My Life Lately

It's officially summer for us. Joseph finished preschool for the year, and now I'm feeling like it's go time for baby. I've been feverishly rearranging furniture, organizing and purging stuff, and generally getting ready for baby. It seems everywhere I turn there's something else that needs to be done. Cest la life.

We finally moved John into Joseph's room, so now the nursery is ready for a little sprucing up before the bebe arrives (Soon? One can hope.)....although he won't sleep in there for the first couple months. Buuut, nobody said nesting was a rational thing.

The boys have been keeping me quite busy. John's favorite activity lately is climbing up on the kitchen chairs and grabbing for stuff on the kitchen table and occasionally falling and hurting himself. So, "keep kitchen table clear of non-John-friendly things" has been high on my to-do list lately (drinks in glass cups in particular).

He also enjoys climbing on the coffee table, and can't wait to be able to climb on the couch (I'm sure that one is coming soon!).

Joseph keeps himself busy wearing his baseball hat and staying generally obsessed with all things baseball. Yesterday he had to put on a red shirt before heading to Will's softball game (which they ended up forfeiting, so Joseph and Will got to play a little baseball in the backyard).

And today this happened:

The glove was a new addition to his sleeping paraphernalia.

And while the two older boys are keeping me busy with their antics, the in-utero babe just keeps getting bigger (as in-utero babes are want to do). He's still a pretty calm little guy, but this is the first pregnancy where I've actually had to deal with swelling. I couldn't wear my rings by the end with Joseph, but this time I'm feeling the swelling - especially in my feet. Oh well, he should be here soon(ish).

(Sorry this is a little blurry. I guess that's just
what happens the 3rd time around.)

I again don't look nearly as enormous as I feel, but trust me - I'm quite large.

32 weeks

After seeing this picture of myself I'm shocked at how not-hugely-enormous I look because I certainly feel it. I think I'd label myself as rather large, not a day over 36 weeks.

And for the record this pregnancy is starting to feel a lot like my pregnancy with Joseph. Baby is getting all up in my ribs, causing me (minimal) upper back pain and making me generally uncomfortable. But, so far, I don't think this guy is going to be quite as big as Joseph. My current guess is that he'll be born at 8lbs 7-8oz, and hopefully early, but that's really just because I want him to come early...can we say June baby??  :)

Caught Off Guard

We've been having a trying time with Joseph lately. He's begun to "actively assert his will" - that's what we'll call it. It's been fairly exhausting emotionally for all involved. It's also been hard to find ways to go above and beyond to love him which he, of course, needs because he's been seeing a fair amount of discipline lately. But sometimes it's hard to love someone who's getting under your skin so much.

And then - then! - he comes out of nowhere and blows me away with his sweetness. This afternoon on my way from the van to our house (approximately 15 feet) I managed to trip - as in I skinned my foot, leg and knee. And it hurt. Joseph saw me trip. He asked what happened then asked in a very concerned voice "are you ok?" I told him I was fine and that I just got a boo, boo. He wanted to see it, so I showed him and he said "It's ok. I'll kiss it for you." Oh the sweetness! He was so concerned and so sure he could help me feel better. I let him kiss my leg when we got inside, and would you know it did start to feel better!

It was the perfect reminder of what a great kid he really is, and how important it is for me to remain patient with him.


And for those who are interested - the bump at 26 weeks (I'm 27 weeks now, but who's counting?).

The boys and the bump

Joseph's favorite word recently is "why?" I feel like it's a little early for that. For some reason I had it in my head that kids don't usually start in with incessant "why's?" until around age 4.

John has also started "talking" a bit more lately. He seems to actually be trying to pronounce some words, but still the only intelligible words he has so far are mama and dada. He can communicate his wants/needs for food though with arm reaches and head nods and shakes. He also has the sign for
"more" down pat.

Joseph just discovered shadows last night. It's really cute hearing him talk about shadows and point them out to Will as he's getting ready for bed. He is so intrigued by them - it's a great reminder for me of his sweet innocence.

