First Gift

Last night I arrived at work, opened my lunch bag and what did I find?   A half eaten Nilla wafer on top of everything- a gift from Aric.  I  laughed.

Ryan and I caught him playing with my lunch bag right before I left.  The bag has an easy access velcro flap on the top that Aric discovered.  Ryan told him to leave it alone, which probably scared him and he dropped/forgot/left the Nilla wafer where it was.

It was pretty nice to find, though.  Not because I was going to eat a half eaten Nilla wafer, but because I'm sure it will be the first of many creative gifts surprises from my son.

Little Ham

The first photo we are usually able to catch him unaware...

By the second photo, he knows his picture is being taken and he'll move away or even closer and sit down for a photo...

He might even pose for the photo...

(Don't mind the drool, he's still working on his molars.)

He'll still move around and pose for the photos...

And he'll even ham it up for the camera a bit...

Finally, he'll come over to take a look at all of the photos that you've taken.  He'll smile and point at each picture of himself and cry when the camera gets put away.

Move It!

This is the Last Time I Mention Haircuts This Week, I Hope.

As I mentioned earlier this morning, Aric and I were off to get a haircut for him.  I thought it was past time to trim up the shagginess.  Ryan likes to leave it shaggy and curly, and is horrified when I mention the word haircut.  To appease us both, I take Aric in for trims every couple of months to clean up his hair, but I give the hairdresser strict instructions to leave it long and curly.  Here is the result:

Almost like nothing happened...

This last one Aric is playing peek-a-boo.  We're going to have to work on the location of his eyes, since he keeps covering up his mouth when he plays.   It's pretty cute, though.

I did make it in to the OB.  He checked me out and discovered that I am not going to be having this baby prematurely.  It looks like she'll be staying in there until Oct 12th and that's fine by me.  I am just so thankful to have been able to carry her this far.

Speaking of haircuts...

...I cut mine off again almost two weeks ago.  I wanted something super easy since I knew growing it out ponytail length wasn't going to work.  I have a feeling I'll lose alot of hair just like I did with Aric once this baby is born. 

And if you wanted to see how big I am, here is a photo from this morning at thirty-six weeks:

Aric and I are off to the OB this morning and then to get him a haircut.

A Checkup, California and a New Bag

I've been thinking for a little while that it's about time for Aric to get a haircut, and after looking at this picture from this morning:

I really think the time has come.  I love the curls and shagginess, but it is getting a little too shaggy.

We took Aric to the doctor yesterday for his 15 month checkup.  He's doing really well and he's tall and skinny for his age.  I don't mind either, especially because he will always be at risk for being overweight and having diabetes since I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with him.  We found out that he'll need one more shot at his 18 month checkup and then he'll have a break until he's four.  That was nice to hear since I hate having to help hold him down for shots.  I know they're good for him, but I don't want to hold him down!

And, yes, I said "we".  Ryan stayed home from work on Monday and Tuesday to hang out with us.  It was really nice to have him around.  He was gone all weekend in California for the UCLA and K-State game.

He and his friend, Curtis, have been planning on going to this game since they found out it was going to happen.  Curtis is from California and they had a great hook-up on the seats at the game and stayed with Curtis' family.

Laura spent the weekend at our house and took care of Aric while I worked.  The original plan, when I was working during the day, was that she and I would hang out in the evenings and she would stay overnight in case something happened.  It didn't quite work out that way since I work overnight now.  I knew Aric was in good hands, though.  I went to work and had a particularly long and atrocious weekend involving little sleep and working a 13 hour night on Saturday.  I took leave on Sunday because I was exhausted and just couldn't deal with people anymore.  That wasn't so bad, though, because it allowed me to sleep and have a longer "weekend".

Ryan did make it home safely.  I didn't have to inflict bodily harm on him, because I didn't go into labor while he was away.  (That was a possibility and I threatened him within an inch of his life if I had the baby while he was in California.)  He was happy to see the game in person, he bought a new pair of Oakley's and he brought me a new seatbelt bag:

It's a diaper bag made out of recycled seatbelts.  Ryan thought it would come in handy since it's large and we're going to have to haul around stuff for two kids pretty soon.  It also has a zipper closure, which our current bag doesn't have.  Without a closure Aric empties the bag rather quickly whenever he gets his hands on it.  It was a nice, practical surprise.

If My Interior Design Instructor Saw This...

...I might get my degree revoked.

Ryan and I got this rug yesterday (thank you Dana!) to go under Aric's slide.  Aric is rambunctious and was pushing his slide all over the floor and now goes down it head first.  We thought carpet burn across the face some cushion underneath would be better for him and keep the slide stationary.  It doesn't match anything else in the house, except for his brightly colored toys, but it makes a good play area for him.  It will also keep him off of the cold floor in the winter time.

