Ainsley's Birth Story

I put the start of labour at 9 am, since that's when I started to think that these contractions might not be just Braxton-Hicks. At 10 am, I was 4 cm dilated and by the time I got into labour and delivery, I was at 5 cm. This was when I realized that my hospital bag was nicely packed in my closet at home. And that since James and I both had our keys with us, there was no way for my parents to get to the hospital. Luckily, we have an amazing contractor, and Dan came to pick up keys, twice, since James gave him the wrong keys the first time! The anesthesiologist took over an hour to arrive, despite their original assurance that he would be there within 20 minutes. Needless to say, I was a little frustrated by this, which was exacerbated by the nurse checking me right before and saying "Oh, you're at 8 cm, no wonder you're in pain!" Really, lady? My frustration turned to anger when they made James leave the room while they started the epidural. So instead of leaning on my husband's arms and having him talk and love me through my anxiety about the needle I was leaning on a nurse I'd never met. 

My parents arrived after that with my hospital bag, but Mom had to leave to pick up G pretty quickly. Dad stayed until Dr Shoemaker came in to check me, when I kicked him out. I was at 10 cm, but my water hadn't broken yet, so he broke it for me. I was incredibly shocked at the results, because I wasn't really sure how he would break it, or what the result would be. Embarrassing at the time, hilarious in hindsight, it was very much like the movies and the doctor had to change his scrubs (and I hope his beeper was waterproof). James was out of the room for a few minutes (getting my dad keys and showing him to the car), so he missed the first push. Dr Shoemaker was there and James came in right after. I pushed again, and the doctor said he had to do an episiotimy (if you think you might ever want to birth children, don't Google this!!) I wasn't too hot on the idea, but he explained that I was going to tear again, and along the same line I tore last time, which would result in more painful scar tissue after I healed unless he did an episiotimy. I consented, and on my third push, Ainsley Grace Lawrence was born! We hadn't even had time to put on music!

Ainsley Grace Lawrence was born Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 12:45 pm, less than 4 hours after labour started. She weighed 7 lbs 10 oz, and was 19.25" long.

I wanted to wait to cut the cord until it stopped pulsing this time, and they laid her on my chest while we waited. James cut the cord and she pooped on me. She had a spike in heartrate and temperature, as well as some trouble breathing. It turns out there was a little meconium in the amniotic fluid, and she inhaled a little, causing some mucus in her nose/lungs as she coughed it up. They asked me to wait on feeding her until she was breathing easier, and I asked to hold her skin to skin to help her temperature. Within a half hour, her temperature had normalized and I got the ok to feed her, because she seemed incredibly hungry. She latched on immediately and nursed on both sides for 30 minutes each!  As soon as she ate, her breathing and heart rate normalized.

As soon as G woke up from his nap, Mom brought him to the hospital. He wasn't too interested in the baby, though he did give her a kiss. He wanted to sit on the hospital bed and watch "TB" and play with his new puzzle, a gift "from the baby."

Differences this time:

-3 hr 45 min vs 12+ hr

-3 pushes vs 2 hrs pushing

-The epidural kicked in within 1 contraction instead of taking 25 minutes

-I was still able to move my legs this time

-Contractions with G were front and center, but with A, they started in front and as the contraction subsided, my back would ache indescribably

-Though possibly more painful than G's contractions, I wasn't screaming myself hoarse with each contraction

-The shaking was much more pronounced this time, though that might have been because it took so long to get the epidural. In fact, I could tell when I was having a contraction because it was the only time I stopped shaking.

-The recovery was easier and I wasn't half as sore. I had more energy and wasn't as out of it. I can remember so much more about her birth than about G's.

-I didn't have to pump at the hospital at all and she was an amazing nurser!

Quick loose end points:

-She only lost 5 oz of her birth weight, and had gained it all back by her first appointment, when she was only 6 days old!

-Dad broke his foot just by walking. He said he heard a snap, but he didn't tell anyone for three hours, because "[I'd] just had a baby!"

-They did save my placenta, and my parents took it home that night. I came home from the hospital just as the encapsulation lady was finishing up. I got 194 capsules!

-The hospital and nursery protocols weren't ideal, especially compared to St. Joseph's, but I don't really feel like rehashing that. Suffice it to say they didn't bring me dinner that first night and they kept A in the nursery way too long, and she was beyond way too hungry when they finally brought her back.

Daddy and his little girl

Mommy gets a snuggle before leaving the hospital

With Daddy's toy, sleeping peacefully

40 Weeks

Time to play catch-up!

How far along: 40 weeks
Total weight gain: +26 lbs
Favourite clothes: Do blankets count?
Sleeping: Not so great--between Braxton-Hicks contractions and lying on my side, I don't get much rest
Best Moment: Dad's here!
Worst Moment: Have I mentioned that I hate waiting?
Miss anything: The ability to be still. I'm so restless!
Cravings: Bagel with lox
New symptoms: Nothing new
Looking forward to: By Monday, I'll be meeting my baby girl!
Crafting: Can't settle, so I don't have the attention span to work on anything

On Sunday, James was preaching at a church in Niceville, FL, so Mom and I were on our own with G. It was pretty good, and we made all the lumpia to freeze for the future while we watched the first Hobbit movie. The movie was ridiculously boring, though G enjoyed yelling "oh no!" at the screen during fight scenes. Mom made schnitzel (the ultimate comfort food) for dinner and though G didn't eat much, he went down pretty easily.

The rest of the week was full of errands. On Monday, we had someone come by to give us an estimate on blinds, painters came by to work on the ceiling, more construction and more everlasting laundry. Mom watched G while James and I got an oil change and ran to Target and Publix, by which time I was totally worn out and ended up falling asleep on the couch when we got home. On Tuesday, I went to the hardware store while Mom got her nails done, and then we went to Ulta (fun!) and had to get some more groceries before picking G up. We took him to Bed, Bath & Beyond when he woke up from his nap, and had a pretty good dinner. We had a friend on call just in case I went into labour while Mom was picking Dad up from the airport. We wanted to be asleep before he got home, but we were still finishing up some last minute things when they got back. Inconsistent contractions every night were driving me NUTS.

Wednesday, I had a morning OB appointment, and I was having some contractions, but I didn't think much of it since I'd had plenty of them every night this week. We dropped off G before heading to the doctor's, and James had to take a call right as we got to daycare. I carried G since I didn't want him running back across the parking lot to Daddy, but a pretty strong contraction made me put him down as soon as we got inside. I dropped him at his class, and the teacher said "Today's the day!" We headed to the doctor's and my contractions were still irregular, but getting stronger, and making my back hurt. Dr Shoemaker was running a little late, and I was about to send James out to get him when he came in. My first words? "I think I'm in labour." He checked me, and sure enough, they loaded me up into a wheelchair and wheeled me down the corridor to the hospital. Though I was in pain, I didn't lose my sense of humour; when asked if I wanted an epidural my reply was "HELL yes," which made everyone (except for me) laugh.