Every night when we pray with Joseph we ask him who he'd like to pray for. Sometimes he lists off people. Other times he says he'd like to pray for "aryone" (everyone) (after he did this several nights in a row we asked him if there was anyone in particular he'd like to pray for). Now, more often than not, he says he'd like to pray for "aryone in ticuhwur" (everyone in particular). It always makes me giggle inside when he says this.

Aaaand, the bump.

23 weeks

I don't remember being (ahem, feeling) this big with Joseph and John, but the pictures tell a different story.

24 weeks with John

23 weeks with Joseph

Ok - maybe not with Joseph, but definitely about the same with John. No?

It's a.....

...healthy baby! We're happy to report that everything looks great with baby. I do have to have another ultrasound so the doctor can take another look at the heart as baby's spine was facing out making it hard to get a good shot of the heart.  So, we'll get another peek in a month!

During the ultrasound the doctor commented "that probably looks familiar..."

And I thought this would be an appropriate treat to celebrate.

Cheers!

We can't wait to meet you sweet baby BOY!!!

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 54)

1) John is now officially a walker. I think New Years Day is the day I officially deemed him a walker because that's when he made numerous attempts to walk across the room without being encouraged to do so. And he can make it across the room sometimes. Yay!

2) John can also climb up and  down the stairs by himself (but don't worry, I still spot him just in case - he's not that good yet). This has been helpful because it was getting old (and exhausting) carrying him up and down the stairs all the time - especially if I had a load of laundry under one arm and him in the other.

Christmas morning breakfast

3) Joseph isn't one iota interested in potty training and I'm not gonna lie - I'm starting to get a little nervous. We had a short spurt of interest several months back and had a few successes, but now every time I ask if he wants to sit on the potty he gives me a very clear "no!"
I'm learning that his short-lived interest in potty training is just a part of his personality (he is classified as an "impulsive child" according to a test both Will and I took at the beginning of the potty training book I'm reading). I believe the description they used said impulsive children will go "gangbusters" at the beginning of training then quickly lose interest. That pretty much describes what happened with Joseph.
I've also been a bit amused by the book because all of their descriptions of what an impulsive child is like are spot on. So much so that I actually laughed when they said the houses of impulsive children are "baby-proofed to the hilt" and that parents of impulsive children are "unable to hold a conversation with another adult because they can't take their eyes off their kid." True and truer.

4) What other nouns were used to describe my impulsive child? Energetic and active - yep (but really how many toddlers aren't energetic and active?). Early walker. Check (he walked at 9 months + 1 day). Bodily risk-taker. I think (willfully) slamming his head into walls, people, couches, etc. along with having zero fear at playgrounds qualifies him for this one. "Enjoy rough-and-tumble play, and frequently are the children who take this too far and, without intending to, end up hurting a playmate." I believe tackling his brother, random kids at play areas and adults holding babies at formal events qualifies him for this one. Happy and adaptable. Definitely. Pretty much everything they had to say about impulsive children related to Joseph. Now I just need to figure out how to get the boy potty trained before......

5) ...the next baby arrives...

...some time around July 6 :)

6) So far the pregnancy has been fine. A little harder than the others, but manageable (it would be pretty hard to be easier than my other pregnancies). The exhaustion is harder to deal with simply because I have two other little people to look after all day. And this time around I've had afternoon/evening sickness which I've never had before. Really all this has meant is that the bare minimum has been getting done around here - laundry gets done, meals are (usually) on the table, boys are alive. This is one of the reasons the blog has basically been ignored. It's also the reason that I took exactly zero pictures over Christmas, so I'm relying on my sisters for pictures of Christmas 2013 (the ones in this post are from my sister - thanks Julia!).
I'm finally about to enter my 2nd trimester, so I'm hoping to do a little more blogging (but I make no promises). Maybe I'll even take some pictures of the boys this month :)

John and Frances are enamored by the train tracks

7) We're excited to be adding another sweet baby to the mix, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not even a little bit nervous to have 3 under 3 3 two and under (that sounds scarier, right?) for a few days. Buuuut, we're getting a minivan (no more manual locks! or manual windows! and I'll get cruise control! and spaaaaaace!) so all will be right in the world...or something like that.

Thanks for an easy way to re-enter the blogging world, Jen!

