouncy chair to have you sit it while we would take a quick shower.  It worked for a while because you were not mobile or that strong.  Then one day, when I was in the shower, you pulled yourself right out of it and onto the floor.  Now, that's only about 6 or something inches, but still... you weren't happy about it and it freaked me out.  So away the bouncy chair went and instead, we use the highchair that is one wheels for just about anything.  Keeps you occupied longer and strapped in good too!

Alright, so that just about wraps everything up for this month.  It's going to be wild to see what the next few months bring us.  Every month, we're impressed with what you can do, what you learn and how you work yourself in and out of different situations. I cannot wait!

Happy 8 months, little boy!  We love you so much!

Mama & Dada

William

I'd like to start off by saying, we made this decision because of our family, our health, our sanity and we did not to harm an animal in anyway.

William was our cat.  William was rescued by me one night, 2 months after we lost our first cat Oscar.

Oscar was our cat that I willingly adopted from the human society in town.  We  wanted a cat and he fit the bill to a T.  He was like a dog, not a cat.  He would run to the door when someone would come over, he rarely hid, he would play fetch, he would let you cuddle him and cradle him like a baby and he was loved by everyone that ever met him.  He just wasn't like every cat...

Oscar died tragically and we were seriously heartbroken.  We found him alive and really beat up... it was the most awful day of our lives.

So, 2 months later, I'm out with some friends, we're at a bar in our hometown and someone from our group leaves.  Before I know it, she's running back inside with this kitten that she has just "rescued" from running into the 6 lane high way.  She says over and over again that someone has to take this cat home.  So, with much hesitation, I take the cat and start to think about taking him home. And then, before I knew it, I was driving him home.  That night I kept him in the basement in a dog crate with a small litter box and some food/water. 

My husband was out of town and didn't know about this new kitty until the next day. Needless to say, it wasn't a happy conversation.  We wanted Oscar back, we didn't want a replacement.  But he was cute, so we gave him a try.  But (believe me) that wasn't before I called every shelter in the area to see if someone would take him.  I got a big fat, NO from everyone, so we kept him.

When we rescued William, he was about 6-7 months old.  We immediately took him to be declawed and neutered.... only to find out that he was already neutered. Maybe he was someone's cat?  Who knows... I just know that living right by a freeway, almost dying and having the potential to die again wasn't a good place to be, so... with us he stayed.

Using the litter box, from the get go, was a little foreign for William.  Maybe because he was an outside cat before and didn't know any different, who knows.  Either way, we spent the first few months, just cleaning up stuff that we had never experienced with our first cat and boy did it send us through the ringer.  We thought... new location, new process... give him time.

We had thought things were working out, but they weren't.  So we took him to the vet.  We increased him to 2 litter boxes and for a while, that worked.

Then, we found him again... so we added another box... 3 litter boxes and it was all good.  He was using them all but not using our house and we were shocked.

Then it went down hill.  We were installing a new TV and changing out TV cabinets, when my husband flipped a bag that we had placed in one of his "spots" and it was just FULL of  urine.  We were not happy campers. 

So we took him to the vet, again, to check for a UTI.  Never did he have medical problems.... so, we ended up putting him on anxiety medicine.  This worked wonders, almost immediately.  And worked for many years (mind you this is over a about 6 year timeframe, in total).

Then we had Coen and he had a personality change... for the better.  He wanted to be around, he wanted to see Coen, he wanted to be close... but something was a little off, still.  We didn't change his routine, we didn't stop doing the meds, we didn't change his litter, we just added Coen (which we thought he was okay with).  Until about 6 months.  He was still acting the same, but he started hunting around for spots again.  One day when I was home, I saw him try and go to his TV cabinet spot.  So I took a paper towel and stepped in that spot.  It was wet.

So, we sent him to the basement.  Our basement is large, so it wasn't a punishment... it was just his new living quarters.  We couldn't have him ruining our house and risking the health of our lives and our children.

Risking how... Peeing in places that we will never know about and putting our mouths or hands in it and then putting them in our mouths or on our bodies. It's just pain nasty.  I don't think I need to go into it all... you get it.  Animal pee is not a good thing for anyone to be around.  Espeically pregnant mamas and babies, let alone anyone else.

