The state of our household, part 2

Well, I didn't mean to make this a two-parter but apparently we need an update.  See that utterly defeated boy right there?  Well, he's sick.  And miserable.  Has been for 4 days.  Poor little Jack has a recurring fever, cold, and a terrible hacking cough that keeps him up all night.  I guess if there's an upside, it's that John and I are getting used to getting up every 90 minutes.  Fun times!  I am just hoping that he's 100% healthy by the time we introduce a newborn with zero immunity to the household.  These toddlers seem to get sick every two months or so so I know the healthy phase won't last long, but hopefully we hit a good window.

Jack sort of looks like I feel in that picture.  In case I haven't mentioned it, MAN, this pregnancy is so much harder than my first.  I can only think it's because I'm older and more out of shape.  But at the end of my first pregnancy, I was still pretty active and not that uncomfortable.  When I was overdue with Jack, I walked 5 miles a day around the local high school track because the doctor said that walking might help me go into labor (it didn't).  But right now, with a few days left until my due date, I don't even think I could walk a mile.  Maybe really slowly.  I am having some pelvic pain which is apparently due to your pelvic bones and area getting soft and ready to shift shape.  That's all well and good for giving birth, but not so much for moving around.  The website I was reading suggested that pelvic pain may be brought on by prolonged sitting, laying down, or walking.  Oh, okay.  Thanks.  I'll just avoid all those things.  

But, I guess all in all I'm good.  Still at the park with Jack (when he was healthy), still sitting in music class and dancing around (though it's not pretty).  Hopefully this baby will come and introduce himself before too long!  :)

The state of our household

 

There's our boy. Not the best facial expression but he's looking sharp.

Just thought I'd catch everyone up on how we're doing with 2 weeks til my due date. We've been busy trying to get all of the baby stuff out of storage, washed, and put away. Of course, putting it away meant finding space in Jack's room for all these tiny onesies and size 1 diapers. And making room in the family room for playmats and bouncy seats. Room we don't really have. But that's okay. I've resigned myself to the fact that the house will just be a bit cluttered for the next year or so. Oh well. At least we got all the baby stuff settled!

 

Staging area of sorts in the garage

Washed and clean size 3-month clothes hanging neatly in the closet

We talk to Jack a lot about baby brother and his upcoming arrival. He seems to understand what is going on and likes to say hi to brother in the morning. Maybe he's partial to him because he knows the baby is the reason we have new double stroller sitting in the living room. Not a major side-by-side double stroller, but a little sit n' stand deal that I can snap the infant car seat in and Jack can sit or stand on the back. He LOVES it. He straps in his favorite stuffed animal dog, jumps on, and insists Daddy push him around the room. So cute.

   

 Jack is still obsessed with his daddy and loves spending time with him. In the morning he says goodbye then rushes to the window to watch him drive away.

   

 This weekend when John tried to get some yard work done and clean the gutters (exciting stuff!), Jack insisted upon helping.

   

 All that manual labor seriously tired him out though.

   

 I'm trying to cross everything off my to-do list. Running errands, making appointments, etc. Today Jack got a hair cut so he could look sharp for baby brother. I was so proud of him. Sat in the little taxi cab all by himself and didn't make a peep. My big guy.

 

 

 He really is getting so much bigger and older though. Preschool has been a great experience. At this point there's no crying whatsoever and he seems to be enjoying it. He'll never be the kid who runs into the classroom and gives his teacher a giant HELLO and high five. But he walks into the classroom, finds his number puzzle (definitely his comfort item), and sits at the little table to play with it. He'll give me a hug and remind me that "mommy always picks you up at the end" and say goodbye. We've noticed that since preschool has started, he's definitely gotten better at playing WITH his friends. He'll engage them and actually play with them, rather than beside them. It's pretty cute.

   

 So Jack seems totally ready to be a big brother EXCEPT for his current sleep patterns. After sleeping through the night for so long, for some reason he's back to waking up like 2 or 3 times during the night. And this doesn't include his early morning wake-up time (thanks daylight savings!). I've read that it's just the age and development and he'll grow out of it (obviously) but it still stinks having him wake up twice a night every night. Luckily John's been dealing with him because no one wants to wait for me to roll out of bed like a whale. :) One thing about bedtime that is cute though is that he's started wanting to read by himself. So I'll leave him in there for 15 or 20 minutes and he'll just read his books by himself. A boy after my own heart.

 

So yes, in summary, Jack is pretty cool right now.  And tall and strong.

 

P.S., he still loves watermelon.

 

29 weeks pregnant?

I haven't posted much about my pregnancy here.  Not because I've forgotten I'm pregnant (who could forget in 100 degree heat) but because I'm sort of distracted and don't think about it that much.  But, yes, I am 29 weeks pregnant.  2 1/2 months to go hopefully.  This pregnancy has been different and yet the same as the first.  Different because I'm just SO MUCH MORE tired.  Physically.  Last time I got to sit in an air conditioned office all day and was in a desk chair for like 12 hours a day.  Plus I started off in better shape.  Now I'm chasing after a busy two year old and have to sit in hot parks and run around my backyard.  Last time I read all about pregnancy on the internet and followed it week by week.  I also had far more worries last time about everything and this time I'm probably not worried enough.

