The people, they are coming. And I am getting very excited. The Fagg ladies will be here on Tuesday to start the madness. We don't have any big plans except a baseball game. I'm sure we will eat and gab like we normally do.
August is going to be a busy month all around. It makes me happy because the time will pass by quickly. I really really want to get through August without any pregnancy-related drama. September 3rd will be the same point this time around that I delivered Bennett last time. That's the medium-term goal at the moment. My short-term goal is 28 weeks and at least 2 lbs. Stats for survival and disability start to improve drastically at that point. We have another growth scan on Tuesday. Think fat baby and normal-sized head thoughts for us!
I am having the same back pain as I did with Bennett. Not the HELLP pain, but the pain around my left bra strap. It makes me so crazy some days. My doctor thinks it is a pinched nerve and I tend to agree because in actually radiates numbness all around to my ribcage sometimes. I have invested in a body pillow which helps at night. A little bit of pre-natal yoga helps me relax a bit as well. And my mood is so variable from moment to moment. I feel terrible for Bernie some days because I can be a real drag. Ok, that's enough pregnancy complaining for one day. Unless Bernie wants to chime with some complaints of his own of course.
Bennett started his swimming lessons this week. We go twice for a half an hour each time. They are really affordable lessons offered by the city. He's obviously not old enough for extremely structured teaching, but they are fun. Bernie has been able to come the past two times so it's a family effort. We mostly sing and play which is perfect for a 20 month old.
I can't think of anything else very exciting. I will update Tuesday after our growth scan.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A Name, Sleep, and Summer
Today is our anniversary. We have been married for four years which seems a bit crazy. Our lives have changed enormously over that time, all for the better. I love you Bernie!
We got a babysitter last night to go out for dinner and after-dinner drinks and dessert. We decided to come back between the two events to put Bennett to bed since we figured our sitter would be unable to calm him down. Poor Bennett was very sad when we left and was difficult to comfort for the 1.5 hours we were gone. When he heard the garage door open when we came home he had a total meltdown. Big crocodile tears break Mom's heart. We cuddled with him, read a couple of books, and put him down for bed before going back out. We had a nice time out together and Bennett did not wake up to find us gone again.
To continue on the tangent of sleep, Bennett has been a champion lately. He goes to sleep at around 8:30 and I usually have to wake him up at 9am. Then he naps for 1.5-3 hours in the afternoon. I know it won't last long so I am enjoying it for the moment. He must be having a growth spurt or something. I'm sure we are in for early wake-ups again soon.
While we were out last night, we finally decided on a name. Baby girl will be Vivian Patricia. Her name means "full of life" and "vibrant" which is exactly how I feel about her. And of course Patricia is after my grandma, which was going to be her middle name no matter what.
I am finally getting to put in some volunteer time with the Preeclampsia Foundation. There is a baby expo coming up in Denver at the end of August and I am coordinating a PF booth for it. I have a few volunteers already and am hoping to start the grant process soon. It will be a great end to a very exciting month around here. The Fagg's are here the first week, Bernie's parents have decided to come the second week, and Kristen and co. will be here the third week. I should probably take advantage of some serious relaxation time before all the madness begins.
We are in the midst of some very hot days around here. Most of them are 90+ and show no signs of letting up any time soon. It's often too hot for me to go out after 10am or so. I'm glad Bernie has been taking Bennett running again lately so he has some time outside and in the park. When he goes out with me, it's to somewhere with good air conditioning!
We got a babysitter last night to go out for dinner and after-dinner drinks and dessert. We decided to come back between the two events to put Bennett to bed since we figured our sitter would be unable to calm him down. Poor Bennett was very sad when we left and was difficult to comfort for the 1.5 hours we were gone. When he heard the garage door open when we came home he had a total meltdown. Big crocodile tears break Mom's heart. We cuddled with him, read a couple of books, and put him down for bed before going back out. We had a nice time out together and Bennett did not wake up to find us gone again.
To continue on the tangent of sleep, Bennett has been a champion lately. He goes to sleep at around 8:30 and I usually have to wake him up at 9am. Then he naps for 1.5-3 hours in the afternoon. I know it won't last long so I am enjoying it for the moment. He must be having a growth spurt or something. I'm sure we are in for early wake-ups again soon.