Baby Contraptions

This post is somewhat of a continuation to my Baby Stuffs post. A couple of my friends are pregnant for the first time and have asked for my advice/thoughts on various baby topics. I decided to write up a few posts explaining all my thoughts and opinions for them.
So - without further ado - all you ever wanted to know about tripping hazards baby contraptions.


There are so many baby contraptions available nowadays that it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what you need when you're having a new baby. I have a couple friends currently sorting through what they want/need for their soon-to-arrive babies. I love me a good baby contraption and I love to talk about the pros and cons of each. I'll try not to bore you too much, but here are some of my thoughts on what to consider when purchasing some baby contraptions of your very own.

I think when you are trying to decide what (large) baby items to buy you first need to consider how much space you have. It is so easy to let your house be overridden by baby stuff (just ask my husband). But if you think ahead and plan you can keep the clutter at bay.

Baby contraptions seem to fall in a few different categories - there are lots of different ways these could be broken up but this is how it makes sense in my head.

Are you lookin' at me?

First, there are the bouncy seats, rockers and bassinets. All of these serve a similar purpose - they are a safe place to lay and entertain baby. Some of them will have mobiles or toys attached. I would recommend getting at least one item from this category as it's super helpful to have somewhere to lay baby when they're sleeping or when they're just happy to watch you as you go about your chores. Keep your eye out for these on craigslist or at baby sales because you can find them at a fraction of their retail price and it's super easy to clean their covers.
I have this bouncy seat and this rock 'n play. I bought both used and have been happy with both. If you buy a used bouncy seat just make sure that it still sits up at a good angle. The seat will begin to sag as it gets used more and more (and as baby gets bigger and bigger).
I have friends who LOVE their rock n' plays, but I'm a little partial to the bouncy seat because it has the vibrator and toy attachment. I just recently bought the rock n' play when I found it for a good price. I wanted something to keep upstairs so I wouldn't have to lug the bouncy seat up and down the stairs all the time. Some of my friends even use the rock n' play as their bassinet for the first couple months before they move baby to the crib. So, if you're looking for an item that can serve double duty you should definitely take a look at the rock n' play.

Once baby wants to sit/stand more you move into the realm of jumpers and exersaucers. These allow baby to do a little more standing and a little less laying, and they have lots of toys attached to entertain baby. Baby needs to have very good upper body control - especially head control - to use these. Most of my friends would say getting something from this category is a must as it allows you to get things done around the house while baby is awake. However, space can be a big concern with these, so if you're tight on space I'd go with an exersaucer or a jumper that hangs in the doorway. If you have a little more room you can go for one of the larger jumpers.

Fun for all ages!

Another great baby contraption is the swing. I've heard some people say their babies didn't like the swing, but both my boys have loved theirs (and John still does!). Joseph slept in the swing pretty well but generally wasn't interested in it otherwise (except for about a 1 month span when the mobile kept his attention). John loves the swing, but isn't quite as interested in it lately. He used to *literally* sit in the swing for 4-5 hours a day and he would cry if you took him out - he LOVED it - he would sleep for a couple hours, wake up, watch the mobile or enjoy his reflection in the mirror, go back to sleep, wake up, repeat. This is the swing we have, and I love it. I splurged and bought it new, but I was looking for a swing that I could plug into the wall so I didn't have to constantly replace batteries. I also like that you can change the direction the seat is facing and that the seat has two different reclining positions. I also happen to be pleased with the songs the swing plays. If you have the space I'd definitely recommend this swing, but I wouldn't recommend our swing if you're tight on space. There are plenty of other space-conscious swings out there that you could look into.


There are other miscellaneous play items like a play mat or a Bumbo. I really like our play mat and would recommend it to others, but definitely don't feel like it's a necessity.
I also like the Bumbo, but if I'm to be completely honest it doesn't get used all that much. I'm really glad I only paid $18 for it at a baby sale. The Bumbo is certainly something you can do without - especially if you have large babies. For smaller babies it can be great, but the overall consensus among my friends is that they're a waste of money (unless you plan on using it to feed baby, then it *might* be worth paying full price).

This high chair has 3 (three!) different trays layered one on top of the other.
It was great for those days where I just didn't seem to get the
tray cleaned before the next feeding time.

