Life With 2 Boys

What a crazy busy life! Since the last time I wrote Daniel celebrated his 3rd birthday! He's 3! We were able to celebrate at our house with both sets of grandparents and Aunt Nens.  He wanted a Mickey cake so we had a whole Mickey theme. I think he enjoyed everything about it!



I can't believe that tomorrow James will be 8 weeks old! He's really starting to change and grow. I noticed the other day that his cheeks are starting to fill out. He is starting to smile, but we only see them a couple of times a day so far. He laughed in his sleep yesterday while I was holding him. I pretty much melted, because it was the cutest thing ever!

He isn't the happiest baby all the time, but neither was Daniel. We think he might have reflux though, so I am hoping his doctor will put him on Zantac to help him. He spits up constantly. He cries in pain until he does. Even 2 hours after he eats he'll still be spitting up...and by that point it's curdled. Ew! Poor little guy. I know first hand while acid reflux feels like. Not to mention he's super gassy and screams in pain from that too. Everyone has well meaning advice, but really, every baby is different and believe me, I've tried many of the things people have suggested and claim are sure fire ways to help. Hopefully he can find some relief soon though.

When he is happy though, he is just the sweetest. He'll coo and just stare and look all over the place trying to take it all in. He's very strong! He can lift his head way off our chests and look around. He about rolled himself over last night on the floor. The other day he scooted himself almost a foot! Crazy little guy!

We think he might have blue eyes! I'm still on the fence though. By this point Daniel's were totally brown. James' are very dark blue, but every once in awhile I almost feel like I can see flecks of brown. I read that eyes don't always change permanently until between 6-9 months, so I guess we'll just wait and see.



Daniel just adores his "baby brudder". He talks in a high pitched voice to mimic baby talk. He gives hugs and kisses. When we're out he'll tell people about James and make sure they know that he's his brother. He can be a little rough when hugging, but we watch closely and it barely phases James! I think they're going to be great little buddies (and probably little troublemakers too)!



I LOVE being a mommy to 2 little boys! I feel like going from one to two kids has been much easier than I anticipated. It's no walk in the park by any means, but I just feel so much more laid back this time. Partly because I've done this before and partly because I take medicine for my anxiety this time. I can't even tell you how much of a relief it is not to feel nervous and anxious 24/7. With Daniel I was worried about every single thing. And while I still worry about both of my boys, it a "normal" worry.

I was never afraid like some moms that I wouldn't love him as much as my first born. I've loved James since the moment I knew I was pregnant. It is truly amazing how much love I feel for each of them.

I've always wanted 3 kids, but financially it's just not in the cards. I feel at peace though. For the time anyway, I feel like our family is complete. I'm in no way ready to make any permanent choices, but unless God sees fit to give us a surprise no more babies. My body needs a good long rest anyway. It was a rough pregnancy. I remember after I had Daniel I actually felt a little sad from time to time. I was so happy to have him here, but I missed all those kicks and hiccups. While I enjoyed them with James too, I don't miss being pregnant at all this time around!

I love our little family, and I feel like we're getting into a fairly good rhythm. It's been so nice having Jacob home on Christmas break to help with the boys. We just celebrated our first Christmas as a family of 4. Christmas has become so much fun to celebrate again. I loved watching Daniel open all of his presents and he even got to help open James' too.







Well, this is as good of place as any to wrap this post up. It sounds like both of my boys are in need of us!

James' Birth Story!

I've been wanting to sit down and type this out before all of my memories start to fade. I wrote Daniel's story after he was born as well.

I'll start with the day before. November 2nd. Nothing super out of the usual, but I wasn't feeling the greatest. Daniel had a cold and by afternoon I could feel my throat drying out. Thank goodness I still had 2 weeks to get rid of it before James made his appearance. I did have 2 rather large contractions that day. They were hours apart and nothing seemed to come from them, but boy did they hurt! I also texted Ashley that morning to tell her that with all of the pressure of James' head pressing on me, I felt like he might just fall out at any point. She got all excited and told me he was coming soon. I told her, no way. He'd be staying put until the 17th.

Monday, November 3rd, I woke up around 4:00 am for one of my usual middle of the night bathroom trips. I laid back down in bed, and a few minutes later I knew something was wrong. I was kind of hoping my water had broken, but instead I was bleeding pretty heavily once again.

I managed to stay calm. I went and woke Jacob up and then called Brenda to ask her to start heading over from Villa Grove. Jacob went down and got the suitcase and I started packing while he showered. I couldn't find the camera and Jacob realized he had left it at school over the weekend. I decided the point and shoot would do, but in his sleepy state he insisted he drive to the school and get it! We had time before Brenda would get there anyway, so he took off and I took a shower.

I think we were out the door for the hospital around 6:00. I called my mom to tell her that James would probably be arriving that day.

Jacob dropped me at the doors while he went to park so I could get checked in. We headed up to triage, where I was put in the same room I had been placed in the previous 2 visits. I assumed the process would be slow. My bleeding had slowed some, so I figured we'd be sitting in triage for at least 2 or 3 hours. At 6:55 a resident (?) said she wanted to get a doctor's opinion before they met at 7. My own OB was out of town at a conference, but her associate was there. I had met him the 2nd time I was in for bleeding as well, and really liked him. The decision was made that I would indeed be having a c-section that morning.

I had no idea how quickly everything was going to move from there. I was getting IV sites placed. A catheter was put in. (And they lied and said it wouldn't hurt. HA!)  People were in and out. I talked with the doctor who explained everything that would happen. I talked with the anesthesiologist. The next thing I knew they were handing Jacob all the garb to change into, and I was being wheeled down the hall to the OR.

Everyone in there was so nice. I was nervous, but I didn't have time to panic. My spinal block was up next. I was nervous for that. Not the placement so much as worrying that it wouldn't take since my body doesn't like the cooperate when it comes to being numbed. I had expressed my concern over that and my scoliosis. The anesthesiologist talked me through everything though, and next thing I knew my toes were tingling. Soon I couldn't feel my feet and the numbness kept spreading. I thought for sure I could still feel my stomach, but they rubbed something icy cold all over me and I didn't feel a thing. Such and odd feeling. The drape went up so I couldn't see what was going on. Jacob was brought into the OR and the procedure was about to begin.

 

Jacob was working to send off a quick text to our mom's to let them know James was on his way, but the next thing he knew that doctor was saying, "Dad! Get the camera ready. He's coming!" They had started cutting me open at 7:58 and James was born at 8:02 am. The entire thing was surreal. There was so much tugging and pressure as they pulled him out. I heard his sweet crying seconds later. I smiled. I cried. I got a quick peek before they whisked him across the room to clean him up and check him out. Jacob followed to get pictures.



I was laying there thinking, "Um. I just had a baby. WHAT!?" I was also thinking, "Wow. This wasn't so bad." Although, I just wanted to hold my baby.




They started sewing me back up and had told me it would take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. That part was not so much fun. I think I thought I was more with it than I was. I remember everything, I think, but I remember just wanting to be out of there. So much tugging and pressure. I got so nauseous and light headed. They were pumping Zofran into my IV and apparently my blood pressure was dropping as well. I didn't find out until the next morning how much blood I had lost. I was pretty close to needing a transfusion. I remember a lady laying one of those kidney shaped metal bowls by my head, because I kept saying how sick I felt. I knew I wasn't going to actually get sick, but now I know why they don't want you to eat beforehand! It also didn't help that my cold was in full force at this point too.

After what seemed like forever, they brought James back over and placed him on my chest so we could have some skin to skin time. He was perfect. I couldn't stop myself from crying again. Here he was. This little boy who had already been through quite the journey with me was right here wrapped in my arms. In that moment all was perfect.





Not long after that I was taken to recovery. They brought down a NICU nurse to check him out because he had fluid in his lungs that just didn't seem to be clearing up. A little after 9 they took him up to the NICU. I was devastated and did a little crying. They assured me he would be fine and that he'd probably be well enough to join me soon.

All was kind of a blur for awhile after that. I was eventually taken to my actual room. I remember wanting food so bad, and finally got the all clear to order, except there was some mix up and it took 4 tries before I could order because it kept showing I was not allowed to eat! If you know me, you know I get a BIT irrational when hungry. I think I had my whole meal inhaled within 5 minutes!

I called up to the NICU to see if Jacob could go up and visit. He came back down awhile later with an update and pictures. Daniel was placed on a CPAP machine to help him breath a little better. I loved seeing the pictures, but oh how I wanted that baby in my arms.



