22 weeks: spaghetti squashed

Twenty-two weeks: 1.25.12







Photo thoughts: Um, I totally broke one of my belly pic rules. I let the Wisconsin weather win this week all together and had Nate take the pictures inside. I know, I know, I HATE breaking the 'rules' but man--it's cold outside. And I figured since we do have two 'good light' spots in our house, might as well use one of them this time. Plus, Truman is in a big boy bed as of about 2 days ago and I'm feeling very sentimental about his nursery turned toddler room. What better place than in my favorite room in our house for this weeks shoot, with his new bedding and big bed in the background! Cue the waterworks thinking about us moving from this house where Truman has spent his entire life and I spent a majority of my pregnancy decorating his nursery. It's going to be bittersweet to move, for sure.

Size of baby: a spaghetti squash from BC and a papaya from TB. I wanted to make a spaghetti squash for part of a dinner this week anyway. Score one for a belly pic fruit that can work into the meal planning!

Cravings: Diet soda, big time. I went from indulging once or twice per week to buying myself a twelve pack of Diet Dr. Pepper cans. Not good. This means my biggest vice is having a diet caffeinated soda almost daily now. GASP! But since I'm still not hitting the hard stuff for coffee, maybe I am not creating an addicted baby just yet, right? The diet soda tastes SO good you guys.

Also, last week I had my first extremely ravenous moment. Friday night after work I was starving and exhausted from driving in the snow storm while it was a high of 9 degrees all day. I wanted a pizza so bad I could freaking smell it on my way home. And it HAD to be Papa John's even though I think it's been at least 4 years since we even ordered a PJ's pizza for delivery. I ordered it online after I informed Nate that this is what we would be eating because I was practically eating off my own arm just thinking about it. And then waiting an hour for the 'za to arrive was almost scary because I was SO hungry, dreaming about that darn pizza that I was almost in a stupor. When it arrived, I could have easily housed the entire pizza pie but I let my husband and son have a few morsels instead. Man, that was good.

What I love: The growing belly and this 'honeymoon' stage of pregnancy when I have a ton of energy and don't feel quite like a house just yet.

What I'm looking forward to the most: Decorating a nursery in our new house, picking a name, and just to be pretty obvious---meeting our baby girl in May. It's seeming more and more real each day!

Worries: I have been pretty level-headed lately, if I do say so myself. I did have to use the doppler a few days last week though, mostly because if I go a few hours without feeling baby girl kick me I get nervous. I still say that doppler was the best purchase ever---nothing more calming than hearing that galloping heart rate.

What is different this time around: Last time at 22 weeks we had officially decided on a name, I had decided that my tiny belly had 'popped', and I wasn't sleeping the best after getting up to pee in the middle of the night. Well, this time we have officially come up with a top four for names, my belly popped months ago, and I am sleeping just fine. Not even getting up to pee in the middle of the night---usually just at 5 am or whenever Truman wakes for the day. Hmmm, very different this time around I guess. Maybe I need to be drinking more water.

Symptoms: That same night I was ready to pounce on our pizza delivery man, I had my first-ever experience of round ligament pain (I think). It was super sharp, only on my left, and only if I stood up really straight or moved too fast. Pretty horrible to walk around with a hunched back, just to avoid the dagger in my uterus. Did not like that. Also, I am incredibly congested at night now. Whenever I lay down my nose immediately plugs up and I have to breathe in and out through my mouth. Hence, the extreme dry mouth and nastiness that ensues in the morning. Even when I lay down with Truman to read books, I almost feel out of breath because I have to breathe through my mouth. Very odd pregnancy symptoms this week.

Sleep: Really great, actually. Besides the clogged nose and horrid mouth breathing.

Movement: Lots. Love it. I feel like she kicks pretty low 80% of the time which makes me wonder if she is breech right now. Not that it matters this early in the game, but still. I have had some bladder and cervix kicks already which are always a treat.

The belly: Definitely can't suck it in anymore. Belly button looks weird and I think I definitely look pregnant, even to the public eye. Still much larger than my 22 week shot from last time.

Boy or Girl: A healthy baby GIRL!!!!

Milestones: Girlie is 11 inches long and 1 pound. Tiny tooth buds are forming, along with lanugo and the pancreas. Apparently her eyes have formed but the irises are still not pigmented. Sort of creepy when you think about it.