39 Weeks

How far along: 39 weeks
Total weight gain: +22 lbs
Favourite clothes: Any shirt that still covers my belly
Sleeping: I kinda sleep. But my hips can't take much more sleeping on my side
Best Moment: G's outside day--he was so happy
Worst Moment: Waiting and waiting and waiting and expecting
Miss anything: Being able to drink water without getting heartburn
Cravings: I've been eating a lot of ramen, but I'm not sure I'd describe it as a craving
New symptoms: Heartburn. All the time, heartburn.
Looking forward to: Having a baby!! Well, not the labor part necessarily, but the smell of my baby's head and little fingers and tiny toes and squeaky noises
Crafting: I'm honestly so restless and exhausted, all at once that I can't settle to any one thing, whether it be a movie, writing, reading or crafting.

Oh my goodness, the tantrums. We had tantrums in Target, in the grocery store, at home and in the car. Our schedules have been so far from routine this week that it's not surprising, but it's still frustrating.  On Tuesday, G fought for an hour about putting on socks, wanting to choose his own, but then refusing to have them put on, and went through the same thing with shoes. But we had to go to the grocery store for food. Then he refused to eat once we got home. It was exhausting. In fact, he refused to eat a lot this week; at least he's been good about eating breakfast, lunch and snacks (red pepper, grapes and cucumbers) even if he refuses dinner.

The house is really coming along! Beth and Jimmy left Sunday, but they were so helpful and helped me feel much more settled in. Monday the backsplash was installed, Tuesday it was grouted, and Wednesday the window trim was installed, and the cabinet folks finished up, which means our dishwasher doesn't try to fall out when you open it. The backsplash really finishes the kitchen off nicely, and it looks fantastic! I'm so thrilled. Our contractor is still working on getting things done downstairs, but it's coming together. Thursday the picture window in the living room was installed, which really heated up the house. Friday James and I met with the representative from the window company, and they're going to have to replace our sliding door because it's turning pink. No one knows why, but these darn windows have been such a pain! Only two arrived as they were supposed to, and it's just added delays and frustration. On Saturday, he sanded and began staining the stairs so they match the other flooring. It looks great, even though he has a few more coats of polyurethane to add.

We also got a few other things done. My hospital bag is packed, I got to catch up on Skype with a friend for the first time since June and we even found G a Halloween costume. On Monday night, mom took care of G and James and I went out to see Guardians of the Galaxy, the first movie we've seen in theatres since Frozen! I enjoyed it, though the violence seemed extreme; maybe because the comedy/cartoon-y aspects don't seem to warrant it. Wednesday we went back to the OB, and all the nurses were surprised to see me, sure I would have had the baby by then. 2 cm dilated and the last of my doctor's September babies!

Saturday was a long day. Since the stairs were being stained, we tried to get out of the house, so we took G to the pier in the morning. Walking the entire length twice just about killed me off, and we headed home to be exiled outside due to fumes. G had an awesome time running around outside, intermittently helping James with yardwork. James took out two fences that were awkwardly dividing the yard so he can put down sod and add a play area for the kids. G ended up in the pack n play when he was so tired he was stumbling, and the iPad was a Godsend since he watched Thomas (or "choo choo") on it for a while. Finally, the house was a bit less smelly, and as James and mom cleaned up the mess from the stairs being sanded, I put G down, who was so beyond tired that he was not interested in a nap. I was so frustrated and hurt by him screaming for "Daddy" that I started crying too. G stopped yelling, looked at me, and cuddled up right next to me, and we both fell asleep for two hours. He wasn't interested in bed a few hours later, but at least he ate dinner.

It's been a rough week, filled with strong contractions that seem to be moving toward active labour for about 5 or 6 contractions, then disappearing for hours. I think she's going to defy the second child expectations and be late. I'm terrified we'll have to have the induction  on the 29th. It's really not what I want, but my body won't physically be able to handle being pregnant any longer than that. The pain is already constant and exhausting and there is no position or medication that offers any relief at this point. I'm so tired of being in pain, being exhausted beyond belief (yes, even more than when G was a newborn), feeling like I'm burning up while James is practically shivering, starving even though my stomach is full and getting heartburn from water (seriously?!) that I'm more than ready for her to be here. Maybe she's just being considerate and waiting until my dad arrives on the 24th, but I might go crazy if I'm still pregnant then. Dealing with the intense, painful, inconsistent contractions and my own impatience is really making it harder to reign in my temper. So if I'm cranky with you, I apologize and hope you'll forgive me.

SEVEN DAYS.

39 weeks: Mermaid is the size of an Adelie penuin

She's so low and sticks out so far that I have very few shirts that still cover my belly

38 Weeks

How far along: 38 weeks
Total weight gain: +20 lbs (yeah, I lost two lbs, go figure)
Favourite clothes: Mom took me shopping and I got this super soft shirt that I don't ever want to change out of
Sleeping: Toss and turn, toss and turn
Best Moment: Finding out I was dilated! I know it's not an imminent sign, but any progress is appreciated after about 6 weeks of her being dropped
Worst Moment: It feels like stress upon stress is piled up right now. And at this point it's a waiting game and it SUCKS
Miss anything: Salami, prosciutto, sushi, margaritas. I've started daydreaming about the things I can eat once she's born (and may have said "screw it" and eaten a salami slice anyways)
Cravings: Food! I am so hungry lately!
New symptoms: Some cramping and other TMI symptoms I won't share. My nausea has returned and headaches!
Looking forward to: Holding my baby!

James was gone all day Sunday since he was preaching in Niceville, FL. We missed him, but had a pretty lazy day with a few errands run. On Monday we had someone come to fix the second garage door (yay) and Anna came over to help unpack the last few kitchen boxes. She has been so helpful, and I wish we had more we could have done, but until the house is done, we can't really unpack much other than the kitchen. G refused to nap, we ran some errands in the afternoon and both G and I had breakdowns. It was a pretty rough day for me, and knowing that hormones and stress are adding to my crabbiness doesn't make it easier to accept it, nor easier to calm down sometimes. James has been hinting for a few weeks that he has a surprise for me, but was waiting for the right time, which he decided was after a bad day. He had gotten me an iPad mini with a TARDIS case! We'd been discussing it (honestly, for educational apps for G) and I've been having fun playing with it and realized how useful it'll be for traveling. With two kids, there's no way I'm lugging a laptop through security as well! So it's been fun to play with that and get it set up. It's come in handy when my phone's died too.

