I KNOW, I KNOW! Its been a while. I've been busy! :) This is going to be a quick update post just filling everyone in on the boys and their latest milestones/fun facts. This post is likely to have many spelling errors and will probably not be grammatically correct.
As for Mama and Daddy, we are doing great. It took a few weeks to get into our groove with two kiddies, but we have it down now. We still don't have strict schedules for either one of them. Everything depends on what we have to do that day as to when they nap. They are both happy, growing boys! The transition from 0-1 baby was A LOT harder than it was from 1-2. I don't know why exactly, but the delivery, hospital experience, and bringing him home all went so smoothly. I know it was all those prayers!
Thank you to everyone for reading our blog, and forgiving me for not posting for about a half a year now! Haha! Hopefully I'll be able to post more often. I'm hoping to shoot Cash's 2 year pictures, and Beckett's 6 month pictures this week! Thanks for reading!!!
**Special thanks to Jess Chamblee for motivating me to write again!**
Cash at 26 months
- Talks all the time and is able to have conversations. Sometimes its hard for others to understand him, but Colt and I can almost always understand what he's saying. If you listen closely, you'll get it.
- Loves Elmo and all the Sesame Street characters
- His favorite things to do are to go to the park, the mall for a "cookie and icee" and play in the "play place", go to Busch Gardens, or visit family
- He loves playing with other kids, especially the kids in his family.
- He loves anything to do with stairs, especially jumping off of them.
- He has proven to be a real "dare devil" and wants to try anything that looks like it could be exciting
- His favorite movies are Shrek, and Rio but he also loves any Sesame Street or Elmo movie
- He weighs around 28-29 lbs.
- He is SO strong willed, and needs a lot of discipline at times, but I love his personality and his "fire". He reminds me a lot of myself. Heaven help me. Haha!
- He loves Oatmeal and Pop Tarts for breakfast (although he isn't supposed to have Pop Tarts, Daddy feeds them to him sometimes), he is really picky about lunch but he'll always eat whole grain pasta with butter and a little bit of garlic salt, and he'll eat almost anything for dinner (spaghetti, chicken, rice, steak, green beans, etc.).
- His favorite restaurants are Tres Amigos for tacos and rice, or Outback for grilled chicken, green beans and a ton of bread! He is also crazy about the Bloomin' Onion. :)
- He is coming out of his milk allergy and is able to have a lot of different kinds of food now, including ice cream! He still drinks Almond Milk though.
- He is a size 7 shoe and 24 months or 2T clothes
- He LOVES LOVES LOVES to sing, and pretend that he's leading singing in church. He says, "Hello. Number 10. Blue book." Then he starts singing at the top of his lungs.
- He also loves to pray, and pretend he is giving out the Lord's Supper.
- He has a real passion for music just like his dad. He can't listen to music without dancing. Almost every night before bed, Cash and Colt will get out their guitars and play together. They also play the harmonica. Cash likes to take an old Nintendo controller, and unroll the cord so it looks like a microphone. He holds it up to his mouth and says, "1,2,3,4!" Colt will start playing and Cash sings so loudly. At the end of their song, Cash yells, "THANK YOU, MUCH!!!"
- Cash can count to 14, and may be able to count higher, but last time he counted, he got distracted and stopped at 14.
- He knows a lot of his alphabet and a few signs for different animals.
- He loves animals (especially alligators) and dinosaurs
- He has two fish, Gil and Debbie
- He has a CRAZY memory and can remember things that I don't even remember until he reminds me.
- He has been saying, "OHHH MYYYYY!" a lot lately, and "IT'S COMING," before something exciting to him happens.
- He is SO sweet with Beckett and asks to hold him all the time
Beckett at 6 months
- He is rolling over and moving all over the place now.
- He has mastered holding his pacifier
- We call him Baby Bear, Bear, or Beckett Boy most of the time
- He has had two hair cuts already
- He has been sleeping through the night since about 8 weeks, but has recently been having very restless sleep. I think we are coming out of it though.
- He started off as a very lazy nurser. Cash would nurse very concentrated for 10 minutes on each side at each feeding. Beckett would nurse very slowly for about 3-4 minutes on each side, and fall asleep. It was a struggle at first to get him to concentrate and stay awake. Now, at 6 months, he is more efficient, but still doesn't nurse for very long.
- I'm not sure how much he weighs or how tall he is. I will find out at his next doctors appointment- He wears 6-9 month or 12 month clothes
- He is an extremely happy and content baby, and only cries when he is hungry or has been in his car seat for a really long time.
- He loves to snuggle before bed just like Cash did. He grabs my face or hair and rolls over so his little shoulders are square with mine on our sides, and he snuggles up close to my face so our noses are touching.
- Cash slept in our bed until he was around 9 months old, and Beckett is still sleeping in the pack-n-play in our bedroom now at 6 months.
- He LOVES Cash and laughs out loud at many of the things he does. He kicks his little limbs all over the place in excitement when Cash comes near him.
- He is still predominately breastfeeding but we've added solids and he eats those twice a day now along with the breastfeeding.
- He loves his jumparoo and walker, although he can't walk in it yet.
- He smiles almost all the time and has been enjoying his new trick, spitting!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Beckett's Arrival!
Well, we did it! So happy to announce that we have another sweet little boy to love on.
Beckett made his arrival just short of the big 4-0. Let me fill you in...
Saturday, the 10th was going to be a big day for our family. For starters, I was embarassingly excited to be getting new carpet installed in the office and guest bedroom (Cash's big boy room). We had a leisurly morning, and then the carpet guy arrived around 2pm. When my mom got off of work, Cash and I met her at their house, which just so happens to be eight houses down from ours. We ran up to Ross for some aisle perusing before dinner. My dad and sister met us back at our house to decide where to go for dinner. We decided to go to CDB's for some pizza. On our way to dinner I noticed that I was starting to have some braxton hicks. This didn't really concern me as I had been having them almost nightly for the last week or two. While sitting at the dinner table, I started to have some anxiety. No reason imparticular, but I felt like labor was approaching. The day before I noticed that my lips were very chapped and dry. I mentioned to my sister that I thought it was indicitive of a hormonal change and that I thought I would go into labor within the next few days. Turns out I was right. As I was sitting at the restaurant, eating my pizza, I started thinking about all the different concerns I had about labor. Not only the concerns, but the outright fears, and also the excitement and anticipation. I could hardly eat my pizza at that point. I was a big ball of nerves, and at that point, I still had no reason to believe I was in early labor. As we left the restaurant and were walking to our cars, I looked up in the sky and saw what looked like a pretty full moon. That's when I knew I would be having a baby very soon.
My parents followed us back to our house so my mom and I could complete a photo project that we had been working on. As we sat on the couch, I started noticing that the braxton hicks were coming on a little bit stronger, and a little bit more regular. I decided to start timing them. They were coming regularly, between 3 and 7 minutes apart, but still not painful. I decided to call the doctor's office after an hour of steady braxton hicks. At my last OB appointment I was 4cm dilated (2cm at 36 wks, 3 cm at 37wks, 3.5 at 38 wks, 4cm at 39 wks) and if I was in labor, I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity to get an epidural if I decided that I wanted one. I called my doctor's offices' answering service, and left a message for the OB nurse to call me. When she did, I explained the situation and she instructed me to go to the hospital and get checked out, to see if the braxton hicks were changing my cervix at all. Everything felt like it was starting to happen. I had had my bags packed and sitting on the dining room table next to the carseat and the diaper bag. Colt had most of his stuff packed but was still collecting a few last minute things, as I was packing up the laptop and other miscellaneous items that couldn't be packed until the last minute. At this point I was still surprisingly calm. By surprisingly calm, I mean I had only thrown up twice. Haha! The night before my induction with Cash, I threw up like I had a stomach flu because of nerves. This time was better. My parents had gone home so that my mom and sister could get ready to go to the hospital with us, and so my dad could pack a few things to spend the night at our house with Cash. I had put Cash to bed about 30 minutes before all of the drama started to happen, so he was already sound asleep. Around 11:30, my dad arrived at our house. I was still wondering around our house looking for things that I needed to pack, but mostly trying not to cry at the thought of leaving Cash for the first time. He had never spent the night away from me. He had never spent more than a few hours away from me. Ever. Finally the time came for Colt and I to leave. I went into Cash's room to check on him and make sure he was comfortable before I left. Upon closing his door behind me, I lost it. I didn't want to leave him. I knew that giving him a sibling would be one of the greatest gifts that I could ever give him, but the thought of leaving him there, without me made me so very sad. I felt a little bit better knowing how obsessed he is with my dad. I knew he would probably be excited to see him if he woke up in the middle of the night fussing, and certainly the next morning. Finally I dried my tears and Colt and I made our way to the hospital, stopping only to say a prayer at the end of our street for a healthy baby and Mama, and a safe and happy Cashman.