Speaking of feeding there are so many options for high chairs, booster seats, Bumbo seats and so on. You should really look at how much space you have in your kitchen. If you don't have extra space for a high chair you should consider getting a booster/high chair that attaches to one of your kitchen chairs. Also keep in mind how easily the chair/tray can be cleaned - because you will be cleaning it. A lot. I got this high chair after one of my friends (Hi, Julie!) recommended it. She did a lot of research and by the time I was ready to buy a high chair I just didn't have the energy to analyze all the different options. We had extra space in our kitchen for a full high chair, so this worked for us. I love that it has so many different options for seating your child. We actually keep the booster portion of the high chair at my parents house for when we visit (although I may take it back if we ever have a need for 2 boosters + a high chair).
The only thing I don't like about this high chair is the fact that the sides of the seat cushion can be unattached....by a baby. Once Joseph figured out how to undo the seat cushion he did it at every. single. meal. Since then, he's been banished to this booster seat. I originally bought it for extra seating when my sister was coming to visit with her toddler because it was so cheap, but I LOVE it. It definitely isn't for babies who are learning to sit because it doesn't have the shoulder straps, but it's really great for toddlers and super easy to travel (in a car) with. We even take it with us to pot-lucks at church - because an un-contained Joseph at meal time is not a pretty sight.

Cute baby. Awesome stroller.
Magic Kingdom here we come!

We're all about containing small children in our household - so let's talk about strollers. Oh strollers. There are so, so many options here. Do you want a snap-n-go? An umbrella stroller? A jogging stroller? The list goes on. Unfortunately, your budget probably doesn't, so you really need to evaluate your needs here.
A snap-n-go stroller is really nice for small babies who sleep a lot. The ability to transfer them in and out of the car without having to wake them is a huge benefit. Snap-n-go's are also generally inexpensive (although when I just looked them up they were much more expensive than what I remember), very light weight and fold up compactly - but this kind of stroller will only last you as long as baby is still in their infant car seat.
If you plan on running with baby, then it's probably wise to look into jogging strollers. Just be aware that these strollers tend to be very heavy and bulky.
Umbrella strollers are nice because they're generally inexpensive, lightweight and fold up very compactly. The one major drawback to these is that they generally don't have much room for storing baby paraphernalia.
My parents graciously bought us our City Mini with the car seat attachment. I loved the snap-n-go capability with Joseph. I took him on walks and out shopping a lot, so I really liked that I could just transfer him from the car to the stroller or vice versa (I didn't use the car seat attachment with John at all - I just reclined the seat all the way back). I also love that the stroller is lightweight and folds up compactly (and can be folded with just one hand!!!). The stroller also steers really well. I loved my City Mini so much I ended up getting the Double City Mini when John came along. I could be a sales rep for Baby Jogger and sell City Minis - that's how much I love this stroller. I feel it's the best of all the stroller worlds - lightweight, has snap-n-go capability if you buy the attachment (for about the same price as a snap-n-go stroller), folds up compactly, and has plenty of storage.
I do have lots of friends with various other strollers, and they're all happy with their choices so don't let my blathering on fool you. There are other strollers in this universe.

Finally, we've got pack n' plays. I don't have too many thoughts on pack n' plays other than they're great for travel or having an extra place for a baby to sleep when a friend with a baby comes to visit. I've never used ours for playing, but I suppose you could do that - it is called a pack n' play after all. Bottom line - get a basic model for travel. You don't need all the extra stuff that will only drive up the price. Something simple, like this, will do just fine.

The Baby Stuffs

A couple of my dear friends from back in the day (one from high school/college and the other from college) are pregnant with their first babies. They've both asked me lots of questions about baby stuff, so I told both of them I'd do a (few) blog post(s) with all my thoughts on the baby stuffs. For this post I'll focus on baby stuff.

Baby products I actually find useful
If you're going to breastfeed (and even if you're not) get a Boppy or some other pillow for support. You will use it. A lot. I actually got a second Boppy (used) before John came so I could have one upstairs and one downstairs. It's been nice not to have to carry it up and down the stairs all the time, but realistically you only need one, and you can definitely get this used - just make sure it isn't too flat otherwise it won't be very helpful.

