28 weeks with Baby #2

28 Weeks. Baby is growing!!!
Graham wanted to be in this week's pic. :)

We attempted self-timer maternity pic's with a toddler... Yikes.

This is how I felt most of the photo shoot. Seriously. 

The only halfway decent one with all three of us in it. :/

How far along?  28 weeks. Third trimester!!! 

Total weight gain? Gained 16 pounds so far. I feel HUGE and I can't believe my belly is just going to keep stretching out for the next 12 weeks. I told my doctor at last month's appointment that I feel huge and exhausted. She said, "Welcome to 2nd pregnancy!" Awesome. She did reassure me that my weight gain and measurements and everything look great, and to help with the exhaustion, she encouraged me to let Graham walk as much as possible so I don't have to lug him around too. Little does she know how much that boy loooooooves to be carried by his mama. :/

Begging to be picked up as I attempt to brush my teeth. :)

Maternity clothes? Maternity on the bottom all the time, plus yoga pants. I've started wearing some maternity on top too. My belly is just getting too big for normal shirts.

Sleep? Starting to get really uncomfortable sleeping. Waking up a lot, tossing and turning. My belly is too big to lay on now :( so I just go back and forth from side to side. Ugh. And I'm so exhausted anyway I've been taking a nap most days when Graham naps. My friend recommended a body pillow, which I need to look into.

Best moment this week? I think Graham has started to notice my big belly. He's been patting it lately when I hold him. I always say, "baby" when he does, which he hasn't tried to repeat yet... But it's really super sweet. Now when I say "baby" anytime, he pats my belly. I know he has no idea what's going on, but it's sweet that he's making some kind of connection. We talk about "little brother" all the time and I am still loving thinking about their friendship to come. We also took a family mini-hike on a warm day, which was soooooooooo nice. G LOVES riding on Daddy's back.

Miss anything? I really want a strawberry margarita. Really bad. And a turkey sandwich. I've been drooling over Andrew's sandwiches lately. And I still miss all of my normal clothes fitting, bending over easily, and having energy. And just being comfortable in my own body... And sleep!!!!

Movement? He is a mover and a shaker! This is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. I feel so connected to him when he's flipping and kicking around. Love it.

Food cravings? Cereal. Sweets. Fruit.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Have you started to show yet? Seriously? I need to take this question off! Today at the grocery store and music class, several people said they thought my belly had grown a lot since last Monday! Ha.

Labor signs? Nope.

Symptoms: Exhaustion. Pressure from baby on my lower belly, especially when I exercise or go up and down our stairs a lot. I didn't feel this until later on with Graham, but I've felt it a lot lately.
Belly button in or out? It's still doing that weird thing where the skin on top of it sticks out, so it totally looks like the whole thing is out through my tight shirts. I hate it when the whole thing actually does pop out though...

Wedding ring on or off? On. 

Happy or moody most of the time? I've just been a lot moodier this time around. The winter and exhaustion don't help.

Name possibilities? Making some progress!! Whew. I thought this day would never come. Andrew now has a top 3 instead of a top 1! Ha. Still in the discussions.

Looking forward to? Still the same- decorating the nursery, picking a name, meeting little sweet pea!!

This precious little thing. I want to kiss his face off.

24 Weeks with Baby #2

24 Weeks- Baby is the size of a cantelope!

Wow, I am so far behind on this blog!! It has been a crazy month, full of house remodeling and toddler sicklyness. This mama has been exhausted. I'm pretty convinced I either need a nanny, chef, or maid to save my life these days. Whew. At least we've been able to get outside a few random warmer days. And, of course, the big news is...

Another sweet little boy on the way!
We couldn't be more excited!!

I could barely find anywhere in my house to take this pic! Our house is seriously a complete disaster with our home remodel downstairs. Anyway, just a little size comparison between my pregnancy this time around (on left) and my first time around (on right)... I knew I was feeling so much bigger for a reason!! Ha. I've only gained 2 more pounds this time compared to last time, but my belly is just stretched out wayyyyy more! Guess it's true what they say about the first baby stretching everything out!

 

How far along?  24 weeks. 

Total weight gain? Gained 12 pounds so far. Feeling HUGE, especially compared to last time around.

