Showing posts with label 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4. Show all posts
Friday, August 11, 2017
25 weeks Baby 4
3/26/17 | 25w1d
Twenty-five weeks seems really far along, doesn't it? I mean, fifteen more weeks until my due date or about 3.5 more months? That's insane, I can hardly believe it.
This week baby is the size of a cauliflower and his kicks keep getting stronger, consistently happening whenever I eat, sit down, or try to fall asleep. I told Nate that 8pm seems to be this kid's most active time and we agreed that seems to be par for the course. I've caught myself wondering what it would be like to have a child that sleeps well, within his first year of life. I cannot imagine and know I shouldn't even get my hopes up to have a 'good sleeper'.
In that same vein, Porter slept through the night last night for the first time in weeks, perhaps months. Can I get an 'amen'? Sticker charts really work for our children, point taken. Hopefully he keeps this up, mama needs some freaking sleep because I'm tired. My sleep is still fairly light and restless but at least I didn't have to physically get out of bed until 7 am this morning---the glory.
Completely unrelated to pregnancy but I'm plunking it here anyway: Truman lost not one but BOTH of his top teeth this week, within 24 hours of each other. I'm not sure why these teeth got me, but they did. My biggest boy, weren't you just cutting those teeth yesterday? He looks so different. So big. Hold me.
Let's talk about this comparison for a second. Yes, my hair was crimped. 1988 was a great year. And come on, people who say Truman only looks like Nate!
Back to this pregnancy...
I had my first comment of, 'Oh, you are due in July? That is so SOON. You are going to have your hands full, aren't you?' I mean, don't we already? Our hands were full a long time ago, this will just be a new dimension of 'full'. But of course, our hearts will be even more full than our hands, with more love, more loudness, more memories to be had with our bigger family. I've been feeling overwhelmingly blessed this week and humbled by this baby in my belly. Bear with me here, I feel lots of emotions coming on during this post.
Also, I've noticed a gross, acidic taste in the back of my throat after I eat. I don't know if this is heartburn or reflux or what, but it's pretty annoying. I've never had heartburn before and figured it would be more in my chest--this feels like my food is too acidic, if that makes sense. It doesn't matter what I eat though, everything makes that taste appear. It's not painful but it makes me want to drink water and not eat as much food. Novel concept!
There were several more hours spent in the attic this week, sorting and purging and creating boxes to go to Goodwill. I finally went through my 'keepsake baby boy' boxes and nearly cried when I found that I've saved lots of tiny boy clothes. Anything remotely sentimental, with memories attached from the other boys, were in those boxes. I love hand-me-downs so much (it's the comparison thing, I can't help it) and am so happy that I didn't actually purge everything we own last summer and fall when I couldn't handle our attic anymore. It's looking really great up there! I have three bins of girl clothes that I'm trying to pass down to our friends, but everything else has been donated or stored for safe keeping. The baby has two bins of toys that I'll keep. I think we found a car seat to purchase from a friend. Still looking for a mamaroo. And of course, no nursery to decorate until the fall or winter when our addition is fully finished.
OH, and the floor plans changed again. We have decided not to mess with the attic because the beams are not the correct size and there will be many structural issues if we push for the walk-up attic becoming a fifth bedroom. (Read: TONS of money). Instead, we have a new plan for adding a fourth master bedroom, master bath, master closet, and a fifth kids' bedroom in our second floor addition. This fifth bedroom will probably be the baby's room and will be the same size as Porter's current nursery. I've wanted five bedrooms since we started this process and to see it all drawn out is so satisfying! Now we just need the structural engineer to make his recommendations and then we sit in front of the board for our suburb and cross our fingers that everything passes. I'm guessing we will break ground in May or June. Really hoping we have a roof on our house when I give birth but we will take it as it comes, I suppose!
I must be highly emotional today, this is the third time I've almost started crying when typing this post. Hormonal pregnant woman alert.
