Another appointment update

Let me just say that I think this little girl is on the same path her brother was, she’s going to be a big one! Once again I was amazed at what the scale read when the nurse finally stopped moving it higher and higher! It’s only been two weeks, but I’ve seemed to pack on another 5 pounds! I have managed to push myself over the 150 pound mark. I tried to convince myself, and hopefully my doctor, that my gain was due to the Thanksgiving holiday! We shall see what the next read is in two weeks. Like I said before, I got the “Everything looks great, we’ll see you in two weeks” instructions from Dr. L.

Random topics

Where do I begin! A couple of things have happened in the last couple of days. To begin with, we almost made it a whole month without an accident report from school! Michael had to sign an accident report yesterday because another child in Austin's class had scratched his cheek and nose. They look nasty but Austin is enjoying getting to put antibiotic cream on his face. He thinks he needs to apply it to his whole cheek every 15 minutes.

Austin had an appointment with his Ear, Nose & Throat specialist today. Dr. R has stated that both of his tubes are still in his ears and will need to be surgically removed. Dr. R would like him to get through the winter with the tubes so our next appointment will be at the end of February. At his appointment in February Dr. R will evaluate his tubes again and more than likely we’ll set a surgery date. During the surgery Dr. R will remove the tubes and reconstruct the holes from where the tubes were located. Austin’s appointment is 8 days after my due date so hopefully our little girl will make her arrival early or on time! Ideally I’d like Austin to have surgery when I’m on maternity leave. I'm sure it's not going to be as extensive as when the tubes were placed in his ears but you never know.

Tomorrow is my turn to go to the doctor. Considering that my husband has made a comment in regards to me looking like I have a bowling ball in my stomach, I’m interested to see how things are going! I’m sure Dr. L will tell me the same exact thing he’s told me every time I’ve gone in for a check up, “Everything looks great, I’ll see you in two weeks.”

We are supposed to be getting some unusual weather for Texas tomorrow. Our high is supposed to be 44 degrees. The Weather Channel is predicting periods of rain and freezing rain in the morning and then it will become partly cloudy. They have also summed it up in one word. Cold. After turning the heat off, we may have to turn it back on again in the morning. It’s kind of strange how it’s going to go from in the 70’s today to 40’s tomorrow. And of course since we’re in Texas and people drive like idiots when it rains out, just imagine what it’s going to be like if there is freezing rain. I better leave for work an hour early tomorrow! Here are some pictures of Austin from last week; he’s really going to need his hat tomorrow! Can you tell that he was trying to finish watching the rest of Little Einstein's before we had to leave for school!

Has it been a year already?

We have been in Texas a whole year! It seems like yesterday that Austin and I were in the car headed down here anxiously anticipating Michael’s return! So, being here a year also means that our lease is coming to an end at the end of the month. And, because it’s Michael and I, we have decided once again to move into a different house! There are several reasons why we have chosen to move again. The three of us don’t really fit in our current house, we’d like to get away from two floors and we would like to not have neighbors who share the same dwelling. The duplex scene is not for us any more and we’re really excited about getting a “house.” Well, renting a house. We’re hoping to have a house picked out by the middle of the month so that we are all moved and settled by Christmas. I’m really anxious to get my Christmas tree up, but I’m holding off until we move. There is no sense in putting it up, having to take it down, move it and put it back up again. So we’ll keep you updated on our moving status!

Another Pregnancy Update

Week 28 is here! Only 12 more to go! Hopefully this baby will decide to come early like her brother did! Austin's arrival a week early was better than being overdue! Of course if she decides to be stubborn like she was for all of her ultrasounds I could be in trouble! It would be my luck that she would be overdue! I’ll be visiting my doctor again on Thursday afternoon for yet another check up and step on the dreaded scale! I’m assuming that my blood work for gestational diabetes was normal as I have not received a phone call from the doctor’s office. I’ll be sure to post an update after my appointment. There might not be a weight gain update, but an update on everything else will be provided! But anyways, here is some more information on the 28th week of pregnancy!

By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes -- which now sport lashes -- and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.

And of course you can’t get an update on one without the other. Here are some cute pictures of Austin in his new bath robe!