While we were out last night, we finally decided on a name. Baby girl will be Vivian Patricia. Her name means "full of life" and "vibrant" which is exactly how I feel about her. And of course Patricia is after my grandma, which was going to be her middle name no matter what.
I am finally getting to put in some volunteer time with the Preeclampsia Foundation. There is a baby expo coming up in Denver at the end of August and I am coordinating a PF booth for it. I have a few volunteers already and am hoping to start the grant process soon. It will be a great end to a very exciting month around here. The Fagg's are here the first week, Bernie's parents have decided to come the second week, and Kristen and co. will be here the third week. I should probably take advantage of some serious relaxation time before all the madness begins.
We are in the midst of some very hot days around here. Most of them are 90+ and show no signs of letting up any time soon. It's often too hot for me to go out after 10am or so. I'm glad Bernie has been taking Bennett running again lately so he has some time outside and in the park. When he goes out with me, it's to somewhere with good air conditioning!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Home Sweet Home
We got back from our vacation a couple of days ago. It was fun and also long. I was ready to get back home by the end. We spent 8 days in each state along with the drives. On the way to Great Falls, things went pretty well. But then Bennett got a cold and as a result the drive to North Dakota was rough on everyone. Poor boy ran a fever of 104+ the day before we left. The trip home was not bad, but I am ready to be done traveling for awhile. I will be happy if we stay in the area for some time to come. The DVD player was the key to some peace on the drives. Bennett loves his Gabba Gabba.
Bennett loved being with he grandparents and reveled in the attention. Grandma Ladawna gives him the run of the house and says no to very very little. We spent time with my family and of course all of my friends while in Great Falls. Seeing Sara and Mel's kids was a definite highlight. I can't believe how much all of us have grown up. I got to spend extra time with Amy and her family up in Seeley Lake where they have a cabin. My aunt Kathy watched Bennett while I spend 6 heavenly hours in Missoula. Oh how I miss that place. I keep telling Bernie that if a job opens up there, we must apply. North Dakota was also a good time. It was 100 degrees a couple of days, which is a bit much for me. Bennett went to the zoo and Bernie and I got to go on a really fun pontoon ride on the Missouri with some of Bernie's longtime friends. The only way it could have been better is if I was able to have more than a couple of sips of beer. The 4th of July was a noisy affair in Mandan. They allow basically all fireworks to be fired off within the city limits and Bismarck does not. So everyone comes over and shoots them off for most of the night. Luckily we had a good noise maker for Bennett. I don't know why, but fireworks do not interest me at all. If fact, I don't really like them. Party pooper.
My dad is how one would expect. We have been talking about a possible move to the former Downtowner for about a year now. It's a subsidized apartment building in Great Falls that serves meals. It's not an assisted living, but at least there would be people around and have food available. He was interested until I asked to take him on a tour. Then he told me he had changed his mind. His new plan is to travel around to all of the different relatives homes (his dad, me, his siblings) and stay for a couple of months before moving on. This from the man who couldn't deal with changing grocery shopping time from morning to afternoon. If that was too much a change in routine, I'm not sure how he will deal with that much constant change. And what about everyone else? My dad in the house with two young children? Blah. It wouldn't work anyway because you have to climb stairs to do anything here (maybe I did that subconsciously). I didn't have the guts to tell him at the time, but I wouldn't be able to stand having him in my house long-term. Piles of bibles everywhere.
He's probably a year or less away from a wheelchair, so reality is just around the corner
Our 23 week growth scan was the day after we got home. Baby girl weighed in at 1 lb. 3 oz. Her abdomen, arm, and leg were measuring right on, but her head was measuring 2 weeks behind (in the 2nd percentile). My MFM wasn't worried and thought it might be the position she was in. Or it might be that she just has a small head. Or it might be an ultrasound error and next time everything will be normal. I can't help but worry though. So now it's over three weeks until the next ultrasound. We are discussing names but haven't come up with anything yet.