When I arrived at the hospital, they sent me up to labor and delivery where I filled out the necessary paperwork, and was lead to Triage where I got into a gown and they hooked me up to the monitors. The nurse had already given me some indications that she didn't think I would be staying to have the baby that night. "Unless your contractions are making you writhe in pain, you probably aren't in labor yet." I explained that I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity for an epidural, being that I was so far dilated at that point and asked if they would jumpstart me on a little bit of Pitocin to get the contractions going a little bit stronger if I wasn't yet in active labor. "We don't induce at night," she said. After being monitored for a while, in the same small section of the Triage room that we were monitored in with Cash at 36 weeks, she came in and said that I was definitely having regular contractions but since they weren't painful they probably weren't changing my cervix. She checked me and said, "Who told you that you were 4 centimenters dilated?" "My doctor..." "Well everyone measures differently, but I Wouldn't even call you 4cm." NOT something you want to say to a very uncomfortable pregnant woman in early labor. At that point I was so aggravated with her attitude I said, "Well...does it shrink back?" She explained that because everyone has different sized hands, and fingers that someone might guess that I'm 4 cm, and someone else might check me right after and estimate a different number. She said she'd come back in an hour and check me again, but if there was no change, they'd be discharging me. Apparently the doctor doesn't want to come to the hospital in the middle of the night if I'm not close to delivering, and she certainly doesn't want to get out of bed to induce me, no matter how far dilated I am. Of course, an hour later, there was no change in my cervix although my contractions were getting stronger. I was sent home. I was so frusterated on the ride home that we had to go through all of that drama, and the emotional roller coaster of leaving my son at home in the middle of the night, knowing that I would have to do all of that again in a few days. I had been hoping that I would go into labor on my own, since I never experienced that with Cash (induced at 38 wks) but at that point I told Colt, "I hope they induce me now, because at least I'll know if they send me to the hospital for the induction, I'll be staying!" We got home around 2am, and found Grandaddy (my dad) and Cash snuggled up on the couch together. Apparently Cash woke up about an hour after we left and was a little confused as to why Grandaddy was there but we weren't. I put him back to bed, where he slept until 6am when he started fussing and we put him in bed with us. That's when I noticed that the contractions were becoming painful. Yep, 4 hours after coming home from the hospital, I knew I was going back at some point later that day.
Sunday morning, September 11th, 2011, I laid there snuggled close to Cash and Colt, having semi-painful contractions from about 6am until 8:30. By that point, they were painful enough to know that I had better get in the shower and get ready to leave for the hospital. I started having painful contractions in the shower, and they continued to get stronger throughout the rest of the "getting ready process". I called my mom when I got out of the shower and told her to get ready to go to the hospital AGAIN. I woke Colt up and told him to get ready to go too. By 10:30am, my mom and sister were at my house and Colt and I were packed and ready to go. I was having a hard time talking through the contractions at that point. Of course, on the ride to the hospital, Cash was in the backseat saying, "Mama...Mama...Aubee......AUBEE!" I remember looking at all of the flags on the side of the road that FC had planted in memory of everyone who died on September 11th, 2001. Cash talked almost the whole way to the hospital, which actually kind of calmed my nerves at hearing some of the cute thing's he'd say. As we passed McDonalds, he said, "MAMA! Ies (fries)!!" I could only laugh. I was still nervous on the way to the hospital that I was in that much pain, but for some reason there would still be no change in my cervix and we'd be sent home again. I prayed so hard that we'd be admitted and that I'd be bringing home a baby. When I arrived at the hospital, they sent me up to labor and delivery again, but instead of taking me to Triage, they sent me to delivery room 2. Right down the hall from delivery room 4, where God gave me one of the greatest blessings in my life. The nurse was the same nurse I had for Cash on the night of my induction. I LOVED her. She checked me, and I was at 5 1/2 centimeters. PROGRESS! She picked up her cordless phone and informed the front desk that I'd be staying. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
I had spent the morning feeling pretty nauseated, so after my nurse insterted the IV, she gave me a little bit of Zofran. LOVE love Zofran. The nausea went away for the most part. I was still waiting on my epidural, as they couldn't get ahold of my doctor who was at another hospital, delivering 3 babies over there. Even after they got ahold of her and got her approval, I was second in line with the anestisiologist (spelling?). Finally, I got the epidural at 6cm. That was enough of a taste of "REAL" labor for me! About an hour after my epidural, my water broke on its own as I laid in the hospital bed. Everyone, myself included was excited that my water had broken without intervention. Everyone except Colt, who was concerned that his pillow which I had been laying next to was being ruined. Haha! Don't worry, no pillows were harmed in the laboring process. When the nurse checked to see if it was indeed my water that had broken, she said I was at 7cm. The nurse told me that the doctor wanted to start me on a little bit of Pitocin to really get my contractions going, so she could deliver when she arrived. Shortly after the water breaking, I started to notice that my epidural seemed to be wearing off on my left side. I could feel painful contractions again. They had me lay on my side, as epidurals are affected by gravity. It didn't seem to help, because I felt more pain on my left side throughout the remainder of labor. The anestisiologist even came in to up my dosage of the epidural, but again, it didn't seem to help. The doctor finally arrived at the hospital around 3-3:30ish. She looked kind of frazzled. When I asked her if it had been a busy morning, she said that she had already delivered 5 babies over the course of the last 12 hours! Apparently September 10-11th was a big day for babies. Must've been the full moon. :) She checked me upon her arrival, and low and behold, I was at 10!!! Time to push! I had gone from 7-10cm in less than an hour.
When I turned from my side to lay on my back to begin pushing, I felt one of the worst pains I've felt in my life. At that point, I felt like I had never had an epidural. All I could do was breathe through the contractions. I told the doctor that I could feel everything and she said, "Ok well lets push this baby out!" I was READY! I pushed as hard as I could for three contractions. I remembered that when Cash's head came out, it was only one more push and his body came out very easily. When they told me that Beckett's head was out, I breathed a sign of relief thinking that the hard part was over. I pushed again, thinking it was going to be my last but his body was not coming out. I didn't see it happen, but I'm told that the doctor started to freak out a little bit, checking his neck to make sure the cord wasn't wrapped around it. Then she started pulling on his head and neck pretty hard to help him come out. My sister Emilee started getting worried and said she wanted to yell, "He isn't Gumby!" Throughout all this drama, I was trying to hold the push, and re-pushing with no break. I was determined to get that kid out! Finally I felt his body leave mine, and I heard the doctor say, "OHHHH MY GOODNESS! He is HUUUUGE!"
It was so amazing to feel Beckett's soft, warm body laying on top of me. He had so much hair, and the fattest cheeks I had ever seen. I could hear the nurses and doctor in the background talking about how big he was. At that point, we still didn't know how much he weighed. Sharon, Colt's mom, cut the cord, as Colt gets totally freaked out at the thought of it. It was so special to me that I got to have Colt, my mom, my sister and Sharon in the room to experience everything with me. My mom cut Cash's cord, and Sharon cut Beckett's cord. I just LOVE that. Colt was amazing throughout everything. With Cash, he was so nervous, and faint feeling as I pushed. This time, he stood up next to my hospital bed, rubbing my head telling me how proud he was of me. I could tell right away that Beckett looked a lot like Colt.
They took him over to the warming bed, and cleaned him off to weigh him. "He's got to be at least 9lbs if not 10," I heard the doctor say to one of the nurses. I thought she was crazy. They laid him on the scale and EVERYONE was shocked to see that that fat boy weighed 9lbs. 14.5oz!!! I didn't have gestational diabetes or anything that would make him super large. Just lucky I guess. Haha!
After he was cleaned up, and I got myself together, our relatives that weren't in the delivery room were allowed to come up to see Beckett. We loved showing him off. The sense of pride you have after delivering a baby is like nothing else. I felt on top of the world. Even now, about a week after having him, I still haven't lost that feeling.
The hospital stay was much different this time around. I didn't hate it so much this time. I think because I'm used to a different bedtime now (2am as opposed to 6am before we had Cash), it was easier to fall asleep in the hospital. My mom stayed with me so Colt could keep Cash on his normal schedule at home. My mom was such a big help. The first night, Beckett didn't like sleeping in his little clear, plastic hospital bed, so my mom held him almost the whole night between nursing every two hours or so. One thing that didn't change is we still got no sleep. Just when you fall asleep, you have a nurse coming in to check your blood pressure and temperature, then a little while later another one comes in to check the baby, then after they leave, its time for your pain meds, then you have to go to the bathroom (which is very difficult as your body is so sore after labor), then the baby is awake and needs to nurse again (every 2 hours). The first night I think I slept on and off for about two to two and a half hours. The second night, maybe about an hour and a half. Thankfully my family, and Colt's family rallied together and helped us so much when we got home. They watched Cash for us, and took him to do fun things so we didn't feel guilty about pawning him off to get some sleep.
So there it is! The whole birthin' journey! We are so happy to have him. Colt, Cash and I went to Target tonight for a few things, leaving Beckett with my parents so he wasn't exposed to all the germs. It was the first time I've been away from him since his birth. Its only been a little over a week and it felt so strange not to have him riding in the backseat with Cash. Cash asked to hold him today and loves to give him kisses. We are so blessed. Hopefully I can crank out another post about the first week home. I'm pacing myself. :) Thanks for reading!
Beckett made his arrival just short of the big 4-0. Let me fill you in...
Saturday, the 10th was going to be a big day for our family. For starters, I was embarassingly excited to be getting new carpet installed in the office and guest bedroom (Cash's big boy room). We had a leisurly morning, and then the carpet guy arrived around 2pm. When my mom got off of work, Cash and I met her at their house, which just so happens to be eight houses down from ours. We ran up to Ross for some aisle perusing before dinner. My dad and sister met us back at our house to decide where to go for dinner. We decided to go to CDB's for some pizza. On our way to dinner I noticed that I was starting to have some braxton hicks. This didn't really concern me as I had been having them almost nightly for the last week or two. While sitting at the dinner table, I started to have some anxiety. No reason imparticular, but I felt like labor was approaching. The day before I noticed that my lips were very chapped and dry. I mentioned to my sister that I thought it was indicitive of a hormonal change and that I thought I would go into labor within the next few days. Turns out I was right. As I was sitting at the restaurant, eating my pizza, I started thinking about all the different concerns I had about labor. Not only the concerns, but the outright fears, and also the excitement and anticipation. I could hardly eat my pizza at that point. I was a big ball of nerves, and at that point, I still had no reason to believe I was in early labor. As we left the restaurant and were walking to our cars, I looked up in the sky and saw what looked like a pretty full moon. That's when I knew I would be having a baby very soon.