Christmas Wish List

After questions about what Austin would like for Christmas, I have made him a wish list at Wal-Mart. Austin doesn't really need anything, but we have chosen some things he might like! Click here for his list. I have also added the link to his list in the "Links" section in the right hand column for future reference!

I got him!

TMX Elmo will be under our Christmas tree this year! It took some leaps and bounds to get him, but I finally was able to purchase one online today! I know a little boy who is going to be very excited on Christmas morning…

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! We're planning to just stay at home today and relax! Today will be my first attempt at cooking a turkey dinner! The turkey is already in the oven and I'm interested to see how everything else is going to turn out! We should be just about ready to eat when the Lions game comes on TV!

Who's going shopping tomorrow? It certainly won't be me; I'll be stuck at work! I can't imagine that we're going to be extremely busy, but you never know. So while I get to go to work, Austin and Daddy are planning on hanging out at home!

While we're far away from family today, know that we're thinking about everyone and wish them a great Thanksgiving! Make sure you check out the Thanksgiving greetings from Austin in the post below!

Update!

Our turkey dinner turned out great! If Austin's 4 helpings of turkey were any indication, he thought it was good too! He was very impatient while waiting for everything to be finished up after we took the turkey out of the oven. He thought that since the turkey was out of the oven that it was time to eat. Needless to say, he got his plate about 10 minutes before Mommy and Daddy did! We all stuffed ourselves and then took a nap! I hope Austin didn't get too much turkey earlier, he'll be eating it for dinner tonight! Here's some pictures of our Thanksgiving Feast:

Happy Turkey Day from Texas

27 Weeks

I have made it to week 27 out of 40! Here is some more information about what is going on with the baby this week!

Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week she weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with her legs extended. She can now open and close her eyes, and she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. She may suck her fingers, and although her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning -- with assistance -- if she were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to her, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what she's thinking?

Today she had the hiccups on multiple occasions!

How is your day going to be?

Any indication from Austin this morning - it's going to be a grouchy day! He has already stated that he doesn't want to go to "school" today, but little does he know that he has to go today and half a day tomorrow and he's done for the week! Daddy is going to pick him up early tomorrow when he gets out of his "school." They’ll be able to spend some good quality time together! Daddy has plans to pick him up, go to lunch and then come home and take a nap with Austin!

Well, let me get my tractor/truck driver ready for school! He’s trying to drive his tractor over the keyboard as I type this!

It’s a sad day at our house here in Texas…I had to turn the heat on this morning to keep from being too cold. So much for not having any form of heating/air conditioning on for over a month…

Doesn't he look grouchy!

How do you do laundry?

There is a certain way of doing laundry here at our house. It's called: "you can't start a load of laundry without Austin" method. Here's how it goes:

1. Mommy puts Austin on top of the dryer

2. Mommy turns the dial to the necessary spot

3. Austin pulls the dial out to start the water

4. Austin helps pour the soap into the cup, Mommy dumps it into the washer

5. Mommy hands to clothes to Austin, he proceeds to put them in the washer

6. Austin helps pour the fabric softener in the cup, Mommy dumps it into the washer

7. Austin gets to dump 3 cups of additional water on the clothes after the fabric softener is gone

8. Austin puts the top back on the fabric softener and screws it on

9. Mommy closes the washer, Austin steps on top of the washer and then jumps into Mommy's arms!

Of course he must help with moving the clothes from the washer to the dryer once their done washing! His favorite part about this is that he gets to clean the lint off the trap. He does not however, help me fold or hang up the clean clothes. I guess I'll have to wait a few years for that. No matter how hard I try, I can never get a load of laundry started without my little helper!