Load up on burp cloths. I use them for so many many things. Nursing, burping, wiping slobber, cleaning faces...you name the mess and I can pretty much guarantee that I've used a burp cloth to clean it up.

I love my diaper bag. I know plenty of people who say you don't need a diaper bag, but I find ours really helpful. It has lots of pockets and cleans easily. I think whatever bag you choose to tote all your baby paraphernalia needs to have those two characteristics.

Baby contraptions - swings, bouncy seats, jumpers, high chairs etc. I think I'll do a whole post on these.... I have so many thoughts on the subject. As Will commented when I told him about this post "Oh, baby stuff. You certainly know a lot about that."

A good nursing chair (rocker/glider, etc). My father-in-law was super generous and bought us a glider (that also swivels! and reclines!) for our nursery. I LOVE it. And I've been asked if it "actually gets used" to which I reply, "Ummm, yes. A lot. I've spent many, many hours in that chair." My recommendation would be to get something comfortable for you - something you can take a nap or four hundred(thousand) in.

These swaddle blankets. They're awesome. Seriously - if no one buys them for you go out and get some for yourself. Also - make sure you know how to swaddle baby before you leave the hospital.

A snack catcher. You won't need this until baby starts to self feed, but it's one of the best inventions ever. Note: Do not attempt to put Cheerios in it - they're too small and will fly out and make a mess. The best snacks I've found to put in so far are goldfish, raisins and grapes (I've also seen people put animal crackers inside). The snack just needs to be either large-ish (goldfish) or sticky (raisins).

Joseph sleeping in the Moby.

A baby carrier (or 3). I have 3 - I LOVE two of them (my Moby and my Ergo) and am just eh about my Bjorn. I definitely don't wear my babies all the time, but a carrier is super useful.
I use my Moby wrap (which was given to me by a friend who couldn't figure out how to use it) for the first month-ish after baby is born. I like it for this stage because it snuggles baby right up to your skin and acts like a blanket around them - perfect for that early bonding while still allowing you to get things done - type, read, clean, cook, etc :) My only qualm with the Moby is it's a little hot and a bit of a hassle to put on/take off.
Once baby is bigger and not sleeping quite as much I use my Bjorn (which I got at a baby sale for $20). I use the Bjorn for as short a time as possible. I like that it has the option for head support so I use it when I'm going shopping or doing chores around the house where I'll be bending over or moving around a lot and need baby's head to be supported. The Bjorn I have is killer on the back (all of baby's weight is put on your shoulders with no waist support) which is one of the reasons I use it as little as possible. It's also known to cause hip dysplasia for baby later in life which worries me and is another reason I try not to use it too much.

Joseph hanging out in the Ergo.

As soon as baby hits 14ish pounds (I still can't figure out exactly when you can start using the Ergo without the infant insert) I switch to my Ergo. I love my Ergo. It was given to me as a gift before Joseph arrived - so awesome! I use the Ergo until baby refuses to be worn any more - for Joseph that was around a year, but I know some babies who love to be worn until you tell them they're too big :)
Note: You can use the Moby wrap until baby is quite big (I've seen people put toddlers in them), so if you like the Moby you can definitely get by with only buying this baby carrier or using it until baby is big enough for the Ergo...or you can just buy the infant insert for the Ergo.

Butt paste or something to treat diaper rash. I use this stuff. Some babies seem to have more diaper rashes than others, but I don't think I've ever met a baby who has never had a diaper rash. I've found that if you keep up with changing baby's diaper then you'll dramatically reduce the number of diaper rashes (don't let a poop diaper sit - change it immediately even if you just changed their diaper)!!!

