Yowzer! I'm 26 weeks pregnant!
I'm feeling really well. I still HORRIFICALLY tired after very little work, but hey, I'm growing a human. A human that seems to be very feisty! She really is very strong (my whole stomach moves when she kicks) and she seems to be thriving!
A few weeks ago I was having kidney pain (low-level), but thankfully that has mostly went away. However, it's replaced itself, and the replacement SUCKS.
Last Tuesday Carl and I made a trip to Lexington to do some Christmas looking and shopping. For whatever reason he didn't sleep at all the night before (he couldn't turn his brain off he said), so I ended up driving the entire (1 1/2 hours) down there. We did our shopping, a good bit of walking, etc, then we headed home. His lack of sleep caught up with him, and I ended up driving the majority of the way home. Not unusual at all when I'm not pregnant, but its the most driving I've done in some time (I usually have pregnancy induced car narcolepsy... at least that's what I call it. ha!).
The next morning I was tired, but nothing too bad. I ended up going to the shop (my mom and I run a quilting business out of her parents old house, which is two houses down from mine) with her. As I left the shop to go back to her house, I slipped a little on these rugs that are right outside the front door. I was already having a little bit of pain in my groin area, and it seemed to intensify some then. So, we headed to my chiropractor that afternoon.
She didn't find anything out but a jammed hip (not unusual with me) and she ended up working the muscles and such around my pubic bone area. It didn't really help. The next day, as the day went on, the pain came back... so I started researching it.
Symphasis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) is so super fun. It's generally caused by your body making too much/reacting to too much of the relaxin hormone. One article I read thought that it might be a chiropractic issue, which makes sense. I went back to the chiropractor about two days later, and still didn't have much of anything out, although my sacrum was tilted a little bit. I have little to no pain (usually no pain) when I first get up in the morning, but as the day goes on it gets worse. Yesterday Mom and I went shopping for 6 hours, and I overdid it, so I had a lot of pain today. I did discover that her low back brace works well to stabalize my pelvis and keep me from having TOO much pain while quilting.
Generally I only have pain when I first get up from a seated position, and the first 5-10 steps I take. Last night, however, I was having it rolling over in bed, and today it's been semi-constant. If I move one leg out suddenly it hurts a LOT. Again, managable, but sucky.
I keep doing pelvic rocks and such to ensure that this little Princess is NOT posterior like her big sister was, and it seems to get better after doing them. Some nights at about 11pm, I think I'm not going to make it through the pregnancy with this pain, but then I get up the next morning pain-free, so its kind of just a day-by-day, hour-by-hour sort of thing.
BUT, other than that superfun 'complication', this pregnancy is going swimmingly. I feel great (albeit tired) now, and just anxiously awaiting her arrival!
I did buy her a "stash" of newborn & small fitted cloth diapers off of my FAVORITE website in the entire world, Spots Corner, for a whopping $45 plus shipping. I'm SO excited. I had plenty of medium and large diapers, and several one-size, but no small or newborns (as I didn't start with Keevia until she was over a year old).
I also managed to score (look out for reviews coming in the next few months!) two babywearing giveaways in the last month. I won a Onya baby carrier through a Twitter party, and I won a Boba 3g Carrier through Mothering Magazines contest. SO ecstatic (especially about the Boba!). I'm currently awaiting a waist extender for the Onya, and then hopefully I can wear it. I can report that I can comfortably wore the Boba 3g with a 28 lb toddler last night while 26 weeks pregnant!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
The Evolution of Co-Sleeping
I'm sure I've mentioned it here before that before Keevia was born, I was completely against bedsharing. Carl mentioned when I was pregnant about bringing her in bed with us, and I always said "No way! We'll smother her!" I looked down my nose at the parents who did so, thinking how horrifically unsafe they were being with their children.
Then, when I was pregnant, I stumbled across a parenting board on TheBump.com. I'd never heard of Attachment Parenting before, and I quickly googled the term. Other than some differences when it comes to discipline, I found myself agreeing with everything my searches turned up.
So I began haunting that board, and I soon found that a good majority of the people on there purposefully bedshared from birth. I had always planned to co-sleep, and had purchased a Arms Reach Mini Co-Sleeper at a yardsale, and received the Baby Trend Gabriella Playard from my Mom. Both made co-sleeping very easy, as the baby was RIGHT there, but I was still against baby being in bed with me.
At this point in our lives, Carl and I were living in an apartment in the big city, and spending a good bit of our time at my parents house. We had a queen size bed in our apartment, but a full-size bed at my parents. As I progressed in my pregnancy, Carl began sleeping in a different bedroom so as not to squish the baby in my belly.
After I gave birth, Carl wasn't comfortable with me spending time at our apartment alone (he worked from 3am-1pm, and had to go to bed by about 6-7pm), and insisted I stay with my parents for the first few weeks.