Appointment update

So, I guess I forgot to give the update regarding my doctor's appointment yesterday! I can't imagine why it slipped my mind... Anyways, I had my 26 week check up yesterday. It was the big day for my glucose test. After arriving at the doctors office, I had to drink that really sugary juice and then wait an hour. After the hour was up the nurse drew my blood. If anything should be abnormal with the test the doctors office will call me. I'm not expecting a call but we'll see. While I was waiting I saw my doctor, weighed in and had my blood pressure checked. It's hard to believe that I've almost doubled my whole pregnancy weight gain in 4 weeks! I gained 8 pounds in 4 weeks; bringing my total weight gain to 19 pounds! At the rate I'm going, this could be the last weight gain update I put on the website! I wouldn't want to embarass myself anymore! The baby's heartbeat sounded great and when my doctor asked me if she was moving, I informed him that she is constantly moving! He ended up giving me a prescription because I still have this cold/allergy thing going on. I also asked him if it was normal that my belly button should hurt when pushed back into where it's supposed to be. When it gets pushed back in it hurts! He informed me that I do in fact have a little hernia but it should be nothing to worry about. It should go down on it's own after the baby is born. Guess what that means for Austin? He's got to start walking like a big boy all the time. I'm not going to be able to pick him up anymore and picking him up all the time could be the culprit of the hernia! But anyways, I go back in 2 weeks. I can't believe that it's already time to start going every 2 weeks, that just means that I'm getting closer and closer to my due date!


One more thing...how come my child likes to sleep in on the days we have to get up in the morning and not on the weekends? In the picture below he woke up at 5 am but then crawled into bed with me (because Daddy's not home and can get away with it) and slept until I had to wake him up to get dressed for school. I hate waking him up too because he's such a bear if he's awoken from his slumber! Not to mention the fact that he just looks so darn cute when he's sleeping!

New Movie

Austin stumbled across his dinosaur costume from last Halloween and had to put it on! He then proceeded to run around saying raarrrrrrrr! I thought it was so cute that I decided to share it! It's not very long, he thought I was just taking his picture so he says "cheese" a lot!

Scary Dinosaur

Oh how they grow

Who would have thought that my child would have the attention span to sit at a table and assemble a 24 peice puzzle designed for 3-5 year olds? And not to mention, he's good at it too! (I have the right, as his mom, to brag about it right?)

I need your help!

Here's my newest adventure: find TMX Elmo! Of course I'm not going to be one of those parents who stands in line for 10 hours at 2:00 in the morning just to get one, but if I stumble across one then I'm going buy it! So, if anyone sees a TMX Elmo, get it! It's more than likely not going to happen, but if it does, I know one little boy will be happy on Christmas Day!

Bath time fun

Look out, there's a shark in the bath tub!

Although the pictures below were not taken while he was in the bath tub, I find them quite cute! Let me tell you the story behind these pictures!

After a surprise was found, Austin was instructed that he could not poop in the bath tub. I told him that "big boys" do not go poop in the bath tub and if he needed to go still then he should sit on the potty. Well, little did I know that we would spend the next hour jumping from the bath tub to the potty! If he was in the bath tub, he needed to go potty. After he sat on the potty for 10 minutes with no results, he was ready to get back in the bath tub. Wouldn't you know it, not 10 seconds after his toes hit the water he had to go potty again! Over and over again we did this for an hour! I must admit that I was very patient with him the entire time (although I was getting very frustrated on the inside)! Potty Elmo was very helpful in acheiving an end result! End result: Austin went pee in the potty, finished his bath with no additional surprises and is now in bed snoozing the night away!

100 days to go!

Today I am 100 days away from my due date! That seems so far away, but in reality, it's only a little over 14 weeks away! It shouldn't seem that far considering I've been pregnant for almost 26 weeks! Here's some info I found about the 26th week of pregnancy:

Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid -- good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air.

Now I know why the kicks are getting as hard as they are! Her movement seems constant and I'm really starting to feel the big shifts in position as she tries to get comfortable in there! Speaking of getting comfortable, that is something that is decreasing for me. Although I'm not as big as I'm going to get, we all know how big I got with Austin, I'm starting to feel uncomfortable when moving in certain positions and trying to bend down to pick something off the floor! I do seem like I'm more active with this pregnancy; who wouldn't be active with having a child who is almost three in the house!

I knew I would be in trouble if I had a girl! Although I'm not the most girliest girl around, I have succeeded in buying my daughter almost everything pink! I've been having dreams that I've had the baby already and she doesn't have any clothes to wear! I'm sure that's not going to happen, but I consider it a nightmare! I don't feel as prepared with this baby as I did with Austin. I guess once we start to get her room set up and get all of the baby things out again I might feel different.