Bernie's mom was planning to come down if and when Bernie goes on a fire this summer. Sometimes he goes out for 2 weeks at a time and I would want/need the help. But it doesn't look good for fires any time soon. I think she's going to come down this month anyway. She is bringing some fun outdoor toys for Bennett including the Flintstones car he liked. Visitors galore!
Bennett loved being with he grandparents and reveled in the attention. Grandma Ladawna gives him the run of the house and says no to very very little. We spent time with my family and of course all of my friends while in Great Falls. Seeing Sara and Mel's kids was a definite highlight. I can't believe how much all of us have grown up. I got to spend extra time with Amy and her family up in Seeley Lake where they have a cabin. My aunt Kathy watched Bennett while I spend 6 heavenly hours in Missoula. Oh how I miss that place. I keep telling Bernie that if a job opens up there, we must apply. North Dakota was also a good time. It was 100 degrees a couple of days, which is a bit much for me. Bennett went to the zoo and Bernie and I got to go on a really fun pontoon ride on the Missouri with some of Bernie's longtime friends. The only way it could have been better is if I was able to have more than a couple of sips of beer. The 4th of July was a noisy affair in Mandan. They allow basically all fireworks to be fired off within the city limits and Bismarck does not. So everyone comes over and shoots them off for most of the night. Luckily we had a good noise maker for Bennett. I don't know why, but fireworks do not interest me at all. If fact, I don't really like them. Party pooper.
My dad is how one would expect. We have been talking about a possible move to the former Downtowner for about a year now. It's a subsidized apartment building in Great Falls that serves meals. It's not an assisted living, but at least there would be people around and have food available. He was interested until I asked to take him on a tour. Then he told me he had changed his mind. His new plan is to travel around to all of the different relatives homes (his dad, me, his siblings) and stay for a couple of months before moving on. This from the man who couldn't deal with changing grocery shopping time from morning to afternoon. If that was too much a change in routine, I'm not sure how he will deal with that much constant change. And what about everyone else? My dad in the house with two young children? Blah. It wouldn't work anyway because you have to climb stairs to do anything here (maybe I did that subconsciously). I didn't have the guts to tell him at the time, but I wouldn't be able to stand having him in my house long-term. Piles of bibles everywhere.
He's probably a year or less away from a wheelchair, so reality is just around the corner
Our 23 week growth scan was the day after we got home. Baby girl weighed in at 1 lb. 3 oz. Her abdomen, arm, and leg were measuring right on, but her head was measuring 2 weeks behind (in the 2nd percentile). My MFM wasn't worried and thought it might be the position she was in. Or it might be that she just has a small head. Or it might be an ultrasound error and next time everything will be normal. I can't help but worry though. So now it's over three weeks until the next ultrasound. We are discussing names but haven't come up with anything yet.
Bernie's mom was planning to come down if and when Bernie goes on a fire this summer. Sometimes he goes out for 2 weeks at a time and I would want/need the help. But it doesn't look good for fires any time soon. I think she's going to come down this month anyway. She is bringing some fun outdoor toys for Bennett including the Flintstones car he liked. Visitors galore!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
We only have two more days left until our big triangle vacation. We are spending an extra few days in Great Falls to take a little side trip to Seeley Lake and Missoula. My aunt and her family (including my cousin Amy) have a cabin in Seeley where they basically live now. It's been years since I have been up there. And how I miss Missoula! I can't wait to just check out the town again for a day. It will be a busy trip as it usually is...many people to see in both places. I am nervous about how Bennett is going to do on the trip. We got a DVD player so there would be something else to entertain him in the car seat. I don't love sticking him in front of the TV, but 11-12 hours is a long time to be in the car.
Yo Gabba Gabba is coming to town in November. I will either be with a newborn or extremely pregnant, so I don't think I will be able to go. But I really want Bennett to go. I will have to continue to try and convince Bernie to take him. Kristen made it seem like a good show. And Bennett should be at about the right age to enjoy it.
Speaking of Kristen, she, Phil, and Ava are visiting in August. I can't wait! Visitors are my favorite. I will have to start putting together a list of things to do. Summer in Colorado is very nice and there are endless activities, so many that we haven't even started to do them all. I think breweries/wineries will have to be on the list.