Keevia was so tiny and perfect, but there was one little problem. She didn't want to sleep unless I was holding her. Which was fantastic during the day because I couldn't bear to put her down, but at night she wouldn't settle in her co-sleeper very well. And when it came to nursing at night, I was still convinced I had to sit up to feed her (trying to figure out latch and all), but I found myself falling asleep sitting up.
Then one night, I gave up, pulled out my iPod and searched for Dr. Sears bedsharing safety checklist. With a little bit of moving and shuffling, I had my bed set up and I laid down with her. She stayed asleep, and I slept lightly.
As I got more confident, both with bedsharing and breastfeeding, I began just nursing on one side for several hours, the rolling with Keevia and nursing on the other side for several hours. I always started her off in the co-sleeper, and would get 1-3 hours of alone sleep before she came in bed with me. Once we went back to the apartment (although we didn't spend much time there, we moved home when Keevia was about 2 months old, and didn't spend much time at the apartment once she was born), I was a little nervous adding Carl to the mix, but I stuck to the bedsharing rules, and always kept my arm around her when she had to be in the middle to nurse.
As a result, I was never sleep deprived. She slept great, and even on her restless or fussy nights, she settled quickly. Around 4 months she started the dreaded Four Month Wakeful and was just, well, AWAKE from 4-6am. Some nights I put her in her bouncer in front of Seasame Street and she would drift back to sleep. Bad parenting? Maybe... but we both got sleep and were both happy, so I don't really regret it. The first time sleep deprivation got me was when she got her first cold at 6 months. By that time we had moved into our new house (which is next door to my parents) and there were 2-3 nights where she barely slept (stupid stuffy nose). At this point, with a six month old, I finally understood the sleep deprivation that non-bedsharing parents felt.
Keevia and I basically spent the first six months of her life in bed by ourselves. We fit well in a full size bed, and were quite comfortable most nights. As she got older, her first stretch of solo sleep got longer and longer. By the time we moved in our house, and began sharing a bed with her daddy again, there were nights when she was sleeping through the night in her co-sleeper, or only waking at 4-6 am.
At this point, however, she roused very easily. If I had a cold and a cough she would wake up every time I coughed. If you got up to go to the bathroom, she woke up. Carl was now working 5 days a week, having to be at work at 5am. His alarm would usually start going off at 2 am. She was not amused. Even when she came in bed with us, she would still toss and turn until her would finally get up, or we would move to the guest room. I put off moving her into her own room as long as I could, because I wasn't ready for it.
Around nine months we started putting her in her crib in her room. We left the co-sleeper in our room however. She would still nurse maybe once a night, but she was probably sleeping through the night 4 nights out of 7. If she woke up, it was no big deal, we just brought her into our bed.
We kept up this routine, having her start off in our bed occasionally, but sticking to the crib. Around one year I began having to lay down with her to get her to sleep, but I would always move her to her crib once she was asleep. Around 13 months she got her first (and only!) ear infection, as well as a case of bronchitis. Her cough (and the plegm in her throat) were so bad that she'd get choked and end up throwing up, sometimes several times a night. Carl deemed it unacceptable for her to sleep by herself (which I agreed) so we moved to the guest room for close to a month. It was a slow weaning process to get her from 100% of night time with mommy back to her crib, but we did it.
At 18 months we changed her crib into a toddler bed, and since that time, she simply comes padding into our room whenever she wakes up. Sometimes it's 1am, most of the time its 6 or 7. I love snuggling with her, and we never put her back in her bed once she wakes up. If she's sick, or scared (we've dealt with some night terrors the last two months), she may stay in our bed the majority of the night. We just go with it. We ended up purchasing a King size bed back in June/July, once we decided we wanted to get pregnant again, because we knew we'd soon be sharing the bed with two babies, not just one.
Some nights its frustrating. I sleep better when she's not in our bed (mainly because she likes to lay on top of me, or play with my cleavage, or simply lay THIS close to my back), and some nights I honestly just don't want to sleep with her... but I always remember HOW GOOD it felt to go running into my parents room, and to climb up in bed between them. I automatically felt safe, warm, happy and content. All bad-dreams went away, all fears disappeared. It wasn't a nightly occurrence with me, but I always knew that it was an option. I want Keevia (and baby girl#2) to feel the same way.
I don't really know how we'll manage once our newborn comes into the sleeping mix, but I'm sure we'll manage. Currently, Keevia is sleeping on a twin size mattress on the floor of her bedroom, and if necessary, we'll just move that mattress in our room for a while. I fully, FULLY believe that babies will learn to sleep on their own, but that each baby is different, and each on has their own night-time needs. I won't ever get these times back with my babies, and I don't want to have any regrets. As of yet, I don't, at least when it comes to my night-time parenting. I look forward to nursing this new girl, and snuggling with her late at night. Bedsharing isn't for everyone, and I realize that, but for our family, it's how we get through the nights.
