Sophie's 1st tooth broke through!

Sophie had her 6 month well baby visit today.

Height: 27 in (92%)
Weight: 14 lbs 12 oz (24%)
Head: 16 (13%)

Sophie is doing well. She's growing like crazy! She's met the milestones she needs to meet and is ahead physically. Her hernia is still looking closed, so we shouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

Sophie is actually taller than the older kids were at this age. It's crazy to think she was the smallest at birth and now she's our big girl!

I've recently opened my own Etsy shop. I'm currently selling Boutique Bows in 3" and 4" size, as well as Pinwheels, Korkers, Firecrackers, Bug Bows and Tutus! Check it out! As part of our Grand Opening, every order in May gets a FREE gift!

Sophie had her 4 month well baby visit today.

Hailey had her 2 year well baby visit today.

Sophie had her 2 month well baby visit today.

Sophie had another weight check today.

Sophie had her 2 week well baby visit today.

We are done checking Sophie's bili levels! She is doing really well and the bili level has dropped a decent amount. She should be just fine with no treatment for jaundice, woohoo!

In other news, Sophie's umbilical cord fell off sometime early this morning. I think it's neat that each of the kids has lost their cord at exactly one week old.

The doctor typically gives newborns two weeks to regain their birth weight. Sophie is only 5 days old and she's back up to birth weight plus 2 ounces! She's the only one of our kids not labeled "failure to thrive". She's also the lowest risk level for jaundice. She's doing awesome!

***
We took the kids to JCPenney's for pictures last night. Nathan decided he didn't want his picture taken, so we didn't get any of all three kids. I'm definitely disappointed, but at least we got some good shots of the girls. We can try for one of all three again in February when we take Sophie for her 3 month pics and Hailey for her 2 year pics (lots of pics that month!).

Sophie's weight loss is within normal range, but since the other kids had higher than normal weight loss, she'll have a weight check later this week. Her bilirubin level isn't terrible, but she does have jaundice. Again, since the older kids had it, we're rechecking her level later in the week, just to be safe. Everything else looks great!

***
Nate helped me give Sophie her first at home bath. He likes being a helper and wanted his picture taken - too cute!

Both of the kids love Sophie and smother her with hugs and kisses. Life is good.

I had gone for my nightly walk, gotten my shower and finally was headed to bed for the night - or so I thought. I'd been having contractions for over a week, but they were pretty bad that night. I figured I'd try to sleep through them and see if they let up. Ty and I were almost asleep when I heard a loud POP and felt a really strong pain in my middle. Worried about Sophie, I got up and ran to the bathroom. There was fluid running down my legs and I was pretty sure it wasn't pee! I sat on the toilet to keep from dripping all over the floor, and I discovered that I was having bloody show (definite sign of labor). The doubt over whether or not my water had broken was over and we were off to the hospital!

It was around 2-2:30 am that we got to the hospital. The nurses didn't want to check me for dilation since my water had broken - it could introduce an infection. They hooked me up to the monitors which showed that labor hadn't really gotten into a steady pattern yet. Somewhere around 6am, they decided to check and see where we were at. Sophie was down to -1 station and we were dilated between 3-4 cm and 70% effaced. Early labor was a pretty slow process, but we were definitely making progress. Having had no sleep, I decided to get the epidural and try to nap.

I got to sleep about 2.5 hours. When I woke up, they told me labor had stalled out while I was sleeping and that they wanted to give me a little pitocin just to get it rolling again. I'm not a fan of the pit, but figured this was a good idea, so we did it. An hour later we were at a definite 4 cm and the contractions were starting to get going again. As the contractions got stronger, I noticed that the epidural wasn't working on my lower half like it should be and that I had a constant urge to pee (later found out that Sophie had pushed my catheter into the wrong place and that caused the peeing thing). The midwife came in and said she'd call the epidural guy to come fix it. The contractions picked this time to really kick in and get things moving. In the 10 minutes it took the anesthesia doctor to get there, I went from 4cm to 10.

Sophie's heart rate was starting to drop with the contractions. I asked the midwife if we had time to fix the epidural or if Sophie was having enough trouble that we needed to just proceed forward. Her heart rate dropped low again and proceeding without the epi we did! Because of the heart rate issue, I had to wear an oxygen mask, which helped a little. Also, I couldn't push when I wanted to push, I had to wait for her heart rate to rebound first. When we hit the "ring of fire" stage, this was particularly difficult, but I knew it was important for Sophie to recover.

Sophie was attempting to come out ear first, which is NOT the preferred presentation. The last really strong push got her to finally turn her head so she could come out the right way. The doctors discovered the cord around her neck and decided that that was what had been affecting her heart rate during contractions. Luckily, all was well with Miss Sophie and she did very well with her apgar scores (9 and 9!).

It was quite an eventful night. I guess she was trying to make up for being my "boring" pregnancy by cramming as much excitement into one night as possible, lol. We're both home and doing well now. The hospital usually keeps you for 48 hours, but I had no tearing or stitches, and Sophie was looking great, so we got to come home early.




Sophie's newborn album is

We had another prenatal checkup yesterday!

We had another prenatal checkup today!

It's looking like Miss Sophie is going to be our biggest baby yet. Hailey was estimated at 5 lbs 12 oz just 10 days before she was born (ended up being 7 lbs 5 oz), Sophie is already estimated at 5 lbs 14 oz and we have 4.5 weeks until our due date. The midwife says she should be a healthy 8 lb baby when she makes her way into the world. Everything else with our ultrasound looked good. Sophie is still a girl, lol.

Only 1 week and 2 days until we're 37 weeks (full-term). Sophie can come any point after that and be considered a fully-baked baby, lol. She probably won't be coming that soon, but I hope she doesn't decide to hang out in there the full 40 weeks.


Mommy and Sophie today. :)

Miss Sophie

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Hailey's 12th tooth broke through!

I found another new tooth while brushing Hailey's teeth last night. It's the bottom left molar. One step closer to being done with teething! At least for Hailey...

We had another prenatal checkup today!

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Hailey's 11th tooth broke through!

It's the bottom right molar. One more molar to go! She's still cranky and having teething signs, so we might be seeing it soon.

Hailey's 10th tooth broke through!

It's the bottom one, right of the middle. She's got two more molars left (both on the bottom). We're getting closer to getting a break from teething.

Hailey's 9th tooth broke through!

It's the top left molar. Tooth #10 isn't far behind (bottom one, off the middle), and then we've got two more molars left. We're getting closer to getting a break from teething.

Hailey had her 18 month well baby visit today.

Weight: 22 lbs 7 oz (25%)
Height: 33 in (90%)
Head: 17.75 in (25%)

Hailey is getting big and doing great! She's met all her milestones - no worries about development - and no shots today. She gets one more at her 2 yr checkup, and then no more until kindergarten!

I had to get Hailey up from nap to take her to her appt. As I'm carrying her out to the van, she starts yelling "Bow! Shoes!" over and over. She was barely awake and more worried about what she was wearing than where I was taking her, lol. Such a girl!

Hailey's 8th tooth broke through!

It's about time! These teeth sure are taking their sweet time coming in. She's still teething 3 more molars and one bottom tooth. This is her first molar (top right) to break through. I'm hoping this means some relief to the cranky/whiny/velcro-baby stuff we've been dealing with, but with all those other teeth still coming in, maybe not. At any rate, one down, a million to go, lol.

Everything is looking fine with the baby. We're measuring a little bigger now, but still within normal range.

The midwife was extremely rude for the second appt in a row, so I am switching from Dr. Penny to Dr. Cohen. Hoping this solves the problem and appts will be much less stressful in the future. I'm so over being told how fat I am at every appt!

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The traditional "Be Squared" Pic.

Nate's official 3 year portrait.

We even got a pretty good one of the kids together.

Everything is looking awesome! We had our BIG ultrasound today and the baby looks perfect! It was a lot of fun to see the baby moving around and looking like an actual baby. The last time we got a peek, still kind of looked like a lima bean. The ultrasound estimates the baby to weigh 10 oz at this point, which is on target.

And yes, we took a peek at the gender. And no, we're not telling.

Hailey's 7th tooth broke through!

It's about time! She's been teething for what feels like forever. The dentist told us in May that she had two coming in on the bottom, plus 4 molars. This one is bottom row, one left of the middle. She's still teething another bottom tooth and those dang molars. At least she should be a little happier with one less to be teething?

Everything is looking good so far. My blood pressure is actually better than it's been in YEARS, and my weight gain is under the typical amount. Thinking all that exercise is really paying off and keeping the bean and I in good shape.

The midwife did suggest scaling back on exercise around 20 weeks. She thinks continuing boot camp at that point would have to be highly modified. I'm sure we'll figure something out. If all else fails, pulling the kids in their wagon is a good workout.

Our BIG ultrasound is scheduled for our next visit - July 2nd. Can't wait to see what we're having!!!

Hailey had her 15 month well baby visit today.