On Wednesday, we had another appointment with the OB, who said he could feel her head (but not tell the hair colour) when he checked me! After weeks of absolutely nothing, I'm effaced and 1 cm dilated! I know it's no indication of impending labour (read this), but after she dropped so early (especially for #2), any progress is heartening. My doctor doesn't expect any issues and would be surprised if I made it to my due date, but we went ahead and scheduled a spot for an induction the day after her due date (my hips just can't handle more than that). I pretty much crashed when we got home; I've been having frequent headaches, and this one seemed to turn into a migraine. Always fun. Mom took care of dinner which was great.

Thursday was pretty low key. I got my hair done for the first time in three months. I was dying to cut it all off, but I know how that goes, so I restrained myself. Instead, we took off a few inches, so it comes right to my shoulders, abandoned the bangs (humidity) and lightened the colour a bit. I like the lighter, more natural red better, and I really think the shorter hair suits me better. I've always wanted long hair, but my lack of patience with styling my hair (even blow drying) and the fineness of my hair really precludes great lengths. 

Friday and Saturday were busy, busy days. James' parents came to help us move in. The house is over a month behind schedule now (as if we needed more stress) and feels like it'll never get done, but we had to be in the downstairs bedroom. We were able to move our bed down there, and mom helped me get my closet set up. We were able to unpack the books and set up the guest room. They're just going to have to work around us being unpacked. G loved having more grandparents around, and Beth took him for walks and to the park. On Saturday, they went down to the park with the splashpad, and he got run into by a much bigger, older girl. The side of his face got pretty scraped up, and it looks like he got in a fight with the pavement. He's pretty much unaffected though. Tough little guy. He has been having a few more and more intense tantrums lately, but stress and exhaustion will wreak havoc on little dudes. He totally freaked when James and Jimmy took the love seat downstairs, and I tried to tell him that we're moving stuff around, but not moving again for a long while. It worked as well as reasoning with the dogs. It's been a long, difficult summer, but I'm hoping by the time fall is over, we'll be settled and doing better.

TWO MORE WEEKS TIL D-DAY!

38 weeks: Mermaid is the size of a Galapagos penguin

Yes, the penguin is saying "Hey! Let me out!" But she seems quite comfy right where she is.

Which is on my bladder.

I can kinda still see my toes. If I lean waaaay over...

23 Months

Time is a tricky subject. You're counting down the hours to bedtime and praying he falls asleep quicker than the night before, and all of a sudden you realize your kid has figured out how to use a stool to get stuff he wants off the counter and since when has he been able to say that word? Sometimes he's so well-behaved and mature that it's hard to remember that he's not even two yet. Then he throws a tantrum because we washed his dirty shoes or is so upset that he forgets his words and it's easy to see that he is still a little kid. A really little kid.

Tantrums have been getting worse, and I know it's related to all the changes. Since camp ended, everything has been changing. My mom is here to help us move in, prep for Mermaid and take care of G while we adjust to two little dictators people in our lives. We have moved into the house, but it's still not done (over a month overdue now), so besides moving in, we have people in and out and working and loud construction noises. Things are being moved around and unpacked and everyone is stressed out, which I'm sure he's picking up on. So his stress and over-exhaustion are taken out on me, James and my mom in tantrums and physical expressions of frustration because he's so upset that he can't remember the words he's just now learning.

He still talks a lot, and he still loves to read. When he's been fighting naps, but is confined to his room anyways, he often picks up some books and reads out loud to himself, which is adorable to see and listen to through the monitor (Craigslist!)  He knows his bedtime routine and will often request a "baff" and "ny ny" when he's done eating. His eating is so-so. Sometimes he eats a ton, and sometimes it's a fight to get him to eat anything, but we've adopted a new "this is dinner" attitude that avoids the fight. He either eats what we're having, or he sits with us while we eat and then goes on to his bath and bed.

He still loves to be outside, but I'm still reluctant to take him out. Aside from me being exhausted and unable to keep up with him, he gets bitten by bugs every time we go out it seems. He just scratches and scratches and they end up bleeding or infected. Then we have the bandaid: he never wants a bandaid where he actually needs one, but on his toe (impossible) or other arm. Sometimes he doesn't want these on after a minute or so, but he still needs bandaids to at least keep him from scratching the bites as badly as usual. Poor little dude seems to attract mosquitoes as much as I do, even with bug spray on. And of course, he's got the typical little boy energy and takes the tumbles that go along with that. He's not used to how slick the laminate floors are, and has eaten it a few times but he's pretty resilient.

He's obsessed with trucks. It's been going on a while, but it's not waning. He'll go so far as to pull a shirt with a truck on it out of the wash to wear (this is how to start a tantrum). So we bought him more truck shirts and even got him PJs with fire trucks on them. When we're in the car, he yells "truck! vrr vrr!" when we pass any kind of truck, sometimes following up with "whoaaaa" or "woooow" which is utterly adorable. He loves pushing toy trucks and cars around, and we watch the movie Cars all the time lately. He loves his books about cars and planes, and really, anything with an engine is fair game (planes, trains, construction equipment). It's funny since neither James nor I have or have shown a ton of interest in trucks, and we haven't bought him trucks until he showed an interest in them.

Just wait until next month, when I'll be freaking out about him being two years old. He's definitely becoming his own little person and he is so independent and as stubborn as me most of the time. He feels strongly and I don't ever want to discourage that. Even though it goes by both slowly and quickly, I've enjoyed watching my little man grow up and can't wait to see him grow into a big brother!

My sweet little boy would NOT stay on the couch.
At 23 months, he doesn't ever stop moving

His Gaga taught him this (though he'll deny it)

37 Weeks

How far along: 37 weeks
Total weight gain: +22 lbs
Favourite clothes: Sesame Street boxers
Sleeping: Still terribly
Best Moment: Watching G at the park
Worst Moment: Leaving the park
Miss anything: Not being in pain
Cravings: Appetite is up and down, and I only want starches
New symptoms: THE PAIN (not new, just increased)
Looking forward to: The house being done sometime this century?

We took G to church on Sunday, and I must've had about 3 comments about Baby Girl's arrival being imminent. I'm officially HUGEly pregnant! One guy didn't give me ten days! James and I are still holding out for the house being done, my big sis is hoping for her birthday, my dad is hoping for the 24th (once he arrives), and I just want my hips to stop hurting. We ended up going out to lunch after church, and G loudly announced to the entire restaurant that he had pooped (yay--note my enthusiasm. -_-) After G's nap, we got to video chat with my dad; it was my parent's 29th anniversary!! G is also starting to figure out gently petting the dogs, and I got a beautiful picture of terror and joy (Moose and G)--all G wants to do is rub his head into the dogs like a pillow. He really is doing better, though, and hardly ever grabs their fur/skin anymore.

Monday we took G to the Fairhopers Park (does anyone else think Fairhopers sounds reminiscent of oldtimers? Just me?) and he had an absolute BLAST! It's a new park and has a splash pad, so of course we came prepared with a towel and change of clothes, and he loved running around in the water. He also found a boat to play on when he was done with the splash pad. We had some trouble convincing him to leave, but he'd been there for over an hour and was pretty tired. Plus, with my hip pain, I was just sitting and watching and even that was HOT. I don't think Lower Alabama got the message that fall means lower temperatures.