Best moment of the week: a fabulous home inspection on Saturday, which means the house is even closer to being 'ours'. Which means I got to measure out the nursery (and every other room) and get serious about planning a for some fun girlie colors. I have a feeling that in the midst of this home buying process, the move, the decorating/renovating, that the remainder of this pregnancy might go a little too fast for my liking. So I'm trying to savor it and not get too ahead of myself with a big To-Do list. Such a fun time in our lives and I want to enjoy it instead of being stressed about all of the details (ie money matters, mostly).

All Grown Up!

This morning we took Truman to get his very first haircut. Yes, at nearly 23 months old. He is slightly 'delayed' in hair growth, I guess, but we didn't mind waiting this long to start forking over money for a lifetime of haircuts. Thanks for saving us a little moolah, Truman!

I'm not sure I have adequately displayed how horrible/amazing his baby hair style really was as of late. There have been a few mornings when his incredibly fine, thin, stringy hair was just pitiful and I knew it was time to finally schedule this appointment. Little man sure boasts some fine hair, huh?







Well today we decided to go for the 'first time haircut experience' at a little kids salon. Sure, it is a little pricey and silly but for the first big cut I knew it would be worth it. A fun car-chair, lollipops, your choice of cartoons (Chuggington, duh!), and then we got a little certificate with his picture on it and a little bit of his hair in a baggie. Worth it to this documenting mama!

We talked up this haircut to Truman so he would be excited, and he was. Until she sprayed his hair with water. Then he surprised us and started to cry and say, 'DOWN!' while reaching for me. Uh-oh. Can't handle this face.





So mama had to stand right by his little car and let the big man rest his head on my belly. While double-fisting two suckers. And staring at Chuggington. He ate the entire top of the sucker off the stick, just biting right through it. I think he was a little nervous:)





But then when it was time to switch sides of his head, Truman was totally fine and 'in the zone'. So I could get a few more pictures of my big boy.









And Ta-Da!!!




Sigh. My boy is all grown up. Just in time to be a big brother which will surely make him seem even older. But we have to admit, he looks pretty darn handsome, doesn't he? When the lady pulled out the styling product I saw Nate's eyes twinkle a bit, reminiscing back to his own glory days when he could style his luscious locks with the best styling pomade out there. I think it's time to pass the torch to our son, my dear husband.

And also? Today is our home inspection!! Fingers crossed, prayers, thoughts that there are no major deal breakers! A three hour inspection while Truman is at home with his grandparents = plenty of time for me to take pictures, measure rooms, and imagine furniture layouts. Whoo hoo!

21 weeks: a lovely carrot

Twenty-one weeks: 1.18.12




(mother nature won this photo shoot. Just too cold, with too much snow to be hard core and forgo the coat. I made it a long time being tough but now my4 layers weren't even enough. Maybe the shoots will get more and more fun with various winter gear now that we are actually getting hit with snow)

Size of baby: a banana according to The Bump (did that last week, thanks!) and a carrot according to Baby Center.

Cravings: Still digging the diet soda and anything salty. Those cheddar/sour cream potato chips are my revived bestie this week.

What I love: so much to love, I don't even know where to start. The belly, the kicks, bonding with this little girl in my belly, hearing she is healthy....I could go on but I'll stop there.

What I'm looking forward to the most: Well, now that we know her sex and know she is healthy, I guess I'm most looking forward to choosing her name and decorating her nursery. SO fun.

Worries: None. Mark this down as a first. I'm rocking the zen-attitude lately.

What is different this time around: Well, last time I was freaking out about gaining 13 pounds already. And freaking out that my OB said I should gain about 40 total. I had our changing table and basically the entire nursery put together. We had a top four for names. And this time? Nowhere near a top four for names. Nate and I are having a very hard time agreeing on anything other than our top pick for Truman's 'would have been a girl' name. But I'm not loving it anymore and want to feel super excited about her name, so I am making one gigantic list of girl names that I like, hoping Nate half-way likes one, too. I had only gained 8 pounds at my 18 week check up but I think I'm gaining about one pound per week now so I'm guessing it's around 11 total now. Pretty close to last time at least and really not freaking out about it this time. I'll gain whatever my body needs and then I'll probably lose it after baby is born. Whatever. And the nursery consists of ideas in my head and on Pinterest. The best way to dream up a girl's nursery, if you ask me!