My parents followed us back to our house so my mom and I could complete a photo project that we had been working on. As we sat on the couch, I started noticing that the braxton hicks were coming on a little bit stronger, and a little bit more regular. I decided to start timing them. They were coming regularly, between 3 and 7 minutes apart, but still not painful. I decided to call the doctor's office after an hour of steady braxton hicks. At my last OB appointment I was 4cm dilated (2cm at 36 wks, 3 cm at 37wks, 3.5 at 38 wks, 4cm at 39 wks) and if I was in labor, I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity to get an epidural if I decided that I wanted one. I called my doctor's offices' answering service, and left a message for the OB nurse to call me. When she did, I explained the situation and she instructed me to go to the hospital and get checked out, to see if the braxton hicks were changing my cervix at all. Everything felt like it was starting to happen. I had had my bags packed and sitting on the dining room table next to the carseat and the diaper bag. Colt had most of his stuff packed but was still collecting a few last minute things, as I was packing up the laptop and other miscellaneous items that couldn't be packed until the last minute. At this point I was still surprisingly calm. By surprisingly calm, I mean I had only thrown up twice. Haha! The night before my induction with Cash, I threw up like I had a stomach flu because of nerves. This time was better. My parents had gone home so that my mom and sister could get ready to go to the hospital with us, and so my dad could pack a few things to spend the night at our house with Cash. I had put Cash to bed about 30 minutes before all of the drama started to happen, so he was already sound asleep. Around 11:30, my dad arrived at our house. I was still wondering around our house looking for things that I needed to pack, but mostly trying not to cry at the thought of leaving Cash for the first time. He had never spent the night away from me. He had never spent more than a few hours away from me. Ever. Finally the time came for Colt and I to leave. I went into Cash's room to check on him and make sure he was comfortable before I left. Upon closing his door behind me, I lost it. I didn't want to leave him. I knew that giving him a sibling would be one of the greatest gifts that I could ever give him, but the thought of leaving him there, without me made me so very sad. I felt a little bit better knowing how obsessed he is with my dad. I knew he would probably be excited to see him if he woke up in the middle of the night fussing, and certainly the next morning. Finally I dried my tears and Colt and I made our way to the hospital, stopping only to say a prayer at the end of our street for a healthy baby and Mama, and a safe and happy Cashman.
When I arrived at the hospital, they sent me up to labor and delivery where I filled out the necessary paperwork, and was lead to Triage where I got into a gown and they hooked me up to the monitors. The nurse had already given me some indications that she didn't think I would be staying to have the baby that night. "Unless your contractions are making you writhe in pain, you probably aren't in labor yet." I explained that I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity for an epidural, being that I was so far dilated at that point and asked if they would jumpstart me on a little bit of Pitocin to get the contractions going a little bit stronger if I wasn't yet in active labor. "We don't induce at night," she said. After being monitored for a while, in the same small section of the Triage room that we were monitored in with Cash at 36 weeks, she came in and said that I was definitely having regular contractions but since they weren't painful they probably weren't changing my cervix. She checked me and said, "Who told you that you were 4 centimenters dilated?" "My doctor..." "Well everyone measures differently, but I Wouldn't even call you 4cm." NOT something you want to say to a very uncomfortable pregnant woman in early labor. At that point I was so aggravated with her attitude I said, "Well...does it shrink back?" She explained that because everyone has different sized hands, and fingers that someone might guess that I'm 4 cm, and someone else might check me right after and estimate a different number. She said she'd come back in an hour and check me again, but if there was no change, they'd be discharging me. Apparently the doctor doesn't want to come to the hospital in the middle of the night if I'm not close to delivering, and she certainly doesn't want to get out of bed to induce me, no matter how far dilated I am. Of course, an hour later, there was no change in my cervix although my contractions were getting stronger. I was sent home. I was so frusterated on the ride home that we had to go through all of that drama, and the emotional roller coaster of leaving my son at home in the middle of the night, knowing that I would have to do all of that again in a few days. I had been hoping that I would go into labor on my own, since I never experienced that with Cash (induced at 38 wks) but at that point I told Colt, "I hope they induce me now, because at least I'll know if they send me to the hospital for the induction, I'll be staying!" We got home around 2am, and found Grandaddy (my dad) and Cash snuggled up on the couch together. Apparently Cash woke up about an hour after we left and was a little confused as to why Grandaddy was there but we weren't. I put him back to bed, where he slept until 6am when he started fussing and we put him in bed with us. That's when I noticed that the contractions were becoming painful. Yep, 4 hours after coming home from the hospital, I knew I was going back at some point later that day.
Sunday morning, September 11th, 2011, I laid there snuggled close to Cash and Colt, having semi-painful contractions from about 6am until 8:30. By that point, they were painful enough to know that I had better get in the shower and get ready to leave for the hospital. I started having painful contractions in the shower, and they continued to get stronger throughout the rest of the "getting ready process". I called my mom when I got out of the shower and told her to get ready to go to the hospital AGAIN. I woke Colt up and told him to get ready to go too. By 10:30am, my mom and sister were at my house and Colt and I were packed and ready to go. I was having a hard time talking through the contractions at that point. Of course, on the ride to the hospital, Cash was in the backseat saying, "Mama...Mama...Aubee......AUBEE!" I remember looking at all of the flags on the side of the road that FC had planted in memory of everyone who died on September 11th, 2001. Cash talked almost the whole way to the hospital, which actually kind of calmed my nerves at hearing some of the cute thing's he'd say. As we passed McDonalds, he said, "MAMA! Ies (fries)!!" I could only laugh. I was still nervous on the way to the hospital that I was in that much pain, but for some reason there would still be no change in my cervix and we'd be sent home again. I prayed so hard that we'd be admitted and that I'd be bringing home a baby. When I arrived at the hospital, they sent me up to labor and delivery again, but instead of taking me to Triage, they sent me to delivery room 2. Right down the hall from delivery room 4, where God gave me one of the greatest blessings in my life. The nurse was the same nurse I had for Cash on the night of my induction. I LOVED her. She checked me, and I was at 5 1/2 centimeters. PROGRESS! She picked up her cordless phone and informed the front desk that I'd be staying. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
I had spent the morning feeling pretty nauseated, so after my nurse insterted the IV, she gave me a little bit of Zofran. LOVE love Zofran. The nausea went away for the most part. I was still waiting on my epidural, as they couldn't get ahold of my doctor who was at another hospital, delivering 3 babies over there. Even after they got ahold of her and got her approval, I was second in line with the anestisiologist (spelling?). Finally, I got the epidural at 6cm. That was enough of a taste of "REAL" labor for me! About an hour after my epidural, my water broke on its own as I laid in the hospital bed. Everyone, myself included was excited that my water had broken without intervention. Everyone except Colt, who was concerned that his pillow which I had been laying next to was being ruined. Haha! Don't worry, no pillows were harmed in the laboring process. When the nurse checked to see if it was indeed my water that had broken, she said I was at 7cm. The nurse told me that the doctor wanted to start me on a little bit of Pitocin to really get my contractions going, so she could deliver when she arrived. Shortly after the water breaking, I started to notice that my epidural seemed to be wearing off on my left side. I could feel painful contractions again. They had me lay on my side, as epidurals are affected by gravity. It didn't seem to help, because I felt more pain on my left side throughout the remainder of labor. The anestisiologist even came in to up my dosage of the epidural, but again, it didn't seem to help. The doctor finally arrived at the hospital around 3-3:30ish. She looked kind of frazzled. When I asked her if it had been a busy morning, she said that she had already delivered 5 babies over the course of the last 12 hours! Apparently September 10-11th was a big day for babies. Must've been the full moon. :) She checked me upon her arrival, and low and behold, I was at 10!!! Time to push! I had gone from 7-10cm in less than an hour.
When I turned from my side to lay on my back to begin pushing, I felt one of the worst pains I've felt in my life. At that point, I felt like I had never had an epidural. All I could do was breathe through the contractions. I told the doctor that I could feel everything and she said, "Ok well lets push this baby out!" I was READY! I pushed as hard as I could for three contractions. I remembered that when Cash's head came out, it was only one more push and his body came out very easily. When they told me that Beckett's head was out, I breathed a sign of relief thinking that the hard part was over. I pushed again, thinking it was going to be my last but his body was not coming out. I didn't see it happen, but I'm told that the doctor started to freak out a little bit, checking his neck to make sure the cord wasn't wrapped around it. Then she started pulling on his head and neck pretty hard to help him come out. My sister Emilee started getting worried and said she wanted to yell, "He isn't Gumby!" Throughout all this drama, I was trying to hold the push, and re-pushing with no break. I was determined to get that kid out! Finally I felt his body leave mine, and I heard the doctor say, "OHHHH MY GOODNESS! He is HUUUUGE!"
It was so amazing to feel Beckett's soft, warm body laying on top of me. He had so much hair, and the fattest cheeks I had ever seen. I could hear the nurses and doctor in the background talking about how big he was. At that point, we still didn't know how much he weighed. Sharon, Colt's mom, cut the cord, as Colt gets totally freaked out at the thought of it. It was so special to me that I got to have Colt, my mom, my sister and Sharon in the room to experience everything with me. My mom cut Cash's cord, and Sharon cut Beckett's cord. I just LOVE that. Colt was amazing throughout everything. With Cash, he was so nervous, and faint feeling as I pushed. This time, he stood up next to my hospital bed, rubbing my head telling me how proud he was of me. I could tell right away that Beckett looked a lot like Colt.
They took him over to the warming bed, and cleaned him off to weigh him. "He's got to be at least 9lbs if not 10," I heard the doctor say to one of the nurses. I thought she was crazy. They laid him on the scale and EVERYONE was shocked to see that that fat boy weighed 9lbs. 14.5oz!!! I didn't have gestational diabetes or anything that would make him super large. Just lucky I guess. Haha!
After he was cleaned up, and I got myself together, our relatives that weren't in the delivery room were allowed to come up to see Beckett. We loved showing him off. The sense of pride you have after delivering a baby is like nothing else. I felt on top of the world. Even now, about a week after having him, I still haven't lost that feeling.