Tuesday we had another OB appointment, and sure enough, Dr. Shoemaker said that if labour starts, he won't be stopping it. Guess this means I need to actually think about packing a hospital bag, huh? She's healthy and making my stomach move around like crazy; the nurse said she could just watch my belly all day. Seriously, though, G never pushed out like this, it's creepy and awesome all at once. My pain is off the charts, but the only treatment/cure is delivering the baby. So as much as I want her to wait for her health and our sanity (the house, omg), I'm also hoping for labour so I can move again. I swear, if it goes on much longer, I may be in a wheelchair. The doctor said he expects a pretty smooth labour since G "greased the wheels" and he's been spot on about everything else, so I'm totally going to trust him on that.

Wednesday morning, mom and I took some time off to get our nails done! Mom hadn't had her nails done in forever, and we both got pedicures. I don't get my nails done since it never lasts more than a day or two, but it was still so nice to relax, have my nails pretty and crochet for a bit while mom and I talked. We headed to Walmart to look for some kitchen organizational stuff and I ended up having a bit of a meltdown. 3.5 weeks away from her due date, and we have no towels, G's old stuff is in the abyss of the garage along with the infant bath and car seat and probably needs a good wash and I was just feeling completely unprepared. Last time, I told James during labour that we weren't ready because the baseboards hadn't been cleaned and we hadn't organized the bookshelves. This time it's likely to be "our bedroom is under construction!" or "the car seat is still drying!" I know that she won't care, but I'd still like to be a bit more settled and know where things are!

Thursday was BUSY. I went straight to Michael's after dropping G off to get the yarn I needed. When I got back, mom and I went through G's old clothes whose location I actually knew and pulled out what was gender neutral enough for Baby Girl, but most of the stuff was 6 mo+. Our friend Anna came over during G's nap, and helped kick our butt into gear with the kitchen boxes. We ended up unpacking 5 kitchen boxes, which was great! I really can't thank her enough for being willing to spend her time helping us lug boxes upstairs from the garage and helping figure out where stuff will go/what needs to be washed. Friday was more unpacking/washing, but G was pretty fussy. James ended up coming home with 4 boxes of clothes and a pink playmat from one of the women who works in Beckwith's kitchen. It was truly a balm since I had been concerned about the amount of clothes we had. I have NO concern about that now!

I spent most of Saturday sleeping. G woke up at 1:30 am and wouldn't really go back down. I got in bed with him, but he kept tossing and turning. I was so exhausted, I barely noticed him climbing over me and leaving the room. I don't think he was unsupervised for very long, but I didn't wake up until James told me to go sleep in our bed around 7 am (which is when he usually wakes). I was up long enough to sort through the clothes with my mom. We washed the smaller ones and boxed up the larger ones for future use. As it is, I'm not sure all the 3-6 month clothes will fit in the dresser! We're set for the first year; and if she's anything like G, the first two years (yes, he's still wearing 12 months, though shirts need to be 18mo+ for the neckhole). James and mom took G out to run some errands, and I slept through all of that too. I'm grateful for the sleep, but I wish I weren't so exhausted. The pain and the exhaustion are just too much coupled together and I end up feeling useless and frustrated that I can't do more. It's slow going unpacking, especially since there's nothing we can unpack but the kitchen because nothing else is ready. Once the downstairs is taken care of, we can shift some of the boxes and start actually moving in, I hope. At least, the bedrooms should be ready to be unpacked and the guest room/craft room can be set up too. So that's the light at the end of the tunnel right now. That, and Baby Girl's arrival of course. I can't wait to see her little hands and feet and smell her head (seriously, babies' heads smell fantastic!)

37 weeks: Mermaid is the size of a newborn fur seal
and FULL TERM!

Any day now!

I am well aware of how huge I am, especially when my belly runs into things, or prevents me from reaching certain things. 

22 Months

My baby boy is growing up so fast!

In a little more than a month, he'll be a big brother and then a few short weeks later he'll be TWO. YEARS. OLD. How did that happen? It feels like I was just holding him in the hospital for the first time yesterday. Other days, it feels like an eternity ago (this feeling usually occurs during tantrums).

He's been eating well and it seems like he's growing like a week, though I don't have any measurements to corroborate this. Though quite frankly, he seems to be getting heavier as well, and some of his onesies had to be taken out of commission (the truck ones were snuck* out during laundry). He had his first grilled cheese, and loves bananas, apple juice popsicles and string cheese. He still like cucumbers, and has discovered that macaroni and cheese is actually quite tasty.

He's still talking up a storm. He talks all the time. Sometimes I think he must think we're incredibly thick, because we don't always understand what he's trying to say. For example, he kept saying "mee-mo" and I thought he was trying to ask for more milk, but he was actually saying "Nemo" and pointing to a drawing of two fish. New words seem to pop up daily, and he's really starting to put them together. Though he's pretty much been speaking in sentences, it hasn't been in English, but now he can say things like "Mama sit" when he wants me to sit with him, or "one more" when he's trying to get yet another round of "Wheels on the Bus" or reading of "Moo, Baa, La, La, La." 

He is willful and spirited, and his tantrums are still going strong. I think we're starting to get a handle on the physical aspects at least. It's a serious zero tolerance policy. Any time he hits, kicks, throws something at the dogs/us, pinches, etc, during the day, he gets a time out. He knows right where his time out spot is, and he stays there until he calms down. Then I talk to him, explaining why he got a time out, and what he could do differently the next time. I always make sure to validate his feelings, but explain why we can't react that way. Then he gives me a hug/kiss, and we continue playing or watching TV, or whatever activity we were doing before. If we're out, I can't usually do a time out, but he gets talked to in the same manner. At night (which is when most of this happens) he gets two warnings and the third time, I leave for 10 minutes. He almost always cries. Sometimes he falls asleep, but usually he calms down and is still awake when I come in again. He needs to know that I won't let him hurt me. As much as I hate leaving him crying in his room, it seems to be helping him to understand that I'm not just going to let him flail around at me. 

It's been a busy, busy month. Though, honestly, life is full of busy, busy months and weeks. We have a lot of adjustments ahead of us. Camp has ended, so Dad is around more, Mommy's belly is getting bigger and she's getting even less patient. Grammy is arriving soon, we'll be moving into a new house, and then welcoming his little sister into the world and our family. There are so many changes. I know it'll be difficult for him since we haven't had a break from changes since we moved, but I think once we get settled in the house with the baby he'll do really well. 

Mama, however, is still having trouble accepting that two years is only two months away.

*snuck is in the Oxford Dictionary, therefore I will use it. *sticks out tongue at any dissenters* (MOM!)