Symptoms: None really. Have noticed my stomach getting tighter every now and then, but feeling pretty good overall.

Sleep: My first really rough week in this department. Was up for 3 hours in the middle of the night on Friday night, awake from 2:30 to 5:30. I can't really blame pregnancy though, but it was more my brain refusing to shut off. Definitely can't lay on my stomach now and it's not that comfortable to lay on my back either. But still, as long as my toddler sleeps I don't have many issues doing it myself.

Movement: Yes, and I love it. Tried to get a video of her going nuts one night but she was camera shy. Go figure

The belly: Really stretching out and my belly button is starting to look weird already, like it wants to pop. How is this possible? I think that didn't happen until at least 30 weeks last time? I think baby girl had a growth spurt by looking at my weekly picture.

Boy or Girl: A healthy baby GIRL!!!!

Milestones: The babe is 10.5 inches and 3/4 of a pound (ahem, or 14 ounces according to our ultrasound, but whatevs). Eyebrows and eyelids have formed as has her girlie parts. Still cannot believe I'm writing 'she' and 'her' in this post. So surreal.

Best moment of the week: Obviously, the healthy anatomy scan. Then the gender reveal. Then the fact that we might have just bought our first house!! The sellers accepted our final counter offer on Monday night and we are beyond excited and so blessed to have such amazing things happening in our lives right now. The inspection is set up for Saturday and we are praying this 87 year old home passes---definitely concerned that there are major structural issues we can't necessarily see, but I know we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Planning to take pictures during the inspection and if all goes well I want to start some house posts here! The vision I have for this adorable home involves quite a bit of work and modernizing but man, it's going to be amazing when we are done with it. First thing to go? Old lady powder blue carpets in the entire home that are covering original hard wood floors. The horror!!

The deets: the reveal and ultrasound

The Ultrasound itself:

Oh yes, there was an actual ultrasound that went along with our fun gender reveal, too. It was on Thursday afternoon and we dropped Truman off at Lori's for the scan that day. I drank the recommended amount of water (freaking 24 ounces) but instead of slamming it in 30 minutes I was a rebel and took 45 minutes. I am so wild this second time around. Still had to pee like a mad woman but not the point of tears, like I was with Truman's scan. The tech asked us right away if we wanted to know the sex, and we said yes but we wanted him to write it down and not actually tell or show us during the scan. He asked us to turn our head within the first 5 minutes of the 45 minute scan and we had to do that a few more times throughout. Do you know how difficult this was for two Type A planners?? But the tech said he knew the sex, printed out the ultrasound picture with the sex on it, and placed it in my little envelope right away. He gave us a 99% chance of being correct, and with Truman he'd given us a 99.9% chance. This made Nate assume that this baby must also be a boy, because if it was a girl the tech might not have been so sure. But I left that ultrasound thinking this was all girl because I could have sworn the tech said 'she' once after he'd seen the private parts. So both Nate and I left that room feeling 'sure' that we knew the sex, and we both had different guesses.

Of course, there was a lot more to this ultrasound than just getting the money shot: a heart with four chambers, heart rate of 158, a 'beautifully perfect' cerebellum without any extra fluid on the brain or extra nuchal fold at the neck to indicate Down Syndrome, a straight spine, good kidneys, bladder, lungs, an umbilical cord that is appropriately placed, a good placenta and cervix. I cannot tell you how relieved I feel after this scan, although I still wanted to hear that official 'everything is normal' statement from my OB's office. I got that call on Monday and let out an audible sigh. As Nate says, I can't ever just relax and be 100% happy, always have to worry about something:)

Baby girl was a little stubborn with her positioning, just like her big brother was. The tech said that only one out of ever 20-30 babies give him a hard time with getting the right measurements and both of my kids (!!) made him earn his money. Both times the tech thought I would need to return for a second scan but the babes turned at the last minute and give him what he needs. This child was moving around just fine but definitely preferred to be balled up, just chilling in the fetal position. So.In.Love.

Here is my reveal post with Truman. He was in the 58th percentile for growth, and 13 ounces. This baby is in the 70th percentile for growth, and 14 ounces. I think it's astonishing how different these two kiddos look already, but I know these scans aren't exactly high-def.





