38 Weeks Preggo Update

*The picture is a "selfie" because I am on vacation and got dressed after the hubs left the house for work.

  I thought for sure I would have made progress over the past 10 days.  I have been having contractions and felt like Hannah dropped.  However, I was very wrong because my sweet doctor said, "same" today after checking me.  Oh well!  I am actually okay with this and I feel blessed for a full term baby.
  I was all about being induced but honestly my feelings have changed.  I go back Monday for another check and discuss the "plan."  If I have made progress and she offers an induction I may take it according to how I am physically feeling.  As of today I feel pretty good and plan on waiting on Hannah to enter the world when she is ready.

A few things to remember:

• 29-30 lbs. gained as of today.
• Not much heartburn anymore.  
• Back and hips hurt when I try to sleep in bed, couch, or recliner.  
• Sleep is hit or miss due to the pain.  I also find myself thinking of life with two kids and then I definitely can not sleep.  :)
• Nesting constantly but with the bud around it will never stay as organized as I would like.
• My shirts are getting tighter...and I REFUSE to buy more.  
• Still able to get on floor with William but not for very long periods of time.  I am also picking him up but this is for very short intervals.  
• William is ready for sissy to get here and sit on his lap.  Also, we mentioned in passing that Hannah may bring him a new back pack and he has not forgotten this.  It is so important to him that we already bought the back pack and its ready to go.  
• We will see if I am back for another update...

Thoughts: Diapers vs. Potty Trained

  Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of potty training.  I say potty training because a month in and we are still training.  Do not get me wrong I am so proud of William but it is not easy for any of us.

• William does better at school then home...peer pressure?
• He does not like using the potty first thing in the morning.  Does he really want to pee in his diaper after keeping it dry all night?  
• Not a fan of washing his hands; he would rather use the sanitizer.  This is fine most of the time but sometimes he wants to dump his potty, touch things he should not, etc.  
• Speaking of dumping the potty...he spills it or at least some falls out.  Yuck but you know if it that motivates him then I just clean more often.
• Work in progress but misses the potty at times.  Once at the beginning he literally aimed to the side of the potty and it got all over my feet.
• Knock on wood--has only had one poop accident and that was during the first weekend.  Pee-that is another issue!
• Going out in public-OMG!  I never thought about this until now.  William does not tell us that he needs to go potty enough for us to trust him.  We have to remind him constantly so in public we make lots of trips.  
• Like when making a quick trip to WM we gotta use the potty.  Please do not misunderstand me I know this is part of it but after using diapers its a big change.  Many times William does not want to go because he wants to see the store or wherever we are at.  
• He is not a fan of using the potty before leaving the house.  I mean full on tantrums.  Did I say he gets excellent, lovely, amazing potty goer reports from school?  
• Leaving my list on positive note...William is a great kid and has done amazing with the potty.  He is a big boy and does not have to use a diaper anymore.  He will continue to improve and I will not be taking a 10 year old to the potty every 30 minutes.  It just seems like it at this moment.  

36 Week Preggo Update

*28 lbs gained as of Monday

*Having contractions but nothing consistent.

*Controlling heartburn with meds.

*Back pain is in full force.

*Had a beautiful baby shower at work.  Hannah was blessed with so many nice things!! 

*Rudy will be installing the car seat soon and the pack n play is ready!  The clothes are washed and ready to be put away. 

*Had an US and Hannah weighs a little over 6 lbs!  The doctor says she looks great and everything is right where it should be.

*Based on doctor's schedule I will be induced on the 2nd or 9th!  Let's hope she comes sooner but after Christmas.

*Looking forward to my in laws arriving on the 26th and of course Christmas with the bud.  This is the first year he seems to really understand the concept of Santa.

William Lately

• Still around 30 lbs.
• Between 8-9 shoes
• 2T-3T underwear!  He wears diapers or pull ups during naps.  We went to Meme's for Thanksgiving (2 hours) and he kept his pull up dry the entire time.  He wakes up almost every morning dry.  He has beyond impressed us with his potty training.  
• 2T jeans/pants.  He prefers sweat pants due to the ease of pulling them up and down.  He can wear some 3T but they have to be rolled up at least once.
• 3T shirt and jackets.
• Talks a bunch!  William has an amazing memory.  He will randomly bring up things that happened months ago.  
• Favorite food is a burger.  Loves milk.  Gummies and MMS!  He always eats well at school which is home cooked meals.  William will eat a can of olives over a meal.  Some days he will eat all day and others not much at all.  The doctor was not worried when he went in sick because his weight is in the 60th percentile.  That shocked me because his waist is tiny.  
• I think he will be great with Hannah.  He talks about holding her, kissing her, sharing with her, etc.  
• William plays with his kitchen, cars, IPAD, and grocery cart. He also likes to carry bags around with his stuff in them.  He has also found pockets on his clothes and hides things in them.  
• William counts to ten with us and will count out of order on his own.  Says alphabet with us.  Still working on colors.  
• Just a quick update on our bud.  He is an amazing blessing and we do not know what we did before he came into our lives.  