This is one of only two photos I have from the 14th. He's chewing on his foot in the other one.
I promise I'll get better photos next month!

36 Weeks

How far along: 36 weeks
Total weight gain: +21 lbs
Favourite clothes: Anything that will still fit over my massively huge belly
Sleeping: Terribly
Best Moment: How well G did for the dentist
Worst Moment: G getting stuck in the slide (see below for full, hilarious story)
Miss anything: Being able to move without pain
Cravings: Munchies all the time
New symptoms: I'm suddenly ravenous all the time, my back and hip pain are out of control (can't move or sleep or walk or sit or anything)
Looking forward to: Meeting Mermaid when she gets here
Crafting: I finished sewing in the ends of the French knots on the cupcake hat. I have two or three more to make and decide on. Better get hooking!

What in the world possessed me when I was signing G up for daycare in March? I thought it would be a great idea to do 3 days a week part time. Part time is fine, but I wish I'd signed up for Mondays and Fridays as well.

I am honestly having trouble with this week. I fell behind on my blog due to the move, and my memory is so frazzled and my brain is so all over the place that I'm having trouble remembering where I left my phone (check the fridge), let alone what happened last week. Please excuse the gaping gaps.

James took G to church on Sunday and let my mom and I sleep in. Mom was feeling sick, and the bronchitis is really hanging on tightly, so we definitely needed the rest. Even though I was awake, I did get to rest a bit, and even finished up the cupcake hat prototype! I'm so excited! I have a few more to make and see how they go, but it was nice to see one finished at least!

The next memorable day was Wednesday. G had his first dentist appointment! Our original move to Alabama in October and all the changes that followed had managed to continuously push this back, but I knew I really had to get my butt in gear. After driving by their office multiple times (right by our house), checking the insurance, having a friend take their child for a broken tooth and seeing a balloon in a car at daycare pickup, I finally called and made the appointment. He was pretty fussy; lately he's had a thing about never wanting to ride in my car. He always goes straight to James' and was pissed off that he had to ride in mine. When we got to the dentist's office, it was like a kids' dream land, especially the spiral slide they have in the waiting area. G immediately bee-lined for the slide, with James following, but changed his mind once they got to the top and came back downstairs. He ran back up following an older boy, and James and I let him go up alone. The slide itself is clear, so we could see him, and he could see us, and we figured he would come back down the stairs, but he decided to try the slide. Well, I should've said something (I was filling out paperwork), because like a premonition coming to pass, I saw him get around one turn of the slide and stop himself short. Then the crying started. I'm not sure if he went too fast, it was too enclosed, or he plastic-burned himself by stopping, but he stayed fast halfway down the slide. Then some idiot girl decided to slide down and slammed right into him. Over and over again. I have no idea where her parents were, but I was about ready to rip some limbs off. I was talking to him, trying to coax him to come down the slide as the girl kept lifting herself up and sliding into his back. Finally, a hygienist went down the slide from the top, trying to stop her and get G, while I climbed up from the bottom, trying to coax him down. As soon as I managed to get my face around the corner and he could see it clearly, he let himself slide down, though the crying continued for a while after. He recovered pretty quickly, and I'm sure everyone was amused to see a gigantically huge pregnant woman trying to climb up a child's slide. Thank goodness they had the foresight to make it clear AND large enough for an adult to get in too. The actual appointment itself went great! They had TVs mounted on the ceiling above the exam chairs, sang to them as they checked their teeth, and had toys scattered around the office for them to play with while parents talked to the doctor. G did SO well, and he didn't bite the hygienist or the dentist. In fact, he didn't even protest the exam until the child next to him freaked out (poor kid). The dentist said his teeth look great, and he probably won't need any orthodontia since they're straight and have enough space between them. He is teething, and his last molars should be fully in by his next appointment in six months. In fact, the biggest freak out came when trying to put him in his car seat to leave the dentist's office, since it was my car instead of James' and he's developed a serious preference for James' car. He also cried when I dropped him off at daycare. All in all, it was a long day, and James and I still had the OB appointment that afternoon. We learned that Baby Girl has already dropped (!) and that's what's been causing so much pain in my hips and back, including the clicking when I turn over in bed. It also explains why it feels nothing like last time; G never dropped, not even when I was in labour. Dr. Shoemaker assured us that this didn't mean that her arrival was imminent, and he would still try to stop labour if it started...until the weekend was over. Hopefully she'll wait until the house is done, but I'm excited to meet her!

Thursday was moving day. If you know me, you probably know how much I loathe moving. It goes beyond simple hatred; I truly can't stand it. I get overwhelmed by the entire process: packing, moving, unpacking. And when I get overwhelmed, I just kinda shut down. This move is out 6th move in 18 months, and we're approaching the 1 year mark of stuff in boxes, which is driving me nuts. However, it's hard to truly settle when the house isn't finished. Everything is still halfway done. The kitchen is the most put together, but even then, the trim for the window needs to be installed and the backsplash put up, as well as a few other little things. As for the rest of the house, well. The upstairs is a lot of little things, but the downstairs is still a bit of a mess. With all the delays I'm really just hoping it'll be wrapped up quickly, but I'm starting to feel like it'll never be done. I don't know if I'll ever want to come near a remodeling job ever again after this.

Friday and Saturday were unremarkable, meaning I honestly don't remember what happened. I assume it was settling in and unpacking.

Basically, this entire post was "G's Adventure at the Dentist!" I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do in retrospect, and don't worry, I won't ever let him forget it (nor will anyone in the dentist's office I'm sure.)

36 weeks: Mermaid is the size of a porcupine pufferfish

She is sooooo low

Note the awesome pufferfish I drew!!
(and ignore all the stuff on the unfinished stairs/bookshelf....)

35 Weeks

How far along: 35 weeks
Total weight gain: +20 lbs
Favourite clothes: Sweat pants
Sleeping: Been using unisom to get some interrupted sleep between coughing and peeing
Best Moment: Date night for James' birthday!
Worst Moment: Bronchitis. In summer. Really?!
Miss anything: Not taking 8 pills a day
Cravings: None
New symptoms: Same old same old. Fatigue, back pain, hip pain, some contractions, lots of movement, headaches
Looking forward to: Hopefully getting into our house next week. Having a dishwasher, a decent-sized fridge and freezer, and our nice (though old) washing machine and dryer will be wonderful!!
Crafting: Working up another cupcake hat in a different yarn, and then back to the wave blanket

Sunday morning, G managed to get out of his room and into ours, so for the first time ever, I woke up to him standing net to my side of the bed, saying "Mama, mama!" At 5:30 am. We got to church, which was simple since it was at Beckwith that week! They were having the backpack and school supply blessing and a picnic following the service, but G and I were still sick and barely made it through lunch. We headed back to the house for naptime for everybody after lunch; luckily G didn't notice the bounce house.

