OB Appointment

Two posts in one day! Wow!

Today I went in for my 24/25 week OB appointment. I also had to have a repeat ultrasound because there were a few pictures of Baby Quillan that they were unable to get last time -- his profile and his aortic arch. True to my stubborn child's form, we were STILL unable to see his little profile. He's a stinker! But we got a few new pictures of his face. He is currently breech with his head on my right side and his buns/feet on my left side. Not surprising as I usually feel the kicks on the left. I was informed that my placenta had moved up and was no longer a cause for concern.... I never knew it was in the first place! But apparently it was a little low a month ago. I was happy to be oblivious! Quillan's heart rate was 158 at the ultrasound.

After the ultrasound, I had my usual appointment. My blood pressure was 104/62. I did not have to pee on a stick this time. But I did receive the lab paperwork and tasty drink for my glucose tolerance test. I opted for the lemon-lime flavor this time as I tried the orange flavor with Jacob. I hope I don't almost throw it up again this time. Nasty!!!!! Now I just have to motivate myself enough to do it one of these days. Not looking forward to it!

My belly/fundal height measured at 24.5 cm which was pretty darn near perfect. What a relief! I looked back at my pregnancy log with Jacob and at my 25 week appointment with him I measured at 30cm -- no wonder I ruptured later that week. I think we're in the clear here and will be rupture/complication free until D-day :-)

After my measurements (or rather all during them) I did a little whining to Dr. Rohn. I knew that all of my complaints were perfectly normal and that there was nothing I could do about any of them but I just had to whine anyway. Luckily he's a good sport about it.

I go back for my next appointment in 4 weeks.

Father's Day 2010

We had a good Father's Day this past weekend. Since Sunday, Father's Day, was also my dad's 60th birthday, we celebrated with Matt on Saturday.

I hung up a Happy Father's Day banner and he received cards and gifts from Jacob and myself. He got two cards from me because I just couldn't pick which one I liked better, and one card from Jacob. Then he got a Get Out of Jail Free card from me (which was an epic fail!) and a new polo shirt from Jacob. I think he liked it.

We also brought my father-in-law, Jim, his gift. Matt had gotten him a multi-purpose power tool. That is as much as I know about that!

I then spent the rest of the day working on the cake for my dad's party. Despite a few minor mishaps, I think it turned out pretty good. Especially for my second attempt at cake decorating. I got the idea for this cake from the Wilton website (I am not that creative on my own!)

On Sunday, we had our Combo Day celebration for my dad. The boys spent the morning golfing while the girls (and Jake!) spent the morning at the pool. The boys met up with us there later, when they were finished. Jacob had a great time in the pool. At first it was just us there, then later people started showing up. He had a blast. He went down the slide and played in the water. He kept trying to get into the big kids pool though! We had a lunch of hotdogs while we were there and kept on swimming. We were at the pool from a little after 10am until about 3pm. Then we went back to my parents' house and started dinner.

For dinner we had hamburgers, fruit salad, potato salad, and baked beans -- all my dad's choices. It was delicious. We ate outside on the deck. After dinner my dad opened his presents. Then we had cake and ice cream. We were all pretty exhausted by the end of the day but it was a great day!

REVIEW: Moby Wrap

Like many of the baby products I have come to love and adore, I did not discover the Moby Wrap until my son was older. I believe he was about eight or nine months old when I finally purchased one. There are several different kinds of Moby Wraps to choose from. The one I purchased was a turquoise colored wrap with UV protection.

Unlike the previous baby carrier I tried, the Moby Wrap was made up of one long piece of stretchy fabric (measuring 5.5 meters in length). Initially it seemed overwhelming to wrap this piece of fabric around my body in a way that would safely hold my son. However, I didn't struggle at all. It came with step-by-step instructions for how to wear the wrap that were easy as pie to follow. I did one practice round and felt comfortable enough to do it for real the second time.

There are many, many ways in which you can hold your child while wearing the Moby Wrap but the hold I used the most often was simply the Lotus Hold or the Hug Hold, simply because my son was so much older when we started using this. I look forward to trying out some more of the other holds with the new baby.