With Porter, we were coming off a horrible round of illness for the family and I had gained 17 pounds so far. This time I'm at about 15 pounds according to my (rarely used) scale. With Cecelia I hit the 20 pound mark at 26 weeks, and with Truman I was at 18 pounds at 25 weeks. I know, NOBODY CARES about my weight gain and when it happens but these things are fascinating to me. I love comparing pregnancies and also my children, as bad as that sounds.
All three times before this we had named our baby by 25 weeks. This time we are down to two names and of course I prefer one while Nate likes the other better. I might just agree with his top pick, since I did choose both names anyway and love that choice also. Or I might keep working on him to fall in love with my top name choice. Or maybe we will just wait until the baby is born to decide but that thought makes me panicky for some reason. (Type A, so different than what we've done before this).
Now, reading back through my three previous blog posts at 25 weeks, something really sticks out to me. This was me at 25 weeks pregnant with Truman:
That's it... jumping back on the fitness train, and packing on the lbs marks my twenty-fifth week. I really love being pregnant you guys. At least right now, at this point in the process, I'm feeling incredibly happy and blessed and ready to pop out another 3 after this one. But I suppose I should bite my tongue until I experience the glory of labor and delivery, the frenzy of living with a newborn, and lack of sleep. Call me naive but I cannot wait:)
Huh, I guess I AM going to have three more kids after Truman. Who would have thought?
And then this was me with Porter's pregnancy, and what I said in response to that paragraph from 2010 with T:
Everything and nothing has changed this time around. I still adore being pregnant and frequently want to cry over my love for the process. I still believe I could 'pop out another 3 after this one' in some ways, but in other ways I feel very at peace being finished with this stage of my life. I still get excited thinking about labor and delivery, life with a newborn, and the changes it will all bring. Even now as 'an old pro' I cannot wait, even though I know it will be hard as hell along with being more amazing than I could have imagined back then. I could have never imagined how life would change going from 0-1 kids and it's every bit as special and exciting going from 2-3. Every bit.
And then this was me with Porter's pregnancy, and what I said in response to that paragraph from 2010 with T:
Everything and nothing has changed this time around. I still adore being pregnant and frequently want to cry over my love for the process. I still believe I could 'pop out another 3 after this one' in some ways, but in other ways I feel very at peace being finished with this stage of my life. I still get excited thinking about labor and delivery, life with a newborn, and the changes it will all bring. Even now as 'an old pro' I cannot wait, even though I know it will be hard as hell along with being more amazing than I could have imagined back then. I could have never imagined how life would change going from 0-1 kids and it's every bit as special and exciting going from 2-3. Every bit.
Spot on, Julia of 2014....except for the part about being 'finished' with the baby stage in your life. I mentioned this a lot in my weekly posts with Porter, trying to wrap my head around him being our last baby. And I still think going from 3-4 kids will be every bit as special as the other transitions we've had. I have perspective now, age and wisdom, and a boat load of tiny human beings to remind me that time freaking flies. They are not lying when they tell you this, mamas.
It's better than I could have imagined and it's also so much harder than I thought possible. It's both ends of the spectrum, EXTREMELY amazing and extremely difficult, to be a mother. The good outweighs the bad though, for all of it---pregnancy, labor and delivery, newborn life, a growing child. This has been the most incredible ride of my life and I get a little teary when I think about doing it all over again. Four kids. Holy cow. Thank you, God.
I can say with certainty that I don't want to pop out three more kids after this, however. Mark my words, this is our last, and I'm soaking it in for all that it's worth. Bring on April and a real spring! Let's do this.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Brady Jordan 4 months
just like that, another month has FLOWN BY. I don't know where the time went! this boy is the light of our lives right now! after buzzing the wispy baby hairs on his head, I don't even remember what he looked like before! love his bald baby head.. and his bright smiles! I swear he's the most expressive baby of the bunch.
letterboard // crib sheet // romper // moccs
Brady at FOUR months
Weight: 14 pounds 12 ounces (48th percentile)
Birth: 7 lbs 4 oz
Height: 25 in (55th percentile)
Birth: 20 in
Head: 40.6 cm (15th percentile)
Birth: 34.5 cm
I was taking pictures of Brady while we waited for Dr. Butler to come in and remembered I had taken some of Baker around this age.. turns out that they are basically twins. I cannot believe how similar they look!
they are both four months old in this picture. I texted this to my mom and dad and neither realized that they were two different babies. crazy!