Want more information? Dr. Sears has some awesome information on Co-Sleeping here, including studies he did on the breathing patterns of a co-sleeping newborn!
Then, when I was pregnant, I stumbled across a parenting board on TheBump.com. I'd never heard of Attachment Parenting before, and I quickly googled the term. Other than some differences when it comes to discipline, I found myself agreeing with everything my searches turned up.
So I began haunting that board, and I soon found that a good majority of the people on there purposefully bedshared from birth. I had always planned to co-sleep, and had purchased a Arms Reach Mini Co-Sleeper at a yardsale, and received the Baby Trend Gabriella Playard from my Mom. Both made co-sleeping very easy, as the baby was RIGHT there, but I was still against baby being in bed with me.
At this point in our lives, Carl and I were living in an apartment in the big city, and spending a good bit of our time at my parents house. We had a queen size bed in our apartment, but a full-size bed at my parents. As I progressed in my pregnancy, Carl began sleeping in a different bedroom so as not to squish the baby in my belly.
After I gave birth, Carl wasn't comfortable with me spending time at our apartment alone (he worked from 3am-1pm, and had to go to bed by about 6-7pm), and insisted I stay with my parents for the first few weeks.
Keevia was so tiny and perfect, but there was one little problem. She didn't want to sleep unless I was holding her. Which was fantastic during the day because I couldn't bear to put her down, but at night she wouldn't settle in her co-sleeper very well. And when it came to nursing at night, I was still convinced I had to sit up to feed her (trying to figure out latch and all), but I found myself falling asleep sitting up.
Then one night, I gave up, pulled out my iPod and searched for Dr. Sears bedsharing safety checklist. With a little bit of moving and shuffling, I had my bed set up and I laid down with her. She stayed asleep, and I slept lightly.
As I got more confident, both with bedsharing and breastfeeding, I began just nursing on one side for several hours, the rolling with Keevia and nursing on the other side for several hours. I always started her off in the co-sleeper, and would get 1-3 hours of alone sleep before she came in bed with me. Once we went back to the apartment (although we didn't spend much time there, we moved home when Keevia was about 2 months old, and didn't spend much time at the apartment once she was born), I was a little nervous adding Carl to the mix, but I stuck to the bedsharing rules, and always kept my arm around her when she had to be in the middle to nurse.
As a result, I was never sleep deprived. She slept great, and even on her restless or fussy nights, she settled quickly. Around 4 months she started the dreaded Four Month Wakeful and was just, well, AWAKE from 4-6am. Some nights I put her in her bouncer in front of Seasame Street and she would drift back to sleep. Bad parenting? Maybe... but we both got sleep and were both happy, so I don't really regret it. The first time sleep deprivation got me was when she got her first cold at 6 months. By that time we had moved into our new house (which is next door to my parents) and there were 2-3 nights where she barely slept (stupid stuffy nose). At this point, with a six month old, I finally understood the sleep deprivation that non-bedsharing parents felt.
Keevia and I basically spent the first six months of her life in bed by ourselves. We fit well in a full size bed, and were quite comfortable most nights. As she got older, her first stretch of solo sleep got longer and longer. By the time we moved in our house, and began sharing a bed with her daddy again, there were nights when she was sleeping through the night in her co-sleeper, or only waking at 4-6 am.
At this point, however, she roused very easily. If I had a cold and a cough she would wake up every time I coughed. If you got up to go to the bathroom, she woke up. Carl was now working 5 days a week, having to be at work at 5am. His alarm would usually start going off at 2 am. She was not amused. Even when she came in bed with us, she would still toss and turn until her would finally get up, or we would move to the guest room. I put off moving her into her own room as long as I could, because I wasn't ready for it.
Around nine months we started putting her in her crib in her room. We left the co-sleeper in our room however. She would still nurse maybe once a night, but she was probably sleeping through the night 4 nights out of 7. If she woke up, it was no big deal, we just brought her into our bed.
We kept up this routine, having her start off in our bed occasionally, but sticking to the crib. Around one year I began having to lay down with her to get her to sleep, but I would always move her to her crib once she was asleep. Around 13 months she got her first (and only!) ear infection, as well as a case of bronchitis. Her cough (and the plegm in her throat) were so bad that she'd get choked and end up throwing up, sometimes several times a night. Carl deemed it unacceptable for her to sleep by herself (which I agreed) so we moved to the guest room for close to a month. It was a slow weaning process to get her from 100% of night time with mommy back to her crib, but we did it.
At 18 months we changed her crib into a toddler bed, and since that time, she simply comes padding into our room whenever she wakes up. Sometimes it's 1am, most of the time its 6 or 7. I love snuggling with her, and we never put her back in her bed once she wakes up. If she's sick, or scared (we've dealt with some night terrors the last two months), she may stay in our bed the majority of the night. We just go with it. We ended up purchasing a King size bed back in June/July, once we decided we wanted to get pregnant again, because we knew we'd soon be sharing the bed with two babies, not just one.