Maternity clothes? Still rockin the maternity jeans every day. I gotta admit, I love them. They're skinny jeans from H&M I found at a yard sale, so they're super cute and super comfy. Still mostly normal shirts on top, but I have pulled out a few maternity tank tops I've been excited about.

Sleep? Getting up for the bathroom a couple times a night. Plus I started waking up with some back pain these past couple of weeks, so I'm back to sleeping on my side with a pillow in between my knees. This was my miracle worker last pregnancy. 

Best moment this week? Finding out we're having another little boy!!! We were so convinced it was a girl the entire time, just because my pregnancies have been so different, so we were shocked and thrilled to find out it's a boy! When the ultrasound tech scanned across the gender area, the baby moved and the image went away. Before she could say anything or move it back in place, I said, "Was that a PENIS?!!!" Ha! And indeed it was. PDS has trained me well in "Building Boys, Making Men" and I cannot WAIT for Graham to have a built-in little buddy. We've been praying that they will be lifelong best friends. It makes me so happy to think about the potential of their relationship!

Miss anything? Turkey sandwiches. Shirts that fit well. Bending over easily. ENERGY. I have just been completely exhausted. I've been trying to eat more protein and take naps when I need to, but man, I'm just wiped out all the time it seems! I remember they put me on iron supplements last pregnancy, so I'm wondering if that's the case again. Or maybe it's just been this 26 lb. toddler I've been carrying everywhere since he's been sick and teething. :( I do love his snuggles though...

Sweet thing wiped out after the zoo one day.
He never falls asleep in my arms anymore, so I savored every second. :)

Movement? This strong little man makes his presence known all the time!! Tons of movement. It seems like he moves more than Graham did, but maybe that's just because I felt him so much sooner than I did with Graham. Andrew gets to feel him a ton too, which is so fun.

Food cravings? Cookies. I seriously have been craving cookies for the last two weeks of this house remodel, where any kind of cooking is very inconvenient, but doable lately. I finally broke down and made some last night, and they did not disappoint. White chocolate chip oatmeal cookies were divine... Even gluten free! Here's the recipe.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Have you started to show yet? Oh yeah. I've been living in my winter coat, so when I take it off these days, people are always surprised I have a legitimate baby bump!

Labor signs? Nope.

Symptoms: Exhaustion. A little bit of acid reflux when I lay down at night after a big dinner.
Belly button in or out? Sick. I hate belly buttons. I've been doing some preggo workout DVD's and I can't even look at their belly buttons poking out through their shirts on the screen. Sick.

Wedding ring on or off? On. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Moody. Come on sunshine!!

Name possibilities? We had our first big name discussion the day we found out the gender, but didn't get anywhere. 

Looking forward to? Starting to decorate the nursery!!! Picking a name. Meeting this sweet boy!!!

Soon Daddy will be pulling two little boys in the wagon!!

20 Weeks with Baby #2!

How far along?  20 weeks. Cannot BELIEVE I'm halfway there!!! Everyone's right- the second pregnancy goes wayyyyy faster than the first!

Total weight gain? Gained 7 pounds so far.

Maternity clothes? Same- still maternity jeans every day, plus normal tops.

Sleep? Just getting up a couple times to pee every night... I fall right back to sleep and don't even notice it anymore really.

Best moment this week? I still am just loving feeling this baby squirm and kick and headbutt me all the time. LOVE IT.

Miss anything? Turkey sandwiches.

Movement? All the time!

Food cravings? Pineapple. Cereal. Desserts.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Have you started to show yet? Definitely.

Labor signs? Nope.

Belly button in or out? In. Although it's started to do that weird thing it did first time around, with the skin on top poking out already. Belly buttons gross me out.

Wedding ring on or off? On. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Still moody. Still not sure if it's the pregnancy hormones or the weather. I NEED SUNSHINE.

Most days, we just pretend it's way warmer outside than it actually is.

Name possibilities? Still throwing around some ideas. Still waiting for the gender ultrasound. SEVEN.MORE.DAYS. I'm dying. We found out with Graham at 16 weeks, so this has seemed like forever!!

Looking forward to? GENDER ULTRASOUND!!!!