That alone was my motivation to get up and moving when the block finally wore off. I think around 5:30 I was able to get into a wheelchair and go see my sweet boy. We wore masks since we both had colds.





At that point we couldn't hold him. It sucked, but it felt good to just touch him.

Jacob went home for the night and I think around 9:30 I went back up to see him. At first I wasn't going to get to hold him, so I sat there holding his hand for a half an hour. The nurse came over and asked if I'd like to try and hold him, as long as I was okay putting him back if his oxygen started to drop. Instead he did perfect. I got to hold him in my arms for another half an hour before heading back down to try and get some sleep. I think I kissed that boy a hundred times before I could bring myself to leave him though.

All in all, it was a very eventful birth day for James Michael. He came into the world 2 weeks early, weighing 7lbs 8oz and was 20.5 inches long. He is a perfect fit into our family!

Happy Halloween!

Guess I'll back up a few days to Halloween. I was really looking forward to taking Daniel out for Trunk or Treat again this year. Mostly because of this:





Yes my friends. Our kid went as a door. He came up with it all by himself a month or two ago when I started talking to him about Halloween. I like to prep him in advance because he's never sure of new things. I explained that he could be anything he wanted to be. I gave him examples of a cowboy, Buzz Lightyear etc. He sat there for almost a whole minute and then declared, "I will be a door!" Never once did he change from that. Thankfully, Mimi T is creative and she made this door for him. He wanted it to have red. She did our address and Welcome. Well, he decided that no door is complete without having your first name on it too.

Jacob asked me if I would bring Daniel to school on Halloween. We went to the K-2 elementary and the middle school. Spent a total of 4 hours at school and had so much fun. He got to go from class to class at the elementary school and show off his costume. Some of the teachers even gave him treats! He was so polite and would say "Thank you!" to everyone. My favorite though was a teacher who gave him a few pieces of loose candy corn. He took it, walked back to the bag and was going to put it back because, "I do not like these." Then I stupidly ate them. Three pieces and I paid dearly. Killer heartburn.

Daniel did a good job through the 3 classes that Jacob needed to teach. He would randomly get up sometimes and go up by Jacob, or he'd just go start playing the piano. LOL!



After that we went to the middle school and hung out in the office for awhile, where Daniel collected even more treats and convinced Kathy to let him watch "Lightening McQueen" on YouTube while he munched on Cheetos.



We stopped in the teachers lounge and saw some of the other teachers and Daniel showed off his costume and impressed them with knowing his address and my phone number.

Next was class. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I have no idea how anyone could like teaching middle school kids. Haha! I'm glad they do though. My husband loves it. He has over 80 kids in choir...in one class period!!

We finally headed home to rest before Aunt Ashley and Charleigh came over to hang out until Trunk or Treat. By that point, she and I were dreading going out. It was windy and bitterly cold. Poor Ashley forgot her coat. Thankfully I had one she could borrow...because I tried it on earlier that day and couldn't zip it up. Haha!

We got there really early, which sucked in the moment, but totally paid off in the end. We were almost 1st in line and I think it literally took us 10 minutes to get around to each trunk because there was no congestion!

The get warm dance!



Love this girl and so happy to have her in my life!



Jacob and Daniel photobombing.



Candy collecting.



We kept our tradition of getting Wendy's afterward. Ashley and Charleigh joined us too.

All in all, a great Halloween!

National Blog Month

Here we are in November again! I can 100% guarantee that I won't be blogging every day this month. I'll make an effort though up until James comes!

Speaking of the little guy, my C-Section is officially set for Monday, November 17th! After my ultrasound the other day, they weren't even able to see all of my placenta because James' head was so low and he wouldn't move. What they could see though showed that it hasn't moved enough still.
Unfortunately, by 37 weeks chances of it moving become far less. It's still possible, but she wanted to at least get the c-section date set at the hospital. If by some miracle it does move, I'll still be able to get induced that day as long as I'm at least 2cm dilated. I'm well on my way to that though.
My surgery is scheduled for 7:30am...which means we have to be at the hospital at 5:30am! Looks like we'll be leaving by around 4:45. Eek!

I'm coming to terms with it, but I think I'll always kind of feel that sadness too. There's a group I'm in online with a small group of moms, and they really helped to ease some of my fears the other day when I was feeling kind of overwhelmed and panicked. Of course, I'm still nervous but at least I know a little more of what to expect and I'll have a list of questions to go over with my doctor at my appointment this coming week.

For a long time I prayed that God would make the placenta move. I finally decided I was praying wrong. Now I just pray that He has me deliver whichever way will keep James and I the safest. Jacob is going to take a bunch of time off work since he has a ton of days stored up. Plus I know my in-laws and my family will help out however they can too.

I still don't feel like reality has fully sunk in yet. In about just over 16 days now, I'll be holding him in my arms. I'm excited, but I think Daniel keeps me grounded too. Hopefully I don't panic before he's born. I remember sobbing a few days before Daniel came because the reality finally hit, that our lives would never be the same again. Totally silly, because I was SO excited to become a Mommy, but a kiddo is a big change!

This last week I was able to wash more, and set the swing, bouncy seat and bassinet back up. I also got the car seat base installed in the van. All the big things are ready. This next week will be more cleaning and wrapping birthday presents for Daniel! If I'm really motivated I'll start wrapping his Christmas gifts too. I tried to get as much done for him as possible since he's kind of the big priority for Christmas. I have a couple of things for James, just like I did for Daniel, but he'll only be about 5 weeks old, so I'm pretty sure he won't care. :)

I'm just thankful that I made it to November. When I ended up in the hospital in August it was a little scary thinking how far away November was. Now it's here, and as long as there are no other complications or I don't go into labor early, I'm feeling pretty good about making it to the 17th!

A Letter To My Newest Son

Dear James,

In about 3 weeks we will welcome you into our family! I can't tell you how excited I am to meet you, and hold you in my arms. I wonder each day who you will look like? I think you'll look just like your big brother. I also wonder what your personality will be like? You've been a spunky little guy since I first felt you kick. I imagine you may have that same spunk when you arrive. Who knows though? You might be a calm and laid back little guy once you're here.

I found out that I was pregnant with you when I was only about 3.5 weeks along. I just had a feeling, and I was right! It's always amazing when I think about it, because God picked you just for us. If I would've gotten pregnant any other month, you wouldn't be YOU!

We kept the pregnancy a secret from most people until I had my first ultrasound. Family and close friends knew, but I wanted to be sure that all was okay before sharing with the world. Your Daddy and I sat anxiously in the waiting room and were finally called back. As soon as you showed up on the monitor, I instantly saw a little flicker. Your heartbeat! Then we got to hear it, and it was music to my ears. You were measuring just right and my due date was set for November 21st (your brother's due date was the same date 3 years earlier!).

Everything went along really well for quite awhile. We had fun guessing if you were a boy or a girl. Your daddy thought girl, and I thought boy. Daniel would flip flop between the two. We already had a name picked for a little girl. If you had been a she, you would have been Madison Lynn. It took us longer to pick a boy name, but Daniel wanted to name you Adam Wainwright (a pitcher for the Cardinals)! We finally narrowed it down to James Michael or Michael James.

On July 11th, we finally got to find out if you were a boy or girl. Daniel came along too. As the ultrasound tech started checking, she told Daniel, "I think you're getting a brother!" She confirmed that a few minutes later. Another little boy. My first thought was, "Oh boy! This momma is in trouble!" Daddy and I were both excited, and as we waited to see the doctor we decided for sure on your name. James Michael Elam.

About this time, you really started kicking a lot too. I loved feeling those first taps because then I always knew you were doing okay.

I also started getting BAD heartburn and acid reflux, just like I had with Daniel. I decided right then and there that you will have a full head of hair when you're born.

Then came the 22nd of August. You decided you'd had enough of being good and decided to shake things up a bit. I had a bit of a scare and ended up staying overnight in the hospital. It wasn't very fun, but it was worth it to keep you safe. It was way too soon for you to arrive.

Two weeks later, you gave me yet another scare which landed you and I in the hospital for 3 days.  (By the way...you owe your Mommy a trip to see Garth Brooks someday! :)) Thankfully, you stayed put, although I had to get steroid shots to help your lungs develop quickly, just in case.

My doctor decided if we could just make it to 34 weeks, we'd be okay to have you if needed. Lots and lots of people prayed for us, and I'm happy to say that as I sit here typing you this letter, I am 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant with you!