I've been considering purchasing a double stroller. Michael doesn't see the need for a double stroller, but I think it will almost be a necessity with two kids! I asked him what he wanted me to do when I had to take both of the kids somewhere. I can't very well push the baby around in the stroller while trying to chase Austin down. Besides, when Austin decides that he doesn't want to walk anymore, the stroller is very handy and he enjoys riding! What does he care, it's not like he's ever going to be pushing the two of them around! We'll see, I haven't really found one that I like but I'm hoping that Michael will be more willing to agree with me if we get a Jeep one! I'd really like to get the double stroller that matches the car seat we already have, but apparently 3 years in between babies is too long for the stroller companies to keep the same pattern!

On other notes, Austin and I are starting to feel better, but we are nowhere close to being 100% yet! I was instructed to take Sudafed and that has made it a little easier to deal with. I just can't seem to shake the cough and congestion in my chest! I have to go to the doctor on Thursday for my check up anyways, so I'm sure if I don't feel better by then that my doctor will prescribe something!

I'm hoping that the dilemma of naming the baby will begin when Michael gets home from "school." Of course that will throw a curve ball to Austin, as we now have him saying "baby sister" after asking him what is in Mommy's belly! Before we knew that Austin was a boy we had decided (and agreed) on a girl's name. I still love the name we picked out but haven't really gotten a good feel about what Michael thinks. For those of you who don't know or remember, Abigail Elizabeth is the girls name we had decided on! Let us know what you think!

Coughs, sneezes & oreos

To sum it all up...we're miserable! At any given time Austin or I is either coughing, sneezing or blowing our runny noses! I'm not sure where we got it from, but it's not fun anymore! I'm sure mine is partly due to the significant weather changes we've had the last couple of weeks. Last week it was in the 60's and this week it's in the high 80's. I'm not complaining that the weather is still decent and it's only November, but feeling like this just plain sucks! On top of feeling like this, it doesn't help that I'm pregnant and don't have the ability to take the medication that usually works the best! Hopefully it will go away soon!

On other notes, Austin and I are getting used to being by ourselves again. Tonight after his bath, Austin was eating mini oreo cookies. Well...his version of eating oreo cookies is to pull the cookie apart, eat the middle, stick the cookie back together and put it back in his bowl. I'm not quite sure why he doesn't eat the outside, but it's kind of funny to watch him! Here are some pictures of him eating his cookies and being goofy! I'm off to bed, second night in a row that I've been in bed and asleep by 9:30!

Promotion

Meet the Army's newest Sergeant! Well, technically it's Daddy, but he wouldn't look as cute as Austin does in these pictures! Michael finally got promoted on Friday after a long delay, we won't say who's fault the delay was, but most of you know how the Army works! He's getting ready to go to yet another school for two weeks so Austin and I will be on our own again! We were helping Daddy roll up his sleeping bag and pack his bags and took these cute pictures while doing so...

Yet another goofy picture!

Saturday singing edition

Fun with the camera

For those of you wondering what my belly looks like...here it is at 24 weeks! Scary I know, but try and look past the stretch marks! Notice my belly button has already transformed from an innie to an outie! Why is it that your belly button protrudes when you're pregnant? And why does it hurt when you attempt to push it back in where it belongs?

While my belly is getting bigger, the summersaults seem to be stronger and happening more frequently. Austin is getting more opportunities to feel her move but always gets side tracked attempting to place my belly button back where it belongs! His version of watching his sister move is when my belly button pops back out. "Look Mommy, she's moving!" I'm sure he'll have plenty more opportunities to feel her move! If he only knew what was in there...

These are self portraits taken by Austin and I! Notice how his eyes are looking towards the camera! He was kissing his baby sister while patiently waiting for me to take the picture! We couldn't stop laughing at the pictures we were taking!

A new discovery

As you can see in the post below, I, with some help, have discovered how to add video clips to the website! Make sure your volume is turned up so you can hear Austin! We also captured him singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but I'm saving that one for a later date! Enjoy...

Jumping Austin