First overnight without Baby #1!

Graham loved his slumber party with the Farmers.
We are so grateful for them loving on our boy!!

Graham at 15 months

Sweet boy loves bathtime now!

Weight: 25 lbs, 5 oz. (50-75th %) Crazy!!! My sweet little underweight infant has grown up into  a big boy toddler!! 

Height: 31.5 inches. (50-75th %)

Clothing size: Some 12 months still, but mostly 18 months.

Diaper size: Cloth... I think size 4 disposable.

Feeding: Kid loves to eat. Cheese is still his favorite of all time, followed by any kind of fruit. He basically just eats what we do for lunch and dinner, sometimes with a few extra veggies thrown in. For breakfast, he gets a no-sugar, no-flour muffin with fruit. Poor kid. But he loves it. :)

Loves his Daddy's carrot!
And anything he can eat like a big boy.

We usually feed him so healthy,
he was probably shocked at what a French fry tasted like...
He devoured it! We love Chick-Fil-A!

Sleeping: We have spent the last month experimenting with his nap schedule after he started giving signs of wanting to drop the morning nap. He's now solidly on one nap a day, between 2-3 hours. Bedtime between 7-8pm, depending on how his nap was.

Milestones: Taking first steps on his own! First haircut (by Daddy!).

Likes: He has been loving his big boy baths lately, playing with his tub toys and splashing around. Pulling lots of items out of a bucket. Putting lots of items into a bucket. Pushing buckets around like walkers. Eating. Being sung to. Climbing up the stairs, over and over and over. Throwing things down the stairs. Music class.

Don't even try to take away his drumsticks during music class!

Dislikes: Getting his diaper changed. Not getting his way. Snow.

Playing with neighbors in the snow, before it got crazy cold.
G wasn't impressed.

Adventures: Snow. Cold. Ugh. Children's Museum. Kaleigh's 1st birthday party!

What we couldn't live with out: Buckets. Ha.

My favorite part of parenting this age: Seeing him learn and grow every day. Seriously so fun to see him more developed every single day. Crazy.

The hardest part of parenting this age: Did I mention this weather?! Ugh. Get us outside!!!!

18 Weeks with Baby #2

Baby is the size of a sweet potato, and
I'm really starting to pop out!!

How far along?  18 weeks.

Total weight gain? Gained 5 pounds so far.

Not sure if these are the culprit of my weight gain or the baby. :)
Thanks to our friend Matt; your cookies hit the spot for baby and Mommy!

Maternity clothes? Definitely maternity jeans every day now. Still wearing normal stuff on top.

Sleep? Just getting up a couple times to pee.

Best moment this week? Feeling this sweet baby moving everywhere all the time!! I LOVE IT. And Andrew got to feel it already! This is all so much earlier than it was with Graham.

Miss anything? Hmmmm. I am just so used to not eating/ drinking all the stuff they tell you not to eat/ drink, it just seems normal right now. So I will stay on my cold weather soapbox instead. I want spring!!!! Longest.coldest.worst.winter.EVER.

The day I became a mall walker. G liked the stroller more than the kids' play area.

This is what we do cooped up inside. Sit in buckets. Ha.

Movement? This baby is a mover!! I think I felt movement with this one around 13 weeks, but it hasn't been consistent or strong until this past week. Now I feel it a lot, and it's so fun!!

Food cravings? Pineapple. Sweets.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Have you started to show yet? Oh yeah.

Labor signs? Nope.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding ring on or off? On. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Moody. Not sure if it's preggo hormones or this weather. :(

Name possibilities? We have some ideas, but we're still waiting on the gender to really decide. 2 more weeks til the gender ultrasound!!

Looking forward to? Finding out if it's a boy or girl!!! I'm dyyyyyyying to know!! We are still guessing it's a girl.

16 Weeks with Baby #2!!

16 weeks-
Baby #2 is the size of an avocado!

I just realized I did this EVERY week when preggo with Graham!! How the heck did I have time for that?! Ha. Hoping for once or twice a month this time around!! I do love having the record of the pregnancy, but man there's a lot to get done in the day!!


How far along? 16 weeks.

Total weight gain? Gained 4 pounds so far. 