He was doing fine in our basement.  I was calling every shelter to find him a location, asking co-workers, posting on facebook... doing everything in my power and was getting nothing by NOs. We had no where to turn, so he just lived in our basement for about 3 weeks.

Then S said he wasn't using the litter box. So the next day, I went searching for the location that he was peeing.  Now keep in mind that our basement is full of our holiday/childhood items, kid items that we haven't used yet and all of our in-laws items.  So there are a number of places that his new "spot" could be.  Within two minutes of being down there, I went right for where I thought and hit the jackpot.  It was bad.  It was gross and because I was pregnant I couldn't really get into it.  So I just went up and told S and said that I would take care of it.

He ruined our house upstairs, he ruined what was a really great life for him and now he was ruining his temporary home in the basement and specifically items that weren't ours.

It was bad.

So, that morning, I packed William up and I drove him to our local humane society to surrender him.

It was bittersweet because while I didn't have a single emotion about taking him there, he was our cat and I did everything in my power to help him.  And all he did was pee on it.

So, with that... we are without a cat in our home and William has a new home.

It wasn't a tough decision and believe me, when he was okay and using his boxes, I still fought tooth and nail to keep him.  I wanted nothing but the best for him and he just didn't get that.

Sad yes, but we will all be healthier without him.

Goodbye William.

questions and answers

1. "Wow, what did you do?" This is sort of a silly question. Obviously, I had a baby, then about 5 1/2 months later, we got pregnant again.  I don't think I need to go into the "how it happened" part.  But this is literally what someone at the dentist said to me!

2. "How did you find out?" I had thought about my cycle arriving some time between Christmas and New Years.  We traveled out of state for about 4 days and then we loaded right back into the car to go out of town again and so, I just didn't think about it.  The morning after we returned home, I just took a test to see if it was positive or negative.  I took it, hopped in the shower and didn't think about it.  I had Coen in bed with S and when I got out of the shower, I picked it up, confirmed with the paper that it was positive, then I flipped open the bathroom door in tears, and said... "Babe, I think you need to look at this..."  And that was it.  I think we both said "Holy Crap!" about a thousand times... because holy crap, we're pregnant again!


3. "Was it planned?" Well, no. But our family plan was as such.  It took us almost 5 years to get pregnant with Coen, in having this be such a challange, we said that we wouldn't try, but we weren't going to protect, either.  We want a big family and we didn't want to run any risk of having more trouble with getting pregnant again.  So, we just didn't even think about it. Obviously.

4. "How many children are you wanting to have?" We had always talked about 3, because I'm a product of 3 and I love having a brother and sister.  But, recently we were talking about 4.  Who knows.  We just have to wait and see how it all pans out, but 2 will be a blast and I cannot wait!

5. "You're still nursing?" Yes, and because I'm pregnant, it's effecting my milk supply.  However, I plan to pump and nurse for as long as I'm needed and as long as I can.

6. "How did you tell S?" See question 2.

7. "Do your parents know?" We waited to tell most everyone until about 9 weeks.  My family, it was right before my sister's husband departed for Chicago.  And S.'s family the night before that... They are all in shock, but excited.

8. "What do they call that?  Irish twins?" I think the "Irish Twins" term comes from 2 babies born with in a year of one another, so we are outside of that by 2 months, cut me a break!

9. "How are you feeling?" Feeling great.  Every once in a while, I feel ill but I think it's mainly because I need more water or just need to eat.  Being a nursing/pregnant mother kills my calories, instantly and makes me eat about every 1.5 hours.  It's nuts.  But all in all, I don't feel sick at all or yucky.
10. "Are you excited?" We are over the moon with excitement.  Never thought it would be that easy, but here we are.  It's going to be a joy to have them close in age and be instant friends.  They won't know any different so it will be great!

12. "What are you parents going to think?" See question 7.

11. "Will you be finding out the gender?" Yes, because if it's a girl, I want to know.

pregnant & nursing, part 1

So, before we even knew we were pregnant, I had gone to the dentist for my check up.  I had to update my medical form and since I was pregnant the last time I was there and now I'm nursing, it looked as though I was both.  Pregnant and nursing.  But I joked that while it looked like it, I wasn't.  (ha ha ha, I thought.)