A nursing cover (if you plan on nursing). This is immensely helpful when you're out in public - especially when you're a novice nurser. I still feel like a novice when it comes to being discreet, so this thing has been a life saver for me. For those of you gifted with sewing skills - you should be able to find a pattern online fairly easily and make your own :)


Stuff that ended up being a complete waste of space (or that I skipped out on because I thought it would be a complete waste of space/money)
Baby shoes - Baby does not need shoes until s/he starts to walk. Sure, they're cute. But good luck keeping up with them!
Wipe warmer - Get one if you'd like, but this is definitely not necessary.
Gas drops - I can't even think of anyone I know who has used these (or maybe they have and I just don't know). One of the best ways to help your baby avoid gas is to burp them during and after each feeding. If your baby still has some gas I've found a little leg pumping (moving baby's legs like they're riding a bike - this will help the gas move through their digestive system and help baby get it out) will usually take care of it.
Dreft - Totally not necessary. You can use whatever detergent you like. I think the main thing is to make sure whatever detergent you use is scent and dye free.
Hanging diaper holder - We have one that came with out nursery set and it has basically just been a waste of space.
Nursery sets - Just buy a couple sheets and whatever decorations you want for the room and skip buying a whole set. The set I bought (and paid a ridiculous amount for) came with bumpers (that we never used), a quilt (that I hung on the wall so it at least got some use) and a diaper hanger (which never got used). So, I ended up paying a ton of money for a sheet (it came with one sheet), a crib skirt and a valance.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 50)

 

1) We'll just title this Quick Takes "Welcome Baby John!" since I've been meaning to do a post announcing our sweet John's birth, but just haven't gotten around to it.

John Francis
2/7/13  10:43am
8lb.  20.25in.

2) I've been trying really hard to take as many pictures of John as I did of Joseph, but I've had to remind myself several times to take pictures and we already missed the "mommy, daddy and baby" picture in the hospital. Oh well. Here are a bunch of other pictures to make up for that.

Daddy and John (dodging the camera)

3) This was taken in the 3.2 seconds Joseph stayed on the chair. Despite what it looks like in this picture, Joseph wasn't the least bit interested in his baby brother. He was interested in all the cool stuff in my hospital room and wanted to get back to causing trouble.

4) Don't worry - Joseph has showed interest in his little brother since then and even enjoys posing for pictures. We've had to do a lot explaining about how the bouncy seat is John's chair - it isn't for Joseph to sit or play on (especially when John is in the bouncy). I'm happy to report that we are casualty free thus far.

5) Grandpa came to visit for a few days and made us some delicious food. Joseph loved having his Grandpa around. He got pretty spoiled by Grandpa. Grandpa let him watch him cook (by holding Joseph for ridiculous amounts of time while preparing food). Grandpa read the same books over and over and over...and over and over and over. And Grandpa, of course, played basketball with him. But don't worry, Grandpa also got a chance to hold baby John :)

6) Have I mentioned that John LOVES his pacifier? It's true. He loves it a lot. 

Don't even think about taking my paci away.

7) On a related (but not cute) note. I weighed myself today. I knew I shouldn't have done that. These pictures should make up for that mistake, no?

7a) Our first mommy, daddy and John photo - to make up for the missed pic in the hospital. Bonus: Will is smiling and his eyes are open (and John isn't completely blocking his face)!

Thanks to Jen for hosting!

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 49)

1) Today is going to be a whirlwind of a day. It starts with a doctor's appointment (that hopefully shows labor is imminent) immediately followed by me hosting mom's group (most likely my last mom's group before the arrival of #2). Then this afternoon I head to a 3-day silent retreat. Hopefully Joseph will get a nap in there somewhere so I have a chance to get ready for the retreat.

2) I'm super excited about this retreat. First of all, it's a silent retreat. I've only been on one other silent retreat, and I loved it. It should be a good, relaxing, spiritually engaging time. Although I am a little worried about being away from Joseph for two nights. It will be my first time being away from him for even one night let alone two. But that's part of the reason we're doing this - to prepare Joseph (and me) for my hospital stay.

3) I found this website that tells you your chances of going into labor on a given day this week. Being the math nerd that I am, and wanting this baby out means I pretty much love it and check it on the daily. Not that me checking some website is going to get the baby out, but I like to know my odds for going into labor on any particular day.

4) I think I've mentioned before that Joseph's vocabulary is taking off, and it's true. He mimics words like crazy now. He pretty much tries to say everything we say and does a fairly good job pronouncing words. It's so nice that he's (generally) able to communicate what he wants now. We don't always understand, but our communication seems to get better by the day, and that's really nice.