While no other big problems have arisen since our September hospital stay, I'm still having complications, which means I've had to get many many ultrasounds. It's always nice to see you though! I'm hoping to avoid having a c-section with you, but in the end it doesn't matter as long as I have a healthy little bundle of joy to hold.

As of right now though, I think you're going to be born on November 17th. That might change, especially if you have a mind of your own! That's 22 days from now!

I pray for you every single day, and we're very excited to see you. Your big brother is so excited too! I don't know how he'll feel at first, but give him time, and I'm sure you'll be the best of friends!

I love you, my sweet little boy. I always have and I always will.

Love,
Mommy

25 Days...Give or Take!

It won't be much longer now until I hold my newest baby boy in my arms!

I had my 36 week appointment today. I'll go into a bit more detail here than on Facebook. I figure at least you've been warned...not that there's really anything that graphic.

I started off with my ultrasound to check and see if the placenta had moved or not. Usually the ultrasound techs don't tell me anything about it, but this one has seen me a few times, so she told me it still hadn't moved enough. I was disappointed, but what can I do? The good news is that James is a healthy little guy. She tried to get a 3d image for me since he was facing forward, but he just wouldn't stay still. I got to see him, but no pictures. Yeah. That boy is a cutie. I can tell. His little cheeks were fattening right up! Seeing him makes me so excited!

I saw my doctor next and we had a good talk about everything. The ultimate goal is vaginal delivery, but I also know that my window is getting smaller and smaller. Within the last 2 weeks I've been preparing myself and reading up on C-Sections. I'm starting to feel a little better about it. I can accept it, if that's what needs to be done and if it keeps James and myself safe.

A lot of women who have full previa never have their placenta move. Most who have partial will move. Mine is just marginal now. Those almost always move. My doctor told me today that I'm her first patient with marginal previa who hasn't had their placenta move by 36 weeks. Sigh. My body just doesn't want to be kind to me this time around. Heartburn, reflux (which have been getting a bit better), horrible pelvic pain that gets worse by the day, 2 hospital stays. Oh...and you know. Coming home from a week in Iowa to $4k worth of bills. Yay.

Okay, venting over, because there's nothing I can do about it and I refuse to dwell on it.

My doctor and I discussed dates for a C-Section. I technically can deliver at 39 weeks, which would be the 14th. However, (unless James has other plans) I am planning to wait until the following Monday. Jacob is directing the middle school musical which just so happens to be that weekend of the 15th and 16th! I asked if that would be doable for an induction as well if the placenta moves. I got a yes! Although...to be induced between 39-40 weeks for a vaginal delivery I need to be at least 2 cm dilated. The good news is, I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced (ie: my cervix is 50% thinned out)

So...if the scheduling works out, and if my body decides to obey, AND my kiddo decides to stay put until then, then James will be born on November 17th! We have a tentative birthday, people! Also, in the event that I would start bleeding again at any point, I just go to the hospital and little Mr. will be delivered via C-Section.

I now have 25 days to get everything that's rattling around in my brain ready! I did a closet purge yesterday. I have much more I want to get done, but here I sit. Tomorrow I'll tackle more!

Gearing Up for Baby

Well, I think it's finally hitting me. Slowly but surely time is picking up speed again. There is only 41 days separating me from my due date!

I find myself starting to make more lists of things I need to do before James makes his entrance into the world. Nesting is starting to set in too. I think it was close to this time with Daniel too. With Daniel I went room to room and cleaned them from top to bottom. I'm hitting the point where I want to do that again...except that I have a toddler, so I can't get it done when I want to. He tries to be a big helper though, and I've been giving him many tasks to do to help me out.

It's crazy to think that 7 weeks ago I was in the hospital and again 5 weeks ago, unsure and nervous that James would come early. I'm so thankful that I've made it to the "safe zone". It's obviously still too early, but 34 weeks was the first goal. In fact, right now I feel pretty positive that we're going to make it to full term!

I had my 34 week check up yesterday, including ultrasound to check the placenta. Unfortunately it still hasn't moved enough, so ultrasounds will continue until the end or until it moves. Actually, to be technical, it won't actually move. It shifts with the uterus. This was the first time I let Daniel come in without the stroller (because I'm always nervous about keeping him contained alone while I'm getting the ultrasound.) Plus since they do trans vaginal, it's not like I could hop up to grab him. He did great though...but he did feel the need to come to the end of the table to try to check out what was going on. Haha!

They also usually give me a little peek with a regular ultrasound to make sure all looks good. When I'm lucky I get a 3D peek, but last time they were too busy, and yesterday the little guy had his face buried in my back. I didn't get to see him practice breathing though. Very cool!

For those who wonder or find it odd that I need so many ultrasounds, it's something that is necessary. I had several with Daniel as well. Not as many as with Jame's, but they needed to monitor his growth and spot on his heart. This time it's more about James and I both. I'm just still so thankful that they found the reason, because all signs from 3 different ultrasounds showed the previa was corrected. It wasn't until they decided to check trans vaginal that it was discovered. Normally it will show up in the abdominal ultrasounds, but mine looks normal from that view. If they didn't keep checking and I did a normal delivery I would be at a high risk for hemorrhaging and bleeding out. Plus James would be at risk for not getting enough oxygen.

As time goes on though, my chances get slimmer for it moving. While there is still hope, my doctor had to start prepping me for a possible C-Section. I've known this all along, but I've put it out of my mind until yesterday. It's possible that it will happen. It's not ideal. Honestly I feel really sad about the thought. Delivery was seriously my very favorite part of the whole pregnancy with Daniel. It was so rewarding. I loved that I could immediately hold him when he was born. I just know how sad I'll feel if I can't do the same with James. I've started reading up on sections finally (I always skipped past that stuff in books). Sure, I'll get to see him, but won't get to hold him until I'm in recovery. I'm scared about the pain. I mean, pushing a baby out and tearing...that's painful. I waddled like a penguin for a week! But, the recovery from a C-Section just sounds awful. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Doing what's safest for James and I is more important in the end. Until then I will pray and hope that I get good news before I deliver!

In the mean time, I got approval from my doctor to go to Iowa with Daniel this week, so we'll be heading there on Tuesday! Excited to pass more time with family. I've got paperwork as precaution in case anything happens while I'm there. It's at least comforting to know that there's a great hospital nearby if need be.

I will say this pregnancy is taking its toll on my body. Everything hurts. The inside of my thighs and my pelvic bone hurt so bad due to a certain someone's head pushing on it. Honestly it hurts to walk. I'm starting to feel like this is my "sign". I always wanted 3 kids. In my heart I knew 2 was probably going to be it for us because of expenses, but I never felt at peace. I feel at peace right now. I'm not saying that down the road a ways that feeling won't come back (baby fever is for real!), or that God won't surprise us, but I'm pretty okay with being done for now.

I'd better try and go get some sleep. I've got my annual fall cold and on top of it I haven't been able to fall asleep until midnight the past couple of weeks. I figure it's my bodies way of reminding me that in 6 weeks my sleep deprivation will return full force again!

Tales of an Exhausted, Pregnant Momma.

It has thankfully been a less eventful last few weeks. We've had Daniel back at home for the past 2 weeks now and I've been with him all day alone for the past week and a half. It's so good having him home, but I will say that all though I missed him like crazy, I really needed that time alone.

He's grown up so much. He had still been eating in a high chair at home, but he transitioned at Mimi and Pa's house, and now he sits at the table like a big boy. I've started giving him more tasks to do as well, and enjoy watching him gain his independence. He helps me out in the kitchen. He helps pick things up and does little tasks with me like dusting. He also loves helping me carry bags in from the store, so I always try to make sure I have one or two light weight ones. Although, if he deems a bag too heavy, he'll carry it to the bottom porch step and abandon it.

The boy is smart. Like freaky smart sometimes. He's on the emotional level of any kid his age, but he excels in other areas. He knows our address including city and state. He knows my phone number including area code. You tell him basically anything and he will not forget it. People always think he's four or older when they talk to him. So yeah. That's my brag on Daniel!

He of course has his ornery side too. It cracks me up because even if he's had a really good day, if you ask him if he was good he'll say, "I was a little bit naughty" and then tell me that one kind of naughty thing he did hours before. Silly kid.

He makes us laugh a lot. He's got quite the sense of humor. He totally understand jokes and will make some up himself too. Plus he's all of a sudden into making up words and then cracking himself up by using them. Never a dull moment.