The hospital stay was much different this time around. I didn't hate it so much this time. I think because I'm used to a different bedtime now (2am as opposed to 6am before we had Cash), it was easier to fall asleep in the hospital. My mom stayed with me so Colt could keep Cash on his normal schedule at home. My mom was such a big help. The first night, Beckett didn't like sleeping in his little clear, plastic hospital bed, so my mom held him almost the whole night between nursing every two hours or so. One thing that didn't change is we still got no sleep. Just when you fall asleep, you have a nurse coming in to check your blood pressure and temperature, then a little while later another one comes in to check the baby, then after they leave, its time for your pain meds, then you have to go to the bathroom (which is very difficult as your body is so sore after labor), then the baby is awake and needs to nurse again (every 2 hours). The first night I think I slept on and off for about two to two and a half hours. The second night, maybe about an hour and a half. Thankfully my family, and Colt's family rallied together and helped us so much when we got home. They watched Cash for us, and took him to do fun things so we didn't feel guilty about pawning him off to get some sleep.
So there it is! The whole birthin' journey! We are so happy to have him. Colt, Cash and I went to Target tonight for a few things, leaving Beckett with my parents so he wasn't exposed to all the germs. It was the first time I've been away from him since his birth. Its only been a little over a week and it felt so strange not to have him riding in the backseat with Cash. Cash asked to hold him today and loves to give him kisses. We are so blessed. Hopefully I can crank out another post about the first week home. I'm pacing myself. :) Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
36 Weeks
My Appointment Stats
Blood Pressure: 102/60
Total Weight Gained: 35--yikes! (although none gained between last appt and this one)
Dilated: 2 cm
Effaced: 50%
Baby's Position: Head down and in the right position, although his body is slightly to the side instead of completely vertical
I can't believe I'm at the point where I'll be visiting my doctor weekly. This is around the time that everything started happening when I was pregnant with Cash. My blood pressure had spiked, and I was put on bed rest for two weeks until I delivered him at 38 weeks exactly. So far, this pregnancy has been very different. My blood pressure has been completely normal all the way through. I was having protein spillage problems with Cash, and I've had none of that this time. This pregnancy has been almost completely "textbook". It feels kind of strange that everything seems to be just sailing along without any issues to watch out for. Such a blessing!
Almost every time I went to my doctor's appointment in my pregnancy with Cash, I would be sick beforehand. Like, literally sick. Like, throwing up. I was so nervous about my blood pressure, and what they were going to tell me. This time around, I have been much more calm, which could be why my blood pressure has never spiked. I'm excited to go and see the progress I've made, and even how much weight I've gained. I'm thankful that I can laugh about all the extra "lbs" that I've put on this time. Its kind of comical to me, although my ankles are a different story. I never had any swelling with Cash, so watching my formerly normal ankles slowly morph into an extension of my calf has been less than thrilling. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I have cankles. And fat feet.
At today's appointment, I was flying solo. Colt had an impromptu gig that he had to take, so Sharon generously devoted her lunch break to watching Cash for me. The 36 week visit is the one where they do cultures to test for a few STDs that I can't spell and Group B. I hope I pass...fingers crossed. Just kidding. I wish there was a waiver I could sign saying, "I don't have any STDs, nor does my husband, and we are completely faithful to each other. Promise." It doesn't work that way. When I laid down on the table, I told the doctor that I felt like he might be diagonal. She said at first glance, it looked that that might be true, and if she suspected it was after my pelvic exam that she would schedule me for another ultrasound. I was secretly hoping she would schedule me for one. I wasn't particularly worried about him being diagonal because I knew he still has time to turn if he needs to. Upon further inspection, she said he wasn't diagonal, but his body was slightly to the side instead of being straight up and down. She said this was normal, and I didn't need the ultrasound. Rats! She said I was 2cm dilated, 50% effaced, and that she could "feel the sutures in his head". That is still so strange to me. Obviously I know that I am carrying a baby, and I can feel him move and kick inside of my belly, but to know that she could feel the top of his head makes it so much more real.
I am scheduled to come back next Tuesday for my 37 week visit. I continue to feel the same feelings that I've expressed in previous posts. Some days I am so ready for Beckett to be born, whether because I'm very uncomfortable, and "over" being pregnant, or because I'm so excited to see him and see him with Cash. Some days I feel overwhelmed by the prospect of adding a newborn to the mix. Everything seems to be going in super speed now that I'm just about full term. To add to the anxiety, Cash has began waking anywhere from one to four times a night with what I suspect is night terrors. Basically he is throwing a full on tantrum in his sleep. If Colt goes in there to try and comfort him, he becomes violent. Hitting, kicking, arching his back, scratching etc. At first we thought he was just throwing a horrible tantrum, but upon further research, we now think its night terrors. I can remember living in our first house in Pinellas Park (so I was about 2 or 3) and having night terrors. I know it sounds unlikely that I actually remember this, but I can remember it vividly, with details, that's how scary they were. I had a phobia of taking naps for years because I was worried I would have a bad dream, or be visited by "the bad dream man". Ask my sister, I would talk about the "bad dream man" for several years after that. When I come into Cash's room during one of the episodes, he calms down upon hearing my voice, and me holding him, but I have to hold him until he goes back to sleep, which can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Last night I was in his room from 5am-6:30am. Many experts say to let your child work the night terror out themselves, but I can't do that in good conscience knowing how horrible they were for me. I pray every night that they will pass quickly for him. For now, I have tried to get him down for two naps a day instead of one, and cut out all sugar before bedtime which they say is supposed to help. My side of the family has a long history of sleepwalking, night terrors, etc. I hope he isn't cursed with this. That is something that has definitely been on my mind this week. How am I going to get any sleep if I have a newborn that is nursing every 2-4 hours, and a toddler that is waking up several times a night with night terrors. Thankfully I have a AMAZINGLY supportive husband who wakes up with Cash all the time (even when he knows he is going to be clawed to death during one of Cash's episodes) and lets me sleep while he feeds Cash breakfast on the days that he has off, and a mother and mother-in-law both within walking distance, who Cash absolutely adores. I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.
I am very excited to see Beckett. In all my dreams, he looks a lot like Cash except with more hair, and he is bigger than Cash was. Cash was always measuring "big" by about three weeks at every ultrasound. So far, Beckett seems to be measuring normal size. Only time will tell. I also can't wait to see what day he'll decide to come on. So many "unknowns" make pregnancy so exciting. Its hard to believe that this belly that has been causing me so much discomfort at times will be so missed a few months after I give birth. The day that I had Cash, I remember saying to my mother, "How do people want to do that so many times (give birth)?!?" Sure enough, after a few months passed I started daydreaming about being pregnant again. Even now, this far into the pregnancy, with full blown backaches, leg cramps, tossing and turning nights, etc. etc. etc. I still like the belly for the most part. That is, except when I'm trying to shave my legs or paint my toenails. :)
So there it is! My 36 week update! Thanks for reading!
Blood Pressure: 102/60
Total Weight Gained: 35--yikes! (although none gained between last appt and this one)
Dilated: 2 cm
Effaced: 50%
Baby's Position: Head down and in the right position, although his body is slightly to the side instead of completely vertical
I can't believe I'm at the point where I'll be visiting my doctor weekly. This is around the time that everything started happening when I was pregnant with Cash. My blood pressure had spiked, and I was put on bed rest for two weeks until I delivered him at 38 weeks exactly. So far, this pregnancy has been very different. My blood pressure has been completely normal all the way through. I was having protein spillage problems with Cash, and I've had none of that this time. This pregnancy has been almost completely "textbook". It feels kind of strange that everything seems to be just sailing along without any issues to watch out for. Such a blessing!
Almost every time I went to my doctor's appointment in my pregnancy with Cash, I would be sick beforehand. Like, literally sick. Like, throwing up. I was so nervous about my blood pressure, and what they were going to tell me. This time around, I have been much more calm, which could be why my blood pressure has never spiked. I'm excited to go and see the progress I've made, and even how much weight I've gained. I'm thankful that I can laugh about all the extra "lbs" that I've put on this time. Its kind of comical to me, although my ankles are a different story. I never had any swelling with Cash, so watching my formerly normal ankles slowly morph into an extension of my calf has been less than thrilling. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I have cankles. And fat feet.
At today's appointment, I was flying solo. Colt had an impromptu gig that he had to take, so Sharon generously devoted her lunch break to watching Cash for me. The 36 week visit is the one where they do cultures to test for a few STDs that I can't spell and Group B. I hope I pass...fingers crossed. Just kidding. I wish there was a waiver I could sign saying, "I don't have any STDs, nor does my husband, and we are completely faithful to each other. Promise." It doesn't work that way. When I laid down on the table, I told the doctor that I felt like he might be diagonal. She said at first glance, it looked that that might be true, and if she suspected it was after my pelvic exam that she would schedule me for another ultrasound. I was secretly hoping she would schedule me for one. I wasn't particularly worried about him being diagonal because I knew he still has time to turn if he needs to. Upon further inspection, she said he wasn't diagonal, but his body was slightly to the side instead of being straight up and down. She said this was normal, and I didn't need the ultrasound. Rats! She said I was 2cm dilated, 50% effaced, and that she could "feel the sutures in his head". That is still so strange to me. Obviously I know that I am carrying a baby, and I can feel him move and kick inside of my belly, but to know that she could feel the top of his head makes it so much more real.