5) Joseph loves numbers and counting. I will often let him watch Sesame Street (usually once a day), but occasionally he gets a little bored (the fairy portion bores him most days) so he goes and plays with his toys during the "boring" parts, but as soon as someone starts counting he perks up and runs back to the TV. It's pretty cute to watch. He also tries to say the numbers back to the TV and will dance along with the characters when they're counting. I can tell he's really interested and that makes me so happy! He's taken a particular liking to the number 9. So, when we count with him he says "9" anytime he doesn't know the next number. He can also point out the number 9 in his counting books (although he frequently thinks the number 6 is 9). He will often flip to the page with the number 9 and say "nine!" in the most southern accent you can imagine - it really sounds more like "nahn!"

6) My Christmas post is coming soon (finally), but here's a picture that didn't make it into the post (or maybe it will make it in, who knows). This was taken as soon as we let Joseph out of the stroller at Disney's Magic Kingdom. Instead of going into the Monster's Inc. show he just sat down on this ledge of concrete. Go figure. He was in the most magical place on earth and he wanted to sit here. Don't worry - it didn't last too long before he moved on to bigger and better things.

7) Have a lovely weekend!!

Thanks to Jen for hosting. Now go check out some more Quick Takes!

A Different View of Pregnancy

I've wanted to document how this pregnancy has been different from my pregnancy with Joseph for a while now, but have had a hard time sorting through all my thoughts. This past Friday at mom's group we were discussing the differences between our first and second pregnancies. This helped me process my thoughts and realize that my experience is not unique.

I've been a little cautious about writing this post because I haven't been as ecstatic about this pregnancy as I was when I was pregnant with Joseph. It isn't that I don't want to be pregnant, or that I somehow don't appreciate and love this baby as much I love and appreciate Joseph. It's just that the newness of pregnancy has worn off and the reality of having a toddler in the house has set in. I'm much busier now than I was when I was pregnant with Joseph. I don't have time to stare at my stomach in awe when the little guy kicks around. Those precious kicks have - somehow - become commonplace. The size of my stomach isn't the wondrous gift that it was with Joseph. It's more of a hindrance to me when trying to pick up or wrangle Joseph.

So, while I've enjoyed being pregnant this go 'round well enough. It just isn't as exciting as it was with Joseph. One major difference, however, is my appreciation for being pregnant. When I found out we were pregnant with Joseph I had a bit of an entitled attitude. As in - "Yeesh. That took forever!" (it didn't actually take that long for us to get pregnant, but I wanted to be pregnant RIGHT. NOW. So, it felt like forever.). I somehow felt that I deserved to be able to get (and stay) pregnant right away.

37 weeks with #2

This time I was more in awe of the gift that God had given us. I understood that this was a gift - a gift that many people don't receive. I had a much better sense of just how precious life is. When I first saw the positive result on the pregnancy test I was shocked and elated and overwhelmed with gratitude. I immediately began to pray thanking God for this precious gift of new life. All that afternoon I kept looking at the cross and smiling and praying again. It was surreal. I really didn't think we'd get pregnant so soon. It was also a blessing that Will was working from home the day I found out, so I got to tell him right away. I didn't experience this kind of excitement when I found out we were pregnant with Joseph.

I wish I had been less selfish the first time around so I was able to take in the wonder of God's creation. And I'm grateful for the work God has done to my heart so that I was able to catch a glimpse of His Greatness with our second, precious son.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 48)

1) Countdown to my due date: t - 4weeks 5 days (assuming I go into labor on my due date). I can't believe how close I am. I remember counting the days with Joseph, but with this pregnancy it seems like the whole thing has flown by. I've barely managed to keep up with my bi-weekly pregnancy photos (I actually missed my picture holding "the sign" yesterday, but I did get a quick shot with photo booth). I have an inkling that this baby is going to come early - although I'm not sure how early I think he'll come. But I also thought our boy was a girl, so we'll see how this prediction pans out.

ready to go down the big slide

2) My patience has been somewhere along the lines of non-existent lately. I'm not sure why. Probably because I haven't been getting as much sleep. Joseph has been waking up early and I haven't been resting at all during the day because I feel the need to get stuff done. I'm going to try to take it a little more easy for a few days to see if my patience improves.