Weight: 21 lbs 8 oz (30%)
Height: 30.75 in (70%)
Head: 17.75 in (30%)

Hailey is getting big and doing great! She's met all her milestones and is even ahead on most. She is definitely going to be our chatter box - she knows way more words than the average baby her age. She also knows how to pretend play, dance and can point to 3 body parts.

So proud of her!

She'll be having her 15 month checkup next week, and I'll post her new stats then.

And I missed posting on the actual day, but we've got less than 200 days left til Baby #3! Only 197 days until our due date. We're officially in our Second Trimester next week.

Everything is looking good so far. I had yet more blood drawn (4-5 more vials). Really starting to feel like a pin cushion! But the meeting with the midwife went well, and the hospital is AWESOME! The place is HUGE, and I was amazed by it. It's up in the mountains, beautiful views, and they have FREE valet parking. I didn't have to look for a spot or find my car afterwards, lol. It was nice. All in all, a good experience and I really felt comfortable there.

I think my doctor search is officially over! I'm still slightly bummed that I won't get to deliver in Tooele again, but I definitely didn't want Cullen Archer anywhere near me after how rude he was, so it's probably for the best to be in Salt Lake.

Nathan to old camera: "I'm sorry I broke you, old one."

The kids had a blast at the Easter Party tonight! It was good to see everyone and get to visit. And for those asking about when we're planning to add on to our family again, we think November sounds pretty good.

March 10, 2010

Spring is finally considering paying us a visit. The kids and I even made it outside for "exploring the neighborhood" in the wagon. The kids loved getting out of the house and going for a ride. I hope the weather will cooperate and let us do it more often!

We received a package from Dad and Katie today. Nate helped Hailey open it.

The look on her face says it all!
Hailey LOVES her new bear! She growls at him and then pounces for hugs. It's hilarious.

Nathan loves him, too.

Thanks Dad & Kate! And Kate, you were right. The bear IS bigger than Hailey. It doesn't stop her from carrying it around, though.

Hailey's 5th and 6th teeth broke through!

They are just *barely* through the gums. It's about time! These are on top, one to the left and one to the right of the middle. She's teething two more on the bottom, but they don't look like they'll be in anytime soon...

Moving on to other news!

Hailey had her 1 year well baby visit today.

Weight: 19 lbs 14 oz (30%)
Height: 29.25 in (70%)
Head: 17.5 in (50%)

Hailey is in a "growth slump" right now. Her doctor thinks she'll be hitting another monster growth spurt here soon. Good thing we've already got some clothes in the next size up.

Hailey is also teething 4 teeth again. Now it's two on top and two on the bottom. She also got 4 shots today. Good thing we have Tylenol and Motrin on hand. Poor little thing is in for a sore couple of days.

Other than that, she's a happy, healthy little 1 year-old girl! She's met her milestones and is doing just fine. Can't ask for more than that.

Hailey's 3rd and 4th teeth broke through!

And.... we have TEETH! They are just *barely* through the gums, but they are definitely there. Two on the top, in the middle. Yay for teeth!!!!

It feels like I never get to do teeth posts with Hailey, but I was always doing them with Nate. She's taking her sweet time getting those chompers. She's still teething TWO more teeth, on top. Who knows when they'll come in...

Here the kids are with their loot! They must have been VERY good this year.

Hailey had her 9 month well baby visit today.

Weight: 17 lbs 9 oz (35%)
Height: 28.2 in (85%)
Head: 16-something (25%)

Nate was 18 lbs 10 oz and 28.5 in at this age. It's strange how close they've been in size - he was born a month early, she was only a week early and he's a boy, she's a girl... All these things that factor into size... and genetics wins out?

Anyway! Hailey's met her milestones and there weren't any problems or anything to be concerned about. She had to get two shots today - one was her 2nd dose of flu shot. They've been out of it since early October, so it was nice to finally get it.

***
I updated the

Hailey was diagnosed with suspected H1N1 on the 4th. She woke up that morning with a fever and I had her into the pediatrician that night. She started the Tamiflu about 12 hours after her fever started.

Two days later and she is doing MUCH better! No fever, no throwing up, and she's actually EATING!

I took Hailey to JCPenney's to get her 9 month pictures done today. She's not actually 9 months until the 12th, but it's close enough! We got some really good ones - lots of smiles!

Isn't she the cutest thing ever?

October 30, 2009

So many Nate stories, so little time! Guess we'll start with the good stuff.

We took Nate to see his first movie in a theater - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. He had a lot of fun and did really well - for the first hour... Then he got cranky and we had to leave. But all in all, I think it was a good experience. We finished off the night with Coldstone icecream.

Nate has nicknamed his sister "crying butt" whenever she's fussy. Tyler and I usually call her "fussy butt", but crying butt is a lot funnier. At least it shows he connects concepts?

Sibling rivalry can be a funny thing. Here's a new Nate video. Nate Video 71 - Jumperoo @ 27 months old

And moving on to the less good stuff.

A few days ago, Nate took off his poopy diaper and his sister painted herself and the bathroom with it. Didn't get any pictures of that particular "adventure".

We've had several more "murals" on the walls from Nate. Thank God for washable crayons!

Oh, and he ate a birthday candle. I did get a picture of that, but not sure what category album it should be under, lol.

Thanks to everyone that came to our Halloween party! It was good to see you all again. Spencer & Rachael, Nate had a BLAST playing with your boys. We'll have to get together more often.

Hailey got her first pair of shoes today! And a cold weather pair, too. She's in a size 3.


Hailey has advanced to climbing the "big stairs". Any time she gets a chance, she's out of the living room and heading upstairs to the bedrooms. Eek! She's turning out to be more curious and "into things" than Nathan was. We are in trouble with this one!

In Hailey news, she crawled up the stairs today! She was so proud of herself when she made it. I got it on video, which I'll be uploading soon.

Every day I ask if he needs to go (or wants to go), every day he says no. But I think I figured it out. I offered to pause his cartoons (thank God for DVR) while he tried to pee, and it worked! He went in the bathroom, asked me to leave and close the door (LOL), and then he did his thing. He came out yelling "pee! pee! Me pee!" and sure enough, he filled his little potty. I was shocked that he didn't get any pee where it wasn't supposed to be!

We danced and had M&Ms. SO excited to be back on track!

Hailey's 1st and 2nd teeth broke through!

And.... we have TEETH! They are just *barely* through the gums, but they are definitely there. Two on the bottom, in the middle. Yay for teeth!!!

And a couple new videos.

In kiddo news, Hailey's "word" of choice for jabbering is "mama" and I am LOVING it! She is growing up SO fast. She's gone from sitting up in a "tripod" style to sitting up straight. She also sits herself up from crawling, lying down, etc. She can even maneuver around in the tub! I put her down on her tummy and she just flips to sitting up and splashing like it's nothing. I'm happy for her, but it's a little sad that she is getting so big already. They just don't stay little for long.

I made a trip out to Carter's yesterday to get the kids some clothes for Fall. I LOVE sales + coupons!!! The original pricing on the clothes = $568, but with the sale they were having, plus my 20% off coupon and $100 gift card, we only paid $198! I absolutely adore Carter's, so this was an awesome deal! I can only hope we'll continue to get good deals on clothes for the kids. Man, kids go through a lot of clothes!

Ty and I put the border up in Nate's room! We're doing Hailey's as soon as she's up from her nap.

Added some pictures of the new house. Nate and Hailey's rooms are about halfway done now.


Nate's Room

Hailey's Room

Things are starting to resemble "normal" again. Nate slept in his own bed, all night, last night. He hasn't done that since we've moved! I think he's feeling a lot more at home here.


The kids are starting to play together (mostly because Hailey crawls after Nate non-stop, lol) and it is SO cute! Life is good.

I got my hair done again today. I decided to try something new and go dark.


Old Hair

New Hair

Thanks to everyone that has helped us get moved in! Special thanks to those of you that showed up, in the rain, to help. You guys ROCK!

We're going to be hosting the annual Halloween party at our new house! Keep your eyes peeled for details.

Hailey hit a new milestone today. She went from lying down to sitting up all on her own! She's getting a lot better at sitting up, but she still does the "tripod" thing a lot. For those of you not familiar with "tripoding", little kids lean forward in a sort of tripod formation when they're first learning to sit without help. It's for balance.

I went ahead and purchased a few of the "finishing touches" items for Nate's new room today. Nate got to help pick them out.


This is the wall border for his new room.

And this is his new lamp!

In other news, tomorrow is closing day! The house will officially be ours! But we won't be able to move in until the current occupants are out.

Ugh, it's still not the 24th?! How about now? .... Now? No? Well, crap. The 24th certainly is taking its sweet time getting here.

We close this Thursday around 2pm! I called the lender and the title company today just to make sure all is still going smoothly and nothing more needed to be done on our end. Turned out I needed to go get a cashier's check for the down payment (which I did). Now there is nothing left other than signing papers. Yay!

... Is it the 24th NOW?

In preparation for moving into our new home, we went to Liddiard Home Furnishings and purchased a new refrigerator and microwave this weekend. We also got Nate's new dresser. Everything is set to be delivered to our new home on the 25th.