Bernie and I are in the midst of discussing names. It was easy with Bennett because we already knew what we would name a boy before we even got married. Girl names are much more difficult. I have a long list of names I like and I'm not sure if Bernie likes any of them. I am still waiting on him for his list...
We hit 20 weeks tomorrow. It's hard to believe we are already halfway to a 40 week due date. I would be ecstatic to get within four weeks of that. There are big milestones to get through first. Four more weeks to "viability," 28 weeks for a 2 lb baby, 31 weeks when Bennett was born, 34 weeks for decent lung maturity, etc. I just need to breathe and take every day by itself. My anxiety level is high and affects my mood. Sometimes I wake up in a panic in the middle of the night. But there are no symptoms yet and I am trying to stay positive. We will have another ultrasound the first week in July, which will hopefully it will be reassuring.
I got a bit of stress relief last night. I had a mom's night out with some of my mom friends here. We went to dinner and a movie and had a lot of fun. It was nice to get out with a group of women without our children for an evening.
Yo Gabba Gabba is coming to town in November. I will either be with a newborn or extremely pregnant, so I don't think I will be able to go. But I really want Bennett to go. I will have to continue to try and convince Bernie to take him. Kristen made it seem like a good show. And Bennett should be at about the right age to enjoy it.
Speaking of Kristen, she, Phil, and Ava are visiting in August. I can't wait! Visitors are my favorite. I will have to start putting together a list of things to do. Summer in Colorado is very nice and there are endless activities, so many that we haven't even started to do them all. I think breweries/wineries will have to be on the list.
Bernie and I are in the midst of discussing names. It was easy with Bennett because we already knew what we would name a boy before we even got married. Girl names are much more difficult. I have a long list of names I like and I'm not sure if Bernie likes any of them. I am still waiting on him for his list...
We hit 20 weeks tomorrow. It's hard to believe we are already halfway to a 40 week due date. I would be ecstatic to get within four weeks of that. There are big milestones to get through first. Four more weeks to "viability," 28 weeks for a 2 lb baby, 31 weeks when Bennett was born, 34 weeks for decent lung maturity, etc. I just need to breathe and take every day by itself. My anxiety level is high and affects my mood. Sometimes I wake up in a panic in the middle of the night. But there are no symptoms yet and I am trying to stay positive. We will have another ultrasound the first week in July, which will hopefully it will be reassuring.
I got a bit of stress relief last night. I had a mom's night out with some of my mom friends here. We went to dinner and a movie and had a lot of fun. It was nice to get out with a group of women without our children for an evening.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Three Updates!
It's been awhile since I did three personal updates in one month. No guarantees that it will ever happen again, but there is never anything too exciting going on around here.
The weather has finally been breaking 80 degrees consistently in the past week. We have had a few water adventures so far. First, we took Bennett on his first boat ride while Bernie was fishing. He hated the life jacket of course. It was quite bulky and probably would have pissed me off as well. He also wasn't too happy with the confined space, but really enjoyed the live well. That is a well on the boat where you keep the fish until you are someplace to clean them. There were no fish that day but Bennett got to splash the water all over. We also got him a water table and there is a small pool from last year. He played with the water table, but the dog seemed to like the pool a bit more. She laid in the cold water while Bennett watched and laughed.
There are a few parks in Longmont that have outdoor water features. They are some kind of fountain usually that kids can run around it, sort of like a giant sprinkler. He absolutely loved that, so I'm sure we will return many times. I think we will try one of the outdoor pools this Tuesday. There are pictures documenting all of our water fun on Flickr.
Our summer vacation is rapidly approaching. In less than three weeks we will brave the drive to Great Falls, stay for a week, drive to North Dakota, stay for another week, and then drive home again. We haven't done this since Bennett was less than a year old, so it will be interesting to see how he does. We recently turned his car seat to forward facing, so that should help. At least he can look at something other than the back seat.
Bennett's 18 month appointment was this past week. Weight: 25 lbs 14 oz. Height: 32 inches. He's right in the 50th percentile for both. He was not a fan of the doctor or nurse and screamed every time they came in the room.