I am scheduled to come back next Tuesday for my 37 week visit. I continue to feel the same feelings that I've expressed in previous posts. Some days I am so ready for Beckett to be born, whether because I'm very uncomfortable, and "over" being pregnant, or because I'm so excited to see him and see him with Cash. Some days I feel overwhelmed by the prospect of adding a newborn to the mix. Everything seems to be going in super speed now that I'm just about full term. To add to the anxiety, Cash has began waking anywhere from one to four times a night with what I suspect is night terrors. Basically he is throwing a full on tantrum in his sleep. If Colt goes in there to try and comfort him, he becomes violent. Hitting, kicking, arching his back, scratching etc. At first we thought he was just throwing a horrible tantrum, but upon further research, we now think its night terrors. I can remember living in our first house in Pinellas Park (so I was about 2 or 3) and having night terrors. I know it sounds unlikely that I actually remember this, but I can remember it vividly, with details, that's how scary they were. I had a phobia of taking naps for years because I was worried I would have a bad dream, or be visited by "the bad dream man". Ask my sister, I would talk about the "bad dream man" for several years after that. When I come into Cash's room during one of the episodes, he calms down upon hearing my voice, and me holding him, but I have to hold him until he goes back to sleep, which can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Last night I was in his room from 5am-6:30am. Many experts say to let your child work the night terror out themselves, but I can't do that in good conscience knowing how horrible they were for me. I pray every night that they will pass quickly for him. For now, I have tried to get him down for two naps a day instead of one, and cut out all sugar before bedtime which they say is supposed to help. My side of the family has a long history of sleepwalking, night terrors, etc. I hope he isn't cursed with this. That is something that has definitely been on my mind this week. How am I going to get any sleep if I have a newborn that is nursing every 2-4 hours, and a toddler that is waking up several times a night with night terrors. Thankfully I have a AMAZINGLY supportive husband who wakes up with Cash all the time (even when he knows he is going to be clawed to death during one of Cash's episodes) and lets me sleep while he feeds Cash breakfast on the days that he has off, and a mother and mother-in-law both within walking distance, who Cash absolutely adores. I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.
I am very excited to see Beckett. In all my dreams, he looks a lot like Cash except with more hair, and he is bigger than Cash was. Cash was always measuring "big" by about three weeks at every ultrasound. So far, Beckett seems to be measuring normal size. Only time will tell. I also can't wait to see what day he'll decide to come on. So many "unknowns" make pregnancy so exciting. Its hard to believe that this belly that has been causing me so much discomfort at times will be so missed a few months after I give birth. The day that I had Cash, I remember saying to my mother, "How do people want to do that so many times (give birth)?!?" Sure enough, after a few months passed I started daydreaming about being pregnant again. Even now, this far into the pregnancy, with full blown backaches, leg cramps, tossing and turning nights, etc. etc. etc. I still like the belly for the most part. That is, except when I'm trying to shave my legs or paint my toenails. :)
So there it is! My 36 week update! Thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Week 31 Update
Finally, a pregnancy update!
Today (Friday) I'm 31 weeks and 1 day pregnant . We're getting close! Somedays (like today), I feel really ready to meet Beckett, and watch Colt and Cash interact with him, and other days I feel like, "WHOA, whoa whoa! Time is slipping away from me!" By this time in my pregnancy with Cash, everything was done. The room was painted and decorated, the baby gear was all put together, and my hospital bags were actually packed. Weird, right? Like I was expecting to go into labor any minute, at 31 weeks. Haha! I wasn't going to be caught off guard, that's for sure.
This time is a bit different. Cash's big boy room is the one we are really focused on renovating. Beckett is going to inherit Cash's old room, complete with all the decor except we are buying a new crib bumper (as Cash had destroyed his old one), and a new picture for his wall to replace the one that says C-A-S-H. I have all of Cash's big boy room decor sitting in a corner in that room, but we are planning on getting new carpet for that room, and the office, and new wood flooring for the guitar room (aka the living room), and dining room. We have been "planning" on getting the new flooring installed for several weeks now but have frivolously squandered our time away on Colt's days off by doing fun things like going to the aquarium or Busch Gardens, or running to the mall, Target, etc. I don't regret the seemingly wasted days though, as I know our days as a family of three are numbered now. The three of us have so much fun together. I can't wait to see how much fun another boy thrown into the mix will be. Cash and Beckett will be the terror of the Busch Gardens water park. Anyway, our renovations are on hold until we get the flooring installed.
Another reason we have been slow to get things done is I have been SO TIRED. The third trimester wasn't that much different than the second when I was pregnant with Cash. I was a little bit more uncomfortable because of my size, but other than that, nothing really different. This time, I feel A LOT more uncomfortable. My back has been killing me, in part because I'm carrying a lot lower with Beckett than I did with Cash, and also because I am toting Cash around everywhere. Its really my own fault. I need to put him down and let him walk more often, but I love kissing on him and if he doesn't want to sit in the buggy at the store, I'll hold him on my hip as I shop. I pay for it later though. Tonight is one of those nights. As I type I'm sitting in my glider, lazy-boy style chair from Babies-R-Us, feeling like I've melted into the seat. I told Colt, I feel like my back has been hurting forever, but I remember when I wasn't pregnant, my back never hurt. Finding a comfortable position to sleep in is very difficult. I have been sleeping with a pillow half way under my back, another one half way under my belly, two under my head, and one between my legs. Sometimes I feel like I have just gotten comfortable when I realize I have to get up for one of the 2 or more bathroom breaks during the night. Colt and I usually put Cash down between 9:30pm and 10:30pm, and he sleeps until around 9-10am. We go to sleep around 2am and wake up when Cash does. Lately, our sleep schedule has been off. Ever since we came back from our cruise (with a few exceptions), Cash has been getting up usually once a night. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but when you're waking up to go to the bathroom a couple times, and tossing and turning to get comfortable, on top of waking up with Cash, it can be difficult to feel rested. Stupidly, we keep going to bed around the same time thinking that Cash will sleep until his normal time (9:30am-ish). Today he woke up at 6:20am. Thankfully after some coaxing he went back to bed around 7am, and I fell back asleep at 7:30am, only to be awoken again at 9am to start my day. Add that in with the back pain and its a perfect storm.
Other complaints...well the nausea has started back up occasionally. Not nearly as bad as the first trimester, but it resurfaces every once in a while. Heartburn is a daily occurrence which I have been combating with Tums when its tolerable, and Pepcid AC when its not. Last week the OB's office called me to tell me they were putting me on an iron supplement that I was to take twice a day along with my prenatal vitamins. Apparently I'm a little bit anemic. They said this was normal in the third trimester, but I still needed to take the supplements. The directions say to take it several hours before a meal, or an hour afterwards. I have discovered that if I don't take it with a pretty good amount of food, immediately after a meal, that I will violently throw it back up. If I take it with food, I'm good to go.
I realize that I have complained a lot in this post, but this pregnancy really has been a lot more easy going in that I haven't had to worry about my blood pressure or protein spillage this time around. I feel like I've been a lot more relaxed about everything, even though I wasn't "not relaxed" with Cash. I told Colt last night, even with all the complaining I do at times, I really enjoy being pregnant. Sometimes I feel like I'll be sad when this pregnancy is over because I won't be pregnant anymore. Other times, I can't wait to unstrap this boy from my abdomen. I hope I come to a point one day when I can say to myself, "I'm done being pregnant, and I don't want to have any more kids." I love the whole process of finding out that you're pregnant, the thought that you have a baby growing inside you and watching your body change (for better or worse), then finding out the baby's gender, and feeling him or her move around. Its all so magical to me. For a woman to say that in her third trimester, with 9 weeks left, she must really like it. Unless different circumstances arise, or I completely lose my mind with the work load of two young children, I would love to have a whole slew of kids, Lord willing.
I have my 32 week doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I think its a routine, no-fun, in and out appointment. They may take my blood again to make sure my hemoglobin is up from the iron supplements, but other than that I don't think they'll be any new testing done. I'd love to have another ultrasound before he's born, but I don't know if they'll do one or not. At my last appointment, they said I wouldn't have another one unless there was a problem. I think I'm going to ask if they'll give me one just so we can see the baby one more time, and get an idea of his size. I'd love to see him now that he's gaining a little weight and chubbier than at 20 weeks.
That's it for now. Thanks for reading!!!
Today (Friday) I'm 31 weeks and 1 day pregnant . We're getting close! Somedays (like today), I feel really ready to meet Beckett, and watch Colt and Cash interact with him, and other days I feel like, "WHOA, whoa whoa! Time is slipping away from me!" By this time in my pregnancy with Cash, everything was done. The room was painted and decorated, the baby gear was all put together, and my hospital bags were actually packed. Weird, right? Like I was expecting to go into labor any minute, at 31 weeks. Haha! I wasn't going to be caught off guard, that's for sure.
This time is a bit different. Cash's big boy room is the one we are really focused on renovating. Beckett is going to inherit Cash's old room, complete with all the decor except we are buying a new crib bumper (as Cash had destroyed his old one), and a new picture for his wall to replace the one that says C-A-S-H. I have all of Cash's big boy room decor sitting in a corner in that room, but we are planning on getting new carpet for that room, and the office, and new wood flooring for the guitar room (aka the living room), and dining room. We have been "planning" on getting the new flooring installed for several weeks now but have frivolously squandered our time away on Colt's days off by doing fun things like going to the aquarium or Busch Gardens, or running to the mall, Target, etc. I don't regret the seemingly wasted days though, as I know our days as a family of three are numbered now. The three of us have so much fun together. I can't wait to see how much fun another boy thrown into the mix will be. Cash and Beckett will be the terror of the Busch Gardens water park. Anyway, our renovations are on hold until we get the flooring installed.
Another reason we have been slow to get things done is I have been SO TIRED. The third trimester wasn't that much different than the second when I was pregnant with Cash. I was a little bit more uncomfortable because of my size, but other than that, nothing really different. This time, I feel A LOT more uncomfortable. My back has been killing me, in part because I'm carrying a lot lower with Beckett than I did with Cash, and also because I am toting Cash around everywhere. Its really my own fault. I need to put him down and let him walk more often, but I love kissing on him and if he doesn't want to sit in the buggy at the store, I'll hold him on my hip as I shop. I pay for it later though. Tonight is one of those nights. As I type I'm sitting in my glider, lazy-boy style chair from Babies-R-Us, feeling like I've melted into the seat. I told Colt, I feel like my back has been hurting forever, but I remember when I wasn't pregnant, my back never hurt. Finding a comfortable position to sleep in is very difficult. I have been sleeping with a pillow half way under my back, another one half way under my belly, two under my head, and one between my legs. Sometimes I feel like I have just gotten comfortable when I realize I have to get up for one of the 2 or more bathroom breaks during the night. Colt and I usually put Cash down between 9:30pm and 10:30pm, and he sleeps until around 9-10am. We go to sleep around 2am and wake up when Cash does. Lately, our sleep schedule has been off. Ever since we came back from our cruise (with a few exceptions), Cash has been getting up usually once a night. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but when you're waking up to go to the bathroom a couple times, and tossing and turning to get comfortable, on top of waking up with Cash, it can be difficult to feel rested. Stupidly, we keep going to bed around the same time thinking that Cash will sleep until his normal time (9:30am-ish). Today he woke up at 6:20am. Thankfully after some coaxing he went back to bed around 7am, and I fell back asleep at 7:30am, only to be awoken again at 9am to start my day. Add that in with the back pain and its a perfect storm.