This last week until we can move in is REALLY dragging... Is it the 24th yet?

Hailey had her 6 month well baby visit today.

Nate was 15 lbs 12 oz and 26.5 in at this age. Staying right about the same size. Too bad she can't wear his hand-me-downs.

Hailey's a little off her growth curve right now, but she is hitting her 6 month growth spurt and should be right back on it soon! I think the height measurement was a little off (since 9 month clothes start around 26 inches and they fit her perfect...), but oh well!

Everything else looked good. Still advanced on milestones, still had to get some shots today. Pretty much the same stuff as last time.

She is getting an Rx for fluoride w/ vitamins (so is Nate), and a cream for her heat rash. I forgot the Rx at their office, but hopefully we'll have it called in sometime this weekend anyway.

Some happy ME news today. I FINALLY lost ALL of the baby weight, from BOTH babies. Woohoo - 70 lbs and counting! Feeling SO much healthier. For those of you not familiar with PCOS, losing weight really helps with the symptoms you experience.

Happy 1/2 birthday to Hailey!!!

Sharol and I took Hailey to get her 6 month pictures done today. Click here to see them.


Thanks go to Sharol for helping herd Nathan away from dangerous situations while Hailey get her pictures taken!

And so the countdown begins! Closing on our 650 East home is the 20th, with possession no later than 5pm on the 24th. We may or may not get the keys sooner than that. Only 13 days left at the most!!!

In other news, I washed and installed Hailey's new "big girl" car seat! Now she'll be sitting more upright and be able to see Nathan while we take trips. I know she's going to like this a whole lot better than the infant carrier.

It's official! We signed the papers on the 650 East house today.

We'll be needing some help moving on the 28th-29th if any of you are free... Ty's going out of town for a week starting the 30th and I'd really like to have the kids and I moved over to the new house before he goes...

We're going house hunting on Saturday. We've made a list of 7 homes to see so far. Should be interesting to see the insides. I only hope they'll be cleaner than the last bunch we went to see... In a word, eewww!

I ordered Hailey's new car seat and nursery bedding today. In other Hailey news, guess who is crawling? Oh, and I need to schedule Hailey's 6 month pictures soon - she turns 6 months on August 12th and I haven't even picked out a picture outfit yet, eek! Not like I haven't had other things to keep me busy, but still.

I haven't ordered the rest of the Thomas the Train stuff to finish Nate's room theme yet. I've picked out the items, just haven't actually purchased them. In other Nate news, he is still having nightmares and waking 2-3+ times a night. I know all of this change is really hard on him. I'm hoping we'll get settled again soon and things will go back to normal.

He's also taken to calling himself "me". It's pretty cute.

Well, the actual moving commences tomorrow. We'll be out of here and into Sharol's by Sunday. Then we just have to clean all the dust bunnies out and repaint the wall that Nate drew on (thanks Nate! ).

Official closing date is July 29th. Man, I am going to miss this place. I think I'll feel less sad when we're in our new home. Assuming we get the one we've put the offer on, that should be September-ish.

There is SO much that needs to be done on the new house that it will keep us busy a LONG time. We need to replace all the carpet, paint, the sliding glass door (the one side is completely shattered and gone), the back steps (they're rotted out)... But it will all be worth it in the end. I think.

On the plus side, it's a bigger home (approx 2700 sq ft) with central air, and we won't have to put in another yard because it's already got one!

Played around a bit with nursery ideas today. They're just rough mockups, but here's what I came up with so far. I'm leaning towards #4 & #7. And yes, I know there's not a #1 & #2. I scrapped them because they were too "busy" looking.



#3 & #4

#5 & #6

#7

I'm trying to think about the HAPPY parts of moving, so I won't feel so sad about leaving the nursery behind. Well, I *think* I've chosen a theme for Hailey's nursery in the new house. It's called Ladybug Lullaby and it's from the same maker's as Nate's Day At the Zoo theme in our nursery now.

Still trying to decide on a car seat for her. I really like the Allie pattern Britax Marathon, but I'm not 100% sure yet.

I need to get caught up on pictures again.

Nate has been imitating Tyler and I a lot more. He's helping "pack" by throwing things into boxes. I thought it was sweet of him to try to help.


Nate's also picking up words REALLY fast all of the sudden. Yesterday I called him "bubba" and he repeated it right back to me, clear as day. Today I told him that he can't have a lot of juice because juice makes him "poopy". Now he's walking around "poo, poop, poopy, poo poo!". Of all the words to get fixated on, he chooses poop?! I guess we need to be real careful what we say to him or in front of him...

I finally made it to Carter's today to buy Hailey's 9m clothes. I can't believe how quickly she's outgrowing her clothes! At least I'm getting good deals on the new stuff. I took coupons, as usual, and got $350 worth of clothes for $176. They've got some seriously cute Fall stuff this year!

I also grabbed a few 3T items for Nate. There were some dinosaur handy man jammies I just couldn't pass up, and a new style of "big brother" t-shirt. I'm a sucker for the big brother/little sister shirts.

Time to pack away the 6 month stuff for Hailey. It's a little different this time since it's going into a storage unit instead of the basement. *cue music* Ch-ch-changes!

Hailey is growing up so fast! She has been scooting (pre-crawling, not actual crawling yet) along the floor to get things she wants. I think it's frustrating to Nate because he used to be able to move his toys away from her so she couldn't reach them, but now she just goes and gets them again. She should be actual crawling any day now. I know it will be an emotional milestone.

In Nate news, he is getting way too smart for his own good. He let himself outside the other day and then promptly fell on the steps. He's got a *lovely* shiner to show for it.

He's also getting more and more into mimicking things he sees. I caught him with my hair straightener tonight, pulling it through his hair. Since it wasn't plugged in at the time, it was pretty cute. His mimicking Daddy usually consists of using his screwdriver on any nearby items that contain screws.

In other news, Ty and I are meeting with a financial adviser tomorrow to get the loan process moving along for the new house. Should be interesting.

Also picking up Nate's 2yr pictures tomorrow night. It's strange not having anywhere to hang them...

Head Circumference: 18.5 (25%)

Nate hasn't grown much in the last 6 months. He's sticking to his "stairs" pattern of growth, though. We should see a growth spurt within the next few months - Fall/Winter.

Nate is still very advanced physically, but average verbally. A new milestone category is "comprehension". Dr. Gould says Nate is advanced with his memory and understanding of things. Apparently a 2 year-old that can figure out how to work the dvd player just by observing his parents doing it is not the norm. Who knew? LOL.

Other than being proud of Nate's thirst for learning, it makes me feel better that I'm not imagining raising Nate to be harder than it is. He really does do things, and get into things, that other children his age don't.

His two year checkup isn't until Friday, so no new stats yet. I don't think he's grown at all since January, though. He's still wearing the same clothes! He is definitely talking way more than he did a few months ago, though.

It's amazing to look back and see how much Nate has changed.


And what a ride it's been! We are so blessed to have Nate in our lives. For all the challenges he presents each day, he is also the sweetest child we could ever hope for. He has more personality at age 2 than some people will ever have. He has the potential to go on to do great things and I really hope we can help him see that.

So. Went to the gym tonight. Came home to the garage door locked (I left it unlocked), so I figured Nate locked me out. I hear him on the other side unlocking the deadbolt, which isn't new, but then he opens the door for me. We have "child-proof" "(from now on, all child-proof things are in quotes!!!) knobs on all the doors - or at least we did - so I'm like wth??? He was standing there with the "baby-proof" knob in his hands and goes "Uh-oh, Mama". Yeah uh-oh! Now what?! LOL. That kid keeps life interesting!

In other news, got video of Hailey rolling all over the place. I'll get it posted sometime soon. I swear she's the only kid in the universe that prefers tummy time to being on her back!

Hailey had her 4 month well baby visit today.

Nate was 13 lbs 8 oz and 24.25 inches long at this age.

Hailey's appointment went well. She's met all her milestones for this age, and a few of the 6 month ones as well. She is "advanced", just not as much so as Nathan was - which is ok!

She DOES have eczema on her forehead, but it's very mild. We're supposed to keep treating it the way we have been.

Other than that, we got the OK to start solids. Hailey gets to try baby oatmeal tomorrow!

Nate entertained Hailey with a rattle. I woke up and found him hanging off her crib, shaking it for her.


Had my eye appointment. My vision is now 20/2000. Get to pick up new glasses next week!

Nate's 20th (and last) tooth broke through!

We are officially done teething for Nathan. I found his new tooth tonight while brushing for bedtime. I told him he has a new tooth and he says "wow". I don't think it's a big deal to him, but to me, it means only ONE baby teething instead of TWO. YAY!!!

We got the feedback today from our first showing.

"The agent said it showed very well.  Said you had it "perfect"!  Yours is one of the homes her buyers very much liked, but they're not ready to make a decision yet."