Some nights its frustrating. I sleep better when she's not in our bed (mainly because she likes to lay on top of me, or play with my cleavage, or simply lay THIS close to my back), and some nights I honestly just don't want to sleep with her... but I always remember HOW GOOD it felt to go running into my parents room, and to climb up in bed between them. I automatically felt safe, warm, happy and content. All bad-dreams went away, all fears disappeared. It wasn't a nightly occurrence with me, but I always knew that it was an option. I want Keevia (and baby girl#2) to feel the same way.
I don't really know how we'll manage once our newborn comes into the sleeping mix, but I'm sure we'll manage. Currently, Keevia is sleeping on a twin size mattress on the floor of her bedroom, and if necessary, we'll just move that mattress in our room for a while. I fully, FULLY believe that babies will learn to sleep on their own, but that each baby is different, and each on has their own night-time needs. I won't ever get these times back with my babies, and I don't want to have any regrets. As of yet, I don't, at least when it comes to my night-time parenting. I look forward to nursing this new girl, and snuggling with her late at night. Bedsharing isn't for everyone, and I realize that, but for our family, it's how we get through the nights.
Want more information? Dr. Sears has some awesome information on Co-Sleeping here, including studies he did on the breathing patterns of a co-sleeping newborn!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
23 Weeks!
For some reason I've been avoiding blogging like the plague. After Keevia's 2nd birthday party (which was over two weeks ago!), my computer didn't even leave the guest room for over a week. Add in a kidney infection, trips to the grandparents and doctors appointments, and you have my last two weeks.
As of today, I'm 23 weeks pregnant. WHAT? That means I am 14-17 weeks from having TWO little girls. That's both startling and exciting.
I need to start taking the occasional belly picture... I definitely look pregnant right now, but not horribly so. I'm feeling better. Other than wheat, I can really eat whatever I want (okay, eggs still make me gag). I crave milk and bacon. And danish butter cookies. But I crave those every year at this time, so I think its a moot point.
I'm doing better at keeping housework up (Although if you saw my toddler-tornado of a living room right now...), and have even started cooking more. In fact, I made hideously spicy chili tonight.
I still can't eat wheat without nausea, and I'm still having sleeping problems. My midwives suggested a benadryl to two a night, and it does help. I just hate taking stuff while pregnant. I take 10,000 iui of D3 a day, Magnesium and my Whole-Food Prenatal.
I'm getting into the happy part of pregnancy, and I'm very excited about it. I think I'd been fighting the kidney infection (Although it never showed up on cultures... I wasn't making urine, I had left kidney pain, etc) for a little while. Now Carl has a cold, and I think I'm fighting it. Plus, my parents are ripping up carpet and it's about to be the death of me. It absolutely KILLS my allergies.
But here we are. 23 weeks. She's kicking strong and making her presence know quite regularly! I'm so excited!
As of today, I'm 23 weeks pregnant. WHAT? That means I am 14-17 weeks from having TWO little girls. That's both startling and exciting.
I need to start taking the occasional belly picture... I definitely look pregnant right now, but not horribly so. I'm feeling better. Other than wheat, I can really eat whatever I want (okay, eggs still make me gag). I crave milk and bacon. And danish butter cookies. But I crave those every year at this time, so I think its a moot point.
I'm doing better at keeping housework up (Although if you saw my toddler-tornado of a living room right now...), and have even started cooking more. In fact, I made hideously spicy chili tonight.
I still can't eat wheat without nausea, and I'm still having sleeping problems. My midwives suggested a benadryl to two a night, and it does help. I just hate taking stuff while pregnant. I take 10,000 iui of D3 a day, Magnesium and my Whole-Food Prenatal.
I'm getting into the happy part of pregnancy, and I'm very excited about it. I think I'd been fighting the kidney infection (Although it never showed up on cultures... I wasn't making urine, I had left kidney pain, etc) for a little while. Now Carl has a cold, and I think I'm fighting it. Plus, my parents are ripping up carpet and it's about to be the death of me. It absolutely KILLS my allergies.
But here we are. 23 weeks. She's kicking strong and making her presence know quite regularly! I'm so excited!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
It's a....
GIRL!
We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday morning (SERIOUSLY, how in the WORLD am I already 20 weeks along?) and everything looks perfect. We actually got a pretty long ultrasound because Dr. C (the high-risk doctor that my midwives practice under) was out of town, so they didn't have very many patients. It was awesome. With Keevia we never even saw her move during the ultrasound, the technician went so quickly, but with this sweet little bundle we got to see her stretching, kicking, and even YAWN at one point. It was spectacular. And we got a pretty good "money shot" to prove that there wasn't anything but three lines in-between those legs!
We have a name picked out, but I think I'll leave y'all in suspense a little longer.