This pregnancy has been far rougher than with Daniel. It was going fast until around 27 weeks or so when I ended up in the hospital the first time. Time slowed down to snails pace after that. Instead of being like, "Holy crap! I'm 33 weeks!" I'm more like, "Holy crap. I still have 7 weeks left??" Don't get me wrong. I am so thankful that James is healthy and that I indeed am still pregnant with him and not having to figure out at the moment how to split time between home and a NICU.

I feel like I'm wearing out sooner too. My body aches. It's starting to hurt to walk. I feel okay once I'm moving, but after I sit down and have to get going again...ouch! I didn't have Braxton Hicks with Daniel until the last couple of weeks, and even then they were super sporadic.With James I've had them many times a day for the past 5 weeks. Sometimes they're a bit intense too. I have a weaker bladder this time around, so beyond peeing every 5 minutes, sneezing and coughing prove to be a problem too. I have my good days where I do a bunch of fun things with Daniel, and then I'll have a day where I'm thanking God for Netflix because I feel sick and it entertains the boy.

The worst though? The heartburn and reflux. Oh, the reflux. Yeah. I had it with Daniel. Yeah. It was bad then too, but this time around it hit a whole new level. I've woken up choking, gasping for air, coughing up blood and my newest issue, throwing up. Tums.are worthless. Zanac (2 extra stength) are useless. Prilosec? Useless. Nexium (the best OTC out there)...not useless. It was working, except I was having some bad side effects in the intestinal department if you catch my drift. (I seriously have no modesty left).  So, I'm down to chugging Maalox, and trying another OTC. Trying to limit my food intake at night too. But here's the thing. Unless you've been there...having a baby squishing your insides and all, you do not fully understand. I can go 12 hours with no food and only water and I will STILL have heartburn and reflux. Not even joking one bit. Sometimes it's so bad that the pain radiates to my jaw, shoulders and back. If you Google these symptoms it will tell you you're having a heart attack by the way. Then there will be a disclaimer that if you're pregnant it's probably just the child inside of you pushing everything back up. Made me laugh!

My last ultrasound showed the placenta moving though, so that was good news. I'm praying so hard that Friday when I go again it will have moved those 3mm, and I can get the all clear for a vaginal delivery. I'm terrified of a c-section, so I've been trying to put it out of my mind for now.

So, there ya have it. Tales of an exhausted, pregnant Momma. Glad to get some complaining out, but I am so thankfully for my little boys!

A Rocky Road

I don't even know where to start without making this into a novel!

The past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. 2 weeks after my first hospital stay, I was admitted once again. Only this time it wasn't overnight. It was 3 nights. To make a very long story short, I was finally diagnosed with Partial Placenta Previa. I never thought I'd be talking about placenta so much in my life! Basically, they had thought that it had completely moved after it was checked around 25 weeks. It wasn't caught again when I was admitted the first time either. Thankfully the doctor that I saw on my second stay, decided that once again when they couldn't see the cause of anything doing a regular ultrasound, that we should try a transvaginal ultrasound. In between the two I was telling Jacob how frustrated I was, because this always happens to me! No one can ever tell me what's wrong even though there clearly IS something wrong. After they did the other ultrasound it was discovered that it hadn't moved like they thought. Finally. An actual reason!

The stay wasn't awful, but it wasn't great either. I had wonderful nurses again. Jacob would come up and visit me. My in-laws were amazing and each took a turn coming over to watch Daniel. Jacob did a great job taking care of Daniel in the evenings and all day Saturday. They even came up to see me and went on a Daddy/Son adventure. I was sick of the food. It was depressing every time I had to do continuous monitoring, but quickly gained the privilege of unhooking and re-hooking myself back up so I didn't need to call a nurse in every time I had to pee. James was always moving like crazy, but I was also having lots of sporadic contractions as well.

I had about 7 tubes of blood drawn. Another Rogham shot. An IV line. Plus 2 steroid shots to develop James' lungs in case we had to do an emergency delivery. It's a little scary signing consent papers for them to do an emergency c-section if needed. It was mostly precaution, but scary none the less. As is stands, if my placenta doesn't move I'll be having a c-section...something I don't want.

We also made the difficult decision to send Daniel to Iowa for an undetermined amount of time, because I was basically told to rest and do nothing when I got released. We just couldn't see how I would be able to care for him alone during the day, and my mom had already spent and week over here helping me after my first stay. She and Kendra came Sunday and left Monday.

I cried. A lot. I cried as I rocked him to sleep the night before. I cried recording a story for him to take along. I cried when he gave me a random hug. And I sobbed my eyes out as I watched them drive away. Then I came inside and prayed. And sobbed. And curled up in the fetal position with one of his blankets. The next few days were bizarre. It still is, but the relaxing without a crazy almost 3 year old has been amazing. We bought a web cam so we Skype 2 times a day. He CLEARLY misses us. (Please note my sarcasm.). Half the time he just runs away. It's bittersweet, because I want him to miss me, but I'm so so happy at how easily he adjusted to life at Mimi and Pa's house!

At my appointment last Thursday I had an ultrasound done and nothing had changed, but my OB encouraged me to start doing a little more to see how my body would handle it. I took it upon myself to take a long leisurely trip to Target, and it was glorious.

We decided over the weekend that my mom would bring Daniel home Friday (tomorrow!), and she's going to stay until Tuesday to see how I can handle it. Is it weird that I'm nervous? I'm excited to see him, but I know what a handful he is. Everyone keeps asking, "Are you sure you'll be able to handle it? Are you prepared to send him back with your mom?" Nope. Don't know if I can handle it. Especially between yesterday and today. I don't think I'm having real contractions, but, I sure am having Braxton Hicks...all the time. I went grocery shopping this morning and between hot flashes, heartburn and BH contractions I felt like death when I got home an hour later.

The "good news" is even if Daniel stays and my mom goes home, I have my next appointment next Friday. If I'm feeling like I can't do it, then we'll head to Iowa after that and stay awhile. Ideally, I want to be here with Jacob and around my doctor and hospital, but I've already talked with my doctor and insurance (and husband, obviously) and my doctor will send records over with me just in case.

It's amazing how one pregnancy can go so smoothly and another can be drastically different. I've made it to 31 weeks (tomorrow), and hope to get as close to 40 as I can. I figure I'll end up overdue. Although, my doctor has said the goal is to make it first to 34 weeks. At that point they will not stop labor. 37 weeks is more ideal. 40 would be excellent.

I won't like though. I wouldn't mind an October baby (mid to late October), but ONLY if he's healthy. So far though, everything has looked great with him. He's growing perfectly...just needs to cook a bit longer. So stay put, James Michael. Mommy still has stuff to get ready!

Hospital Adventure

The past couple of weeks have been interesting.

First of all I can't believe that the summer has come to an unofficial end. School is back up and running, and Daniel and I are (sort of) getting back into our school year routine.

2 Fridays ago, I hit my biggest bump in the road with my pregnancy. I woke up bleeding. Not spotting, but bleeding. I somehow stayed calm. It was 7:30, so I called into work and then waited until 8 when my doctor's office opened to call and see what I should do. I was cramping some, but James was moving around like a mad man, so I knew that for the time being he was okay.

My doctor decided that I needed to head to Springfield and be checked at the hospital. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with Daniel. Thankfully, I was able to reach Jacob, and he was able to leave work and come home. I honestly wasn't ridiculously worried, so I said I'd just drive myself over so he didn't have to entertain Daniel in the hospital.

I arrived and got checked in. I of course had to ride in a wheelchair up to the maternity floor, where I was put in a triage room to be checked out. One blood draw, one urine sample, one ultrasound and consult and cervical check with the on call doctor, and everything looked mostly okay, but the doctor was still worried since I was still bleeding. Plus I was hooked to monitors and the cramping turned out to be sporadic contractions. In my head I'm thinking, "Okay, well everything seems good. I'll probably be out of here as soon as the blood tests come back. Maybe some bed rest." Instead the doctor looks at me and says, "We're keeping you overnight for observation." Um, say what!?

Next thing I know, I'm being wheeled to my room. I had a raging headache, and hadn't eaten anything but a cracker. It was just after noon, so I was hoping to at least get settled and eat. They hooked me back up to monitors...which is when I was told I was going to be on continuous monitoring the whole time. Yeah. My bladder is the size of a pea, so that was a blast having to have the nurses unhook me every other minute to go to the bathroom!