Our home hasn't even been on the market a week yet. It'd be crazy if they decided to make an offer. We're not getting our hopes up about that, lol, but we're psyched that our hard work is paying off. Apparently we are doing something right.

Our listing is online now! It feels so weird to see the house for sale.



It will always be our first "real home". So many good memories here! All of Nathan's "firsts" have been in this house, and it's hard to leave that behind. Especially all the time and love that went into making a nursery for him... to not be able to take that with us...

Hopefully, we'll be able to turn whatever new house we find into a home, too.

"Day out with Thomas" went well. Nate had a blast! Ty and I had fun, too.  When I get the pictures posted, I'll link them

In other news, our house is officially on the market! Wish us luck. We're hoping to move to a bigger house within a few months - just have to sell this house first.

We've been painting, getting the house ready to sell, so we had a window open to air the house out. This particular window doesn't have a screen. Well. When we were finished for the night and ready to close the window, we noticed some odd items on the front porch. Items that had previously been in the kitchen/pantry. Apparently Nate was sneaking items from there and throwing them out the window. Why? I haven't the foggiest idea! Nothing was broken, so it was pretty funny. He is such an odd child sometimes!

Tomorrow is our "Day out with Thomas". We're taking Nate to meet Thomas the Train. We should have TONS of pictures to upload later this weekend.

Oh. And I forgot to mention that Nate is using real cups all by himself now. I don't have any pictures from when he first started doing it, but I'll grab one in the next few days to upload (if I remember).

I went to Carter's today (with Hailey) to get the kids some summer clothes. 50%-75% off sale + additional 25% off coupon = MAJOR savings!!! I got $325 worth of clothes for $120. Not bad.

The kids should be set on clothes until the end of Summer, beginning of Fall. Thinking Nate will probably still fit his 2T stuff at that point, but Hailey will probably be moving from 6 months to 9 months. The 6 month stuff should last the Summer for her, assuming this is the last growth spurt for awhile.

Man, they grow FAST!

Happy 3 months to Hailey!!!

Ty and I went to see the new X-Men movie for my birthday last night. It was pretty good. He still would rather see Star Trek again, but he's a Trekkie to begin with. I do have to admit that the Star Trek movie was good, which surprised me. I usually hate all things Star Trek.

In Nate news, he still fits in Bumbo! We've been using Bumbo with Hailey lately, and Nate being Nate, he feels that any time Hailey is not in Bumbo is a time he should be in it. Bumbo is intended for small infants that can't sit up on their own yet (like Hailey), so it's really weird that Nate can still fit in it, and even more so that he would want to! I'm thinking toddler furniture is in his future. He wants his own little chair so much. He does have a birthday coming up. Hmm.

Also in Nathan-related news, we are taking Nathan to meet Thomas the Train next week! He should have a blast. I can't wait to see what he thinks. And don't worry, I'm bringing the camera for millions of pictures.

Got all of Hailey's pictures in envelopes and addressed. Should have them out in the mail this week - just in time for her to actually turn 3 months, yay!

Make sure to get picture requests in before July 1st. We're getting Nate's 2 year pics and Hailey's 6 month pics done this summer (also some of the two of them together). If you want some, make sure you call "dibs" on the chat page. Sizes go from wallet to 10x13 for grandparents, and wallet to 5x7 for everybody else, unless you're buying your own.

We got a lot of work done today. Still a lot more to get done. I hope this will all be worth it in the end!

Piece of advice for those of you doing prolonged yard work, sunblock is your friend!

I think you can still see my original color in there somewhere.

Hailey's 3 month professional pictures are online. I posted them in an album on here, too (click the pic below). If you want to order any copies, you'll need the JCP code for their site - email me, or post on the chat and I can email you. I'll be mailing out the wallets after May 8th.



If you want to call "dibs" on some wallets for when we get pictures of BOTH kids done this summer, email or leave me a note on the chat page or guestbook so I can make a list.

In house news, Tyler and I met with the realtor today. She says no major work needs to be done before selling the house - just some paint touch-ups (mostly from Nate ramming his truck into the trim) and replacing the carpet (spilled paint in the nursery). We're looking at having the house on the market by the end of this month! She also said she is still thinking we're going to see a 35k-45k profit off the house. We're not getting our hopes up that we'll see that much, but who knows?

We also visited the bank yesterday to get pre-approved for a new mortgage. The bank approved the amount we asked for and said that we qualify for their lowest rate. Even if rates change, whatever their lowest current rate is - that's our rate. Good to know. It'll be nice if having a high credit score is worth something other than looking good on paper, eh?

SO. All in all, looks like we will be moving sometime in the next couple of months. Nervous and excited all rolled into one right now. I hope things work out, and that we'll be able to get a big fenced-in yard for the kids to play in. They are definitely getting their own rooms, though, lucky dogs. I was stucking rooming with one sibling or the other until I was 13, lol.

Tonight will be Hailey's first night in the crib. Fingers crossed she sleeps as well there as she has in her bassinet! We've gotten rather used to 6+ hrs of sleep in a row.

In other news, we are looking into moving. Right now it's looking like we'll be able to get a nice profit off our house (yes, even in this market). If that holds true, we will be able to get a bigger house/yard for a similar payment to what we have now.

So, today was another "interesting" day. Nathan decided to use Desitin (diaper cream) as chapstick while I was at the chiropractor. I came home and he was covered in white stuff. I ask him what's all over him, he brings me the Desitin. It says to contact Poison Control immediately if swallowed, so I called Poison Control. They informed me that Desitin can give a child a pretty bad stomach ache (along with vomiting and diarrhea), but will not kill them. Good to know.

I now have Poision Control's number saved on my cell. Just another day being Nate's mommy.

Hailey is still in the bassinet but will be moving to the crib in the near future. We wanted to wait until she was sleeping well at night and she is doing well enough now that she should be alright in the nursery with Nate.

So today has been interesting. We were done brushing Nate's teeth this morning so I put his toothbrush away and closed the bathroom door. Nate wouldn't quit going in there and getting it no matter how many times I closed the door and told him to leave it alone, SO, I put him in timeout (which usually works) and started to head back to my room to get Hailey up. I hear Nate's bedroom door slam behind me. It's not possible to slam Nate's door while in the crib (where Nate does timeout) so I'm like "wth???". I turn around and open the door and there sits Nate, on the floor with his books. I pick him up and put him back in his crib and he climbed right back out with me standing there in shock. I'm guessing timeout in the crib is NOT going to work anymore!

Kind of funny timing - Ty's big thing about not wanting a toddler bed was that Nate would wander the house at night. Nate is wandering the house after hopping out of the crib, lol. At least he won't hurt himself climbing in/out of the toddler bed!

***Update***

We moved Nate to his toddler bed tonight. His new mattress and bedding aren't here yet, so we just moved his crib stuff over. So far he is LOVING his big boy bed. Ty installed a baby gate in Nate's doorway so that he won't wander around at night. Hoping to get a cute picture of Nate in his new bed soon.

Also uploaded a new Nate video -

Just went in to get Nate up from his nap. He's in his crib completely naked. Clothes, diaper, everything - on the floor. He certainly does keep life interesting. And oh how I hope this won't be a trend - specifically not an out-in-public sort of trend...

Hailey had her 2 month well baby visit today.

Hailey's appointment went well. She is definitely a chunky monkey! Well, I guess technically she's average, but Nate was so tiny at this age that she seems chunky to us.

Hailey is slower than Nate on milestones but is still considered "advanced". Dr. Gould said that Nate is just "super advanced" and that's why she seems kind of behind to me. Apparently she's met all of the 2 month milestones and a few of the 4 month ones. As long as she's not behind, life is good.

Hailey did well with her shots. She cried for awhile but seems to be alright now. We just have to watch her for any reactions.

Other than that, the doctor says Hailey has big feet. He's guessing she is going to stay tall like Nate. They're both 90% (or higher in Nate's case) for height. I'm going to end up being the short one in the family, lol.

***
And here's a video of Nate hunting eggs from yesterday. I'll get the rest of the stuff up later.

Nate's 17th, 18th and 19th teeth broke through!

So yeah. Nate has 3 of his 4 two-year molars now. He's been SUPER cranky the past week, diaper rash - all of his usual teething symptoms - and I didn't connect the dots. I feel like an ass. He's been saying "oww" and I thought he was just doing it for attention like he says "eewww" all the time... So he didn't get Tylenol or anything. It's not like I can make it up to him or anything, but I wish I could. *sigh*

Pretty excited today. I got a Babies "R" Us ad in the mail that they are having a 35% off sale on toddler beds! Perfect timing because we just happen to have a little guy that will be needing one. The one I absolutely LOVE (same makers, wood color, etc. as his crib!!!) was originally $100, so we were just going to get a cheap one from Wal-Mart for $60. With this sale, my favorite one will be $65 and right back in the reasonable price range.

Guess who will be getting a toddler bed for an early birthday present.

Finally got Hailey to roll for the camera.

Hailey Video 4 - Rolling

Hailey rolled over today! Yay Hailey!

