17 Weeks

Most notable is that sometime last week (after I wrote the 16 week post) I started realizing that what I had been thinking "might" be the baby kicking/moving in there was actually the baby kicking and moving in there! 

So that is new and exciting. Not very strong yet, and can't feel from the outside yet, but every now and then there's a small reminder that Baby H #2 is rolling around in there. 

Need to update this post with a photo, I've been meaning to take one since depending on what shirt I wear, I do actually look pregnant sometimes. 

Tyler- 18 months

Tyler is 1.5 years old...officially closer to 2 than 1 and boy is he acting like it!

New Skills

- Feeding himself. He rarely allows Kevin or I to get close to him with a fork or spoon...he wants to do it himself! Which means meals take forever, with varying degrees of actual eating. Sometimes it's frustrating for us because it'd be soooo much easier if we could do it for him but it takes a little mental reminder to say hey, this is actually cool to watch him want to be so independent.

- "What's that?" Said 500 times per hour. Also, large mental reminder to say hey, this is how he is going to learn all the words in the world so answer the question...every time...even when he has already asked 499 times in the last 58 minutes. 

- Puzzles. Tyler got some great wooden puzzles for Christmas and when we opened one that day, he looked at the pieces, tried 1 measly time to put it in its proper resting place and when it didn't go, he literally dropped it and walked away without a second glance. Less than 1 month later and he is a pro. A few days ago he was sitting by himself on the floor, took all the pieces out, put them all back in and then stood up to look at me and gauge my reaction. Of course, I clapped and cheered and now, now he is a puzzle finishing professional who practices many times a day. 

- Vocabulary- Mama has finally arrived although I still get called "daddy" a lot! Eat and hi are new this week. We have taught him baby, which he says is a soft high pitched voice, different than his usual voice. He must be imitating the way we say it to him...which I love. My favorite thing he says though, besides mama, is touchdown...we think he should get bonus points for his 2 syllable word even though he doesn't quite meet the milestone in this arena for his age. He's been saying it for a few months now and every time he does it makes me laugh!

Old Favorites

- Legos 

-Kitchen bowls and spoons...but he has graduated to this...

Tyler by the numbers

Weight- 27 lbs, 9 oz 

Height- 32.5" 

Sleep- bedtime 7pm (if not 630) wake up 7am (if not 730) 

Napping- 1 nap most days (2-3 hours long)

Quotable

16 weeks

Things are really jammin' these days. The process of growing our family this year also brings with it the realization that we are simultaneously outgrowing our home. Our 2 bedroom townhome is glorious and perfect for the 3 of us but seems to be 1 bedroom shy of perfect for our incoming "family of 4" status. With that said, we are going to use the next 5ish months of pregnancy to prepare our house for selling- selling our house (fingers crossed its that easy), buying a bigger house AND moving into it. 

Does this sound enjoyable? Here's the thing...while we just catapulted ourselves into a timeline of intense, 2015 is SURE to be remembered as the year we did SO many things to make progress towards the vision that Kevin and I have of what our family/life will be. I know it will be challenging but I hope that we can keep that perspective while we try to do all of the above mentioned "tasks" before Baby H #2 arrives. Curveball- we will be doing this during soccer season. 

Bring it on. 

Painting estimates were obtained last week. De-cluttering began the day we got home from all Christmas festivities this year. And it continues. I even sold a few clothing items that were destined for Goodwill on a local buy-sell-trade page and have profited $24 so far! $10 of which is being used to buy the new baby's first cloth diapers, since I didn't start with Tyler until he was 6 months old I need to fill in the gap between newborn-6 months with some smaller sized diapers. (More on that in a future post) 

Yesterday we cleared out an entire dresser in our bedroom by relocating or removing (goodwill or garbage bag!) the clothes it contained. The dresser then went into our storage closet in the basement so our bedroom looks less "cluttered" and more spacious to prospective buyers. I think we will say this a lot over the next few months of continued prep...we should've done this years ago!! 

We are working hard to take stock of what we have, what we use and what we need (and need to get rid of). It isn't painless- the work or the getting rid of- there is always a reason to keep but at the end of it all, we hope to lighten our load for moving, lighten our lives of stuff and enjoy the more important things more! (Not quite minimalist living but future posts coming about that too) 

Tyler Got Promoted!