E A T
BOY
LOVES
TO
EAT.
I dont remember the girls being this way about nursing. I've even gone back to old blog posts a time or two to see the difference developmentally and while they are pretty much on track, his eating habits are much different. a lot of it could be out of comfort related to his reflux, but I feel like all he wants to do is nurse in the afternoons. we've hit a growth spurt and he's been waking through the night again to eat. I also have noticed him getting hungry about 2 hours after nursing or taking a bottle.. so Jordan decided to bump his bottle by an ounce and he gobbled the entire thing! Brady eats about 8 times a day, every three hours or so. I nurse him in the morning and twice after I'm home in the evenings during the work week and while I am gone he's taking three 6 ounce bottles.
bib // shirt // necklace
the pedi gave us the go-ahead to start solids if we wanted. I waited until 6 months with Baker, but did start cereals at four months with the twins, so I haven't decided what I am going to do yet with Brady. I feel motivated to make his baby food this time around and sort of a mix in solids and puree's for the first couple months and then move into more solid foods after that. I did a mixture with Baker this way and she did really well with it. not true BLW, but it worked for us.
P L A Y / D E V E L O P M E N T
bib // onesie // pants
social butterfly, this guy! Jordan will correct me when he reads that I just called our son a "butterfly", but its true. he is known for his coo's and shouts from the play mat, as if to get someones attention to come play with meeeee. its rare there isn't a sister girl in his face and I think he prefers it that way. this social characteristic also means that Brady STILL hates the car seat. he'll give me about 20 minutes in the car before he's done done done with it and starts his scream/cry/sob. there have been times when I have just reached my hand back there to hold him arm or rub his cheek and he calms down pretty quickly. such a sweet boy! but totally wears me out with that carseat.
I was reading the wonder weeks app the other morning while feeding Brady and it mentioned that he's in his fourth developmental leap. this leap includes grasping and being able to see longer distances. this week he just started to grab toys and bring them to his mouth along with recognizing me and making eye contact from across the room. he is nearly rolling over to his tummy. Brady hangs out on his side most of the time, and I have to be very careful where I leave him. I used to be able to lay him on the bed and run to the restroom or grab a drink from the kitchen but not anymore! he scoots himself all over the place and a time or two I've found him about two feet away from the play mat where I left him, ha! get a move on, brother!
hat // seat
hes also been able to sit up in his play seat. one week he was took floppy to hold himself up and the next week he was sitting straight as a board!
S L E E P
ugh.
sleep has been a rough go this month. four month sleep regression is REAL.. coupled with a growth spurt and mama is tired. he went from sleeping through the night.. about 9pm until 6am and back to sleep until about 8am.
NOPE.
his bedtime is still around 9pm, which he's been fighting me with everything he's got. last night he wasn't in bed until 10:30pm.. so basically we are all over the place and on zero schedule whatsoever. he's waking through the night sometimes twice or three times.. last night I was SO thankful for a seven hour stretch. but I know he was probably just gearing me up for tonight's all night milk binge.
we have been practicing crib naps during the day! most of the time he's napping about an hour in the morning after the 9am feeding and then in the afternoon he will nap a good 2 hours or more. we have just started laying him down awake and trying to teach him how to go to sleep without nursing or rocking. its going okay- often times he will chatter for about a half hour and then start to fuss- to which I'll go in and rock or nurse him to sleep. we are slowing making that transition (no CIO, just for the record..). the pediatrician mentioned yesterday that this self-soothe to sleep ability sometimes isn't mastered before 6 months of age. so we've got some time.
panda // crib blanket
B R A D Y
hello bud!! oh you just keep getting better and better. each month I think is my favorite, but four months has got to be the best yet! you are developing such a sweet little personality and your smiley reactions to pretty much everything is just the best! your sisters cannot get enough of your interacting with them- and even Baker comes running to tell me that you are smilin' in the thickest southern drawl. you've become a bit more patient and entertain yourself well- cooing at the mirror on your play mat or chatting up Mickey Mouse- so darling to watch!