Maternity clothes? I finally dug through our crazy-disorganized basement a few days ago and found a couple boxes of maternity clothes... including some heavenly maternity skinny jeans. I cannot BELIEVE how much more comfortable they are than my normal jeans. Not even doing the rubber band trick this time around. Going straight for good stuff. 

Sleep? Still sleeping normally, still getting up a couple times to pee every night.

Best moment this week? Hearing the baby's strong heartbeat at the doctor, and hearing them say everything looks great, especially after my scary fall down the stairs. :(

Miss anything? Ummmmm warm weather!! But I guess that has nothing to do with pregnancy. So over this ridiculously cold winter.

G playing with neighbors in the snow.
One of the first snows of 2014... before the subzero temps hit.

Movement? You know, I had been thinking I was crazy the last couple weeks for feeling the baby move already. I convinced myself that it was digestion, but I really think I have been able to distinguish lately... And I really think I feel this baby already!!! So crazy.

Food cravings? Welp my pineapple cravings have kicked back in. Aldi had them on sale for 99 cents this week, and between me and Andrew, we may or may not have made 3 trips there to get more. :)

He loves me.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not anymore! 

Have you started to show yet? Yep. 

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? In. 

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Still feeling moody. :/

Name possibilities? Not really talking about it lately... Waiting to find out gender and then hash it out!

Looking forward to? Finding out gender. Getting the nursery ready. Having a name. Holding this sweet little thing in my arms!!! Seeing Graham as a big brother. Everything!!

12 Weeks with Baby #2!

I didn't start tracking my first pregnancy like this til week 20, but I'm going to start now with week 12 this time around. Can't wait to compare them later... I already know they're so, so different.

12 weeks- Baby #2 is the size of a plum!

How far along? 12 weeks.

Total weight gain? Gained 2 pounds so far. From the baby or from the holidays?! Hard to tell. :)

Maternity clothes? Not yet. I'm too exhausted to go down to the basement and dig through all the boxes... But I have a feeling that won't last much longer. My jeans are soooo tight!!! Don't mind if I do wear my yoga pants as much as possible for now. :)

Sleep? Pretty normal, just waking up a couple times a night to go to the bathroom. 

Best moment this week? Telling everyone!! And finding out several friends are pregnant with me!!

Miss anything? As I copied and pasted this from week 20 with Graham, I see the first thing that's the same-- Definitely missing strawberry margaritas! Ha. I don't even drink them that often, but apparently I always want them when I'm pregnant! 

Movement? Nope. But I heard you feel it earlier with the second, so I can't wait!

Food cravings? Pineapple doesn't sound appetizing at all this time around. But I randomly craved shrimp cocktail for over a month and finally gave in and got some. That's about it so far. I've noticed that oranges do taste especially delicious, though. I eat about two every day.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I felt nauseous almost 24/7 with Graham, but with this one, I usually only feel sick at night, for no apparent reason. Maybe because I'm utterly exhausted by then. We're talking, I want to fall asleep in my dinner plate every night.

Have you started to show yet? Absolutely. Almost immediately after taking the pregnancy test, I felt thicker. In tight shirts, you can definitely tell.

Labor signs? No.

Belly button in or out? In. 

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Pretty moody. :( Emotional and sensitive and all. Sorry Andrew!

Name possibilities? Still brainstorming just a little... Andrew wants to avoid 50% of the fighting by waiting til we know the gender to talk about it seriously. Ha. I do have a girl's name picked out already that we both like... ;)

Looking forward to? My next doctor's appointment. I just always want to hear that baby's doing okay in there.

Similarities in the first trimesters of my 2 pregnancies: 

*Equally as completely exhausted as I can imagine ever feeling, every day. It is apparently mind-boggling exhausting to make a baby!!

Differences in the first trimesters of my 2 pregnancies:
This time around...
*Way less nauseous. I still felt the queasiness, but it was always at night this time, and not every day. With Graham, I felt nauseous almost 24/7.
*Way more emotional. Sensitive, moody, you name it. Sorry Andrew!
*Zits. My face was completely clear for 9 months with Graham. This time, zits! :(
*Obviously showing a lot faster.
*A few others that are TMI on here!

Baby #2, we looooooove you!!