Other complaints...well the nausea has started back up occasionally. Not nearly as bad as the first trimester, but it resurfaces every once in a while. Heartburn is a daily occurrence which I have been combating with Tums when its tolerable, and Pepcid AC when its not. Last week the OB's office called me to tell me they were putting me on an iron supplement that I was to take twice a day along with my prenatal vitamins. Apparently I'm a little bit anemic. They said this was normal in the third trimester, but I still needed to take the supplements. The directions say to take it several hours before a meal, or an hour afterwards. I have discovered that if I don't take it with a pretty good amount of food, immediately after a meal, that I will violently throw it back up. If I take it with food, I'm good to go.
I realize that I have complained a lot in this post, but this pregnancy really has been a lot more easy going in that I haven't had to worry about my blood pressure or protein spillage this time around. I feel like I've been a lot more relaxed about everything, even though I wasn't "not relaxed" with Cash. I told Colt last night, even with all the complaining I do at times, I really enjoy being pregnant. Sometimes I feel like I'll be sad when this pregnancy is over because I won't be pregnant anymore. Other times, I can't wait to unstrap this boy from my abdomen. I hope I come to a point one day when I can say to myself, "I'm done being pregnant, and I don't want to have any more kids." I love the whole process of finding out that you're pregnant, the thought that you have a baby growing inside you and watching your body change (for better or worse), then finding out the baby's gender, and feeling him or her move around. Its all so magical to me. For a woman to say that in her third trimester, with 9 weeks left, she must really like it. Unless different circumstances arise, or I completely lose my mind with the work load of two young children, I would love to have a whole slew of kids, Lord willing.
I have my 32 week doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I think its a routine, no-fun, in and out appointment. They may take my blood again to make sure my hemoglobin is up from the iron supplements, but other than that I don't think they'll be any new testing done. I'd love to have another ultrasound before he's born, but I don't know if they'll do one or not. At my last appointment, they said I wouldn't have another one unless there was a problem. I think I'm going to ask if they'll give me one just so we can see the baby one more time, and get an idea of his size. I'd love to see him now that he's gaining a little weight and chubbier than at 20 weeks.
That's it for now. Thanks for reading!!!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Our "Year-and-a-Halfer"
Cash is almost 18 months old. Its hard to fathom that he'll have been on this earth for a year and a half next week. Colt and I always joke that, "This is the best stage yet," because we've said that so many times over the last 18 months. When he was a newborn, we couldn't wait to see that first smile. A few weeks later, we found ourselves sitting on the edge of our seats, many evenings, watching him ALMOST roll over. Looking back, its funny to think THAT was entertaining for us, but it was uncharted territory!
Cash was always a very sweet, VERY laid back baby. I never wanted to be the kind of parent that was tied down to a strict sleep schedule, or based where we could and couldn't go on "where can we take the baby". That philosophy worked well for us, because Cash is comfortable in basically any environment, and is usually well behaved when we're at a restaurant or in public. USUALLY! He adapted to our gypsy lifestyle pretty well.
When he got to be closer to his first birthday, his personality really started to develop. For the first several months we joked that he was, "Colt's baby". Sharon always said that Colt was a very easy, laid back baby and child. He was carefree, happy, and didn't require a lot of spankings. I on the other hand was the perfect storm of manipulativness (is that a word?), stubbornness, and charm. Basically I needed a lot of spankings, but I could probably talk you out of giving me one (although was not always successful). I was a very independent child, and I wasn't super cuddly. My mom said I was very observant, and was always trying to figure things out for myself. Over the last few months, Cash has morphed into "my baby". He is ALWAYS on the go and doesn't have a very long attention span with any of his toys. In fact, he would prefer to play with household objects such as my broom, mop, Swiffer, vacuum, laptop, cell phone, remote control, drum heads, guitars, etc. etc. etc. I spend most of my day cleaning up after the tornado toddler that is my son. The thing is, I really love that about him. No, not the cleaning part, but the fact that he is so interested in learning everything he can about his environment. Of course, every mother thinks that their child is a genius, but I am astounded sometimes when I watch him try to complete a task that requires overcoming an obstacle. He has very good problem solving skills. From as little as 6 months old he was escaping from various seats that were meant to keep him occupied while I showered or dried my hair.
Cash was always a very sweet, VERY laid back baby. I never wanted to be the kind of parent that was tied down to a strict sleep schedule, or based where we could and couldn't go on "where can we take the baby". That philosophy worked well for us, because Cash is comfortable in basically any environment, and is usually well behaved when we're at a restaurant or in public. USUALLY! He adapted to our gypsy lifestyle pretty well.
When he got to be closer to his first birthday, his personality really started to develop. For the first several months we joked that he was, "Colt's baby". Sharon always said that Colt was a very easy, laid back baby and child. He was carefree, happy, and didn't require a lot of spankings. I on the other hand was the perfect storm of manipulativness (is that a word?), stubbornness, and charm. Basically I needed a lot of spankings, but I could probably talk you out of giving me one (although was not always successful). I was a very independent child, and I wasn't super cuddly. My mom said I was very observant, and was always trying to figure things out for myself. Over the last few months, Cash has morphed into "my baby". He is ALWAYS on the go and doesn't have a very long attention span with any of his toys. In fact, he would prefer to play with household objects such as my broom, mop, Swiffer, vacuum, laptop, cell phone, remote control, drum heads, guitars, etc. etc. etc. I spend most of my day cleaning up after the tornado toddler that is my son. The thing is, I really love that about him. No, not the cleaning part, but the fact that he is so interested in learning everything he can about his environment. Of course, every mother thinks that their child is a genius, but I am astounded sometimes when I watch him try to complete a task that requires overcoming an obstacle. He has very good problem solving skills. From as little as 6 months old he was escaping from various seats that were meant to keep him occupied while I showered or dried my hair.
Cash at 6 months old
From there he learned how to escape out of his Bumbo, Exersaucer, high chair, pack-n-play, and the bucket seat tables at church. There's no holding him back! If he sets his mind to something, he can usually make it happen. Lately, if he can't, he has taken to throwing a temper tantrum. This topic deserves a new paragraph.
Before you start thinking this is going to be a full out brag fest about my well adjusted, genius, problem solving child, I should say, YES...believe it or not, my little golden boy can LOSE HIS MIND sometimes. Screaming fits, hitting, biting, pinching, scratching...you name it, he's probably done it, and YES, he gets disciplined for these fits. I remember my mom telling me that she had a book called, "The Strong Willed Child" when I was a little girl, for tips on how best to discipline me. Basically the book gives advice on how to break your child's will just enough to make them obey and respect authority, but not enough that they become little robots, just walking around waiting for their next command. Although I've never read the book, that is sort of my discipline philosophy. I want Cash to grow up being confident and comfortable with making decisions on his own. When he does something wrong for the first time, I will explain to him that its wrong. If he continues in the offending behavior, he'll get punished for it. My main thing is, if for example, he's going to play in Moe's water dish, or mess around with the TV, if its the first offense, he'll be told firmly, "NO". Then I wait to see what his choice is going to be, but I don't stop him if I see that he is going to try again. I want him to make the decision, and then see that there are negative consequences to bad decisions.
Now...that being said...that's what we are trying to do. It may be completely wrong based on different discipline theories, or it may be completely naive. There have been many times in my short parenting career where I have stated an opinion on one thing or another (whether publicly stated or in my own mind) and then later, when Cash got older, thought to myself, "Wow...I had no idea what I was talking about!" That's one of the great parts about parenting. Learning as you go! I suspect it will be much more difficult to consistently discipline when I have two little boys running around my house. I feel like my whole idea of "good" parenting, and child rearing will be transforming here in a few weeks. Stay tuned.
A quick 18 month overview:
- Cash is very verbal these days and says probably 40-50 words on a daily basis. He is also combining words like, "Yes Ma'm" and "Thank You".
- He goes to bed between 9:30pm-10:30pm on most nights and sleeps until around 9:00-9:30 most mornings.
- He loves oatmeal and almond milk for breakfast, a peanut butter sandwich, fruit (fruit usually ends up on the floor--going through a "no fruit" phase), and diluted V8 V-Fusion for lunch. Dinner depends on where we are. If we are at a restaurant, he'll usually have a grilled chicken breast with ketchup and some kind of vegetable side item or rice. Ok, ok...sometimes he has french fries. He loves Coke, and requests it when we are in the checkout line at Target standing next to the drink cooler by saying, "Coke!" Sometimes we ask the waitress at a restaurant if they'll give him a splash of Coke in his water. He feels like he's actually drinking a coke when in reality its about 98% water, 2% Coke. He loves it. He has also tried my mom's coffee and enjoys that as well. Of course, I don't let him have coffee, but I can remember being really young and sneaking sips of my mom's coffee too. And people said it would stunt my growth...Pssssh! (I'm 5 foot 3--HAHA!). If we are at home for dinner, he loves chicken (a recent discovery as he used to hate it), or occasionally hot dogs. He still isn't into red meat. He loves corn, zucchini, squash, wild rice, and pasta, and sometimes broccoli.