But lots of things are the same.  Mainly my two major symptoms - heartburn and insomnia.  At least with heartburn this time I knew exactly what I needed to have on hand...liquid antacid.  The insomnia is a little rough but there's not much I can do about it.

The bummer is that this time everything is more swollen.  I never had to take off my wedding rings with Jack but this time around I put them away weeks ago.  I'm now wearing a $15 sterling silver band that used to fit on my index finger.  And I've noticed my ankles and feet are a bit swollen at the end of the day.  Not the greatest look.

The little guy is kicking like crazy though so that's fun.  And reassuring that everything is going okay, even if I'm too busy to notice.  Poor kid is still nameless though as John and I haven't found a name we both love.  We have 11 or so more weeks so let's hope we can agree on something soon.  :)

This pregnancy? It's not the greatest...

Soo, yeah.  This 2nd pregnancy?  Kind of sucks compared to the first.  (Sorry about the language).  I mean, obviously the first pregnancy is special because it's the first and all the ultrasounds and everything else are just amazing.  But with Jack, I feel like my symptoms were pretty mild.  I had nausea the first trimester but I got to sit in an office all day about 20 feet from a stocked kitchen while kind assistants brought me lunch every day.  Now I'm nauseous or headache-y quite often and Jack doesn't seem to care.  In fact, he insists that I still feed him and play with him and give him a bath and put him to bed.

The entire 9 months with Jack?  Never sick at all.  Not one iota.  Now on week 17 I'm already on my second sinus cold.  If you were wondering, it's really not that fun to have stuffed up sinuses and have to blow your nose every five minutes while it's 90 degrees outside and you're as big as a house.

My first pregnancy? My face and skin totally cleared up.  This lil' bugger?  Making me break out like I'm 14 years old.  Last time my hair got all full and nice...but not this time.

With Jack my fingers never swelled up and I could easily wear my wedding rings the entire 9 months.  This time?  I am shocked and saddened by the fact that my wedding ring is almost unwearable even before I'm halfway through this pregnancy.  Lame.

But I really shouldn't complain too much.  I know people that throw up for three months.  People whose feet and ankles swell so they can't wear their normal shoes.  Luckily I don't have anything quite as bad as that.  I just wish that it was a little bit easier.  :)

Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm pregnant.

 

 I realized somewhere along the way that I've neglected to do a post about baby #2. And obviously after around 13 weeks it wasn't because it was a secret. And now I'm sure everyone reading this already knows. So it was just pure laziness. But here it goes!

We are (or, let's be honest, I am) 16 weeks pregnant with baby #2. I was pretty sure that I was pregnant so the morning that I took the test, I had a shirt for Jack all ready. "Soon to be Big Brother" Jack awoke at his normal ridiculous 5:30am time and I got him up and threw the shirt on him. Then we killed some time on the counter as usual until it was time to wake up daddy.

Jack bounded into the bedroom and climbed up on the bed and asked John to read him a book. John, not wearing his glasses, was completely oblivious to the shirt.

 

Like, seriously, oblivious.  He thought he was just having a nice read with his son.

But I gently nudged him to get his glasses and then he figured it out.  He was pretty darn surprised.  But Jack wouldn't let him stop reading.

I have to say that my immediate reaction to the positive test was quite a spectrum of emotion.  First shock, then happiness, then sadness that Jack's entire existence was gonna change, and then just complete fear about having a newborn and a toddler.  And going back to no sleep.  And spit up.  And bouncing on a ball.  Sigh.  But, I eventually bounced back to being excited.  

So far this pregnancy has been a bit different than with Jack.  I mean, the basic fact is that I have to take care of a toddler during the day so obviously I don't get to sit at a desk all day like last time and have snacks at my disposal and sleep in.  But I did feel like I was more sick.  But maybe that's just because memory fades over time.  The shock of having my belly pop up at like EIGHT weeks hasn't worn off though.  With Jack, I didn't switch to maternity pants until 20 weeks.  Didn't even tell anyone at work until then.  Wow.  It couldn't be more opposite this time.  I had to switch to maternity pants at like 10 weeks and, currently, at 16 weeks I would gather I look the same as I did at 26 weeks last time.  Oh well.  I guess that's how these things work out.  Looking forward to being as big as a whale in the 100 degree Burbank summer.  

And did I mention we're having another boy?  I'm excited for Jack to have a brother even though he told us he wanted a sister.  Sorry Jack, you can't always get what you want.  Let this be a life lesson for you.  It does make it easier since we have all the boy clothes, and boy toys, and sort of know what to do with a boy.  

So, there it is.  We are due November 19th.  Right before Thanksgiving.  Definitely something to be thankful for.  :)