Before the Big Reveal:

I couldn't sleep the night before this big reveal. I was wide awake from 2:30 am until 5:30 am just dreaming about what was going to be in that box (plus thinking about switching Truman to a big boy bed, and whether or not we would get this house we want so badly). In my heart I really thought this baby was a girl, but I never had that true 'gut feeling' until after the ultrasound. And on our drive out to the photoshoot the next day, I was counseling myself to not feel disappointed if blue balloons flew out of the box. Obviously, another boy would be amazing because it's what we know, and Truman would probably love a little brother 2 years his junior. But for some reason, I started to get really attached to the idea of a little girl this time----one of each in our little family. Frills and pinks and a mother-daughter relationship that would surely make my life seem even more fulfilled. I tried to stay focused on the bottom line: that any healthy baby would be whole-heartedly welcomed and loved, no matter what color of balloons we'd see.


The details of the shoot:

Way back in June or July, I found this pin on Pinterest--yes, before I was even pregnant this time. I just knew that if and when I got my chance again, I wanted to do this gender reveal with balloons in a box. Once I was pregnant again, I remember sending the link to my friend Erin, asking her if she wanted to help out with the logistics of the shoot. She happily accepted and proceeded to be even more excited about it all than I was, if that is even possible. I asked my friend Dizzy to help with the shoot as well, and she shot the video for us. After showing Andrea the link to this idea, she jumped at the chance to be our official photographer. We were all set, and then the emails started flying.

I decided to give Erin the golden envelope that contained the 'money shot' ultrasound picture right away---literally, as soon as we drove back from the scan, I met Erin at Lori's (since we were both picking up our boys at that time anyway) and forked it over. Talk about having something burn a hole into your pocket---I am still proud of myself for not even peeking a tiny bit. I also gave her the box that I had decorated and some cash for the balloons. Erin then looked at the envelope that night, and ordered 15 helium balloons in the appropriate color to have ready for Saturday morning. She also told Andrea the big news with my permission, so the two of them were a part of some secret society and were about to pop with excitement. Dizzy chose to stay in the dark about the color of balloons because she is way more zen than the rest of us, and isn't even finding out what she is having, but was still really excited for me to find out 'early.' I didn't feel weird or jealous that they knew before me, just really happy that I have friends who care so much about this type of thing and love me despite/along with my desire to be a little dramatic. I won't get all mushy on you here, but these three girlfriends of mine have seen me through some really dark moments in the past year and I don't know if I could be as nearly-sane as I am right now without them. End of girlie-mush.

Nate, Truman, and I arrived at this little bike trail that Andrea had picked out for the shoot on Saturday morning. The three girls had already gotten there to set up shop with the box and 'spare' balloons for a little 'what will it be?' shoot before hand. And then, the magic happened. :) The only thing I would have done differently would have been to use a bigger box. I really wanted 15 balloons to fly out but only 6 could fit into my tiny box I made. What can I say, I don't estimate size too well. But if I picked a larger box then it would have been harder to fit in Erin's car and Truman would have been much shorter than it during the reveal, so whatever---I guess 3 balloons flying out, then 3 more after that is just fine.

I can honestly say that this reveal was full of so much anticipation, an extra 2 days of waiting (which, for a couple that has NO desire to wait the full pregnancy to find out the sex, that was a long time!!), and such wonderful support from my friends that it sort of felt like a dream. I was nervous, yes, but also just so darn happy to know what we were having that it didn't even seem real.


Here is a little video I made so we could show our parents and friends/family how awesome the reveal was in real time, and I actually re-did it to add a few of Andrea's pictures into the mix after I received those. I had to use the song A Thousand Years by Christina Perri because I heard it right in the beginning of this pregnancy, when everything was incredibly uncertain, and I immediately started balling hearing these lyrics. I wanted so badly for this little baby to stick around for the ride but at the time it just seemed like a far off dream. And now we are over halfway done with this pregnancy and we have a healthy baby girl to meet in a few more months. This was such a special day and I get chills watching this video every time (maybe a little teary, too). Perhaps you are with me on that one.


When those pink balloons popped out, all I could think was,' Yes! Thank you, God.' And then, 'Truman is getting a sister!' A few tears were shed, but not as many as I had anticipated because I think I was just in such shock, it didn't even hit me for a few hours. I called my parents and Memaw, and we did a mini-reveal with left over pink balloons in the box for Nate's parents when we got home. I know that this sort of big production for a gender reveal isn't something that everyone wants to do, but I can definitely say it was one of the most amazing experiences we've had. It was absolutely worth the wait of those dreaded two days between the ultrasound and reveal.