We couldn't be happier. I think Carl was a little bit disappointed, but he warmed to the idea.
Now I have a reason for the 70 gallon tote of clothes I have for each different size of baby girl clothing. I saved EVERYTHING from Keevs (well, not really everything, I've given quite a bit of clothing away to friends who have had little girls...). We did buy a new "coming home" outfit yesterday for this one though!
I'm so excited to have two girls so close in age. I always wanted a sister (and got one my sophomore year of high school, Hi Hebbie!), so I'm so thankful we're able to give Keevia that gift.
Now I just have to get over the fact that my toddler will be TWO on Saturday.
We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday morning (SERIOUSLY, how in the WORLD am I already 20 weeks along?) and everything looks perfect. We actually got a pretty long ultrasound because Dr. C (the high-risk doctor that my midwives practice under) was out of town, so they didn't have very many patients. It was awesome. With Keevia we never even saw her move during the ultrasound, the technician went so quickly, but with this sweet little bundle we got to see her stretching, kicking, and even YAWN at one point. It was spectacular. And we got a pretty good "money shot" to prove that there wasn't anything but three lines in-between those legs!
We have a name picked out, but I think I'll leave y'all in suspense a little longer.
We couldn't be happier. I think Carl was a little bit disappointed, but he warmed to the idea.
Now I have a reason for the 70 gallon tote of clothes I have for each different size of baby girl clothing. I saved EVERYTHING from Keevs (well, not really everything, I've given quite a bit of clothing away to friends who have had little girls...). We did buy a new "coming home" outfit yesterday for this one though!
I'm so excited to have two girls so close in age. I always wanted a sister (and got one my sophomore year of high school, Hi Hebbie!), so I'm so thankful we're able to give Keevia that gift.
Now I just have to get over the fact that my toddler will be TWO on Saturday.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Patience is such a virtue...
And it's not one that I've had much of recently.
I read my friend Stacey's blog post last week about patience, and it's had me thinking ever since. Some days I feel like a great mother. I have endless patience, the whines don't get on my nerves, I'm understanding when she has temper tantrums...
Today hasn't been one of those days. I suffer from fibromyalgia, on top of being pregnant. Whenever the weather is changing (a storm coming, a cold front coming... anything that messes with the barometric pressure), I usually feel pretty crummy. As I type this, the thunder is rolling in, although this storm has been creeping up on us all day. I have felt HORRIBLE today. Nothing in particular, but just general blah. I have no energy, had a constant headache, and just irritable. To top it all off, I'm sleep deprived. Keevia hasn't been sleeping well this week, and has even had 2-3 night terrors. She's also been waking up in the middle of the night and coming to bed with us, but being very, very restless.
So, in short, I didn't have a good Mommy day. Keevia was whiny and clingy, but strangely enough she was clingy to my Mom, not me. I lost my temper with her more than once, and spoke in a tone I don't like speaking in.
I do my best not to beat myself up for it. No mother is perfect, no matter how perfectly they may come across. Instead of dwelling on the bad days, I try to take it one day at a time and make tomorrow better.
This sweet face keeps me going, and makes me want to be a better Mommy.
How do you deal with the bad Mommy days?
I read my friend Stacey's blog post last week about patience, and it's had me thinking ever since. Some days I feel like a great mother. I have endless patience, the whines don't get on my nerves, I'm understanding when she has temper tantrums...
Today hasn't been one of those days. I suffer from fibromyalgia, on top of being pregnant. Whenever the weather is changing (a storm coming, a cold front coming... anything that messes with the barometric pressure), I usually feel pretty crummy. As I type this, the thunder is rolling in, although this storm has been creeping up on us all day. I have felt HORRIBLE today. Nothing in particular, but just general blah. I have no energy, had a constant headache, and just irritable. To top it all off, I'm sleep deprived. Keevia hasn't been sleeping well this week, and has even had 2-3 night terrors. She's also been waking up in the middle of the night and coming to bed with us, but being very, very restless.
So, in short, I didn't have a good Mommy day. Keevia was whiny and clingy, but strangely enough she was clingy to my Mom, not me. I lost my temper with her more than once, and spoke in a tone I don't like speaking in.
I do my best not to beat myself up for it. No mother is perfect, no matter how perfectly they may come across. Instead of dwelling on the bad days, I try to take it one day at a time and make tomorrow better.
This sweet face keeps me going, and makes me want to be a better Mommy.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
I'm totally going to jinx myself... (sleep post!)
About two weeks ago we moved a twin mattress into Keevia's room and put it on the floor. That night she climbed up on it, laid down, said night night and closed her eyes. I asked her if she wanted me to lay down with her and she said no. She went to sleep that night by herself in her dark room. And the next day for naptime. And the next night. And the night after that. No tears.
I was in SHOCK. This is the child I have to snuggle to sleep, that usually takes from 20 minutes to over an hour. We put the twin bed in so I could lay down with her and then get up when she fell asleep (usually goes faster than me rocking her in the living room).