She was watching Nathan playing with his toys while I was making breakfast. Her head was up off the floor and she was turning it all around to watch him play. When he moved out of her sight, she rolled over to be able to keep watching him. It scared her and she cried, lol. I flipped her back on her tummy so she wouldn't be scared anymore, but she rolled right back on her back! I'm excited for her that she's learning to use her little body better.

I'm going to try to catch it on video if I can. Nate's not feeling well and is being extra needy, so who knows if I'll get a chance today. *sigh*

I gave Nate peanut butter for the first time today. I made him eat it sitting next to me and the phone, lol. If he looked so much as blotchy, I was calling 9-1-1. It's been an hour and nothing so far. I don't think he's allergic to peanuts. Still making him sit in a chair next to me, just in case.

In other news, I found a picture of Nate and I when he was about the age Hailey is now. Not exactly news that Nate and Hailey look alike (I think everyone knows that by now, lol). But I noticed how different I look. What a difference a year and a half can make. I barely look like the same person these days.

Today was Hailey's Open House. Thanks to everybody that came! It was good to see everyone and to get to visit for awhile. Also, thanks again for all of the gifts. I'll try to get the actual thank you cards mailed out next week.

I posted pictures from the Open House in Hailey's picture folder. Click here to check them out.

Here are a couple of my favorites.

My six week checkup was today.

I wanted to share a few stories about the kids before I completely forget about them.

We took Nate to the mall to pick up the JCP pictures a few weeks ago. There was one of those ride-in toys that you put change in and it moves around. He sat in it and loved making his own sound effects and whatnot. I dug around for some change to get it started for him, assuming he would like it better when it moved... not at all! He freaked right out as soon as it started up and wanted me to hold him the entire time it was on. He wouldn't let me even stand too close to the toy train.

Nate is starting to talk a lot more to where you can understand it these days. I think one of my favorites is "night-night" when it's bedtime. He's also started asking "Where is it?" when something is not in its usual place.

Nate is a very good big brother to Hailey. He absolutely adores her! All throughout the day, he randomly comes up to give her hugs and kisses or to sit by her. He still brings her her blankie, too. One of the cute things he's started is to bring her her bottle or his sippy cup when she cries because he knows she wants a "drink". He's tried to feed her some of his food (mostly crackers) a few times, too, so I'm keeping a close eye on that!

Hailey has started smiling and cooing. She is such a sweet baby - just like Nate. It's nice to feel like she's happy to see me when I go to pick her up. She's also starting to spend more time awake during the day. We're starting to get one 4-5 hour stretch of sleep at night and those nights are awesome! Hopefully we'll continue to get more sleep at night.

Well, it's official. Hailey has outgrown her newborn stuff. With her being our last baby, I was hoping she'd stay little longer. She's getting big so fast (3 month size already?!) and the time is just flying by.

Nate is also still growing like a weed. He's about to make the jump from 24 month size to 2T. Yes, that's right, no more infants' sizes - it's all toddler for him - and he won't even be 2 (24 months) until July.

I'm glad the kids are healthy and growing, I just wish they'd stay my little babies for awhile. I have a feeling I'm going to blink and they'll be 18. *sigh*

Happy 1 month birthday to Hailey!!! That was a really quick month! I blame it on February being short.

I added some new pictures of the kids today. Nate got to hold Hailey for the first time and it was adorable! When I tried to take her back, he reached for her and wanted her again, lol. I'm glad he likes her. I hope that continues as they get older.



In other news, I get to pick up my JCP reorders tomorrow! I can't wait!

I get to pick up more pictures on Friday. The one I'm the most excited about was not on the original shoot - I had them alter it for me when I picked up the first prints.

Hailey had her 2 week well baby visit today.

Hailey's no longer "failure to thrive" since she regained her birth weight (YAY!!!).

Everything else is looking good so far, too. She has some dry skin, but apparently it's from baking a long time (which is why Nate didn't have it). Dr. Gould said the longer the baby bakes, the worse the dry skin usually is. It doesn't hurt and it'll go away on its own.

It's pretty neat that Hailey is built like Nate. He's always been on the long and skinny side and it looks like she will be, too. I'm still glad she didn't end up with the bad jaundice like Nate. She would have had the same weight issues, but we already knew about my milk problems and avoided that.

We'll be picking up Hailey's professional newborn pictures on March 3rd. Birth announcements will be mailed at some point after that. I'll try to get the pictures scanned/posted as soon as I can and will post the online link for everyone, too. We're only doing wallet-size with the announcements, so if you want to order your own copies, feel free!

Hailey had a weight check today.

Hailey had a weight check today.

Hailey's umbilical cord fell off today! She has a very cute little belly button.

She has another weight check tomorrow so wish us luck! I think it will go well since she's eating tons and wetting diapers now. She also looks way better - hardly a tint of yellow left at all.

In Nate news, he is doing really well so far. He really likes to help with Hailey. Anytime she cries, he checks on her and makes sure we know she's crying. He banged on the bathroom door today while I was in there because Hailey started to cry. As soon as I came out, he went running to the baby and pointed at her. It was pretty cute. He also brings her her blankie all the time. I guess because his blankie always makes him feel better, he thinks she needs hers, too.

Cute Nate thing of the day - while I was changing Hailey, I told Nate she was "stinky". He opened her baby wipes and gave me one, lol. It's funny he knows that wipes are for when you're "stinky" and he wanted to help. He is such a good kid!

Hailey had a weight check and bilirubin test today.

Hailey had her first well baby visit today.

Dr. Vered came in between 8:30-9 am to check where I was at and break my water - we were 4 cm and 50% on Monday - still at 4 cm but 70% effaced when they broke my water.

The nurse checked me an hour later and we were already at 6 cm and 90% effaced. She said that labor was "just chugging along!" so she'd be in to check me sooner than usual. She also decided to hook up the pitocin on the lowest setting in case we'd need it around this point. Labor was moving along just fine on its own so we didn't really end up doing the pit (YAY!!!! )

About 30 minutes later, she came to check me again - 7 cm, 90% effaced. She said it "wouldn't be long now" and she'd be back soon. Well, she wasn't gone another 30 minutes and I was getting a SERIOUS urge to push. It was coming exactly when my contractions were starting so I decided to buzz the nurse. At this point, I'm thinking there's no way I dilated 3 cm in less than 30 minutes, but the urge to push is killing me! The nurse came in around 11 am and I told her about wanting to push. She checked me and sure enough - fully dilated and effaced, the baby's head was right there and ready! Now we just had to call Dr. Vered and get him over to the hospital.

Dr. Vered arrived and told me it was ok to push (finally!!!). Hailey was born on the very first contraction I was allowed to push on! There were about 3 pushes during that contraction, a total of less than 5 minutes and the baby was born (along with the placenta). No tears, no stitches!

The cord was around Hailey's neck at birth so she was a little blue at first, but she pinked up quickly and hasn't had any breathing problems or anything. Her pediatrician saw her this morning and said "she's perfect!".

We had another prenatal checkup today!

My sugar levels are still looking fine and I still haven't gained anymore weight. My blood pressure was looking good today after resting, yay!

Also, we have made quite a bit of progress in the last week! We're up to 4 cm dilated. That old joke about asking for "drugs" as soon as you get in the door... well, at our hospital you have to be 4-5 cm to get the epidural, so I really could get it, LOL.

Due to being this far along and dilated so much, the doctor has decided to induce us. Just a few more days left! I can hardly believe we'll be holding our little girl so soon!

We had yet another NST today. Usually they are pretty quick and not that bad to sit through. Today, however, Hailey decided to sleep instead of moving at all and I got to stay hooked up to monitors for over 2 hours instead of the usual 30 minutes. I'm glad she did finally start moving because I was starting to get worried about her...

In happier news, my blood pressure was down to 122/66 today, which is way better than it has been lately. Hoping that part stays good.

In Nathan news - he was in a car accident last night with Jodi and Sharol. No one was hurt, but they were all pretty badly shaken up. Everyone had a pretty good scare over that. Stupid teenager wasn't paying attention and rear-ended them - big surprise, right? Teenagers are known for being responsible drivers - or not. Here's a shot of the damage - and yes, the back of the car literally fell off and had to be put in the trunk just to get it towed off the road.

We had another prenatal checkup today!

So, Hailey is NOT huge. She's actually a little small. I'm told she's "normal size" for her gestational age. They estimate her to be 5 lbs 12 oz (just a little under 6 lbs) and that she'll be a healthy 6 lb baby when she makes her way into the world. They did say it was hard to get her measurements because of the fluid, so she might already be 6 lbs. Again, I'm told this is "normal" and she should be just fine.

Between my blood pressure and them wanting to keep a close eye on Hailey, I'm being moved to twice weekly NSTs instead of just weekly like I've been doing. I scheduled the rest of them right up until my due date to make sure I got my favorite appt time for all of them.

The exciting news is how much progress we've made this past week! The doctor and nurse said that I should have Hailey within the next two weeks, maybe even next week. I'm a little scared about how small she seems, but also feeling very ready to meet our little girl (which, by the way, is definitely a girl, we checked again.).