Pink balloons. Sigh.

The Big Gender Reveal!

We have some big news to share!

I think I will just let the pictures tell the story. Details to come in a separate post because I still have to find the words. Andrea really outdid herself with these photos, didn't she? Thank you, Pinterest, for the great idea!



I thought it was a girl after our ultrasound on Thursday. And Nate thought it was a boy---hence these 'what will it be?' photos before we actually found out.




It's a...




BABY GIRL!!! There were pink balloons, you guys!













Many thanks to my girls---the crew that day:)


Truman is getting a little sister. And we are seriously on cloud nine right now. Thank you, God!

20 weeks: Banana-rama

Twenty weeks: 1.11.12





Size of baby: a banana according to Baby Center or a cantaloupe according to The Bump. I simply cannot imagine baby is as big as a melon just yet, since Baby Center doesn't claim that one until week 34, so I'm sticking to one of my (and Truman's) most favorite fruits this week and will probably choose most Baby Center fruits from here on out. They are just more fun than The Bump, as much as it hurts to admit that one.

Cravings: This week I was totally digging diet soda. Which is funny because I never drink it anymore, maybe once a week at the most? But I just HAD to buy a diet A&W Root Beer two liter at the grocery store this week and seriously have to restrain myself from chugging the entire bottle in one sitting. Something about that bubbly, sweet, coldness that I can't get over. I realize this is not very healthy, blah blah blah, but cut me some slack here. I gave up my heavy addiction to coffee. A diet soda every now and then (and root beer doesn't even have caffeine, people!) will not kill me.

What I love: being half baked! Being at the magical 20 week mark, which means ANATOMY SCAN baby! Freaking 5 months pregnant = no joke anymore. loveitall.

What I'm looking forward to the most: Our big scan is tomorrow, Thursday 1/12/12, you guys. Cannot handle the anticipation that baby will be visible on a screen for us to view for a whole hour. Obviously, praying that baby measures right on track, appears totally healthy, and then finally, that he/she spreads 'em wide just like Truman did for us, so there are no questions about private parts. And then waiting 48 hours for the Big Reveal on Saturday. Can barely handle all of this right now, seriously.

Worries: That something might be flagged in the scan. Looking forward to getting the official call from my OBs office after the scan is complete to discuss the results. But we do happen to have a fabulous ultrasound tech because I requested him, and he's the same dude that did our big US for Truman's 20 week scan and also he is who I saw right before my D&C. Remember how I was going to a different OB during my miscarriage and it was handled in the worst way possible and I wound up in the ER with words like 'hysterectomy' floating around me? Yeah, that sucked. And this US tech was so sweet when my current OB (my saving grace) wanted to make sure that my uterus was not, in fact, on the verge of exploding from a random blood vessel like the other OB had said. He made me feel very confident with my choice to return to this OB and even said, 'hope to see you back here soon under different circumstances.' So basically, 'hope you get knocked up again with a healthy baby and then we can do a FUN scan, instead of such a horribly sad one.' Well, I'm here, buddy!!

What is different this time around: Ugh, why was I such a typical first-time-mom-overachiever last time? I had painted the nursery, purchased a crib and a changing table, and obviously this time around I'm nowhere near that prepared. Also, I was just starting to feel 'fat' and bought some maternity clothes. My bump was freaking puny last time and I thought it was big. HA. Oh, to be young again:) I have had those first 'I feel pretty chunky' thoughts this week, because clothes just aren't fitting me like they used to, and I'm definitely in between sizes of jeans now. But I have to remind myself that no matter how frumpy and awkward I feel, I'm going to be exponentially more uncomfortable in the coming months so I might as well get used to it. Nothing a big old cardigan and some leggings can't fix, anyway. :)

Symptoms: A few headaches this past week, which are never fun. But don't worry, my beloved diet soda seems to help a bit.

Sleep: No issues just yet. Passing out so hard that I wake up in a puddle of drool most mornings. Very sexy, no?

Movement: Lots, daily, and Nate and I have been having a lot of fun watching my belly bounce around and also feeling it from the outside. Did I ever mention that I love feeling a growing baby move around inside me? Totally indescribable.