Too Tired To Go On

Happy Camper

On Thursday Mommy got a prenatal massage Aric got a new slide.  We often take Aric to the park and let him play on the jungle gyms and slides.  Ryan and I have talked about getting him a slide for awhile, but could never find one that was nice and in our price range.  We happened upon one on Thursday and brought it home.  I think we made someone pretty happy...

Getting Ready

Get Out!

This isn't by any means my first pregnancy.  I know what to expect and I definitely know how long the 9th month can be.  Last night was a first...

Ryan and I were on the couch watching TV after Aric was down for the night.  I was curled up on my side right next to Ryan.  The baby had been moving and shifting around.  It wasn't a problem until she decided she really needed to stretch out.  She pushed both of her hands out on opposite sides of my pelvis, kicked out the top of my belly with both of her feet and proceeded to push her butt and back towards the front of my belly.  Ryan said it looked completely bizarre.  The way her back and butt were pushed out caused my belly to completely deform and look like I had a brick sitting inside of me.  I thought I was about to give birth Alien-style.  It was painful and nothing we did made her stop.  She wanted to stretch and stretch is what she did.  Ryan tried pushing back on her, which did nothing more than irritate her and cause her to keep pushing out.  I tried to straighten out and give her as much room as possible.  Eventually, thankfully, she decided she was done and nestled back down inside.  I hope to never go through that again.

Dear Baby #2-

Please consider this your eviction notice.  You have a little over 3-1/2 weeks to tie up loose ends, pack up your things and then you're out of there.  Use your time wisely.

Sincerely,
Your Mother

P.S.- We love you very much and are looking forward to meeting you soon.

One Last Time

Today was my final ultrasound to check up on the abruption and the baby's size.  Last night Ryan had asked me if I wanted him to go with me to the appointment.  I told him he could go if he wanted, but I didn't need him to go with me.  I had an ultrasound late in pregnancy with Aric and I knew what to expect.  By this point in pregnancy the baby is so big and the amount of fluid is so small comparatively that it's hard to clearly see the baby.  I also haven't been too worried about the abruption anymore.  Ryan, instead, volunteered to watch Aric during my appointment.  I took him up on the offer.

The baby looked exactly like I expected her to- hard to see!  She does have huge, chunky cheeks and a head full of hair.  She's still really healthy and doing well in there.  The sonotech was so concerned about her size that I had to remind her to check up on the abruption.  The reason I haven't been too worried about the abruption is because I haven't had any more bleeding and I only have random pain from the area now.  I actually have more pain from the baby punching and kicking it than from the abruption itself.  The abruption is still discernable; however, what can be seen is old blood.  There is no new visible blood.

As far as the baby's size, she is estimated to weigh 6lbs, 7oz.  I still have just under four weeks left before I am scheduled to deliver her.  They are guessing she'll be around Aric's birth weight of 8lbs, 5oz.  At least I don't have to deliver her naturally.

Irony

I took off from work Saturday night to stay home with Aric while Ryan was gone for the weekend.  On Sunday we got up, had a little bit of a lazy morning as we waited for church to start.  Aric went down for a nap, I got myself ready and laid on the couch for awhile since I kept having contractions.  They gradually died down, I woke Aric up and we went to church.  Afterwards I took Aric to my hairdressers and received a long overdue haircut.  For me, not Aric.  Don't worry he still has all of his curls!

Aric fell asleep for 10 minutes in the car on the ride home and refused to nap again for the rest of the day.  We have been fighting him on his naps lately, which I think are getting messed up because he is currently teething three molars.  I was a little concerned.  By early afternoon Ryan hadn't made it home from work, I still had to go to work at 6 for the night, I was having contractions again and I needed a nap before work.  I called in to see if I could work from 6-11 and then go home since I wasn't feeling well.  I knew there was no one to cover me from 6-11 but hoped that both of the people who are scheduled to come in on the midnight shift were coming in.  I was told no.  One of the people working the midnight shift was flexing out time and not coming in until 2:40.  I was told I could leave then.  By 2:40 my shift is almost over and I might as well stick it out and not waste my leave.  I proceeded to pysch myself up to work an entire shift.

Thankfully Ryan came home by 4 and I was able to lay down for an hour.  I didn't sleep but at least I was off my feet.  When I got out of the car at work I had another contraction that was so uncomfortable that it stopped me and nearly doubled me over.  That is if it would even be possible for me to double over in my current state.  (Don't worry- at no time was I worried I was in labor.  I just knew they were all false contractions from overdoing it and I need to rest.)