- Cash loves to play with Moe, but has recently started trying to rough house with him. Moe isn't into it. He's a lover, not a fighter. Cash gets disciplined for being too rough with Moe, but Moe just licks his face. He's such a sweet dog.
- He loves going to the aquarium and Busch Gardens with our annual passes. They both have a water park area that he enjoys. I'm sure you've seen pictures on Facebook. We recently got annual passes to the Zoo, so we are looking forward to using those.
- He says prayers everynight with me, and when I'm done saying them, he says, "Maymen" (Amen). He has also become quite the little song leader in church. Its so cute to watch him open the song book and wave his hand in the air to keep the time while he "sings". He will also bow his head when its time to pray, although sometimes get pre-occupied with what's going on around him.
- O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with Elmo!!! Every morning when he sees the TV, or sees one of our cell phones (we've shown him Elmo videos on YouTube on our phones), he says, "Elmo!" He can do a cookie monster voice, and he's also quite fond of Big Bird and Abby Cadabby (spelling?).
At (almost) 18 months, Cash is such a ball of energy. He's into everything, he's mischievous, curious, interested in his surroundings, loves learning new things, and is always on the go. On the other hand, he is such a sweet cuddler when he's getting sleepy, he loves to give kisses and hugs, he loves to run his fingers through mine and Colt's hair, and he LOVES his family.
He's really cool. We are so lucky to have him as our son. :)
A pregnancy post will be coming soon. I've become negligent in my posting duties, and there are things to report. Thanks for reading!
Monday, June 6, 2011
A Mixed Bag Post
Twenty-five weeks!?! That was fast.
I'll be 26 weeks on Thursday (6/9). That means I'm only two weeks away from the third trimester, and boy does it feel like it! I'm at that point where I feel like I can't get any bigger, but I know I will. I'm not sure how much weight I've gained because I keep forgetting to weigh myself before eating my Fruit Loops. At my last doctor's appointment I think I had gained 14 pounds and I'm pretty good with that. I believe its less than I had gained at this point with Cash. I remember I had a big growth spurt with Cash around 24 weeks. Its hard to tell this time, because in all honesty I don't have that much time to think about it. I notice the weight gain and bulging belly the most when I am carrying Cash, cleaning, or have to bend down to get something. I HATE dropping things. Haha! Other than that, the pregnancy is going smoothly. Sleeping is getting a little bit uncomfortable at times, but that's to be expected. I love feeling him move all around in my belly. I had an anterior placenta with Cash so it took a lot longer to feel the really strong kicks. This boy kicks all the time! "Bend It Like Beckett".
Two weeks ago we went on a Caribbean cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel with Cash. We had a great time. Of course, vacation with a toddler is quite different than vacation just the two of us, but we enjoyed making memories, just the three of us. Cash will remember nothing, I'm sure, but we will. We got the "Grand Suite" so that we'd have extra room for Cash to run around, and that proved to be a good decision. We got booted out of the pool/water slide area after a measly 5 minutes of playtime. Apparently, you can't use the pool if you're not potty trained. Nice of the booking agent to tell us that ahead of time. I told Colt, they should be more worried about those drunk college kids having an accident in the pool than Cash in his little swim diaper. Or pregnant women during an unexpected sneeze. HAHAHA! I just made myself laugh out loud. ANYWAY, we did have a great time. Cash really enjoyed listening to all the different bands on the ship and at the ports. He was especially enamoured with two old Mexican men that were playing an instrument that looked like a large xylophone (maybe it was?). We had a great first "real" family vacation, but we were really glad to be home too. We were on our last diaper on our way home that morning.
In the weeks since we've been home, Cash caught his first cold. He has never been really "sick" since he's been born. He's had his little frog humidifier going in his room everynight for the past four nights. Its getting better, and he isn't nearly as congested as he was. He is still nursing at night before bed. I can't believe I have been nursing for almost 17 months! I am very proud of that. It wasn't easy, especially at first when my milk hadn't come in yet, but I'm glad I stuck it out. That being said, I don't think breastfeeding is the only way to successfully feed your baby. I know a lot of awesome formula feeding and pumping Mamas! To each their own.
TO EACH THEIR OWN...That is one conclusion that I've come to in two pregnancies (well 1.5) and experiencing motherhood in general. Not that I have a vast amount of mothering experience, but from what I know so far, there isn't a special formula for raising a successful child other than a mix love and discipline. I get aggravated when I see mothers telling other mothers that there is only one way to do things. How could that possibly be true when all children are different? For us, the only thing that matters is following God's plan as laid out in the Bible for a successful marriage, and following his plan for how we should raise our children. In that plan there is a lot of room for making our own decisions on specific topics (ie: breastfeeding/formula, cloth diapers/disposable, strollers/baby wearers etc. etc. etc. etc.). I truly never realized how many labels there are for different parenting styles until I got pregnant with Cash. Now that Cash is getting older, I'm getting to the point where friends with younger babies are asking me for advice. This is super fun because I like being asked my opinion on things, and am generally bossy by nature. That being said, I am very careful to preface my answers with "this is what worked for me, but something else may work better for you" just so they know, there are other options. I loved my experience with breastfeeding (and extended breastfeeding), and co-sleeping until 9 months. Some would label me as "crunchy", a "granola Mama" or an "attachment parent" because of these decisions...until they found out that Cash cried it out to be moved into his crib, and he occasionally enjoys a Coca-Cola. Then they would label me with whatever cutesy term they have for a bad mother. Haha! WHO CARES?!? I know a lot of AWESOME mothers that do things differently from the way I do them, and (not to toot my own horn) I know that I am an AWESOME mother, so there is room for differences. I'm a big fan of instinctual parenting. I don't know if that is an actual term, but it should be. I have never read a parenting book and I rarely ask advice of anyone other than my mother and family. Not because I don't need advice at times, because there have been MANY times that I have been absolutely clueless as what to do in one parenting dilemma or another, but my motto on most things is, "I'll figure it out." I have never really liked being told what to do, and was generally a good kid so I didn't require a whole lot of direction (my Mama may disagree). If I have ever asked your advice on anything, know that it is because I truly value what you have to say, and think that you're the type of person that won't judge me for my decisions. If I haven't asked your advice, don't count yourself out, the opportunity may not have arisen yet. I probaby still like you. Just kidding! That is my rant for today. Maybe I have been spending too much time trolling the message boards in my birth club on Babycenter.com. Haha!
The next few weeks will be pretty busy. Colt is organizing a benefit for Scout McCauley on June 18th. If you haven't already checked out her website, please do. She and her family need your prayers. Go to http://www.shoutoutforscout.com/. I have been busy with new photography related business ventures. I'll explain further in future posts. Cash has been busy with mischevious little boy things. Beckett has been busy slowly taking over my body. Glucose test at my next appointment! Thats about it.
I'll be 26 weeks on Thursday (6/9). That means I'm only two weeks away from the third trimester, and boy does it feel like it! I'm at that point where I feel like I can't get any bigger, but I know I will. I'm not sure how much weight I've gained because I keep forgetting to weigh myself before eating my Fruit Loops. At my last doctor's appointment I think I had gained 14 pounds and I'm pretty good with that. I believe its less than I had gained at this point with Cash. I remember I had a big growth spurt with Cash around 24 weeks. Its hard to tell this time, because in all honesty I don't have that much time to think about it. I notice the weight gain and bulging belly the most when I am carrying Cash, cleaning, or have to bend down to get something. I HATE dropping things. Haha! Other than that, the pregnancy is going smoothly. Sleeping is getting a little bit uncomfortable at times, but that's to be expected. I love feeling him move all around in my belly. I had an anterior placenta with Cash so it took a lot longer to feel the really strong kicks. This boy kicks all the time! "Bend It Like Beckett".
Two weeks ago we went on a Caribbean cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel with Cash. We had a great time. Of course, vacation with a toddler is quite different than vacation just the two of us, but we enjoyed making memories, just the three of us. Cash will remember nothing, I'm sure, but we will. We got the "Grand Suite" so that we'd have extra room for Cash to run around, and that proved to be a good decision. We got booted out of the pool/water slide area after a measly 5 minutes of playtime. Apparently, you can't use the pool if you're not potty trained. Nice of the booking agent to tell us that ahead of time. I told Colt, they should be more worried about those drunk college kids having an accident in the pool than Cash in his little swim diaper. Or pregnant women during an unexpected sneeze. HAHAHA! I just made myself laugh out loud. ANYWAY, we did have a great time. Cash really enjoyed listening to all the different bands on the ship and at the ports. He was especially enamoured with two old Mexican men that were playing an instrument that looked like a large xylophone (maybe it was?). We had a great first "real" family vacation, but we were really glad to be home too. We were on our last diaper on our way home that morning.
In the weeks since we've been home, Cash caught his first cold. He has never been really "sick" since he's been born. He's had his little frog humidifier going in his room everynight for the past four nights. Its getting better, and he isn't nearly as congested as he was. He is still nursing at night before bed. I can't believe I have been nursing for almost 17 months! I am very proud of that. It wasn't easy, especially at first when my milk hadn't come in yet, but I'm glad I stuck it out. That being said, I don't think breastfeeding is the only way to successfully feed your baby. I know a lot of awesome formula feeding and pumping Mamas! To each their own.