Monday was boiling hot, so we ended up staying inside to keep cool. G had a short nap, and James and I took him to the doctor, since he was still coughing a lot, especially at night and naptime. They said he looked healthy and the cough wasn't in his lungs, so she sent us home with some samples of cough medicine (yay for avoiding purchasing a prescription!) and told us he was fine to go to school the next day. Tuesday went really well! G seemed to enjoy being back at school, and he was one of the few who didn't cry when dropped off. It was useful as well because I was still extremely sick, and ended up needing to see a doctor. It was a good thing I did, because it turns out I didn't have just a cold, but bronchitis. My first ever respiratory infection. In the middle of summer. How is that even possible? Life doesn't stop though, and we left G with my mom that afternoon and went to go look at gas fireplaces. He had a good time with "Gaga" (all grandparents are currently Gaga) but was happy to see us when we got home too.

Wednesday night, he refused to let go of his blue plastic truck through his bath, teeth brushing and pyjama change. I checked on him after he had fallen asleep, and he was still clutching it in his sleep. I think we've moved beyond fascination and into obsession with trucks, tractors, cars and anything that has a motor! Thursday was a full day! We had the ultrasound in the morning, and everything looks great! She's about 5.75 lbs right now, not affected by the single cord vessel at all, and looks healthy. Everybody commented again on how active she is (yes, I know, it's my kidneys she's practicing roundhouse kicks on!) and it looks like that's the last ultrasound we'll need since she has enough amniotic fluid to get her through the end of the pregnancy. It was also James' birthday!! Mom took G for the night and we went out to Cosmo's and had a lovely dinner out. We haven't done that in a while. I know it's not that long since we've been out, but so much has been going on that it feels like forever. It was nice to have dinner without needing to baby wrangle!

Friday showed me just how quickly my baby boy is growing up. James let me sleep in (angel) and G pushed his stool over to the bathroom sink and brushed his teeth by himself! James got him the toothbrush and all, but I just couldn't handle how grown up he looked standing there brushing his teeth (I only saw the picture, but still). It just drove home how grown up he's become. Saturday drove home how little he still is. We tried to take maternity photos and it was just a failure all around, for multiple reasons. The camp photographer was nice enough to agree to meet us, so we got all ready, and went down to the pier. It had been another early morning for G, and he was on the edge of fussy. I was hoping we could manage, but apparently we just pushed a bit too much because he did not want to be held and did not want to eat or drink. When we went down to the beach, he just wanted to walk out into the water. In his clothes and diaper. Between the pieces of jellyfish that were washed up on the beach. He ended up sitting in the water, and luckily he managed to miss all the jellyfish pieces. But when I removed him from the water, and proceeded to go up the beach with him, he totally flipped and we had a full blown, crazy tantrum on our hands. It wasn't as bad as it could've been. Unfortunately, water had somehow gotten into the camera's lens and all the pictures were extremely foggy, so our photographer wouldn't have been able to get any photos, even if G had been well-behaved. Tyrant McCrankypants was pretty much a mess all the way home, and James and I decided that pictures, especially by the beach, probably weren't a good idea this time around. It really bums me out, but I also know that there's no way to predict or control a toddler's emotions. Poor guy is probably having just as rough a time dealing with his emotions as I'm having with mine. Pregnancy and toddlerhood are more similar than I'd like to think about right now.

35 weeks: Mermaid is the size of a flowery flounder

I know the flounder looks bearded, but it's not. Look them up online.
Also, yay for the Sesame Street boxers from the last pregnancy!

34 Weeks

How far along: 34 weeks
Total weight gain: ?
Favourite clothes: PJs
Sleeping: Horribly
Best Moment: My mom getting here, and G going absolutely nuts
Worst Moment: I've been sick all week, but we've been running around all week
Miss anything: I would really love a glass of wine
Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary, really
New symptoms: Same old, same old. Contractions and fatigue
Looking forward to: The ultrasound on Thursday
Crafting: Gotta finish up the cupcake hats, and hopefully work on some of the other projects

Sunday was the last day of camp! There was a luncheon that all the parents were invited to. G and I stayed for a while, but he was really fussy and tired. James helped me get him home, but James spent the rest of Sunday and all of Monday cleaning up camp and wrapping up any final details. I started feeling sick on Monday, but there's no rest for the mother of a toddler.

The rest of the week was spent pretty much the same way. James was home, which was great, and we spent the days running around to various home improvement stores, picking up light fixtures, sinks, faucets, medicine cabinets, stain for the stairs, etc. On Wednesday, some of the windows were installed and it turns out one of the windows was 1 inch too small to fit. So now Lowe's is having to fight with the manufacturer, and either way we're waiting on a new window to be made. Each side says they had the correct measurements, so who knows where the breakdown in communications was.

Wednesday we also met with the woman who's doing the placenta encapsulation. She seems nice, and gave us a brief description of how it would go. I'm looking forward to it and hoping that it'll help with the healing and energy and milk and keeping PPD at bay. Since we were already in Pensacola, we were able to return the extra flooring we had and pick up T-molds and some more unfinished maple for the stairs. We were also able to drive a little farther and meet James' parents for lunch. It was good to see them, and James' dad brought the trailer, which will be very helpful for moving from camp.

Thursday the appliances were delivered and the cabinets installed. The doors and drawers are going to be added on Monday along with the bathroom vanity. The countertops probably won't be installed until next weekend, unless there's a cancellation. I'm really not sure about when we're moving, or if we can stay at camp til the house is completely done, but it'll work out I'm sure. Friday was more of the same, but James had a baseball game to go to in Pensacola that night. Originally, G and I were going to join him, but by Friday I was put on antibiotics and G had started coughing too. I sounded like Christian Bale's batman. I should've recorded myself reading G's books to him with that voice. We were both beat and he went down pretty easily for me, though I spent a few hours passed out on his bed before I woke up and headed to bed myself.

Saturday was definitely great. It was relatively chill. My mom arrived around noon and G was so excited. He just started bouncing off the walls! He'd had a half a grilled cheese for lunch (first time) and he was just so psyched. It was hard to get him down for his nap, but he did nap. I rested while Mom and James unloaded the mini van she was driving into the trailer (see, very useful!) We drove to the Pensacola airport to drop off the minivan and had dinner at Bonefish Grill (YUM!) G did pretty well, though he did get fussy toward the end. Our meal was comped because they really messed up our order, which was a nice surprise and a really nice gesture on their part. G fell asleep in the car on the way home and was out cold pretty quickly from such a full day! I am so grateful that my mom can be here to help us move and help out once the baby arrives. G has loved having her here already, and she will be so helpful as my energy and patience seem to continue getting lower and shorter. Only 45 days left!!!