I was given my yearly eval when I went in to work.  One of my bad points- I work too hard.  I come into work even when I'm not feeling well and should probably stay home.  What could I do but shake my head and laugh in disbelief?  Apparently when I don't feel well I have to come to work anyway.  I guess I've learned my lesson, next time I'll just call in and say I'm sick and not worry about whether it'll be easy to cover me or not.

Too Much Excitement

My work doesn't typically follow me home.  For the most part when I get up at the end of my shift, I can leave everything behind and fully concentrate on my personal life.  That wasn't the case the last couple of days.

Early Friday morning we had a report that the police department in the adjoining county was chasing a stolen vehicle down the highway.  When they reached a highway that heads into our county we sent some of our officers in their direction to assist.  The last we heard of it the vehicle was headed away from our county.  End of story, not our problem.  I did have a momentary thought that the highway they turned on bookends the other side of the road I live on, but I went home and didn't think anything more of it. 

When I woke up at noon on Friday, Ryan informed me that my supervisor had called to let me know that the suspect in the stolen vehicle had ditched the vehicle on our street, he was actually a murder suspect out of Colorado and the police were out looking for him.  We made sure our vehicles were locked and the doors and windows in our home were secure.  A little while later we left and headed to the grocery store.  As we were leaving our street we encountered about 20 police vehicles from varying agencies, the emergency command post vehicle and SWAT team members all decked out in their gear with weapons ready to go.  It suddenly became alot scarier.

I was jumpy the rest of the day, but headed into work like normal.  As I left my street again driving by the command post I was stopped at a checkpoint.  They checked my driver's license and told me they figured out where the suspect was and were just trying to take him into custody. 

It was a long night at work.  I was concerned about Ryan and Aric and kept having to field calls from people who had heard rumors, but weren't bright enough to check out the local news sites to confirm or deny their rumors.  Around 2am we were told they were bringing in the command post and had not apprehended the subject. 

My drive home at 4am was long, dark and scary.  Ryan waited at the door for me and sent me off to bed.  I couldn't sleep.  Ryan was supposed to leave for work all weekend long in a couple of hours and I was near hysterical.  Being up all night, 8 months pregnant and knowing you're going to spend the day all by yourself with a 15 month old and an unborn child who need your protection isn't the best combination.  Pregnancy is certainly a vulnerable time.  Ryan called in to work, delayed his arrival, sent me to bed with a sleep aid and told me he would call my friend, Laura, to come stay with me today.

That is exactly what happened.  I got some sleep, Laura came over (thanks Laura!), and we hung out for part of the day.  We did find out that the suspect left the area, headed over to another town, took some hostages (who are okay) and was eventually shot and apprehended.  It was a relief to know he is in custody now and not lurking in our neighborhood. Though, I think it will be awhile before I quit jumping and feel safe enough to venture outside. 

34 Weeks

Thank Goodness They're Washable

The last two Sundays when we've picked Aric up from Sunday School he was accompanied by a picture that he colored. The first Sunday there was a faint blue mark on the picture. Last Sunday there were multi-colored scribbles all over the paper. Of course, we realized the Sunday School teacher could have "helped" with that. However, Ryan and I thought maybe it was time to get Aric some crayons. On Monday we made a trip into town and picked up a box of jumbo, washable Crayola Crayons.

I'm really thankful for the washable part. After one short trip to the bathroom yesterday, this is what I discovered...

She Doesn't Seem to Mind

I am glad we have a pretty tolerant cat, because we have a child who thinks cats make good pillows.

While Mommy was at Work...

Daddy and Aric went to the first football game of the season.

Aric was dressed for the occasion and ready for the game to begin...

Intently watching the game with Daddy...

Hey, wait, that isn't the game. Those are cheerleaders! And why was Daddy smiling?

Worn out from a long day, it's time to go home...

With Only the Best Intentions

I started out my day with only the best intentions to accomplish quite a bit around the house. It seems I still forget that my brain moves at a much faster rate than my body is capable of lately.

I woke up early, since I have no ability to sleep in to any sort of decent time. I decided to make use of my time and balance the checkbook, post our September calendar, eat breakfast and wash our sheets. Aric woke up at 7:15. I got him up, we snuggled for a bit and then changed his clothes and I fed him breakfast. I changed his sheets, did more laundry, made a new batch of laundry soap and thought of other things that I wanted to get done today. I mentally added vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom onto my to do list.