you are going through that "4 month sleep regression" and have taken a step backward in the sleep department- your daddy says that you miss me so much during the day that you want to snuggle all night.. so we will go with that. you love to roll to your side while you play- both hands in your mouth + muffled squeals explode from where you sit. if walls could talk in this house they would say that you are the MOST loved babe ever. between your sisters and your mama + daddy- we gush over just about everything you do.
you have started to giggle this month- you are VERY ticklish! little giggle bursts will come about when we tickle your neck or the sides of your tummy. we have been very busy this summer with birthday parties and travel and lots of water activities- you LOVE the pool. we took you for many dips in the pool this month and you just relax in the floaty like you have done it a million times before. I'm glad you seem to love the water because its an easy way to beat the heat in a Texas summer.
you also had your first haircut- courtesy of your daddy! we had been joking about giving you a buzz to get rid of the "old man" hair and and a couple weeks ago we were enjoying the evening outside and your daddy walked out with the clippers in hand- no turning back now!
you looked SO CUTE after your first cut.. buh bye old man hair!
we celebrated your first holiday- the fourth of July! you slept through most of it, but you did so well as we carted you around to the festivities.
I am so thankful you, for the most part, are a chill babe. maybe that comes with the territory of being the fourth kiddo?
your mama and daddy are short on time + sleep + energy these days.. the house is a total disaster, and most of the time we are sitting in and amongst 851 tiny toys courtesy of your big sisters- but we are loving life with the addition of you in it. you have us totally smitten, even when you don't sleep for hourssss at night. I always offer a pep talk before bed about sleeping well, and then you don't.. but I love you anyway, little stinker.
you smile a ton, blow spit bubbles and purse your lips to make everyone around you laugh.. you've mastered bringing toys (well EVERYthing) to your mouth and you're the most curious little dude there ever was. you are quickly distracted during most feedings and if the television is on, you are indeed attempting to watch it. you'll lounge in your daddy's lap in the mornings while he watches the news and just contently gaze at the bright images on the screen. you are growing and looking more and more like Baker's little twin.. the same eyes, brows, lips..and your expressions are nearly identical.
you're wearing size 3-6 months clothes and still in size 2 diapers for now.. growing like a weed! but we are enjoying every new day and the changes that come along with it.
love you to the moon, bud.
MONTH PHOTO DUMP
Monday, May 29, 2017
April 4 Life Lately
A few random updates...
1. The kids and I all had colds last week. Nothing too bad really, until Porter woke up from his afternoon nap on Thursday with a red, disgusting, goopy eye. Uh-oh. None of our children have ever had pink eye before, and after consulting Dr. Google I wasn't totally convinced this is what Porter had because the images online were frightening. Porter's eye seemed only slightly offensive compared to the big dogs on le internet, but I still put a call into our doctor's office and Lori said she'd prefer if P stayed home on Friday.
Post-bath, which is the best it looked that night.
Tony is a saint and even when he's sick Porter isn't too difficult these days, so Tony agreed to watch P for me on Friday while I worked. But when Porter woke up that morning, both of his eyes were just totally not right. At all. I won't even discuss the amount of gunk coming out of his eyes and nose but it was horrifying and I knew I had to take him to the doctor.
This was after a solid 5 minutes cleaning up his nastiness. He was not a fan. My poor baby!
The walk in clinic didn't open until 12:30 but luckily my Pediatrician's office finally called back and agreed to squeeze us in at 11:45, even though they had said they were booked when I called the day before. PERFECT. Just had to move patients around to make this appointment happen, but was relieved to see our actual doc. Oh, juggling my job while having a sick kid still ranks as one of my least favorite parts of the gig.
Verdict: probably pink eye. And probably viral. But just in case, we got antibiotic eye drops to treat it. Ears looked great, chest was fine, and Porter was smiling through his crusty eyes, turning on the charm and giving the doctor his best grins.
Not for the camera though, obvi. Way to amp up the 'pathetic baby' face, Port!
