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!