It seems we have finally fully transitioned to one nap. It has been a long transition (3 months or more). I think what finally helped was the black out curtains. It's like nighttime in that room all day long. Bennett would usually get up between 6 and 6:30. Post-black out curtains he usually sleeps until between 8 and 9. Naps are 1.5-2.5 hours. This new schedule as freed up quite a bit of time that we can be out doing play dates, etc. Then a new baby will come and we'll start all over!
The ultrasound is in 5 days. The longest 5 days of my life. I will be sure to update Friday after the appointment.
The weather has finally been breaking 80 degrees consistently in the past week. We have had a few water adventures so far. First, we took Bennett on his first boat ride while Bernie was fishing. He hated the life jacket of course. It was quite bulky and probably would have pissed me off as well. He also wasn't too happy with the confined space, but really enjoyed the live well. That is a well on the boat where you keep the fish until you are someplace to clean them. There were no fish that day but Bennett got to splash the water all over. We also got him a water table and there is a small pool from last year. He played with the water table, but the dog seemed to like the pool a bit more. She laid in the cold water while Bennett watched and laughed.
There are a few parks in Longmont that have outdoor water features. They are some kind of fountain usually that kids can run around it, sort of like a giant sprinkler. He absolutely loved that, so I'm sure we will return many times. I think we will try one of the outdoor pools this Tuesday. There are pictures documenting all of our water fun on Flickr.
Our summer vacation is rapidly approaching. In less than three weeks we will brave the drive to Great Falls, stay for a week, drive to North Dakota, stay for another week, and then drive home again. We haven't done this since Bennett was less than a year old, so it will be interesting to see how he does. We recently turned his car seat to forward facing, so that should help. At least he can look at something other than the back seat.
Bennett's 18 month appointment was this past week. Weight: 25 lbs 14 oz. Height: 32 inches. He's right in the 50th percentile for both. He was not a fan of the doctor or nurse and screamed every time they came in the room.
It seems we have finally fully transitioned to one nap. It has been a long transition (3 months or more). I think what finally helped was the black out curtains. It's like nighttime in that room all day long. Bennett would usually get up between 6 and 6:30. Post-black out curtains he usually sleeps until between 8 and 9. Naps are 1.5-2.5 hours. This new schedule as freed up quite a bit of time that we can be out doing play dates, etc. Then a new baby will come and we'll start all over!
The ultrasound is in 5 days. The longest 5 days of my life. I will be sure to update Friday after the appointment.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
I got most of my planting done between yesterday and today. I cut back the flowers even more this year due to the toddler living in our house. He loves to scoop up the dirt and throw it on the ground. So I am only going to attempt one pot on the ground, a few hanging up, one on the back patio table, as well as the normal flower bed. I planted flowers in the bed the first year we were here, most of which were supposed to die. Well, I must have picked myself some mutant flowers because they are alive year-round and multiply every spring. They almost take up the entire bed now. They make me happy because they are so low maintenance. No dead-heading and they bloom all summer...my kind of flower. For veggies we planted 3 tomato plants, four bell peppers, one banana pepper, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, and onions. I actually read the instructions this year and plated everything with the correct amount of space. Hopefully I won't have a repeat of last year when a good portion of our veggies didn't do well and I had heads of lettuce that were five feet tall. I will try to get some pictures up. Sorry about the boring gardening talk, but it is definitely a significant activity for us around here.
Heather came through last week. We ate lots of good food, talked, and laughed. Having guests is always one of my favorite things. Hopefully she and Garrett can stop back by sometime and stay for a bit. And yes, Heather, we did figure out that you went out the back gate. I was wide awake the entire time you were getting ready and didn't hear you open that gate! That's crazy since it's right outside our bedroom window. I'm glad the dog is sleeping outside now in case someone scary tries to open it. Sorry I didn't come down to help you!
Two more weeks until our big ultrasound. It still seems like forever, but hopefully the nicer weather we are having now with make time go by a bit faster. Baby is moving now. I can feel it most days. I also feel much bigger this time around. I guess what they say about showing faster the second time around is true. I've been wearing maternity clothes for 4 weeks now! Again, hopefully I will get some pictures up soon. We have yet to take any belly photos. I'll get Bernie on it this afternoon.