Within twelve hours of starting the eye drops, he seemed good as new. Both he and I have continued to have congestion and I personally feel some crazy sinus pain and am sort of losing my voice but overall we're fine. And I'm not so sure he even had pink eye since it got better insanely quick and nobody else in daycare or our friends or our family had it. Whatever! Putting the ointment in his eyes four times per day for a week was pretty awful but at least he seems to have always felt like his normal, happy self. My little trooper.
Note the pulling on the ear which had me freaked about pink eye turning into an ear infection. (also: blueberries)
Seems too happy for an ear infection! His gummy grin is killer, yes? Don't grow teeth and get all big on me, Porter, okay?
2. The in laws had us over for dinner last Sunday night because our power was randomly out for a few hours due to wind or something. Can't complain and I love that they welcome our chaos into their house with open arms. Our kids go nuts for playing with grandparent toys (i.e. Nate's old toys from the 80s). Seeing how much fun our kids have with Nate's old things makes me soften my reserve for donating EVERY toy in this house someday.
But seriously though, how does one tackle the enormity of donating/consigning/passing off all of the baby paraphernalia? I'm not quite ready to start this process but wonder what most people do. How do you even decide what to keep for sentimental reasons, stuff to keep for your kids' kids someday, and what do to with the rest?
3. What is your favorite go-to gift for a new mom? Our neighbor had her baby (their first!) and I made them two of my favorite freezer meals (chicken enchiladas and cheesy quinoa casserole), with two six packs of beer and some biscuits. I'm a big fan of making meals for new moms and usually just make the same two over and over again. I also like the idea of giving the mom a fun little package of treats just for her (maybe like this). But I also can't help but get the new baby a little something, too. It's hard to resist little newborn baby clothes since it will never ever get old to marvel at how TINY they can be. For my neighbor's baby, I had a discount code from Pear Tree Greetings. I went through their gifts and home decor section and selected this adorable personalized book:
These are only a few of the pages, others have the baby's birth weight, birthday, mom and dad's name in there. I love the colorful pages, sweet words, and personalization of this book---something about a 'hello world!' book makes me a little teary and I can't wait to hold this sweet baby soon!
4. Spring is FINALLY starting to make an appearance and we have been loving the crap out of sunny weather in the 50-60 degree range. Do not speak to me about the tease of Wisconsin Spring---a few nice days, then a week of gloomy 30-40 degree weather is our normal. But those warmer days feel like a slice of heaven. It's like everyone is emerging from some deep hibernation, remembering that life can be full of fresh air and sunshine, and EVERYONE seems to be extraordinarily friendly and happy all of a sudden. Like, 'Hi! Isn't it nice to breathe air that won't penetrate your loins with daggers of ice? Let's be friends. Life is good.' This newfound warm air means lots of playgrounds and oh, how we've missed outside physical activity!
All three kids on the swings! (Yes, a baby swing for gigantic Truman, too. He demanded to be next to Porter and I nearly broke my back hoisting his gangly body into this thing, but whatever. Life is good when not hibernating during winter!)
This guy LOVED his first swing experience. I couldn't stop taking videos and pictures because his cuteness was overwhelming. Gahhhhhh, that grin!
One evening after C and P's nap, we went to a different playground (no swings) with Truman riding his bike ahead of the double BOB. I wanted to play around with this concept of transporting three children with one bike + double stroller, instead of the tried and true Bjorn + double stroller. Truman did awesome with his bike for this little adventure but the shortest way to the playground includes a road without sidewalks. And drivers on the road staring at their cell phones. And therefore, a mom having a panic attack while stuck behind a double stroller, visualizing her biggest boy getting hit by a car speeding toward them. If we do this method of transport again, we will be taking the longer way with sidewalks and a nice little trail. Because I am NOT cut out for this type of road trip just yet.
But the playground was worth it;)
And the clouds were ridiculously pretty this evening, almost fake!
SPRING! NO COATS! NO SNOW! YESSSSSSSSSSSS.
That's all for now. This daily blogging thing is super time consuming, huh?
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