One Week Later: Potty Training

  William has beyond impressed us with potty training.  I'm not sure if we waited until he was the perfect age (33 months) or what but he's been great!

  He only had one accident at school this week and even started standing up to tee tee.  I will say that makes it pretty messy and I'm constantly getting a Clorox wipe out for the floor. 

  He pooped last night after not going since Tuesday.  William has had trouble with pooping since infancy.  The only time he gets frustrated is when he wants to poop and can't go.  He has pooped in the potty twice today without any fits or prompting! 

  The only other issue is waking up in the morning.  He will say he needs to tee tee but then refuses to get on the potty.  He pitches a big fit then usually goes in diaper.  Since he is doing so well I know he will catch on to going first thing in the morning.  The plus is he wants the diaper off right away after going and before we started this it did not bother him.  

  I am proud of him and also a big thanks to his school!  His teacher has been on board since Day 1! 

32 Weeks Preggo Update

• Weight gain: 24 lbs. as of Monday's appointment.
• I feel pretty good but my belly is beginning to get in my way.  I say this because it is getting harder to play with William on the floor, sit in his chairs, etc.  
• Heartburn was bad last weekend and I think it's here to stay! I do have to use the potty a lot (like every half hour) during the day.  Sleep is not easy.  My back hurts when I initially go to bed and it takes some moving around to get comfortable.  Also, I do not breathe as easy when I am in the bed.  All in all I am doing great.  So great in fact I am potty training the bud and after the first two days I have to feel good to do that all day. 
• William still knows "sissy" is in my belly and calls her by name without any prompts.  He talks about sharing with her when she comes home.  I think he will be a great big brother.
• As for the gestational diabetes the doctor does not know why I failed the test.  I told her it was high (140) after lunch last week and she said that is not even that high.  She is allowing me two weeks before coming back. Yay.  I also confirmed that even though she is measuring great and my sugar is good I can still get an ultrasound.  She said 36 weeks!  That is only 4 weeks away and I am so excited to find out the weigh estimate.  
• The nursery?  Nope.  Funny with your second child the nursery is not near as important.  We have all the bedding and crib ready.  William will be in there in the twin bed until my in laws leave so Hannah will be with us for a while.  I will get the pack n play set up after Thanksgiving which is all I need upstairs.  
• I am looking forward to my family shower on Thanksgiving and a work shower in early December.  So blessed!  After these I will be able to determine exactly what else we need to keep Hannah content when she comes home in January.  I say January but if she is like her big brother we will see her late December. 

Day 2: Potty Training

  Well again all of the details of the day went by in a blur.  Potty training is tough stuff people!  William only had one accident but the good news is he stopped himself and finished on the potty.  Again we had no poop today which is concerning mainly because he has issues with constipation.  I hate to give him Miralex and send him to school in underwear.  I am taking him to school tomorrow before my doctor's appointment and I am hoping they will be on board with me.
  I plan on taking several jeans and underwear for the day.  If they stay on him (at least 2x on potty per hour) I do not think they will see accidents.  William was going on his own today and is able to pull his pants up and down.  He has impressed me this weekend.  I wish I had a few days off to continue this at home but we will make it work.
  All in all it was a good day until I noticed he was eating lots of candy.  He would go pee, eat candy, then immediately pee again for more candy.  This evening I told him he had to poop for candy and all hell broke loose.  He refused to leave the potty because he wanted the candy.  I honestly do not think he needed to poop so this was never going to work.
  Finally, I had to stop the madness before I broke down and cried with him.  I put on his pull up and took him to bed.  I keep thinking he hates me right now but he wanted me to hold him before he got in bed.  As I was holding him he rubbed my cheek which was just what I needed after a long weekend.

And Day 1: Potty Training

We were up before 6 and put the big boy underwear on (with candy of course).  The day is a blur but I did keep track of accidents: 4.  However, he never pooped in potty or pants.  Maybe that will happen tomorrow.  

The worst part was after his nap which he wore a diaper and I made him take off when he woke up!  William was very mad and asked for his diaper for at least 20 minutes.  Finally after calming down he had an accident.  

I pretty much kept him on potty every half hour or less.  That part was exhausting for both of us.  He has started going in the bathroom alone and pulling down underwear.  

I think we are headed in the right direction.  Keep us in your prayers as we head into tomorrow.  Thanks.  

Long day and he'd rather hold the treats and toys then pick one! 