3) Nesting is in full force. I'm really glad I've been able to get a lot of things checked off my to-do list. And I'm starting to feel prepared for the baby, which is good just in case my early-arrival prediction is correct. Unfortunately, all the baby-related tasks have taken precedence over my regular cleaning schedule. I'm hoping to remedy that and do somewhat of a "deep clean" this coming week.

4) Does all the bickering about attachment parenting vs. non attachment parenting drive you nuts? It drives. me. crazy. Why can't people just parent however they like and move on with their lives? This goes for a lot of parenting stuff. All families aren't the same. There isn't a one-size-fits-all way to parent. I do enjoy a good, respectful discussion, but please no judging or assuming.

giving the Great Goofini a kiss

5) I'm going on a retreat February 1-3 before the baby arrives (assuming he doesn't make his appearance before then), and I can't wait! I'm really looking forward to having some time to relax and work on my spiritual life before the craziness of two kids hits. It will also be a good "trial run" for Joseph being away from me for a couple days. Not to mention it'll be good father-son bonding time.

6) I recently stumbled upon this blog and wanted to pass it along. I am Kristy's aide for Kindergarten CCD and I've really enjoyed getting to know her and her family this year. They're currently trying to adopt a second child, but are stuck until they can raise about $20,000. You can check out their website to find out more about them. Even if you can't contribute financially would you please join me in praying for them?

7) I can't believe Joseph is already 18 months old! He continues to grow at a crazy pace and amaze me with all the new things he learns every day. Happy 18 months little man!

Thanks Jen for hosting this week even though you're under the weather!

See? See?

We're in full nesting mode over here. There are lists. Lots and lots of lists. And there is organizing, purging, reorganizing, ideas and the rehashing of said ideas with the hubs.

It all started right around the new year when I realized that #2 would be here in less than 2 months and I didn't even have Joseph's new room ready yet. Actually, I hadn't even started working on his room. Oh, I had talked about what I would do - what I needed to do. I had talked a lot about that, but I hadn't actually done anything. Then we got home from Christmas vacation and I realized we needed a little more action and a little less talk.

I ordered the crib and started searching for dressers online. Once those two items were taken care of I moved on to organizing aaaaaaall the baby clothes. So far Joseph and I have spent two afternoons organizing everything. I think one more afternoon and I'll have everything sorted into its appropriate bin and stored in its proper place.

The crib came yesterday afternoon which made me crazy happy. The store said it was going to take 2-3 weeks to come in then another 1-2 weeks to be delivered. That time line made me a little nervous because I want to transition Joseph into his new room before #2 arrives. Now all I have to do is assemble Joseph's new crib and move his clothes into his new room. We should be able to start the transition this weekend once all the essential stuff is done (the crib is the final piece of "essentials"). I can't wait!

35 weeks

In other news Joseph's vocabulary is exploding. I won't even try to list all the words he knows now (or will I?). It's really nice that he's learning so many words so quickly. It makes communicating with him much easier. I do a lot less guessing to figure out what he wants because he can (generally) verbalize his wants.

One of his favorite things to ask for/do lately is "See? See?" whenever I'm in the kitchen and especially when I'm cooking. It was really cute at first, but it's pretty impossible to actually cook while holding him so he can See? See? everything. And I'm afraid to show him how to pull up a chair to the counter so he can watch because I'm pretty sure he'd do more than just watch and we'd end up in the ER. So, for now I've whipped out the trusty old high chair (which had been retired until recently) in order for him to have a better look at what I'm doing. It usually buys me a solid 5 minutes (and sometimes even up to 15 or 20 minutes!!!) to get things done without having to constantly pick him up or hear him say See? See? a million times in a row.

A couple other cute words he's picked up are melmo (Elmo), fway (tray), pway (pray), cahm down (calm down), and pweece (please).

He can also climb in and out of his booster seat without any help now which is a huge relief for my back/ginganto stomach. So, whenever he wants to eat he just climbs in and asks for his fway (or fwoot (fruit) or whatever food it is that he wants).

Sorry guys, but I'm starting to feel the nesting itch again, so I'm off to get stuff done. Have a lovely afternoon!