The best part about the Moby Wrap is not even how versatile it is, but how comfortable it is! As someone who has struggled with back problems for many years, it was important to me to have a baby carrier that gave good support on my back. The first baby carrier that we tried failed miserably in this category, leaving me with sore shoulders, neck, and back after less than 10 minutes of wearing it. Even as my son grew older and heavier, the Moby Wrap continued to give me good back support. This is because of the large piece of fabric that can be evenly spread over your shoulders and back, equally distributing the weight of the child to all areas instead of having his entire weight rest in the shoulders or lower back. I stopped using my Moby Wrap for now, not because my son became too heavy (as it can safely hold a child up to 35 lbs) but because as he became more active, he no longer liked to be held so much.

There are lots of great resources for using a Moby Wrap which can be found on their website. This includes video demonstrations on how to do various wrap techniques. The Moby Wrap is also machine washable making it very user-friendly!

Visit www.mobywrap.com to check out the various colors, designs, and styles of Moby Wrap (including a Mini Moby for kids to wear with their dolls! Super cute!) and/or purchase one of your own. You won't regret this decision!

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A Tribute to My Dad

"For the longest time, I guess I thought he didn't give a damn. Hard to read, hard to please, yeah that was my old man.... I didn't hear it then, but I heart it now. He was saying "I love you," the only way that he knew how." - Bucky Covington, A Father's Love

I was never close to my dad growing up. He spent a lot of time working -- even though he eventually worked from home -- and our personalities just seemed to clash. And, if we're being honest here, I was never the easiest person to get along with or deal with in my younger days (and maybe now too!) I remember thinking, on rare occasions (and even though deep down I knew it wasn't true), that he didn't even like me and that I would never be close to him. It wasn't until a few years ago that things changed.

I've spent some time thinking about our relationship recently. Tomorrow, June 20th, is Father's Day. But more than that, it is my Dad's 60th birthday! So, as an honor to my dad, here are a few memories I have from growing up...

* He rocked me to sleep while listening to Riders in the Sky or Emmy Lou Harris

* "Pretty Prairie Princess" by Riders in the Sky was "our song"

* He once sat on the edge of my bed and the bed collapsed

* We went on vacation when I was about 8 or 10 or somewhere in there and I brought along some Polly Pockets to play with in the car. Much to my disappointment, when I opened them up, I didn't have any of the Polly's in them. He drew and cut out a paper doll for me. It was WAY too big for the Polly Pockets but you know... I still have that paper doll to this day.

* He wrote me a poem called "Tomatoes Have Feelings Too" when I was a vegetarian. It pretty much made fun of me and vegetarianism.

* He used to always say "pull my finger"

* He used to always say I had something on my shirt and I fell for it every. single. time. (even twice in a row!!!) I would get sooo mad!!

* He wanted to make me a dollhouse when I was little. He worked with my Papa to do it but let my Papa take all the credit for it because it was important to him. I didn't find out until well after my Papa passed away that my dad even had anything to do with that dollhouse. (And my dad was never the one to tell me!)

* We went Black Friday shopping together. The first year we went we came up with this brilliant plan of how we were going to get in the store and get what we wanted. We had a great time. I also remember one year while we were waiting in line for something, we passed an electric guitar. He looked at it and just impulsively put it in his cart. I am not sure he played it more than the five minutes when we brought it home. He's just so impulsive like that and it's hilarious!

* When I called home crying my first night of college (or pre-college band camp) in his most supportive voice he said, "Uhh here's Mom!"

* In college when I couldn't get into a class that I needed, he stood up for me and helped me talk with the dean and get me into the class.

* He made me laugh, while crying, when he walked me down the aisle on my wedding day.

* He has always been there for me and our family. I have no idea why I thought he didn't love us when it's so obvious that he did.

My dad is a great man. He is a great person and father. He is hilarious. He is smart. He is also a smart-ass. I wouldn't change one thing about him. I love him so much! And even though he shows it in different ways, I know he feels the same about us. He is also the best Papa to Jacob. So patient with him and plays the same things over and over again because it makes Jacob happy. We are all so blessed to have my dad in our family.

For the longest time, I guess I thought

He didn't give a damn

Hard to read, hard to please

Yeah, that was my old man

On the day I left for college

It was nothing new

We never had that heart-to-heart

He had too much to do

He checked the air in my tires

The belts and all the spark plug wires

Said "When the hell's the last time

You had this oil changed?"