While there for my checkup and bi annual cleaning, they found two spots on my teeth (thank you chocolate/peanut butter/reece cup craving need while pregnant) and they told me that I'd have to come back to get them filled in.

Okay, no big deal.

Well, from the time that I had been there for the cleaning to the time I had to get my spots filled, I found out I actually was pregnant.  So, when I went back in, I had to say... "Remember last time, when I joked that I wasn't pregnant and nursing and only nursing?  Well, I'm going to have to change that to both pregnant and nursing, because this time, I am and I'm not joking."

From that moment on, it was just hilarious.

Questions went like this...

"Wow, what did you do?"
"How did you find out?"
"Was it planned?"
"How many children are you wanting to have?"
"You're still nursing?"
"How did you tell S?"
"Do your parents know?"
"What do they call that?  Irish twins?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Are you excited?"
"Will you be finding out the gender?"
"What are you parents going to think?"

And every crazy question, aside from these that you can think of.  We were all laughing, not only because I was still in shock, but they were all in shock as well. 

I plan to answer all questions, however the majority of you know what our family plan was after we had Coen and the things that I was worried about happening, after our pregnancies in 2010.

It's been tough being both a pregnant and nursing mother, but I'm doing it, for as long as I can and I'm trying to take every measure I can to get through it and hopefully not have to take a break from nursing/pumping.

Call me crazy, but it's just the best for all of us.

29 weeks and 5 weeks

So, Coen was 29 weeks old (just over 6 months) when we found out that we were 5 weeks pregnant with our third pregnancy (pregnancies: miscarriage - 2010, Coen - 2011, current - due 2012).

Yep.  You read that right. 

We're expecting, AGAIN!

EDD: September 1, 2012

More details will be revealed very soon.

my scalp hurts

Remember when I mentioned that my son is a thumb sucker?

Well, not only is that his biggest soother, when he's hungry or tired, but he also wants to twirl my hair or just pull it.  The worst is in the middle of the night when I'm laying on my side and he's on his and he's grabbing the littlest hairs on the back of my neck and just pulling the heck out of them.  Not to mention the top of my head!  That's the absolute worst. 

It's so bad that I'm sitting at my desk, right now, wondering if I have a scab on my head from the chunk that he attempted to pull last night.

Boy does it hurt, really bad.

We've got to work on stopping this, but it's what works for him, just wish that it was more like petting instead of pulling.  Ouchie-wa-wa.

Before I was losing hair because of hormones and post-pregnancy but now I'm losing it because I have a hair puller.  Gah.

i'd like to respond, please

To my Readers,

I wanted to stop and thank you for a minute.

I love hearing from you and seeing that your reading my blog.  It warms my heart that you're continuing to read even though my pregnancy is over and I have a little baby at home.  I know the excitement of a pregnancy can be (a little) more enjoyable to read about verses day-to-day mommy blogging, so for those that don't come around as much, you are missed.

With that said, I'd still like to be able to respond to those that leave comments, by email.  Do you know that the majority of you leave comments (wrestling kitties, Stephanie, etc....) that I'd love to respond to and I cannot, because your settings on blogger don't allow me?

You can change those settings by following these steps:

• When on blogger, in the upper right hand corner, there is your picture and your name of your google account.
• Click on this drop down menu.
• Choose "Blogger Profile".
• Once in your "Blogger Profile", choose the "Edit Profile" button, which will bring up another screen for editing.
• The second option down, is "Show email address" and you'll need to check this box.
• Down further, there is a box that says "Email Address" and next to it says, "Changing this does not change the e-mail address you use to sign-in."  Here you may pick a different email address to have your comment responses sent to, if you don't want it to be your personal email and maybe your blog specific email address.
• Once you have this all set, save your settings.

From here on, when you leave a comment, you'll also be able to receive a response... especially when you leave a question in the comments.

Hope this helps!
I hope that in the future, when these setting have been changed, we will be able to communicate more efficiently.

Happy Friday!

I've written about this here and here, if you'd like to reference these posts too.  These are for blogger users that are still using the old interface.