For some reason the doctor had accidentally written down that I could only have ice chips, so that's what I got to "eat." The nurse thought it was stupid, so she went to call the doctor to see if that was really right. I FINALLY got to eat lunch at 3:00! Thankfully you can order room service 24 hours a day and they have a giant menu. I chowed down a side salad, cheeseburger, fries and chocolate cake! The nurse was in the room when it came and when I lifted the lid off the tray she laughed and goes, "Oh yeah! You're pregnant!"

The food was great and helped my headache some, but I could tell I was having a bunch of smaller contractions. Nurse came back in and said they were going to hook me up to an IV to get more fluids in me and hopefully get the contractions to stop. At this point I was finally feeling grateful that they kept me.

Jacob came to see me a bit later and to bring me my overnight bag. His dad drove over to watch Daniel so he could come be with me for a bit, which was nice and I was very thankful for!

Once he left, I finally called my mom. We'd talked through Facebook and texting, but it was good to talk to her. My night nurse came in and unhooked me to go to the bathroom and then said she'd let me stay off the monitors for a bit. Hooray! I had about an hour and it was lovely.

Finally ordered supper at 8, and by 10:30 I turned off my light to try to sleep. Ugh. Longest night ever. First off, awake or asleep, James was always moving and jumping off the monitor, so they'd have to come in and readjust...which could take awhile because he'd bounce all over the place! My night nurse was so nice though and would try to leave me alone as much as she could. I managed about 4 hours of on and off sleep that night.

The rounds doctor came in at 7 and said I'd be having a higher level ultrasound and then they'd determine if I was going home or staying. STAYING?! I was a bit worried, but had the ultrasound done and everything looked great. I was 27 weeks 1 day and he was measuring around 2.5lbs! He was rocking and rolling like usual! The "tech" who I found out later was a specialist doctor said she saw no reason I couldn't go home! Woohoo! The bleeding had stopped (no actual explanation for it) and other than a random contraction those stopped too.

The wait to be released began just after 9. I had to wait for the on call doctor from my office to come in and talk to me, and then wait on the discharge paperwork. The doctor cleared me to leave, but limited everything that I was allowed to do. Then my nurse re-lectured me on everything. She made me more nervous than the doctor, but I listened because she sees women in labor every day and she was like, "I'd better not see you again before 37 weeks because you over did it when you shouldn't have!" (She was very nice, by the way!)

And so, finally around 12:30 I walked out of the hospital. I'm so thankful for all of my nurses. They were all so wonderful. I'm also thankful for Jacob for watching Daniel when I couldn't be there for him!

Still taking it easy, but the rest is for another post!

Root Canal Woes

This past week has been a stressful one for me. I found out a couple of weeks ago that I needed a root canal, and was able to schedule one for last Tuesday. I think everyone who reads my blog or follows me on Facebook knows that I have anxiety. (For anyone who didn't, you can real all about it HERE). Dental anxiety is high up on my list of anxieties. Why? I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure it stemmed from the fact that I never had one cavity until I was 16 or 17 years old. Then out of nowhere I had 4 at one time. I don't remember much other than being scared, but what really set me off was that I wasn't numb enough either time and could feel pain. For some reason I was too scared to speak up for myself and just dealt with it because I wanted it over with. After that I avoided dentists at all costs. I realize how stupid that was now, but without insurance, and with my fear I just didn't go.

Anyway, I was feeling okay the week leading up to said root canal, but of course, the nerves hit the morning of. Especially once I got to the office and had to sit and wait. Everyone there was very nice. I was able to explain to the endodontist who was doing the root canal how scared I was. I'm proud that I'm able to speak up and talk about these things now. He went over the whole procedure with me and his assistant was so nice and she made me laugh and feel somewhat at ease. He made sure to get me good and numb. (It honest to goodness takes 3 shots of Novocain for me to actually go numb). It probably took 30 minutes from start to finish, and I think maybe halfway through my heart stopped hammering and I was able to relax just a bit.

I never know how I'll feel after the Novocain wears off though. Usually I'm in a lot of pain, but surprisingly I wasn't! Could this be? Totally successful and no pain? Score!

Yeah. Not so much. I was pretty sore the next few days, but decided that was pretty normal, especially since I couldn't take the ibuprofen they recommend, but could only take Tylenol.

Saturday morning I woke up in intense pain. So much so, that I sat in bed crying and couldn't will myself to even get up. I had my first anxiety attack since going on medicine for it last Fall. Of course the Endodontist's office was closed. I called my dentist's office and one of the dentists happened to be in. He talked to me and said he would prescribe me a painkiller and antibiotic. I told him I was pregnant, so he said I'd have to call my OB's office for a painkiller, but he'd call in the antibiotic. Called my OB's office, knowing I'd have to talk to a Tele-Nurse. They said they'd call back within the hour. I called back an hour and a half later and finally just got them to transfer me to a nurse. "Oh...I can't prescribe anything." GAH!!! Then she decided she could page an on call OB from my office. OB said hydrocodone, but I needed the dentist to call it in. Call the office back and everyone is gone. Cue more crying. Look up dentist in white pages, and get ahold of him. He gladly called it in for me. Yay! Relief is coming!

I was able to pick up my drugs and then go back home to let Jacob load up the van and then we hit the road for Villa Grove! I was able to enjoy my afternoon and evening, and we arrived not too long after Rachel and Micah. Supper was delicious, but somewhat painful. I think I had 4 or 5 times where my teeth knocked together and I got zinged with pain. We all watched the Lego Movie and because of that, I let Daniel stay up until 10! He was out like a light once he got settled down!

Yesterday morning I was feeling okay. We got ready for church and I knew it would be a long day since it was their minister's last day and there was a lunch and program afterward. We weren't sure how Daniel would do in the nursery because he never does well. Daniel and Pa walked to church and then I dropped him off. It only took 10 minutes before they came to get us! Jacob went first and we switched off later. Almost right before the service started though, I started to feel off. I could feel a headache coming on. Then the hot flashes started. I felt weird and somewhat dizzy too. I just kind of sat there praying that I would make it.

I was doing okay by lunch and it was SO good. I even managed to eat it without much pain. We kept Daniel in for half the program and he did such a good job. He got a few chuckles. When someone would finish speaking or singing a song he'd say, "Sing another song now!?" or "We're done now?" At one point I asked him if he was tired and he looked directly at me and said, "No. I'm tired of THIS." Haha! So, I took him out and played with him while praying my head wouldn't explode.

We went back to the house for a bit before heading home. I wasn't in a picture taking mood this weekend, but got a few pictures. Daniel REALLY loved spending time with Aunt Rachel and Uncle Micah!





Daniel fell asleep before we were out of town. Jacob and I talked all the way home, and I thought my head was getting better. It wasn't. You KNOW I don't feel good when I tell Jacob just to bring the suitcase in and I'll unpack it another day. I know it shocked him. I wanted to get Daniel ready for bed, but I ended up sobbing because he wasn't listening. Thankfully Jacob stepped in to get him ready. I was able to rock Daniel and then grabbed an ice pack for my head and went to bed at 8:30 after I found someone to work for me today. I had decided that the hydrocodone was making me sick and didn't take any after 11:00 yesterday morning.

I woke up today and called as soon as the endodontist office opened. I talked to a sweet receptionist, but she dashed my hopes. In my mind I WAS going in today no matter what. She told me, he usually won't see anyone for 2 weeks after. She went over a lot with me on the phone and let me know that what I'm feeling is still normal for some people. I started sobbing. On the phone. That poor woman. She told me to call Thursday and update her.

I hung up and anxiety attack #2 happened. It was worse than the first. I couldn't breath and was panicking. I knew Jacob was awake so I texted him and said, "I need you in here now." He came in and held me as I shook, gasped for air and cried. It took a good 10 minutes for me to calm down enough to explain what happened. He helped me through it and I ended up feeling better about it. At least my migraine was gone and James was kicking me.

I'm still feeling pain, but I'm trying to get through it. It actually isn't AS bad, but definitely still hurts. It's been quite the rough week, but thanks to the help of Jacob, I've made it so far! I'm very very thankful for him and all he's done for me!

Time is Flying!

This Friday will mark my 25th week of pregnancy. I can't believe how fast it's flying by this time. Generally speaking, this has been an easy pregnancy. The first trimester came with exhaustion and some nausea. Now I've moved into the heartburn and acid reflux stage. This pregnancy is almost complete deja vu of my pregnancy with Daniel. Due at the same time, same symptoms, and this kiddo packs a powerful punch just like his big brother.