And as I pulled out the drive

He said "Be sure and call your mom sometime"

And I didn't hear it then

But I hear it now

He was saying "I love you"

The only way he knew how

120,000 miles

Six years down the road

A brand new life and a brand new wife

We'd just bought our first home

When he finally came to visit

I thought he'd be so proud

He never said he liked the place

He just got his tool belt out

And put new locks on the doors

Went back and forth to the hardware store

Said "Come and hold this flashlight"

As he crawled beneath the sink

And "These old wires ain't up to code"

And "That circuit box is gonna overload"
And I didn't hear it then

But I hear it now

He was saying "I love you"

The only way he knew how

Last Sunday, we all gathered

For his 65th birthday

And I knew he'd stiffen up

But I hugged him anyway

When it was finally time to say goodbye

I knew what we next

Just like he always does

Right before we left

He checked the air in my tires

The belts and all the spark plug wires

Said "When the hell's the last time

You had this oil changed?"

And as I pulled out of the drive

He said "Be sure to call your mom sometime"
And I didn't hear it then

But I hear it now

He was saying "I love you"

The only way he knew how

- Bucky Covington, A Father's Love

EnviBum

It's no secret that we use cloth diapers on Jacob. What might not be known is that I have spent a great deal of time researching cloth diapers and various brands to find a few new kinds that I'd like to try with Baby Q.

That being said, I recently came across a new (to me anyway!) kind of diaper called EnviBum. And I reeeeeeeally want to try these diapers. Here is what I like about them:

- They are all in ones (meaning they don't require a diaper cover) but are super soft

- No inserts are necessary but they can be put in for additional absorbency. (This means no stuffing on laundry day!)

- They are one size which means baby could wear it from birth to potty training

- They come in cute, vibrant colors; and best of all...

- $2 from every diaper purchased goes towards a charity, depending on the color (example: red diapers benefit the red cross, green diapers benefit food for the hungry, etc.) How awesome and original is that!?! I LOVE it!!

The only thing keeping me from {going crazy} buying these diapers is that they are over $20 a diaper. While this is not a bad price for a cloth diaper like this, it is not exactly in our budget either. However, I have the chance to win one of these diapers to try out from a blog that I follow: Familylicious. She has written a {great!} review of these diapers and is giving one away. To see the review and giveaway go here: click

Home Improvements

Since we're "stuck" here in this house, I have a bug up my butt about some things I'd like changed/fixed up. So here is my on-going list of home improvements I'd like to make... none of which will probably happen any time soon but a girl can dream, right?

- Repaint toy room

- Put up back-splash in kitchen

- Redo kitchen cabinets

- Put in a shower door instead of curtain in our bathroom

All Things Potty

It looks like potty training may be in our semi-near future. While I don't think Jake is quite ready to take on that adventure, he is becoming increasingly aware of and interested in all things potty. He seeks out pictures of potties in his books, he points to his diaper and runs to the bathroom to point to the toilet, and he is starting to point to his diaper any time he is wet. It's a good start, I think. But he isn't quite to the point where he knows or can tell us that he has to go, only that he has gone.

It sounds like a little kid potty will be working its way onto my shopping list soon. This is one I am considering getting... it gets good reviews, is not expensive or large, and transitions from a sit on potty to one that goes on the toilet with a step stool. And wouldn't this just look lovely in our bathroom?

In other news, Jake has now gone seven nights without a bedtime bottle. When he started fighting sleep again last weekend, I knew it was the perfect time to try again. After all, he was already unhappy at bedtime and requiring a few extra snuggles to drift off to sleep. So why not find the silver lining in something otherwise frustrating? So that's exactly what we did. I am proud to say that we are officially bottle-weaned! And the last two nights he hasn't even fussed when we left his room. Such a big boy!!!

one and a half

Today Jacob turned 18 months, one and a half. It's hard to believe that just six months ago we were celebrating his first birthday; that one year ago we were in awe at the fact that our sweet baby was already six months old; that eighteen months ago we were welcoming him into our lives and wondering just what we had in store for ourselves. Let me paint a picture of who Jacob is at 18 months....