34 weeks: Mermaid is the size of a bridled parrotfish
G wanted to make some additions to this week's chalkboard

This is being honest about which pants I'm usually in ;)
Mom swears my bump is already sticking out an inch more than when she got here a few days ago

33 Weeks

How far along: 33 weeks
Total weight gain: +16 lbs
Favourite clothes: Do blankets count as clothing?
Sleeping: Terribly
Best Moment: Hearing Mermaid's heartbeat
Worst Moment: Migraines
Miss anything: A dishwasher
Cravings: Sushi, nutella
New symptoms: Heartburn is back, contractions still strong
Looking forward to: So many things! 1) Camp being OVER 2) Having my hubby back 3) Mom arriving next week! 4) Meeting the person who will be encapsulating the placenta
Crafting: Finishing up the prototype cupcake hat (first item for sale maybe?), and the wave blanket. Mom is bringing some yarn to try for the cupcake hat (the one I had didn't work out)

You know your weeks are long and busy when you can't remember specific things from less than a week ago. I'm going to assume the days that I can't remember were relatively uneventful. Like Sunday and Tuesday.

I had signed G up for all 5 days of daycare this week. I spent all Monday morning running errands, and didn't even manage to finish everything. 4 hours of errands is way more exhausting that it used to be. Despite having a good day at daycare, G ended up clingy, tantrum-y and refused to sleep. I ended up falling asleep in his bed trying to get him to sleep and woke up with his face literally on top of mine, my arm asleep at 11 pm. I still had to do dishes, fold laundry and cook something for his lunch the next day. I was washing dishes at 1:30 am and James had just gotten home and was taking a shower. I heard him say something to me, but couldn't understand what, so I stopped washing dishes, and went to the door, where I heard James tell me there was a spider on the floor. Sure enough, there it was by my foot. I'm surprised my scream didn't wake G up. I was so irrationally mad at James for making me kill the spider (he was just getting out of the shower) and we finally ended up going to bed at 2 am. I knew how ridiculous I was being, and that made me decide that I definitely need to put some more effort into going to bed at a reasonable time.

Wednesday and Thursday were the break days between sessions. On Wednesday, James and I ran by the house to see the wood floor that was being installed! I was worried it might look cheap because we went with a laminate, but it looks great. It looks nice, warm and inviting, and works well with the kitchen floor. James then took me by a cupcake shop to finally satisfy my cupcake craving. I had a delicious cupcake called Italian Creme. It wasn't Sprinkles, but the icing was actually much better and it was sooooo good. Then he took me by Zaxby's for fried pickles (another craving). It was like craving day or something! G did not want to nap, but eventually did. Since there was no camp session, we had dinner at home, which makes G so much easier to deal with at night.

Thursday we dealt with more house stuff and stopped to get some coffee before going to the OB appointment (the normally scheduled one). Everything looks good. The doctor said he would be very surprised if the single vessel cord affected her growth at all, since she's growing great right now. I am definitely all belly at this point, which is so different than my last pregnancy, where I just blew up like a balloon. You know you're in trouble though when even your doctor is shocked/surprised by the amount of movement he feels (she kicked him hard, twice). I think I might be giving birth to a whirlwind of energy in the form of a little girl. (Like mama, like daughter, right?) G loved having James around in the afternoon, but he did stay up late working on the last few things for the LAST camp session. He also had fun letting Pippin clean up the rice he'd gotten all over himself during dinner. He even figured out that putting rice on his knee made her more likely to eat it, so he would replace the rice after she ate it. It was pretty adorable.

Friday was a bad day. I woke up with nausea and a migraine. Tylenol did not cut it. I slept a bit after dropping him off at school, but it didn't appease the migraine gods. It was a very difficult day. The kids arrived between 1 and 3 (naptime) and the rest of the afternoon was difficult, though I did make myself take him outside for a while. Unfortunately, that ended in a tantrum when he couldn't play with the balls in the chapel (it was bring him in or risk a tantrum outside the door...I should've gone with the latter). Dinner was difficult, and it took 2 hours to put him to bed. He is just so squirmy and won't settle, finding any way to keep himself awake. Plus, he's so frustrated about being tired that he lashes out at us physically We leave when this happens, but it's difficult to leave him screaming. However, my face can only take so much scratching. It seems limited to me and James, which is both good and bad. At least our babysitters won't be running for the hills.

Saturday was a long day. My migraine wasn't as bad, but it wasn't gone either. I brought G to the games field in the morning since they were doing water day with the campers. I feel much more comfortable letting him run around with this age group (1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders) since they're closer to his height and he's in their sight line. The older kids don't look around their knees for a little kid and he's gotten knocked over a few times, but this age group sees him. He had a blast with those sponge balls, squeezing them against his forehead, water running down his face. He ran around for  good 40 minutes. The counselors are great about helping keep an eye on him, and they love him, which is great! He only lost it when the kids started on the shaving cream fight. He does NOT like being messy (weird boy), and got very upset that there was shaving cream on him. James helped me rinse off my dirty, soaking wet child before lunch, where he was almost falling asleep. Naptime was still a struggle, and he was definitely testing my patience and the limits this afternoon. James came by and asked if he could do anything, and he ended up taking him for a while, letting me sleep off some of the pounding in my head. It was another rough dinner and took 1.5 hours to get him to sleep. That includes the 15 minutes when I just walked out after he bit and scratched me (reminiscent of naptime). I don't know why it's so hard for him to get comfortable, but it's like as soon as he feels himself falling asleep, he squirms more or starts kicking the wall or anything to keep himself awake. And it always seems that as soon as he's about to drift off the dogs bark or there's a particularly loud crack of thunder. By the time he finally goes to sleep I'm so exhausted that I can't do anything: not the dishes or laundry, or even fun stuff for me, like finally finishing the french knot sprinkles or working on the wave blanket. I'm truly a "mombie" after bedtime. It's my personal hell. James has been working late to finish up this session and I know that he has a completely different challenge to deal with at this session: parents. I'll leave it at that, but I've seen a lot of "I don't want to be that person" behaviour this weekend.

Just a few more hours of camp to get through tomorrow and it's over! I can't wait! I can't wait to see James for more than a few minutes at a time and to have him home at a normal, sane time at night. Hopefully he can catch up on his rest and help me with G. I know we'll be living at camp a bit longer than we expected while at least the second level in the house is being finished, but the hours should be different. Either way, there's a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks! My mom should arrive next Friday or Saturday, camp is ending, James will be around more, we meet the person doing the placenta encapsulation on Wednesday, G will be in the 1 year old classroom (he will always be one of the oldest thanks to a Sept 1st cut off date), and we get another ultrasound on James' birthday to check up on our girl. It's a lot of good stuff!