I'm excited, but nervous. Not the same nervous that I felt with Daniel. I'm not scared about labor or delivery at all. If I'm lucky it'll go just as smoothly. I'm more nervous about going from one child to two. I know it will be fine and although every once in a while I'm sad that Daniel won't be my little baby anymore (who am I kidding...he'll always be my baby!). I don't worry that I won't feel the same love for James as I do for Daniel, because I already love this little guy so much! I think most of my nerves stem from remembering the exhaustion. Daniel was sweet, but a high maintenance little dude. I HATED my own bed time because it was harder for me to get up after I had already fallen asleep, and Daniel woke up every couple of hours for months and months...and months. But, with him, if I was still exhausted I could easily fall asleep on the couch in the early morning and even through the day in the beginning. With a toddler, that will not be happening. I'll live. I know my emotions will get the best of me at times, but many mothers have survived and I will too! (Someone please remind me of this when I'm walking around like a zombie!)

At the same time, I look forward to those middle of the night snuggles and nursing sessions. Even through exhaustion and even frustration at times, I always made a point to cherish those moments with Daniel. I look forward to baby coos and smiles. I look forward to all of the "firsts". I'm excited, albeit slightly nervous to see how Daniel reacts to being a big  brother!

I really do think he'll be a good big brother, but not sure what he'll think in the beginning. He talks about James all the time and even talks TO him sometimes too. He gave his brother his own special nickname that he came up with. He calls him Jamesy. It's pretty darn adorable.

I'll admit, this pregnancy is bittersweet for me. For years I imagined myself having three kids. Due to finances though, James will more than likely be our last child. I don't want to do a anything permanent, because maybe a few years down the road something could change, but I'm embracing each day and savoring every kick. Although, right now I'm also feeling at peace with having 2, so maybe this is what we are meant to have anyway.



How about this little cutie?!

Frogs, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

That's what little boys are made of!

Today was the day. We woke up bright and early for my ultrasound in hopes of finally finding out the gender of the little baby who has been growing inside of me and taken up kick boxing as a hobby. I was nervous, but a good nervous. Would it be a little girl or a little boy? Would he or she be healthy? I had a hard time sitting still for our drive to Springfield, and about jumped out of the van (yep...we own a van now!) when we pulled up.

We got called back and got the party started. My doctor just moved to a new office, and the new rooms are awesome. They had a flat screen TV that we could watch everything on. I knew the baby was awake, because there had been an awful lot of kicking going on this morning. Sure enough, she put the wand on my stomach and that little munchkin was dancing around in there!

She took measurements and pointed out different things to us. Daniel gave a running commentary of things going on...and also wanted to run around and not cooperate. Thank goodness for graham crackers and Goldfish. About 10 minutes in, our ultrasound tech told Daniel, "I think you're having a brother." A few seconds pass and she says, "Oh yeah! That's a boy!" There was no denying it!

How did I feel when I learned it was another boy? Honestly? I felt a twinge of disappointment, as my dreams of shopping for sweet little dresses where swept away. I'd say the disappointment lasted all of 2 seconds though. Not even kidding.  I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness to see my other little boy happily kicking away on that screen! Watching his precious heart beating made my own heart swell.

Everything checked out clear with the baby. Big sigh of relief. He weighs 14 oz. and I was measuring 6 days ahead. (Doesn't mean much right now.  Due date is still staying the same!) Now all we needed to do was decide on our name. We basically decided last night...we just needed to pick which name we wanted as the first name and which as the middle. As we waited for my doctor to come in, we made our decision. James Michael.

We knew for a boy we wanted a biblical name again. Jacob had thought there was a James on his side of the family, but there's not...although I was reminded tonight that there was on my side. James is one of my favorite books of the Bible though, so I am very happy with our choice. Daniel? He was a little upset that we weren't going with his choice of Adam Wainwright.. :) (Cardinals pitcher) However, he is coming around and saying James now.

Jacob and Daniel went out in the waiting room while I waited on my own doctor. I just love her and we had a nice chat about everything. I will be getting another ultrasound at my next appointment to check on one thing. I have a lower lying placenta and it just needs to move a tiny bit by 40 weeks or whenever baby comes. Thankfully it almost always resolves itself, but they like to check. I don't mind having extra peeks at my kiddo though, so no complaints here!

2 boys. What have I gotten myself into? All I know is even though I'm sure there will be tons of rough housing, there will be so many fun times and I look forward to it. Jacob and I high fived because we won't have huge wedding expenses or over priced prom dresses to pay for. Tux rentals? Hey! No problemo. :)

Thankfully, as long as James is around the same size as Daniel was, we are totally set for clothes. That didn't stop me from buying a few things today though! Pretty sure he'll be stinking adorable in all of them!



All in all, a very happy day for this family!

More Random Facts and Tidbits About ME!

I haven't done one of these in awhile, but I always think they're fun and I enjoy reading about other people's weirdness too. I'll go with 30, since that's my age. We'll see if I can come up with that many new ones that I haven't done in the past!

1. I never left the state of Iowa until I was 9 years old. Now I've been to around 20 states, and one other country.

2. I learned once that if you put an egg yolk in the microwave to warm it up, it will explode into a trillion microscopic pieces.

3. In general, I usually have anywhere from 5-15 bruises on my body. Over half the time I don't even know where they came from. I crash into things so much that I tend to forget.

4. I've called 911 twice in my life. Once for a legitimate reason. The other time I was 5 and wanted to see what would happen. I hung up on them. They called back and talked to my dad. Oops. At least they didn't send anyone out!

5. I HATED salad until I was 26, and referred to it as rabbit food.

6. If you think I'm quiet (which I usually am) and want to see me go nuts, play a game like Taboo or Catch Phrase with me. I get slightly competitive.

7. I get no joy from cooking. I wish I did, but I do it basically to survive and because we can't afford to eat out every day.

8. If I had closed my eHarmony account when I meant to close it, instead of accidentally letting my membership lapse, I wouldn't have met Jacob.

9. I have never in my life used a lawn mower...and I don't want to either. Dad and Erica were the lawn mowers at home. Now I have Jacob!

10. I could probably eat Mexican food every day and never get sick of it.

11. This is no secret, but Friends is my show of choice. If I'm happy, sad, mad...doesn't matter, it always cheers me up. I've seen every episode about a billion times and it's always hilarious.

12. The one and only time I went tent camping I: went into town with my BFF and bought gas station pizza, went back to town to buy Ben and Jerry's to deal with the stress of camping, almost died of heat, drove a 20 minute round trip to the flush toilets, broke out in hives the sizes of tennis balls. Good times.

13. After seeing a taping of Jay Leno, he drove up next to us at the stoplight, rolled his window down and talked to us. Well, really my parents. I was taking stalker pictures from the backseat on my phone.

14. I "forgot" my gym clothes a lot in middle school on mile run days...as did many other girls. Then the gym teachers started checking lockers. I was smart. I hid mine in an empty locker.

15. I eat out of boredom. I'm totally a compulsive eater.

16. Having to wear a back brace in middle school was the worst thing ever. As if middle school isn't awkward enough...here wear this huge plastic brace all day, every day. And oh, by the way, you won't even be able to bend over like a normal person.

17. I convinced my grandparent's to do a breakfast cookout at the park once. 8am and what do I insist on? Roasting hot dogs. Yep. That happened.

18. Watching Cops is a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't watch often anymore, but I love watching stupid people.

19. I was STARVING all through my labor and delivery with Daniel. My doctor was laughing when I said I wanted a cheeseburger in between pushing. Within an hour have having Daniel I was chowing down on a cheeseburger, fries and apple pie!

20. Last week at the Cardinals game, almost 2 hours before the game even started, my bra strap broke. How do these things happen to me! I spent 10 minutes in the bathroom, trying to rig something up. A double knot was the solution.

21. That is not the first time that happened to me. Only the other time it was my shirt. At 6 Flags. With our youth group. Thankfully it happened in the bathroom. I was changing out of my swim suit from the water park and the camisole top I had busted. Clothes don't like me.

22. One time Erica and I randomly came across a fair at Hawkeye Downs. We stopped to ride the Ferris Wheel. It was pretty late, and for some reason Erica thought it would be funny to call Mom and tell her what we were doing. Woke Mom up and she was NOT happy to be woken. 30 minutes later we get back to my car and it was dead. Guess who we had to call?