Prenatal checkup today!

+0 (24 total)
Blood pressure: 132/78 (ok)
Baby's HB: 140's+

I was happy to see that I haven't gained any weight, yay! I also got my GBS results today - negative .

Other than that, we talked a little bit about the ultrasound on Monday. Since I haven't gained but Hailey keeps getting bigger, they're checking her for excess fluid and also her size (oh, and gender, just because I'm a freak ). They are estimating she's 7 lbs+ and want to check to make sure.

If she's really big, we get to discuss induction/c-section options. I already made it known that I am more for induction than c-section because of my whole fear-of-sharp-objects thing. Still hoping for going into labor on my own, but what will be, will be.

Blood pressure checkup today!

We went to Carter's tonight to get some more stuff for Nate. He grows SO fast, and I don't when I'll have a chance to get out there again, so we picked up a few things in the next size up. I can't believe he's in 24 months sizes and we're buying 2T. Where did my baby go???

Anyway, got a great deal between their sale and my coupon! We got $140 worth of stuff for about $60! That's pretty awesome!

Happy 9th month to us!!!

There are 29 days until your due date.
You are 251 days pregnant.
You are 8.2 months pregnant.
You are in your 9th month of pregnancy.

Wow, 9th month! It really won't be long now!

I think we pretty much have everything done that really needs to be done for Hailey. Of course I'd still like to make sure the house is absolutely spotless and all of that...

Baby Checklist so far:
*bassinet
*bassinet mattress
*bassinet bedding
*newborn diapers
*take home outfit
*blankie made by mommy
*carseat all washed and put together again
*baby sling washed and packed
*hospital bag packed

Things left to do:
install carseat base in car
stock up on more diapers
buy more bottles
buy formula

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Sugar levels are still looking fine. Blood pressure was not so great. I've got to go back in a few days just for a BP check. We're keeping an eye on it in case pre-e sets in.

In exciting news, my cervix is all soft and I'm starting to dilate!!! That doesn't necessarily mean labor will be soon, but at least it's progress.

We will schedule an ultrasound at my next appointment since Hailey is consistently measuring a little big. I'm excited to see my little girl again! I bet she's all cute and chubby by now.

I posted some more Nathan pictures in his 18 month folder. I've really been slacking on pictures of Nate lately and I fear it'll only get worse after Hailey gets here. Just so tired and busy these days! Anyway, enjoy the new pics.

I'll try to get a new baby bump pic to post tomorrow with our 35-36 week prenatal checkup info.

Sleeping Nate and Mommy's baby belly!

Nate's 15th and 16th teeth broke through!

With all of the excitement around here, I forgot to post about Nate's new teeth. I found them while brushing his teeth Friday night (the 16th). He's been super cranky and not sleeping well so I figured he was teething. These are his top canines - the last teeth before his two year molars. It'll be nice to get a teething break! I can't wait until he is done with teething altogether.

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Sugar levels are still looking fine. Blood pressure was back to looking good (yay!). I only gained 1 lb in the last two weeks, so that's also very good. I'm still on target for the "normal" range of weight gain and I am happy with that.

Hailey is still head down but not quite engaged just yet. As long as she's not breech, fine with me! I got a size estimate on her today - they think she's over 5 lbs. She's a little big but within the "normal" range. If she had to be born sometime soon, she should be fine. That's a huge relief!

We're moving to every week ob appts instead of just every week NSTs. I've got my GBS test next week and then we get to start checking dilation/effacement. Can't believe we'll be 9th month next week! This baby is coming soon!

Tyler and I (with Nathan in tow) went to Babies "R" Us tonight to pick up the rest of the items we needed for Hailey. Our registry is looking pretty bare, which is good! Only a few more things we'll need to pick up at some point after she's born, but we are SET for her arrival. It feels good to be able to say that.

Now that I got the bag Hailey and I will be sharing (which will be her diaper bag), no more excuses on not being packed. Gotta get all my crap together and stick it in the bag. I can't believe we're so far along and that she'll be here so soon!

A list of tonight's loot:
Pack 'n Play Mattress
(2) Yellow Pack 'n Play Sheets
(2) Green Pack 'n Play Sheets
Carseat strap covers (Pink/White)
Carseat bunting (Pink/White)
Large Diaper Bag (Pink)
Travel Baby Wipes Container (Pink)
Baby Book (Girl)
(2) Green Crib Sheets (For Nathan)
Green Changing Pad Cover
Yellow Changing Pad Cover

Head Circumference: 18 something (45%)

Our son is a bit of a moose. I knew he'd had a growth spurt due to him outgrowing all of his clothes, but I hadn't guessed just how big he'd gotten. No wonder my back is killing me from lugging him around!

All milestones are doing well. I was concerned about his speech again, but he's right where he ought to be. Ahead physically, but I'm never worried that he's not active enough, lol.

Nate surprised us all as the doctor was examining him. Here I am telling Dr. Gould that I'm afraid that Nate is behind because he doesn't talk much or combine words hardly at all... and Nate gets all mad about being examined, pushes the doctor and yells "Go away!". I just sat there shocked for a minute and then the doctor asks me "Did he just tell me to go away?" and we both laugh. So, apparently Nate talks just fine, when he feels like it.

Other than that, no shots today. He gets one more at his 24 month (2 year) checkup and then he's done until kindergarten!

Happy half-birthday to Nate! He turned 18 months today.

We didn't do much to celebrate, but we did take Nate to get his hair cut again. I can't believe how quickly it grew out! He did really well sitting still to get his hair cut. He's growing up so much these days.

I posted some pictures in his brand new 18 month folder.

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Well, today could have gone better. My blood pressure is up again, which I think is directly related to me having to see Stand-In Doctor because it was 119/67 just a week ago (without having to see her)... I'm spilling some protein, which is still within normal range (for now), but is something to keep an eye on.

Stand-In Doctor was even more charming today than usual, which is saying something. After all the rude remarks, my patience is seriously wearing thin and I cannot stand that woman!!! It made today extra "special" that I got to learn that my doctor is STILL not back and now will likely NOT be the one delivering me. You guessed it - I'm probably stuck having Stand-In Doctor with me in the delivery room. I am pretty upset (Ok, SERIOUSLY UPSET) and not sure what to do now. I didn't choose this woman to deliver me and I would rather have a stranger there than her!!!

Other than that, I'm on weekly NSTs until the end of this pregnancy. Today's NST went fine. Hailey is looking great (a little big) and my sugar levels are still fine.

I have a super cute Nate story I wanted to share . He LOVES his Elmo Live and thinks it's real. He tries to feed it animal crackers and everything...

Well, yesterday we were watching Sesame Street and it got to the Elmo's World part. Elmo was asking about penguins and said he wanted to learn more about penguins. Nate went and got the penguin book he got for Christmas, brought it to Elmo Live and started showing him all the pictures. I swear, for every one of those hard toddler moments, he has so many nice moments where he cracks me up!

Happy (almost) New Year! I can't believe our little Nathan will be 18 months (1 1/2) in a week and Hailey will be here soon. The time really flies!

Posted a couple more bump pictures. A friend pointed out that we're more in the "mountain" stage than "bump" stage now, lol. Seriously, it does kind of look like I've got a ball or something under my shirt!

I got to go for a drive in the "lovely" snow storm we're having. The roads are hell - I don't recommend going out unless you really need to. As it turned out, I needed to go to Labor and Delivery.

I'm having unexplained bleeding and they are putting me on bed rest until further notice. I don't know if this is going to be temporary or for the duration of the pregnancy. I'm not supposed to be up and about and I'm not allowed to pick Nate up.

The only good news is that I'm not dilating and my blood pressure is back down to 119/67. So, if it weren't for the bleeding, things would be looking great.

Happy 8th month to us!!!

Wow, 8th month! Nathan was born 5 weeks from this point. That really makes this all feel more real and like it will be happening SOON! I'm still hoping we'll make it to full-term (37 weeks), but even that is a little less than 6 weeks away. Time to get moving and get things ready for this baby!

***

Me, officially in my 8th month! The heartburn kills the whole smiling idea, but oh well.

It's official. Nate does NOT like snow. He thinks it's perfectly fine to look at from inside the house, or even outside if he's all bundled up and you're carrying him, but the moment he *might* touch snow, not interested anymore. I don't know if he'll grow into the snow later on or if this is just one of those things that is what it is. The look of disgust on his little face when he discovered that snow was cold made me smile because my Grandma Jones HATES snow. Looks like Nate might have inherited that sentiment, lol.

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Well, I'm still looking pre-eclampsia free! I lost a few pounds due to the oh-so-lovely stomach flu that we've all had, but the doctor says the baby should be fine. She is measuring right where she should be and had a good strong heart rate like usual. She's also a bit of a moody baby - if you try to get her heart rate, she kicks the monitor like you're bothering her, lol. Reminds me of Nate.