Bennett is almost 18 months old now. He is trying to communicate more, although actual words can be difficult to decipher. His new thing is to do the "I don't know" pose with the raised shoulders and palms in the air. He does it every time he hears a sound he doesn't know or when we ask him a question. Oh, and we can't forget about his new favorite activity. He like to sit on my lap, snuggle, and watch Days of our Lives (very child-appropriate, I know). My grandma would be so proud!
Heather came through last week. We ate lots of good food, talked, and laughed. Having guests is always one of my favorite things. Hopefully she and Garrett can stop back by sometime and stay for a bit. And yes, Heather, we did figure out that you went out the back gate. I was wide awake the entire time you were getting ready and didn't hear you open that gate! That's crazy since it's right outside our bedroom window. I'm glad the dog is sleeping outside now in case someone scary tries to open it. Sorry I didn't come down to help you!
Two more weeks until our big ultrasound. It still seems like forever, but hopefully the nicer weather we are having now with make time go by a bit faster. Baby is moving now. I can feel it most days. I also feel much bigger this time around. I guess what they say about showing faster the second time around is true. I've been wearing maternity clothes for 4 weeks now! Again, hopefully I will get some pictures up soon. We have yet to take any belly photos. I'll get Bernie on it this afternoon.
Bennett is almost 18 months old now. He is trying to communicate more, although actual words can be difficult to decipher. His new thing is to do the "I don't know" pose with the raised shoulders and palms in the air. He does it every time he hears a sound he doesn't know or when we ask him a question. Oh, and we can't forget about his new favorite activity. He like to sit on my lap, snuggle, and watch Days of our Lives (very child-appropriate, I know). My grandma would be so proud!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The waiting game
I don't know what it is about this pregnancy, but I am OBSESSED with the gender. I really wanted to know with Bennett, but I don't remember being nearly as impatient as I am this time. We don't find out until June 4th, which still seems years away. I have spent my time over at the In-gender forums learning all about the "nub theory" and how to predict gender from the 12 week ultrasound. It's very interesting if anyone wants in checking it out. I'm trying not to get too invested in their guesses, but it's fun nonetheless. Boy or girl would be fine with us for different reasons. I think we will only have two, so both genders would be good. But I'm sure Bennett would rather have a brother. I just want to know damn it!
Heather is coming this week and had decided to stay two nights. Now we at least get to go out and do something while she is here instead of just eat and sleep. Some shopping on Pearl Street in Boulder might be in order.
I was going to get my veggies and flowers in this coming week, but Bernie predicts snow for us. Boo on that. We went to the Farmer's market and I bought a couple of plants anyway. I have to remember not to eat before we go next weekend so I can stuff myself full of yummy potstickers and other assorted goodies.
No news yet on the job Bernie applied for, but that's no surprise. I would expect we would hear if he has an interview or not this coming week. But this is the government we are talking about so who knows. I think he applied for the job hear in early April and we didn't find out he got it until the end of June.
The March of Dimes went well. Thanks again to everyone who donated! The weather was certainly shitty, but so very worth it.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's I know and love out there. I hope you all have a beautiful day.
Heather is coming this week and had decided to stay two nights. Now we at least get to go out and do something while she is here instead of just eat and sleep. Some shopping on Pearl Street in Boulder might be in order.
I was going to get my veggies and flowers in this coming week, but Bernie predicts snow for us. Boo on that. We went to the Farmer's market and I bought a couple of plants anyway. I have to remember not to eat before we go next weekend so I can stuff myself full of yummy potstickers and other assorted goodies.
No news yet on the job Bernie applied for, but that's no surprise. I would expect we would hear if he has an interview or not this coming week. But this is the government we are talking about so who knows. I think he applied for the job hear in early April and we didn't find out he got it until the end of June.
The March of Dimes went well. Thanks again to everyone who donated! The weather was certainly shitty, but so very worth it.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's I know and love out there. I hope you all have a beautiful day.
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