Halloween 2013

Well we got it in before the rain started.  William was a bit nervous about it at first but quickly got the hang of it.  We only went to a few houses before we came home to give out candy.  William enjoyed this more than walking to houses to get candy.  He did a great job! 

And for fun the past three years.  I can not believe we are on his third Halloween and next year there will be a baby sister in the mix! 

28 Weeks Preggo Update

So this is what is going on:

• I am in the third trimester...cannot believe it!
• I have gestational diabetes and I am finally getting the hang of the special diet that comes along with it.
• As of Monday I have not gained any weight (per doctor's scale) since my early September appointment.  If it stays that way I better be in my normal jeans immediately after Hannah arrives.  I mean after starving for the last 3 months of my pregnancy I do not think that is a major request.
• I will be going to the doctor weekly until delivery due to the GD.  Good: check on baby more and Bad: making up lots of time at work.
• William talks about Hannah without us asking him about her.  He wants to know when she will come home and even yells for her at night to come to her crib.  He hugs and kisses my belly.  When William sees girl clothes he knows they could be for sissy.  
• I feel pretty good and not having heartburn right now.  I remember with William I was eating Tums like they were candy.  Maybe it is because I can not eat all the crap food I crave.  You know, Wendy's, pasta, fries, etc.
• I have a breastfeeding class next week plus my FREE pump through my company will be here in December.  I am making every effort to be more prepared this time around because I was not at all with the bud. 
• Have not really done much with the nursery since Rudy finished the ceiling.  This is probably due to the fact that the bud did not use it until he was about 10 weeks old.  
• With the holidays around the corner I know Hannah will be here before we know it and all I can say is I am nervous about caring for 2 young ones but so excited I wish it was happening sooner!  

I Have Gestational Diabetes

  I went in for my first glucose test without a care in the world.  I did not have it with William and did not have any concerns.  So on Friday as I was napping on my lunch break my phone rings and its the doctor's office.  She kindly said my test was a bit high and I need to come in for a second test that would last 3 hours.  I was in such shock I did not even ask what my numbers were.
  I scheduled the day off the following Monday and went in for my test.  I asked about my first test and the lab tech said it came back at 171 and should have been under 130.  Well that caused some concern.  I had to stay for the entire time because the lady that ran the blood work results was going to be late.  By the time I left I was starving!  I went straight to Wendy's for the # 1 and thank goodness I did because the next day I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and put on a strict diet.
  The highest level came back at 187.  I immediately started the diet and basically count carbs everyday.  Just like with any diet I have ever done give me a a week or so and I have it memorized.  I know exactly what I can eat and eat the same foods all of the time.  I honestly can say I feel better physically since watching my carbs.  I am not near as drained in the evenings or cranky.  I go Monday to have my levels checked and see my doctor.  Hoping for a good report.

William's First Dental Check

Well today was the day: meet the dentist!  I was impressed with how well he did.  William ended up in my lap but they were able to count his teeth with the special tool.  He has 20 teeth which is all he will get until his adult teeth come in later down the road.  He did not like the taste of the paste they used but was not bothered by the tool.  We got a great report and the only suggestion was to start flossing.  We can add that to the list of things big boys do!  

26 Weeks Preggo Update

Weight Gain: As of yesterday at home I have gained 2 pounds since my last visit.  I will take it!  After a 9 pound gain in one month I made some serious changes and feel good about the 2 pounds.  I do have a growing baby girl in my belly so weight gain is expected.  At this point my total is probably around 20 pounds with 14 weeks left.  We will see if I stay within the "range."

Size of baby: Cucumber

William is Thinking: He helped assemble the crib.  No really, he found a screwdriver and tried to put the screws in.  William likes to go in "sissy's" room on a regular basis.  He will play in the crib but knows it is for Hannah.  He will say "Hannah" if asked.  

How I Feel: I feel decent.  Sleep is getting worse.  I fall asleep quickly but after the first bathroom break I toss and turn for a while.  Hannah is always kicking me and I love every second of it.  I often find myself thinking of what she will look like, how she will act, if she will love like her big brother does.  I am also trying to walk on breaks at lunch and stay active in the evenings.  I have not had much indigestion recently and hope it stays that way.  In the last few days all I have wanted to eat is sweet stuff.  This means I have not eaten all of my meals; it just does not taste good.  I am sticking to it and not over indulging in sweets.  

Things to Come: We are still working on the nursery but not in a rush.  This time around we know what to expect and we know having the nursery 100% complete is not necessary.  4D ultrasound is October 23!  We did not do this with William and this could be our last chance.  However, Rudy doesn't want to see it til after she arrives.  We will see if he holds out!  On a non Hannah note I am planning on potty training soon.  William is getting better with the potty and I feel we are getting close to that time.  Cross your fingers.  