Nate is sick. He's been throwing up all night and just plain feels awful. It's hard not being able to make everything all better for him. We're just cuddling him a whole lot and trying to get him to drink his Pedialyte. I hope he's feeling better soon! This on top of teething... poor little guy.

I've got some kind of cold, but so far, no throwing up. Hoping it stays mild like this so that I can take good care of Nate! I can't be at my mommy best if I end up throwing up everywhere, too...

At least these things usually only last a few days and everyone should be feeling better for Christmas!

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Well, my blood pressure is high. They checked it twice, about an hour apart, just to be sure. It didn't come down AT ALL. So, they're running blood work to check for pre-eclampsia. I should have the results tomorrow. I'm also on every week appointments until further notice. I'm supposed to "rest as much as possible" and they mentioned the dreaded "bed rest" as a possibility if my blood pressure isn't looking better by next week.

In happier news, my blood sugar levels are looking fine. Supposed to continue as I've been doing. Also, Hailey is looking good! She was kicking the doppler and having a great time today. She had a growth spurt, though. They're going to watch her carefully so she doesn't get TOO big.

Feeling nervous about the whole pre-e thing and hoping the results are good tomorrow.

I was thinking about Christmas cards and how I wanted to do a picture for them like last year... probably don't have time now...

Anyway! Here's our picture of Nate from last year:


And a picture of Nate from today:


I can't believe how much he's changed in a year! He's growing up so fast!

I haven't had an all-about-Nate post in awhile, so here we go!

Nate will be 17 months tomorrow. I can't believe how grown up he's getting! He loves to "help" with everything from getting himself dressed to picking up his toys to cleaning the house. I'm hoping this is a habit that will stick... at least until his teen years where he decides that seeing the floor of his room is no longer necessary.

He's gotten very good at helping with some things - like picking up toys and dressing/undressing. He puts his arms up to take shirts off and he hands me the arm/leg I need to get shirts/pants on or his car seat straps buckled. He's gotten to where he tries to put his own clothes on, but hasn't actually accomplished it yet. Undressing himself is getting easier for him, though!

Nate is loving all of the Christmas decorations around the house. He's figured out how to turn the mini singing snowman and penguins on/off and plays it to his amusement off and on all day. He also likes to look out the windows in the evening when the outside stuff kicks on. Sometimes I bundle him up to go touch the air-blown snowman/penguins.

Toy-wise, blocks and toy cars/trains are his favorites these days - along with anything that has lights/music. He's very into building towers out of his blocks. He's gotten to where he likes to connect his towers to other things (like whatever Ty or I have built for him). He's also enjoying crashing one toy car/train into another - gets big laughs every time. It's neat watching the way his mind works.

Language-wise, his new favorite words are "Uh oh", "Please" and "No". Anytime he drops something or his block tower falls over, it's "uh oh", and he's connected "please" with wanting us to get him something or help him with something. I get a lot of "please" for putting toys together after he's taken them apart, or wanting a drink refill or snack.

I guess it's pretty common for "no" to become a favorite word at some point. It's actually pretty cute most of the time because he shakes his head while he says it to me. It's hard not to laugh, even when it's getting irritating.

Nate's favorite physical skill (besides climbing EVERYHING, which is NOT new) is jumping! He will suddenly stand still and then just start hopping up and down. It makes him laugh like crazy and it's really funny to watch. It keeps us both amused. It reminds me of when he was a tiny little thing and we got him the jumperoo. He LOVED jumping so much and it looks like he's found that same joy now that he can do it anytime he wants.

He's such a little boy these days that it's hard to connect him to the newborn pictures of the tiny baby we brought home almost a year and a half ago... There are certainly some challenging times (the word "no" comes to mind!), but we love him to pieces are are very grateful to have him in our lives.

My nesting urges are definitely kicking in! I've gotten a TON of cleaning done this week. And all I want to do is get more done. I'm washing all of Hailey's things again because I had forgotten that babies need the special detergent (Dreft) and had used our regular stuff. I also took apart Nate's old baby carrier to wash the pads. Once the pads are dry, I get to change all the settings to newborn again!

Anybody know if you can have a pack 'n play/bassinet dry cleaned??? It certainly won't fit in the wash but I want it clean, too!

I also need to see about packing my hospital bag. I don't plan on packing all that much, but if I start it now, I have plenty of time to remember any little things I've forgotten.

It's really not that much longer until the baby could be here, and I'll feel SO much better knowing that we've got her bed set up and all of that.

I survived my "GD checkup" with the stand-in doctor today. My numbers are looking fine, even on the days I forgot my pills that help my body recognize its own insulin. I was told that having GD means that I should not be able to eat the amounts of carbs/sugar that I am eating and still have fine sugar levels, but I DO have fine sugar levels. If my numbers are still fine next week, I get to quit poking my fingers so much. Yay!!!!!

Nate's 13th and 14th teeth broke today!

Two down, two to go. He's much less cranky now that he's teething two instead of four. He slept today, without a huge battle, for the first time in over a week!!!

***
Also added a few new Nathan pictures from last week. Almost time for a 17 month folder. Where does the time go?

Well, I'm still surviving! The finger poking is not as horrible as I had imagined. Mostly because the tips of my fingers are almost numb from being used so much for crocheting/typing/etc. Nice having spots that hardly feel the jab. Makes life easier.

Also, my blood sugar numbers have all been fine so far. I'm averaging 80-110 most of the time. It's looking like this gestational diabetes thing is really not that bad (yet). I'm hoping I can keep it managed well and Hailey will be just fine! It helps to keep reminding myself that any unpleasantness is only for a few more months and then we'll have our baby girl!

They gave me a glucose monitor, but I haven't met with the diabetes lady yet. SO, I had no idea what my numbers are supposed to be or any of that. I looked it up online and just about every site has a different opinion. Not exactly helpful.

From what I can tell, your "two hours after eating" numbers are supposed to be under the 130-140 range. Mine have been 118 and 114 so far, so I *think* that's good. It'll be nice when I meet the woman that's supposed to explain all this crap, though.

Got my glucose results.

1st draw - 90-something (normal)
2nd - "elevated" 223, had to be <180
3rd - "elevated" 181, had to be <160
4th - 60-something (LOW)

Considering I'm insulin resistant, that makes sense. BUT, apparently some doctors can't tell the difference between insulin resistance and diabetic, so "maybe" having gestational diabetes, they're going to make me do all of the diabetic bulls*** anyway. I'm pretty pissed about it. I'm thinking if my regular doctor was around (and hadn't broken her stupid ankle) I would NOT be dealing with this right now. This stupid other doctor, I do not like her AT ALL, and she has no idea what the hell IR even is, so JOY. Having to explain what PCOS and IR are is always a "good sign" and puts me in a "confident" mood to begin with.

Happy Third Trimester to us!!!

We've made it to the "final stretch" of pregnancy. Hoping she stays put another 9 weeks at least, but it really won't be long now until we're holding our new baby girl!

I took my 3 hr GTT today. My arms HURT from all the blood drawing this week, but I'm reminding myself it's for a good cause. We'll have the results on Monday. Hoping against hope that I'll pass... but mentally trying to prepare myself for failing and having to learn the diabetic lifestyle for the remainder of the pregnancy. My comforting thought in all of this is that even if I fail, it's only a few months of being miserable and then I'll have a HEALTHY baby girl to show for it.

Glucose results - 156. It had to be under 139 to pass. They're making me do the 3 hr test tomorrow. I get to spend 4 hours (yes, 4) getting blood drawn 4 times and having to drink another sugary drink, after not eating anything. I'm going to feel like hell and want to die. Can't wait!

We had another prenatal checkup today!

Things are looking good so far. I get the results of my glucose tolerance test tomorrow, along with my anemia results. No problems or concerns right now. My blood pressure was slightly higher than usual today, but we're pretty sure that my huge fear of needles had something to do with that.

We're moving to having appointments every THREE weeks instead of four now. Count down until D-Day has begun.

Nathan had his first ever dentist appointment today. No cavities! He did well for the most part, and only got scared when they were making him lie still to count his teeth. He really enjoyed the tooth cleaning, though! We confirmed he has 12 teeth (which we already knew) and found out that he's teething 4 more right now! Poor little guy is feeling pretty miserable and now we know why. I'm glad he's not getting sick and it's just teeth, but teething is still pretty hard on everyone.

Tyler and I also had dental checkups today. I'm cavity-free and my teeth and gums look healthy and strong. Always good to know. Good gum health is especially important during pregnancy because certain kinds of gingivitis can cause pre-term labor. I can breathe easy knowing I'm in the clear!

The baby shower for Daniel was today. He is so tiny and cute in person!

Mary Ann gave us her girls' old clothes and holy cow! There are TONS of baby clothes! Major thanks. I'll be sure to find homes for anything we can't use.

***
I almost forgot. We're down to less than 100 days to go now!!!

Less than a week left until 3rd trimester, yikes!

Shh, I know what Santa is bringing Nathan!

Elmo Live is the "it" toy this year and is supposed to be really hard to get. If any of you are planning on getting one for that special little person in your life, you'll want to ask Santa for it now rather than later! And make sure you let him know that Toys "R" Us was having a sale on them.