Shrimp Swim Lessons

Swim lessons were a hit!  Not only did Coen kick and flail around like he does in the bath tub, he also didn't mind being dunked as well.

Our class was a little unstructured, in my opinion.  The age range of the students could be anywhere from 6 months to 36 months, and there was quite a mix.  The instructor didn't really instruct unless the children were older and the parents could ask them to do more.  And that was cute to watch, but Coen basically just swam around with me and that was it.  The instructor said that she really doesn't do much in the class because it's basically to get them comfortable with the water and see if they love it or hate it.

Coen was good for about 20 minutes, kicking and splashing and moving around.  Then he got ahold of a measuring cup and chewed on it for about the last 20 minutes.  It was what was making him happy and at that point I didn't care because the water was warm and he was happy.

Afterward, we got out of the pool and we went into the family locker room to change him out of everything.  When he was laying down, I noticed that one area on his gums was bleeding.  He was getting another tooth in!  That will make 3 on top and 2 on the bottom.

So that's why he was so obsessed with the measuring cup in him mouth for him to chew on!  I thought something was up, but thank goodness we were in the pool and he just drooled in there instead of all over himself.

Can't wait to see how this weekend goes!  I hope he continues to love it!

believe in who?

I claim to be a spiritual person.

I say that I believe in God.

I have gone to church, but not like I used to.

I believe in something.

I can feel something.

But what is it?

This, emptiness, is something that I've struggled to communicate for years.

I know that I believe in something.  When I walk into our home church, there is almost always "that feeling" that comes over me and I cannot explain it.  When I sing in church and a song really hits me, I can't help but get misty eyed about it.  Just because I can feel something real...

But what is it?

Growing up, we went to church almost every weekend, for most of my childhood.  We were involved in youth group, Sunday school, mission trips, and a variation of other church-like activities.  In my opinion, we were fairly active.

After I started college, I wasn't a very good Sunday-church-goer, but I went when I could.  When I started dating S., we went on and off at first, but then he was asked to sing in a band at a contemporary worship service at a church MILES from our house.  He did that for about 6 years and it was nice.  We loved the church for a little while but we weren't part of their community.  We didn't participate in anything but the Sunday service when he was paid to be there and when we didn't go, we didn't go anywhere else, either. Going to church, started to take well over 3 hours and sometimes more.  It became a chore, not something we enjoyed doing.

After our 6 years attending the Lutheran Church as a couple and then we moved further from the church, we decided that it just wasn't doing it for us anymore and we needed to part ways.

I was brought up in a Presbyterian church, my husband in a Methodist church and when we went to the Lutheran church, it was only a little different than what we were used to.  It was still church.

My husband didn't really go to church much when he was a toddler, as I remember him telling me.  But as his older brother got into Young Life, his family started to attend church a lot more.  They became very active in their (rather large) Methodist church.  S. was in the choir and would go on traveling choir tours, his brother later became a Pastor himself and they all became and appeared to be very spiritual people.

After we split from the Lutheran church, we (unfortunately) took a very long break from church.

When we had our house guests living with us (my in laws), we started going to the local Methodist church with them.  They preferred the traditional service, we like the contemporary service, so we would flip flop week to week and we'd enjoy going.  But then the contemporary service got weird, the choir was creepy, it became too predictable and we no longer enjoyed going.  People were really fake (choir members), it wasn't too welcoming and just didn't feel like it was a good fit for us.  After our house guests left, we pretty much decided that it wasn't working for us and we stopped going.  Shortly after that, my in laws stopped going to the traditional service, for other reasons.

Since then, we haven't been to a church for a regular service that isn't holiday or funeral related in over 2 years.

Sad to admit, yes, but the truth.

Our philosophy was and is that God doesn't live in a building, so, why stress about going to a church?

It's always been important to me. When I take the time and reconnect and really feel the connection.  It's good and it's there.  I want my relationship with God to be present in our day to day lives, enough so that it influences our family and our children.

Right now, S. and I both are sort of in this same boat.  We haven't felt the draw to attend a church, not only because we are unsure about what we need or want from a church, but also because we haven't looked for a church.  We haven't made it a priority, and we realize that this needs to change in order for us to build the relationship again.  At the rate we're going, it's going to take some time to get back in the groove and feel what we used to from a church.