The belly: Big. Fitting into maternity tops that were too big just 3 weeks ago. And multiple patients of mine have noticed at this point. Like, woah.

Boy or Girl: Honestly, no real intuition anymore. Too anxious to find out on Saturday to place any bets. But you are welcome to predict the future sex of our baby if you so choose! I am guessing I'll have pictures to show along with the big announcement maybe on Monday morning-ish, so hang tight!

Milestones: The babe is 10.5 ounces, 6.5 inches, and can now be measured from head to toe instead of just to the butt. He's swallowing, producing poop (!!), and continues to grow up a storm every day. Inching our way towards viability day, dude!

Best moment of the week: I was getting dressed one morning and Truman ran up to my belly, said 'BABY!', and then started hugging my legs as hard as he could. I sat down to get closer to his level and asked if he loves this baby, and he told me 'yeah!' and then gave my tummy a kiss. I kid you not, I almost melted and had to fight back tears. I just love picturing Truman as a big brother and I pray that having a newborn won't rock his little world too much, and that I'll be able to show both children enough love. But until I really have to worry about expanding my heart for another child, I feel so incredibly blessed to have my caring first born. Just can't believe I get to have another one of these little amazing creatures.

And the second best moment of the week? At 19w6d (Tuesday night), we made an offer on our first house. Fingers crossed it's the house for us, but WOW what a big week for our little family. So excited, many more house posts to come once we know if it's actually ours or not. And don't worry, Truman came with us to write the offer and pooped a nasty turd about 10 minutes into the meeting with our realtor. Even he noticed the stench. Fabulous.

19 weeks: big old grapefruit

Nineteen weeks: 1.4.12









Size of baby: a 'large' heirloom tomato according to Baby Center, or a mango according to The Bump. But guess what? No big tomatoes to be found in all of Milwaukee, and mangoes are pretty darn expensive, plus I think I need to use it later on as the fruits get a little more obscure. So I figured out a fruit of my own: a grapefruit. Seems to be about the same size as a 6 inch tomato, right? And pretty. I do like pretty fruits.

Cravings: This should be changed to 'diet'--meaning, 'what did I consume in large portions last week?' I really don't CRAVE anything but am totally enjoying food in general these days. And really, I'm pretty boring right now with this category because I'm not even gorging myself on sweets or anything odd anymore. We'll see if that stays the same or not.

What I love: all of it. The belly, the movement, nearing the halfway mark, planning for a NEW BABY in May. Just love it.

What I'm looking forward to the most: Anatomy scan next Thursday!! And I eluded that we are doing things differently this time, and I will share this much with you: we will have the ultrasound tech write the sex on a card and put it in an envelope (hopefully with a 'money shot' ultrasound picture, too, just to be sure). Then we will wait almost 48 whole hours to find out the sex with a fun gender reveal event of sorts on Saturday morning. I cannot believe we will even have the will power to wait almost 2 days but I know we can remain strong in the name of a big surprise and amazing reveal on Saturday. Cannot wait!! Pictures will follow of course, and I'm not trying to be sneaky---just want to make it a little more fun when you see how we are announcing.

Worries: Not a ton this week, thank goodness. On his/her quiet days I do tend to get a little psychotic and neurotic and may pull out the doppler for a quick check.

What is different this time around: Apparently I was finished painting the nursery at 19 weeks last time. And my bump was a joke. This time I have a legit baby bump and we are not even sure where we will be living when baby comes, so I can only dream of nursery colors for now. Planning to buy our first home and then the logistics of actually moving in, decorating, and settling before baby make this pregnancy a LOT different than the last, I guess.

Symptoms: None! Sometimes my back hurts a bit and it feels wonderful to lay down but otherwise I'm feeling fab.

Sleep: Love it, wish my toddler would sleep past 5:15 to enjoy more of it.

Movement: Um, yes. Big kicks daily although some days are much more active than others. See the 'best moment of the week' for more details.

The belly: It's there! In fact, I had a big 'first' right at 19 weeks (when this post SHOULD have gone up but we were still fruit-hunting): a patient's family member commented on my belly without knowing I am actually pregnant. Granted, I was gesturing to my hips while I demonstrated how to lift a patient properly, but still---that counts as strangers noticing my bump! Can't say that I hate it:)

Boy or Girl: I'm totally torn again. I've stopped trying to decipher my intuition for now since we will find out soon enough. But let me just say again, I will be over the moon excited for EITHER sex as long as baby is healthy. For real.