TO EACH THEIR OWN...That is one conclusion that I've come to in two pregnancies (well 1.5) and experiencing motherhood in general. Not that I have a vast amount of mothering experience, but from what I know so far, there isn't a special formula for raising a successful child other than a mix love and discipline. I get aggravated when I see mothers telling other mothers that there is only one way to do things. How could that possibly be true when all children are different? For us, the only thing that matters is following God's plan as laid out in the Bible for a successful marriage, and following his plan for how we should raise our children. In that plan there is a lot of room for making our own decisions on specific topics (ie: breastfeeding/formula, cloth diapers/disposable, strollers/baby wearers etc. etc. etc. etc.). I truly never realized how many labels there are for different parenting styles until I got pregnant with Cash. Now that Cash is getting older, I'm getting to the point where friends with younger babies are asking me for advice. This is super fun because I like being asked my opinion on things, and am generally bossy by nature. That being said, I am very careful to preface my answers with "this is what worked for me, but something else may work better for you" just so they know, there are other options. I loved my experience with breastfeeding (and extended breastfeeding), and co-sleeping until 9 months. Some would label me as "crunchy", a "granola Mama" or an "attachment parent" because of these decisions...until they found out that Cash cried it out to be moved into his crib, and he occasionally enjoys a Coca-Cola. Then they would label me with whatever cutesy term they have for a bad mother. Haha! WHO CARES?!? I know a lot of AWESOME mothers that do things differently from the way I do them, and (not to toot my own horn) I know that I am an AWESOME mother, so there is room for differences. I'm a big fan of instinctual parenting. I don't know if that is an actual term, but it should be. I have never read a parenting book and I rarely ask advice of anyone other than my mother and family. Not because I don't need advice at times, because there have been MANY times that I have been absolutely clueless as what to do in one parenting dilemma or another, but my motto on most things is, "I'll figure it out." I have never really liked being told what to do, and was generally a good kid so I didn't require a whole lot of direction (my Mama may disagree). If I have ever asked your advice on anything, know that it is because I truly value what you have to say, and think that you're the type of person that won't judge me for my decisions. If I haven't asked your advice, don't count yourself out, the opportunity may not have arisen yet. I probaby still like you. Just kidding! That is my rant for today. Maybe I have been spending too much time trolling the message boards in my birth club on Babycenter.com. Haha!
The next few weeks will be pretty busy. Colt is organizing a benefit for Scout McCauley on June 18th. If you haven't already checked out her website, please do. She and her family need your prayers. Go to http://www.shoutoutforscout.com/. I have been busy with new photography related business ventures. I'll explain further in future posts. Cash has been busy with mischevious little boy things. Beckett has been busy slowly taking over my body. Glucose test at my next appointment! Thats about it.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Half-Way Check In
Today marks 21 weeks, 5 day in the Baby Clark numero dos pregnancy! We're a little over half way there!
This week has brought the beginning of uncomfortable sleep. Seems kind of early to me to be having backaches! So far this week, I've had a couple nightmares, a charley horse in my calf in the middle of the night, and have had to start sleeping with an extra pillow for back support. Blah!
I've noticed a big belly growth spurt this week. Its really noticeable under my clothes, but I don't know if it is as obvious in pictures. I've been more diligent about cocoa buttering the burgeoning bump this time around. Last time I made it through with very minimal damage in the stretch mark department, and I'm determined to be as lucky this time. We'll see.
I have made it a point to buy cute maternity clothes this time. I had some awesome hand-me-downs from my cousins last time, but everytime I wore anything that they gave me, I was worried that I would spill something or mess it up in some way. Knowing how expensive maternity clothes are, I didn't want to ruin their stuff! I've had a few friends pass me down some things this time too, but I try not to wear it unless I have to for the same reason. I bought a cute pair of jeans, capris, and two pairs of shorts (all denim), and several cute shirts. I'm a big fan of buying things that I can wear after pregnancy as well. Especially that in between time when you don't have a big belly anymore, but aren't quite back to pre-pregnancy "tautness". I have several shirts to choose from this time which is nice.
Our 20 week ultrasound last week went really well! Beckett (whom we have been calling Beck or Beckman, like Cashman), is measuring right on track. They changed my due date back to September 15th, which was my original due date according to my six week ultrasound. We had no idea of when I got pregnant, so my doctor just went by "the dates" of when she thought my window of getting pregnant would have been, and came up with a due date of September 9th. When I went for an ultrasound at my doctor's office at what I thought was around 7 weeks, the ultrasound tech told me I was actually only about 6 weeks, and my new due date would be the 15th. My doctor said she was going to keep it at September 9th until further examination at my 20 week ultrasound. At 20 weeks, he was measuring on track for a September 15 due date. I'm secretly (well not so secretly now)hoping he'll be born on the 13th so that he and Cash will be born on the same day of the month. How cool would that be?!?
The ultrasound tech said that Beckett was the poster child for ultrasound pictures. He was posing and staying very still for his pictures but was moving around like a jumping bean in between. She commented over and over again about how active he was between pictures. He must know how important good pictures are to me. :) From the looks of the pictures, he has Cash's button nose. Of course its hard to tell in ultrasound pictures, but Colt and I both think he looks just like Cash. He was measuring right on track with his weight and height now. I checked my previous blog entries from my pregnancy with Cash, and I was measuring a few days ahead of schedule by 20 weeks with Cash, but by the end I was measuring 3 weeks ahead of schedule! I wonder if Beck will stay on his growth schedule or get chunky towards the end like Cash did. I can't wait to see Beck in person, but for now, I LOVE looking at these pictures!
This week has brought the beginning of uncomfortable sleep. Seems kind of early to me to be having backaches! So far this week, I've had a couple nightmares, a charley horse in my calf in the middle of the night, and have had to start sleeping with an extra pillow for back support. Blah!
I've noticed a big belly growth spurt this week. Its really noticeable under my clothes, but I don't know if it is as obvious in pictures. I've been more diligent about cocoa buttering the burgeoning bump this time around. Last time I made it through with very minimal damage in the stretch mark department, and I'm determined to be as lucky this time. We'll see.
I have made it a point to buy cute maternity clothes this time. I had some awesome hand-me-downs from my cousins last time, but everytime I wore anything that they gave me, I was worried that I would spill something or mess it up in some way. Knowing how expensive maternity clothes are, I didn't want to ruin their stuff! I've had a few friends pass me down some things this time too, but I try not to wear it unless I have to for the same reason. I bought a cute pair of jeans, capris, and two pairs of shorts (all denim), and several cute shirts. I'm a big fan of buying things that I can wear after pregnancy as well. Especially that in between time when you don't have a big belly anymore, but aren't quite back to pre-pregnancy "tautness". I have several shirts to choose from this time which is nice.
Our 20 week ultrasound last week went really well! Beckett (whom we have been calling Beck or Beckman, like Cashman), is measuring right on track. They changed my due date back to September 15th, which was my original due date according to my six week ultrasound. We had no idea of when I got pregnant, so my doctor just went by "the dates" of when she thought my window of getting pregnant would have been, and came up with a due date of September 9th. When I went for an ultrasound at my doctor's office at what I thought was around 7 weeks, the ultrasound tech told me I was actually only about 6 weeks, and my new due date would be the 15th. My doctor said she was going to keep it at September 9th until further examination at my 20 week ultrasound. At 20 weeks, he was measuring on track for a September 15 due date. I'm secretly (well not so secretly now)hoping he'll be born on the 13th so that he and Cash will be born on the same day of the month. How cool would that be?!?
The ultrasound tech said that Beckett was the poster child for ultrasound pictures. He was posing and staying very still for his pictures but was moving around like a jumping bean in between. She commented over and over again about how active he was between pictures. He must know how important good pictures are to me. :) From the looks of the pictures, he has Cash's button nose. Of course its hard to tell in ultrasound pictures, but Colt and I both think he looks just like Cash. He was measuring right on track with his weight and height now. I checked my previous blog entries from my pregnancy with Cash, and I was measuring a few days ahead of schedule by 20 weeks with Cash, but by the end I was measuring 3 weeks ahead of schedule! I wonder if Beck will stay on his growth schedule or get chunky towards the end like Cash did. I can't wait to see Beck in person, but for now, I LOVE looking at these pictures!
There are somedays when I can confidently picture myself with two little boys, and others when I think, "HOW am I going to do this?!?" From what I hear, that's normal. I must make it a point to get more sleep next time around. Before I had Cash, we were on a 6am-2pm sleep schedule. It sounds crazy, but it was fun! We would play poker, watch movies, and just have fun until we saw the sun start to come up, and then we'd head to bed. When we brough Cash home, my sleep schedule was so off! We were going to bed around midnight, which was EARLY for us! Needless to say, Cash really changed EVERY aspect of our lives. In the months following his birth, we went back to our late bedtime and Cash was on our schedule. Slowly we morphed into a better schedule. Cash now goes to bed around 9:30-10pm and sleeps until between 9 and 10am. We go to bed around 2am and sleep until Cash wakes up. It works for us.
We made our first big purchase for Beckett's arrival last week. We bought an awesome double stroller! Its the Baby Jogger City Mini 2010 in orange and grey. I was a little apprehensive about ordering it online, but I went to a store and checked it out before I bought it. I got a better internet price. It was even cooler than I thought it was going to be. I LOVE it!
Switching gears...
Colt, Cash and I will be going on a cruise this coming week. It will be me and Cash's first! I'm a little nervous of sea sickness as I've become very prone to it in the last several years. I'm going to be armed with A LOT of Dramamine if necessary. We bought Cash a teddy bear harness and a cute pool float for the trip!
Of course the week before we leave for our cruise, Moe, our sweet pup has fallen ill. Well not so much ill, but he has been having some problems with his ear. Colt noticed that Moe's ear looked swollen and when he touched it to investigate he quickly drew his hand back and said, "AHH! Its filled with something...like a liquid!" I walked over for a closer look, and he was right. There was a little pocket in Moe's ear that was filled with some sort of liquid. After some internet research, we were pretty sure it was a hematoma. We took him to the vet the next morning and he agreed. He extracted the blood with a syringe and called for us to pick him up, warning us that he may need surgery in the future. By the time we got home, his ear was filling up again! The next morning we took him back, and he ended up having to have surgery. Poor thing! His head is all bandaged up and he has to wear a plastic cone around his neck so he doesn't mess with the stitches. He is getting used to it but at first he wouldn't eat, drink or go to the bathroom. It was awful for all involved! He shook his ear loose from the bandage while we were out today, so he'll have to go back tomorrow and get it re-bandaged.
One more picture...Me last week at 20 weeks 5 days. I'm a lot "huge-er" now.
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