We took Nate with us toy hunting over the weekend and he loved looking at all the toys! Elmo Live and Leapfrog's Alphabet Pal were very popular as were a few other things. I was surprised at Nate's interest in one toy, though:

Yes, that's right. He thought this creepy-looking T-rex was awesome! I never would have picked it out as something Nate would like - guess you learn something new every day.

"Your little grower’s physical proportions are evening out at this point and most of their remaining development will largely be weight gain and lots and lots of nervous system development. The good news is: if your child is born premature now they’ll be more likely to survive without too much trauma as their lungs began to produce “surfactant” last week, which means their tiny respiratory system is getting stronger with each passing day. Yes, now’s a good time for a minor sigh of relief and a quick pat on the back. All that hard work and conscientious living is really getting your child prepared for a healthy delivery. Keep up the fabulous work mama! This week they’ll be scootching slowly out of the old breech position and start rotating (already!) into a better position for exit during their birth. Their head and feet are slowly rotating so that the head is pointed down towards the birth canal. Time is short (or really long, depending on who you ask) - "just (still!) 15 weeks left before you can go back to being a single-resident human."

Here's to celebrating the "point of viability"! Of course, we want Hailey to stay put at least another 11 weeks (which is when Nathan was born!), but it's good to know we are getting closer to a healthy baby!

Nate and I were going to walk down to vote today, but it's been raining/snowing all day, so we drove. It was cold enough driving!

Nate did really well at the voting place. He tried to take my electronic ticket to vote because it apparently looks neat... But then he stood there and pulled things out of my purse while I voted.

Anyhoo, we both got our "I Voted!" stickers, so mission accomplished.

I just have to say how SUPER psyched I am that Barack Obama is our next President!!!

I'm feeling very hopeful that the complete crapfest of the last 8 years will get fixed and things will be alright again. Major congrats to President-elect Obama and good luck!

I had the weirdest dream last night! I dreamt it was later in the year and I went into labor with Hailey. Since we were full term, they were letting us have her. After however many hours, they said they needed to do a c-section (which is a huge fear of mine!). And for some reason, my brain supplied the image of the doctor using an electric turkey carver to do the surgery. WTH? So, it was a terrifying dream until I woke up and was like "A turkey carver?!". It goes on the weird dream list, yep.

Nathan was sick all day , but seemed to be feeling better by this evening.

This is Nathan's jack-o-lantern that Tyler and I carved for him tonight. He thought it was really neat, which made us happy. He's such a sweet little kid!

Congrats to Kelly and Chris on their new little girl!

Lilian was born October 27th at 4:27 pm.
She was 6 lbs 13 oz and 17 inches long.

We had another prenatal checkup today!

We went over our ultrasound results from our last appointment and everything is looking good! Hailey is a little big, but only by a few days, so it's nothing to worry about. She was already weighing 1 lb a month ago, though, and that is a little on the heavy side. She might end up being a chubby bubby like Nate was. Hoping to avoid induction at this point, but as long as Hailey is healthy and doing well, we'll do what needs to be done.

I got my glucose drink to take home. I can't believe I'm already up to doing the glucose test! That's a third trimester thing and I get to do it at my next appt. Holy cow, time just keeps getting away from me!

I posted a new "bump picture". I've REALLY started to round out in the last month. No wonder my Halloween costume was so dang tight in the belly! At least it fit.

We've got another prenatal checkup tomorrow. I can't wait to see how much Hailey's grown in the last month! She's quite the active kicker these days, even waking me up sometimes. She reminds me a lot of Nathan when she decides that a full bladder is the perfect target for kicking practice. She even favors the same side of my belly to "hang out" that Nathan did. Pretty neat!

There are 125 days until your due date.
You are 155 days pregnant.
You are 5.1 months pregnant.
You are in your 6th month of pregnancy.

We've officially completed our 5th month and are working on the 6th now. That means only one more month until we start our third trimester (and will be 2/3 done!!!). Holy crap! Can this one really be that close to being done baking already?! Where does the time go?

The Halloween party was a hit! I've got pictures posted now if you want to go check them out.

Halloween Party Pictures - 2008!
Pumpkin Burning '08!

I was rocking Nathan and his Blankie to help him fall asleep for naptime today. Hailey started kicking and Nate was feeling it! When she'd kick, he'd sit up and look at me like "Why are you poking me?". Then he'd lie back down. He did eventually fall asleep but it was so cute! It was a really nice way to spend some time this afternoon.

Nathan got his first haircut tonight!!! I took him to my usual place and he really liked my usual hairdresser. She's a nice lady and loves kids!

He looks so much older without all his hair. I'm sure part of this is pregnancy hormones, but I feel so sad that he's growing up and doesn't have his "baby hair" anymore!

Well, it's looking like the "end" of my morning sickness was more a "break" than an end. I've been feeling horrible for about a week or so now. I'm back to being nauseous ALL THE TIME. If I eat, I feel like I'm going to throw up. If I don't eat, I feel like I'm going to throw up. It's pleasant, really.

I was hoping it would go away in a few days (stomach bug or something?), but some of my friends that have had little girls have made sure to let me know that is it probably NOT going away. I guess having constant morning sickness is a byproduct of having a little girl? Couldn't I just trade it for more stretch marks?!?

Nate likes to carry people's keys around all the time so I made him his own keyring. It started with just one key, that didn't go to anything. He's now going around the house and bringing loose keys he finds to Tyler and I. He's up to 7-8 keys now. 

Nate takes his keys and tries them on the front and back doors of the house. He knows the doors are locked, so he is trying to unlock them and go outside.

Congrats to Pete and Mary Ann on their new little boy!

Posted by Pete yesterday:

"

They are the molars on the left side - one up, one down. He now has his four middle teeth on top, four middle teeth on the bottom, two left molars and two right molars. Not much he can't chew at this point! Hoping now that the teeth have broken, he will mellow out and go back to being our happy baby that takes naps! This anti-napping stuff has been really hard on me lately. I'm pretty tired and sore already this pregnancy...

Oh, I also forgot to update this, but Nate's been completely bottle-free for almost a week.

We've been gradually weaning him since he turned one and he was down to just the nighttime bottle. Now he's been doing NO bottles and seems to be fine with it. I can't believe how many "baby things" he's put behind him! Potty training will be next, but probably not for awhile. The pediatrician says most kids aren't ready until 18 months+ (1 1/2 yrs old), so January?

We had another prenatal checkup today!

We FINALLY had our ultrasound today. Everything with the baby is looking great! We also got to peek at the gender.

I finished Nate's costume tonight! All that's left is to hand sew some hooks on for closing the hood and the belly. The belly covers the zipper on the costume so he looks more dragon-like, lol. I'll try to get pictures sometime soon. I've been beyond busy lately, especially with Ty out of town.

Next (and last, yay!) item on the list is my costume. I'll be starting it tomorrow. I've got until October the 18th (the Halloween party) to get it done, so I should be safe on time.

Halloween costume update! Tyler's was finished ages ago and I've been working on Nate's. I completed the main part tonight. It's been a lot more work than I was expecting, but it's turning out so cute! All I have left to finish is the hood.

He gets this serious face if we're not holding Blankie just the way he left us with it, too, LOL.

***
Blankie survived surgery. Here's a pic of Blankie post-op, lol.


***
I added a 14 month folder of Nathan pictures today. Also, there is a new video of Nate making "piggy noises"! He snorts and it's so dang cute! He's the quiet snorting sound - I'm making the loud ones.

I finished the rest of Tyler's costume today! I just need to measure him so it fits properly. I get to start Nathan's dragon costume next. Still a little intimidated by making my first baby costume. Hoping the pattern won't be too difficult to figure out.

In other news, Mynx will be finding a new home as of tomorrow. She has not adjusted well to Nathan and it is only getting worse. She is chewing EVERYTHING - including important pieces to our new pool, Nathan's bottles/toys, etc. Enough is enough! Hoping the Humane Society finds her a good home without children to be jealous of.

Today I made Nathan some pillows! He's been wadding up his blanket and things to use as a pillow so I figured it was time he had some pillows of his own.

I had an extra window valance left over from when we bought his nursery set so I cut the animals off of it and stitched them onto pillows that I made. Now the new pillows match his nursery perfectly! I'll get some pictures uploaded later so everyone can see them.

***

In Nate news, we moved his car seat to the forward-facing position today. Nate is pretty excited about getting to see more while we drive. He seems to really like that he can see us now, too. He just looks so grown up sitting there like a little boy instead of a baby!

I finished the top to Tyler's Halloween costume today. Now I have to get started on the pants and get Nate's costume going. So much to do! Glad I'm starting early, though.

Our ticker that's counting down to Baby #2's arrival has moved over to the 4th month, wow! We've reached the second trimester!!! The time really seems to be flying lately. We've still got a lot to get done before the baby gets here. Hoping we find time for it all. The "to do" list seems to be growing the more I think about it.