Milestones: A whopping 6 inches and 8.5 ounces, plus tons of sensory development right now means baby is getting pretty substantial in size. Baby might be able to hear my voice now, so if I was a super-mom I'd start reading and singing and teaching my baby the alphabet right now. Instead, my baby hears me scold the dog and call for Truman to get out of the trash can more often than not. I guess he or she better get used to it!

Best moment of the week: On New Years Day, at 5:15 when Truman woke me up from the other room, I noticed baby was kicking like freaking crazy. I just laid there a little bit, wondering if he'd keep it up much longer. Then I grabbed Nate's hand and pulled it onto my belly and sure enough, he got to feel his first kicks from the outside! Nate said, 'I feel it!' and I have decided this was the best possible way to begin a new year with my family. Now let's just hope that Truman's sibling will not also be an early riser---one can hope!

Twenty-Two months

I feel like making this monthly post a big old photo dump from Christmas but I shall refrain, and attempt at least a bit of text to tell a story. Cannot believe Truman will be two in just two more months. I will retire from doing these monthly posts for him at that time, since it will nicely tie up his second year album and give me some time to prepare for another little being's monthly posts:) And really, how many times can I say 'he is just so much fun!' and 'I love this age!' ??

(his new goofy face, saved only for the camera. And maybe he will need his first haircut before he turns two?)


Sleep is still all over the place around here. There were a few weeks after Thanksgiving when T was sleeping in until HEAVENLY hours such as 6:30 and 7 after falling asleep without a peep at 7:30. But that was pretty short lived and ended with the Christmas chaotics, since he refused to go to bed before 9 pm (about 1.5 hours later than his usual time) and demanded to wake at his favorite 5:00 hour again. Sigh. I think the absurd number of toys calling his name from the other room had a big part in this little set back with sleep. But alas! We bought him a Tot Clock for Christmas, hoping it would be a magical rescuer. People do swear by this thing although I was suspicious that it might be too good to be true, we figured it would be a great Christmas gift for the entire family. The first night we explained that the blue light means 'night-night' and when the clock turns yellow it's time to wake up and get 'down' from the crib. He totally got it right away and started begging for the light to turn yellow after explaining this concept just once. He woke that next morning at 5 am and I heard him saying 'Lellow' over and over, like he was talking to his clock and willing it to change over from the blue light. After a few more nights of this, he seems to finally understand that he needs to just go back to bed when it's a blue light, and not try to talk the clock into a different color, because we have the light set to change to yellow at 6 am---not his beloved 5am. But really, I think my child is just destined to be an early riser. The clock is cute and he gets really excited about telling me the difference between colors, but I'm not sure it's our magical fix.

(video of him and his clock)



He even got kind of manipulative one morning when he was yelling about how the clock was still blue, and he wanted it to be yellow. I was laying in my bed awake just listening to him talk it out when I heard him start saying, 'Mama, pee pee!' and then 'brrrrrr!'. Meaning, he wanted to go pee on the potty and he was cold. I mean, come on---how does the kid know that potty training and making sure he isn't too cold in our frigid house are two things that will ALWAYS get me out of bed? Little stinker didn't even pee on the potty that morning and I don't even think he was all that cold. At least he is consistent with his 3 hour naps each day---that is sort of a lifesaver for the sleep category.



What he is lacking in sleeping power, Truman surely makes up for it in the potty training department right now. He's back to 'caring' again and asks me to go pee pee throughout the day. One of our days off together, he went on the potty seven whole times! And had about two wet diapers all day long. Pretty amazing turn around from the days he would just tell me after he'd already gone and then refuse to let me change his diaper. I'm still not pushing full-on potty training just yet, with a new baby coming and a new house on it's way, too. Just doesn't seem fair to the boy to work so hard at something and then likely experience a regression later on, when it's still pretty early to push the issue. But anyway, he is loving pee on the potty, then dumping it into the real toilet and saying 'bye-bye' to the pee. This boy is all about routine and he's digging the pee pee ritual for now. I've even switched him back to cloth diapers at night, now, when before he would just pee through diapers that were even double stuffed no problem. Now we do just fine with a double stuffed diaper, including one hemp insert, and he usually has a big pee in the mornings to helps save that diaper a little bit.