But, the other question that we both have... is it God that we really believe in?  And how do you feel fulfillment from a church when you aren't really sure that the people around you really believe or just lift their hands in praise, because that's what people do.

We know that bringing Christ into our family is important and we are making plans to do this.  We don't have any specific church that we need to attend based on denomination, so it should be easy to figure out... right?

So far, our plan is to start attending this church that they are building just a mile from our house, when it's done.  It's non-denominational, close and new.  It might hold what we're looking for or it might not.  Either way, we plan to give it a try and at this rate, that will be better than what we're not doing.

Yes, God doesn't live in a building, but sometimes it feels really good to walk into a building where lots of people are welcoming him.  Hopefully we find a place that we can call ours, soon.

mama failed

Had a huge "mama failed" moment last night and I literally cried through the whole thing.

My milk supply is really not keeping up with Coen's demand.  I usually can pump what he'll eat for the next day and I'm just not able to do that anymore.

When he was eating like mad just a few days or weeks ago (when I posted last), we were not only nursing him on demand, but giving him a bottle when I just couldn't nurse him anymore (which I know isn't nursing on demand, but sometimes my body was just too sore and I couldn't).  In doing this for almost 2 weeks, we have really cleared out my milk stock, that I once bragged about.  We've dipped into it (my stock) time and time again to get through growth spurts and things, but these last two weeks really just blew threw the majority of it and I wasn't able to come to grips with it, until last night.

So, in complete desperation, I had to give Coen a bottle of formula.

Big Mama Fail. Lots and lots of tears.

I didn't want this moment to happen and I really thought that it wouldn't, but we're here.

So, last night, I nursed him through the morning hours, and today at the sitter's house, he's going to take 2oz formula to 2oz breast milk to see how it works.  Because for now, I'm just going to keep pumping whatever I get and substitute when I need to.  Last week I made 32oz of milk through the whole week.  That would feed him in 2 days.  With splitting the formula/breast milk combo, we'll make that last 4 days.

It's very sad for me to think that I'm just not able to provide for Coen, but I'm not going to give up.  I'm taking a handful of supplements, as I normally would and I'm also going to start drinking Mother's Milk Tea to see what sort of increase I can induce.  I'm also doing the power-hour of pumping for 3 days to see if that will help me at all. I talked about that here, when I did that after Coen was about 3 weeks old, but not in very good detail.  Basically, for an hour a day, for three days, I would pump for 10 minutes, then I would break for 10 minutes, until I hit 1 hour.  It helped then, so I'm going to give it a try to see if it will help now.

Any body have experience with this?  Have any other suggestions?

I absolutely hate that my body is failing me.  I hate that I'm having to do this to Coen, but it's my reality and it just stinks right now.  I'm probably work to get over it, but it just really upsets me right now that it has come to this.

We'll see how the next couple weeks go and we'll see what his eating habits do, but I can't imagine that they'll decrease that much.  He's a growing boy that's going to keep needing more.  I just hope I can continue and whatever rate is possible.

eating us out of the house

I've heard this phrase used with teenagers who are growing like mad and are literally eating everything in the house before someone else can even discover it was purchased.  However, I never thought I'd use this phrase with my 7 month old.

I'm not kidding folks.  Yesterday, for instance, he ate 6 4 oz bottles, about 2 tablespoons of rice cereal for breakfast, 2.5 ounces of rice cereal for dinner and still acted like he was hungry.

Today, he's had green beans for breakfast, sweet potatoes for a morning snack, 3 bottles and pears at lunch time. 

I'm not sure I could've ever been prepared for how quickly solids were going to be increased in his diet, but as of today, we're going into three times a day and sometimes 2 at each sitting just to keep him full.

Is this normal?

I cannot believe it.

Over the last 3 weeks, he's had the flu and wasn't able to really eat.  Then he was feeling better and eating more often, then it was like he just wasn't getting enough and started eating like a newborn (every 2 hours on the button).  Now, with the extra feedings, I'm hoping he'll level back out.  But holy moly.

My mind is going a mile a minute trying to keep up with the idea of feeding him solids three times a day and nursing him and potentially adding more because it's just not enough.  My boobs hurt, but I have to keep doing what he needs on demand because it's what he needs.