Well, well, well...here's the latest...

Tyler is a big brother! 

He, and we!, are very excited about Baby H. #2's impending arrival (July 5, 2015). 

First Trimester Mumbo Jumbo

I started this post as a draft so many weeks ago (10, to be exact) when No one knew but Kevin and I. So here are my thoughts before everyone knew there were thoughts to be had...

6 weeks
I'm pregnant! I took a test last Thursday that came back negative, I traveled to Kansas City for a soccer tournament over the weekend. I came home and took another test Monday morning that was positive which didn't surprise me...I had been starving. Like non-stop hungry so for future reference, even if the first test says negative I should determine if I am pregnant or not based on my appetite!

7 weeks
I feel great. I don't feel "first trimester-y" at all. Yay! I'm going to work out and be fit and active and feel great this pregnancy. Ya! I am so shocked I don't feel bad. This is going to be awesome. (Or so I thought....in hindsight, less than 1 week later, BOOM first trimester hit me like a ton of bricks.)


8 weeks (or so I thought)
First ultrasound! In which we found out I am probably really only 7 weeks along. TORTURE. During this early part of pregnancy, which isn't the greatest or most enjoyable, every week that passes feels like a serious victory. Both for being one step closer to the second trimester and (hopefully) less nauseous and crappy feeling AND for the further comfort of knowing this baby is still growing and thriving in there. So 7 weeks it is.

8 weeks (again).
Leaving to go on vacation tomorrow and I am both excited and nervous. Don't know how it's going to be leaving Tyler for this long, don't know how I'm going to feel while down there and am hoping that the joy of being on vacation overpowers the crappy feeling of being right-smack-dab in the first trimester "fun".

9 weeks
Turns out, vacation was great! I randomly started eating ketchup and mustard, which I never eat at home. As well as made quick friends with the beach-side grill's french fry server...he literally knew me, and knew to fill my entire plate (not just a small side serving). I need salty foods these days and could totally do without sugar or dessert which is so weird for me. I learned during Tyler's pregnancy that our body "craves" what vitamins and minerals it needs so I know to embrace it, not try to ignore it...That this process of craving actually is purposeful (like so many other parts/symptoms of pregnancy)...so I started putting salt on many foods (which I also never do). I figure if my body wants it that bad, that the baby must really need it or be draining me of it.
We also let our secret out, only to the friends who were traveling with us, because clearly I wasn't going to be drinking while on our trip. It was exciting to tell although it still doesn't really seem real yet. When we got back home, we had to tell ourselves OK no more baby talk because we were able to talk about it so much over that week, since it was just us and our friends who knew.


10 weeks
Kevin just reminded me yesterday that I am 10 weeks now! I am usually the first to remember, every week past is one week closer to baby! (and feeling better) He also reminded me that before I even considered or thought I might be pregnant, I mentioned to him one night that I needed to buy new shampoo because I, all of a sudden, despised the smell of the shampoo I had been using for weeks. Reason #5,280 why I should've known....same thing happened to me when I was early in Tyler's pregnancy and I had to buy new shampoo then too! I, however, didn't put 2 and 2 together and had completely forgotten that even happened until Kevin brought it up again yesterday.

14 weeks
Well this isn't technically first trimester mumbo jumbo anymore because I'm 14 weeks...BRING ON THE SECOND TRIMESTER. The fact that there hasn't been any mumbo jumbo for the past 4 weeks means 1 thing, and 1 thing only, this tiny little baby was certainly throwing her weight around. (We do not know the gender, but if I haven't already mentioned this above, I am certain it's a girl. As certain as I was for all 9 months that Tyler was a boy- so I wouldn't bet against me. In a few months, I'll come to terms with the fact that I may not actually know for sure but for now, I'm sure.)
Anyway, the last few weeks of mumbo jumbo should be written like this !?@#>#!

Moving along, I feel much better now. Miraculously like I will, at least, be able to handle life until July. Once July shows up, and the new baby arrives, all bets are off...but until then, it appears I'll be able to function like a semi-normal individual.