The 4th night we went to my husbands parents and spent the night. I laid down with Keevs and got her to sleep in the room we sleep in. She went down easy, but slept really poorly that night.
The next night we were back home, and when I suggested she go to bed, she started screaming. I ended up rocking her to sleep that night and several nights after. A few times she fell asleep sitting up in my lap. Then I started laying back down with her.
I don't know if she was scared of her bed, or her room, or whatever, but even with me laying down with her she would scream. Now, as I'm sure you all know that I am VERY against cry-it-out when it comes to baby (BABY as in 2-6 month old baby) being in a room by themselves, in the dark, "teaching" themselves to soothe to sleep. I've never been against in-arms crying however, and we've done it numerous times over the past two years. Laying down with her, with her sobbing, is the same to me as me holding her and her crying. So for about two to three nights, I laid down and had her cry for 5-10 minutes until she gave up and decided Mommy meant business and it was bedtime. She'd then drift off to sleep. The 4th night there was no crying.
Night 5 I tucked her in, and then sat at her feet. Crying started again, I soothed her, talked to her, sang to her, and 15ish minutes later she FINALLY calmed down, then fell asleep a few minutes later. Night 6 she cried for about 5 or so minutes, then went on down. Night before last she cried for a minute or two, wanting me to lay down with her. I kept telling her I was sitting at her feet and wouldn't move til she fell asleep. She went down pretty easy. Last night I told her it was bedtime and she set off for her bedroom. I went to fill up her sippy and she popped her head out of bedroom door and said "C'mon Mommy!" I told her to go climb up in bed and I'd be right there. When I went in, she was snuggled on her pillow. No tears. I stayed in there 5-10 minutes, then I told her night-night and went in the living room. She drifted off on her own.
I plan on keeping it up... we're doing so well right now, and I'm so happy about it. I honestly won't do anything different with number two. The only reason I made a push for getting her to go to sleep on her own is that my back cannot take packing her 28lb dead weight, especially with a burgeoning belly. I didn't figure we'd be going to sleep on our own quite yet, but I'm pleased with it!
Now to just tackle potty-learning!
I was in SHOCK. This is the child I have to snuggle to sleep, that usually takes from 20 minutes to over an hour. We put the twin bed in so I could lay down with her and then get up when she fell asleep (usually goes faster than me rocking her in the living room).
The 4th night we went to my husbands parents and spent the night. I laid down with Keevs and got her to sleep in the room we sleep in. She went down easy, but slept really poorly that night.
The next night we were back home, and when I suggested she go to bed, she started screaming. I ended up rocking her to sleep that night and several nights after. A few times she fell asleep sitting up in my lap. Then I started laying back down with her.
I don't know if she was scared of her bed, or her room, or whatever, but even with me laying down with her she would scream. Now, as I'm sure you all know that I am VERY against cry-it-out when it comes to baby (BABY as in 2-6 month old baby) being in a room by themselves, in the dark, "teaching" themselves to soothe to sleep. I've never been against in-arms crying however, and we've done it numerous times over the past two years. Laying down with her, with her sobbing, is the same to me as me holding her and her crying. So for about two to three nights, I laid down and had her cry for 5-10 minutes until she gave up and decided Mommy meant business and it was bedtime. She'd then drift off to sleep. The 4th night there was no crying.
Night 5 I tucked her in, and then sat at her feet. Crying started again, I soothed her, talked to her, sang to her, and 15ish minutes later she FINALLY calmed down, then fell asleep a few minutes later. Night 6 she cried for about 5 or so minutes, then went on down. Night before last she cried for a minute or two, wanting me to lay down with her. I kept telling her I was sitting at her feet and wouldn't move til she fell asleep. She went down pretty easy. Last night I told her it was bedtime and she set off for her bedroom. I went to fill up her sippy and she popped her head out of bedroom door and said "C'mon Mommy!" I told her to go climb up in bed and I'd be right there. When I went in, she was snuggled on her pillow. No tears. I stayed in there 5-10 minutes, then I told her night-night and went in the living room. She drifted off on her own.
I plan on keeping it up... we're doing so well right now, and I'm so happy about it. I honestly won't do anything different with number two. The only reason I made a push for getting her to go to sleep on her own is that my back cannot take packing her 28lb dead weight, especially with a burgeoning belly. I didn't figure we'd be going to sleep on our own quite yet, but I'm pleased with it!
Now to just tackle potty-learning!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I'm so opposite... (alternatively titled: Getting Healthy!)
I'm really, really bad at naming posts.
By this point in my pregnancy (18 weeks today!), according to my Baby Bump app, I should have gained 12-15 lbs.
::blank stare::
Oh! You obviously mean I should have LOST 12-15 lbs. Right, pregnancy app?