Videos of the Bud

Lately

Mommy and her bud!

He loves, loves his Daddy.

Passed out on the recliner after napping in his bed...

Overalls make me the happiest Mommy in the world!

The best helper.

And I am 25 weeks pregnant with Hannah.

Our double stroller is awesome.  William says, "Sissy sit here."

Our Disney Photo Album

This photo album came from submitting coke rewards and $8 in shipping! I think it's valued around $30 so I say it's a good deal.  Yes, we bought the soda but I'm gonna by that anyway-rewards or not!  Also please give credit to Rudy because he picked all the pictures and ordered it.  So thanks to Rudy and Shutterfly for the family memories.  

22 Weeks Preggo Update

Weight Gain: Too much!  I'm blaming it on vacation!  I'm up between 18 and 20 lbs.  I will be very conscious of my weight this month and hope I even out.  The doctor just chuckled and said maybe you  won't gain this next month.  Don't worry I'll be weighing each week.  No vending machine trips for chocolate and no eating out at work.

Size of baby: Papaya 

William is Thinking: He says "sissy" all of the time.  If I tell him I can not pick him up he mentions it hurting the baby.  William will not say "Hannah" yet.  I have bought a few things for her and he recognizes that they are for "sissy."  He will rub and kiss my bell when prompted.

How I Feel: Fat! Indigestion is in full force.  Tums are a norm part of my day.  No unusual cravings but just hungry.  I am the last to finish my meal and always want something afterwards.  In maternity jeans and still wearing the long skirts.  I can get away with some non maternity shirts.  TMI but up a bra size which puts me where I was before I got pregnant with William.  He took a whole cup size when I birthed him. Ha.  Having trouble getting in a comfy position to sleep at night. Of course using the potty A LOT.  

Things to Come: I believe my October appointment will be a glucose test and I am hoping to get the nursery in order.  Rudy has to paint the ceiling and then we can clean the walls.  Once this happens we can start decorating.    

Disney Eats 2013

  We purchased the dining plan that included a quick service lunch, sit down dinner, and 2 snacks per day.  We did not include William; we paid for his meals on a separate ticket.  I am only discussing our dinners because they were somewhat "fancy" and the lunches were just park food.


Thursday:

  We ate at Portobello our first night in Disney.  It is Italian and we will not go back again.  The service was terrible and it was too fancy for William.  Rudy was trying to satisfy my Italian craving and if the service had been better I might give it another chance.  I had a shrimp pasta and Rudy had pork chops. The food was decent except for William's spaghetti.  After he refused to eat more than 2 bites I tasted it and understand why he did not eat it.  The dessert was AMAZING.  The plan included dessert for each person so we ordered chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.  The ice cream for William but we ended up putting some on our cake--HEAVEN.

Friday:

  Crystal Palace was on Friday at the Magic Kingdom.  It was a character meet and greet with buffet style food.  The food was okay but not amazing.  The first time around it was cold so I went for seconds and luckily it was hot.  The selection was just not very good.  If not for the Cajun chicken pasta I would have left a very hungry pregnant woman.  Desserts were your usual buffet choices.  Blah.  We did get a great picture of William with Winnie the Pooh and he was completely free.

Saturday:

  We decided to go to Coral Reef in Epcot again this year and Rudy loved his steak.  However, I chose glorified mac n cheese.  My fault; not his.  Luckily I ordered a salad before hand.  William was a holy terror here; I blame it on a large booth.  He had too much room to move!  I will go here again but will order a steak.  Also, we hope to get a table directly in front of the fish next time.  I think William would be a bit calmer with something to look at since he does not eat more than 10 calories per meal.

Sunday:

  Unknowingly we saved the best for last.  My dad suggested The Rainforest Cafe largely in part for the atmosphere.  It is literally a forest with sound and light effects.  Also, a huge souvenir shop to kill time in while waiting for the food.  William actually ate here and was mostly calm.  When he did get loud it was not as obvious thanks to the sound effects (thunder and animal noises).  This was also a great place because it was located inside the Animal Kingdom and we had spent the entire day there.  We did not have to travel to a new place for dinner.

First: Chuck E Cheese

  We decided to take the bud to Chuck E Cheese this AM since it was too hot for anything outdoors.  It was great until about 11 and then it got super busy with super crazy kids!  

  He had a blast and we left with saved tickets and coins!  We will go back but be there when they open and skip the food.  It was pretty high and was not even that good.  I only got a few pics...  

He enjoyed the slide but it went up into a play area where we could not see him well.  I was fine with this and knew he was safe until a big kid dashed up there. Then I freaked out and told him the slide was closed. 

It's A...

GIRL!!!