At 18 months Jacob weighs 29.4lbs and is 31 3/4 inches tall. His head circumference is 50 cm. He has blonde hair that is curly in the back and dark blue eyes. He has 16 teeth.

Jacob doesn't really talk (that we can understand anyway) but he babbles constantly. He does say "dada", "daddy", and "yuck." He walks, runs, dances, claps his hands, and is good at following directions -- when he wants to! He is very smart and very curious. He knows his body parts (head, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, arms, elbows, hands, belly, bellybutton, chest, legs, knees, feet, toes) and animal sounds (dog, cat, cow, sheep, lion, monkey). He is very strong and very strong-willed. When he doesn't want to do something he will "protest" by standing with his hands and head on the floor. He hits. He loves making messes and getting into things he knows he's not supposed to. He does not like being told no or going to time-out. He responds pretty well to 1-2-3 discipline.

He loves attention but has a very short attention span. He is easily distracted and easily amused. He is also easily frustrated if he can't do something right away. He loves pretty much all forms of transportation -- trucks, cars, trains, boats, airplanes. His favorite part of the day is watching the mail truck and the school bus go by.

He likes to brush his hair but he hates to brush his teeth. He loves taking baths or showers but he hates having water poured over his head or having his face washed. He loves to play outside and to play with water. He loves music and vacuuming, books, blocks and balls, coloring, phones, remotes, and tupperware. He likes going for walks and playing at the park, going down slides and swinging. He likes climbing, pushing things (buckets, wagons, etc), filling and emptying things, opening and closing drawers and cabinets, and throwing things. He can go backwards on his ride-on toys but not forwards.

He likes feeding himself and using a spoon. He likes bananas, grapes, and pretty much any fruit. He dislikes green beans and hamburgers. He likes Gerber cereal bars and deli meat (turkey and ham) but he does not like trying new foods, especially those with a new texture. He drinks mostly whole milk from his sippy cup. He loves drinking from straws. He drinks some water and a very small amount of juice occasionally. He is currently being weaned from his bedtime bottle (for the second time).

He loves animals, especially dogs and cats. He loves his pets (Charlie and Isabelle/Kitty) but he is not very nice to them. He also loves birds and fish. He likes playing with the dog's food and water dishes and the cat's toys. He likes putting the cat's toys in her bag of food. He likes helping to feed them but usually makes a mess in the process.

He sleeps in his crib with his pacifier, cross, mama bear, and musical elephant. He does not like bedtime. He usually sleeps 12 hours a night and he mostly sleeps on his stomach. He takes 1 nap a day, right after lunch. It varies from about 1 hour to once in awhile 4 hours, with an average of about 2 hours. He likes tickles and is most ticklish at night right before bed. He poops twice a day; once when he wakes up in the morning and once after his nap.

He can point to pictures in books and can match objects in books. He knows who people are. He waves bye-bye but hates when people leave. He does not like staying still or getting stuck. He likes trees, especially big ones. He likes pulling on the oven because it makes a squeaking noise. He sometimes crawls with his head on the floor. He screams -- in fun and not in fun. He is good at imitating others and does a little fantasy play (mostly using objects as phones). He helps to dress and undress himself. He gives hugs and kisses. He loves to laugh. He also whines a lot. He stands on his tip-toes to reach things. And sometimes just for fun. And he always kicks off his right shoe when he's in the car, grocery cart, or stroller.

And if you couldn't figure it out by everything else that was said, let me summarize by this: Jacob is a pretty amazing little boy. We love him and are so proud of who he has become and what he has learned. We're so proud to be his parents.

It's a....

We had our 20 week (err 21 week) ultrasound on Friday, May 28th. Baby has all the right parts in all the right spots and is already about 1lb. And it's a BOY!!!! We're very excited to be having another little boy!! But we were VERY surprised as we both thought it was a girl.

Right before the ultrasound party that night Jacob fell off the porch and scraped up his nose.

Here's a few pictures from the day.

on our way, so excited

ready for the ultrasound

big brother jakey - before he fell off the porch

Team Blue - those who thought it was a boy (and were right!)

Team Pink - those who thought it was a girl (and were wrong!)

Our Family. Jake is holding the picture of his baby BROTHER