23. I HATE bugs, but because my little boy loves them, I'm making an effort to tolerate them. And by tolerate I mean I don't scream my head off if he brings one semi close to me. I have my limits, man.

24. I have never seen The Goonies. Apparently, I am seriously missing out.

25. I have zero intuition on whether this baby is a boy or a girl. Jacob knew Daniel was a boy from the start and has said girl from the start of this one. 20 more days until we find out!

26. I have never gotten a speeding ticket. Not even a warning.

27. 5 years after moving I still get homesick for Iowa. At least now I only cry a few times a year and not every other week. :)

28. I really want to take a road trip across America someday. I need some partners in crime to go along, because it's not Jacob's cup of tea.

29. I just looked out my window and saw the silhouette of a bird sitting on a wire with a beautiful sky behind it. I thought, "That would be a pretty picture." Just as I thought that, the bird pooped.

30. Being a mom has taught me what true sacrifice really is. I'd do just about anything for my little guy!

Happy Early Father's Day to my Daddio!

Since Father's Day is coming up, I thought it would be fun to write a post about my Dad. I know I've done this before with random memories, but I wanted to say more. It's been a few years anyway.

I'm really thankful for my Dad. He's always been the quiet and more laid back parent, but has always been there and many times has served as the voice of reason.

I'm thankful that my Dad has always been a big part of my life growing up. He did tons of things, even things I can't remember because I was a baby.



He fed me bottles...and helped clean up my projectile puke. Gave me baths. Changed diapers. Heck, this guy was brave enough to keep me overnight (or possibly 2 nights?), when I was only 6 weeks old, so my mom could go on her women's retreat to camp over an hour away. This was in a day and age without cell phones to check in!

As I got older, Dad would watch Saturday morning cartoons with me. He'd take me on walks...and carried me home when I wiped out running down the giant hill at Roosevelt. He was the one who tucked me in most nights. We'd read stories and pray. Sometimes he'd pray in a Donald Duck voice. It was basically the best thing ever. Sometimes he'd lay in bed with me for awhile before tucking me in. He taught me the planets and continents when I was 4 years old.

He also gave us "Ruptie Tupties". Something his own dad did. It may go further back than that, but I'm not sure. What are they? You lay in bed and you get bounced up and down super fast while the "Ruptier" says, "Ruptie tuptie, tuptie, tuptie!" Weird? Maybe. I've passed it onto Daniel and he loves when I do it. Maybe someday he'll pass it on to his own kids.

He came to the Dad night at preschool and I got to read, "Just Me and My Dad" in a tent with a flashlight. I also got to put shaving cream all over his face and shave him with a Popsicle stick. We also did a safety patrol activity where that dad's where all some kind of community helper and us kids rode tricycles around roads made from masking tape. It was all fun and games until some dad who was a "police man" wrote me a ticket. I was profoundly upset and I'm pretty sure I just stuck by my dad after that!

When I was 6, I got the chicken pox. Dad discovered them while we were playing doctor and I told him to put the bandaid on my owie. Turns out they were pox. Thankfully, mine we super mild, but it didn't stop my dad from cracking jokes. I was pretty offended when he asked me if I laid any eggs? How rude!

Dad was the one to teach me how to ride my bike. I was a slow learner, but he finally took me up to the school blacktop and let go of me while I was peddling. There's a chance I crashed into a fence the first time that happened, but it wasn't too long after that, that I was cruising. One of my favorite things ever was when Dad would take me on a bike ride with him. I loved getting to ditch my sisters and felt pretty special that it was just Dad and I. He only tried to "kill me" once, by biking all the way to Morgan Creek on a blazing hot summer day. I'm still amazed I made it home without passing out. Mom was not happy with him. Haha!

He liked to do things outside. I mean, we had no cable and internet wasn't really around yet, so we all spent a lot of time outside. The best days were those lazy weekends where we'd throw the Frisbee around. Poor Dad. I usually ended up throwing it sideways and it would either go in the street or smack into the front of the house! Or we'd play wiffle ball or lawn darts. Always a fun time. Sometimes he'd come out on a hot day and soak his feet in our wading pool while we played and tell us stories. We'd shoot our Super Soakers at each other and just chill out on the deck.

In the winter he'd play board games with us. Not always, but it was always the best when he did! I remember him teaching Erica and I how to play Clue, and when it was time to make the accusation, he did it in the most dramatic voice, so we always did that too!

He was usually the one to take us sledding too. Mom would come along sometimes, but Dad was the one to actually sled with us...or accidentally give me a push, straight into a tree! I still have no idea why I didn't roll off the sled when I realized it was going to happen!

We always loved when Mom would go on retreats. She usually went on 2 every year. Ladies Camp and the Women's Winter Warm Up. Those were the nights when we could watch stuff we weren't allowed to watch. Mostly, The Simpsons (because Dad thought it was hilarious) and Tales From the Crypt. I loved it, but it legit scared the crap out of me. I pretended like it didn't, but I had to check my closet and under the bed every night because of that show!

Dad was the creator of "Electric Man". He'd lay in the dark with us girls and make up creepy stories. When Electric Man was coming he'd start saying, "Bzzzt! Bzzzt!" Then at the climax of the story he'd "electrocute" us by shaking us and yelling, "BZZZZT!!!" Man, those were the best.

Dad taught me how to drive. Mom tried, but both times ended in yelling and tears, so that was the end of that. No tears with Dad, but I did almost hit a tractor and mail truck, I got flipped off and I took a corner on 2 wheels, but we lived to tell about it. That dude has some serious patience.

He was the voice of reason, many times. Especially through my teenage years when Mom and I would get into it. He let us have it out, but sometimes I'd vent to him later. Sometimes he'd agree with me that Mom was over the top (sorry Mom!), but he was always quick to stop me if I was wrong and tell me not to talk about Mom like that. I'd go sulk, but get over it.

He's helped me move 3 times. While Mom gets the credit for helping pack up and clean, Dad gets the credit for moving the heavy stuff, putting together a bunch of crap for me and driving a big moving truck from Iowa to Illinois! And I'm sure if he can he'll help us when we move again! I know how much he LOVES it. Not. :) But, he still does it, because he loves me.

He's always been good at helping fix things too. Whenever something broke when I lived on my own, it was Dad to the rescue! He still helps when he comes to visit. Although my favorite, was when we moved in and he was helped us with something electrical in the basement. Whatever he did, made it so that if you turned off the basement light the dryer would shut off. It was a total National Lampoon's moment! I couldn't figure out what was wrong with our dryer for a few days and then had to wait until they visited again to get that one fixed!

Now, I watch him with Daniel and it just makes me smile. Daniel is the little boy he never had. Dad still does the same things with him that he did with us. He gives him baths (when Daniel allows it), changes his diaper, puts him down for naps and takes him outside to play.

Anyway, there are thousands of memories, but I just wanted to say, Thank You, Daddio! I love you!

Memorial Day Weekend

I had a really fun Memorial Day weekend. Daniel and I left for Iowa last Friday when I got done at the Y. Once again, that boy amazes me at what a great little travel buddy he is. We took our first road trip together when we was about 8 weeks old, and have done several since, both alone and with Jacob. It can't be that exciting riding backwards in the car for 4.5 hours, but he sat back there entertaining himself very well. I can almost always manage only one bathroom stop when it's just the 2 of us, but my pregnancy bladder is in full swing, so we had to make 2 stops.

The weather was so nice, we had supper out on the deck, which Daniel loved! I had requested a few things I was craving, and one was Hy-Vee chicken and noodles. Sadly, they changed the recipe and added peas and mushrooms. They were pretty gross. None of us liked them.

That night we went to Indian Creek to go on a walk and hunt for bugs (although, I'm pretty sure the bugs were hunting us). It was a lot of fun though. By the time we finally got back in the car it was almost 8:00, which is Daniel's bedtime at home! Then we had to do a bath, so little man got to stay up until almost 9:30!







On Saturday we went to Noelridge Park to play and have a picnic. It was another beautiful day, and Daniel was able to run off some energy! We threw rocks and sticks in the water, walked on the trail, played on the playground, did stomp rockets and ate lunch!







I figured Daniel would take a great nap that day. Nope! Couldn't get him to go to sleep at all, so I gave up and put him in his pack n play to fuss and cry for a half an hour before Mimi took pity. She brought him upstairs and told him he had to lay on the couch and rest. I kid you not, that child laid there for an HOUR. He didn't talk. Just laid there. It was a miracle!

Had another supper on the deck...and another meal of my choice. Salsa chicken, and oh man was it good!