Yeah... I'm not doing so great with that whole gaining weight thing. Thankfully my midwives aren't concerned. They did establish that my morning sickness isn't so bad that I'm not eating, which its not, then they seemed unconcerned with the fact that my weight keeps creeping down. I'm actually, as of this morning, at my lowest weight since BEFORE I delivered Keevia. I weighed in this morning at 233. I started this pregnancy at 249ish.
Maybe there is something to that whole HCG hormone thing working for weight loss. I know I can't eat the portion sizes that I could before. I can't eat fried food this pregnancy without REALLY regretting it. I'm actually struggling to get my protein, because just like last time, I really have a problem with textures. I can't eat peanut butter or chicken without gagging.
I stated on here before that my Daddy was undergoing some medical tests. They thought that he possibly had Multiple Scelrosis, so he and my Mom went on a modified Hallelujah Diet.This means that they cut out all red meat and pork, most bread and grains, and started eating MUCH more salad and veggies. I eat several times a day at their house when Carl isn't home (and the fact that apparently when I'm pregnant, I can't cook until 20+ weeks), so I started eating this way a LOT.
Also, I've discovered that I have a wheat intolerance. Not a gluten intolerance, but I just can't tolerate wheat. It causes me to be queasy, so I drink more pop (which I don't want to do), and it causes constipation, and a general feeling of ickiness (yes, I made that word up). It's HARD, I'm not going to lie. I've always sworn that I was adopted from a Italian family because I LOVE PASTA. Seriously, it's one of my absolute favorite foods in the whole wide world. And Gluten-Free pasta sucks. That's all there is to it. It's also hard to just grab something fast, because I can't just eat a sandwich. And no cookies, or cake, or anything. For some reason I've convinced myself that chocolate has wheat in it and I always think I can't have it either until I go "oh, duh." and then go on a binge....
But, I've lost several inches of bloat off my waist, as well as feel MUCH better. The nausea which was still plauging me is SO MUCH better that it's almost worth not eating bread and pasta. Almost.
So that's where I am. Eating healthy and losing weight. Who'd have thought? The baby is obviously growing and thriving (although I still can't feel my fundus). We go in two weeks to find out if its a boy or a girl!
By this point in my pregnancy (18 weeks today!), according to my Baby Bump app, I should have gained 12-15 lbs.
::blank stare::
Oh! You obviously mean I should have LOST 12-15 lbs. Right, pregnancy app?
Yeah... I'm not doing so great with that whole gaining weight thing. Thankfully my midwives aren't concerned. They did establish that my morning sickness isn't so bad that I'm not eating, which its not, then they seemed unconcerned with the fact that my weight keeps creeping down. I'm actually, as of this morning, at my lowest weight since BEFORE I delivered Keevia. I weighed in this morning at 233. I started this pregnancy at 249ish.
Maybe there is something to that whole HCG hormone thing working for weight loss. I know I can't eat the portion sizes that I could before. I can't eat fried food this pregnancy without REALLY regretting it. I'm actually struggling to get my protein, because just like last time, I really have a problem with textures. I can't eat peanut butter or chicken without gagging.
I stated on here before that my Daddy was undergoing some medical tests. They thought that he possibly had Multiple Scelrosis, so he and my Mom went on a modified Hallelujah Diet.This means that they cut out all red meat and pork, most bread and grains, and started eating MUCH more salad and veggies. I eat several times a day at their house when Carl isn't home (and the fact that apparently when I'm pregnant, I can't cook until 20+ weeks), so I started eating this way a LOT.
Also, I've discovered that I have a wheat intolerance. Not a gluten intolerance, but I just can't tolerate wheat. It causes me to be queasy, so I drink more pop (which I don't want to do), and it causes constipation, and a general feeling of ickiness (yes, I made that word up). It's HARD, I'm not going to lie. I've always sworn that I was adopted from a Italian family because I LOVE PASTA. Seriously, it's one of my absolute favorite foods in the whole wide world. And Gluten-Free pasta sucks. That's all there is to it. It's also hard to just grab something fast, because I can't just eat a sandwich. And no cookies, or cake, or anything. For some reason I've convinced myself that chocolate has wheat in it and I always think I can't have it either until I go "oh, duh." and then go on a binge....
But, I've lost several inches of bloat off my waist, as well as feel MUCH better. The nausea which was still plauging me is SO MUCH better that it's almost worth not eating bread and pasta. Almost.
So that's where I am. Eating healthy and losing weight. Who'd have thought? The baby is obviously growing and thriving (although I still can't feel my fundus). We go in two weeks to find out if its a boy or a girl!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Happy Birthday Momma
Today is my Mommy's birthday. I'll be nice and not tell you which birthday it is, although she doesn't seem to mind that thing so much... but still, I'll let her keep her secrets.