He still really hates changing his diaper though, and the crocodile roll he used to do at about one year old has turned into wrestling a freaking tiger. This kid is strong and stubborn and does NOT like to take a time-out from playing to have his butt wiped. I really hate pinning him down and trying to distract him with toys and crazy songs and mommy acting completely deranged but come on, Truman---life is rough as a toddler when you have nasty poop on your skin. It has to be changed, and there is no room for negotiation. I tried to tell him if he'd just poop in the potty we could get rid of all diapers but I think he was too busy screaming 'NO' to really hear me. Very rough life, indeed.



Truman is getting more and more vocal with a growing vocabulary each week, although he definitely still has some 'Truman-ism' words that only we understand. For instance, his beloved trucks are actually called 'Gwahs' in case you were wondering. And the dog is 'Ga-Ga', as in Lady Ga Ga of course. He will pair two words together but still prefers the one worded sentence for now. We are working on him using his words more often and not relying on the grunt and point to tell us what he wants---and sure enough, when we tell him to use words he will remember how to say what he means. But the boy sure does love a good grunt and point.



He is a typical toddler with his eating habits right now, still digging a food one day and despising it the next. He'd snack all day long and will chug milk if I let him. This month he has been really into blackberries and blueberries, which is awesome and healthy, although it makes for disgusting dirty diapers (which only make the tiger-wrestling even more fun). I have noticed he's doing a better job at actually sitting still at the table long enough to consume a decent amount of calories. He really enjoyed my lasagna I made the other night which made me feel like the best chef in the world, since he usually pushes 'real' food away and settles for a bunch of random stuff instead (like a yogurt, half of a banana, a few berries, and some cheese---a dinner of champions, obviously). I think he likes the social aspect of eating meals with us as a family, too, and maybe he's finally understanding that this is what we do---we eat together, and we wait to run around like crazy people until after dinner. Go figure.

(iPhone pic of our boy in jammies that are dangerously tight, slamming his banana smoothie before bed)


Truman loves Henry (Ga Ga) more than anything and gets irritated with me if I put Henry in his crate for a short time out (after the dog inhales obscene amounts of people food that Truman is purposefully dropping on our floors for entertainment). They really stick up for each other and it's adorable to see a boy love his doggie so much. He loves his garbage truck he got for Christmas more than anything in the entire universe, but the basketball hoop is a close second. Still with the trucks and trash cans and dumping, but not so much obsessed with temporary tattoos anymore. Meaning, he will settle for one new tat per week instead of daily additions. Progress, people! He's just starting to allow oral hygiene and doesn't seem to mind me brushing his teeth twice a day now---whereas before it was a total nightmare, involving him sucking off all the toothpaste and biting the brush until I just gave up my efforts. I'm sure his future dentists will be happy we are turning the corner on that one.







He is still blowing us away with his athletic abilities, slamming dunks and hitting golf balls and kicking soccer balls all over our house. I think he is really focused on gross motor skills right now much more than verbal skills or, ahem, sleeping skills.




(a video of mister Michael Jordan)




And he does love to read his books and lately it's been all about Truman reading to mommy or daddy while he sits in the rocking chair alone. And we've gotten into the heart-warming habit of me singing to Truman while rocking him before bed. Seeing his big eyes staring up into mine, happy to hear me make up words to random songs in a horrible pitch, are just about the most rewarding event of my day. I hope he'll oblige me for a little while longer with this routine.



(another iPhone pic---my big boy with a milk mustache)


He loves to point to my belly and say, 'oh! baby!' and then give it a hug (melt me now) and I honestly think Truman will be a great big brother. He's just so loving and careful and observant that I'm hoping the transition is easy on him in a few more months. But for now I will happily cuddle my baby boy and enjoy being a mom to one while I can. He still likes to refer to himself as a baby, crawling across the floor at times, and he wants us to tuck him into his crib with a blanket each night, saying 'baby!'. I guess I won't worry about this too much until it's an actual problem...

(most amazing Christmas gift ever, made by my mom. She melted old crayons, poured them into empty glue sticks, wrapped the outside with colored scrapbooking paper, and made this little holster for him to wear. Amazingness)


On our way to two years old....not sure how this happened, but I certainly cannot complain!