Then, Mom and Kendra and I went shopping at Kohls, where yet another miracle occurred. I tried on 4 things and all 4 things look great on me! That never happens. So I ended up with a shirt, maxi dress, skirt and shorts. Heck yeah!

Daniel went to bed early that night, and besides waking up once for a just a bit, he slept for 12 hours. Hallelujah.

Sunday morning, Mom, Daniel and I went to visit Great Mimi and Sugar (the cat). Sugar doesn't like many people...and Daniel was no exception this time. He threw a ball to her and she went nuts hissing and growling. He backed up, but thought it was hilarious too. What a kid.



Got the kiddo to actually nap, and then went shopping again with Mom and Kendra. Then we went out for supper at Outback for Kendra's birthday. The rest of the night was spent playing outside at Mimi and Pa's house.









Memorial Day, we went to the new trampoline place, AirFX. They had a junior jumper time slot where little kids can jump with one adult. Daniel has issues with new things and also I think some sensory issues. He was a bit overwhelmed. Cried when I tried to put the special gripper socks on him. He didn't want to try anything. Kendra was going to jump, but I finally stole her socks and hopped in the block pit, in hopes of coaxing him in.

I most definitely got stuck.

 

He finally ended up really liking the basketball.



I think the rest of the day we just chilled and then Tuesday we headed back home.

I'm always sad to leave, but it's always nice to get home too. Plus, I'm pretty sure we're heading back for the 4th of July!

Boycotts and Baby Stuff

Another long and rainy week bites the dust!

Actually, it's hard to believe, but at the beginning of this week we had the air on because it was hot and humid. Now for the past 3 days the high's have only reached the mid to upper 40's, so we've had the heat back on again.

Daniel decided to boycott his naps this week. A lot of people will say, "Oh, my kid stopped napping at that age too." To which I say, "Aww HECK NO!" Not happening. That boy needs naps, and I need quiet time. He still had to spend time in his bed, and was allowed to look at books. Instead he'd read for a bit and then do this loud whining sound over and over again.

Although, this happened on Monday night at supper:



I FINALLY got him to take a nap today, and he's been asleep for almost 3 glorious hours. Hopefully that means I won't have Captain Grumpy Pants on my hands tonight. That boy can throw a mean fit.

Yesterday, I had my OB appointment. I had told Daniel earlier that week we were going to go hear the baby's heartbeat. I tend to forget that he doesn't forget things. (Clearly he did not get his awesome memory from me.) He asked every day if we were going to Mommy's doctor that day. The other day he even got out his stethoscope, pulled my shirt up and listened to the baby. It was adorable.

I decided to just go right to Springfield after I got off at the Y. I wanted to stop back in at Babies R Us and grab another pair of sandals (or fwip fwops as Daniel refers to them as) for Daniel. Apparently he didn't want to ride in the cart, because as soon as I picked him up he flipped the heck out. He was screaming and yelling...and then perfectly fine once I told him if he was good we'd get chicken nuggets and french fries.

We headed over to Burger King to eat after that. There was another screaming fit because he wanted to run around instead of stand by me while I ordered. Thankfully they were fast and he was fine once we sat down. He was excited that I let him sit at the table instead of going into a high chair. He actually did a good job too!

 

Next stop was the doctor! I was kind of dreading it. Not the actual appointment, but the waiting. Last time, Daniel was inside of me, so it was kind of relaxing to chill and wait. Also boring at times, but still peaceful. He did so well though! I made him ride in, in his stroller and stay in it while we waited in the waiting room. We just talked. Then went back to do vitals and he chatted up and charmed the nurse. Once we got into the room, I let him out of the stroller. He was absolutely wonderful and we had to wait quite awhile. He did ask to go home a few times, but once the doctor came in he got excited all over again. He chatted her up too, and then got to be her helper. He held a paper towel that she could use to clear the gel off my stomach after using the Doppler. It took a couple of minutes to find the heartbeat, and baby moved a couple of times when she'd find it. Finally, baby stayed still and we got to have an extra long listen because Daniel thought it was so cool! Heartbeat was a healthy and strong 162 bmp. Such a lovely sound to hear.

We asked him if he was having a sister or brother and he said sister. That's been his answer a lot lately, so we'll see. It would be helpful since we have our girl name. We can't come up with a boy name though.

It was finally time to head home and I was hoping Daniel would fall asleep. No such luck. He talked my ear off. Since he's still rear facing it's extra hard to hear him, so half the time all I hear is, "blah blah blah....right Mommy?" Everything is "Right Mommy!?" Haha!

I think my next post will be about the boy again. I have a lot to update on him. Not the naughty stuff, but the adorable things that he says and does, because he's a pretty hilarious kid!

Me Time. It Does a Mommy Good.

Once again, I've fallen behind and recapping the past month seems too daunting.

After surviving one of the worst weeks ever 2 weeks ago, this last week has been (mostly) looking up. Just so everyone is aware though, the Terrible Twos are the real deal, people. No lie.

Every year sometime between my birthday and Mother's Day, I take a day to myself and go shopping. I texted Jacob last Friday while Daniel was having another meltdown of epic proportions and told him I'd like to cash in on my shopping day on Saturday.

I high tailed it out the door at 9:30 and felt free! No buckling and unbuckling the car seat, no one asking for snacks, no one ripping every item off the shelf that they can reach! (Please note that I love my child with all of my heart, but I know all of you parents can relate!)

I spent 6.5 hours shopping at my own leisurely pace, before returning home. I'm so so thankful for Jacob watching Daniel all day. I rarely get that kind of break and it's just what I needed. Daniel and Daddy had lots of fun. I think Daniel needed a break from me as much as I did from him. It did us both good and I got lots of hugs and smiles that night!

Then Sunday afternoon Mimi and Pa came over, and we spent the entire afternoon outside because it was beautiful! Brenda and I mostly let the guys run around with Daniel while we sat a visited on the porch. Another Mama break! I let Daniel skip his nap that afternoon, and then we went out for an early supper. Unfortunately, the exhaustion hit him and he was cranky and wanted to go home. "Go home now?" "GO HOME NOW?" However, he was thrilled that our waitress gave him 2 suckers because he spelled his name for her. Then he promptly dropped his first one in the parking lot and wasn't happy that I wouldn't give it back!

Once home, he sat on my lap and snuggled into my arms. At 6:15 he fell asleep for the night! It was freaking adorable.

I was slightly scared of Monday. It had been such a great weekend, and I was scared that the past week was going to start all over again. Thankfully, Daniel was SO much better. Back to his normal, ornery self. I can handle most of that! Not to mention, the break calmed my nerves and recharged my patience levels.

Yesterday I requested that we go to the Scovill Zoo in Decatur. Moms and grandmas got free admission. I just wanted to get to do something fun as a family for Mother's Day. It's a perfect sized zoo for Daniel, and he was thrilled to just be able to run around. He seemed more excited about the fact that he didn't have to ride in his stroller, than seeing most of the animals!

His favorite things seemed to be the petting zoo area and the penguins.

A baby goat made friends with Jacob's shoe. :)

 

Checking out the penguins



I bought tickets to ride on the train too. Daniel was getting tired, and was so serious, but I knew he loved at, and he's talked about it a lot since then. Here we are on the train making silly faces!



Had to get a picture of Jacob and I too!



After the zoo, we headed to Texas Roadhouse for a late lunch...or early supper. Lupper as the Thatcher clan calls it. I was starving and ate a ton. Everything was so good. Daniel was cranky due to not having a nap, so he was having a meltdown by the time were trying to pay. I'm pretty sure that boy was asleep by the time we were out of the parking lot.

That short nap did no good though. He was tired and whiny until bedtime...which came early. He insisted on calling Pa and Mimi T. first...and then wouldn't talk. When he would he would use this whiny voice that he's been using a lot this past week. It's seriously annoying. Hopefully he forgets about it soon!

He slept for 12 hour last night, and then Daddy got up with him. A little while later, they came into the bedroom and Daniel handed me a card that he colored for me (and then opened it for me!), and I also got a card from Jacob! We all hung out in bed for awhile...and then Daniel swiped my phone and managed to call my mom not once, but twice. I texted her to tell her it was Daniel, but she called back before she got it. Pretty sure Daniel woke her up. Sorry, Mimi!

Despite the 12 hours of sleep, Daniel has had many meltdowns today. Hopefully his nap has done some good! I'm hoping for my silly, funny boy back this evening!