She looks so small this way

33 weeks: Mermaid is the size of a dusky batfish

I was forced to take a side-on one. She is all out in front of me

32 Weeks

How far along: 32 weeks
Total weight gain: +12.5 lbs (how did this go down?)
Favourite clothes: Sesame Street boxers again!
Sleeping: Still tossing and turning
Best Moment: insert here
Worst Moment: 14 contractions within an hour and fearing early labour
Miss anything: Feeling rested
Cravings: Sushi and a big burger
New symptoms: My Braxton-Hicks contractions are crazy!
Looking forward to: Moving into our house!
Crafting: Hooked on a test hat for our girl and still working on the same projects

Sunday was the middle of the session and the last few days went by quick. G went to praise and worship, and Daddy helped him drum a bit (he's an inconsistent, but enthusiastic drummer) and had fun running around Canteen afterward. They had portobellos for the vegetarians one night, and the kitchen staff were sweethearts and saved one out for me. Absolutely delicious.

Tuesday was the last day of the session and I went by the house hoping to see our contractor and not only the contractor was there, but the tile guy to install the kitchen floor! The tile wasn't quite what we expected; instead of the bricks being normal brick-sized they were much smaller, and the tile wasn't as red as I had expected. But, it was ordered and done and being installed and would look great and I just took a breath and decided there were better things to spend energy on than getting upset about something that would ultimately look fine. Our contractor told me I was very chilled out with this pregnancy. I had to agree; with G I was very likely to fly off the handle and my blood always seemed to boil over the slightest things. This time, I'm much more chill. James attributes it to not having conservative talk radio as a constant background noise at work. There's probably something to that theory. It's been much easier to get a handle on my anger though; maybe it also has something to do with not having much energy to expend and choosing where to use it more wisely (toddler wrangling for example).

The floor, as expected, looks great and we ran around for a good portion of that day and the next picking out light fixtures for the bathroom and over the kitchen sink, talking with the cabinet people about fireplace mantles and media cabinets and discussing changes and window installation with the contractor. Everything seems to be coming together pretty quickly now. Our contractor is hoping to get the windows installed this week, the paint on the lower floor done and start installing some of the floors this weekend. I can't wait. It's only two weeks away now!

Wednesday was James' only day between sessions, so he was working pretty hard to get everything prepped and the 7th and 8th graders arrived on Thursday. More middle schoolers--ugh. Thursday was very difficult. James and I ran errands in the morning, making sure Canteen and the Health Hut were stocked with what they needed, and picking up pizza for the staff for lunch. I didn't get a chance to eat before having to run off and pick up G and on the way I had about 4 contractions in 20 minutes. By the time I got G into his bed for his nap (he falls asleep in the car) I'd had 3 more contractions and the doctor wanted me to come in right then. I got James to come watch him, and he eventually had the housekeeper keep an eye on him while he went to meet parents that were arriving to drop off their kid. All in all, I had about 14 contractions within n hour, and they want to see you if you have more than 4. My only thought as I drove to the doctor's was "Not while we're living at camp. Please, not while we're living at camp!" They found no physical signs of labour, thank God, but did find that I was dehydrated. I was told to force fluids and stay on bed rest the rest of the day, and to continue taking it easy. I continued to have contractions the rest of the day, though they slowed down and got better as I continued to drink a ton of water. James took G for the afternoon and I rested until dinner, continuing to take it easy. My uterus just seems to be training hard for the big day: I felt Braxton-Hicks contractions earlier with this pregnancy (like from 10 weeks), and they've been much stronger and more frequent than with G.

The weekend was pretty easy; James took G more frequently to let me rest. He told me very firmly I need to take care of myself. I think Thursday freaked him out more than he let on. It gave me a chance to rest, catch up on the blog, finish the cupcake hat and get a bit of energy back. This week was the last week of daycare's summer session. Next week, they have a babysitting-like service I signed up for: he'll be with a wider age range, which I think he'll enjoy. After that, there's a week-long break before the fall session starts. I'm a little apprehensive about this. Those four hours a day really give me some sanity and help G get out some energy, but camp will be over, so James will be able to be around more too. Just one more week to get through and summer camp is OVER!

32 weeks: Mermaid is the size of a blue angelfish

Bump ba da bump

21 Months

Challenges: Tantrums are a bit better, but still a challenge and potty training is our newest tricky thing to tackle.
Triumphs: Cleaning up before we leave the cabin/bathtime and saying "please" and "thank you"
Words: I've stopped keeping track because he's speaking ALL the time now! He tries pronouncing everything and babbles almost constantly. I LOVE it!
Favourite toys: A stuffed elephant that used to be mine, his tricycle, his rolling Dumbo toy

G has come a long way in a month. It's amazing how fast they change at this age, and how quickly their vocabulary is developing. Almost every word we say, he tried pronouncing and he understands pretty much everything we say. He talks non-stop, sometimes with words we understand, but usually in his own language. The doctor asked at his 18 month appointment about putting two words together. I said no, because they're not real words, but he's talking in full paragraphs and I have a feeling that one day he's just going to come out with a perfect monologue. We point out the things we see out of the window as we drive: trees, clouds, trucks, cars, fields, flowers, etc 

His personality is continuing to develop too. He is most definitely a spirited child, and seems to feel emotions strongly. I'm afraid to say that I think he's inherited my low frustration threshold, and his tantrums are difficult to say the least. He also gets frustrated at bedtime because he's tired but he doesn't want to sleep. Flailing arms and legs make contact with us frequently, but I'm not sure how intentional some of that is. Sometimes it is intentional and it's one of the things we are continuing to work on. 

He has developed an obsession with trucks and cars. He loves seeing them pass us in the other lane and will sometimes say "whoa" or "woooow" when he see s a big truck. When I pick him up from school he screams with delight upon seeing me, then runs towards me yelling "truck, truck, truck!" His onesies and shirts and shorts with trucks on them are his favourite, and anything with cars, tractors, helicopters, planes or motorcycles is fair game. His pull ups with Mater and Lightning McQueen are his favourites and he's beginning to differentiate between a car and a truck. Someone got him a pop-up book with trucks, tractors, etc in them and he loves the book. I have to admit it gets hidden for a week or so at a time to give me a break from incessant re-readings. 

Potty training is hit or miss. He usually goes before his bath, and he lets us know when he's dirty, but we're not anywhere close to buying underwear. I did tell him that he can have some Thomas the train underwear when he's potty trained, but that doesn't seem to be incentive enough ;) We'll see. It would be nice to have him only in night time diapers once baby arrives, but we're moving at his pace and not trying to push anything (read: I have no energy).

He's running and playing and having a blast. He's growing up incredibly, unbelievably fast. He is a snuggle bug at times and gives kisses more readily than ever before. He's a smart, sweet boy who feels fiercely. He knows what he wants and will tell you all about it. He's a bundle of energy wrapped up in dirty clothes. He's a book lover, loves background noise, pasta, peanut butter, bananas and cucumbers. He's a talker and a mama's boy, but wants both Mommy and Daddy nearby. He's my baby boy and I can't imagine my life without him, challenging days and all.

My mischievous munchkin! Look at those ears!