It was like he went from... "okay mom, this isn't really my thing," too panting the moment he sees his spoon and bowl together until the food hits his mouth.  It's unreal.

Any advise?  Please.

they're on the move

My sister and her husband have made the plunge.  He's an arcitect and she's a dance education teacher, so they are Chicago bound to make these dreams come true in bigger ways.  Her husband moves in a few weeks and she'll move a week or so later.  It's wild.

Bittersweet, yes.  My immediate family all lives fairly close to one another, within 20 minutes or so.  But, for them, this is going to be a great move for the both of them!

Best part for our family is now we'll have an excuse to go and visit that lovely city and potentially have a space to stay... ha ha ha!  I doubt it, but it's still fun to say.

Good luck on the move!  Very exciting times ahead, for you two!!

Coen, 7 Months

Dear Coen,

You're 7 months, bubba and would couldn't be more happy about this.  In this month, you've continued to grow and change so much, it's just blowing us away. 

You sure had a lot of firsts in this month!

• First Christmas.
• First time in at a church service and first Christmas Eve service. (more on this another day)
• First time in the car for 8 hours to Virginia.
• First time to Washington DC.
• First time eating pears, squash, and apples.
• First time out to the state.
• First time driving through a tunnel (our 5 year old nephew was getting a kick out this one, so I documented it).
• First time to the National Zoo.
• First time being watched by someone who isn't family or a good friend of ours...
• First time seeing snow, even though it was pathetic.
• First New Years.
• First time sitting up, unsupported for about 3 minutes.
• First time getting the flu. Barf.
• First time sitting in an auditorium and listening to the local symphony.

There are probably a few that I'm forgetting, but those are the major ones from this month.

This is from one of the first times you army crawled and got to your destination,  successfully. See the determination?

  

Other stats:

• Teeth: The bottom two are fully in and top two are coming in.  I feel bad that they are coming in at the same time, but at least it's faster for you and doesn't spread the pain out over a longer period of time.
• You're in 3-6 month clothes, 6 month clothes, some 9 month clothes and some 6-12 month clothes.  Most things that are 6-12 or 9 months, are just a little too long for you, especially the pants.  Just have to give it a little more time to get you into those sizes, but I have to say baby clothes are just so annoying with how different certain sizes fit!  Very annoying.
• You're still wearing size 3, Luvs diapers and they seem to still be doing the job.
• You're eating BM (my milk) and have only had that your entire life.  About 5.5 months, we started with solid food and have been slowly introducing you to more as you show interest.  Messy, but exciting.
• You last weighed in at 16.2 lbs and 27 inches long, so you're still growing like a weed.
• You love anything that play music, you love listening to people talk, you like to pull hair and earrings, you love to be on the floor and be free, you love rolling around and army crawling, and you are still just an all around happy baby.  You don't cry unless you're pissed about your teeth, frustrated with a toy, hungry, tired or dirty.  The first two are new, but still just part of being a baby.
• You're still doing great at the sitter's too.  She loves and you and you get along great with the other kids which continues to be such a relief.
• You're sleeping schedule just sucks, to be honest.  You're sleeping like a newborn, but you have several variables in your way.  I'm hoping to get you back to the 8 to 9 hour window of sleeping over the next few months.  We both need that.
• You're still working on your army crawl but it doesn't hinder you from not getting where you want or to whatever you want.  Between rolling and army crawling you get everywhere and sometimes really fast!
• Sitting is a work in progress, but you're starting to do it and it's really cute!

 

This is right after you woke up. I just love this face! 

 Your first Christmas, was just the biggest joy for everyone.  Everyone wanted to be with you or around you all the time.  It was great too, because you had a ball.

First off, Christmas Eve was at Nana and Grandpa George's house.  We hung out most of the afternoon, had snacks, watched Christmas Vacation and football, ate dinner really fast, ran to church for your first church service that you actually did pretty well through and then back to their house for gifts!  Opening gifts with you was just hilarious.  You would grunt with excitement, scream with joy and just hold onto whatever was given to you... wrapped boxes, bags, tissue paper, wrapping paper.... whatever.  It was so funny and you didn't stop.  You'd go on and on and on and on with everything, the whole night!  It had us all in tears because we were laughing so hard!