I have such a special relationship with my Mom. We've always been close, but throughout college we managed to get even closer. She's my best friend and my confidant and I have no idea what I would do without her. Just today, when Keevia fell and bumped her mouth, which started bleeding profusely, she took over and examined her. When I felt like my little world was falling apart, she took over and took control.... just like always. And I'm so thankful for that. She's been my rock for so many years.
We don't do big birthday celebrations around these parts, and due to my Dad's special new diet (oh, hey, he's doing MUCH better and the scare of MS (which is what we were really afraid of) is very, VERY low.) and Mom's diabetes, if I were to bake a cake, it would probably go uneaten. Mom is also the worlds MOST DIFFICULT PERSON TO BUY FOR. So I'm not even attempting.
But Momma, I love you. I'm so happy you're my mom. Thank you for everything you do for us, from changing Keevia's diapers, to driving me to my prenatal appointments, to cooking us dinner when I can't do it without throwing up. Know that we're here for you as much as we possibly can be, and we would do anything for you. I love you Mommy.
Happy Birthday.
I have such a special relationship with my Mom. We've always been close, but throughout college we managed to get even closer. She's my best friend and my confidant and I have no idea what I would do without her. Just today, when Keevia fell and bumped her mouth, which started bleeding profusely, she took over and examined her. When I felt like my little world was falling apart, she took over and took control.... just like always. And I'm so thankful for that. She's been my rock for so many years.
We don't do big birthday celebrations around these parts, and due to my Dad's special new diet (oh, hey, he's doing MUCH better and the scare of MS (which is what we were really afraid of) is very, VERY low.) and Mom's diabetes, if I were to bake a cake, it would probably go uneaten. Mom is also the worlds MOST DIFFICULT PERSON TO BUY FOR. So I'm not even attempting.
But Momma, I love you. I'm so happy you're my mom. Thank you for everything you do for us, from changing Keevia's diapers, to driving me to my prenatal appointments, to cooking us dinner when I can't do it without throwing up. Know that we're here for you as much as we possibly can be, and we would do anything for you. I love you Mommy.
Happy Birthday.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
I love baby kicks.
Seriously. I can't get enough of them.
As of right now I'm 17 weeks and 4 days pregnant. No, I didn't actually know that off the top of my head, I had to look it up (Thank you apps and pregnancy tickers!). This baby seems to be following in his or her older sisters footsteps. I felt Keevs move for the first time at 15w6d and felt this one right around the same time (I think). I KNOW I felt this one move last Saturday morning, it wasn't just the little butterfly tickles you sit on the couch holding your breath, trying to decipher if it was baby or gas, but a big resounding HEY MOM kind of kick. I've even felt this kid from the OUTSIDE already. It's amazing.
But I really do love baby kicks. It's my favorite part of pregnancy. I love having that connection with the little baby, the baby that nobody knows but me, the little kicks and punches and rolls and tumbles. I just love the feeling.
I can't wait to find out more about this baby, whether it's a girl or a boy, to learn his or her personality more, to breastfeed them, to snuggle them with all the lights out, lying in bed, wearing him or her around the house. I can't wait.
On a totally unrelated note, have y'all seen the new Boba carriers? The Boba 3g? They are AWESOME looking, and to me the best part is that you can't wear a newborn in them (the regular Boba 2g is for 15lbs+). And, unlike the 2g, they have a looooot of gorgeous prints (although I did lust after the Tweet print quite a bit). I've blogged about the wonders of Heavenly Hold before, but now they have an awesome giveaway for a Boba 3G! Just check out their contest page to find out how!
As of right now I'm 17 weeks and 4 days pregnant. No, I didn't actually know that off the top of my head, I had to look it up (Thank you apps and pregnancy tickers!). This baby seems to be following in his or her older sisters footsteps. I felt Keevs move for the first time at 15w6d and felt this one right around the same time (I think). I KNOW I felt this one move last Saturday morning, it wasn't just the little butterfly tickles you sit on the couch holding your breath, trying to decipher if it was baby or gas, but a big resounding HEY MOM kind of kick. I've even felt this kid from the OUTSIDE already. It's amazing.
But I really do love baby kicks. It's my favorite part of pregnancy. I love having that connection with the little baby, the baby that nobody knows but me, the little kicks and punches and rolls and tumbles. I just love the feeling.
I can't wait to find out more about this baby, whether it's a girl or a boy, to learn his or her personality more, to breastfeed them, to snuggle them with all the lights out, lying in bed, wearing him or her around the house. I can't wait.
On a totally unrelated note, have y'all seen the new Boba carriers? The Boba 3g? They are AWESOME looking, and to me the best part is that you can't wear a newborn in them (the regular Boba 2g is for 15lbs+). And, unlike the 2g, they have a looooot of gorgeous prints (although I did lust after the Tweet print quite a bit). I've blogged about the wonders of Heavenly Hold before, but now they have an awesome giveaway for a Boba 3G! Just check out their contest page to find out how!
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