By the time 10:00 rolled around Aric was ready for a nap and so was I. We slept for an hour and a half. It has been almost impossible for me to fully wake up from a nap lately. I brought Aric downstairs and let him watch a Baby Einstein video while I laid back down on the couch. About 30 minutes later I got up and fixed us lunch. Then I washed dishes, taking a break in the middle when Aric wanted me to read to him. We played some more, I threw in another load of laundry and by 1:30 Aric was dragging his monkey and blankets around the house. Nap time again. I put him down, took a shower, and then climbed back in bed.

An hour and a half later Aric woke up and I again took him downstairs. I turned on Baby Einstein and laid back down on the couch. Aric was quite content to play in the living room. Every once in awhile he would want help getting on to the couch where he would sit or lay on me for awhile and then climb down. At one point he brought over a stacking cup that he figured out made a funny whistling noise when he put it on his mouth. I kept thinking I needed to get up and get him a snack and something to drink.

Then there was a knock on the front door. I was a bit confused about who was knocking on the door since I wasn't expecting any deliveries. It was Ryan. I opened the door and asked him why he was home so early. He looked at me like I was insane. I thought it was 3:30, it was actually 4:45. Aric hadn't eaten dinner yet. I hadn't started dinner yet. And the things I thought I was going to accomplish didn't happen. The floor still needs vacuumed, the bathroom is still dirty and now I have three baskets of laundry that need folded.

Aric is happy today, the laundry is clean, the dishes got done, I took a shower and we went out for dinner. The rest of it will have to wait for another day.

Finally

I finally made it in to see my OB yesterday afternoon. He was a little behind for the day because he had another emergency surgery in the morning. I let Aric explore the exam room while we waited. At least, I let him explore until he found the speculum drawer and wouldn't leave it alone. Back in the stroller for him.

-The baby is still doing well and has a good heartbeat. She's still big and if she continues on the same course she could possibly weigh around 8-1/2 to 9-1/2 pounds. It will be interesting to see how big she actually ends up being.

-The OB doesn't intend to move up my surgery date due to the baby's size. He said the soonest he would let her come was 38-1/2 weeks. I'm scheduled to have her at 38 weeks, 6 days which is close enough. I like the thought of her being born on Oct 12th since the date has special meaning for Ryan and me. In addition we already have daycare lined up for Aric and my mom will be in town and is allowed to be in the OR with us for the baby's delivery. I don't see a point in pushing everything up a couple of days.

-The baby has nestled in on my right side. My OB was laughing because it makes me extremely lopsided. My outie belly button is actually on my left side not in the center as it should be.

-We will have another ultrasound at 35 or 36 weeks to check on the state of the abruption. Lately I'm only having minor pain with it. It probably helps that the baby is nestled in on the opposite side.

-I am now on some medicine for my acid reflux. I have had more problems with that this time around than when I was pregnant with Aric. After a horrible day of reflux yesterday, I was feeling much better last night after only one dose of the new medicine. Hopefully that feeling will continue.

I see the Dr again next week and he said they'll schedule my ultrasound at that appointment. For now we're still taking it one day at a time and extremely grateful that she's still in there growing and developing.

Superman, He is Not

The other night Aric was climbing up our stairs right before his bath time. He's a daring little boy and has no concept of cause and effect at this point in time. He was two steps up when he decided to turn around and jump off of the stairs and fly land on his face. When the blood and crying subsided, Ryan was able to discover that Aric chipped his top, left, front tooth. Ooops!

We took Aric to the dentist yesterday morning just to make sure everything was alright. From what little the dentist could see, apparently 14 month olds aren't very cooperative in the dentist chair, Aric has a definite chip and a bruised gum. Since Aric is still eating and drinking well they aren't going to do anything for him at this time. We were given instructions on what to watch for if the tooth becomes worse and the name of a pediatric dentist in case we need to bring him in again.

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We had a huge breakthrough this week with Aric eating solid foods. Out of nowhere he decided to actually try new foods and not just throw them all on the floor. We still have a ways to go to get him to eat main dishes and veggies, but I can see the light at the end of the pureed baby food tunnel.

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In case you thought I've been remiss in posting about my latest OB appointment, I haven't seen him yet. Thursday, the day of my appointment, I made it into town before I received a call from the receptionist who was rescheduling my appointment because my OB was tied up in an emergency surgery. We rescheduled for Friday morning. Which meant I came home from work and grabbed four hours of sleep before I needed to get up to go to my appointment. On Friday, I made it to the street where my OB's office is located before I received a call from the receptionist saying my OB was tied up in a delivery. It's hard to be mad at an OB who tries to deliver all of his patient's babies. Especially because I want him to be there to deliver my baby. I was more upset that I could've still been sleeping in bed. Oh, well. My appointment is scheduled for this afternoon. Third time's the charm, right?