Reading your Christmas card before you put it in your mouth.

Christmas morning, we opened gifts at home in the morning together as our family of 3, plus William and Toby.  It was great.  We had time together to just be our family.  It was quiet, we played carols and just loved on you.  It was your first Christmas and we were both so excited to enjoy it with you.

At about 2pm on Christmas day, we had Nana, Grandpa George, Uncle Geoff, Grandma C and Grandpa C over to hang out, watch some football or basketball I cannot remember, eat Christmas dinner and spend time as a family.  Normally, we just do the other side of the family on this day, but because you're around, everyone wants to be around you whenever they can.  So, we let them.

You received lots of books, jammies, a few toys, ornaments, a new-to-us jogging stroller (that is awesome!) and money for your savings account.  It was a great Christmas for you and I felt like you received the right amount of things for your age and what you actually needed.  I was fearing that I was going to feel overwhelmed, but I didn't.  Thank goodness.

Santa's little helper.

The day after Christmas, we did brave the shopping rush and went to a few stores to buy for other family that we were going to visit and then on the 27th, we were off to Virginia.  This was a little rough.  Who would want to be in their car seat for almost 8.5 hours with just a few breaks in between?  I wouldn't and I know that after about 5 hours, you didn't either.  We made it though, with just a few stops on the way there and on the way back.  There were a few moments where I thought you were just losing it and that you weren't going to bring it back together, but you did.  Now we can say that we can travel with you, but I would advise doing 8 to 9 hours in one day.  That was just too hard.

Our visit with your cousins (all 4 of them) was great!  They love being around you and entertaining you.  AC was all about putting on the show and making you giggle and boy did he ever.  He had the whole table in stitches one night and it was so good we video taped it!  He was improving like a pro!  It was great!

  After we returned home, we unpacked and repacked before heading south to Charlotte's first birthday party and New Years Eve evening, we were with N&J for a crazy good dinner.. 

Any toy that makes noise, is your friend, however those toys don't leave that house and go to public places.  Not only because they are your favorite and I don't want them hitting the floor but also because they make noise.  Your baby einstein mp3 player is your absolute favorite right now, as you can tell below.

Sitting up has been something we've worked on but not something we've really sweated about.  You'll do these things when you're ready and we're ready whenever you are.  But we practice sitting up and pulling you up to build those muscles.  Then the other day, we propped you up, pulled your legs apart to help balance you and then you were on your own.  It was like a switch went off and you were doing it.  Don't get me wrong, you do swing to the ground when we least expect it and it's so fast, so we can't sit you on your own alone, but you're sitting and it's fantastic!  So cute, strong and independent.

Oh and then the last thing of last month to hit you was the dreaded flu.  Seriously, the most awful and discusting thing to ever enter our house.  To spare you a lot of detail, you basically threw up for 24 hours, then on and off for about a week.  You were in the ER and pediatrican's office to both confirm there was nothing we could do and also to know what was going on.

Here you are drinking pedialyte, which you've had three jugs of over the last week and a half, to help your system get back to normal.  As of right now, we're 48 hours without vomit and I'm very happy. 

In the ER.

I have to say though... I was so tired of smelling vomit, hearing vomit, catching vomit, being hit with vomit, cleaning vomit, washing vomit, fearing vomit and just being around vomit.  It was awful.  And I hope we're in the clear.  Please send us good, well, thoughts.

You are the biggest joy to be around, even when you're sick, you light us up with your smile or scream.  You make us happy to be your parents and so proud of everything that you do and learn, day to day.  It's amazing how fast this time with you is going by... I just cannot believe you're 7 months old.  I remember my friends writing about their 7 month olds and thinking how much older that was to you... Now we're here.  Wild.

It's been so great watching you and being around you.  I really hope this month is a good month for you.  I hope those two top teeth come in and I hope that you don't have to battle anything else, like the flu.  I hope you get a break because since you were 4 months old, you haven't really caught a break and it's hard on all of us.  We're managing though, because it's just part of growing up.

Happy 7 Months, baby Coen! 

We love you so much,

Mama and Dada