18 months

This morning we went in for C bug's 18 month visit.  18 months seems so much younger then 1.5 years so I refuse to tell her age in years.  She did amazing (as always) at her visit but we did find out that she has a heart murmur.  They scale it on a level from 1-6, 6 being the worst and she was a 1/2.  She said if she hadn't laid so still when she was listening to her heart, she might have missed it.  Derek had one and had to have surgery so we went ahead and got a referral to see a cardiologist.  Had Derek not had a history of it, they would have just monitored it.  Her oxygen levels were perfect at 98 so it isn't much of a concern at all.  Their super common and most grow out of them.  We'll get her checked out just to be safe and go from there.

Little bit weighed in at 21.8 lbs (11%) and was 31 inches tall (30%).  Wearing 12-18 month clothes, size 4 diaper and 5 in shoes. We're gonna push milk a little more throughout the day to try and get her some extra calories.  She is non stop so she just quickly burns off all the food she outs all.day.long.  She was introduced to fruit snacks this month and goes straight for them if you leave the pantry door open.  She is also going through a big pepperoni stage.  Some kids like ham or turkey, mine will only eat pepperonis.  And no bananas or raspberries for this girl.  Any other fruit she will gladly eat.  A perfect meal in her opinion would be cheese quesadilla, fries, blueberries and juice. We don't even buy juice because she just chugs it.

Sleeping has been hit or miss.  For the most part she sleeps from about 7:45pm-7:30am.  We had a rough 2 weeks this month with her waking about 10 of the 14 nights for HOURS at night.  We never found a reason but she is back to sleeping through the night give or take 1 night a week. She's fought bedtime a little the past week but usually just needs a couple extra minutes of cuddles and then she goes down without a peep.  She naps at about 12:45 for 1.5-2 hours. We went to an aquarium this month where she got a stuffed seal so it sleeps with her as well as her build a bear zebra she made and Minnie mouse that daddy brought home from a trip to Orlando.  Let's pray she doesn't come super attached to all 3.  We bought a toddler bed this month and are going to make the transition probably within the month.  Baby brother is going to use her crib and she's a monkey that I foresee climbing out of the crib any day now. 

She is SO independent.  She walks down the stairs now either holding someone's hand of the railing, obsessed with shoes and taking them off and on, can spit out her toothpaste, always wants to wash her hands and tries to change her own diaper and wipe herself with a wipe.  If she knew how to talk, I would think we would be ready for potty training.  If she doesn't get her way, watch out, a fit is sure to come.  Know what she does when she's mad? Rips her bow out.  Yep, she knows how to get under mommies skin.  She HATES time out and getting into trouble.  She can scrape her knees without a tear but if she gets her feelings hurt, the tears start rolling.  She grabbed my face at the doctors office today and laid a big kiss on me.  Turned me and the doctor into a puddle.  And her kisses come with sound now.  I just love hearing the mmmmuah when she gives or blows a kiss.

They only asked if she could say 5-10 words at her visit so I guess she's off the hook in the vocabulary department.  I'd say she can say 10-15 words.  Even if she can't speak them, she can point out animals, objects, food and some shapes from  a book.  She can follow directions and does so 90% of the time. 

Collins, you melt my heart on a daily basis.  You've started to call me mommy instead of mama sometimes and it gets me every single time.  You know exactly what to do to get a smile out of someone and love having all the attention on you.  I wish I could bottle this stage up because it might be one of my favorites. Love you baby girl, forever and always. 

26 weeks

How far along: 26 weeks (5/20/14)

Size of baby:  14 inches and 1 2/3 pounds. About the size of a scallion.

Feeling: It's been a bit of an emotional week. On 2 different occasions the tears started rolling. No reasons and their not easy to stop. Poor Derek :) Couple headaches here and there.  I don't know if I'm more out of shape this pregnancy or if my asthma is still bothering me a little bit but I am easily out of breath. Not so bad that I need to take my inhaler but Derek usually has to push Collins in the stroller up the hills on our nightly walks. 

Weight gain: um my scale just said 16 pounds.  I'm gonna blame the holiday weekend and that it's the end of the day.  Let's pray that's down about 5 pounds by my appointment in the morning. 

Gender: BOY!!  

Cravings: S'mores, had a bowl of peanut butter captain crunch every morning this week and not gonna lie, I really wanted some alcohol this Memorial weekend. Not drinking during the summertime is rough. 

Best moment this week: Listening to Collins try and say his name. 

Movement: At this point of the pregnancy, I'd be concerned if I didn't feel movement. Some movement up high sometimes way low. I'm guessing he is head down and anxious to get measurements tomorrow. 

Sleep: Having a bit of a hard time getting comfortable. I think it's time to bust the pregnancy pillow back out. I can't believe I haven't yet but I usually forget until I am in bed and then I'm way too lazy to get up and get it. Some leg cramping and multiple bathroom trips aren't helping the situation either. 

Maternity clothes: For the most part. Busted out the maternity swim suits this weekend too. I have a non maternity tankini that I wore but it's getting a bit too short. Nobody needs to see this pale belly. 

Milestones: Network of nerves in his ears are better developed so he may be able to hear not only my voice, but noises around me and other people.  Inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid. These breathing movements are essential for the development of the lungs. Sorry fella but I have to share that your testicles are beginning to descend into your scrotum. Oh the joys of having a boy :)

25 Weeks

 

How far along: 25 Weeks (5/13/14)

Size of baby:  Around 13 1/2 inches and a pound a half. About the size of a rutabaga.  Start packing on the pounds baby!!

Feeling: So much better. I still had a little cough during the night at the beginning of the week but I think it has finally went away.  I did have a headache or 2 nothing too bad.  I possibly had a Braxton hick contraction today. I hadn't drank much water so that's probably what brought it on.  I never had any with Collins so I'm not even positive I had one. I had some pain, lets just say that.

Weight gain: I honestly haven't weighed myself this week and it's just too far for me to go do right now.  I would guess around 11 pounds. My appetite is definitely coming back and the belly is getting quite large.

Gender: BOY!!  Poor kid still doesn't have a 100% for sure name. I'll give you a hint, it starts with D if we use the one we have been talking about.

Cravings:  Sugary things.  Donuts, popsicles, etc. Let's hope I pass my glucose test next week.

Best moment this week: We got Collins a toddler bed so operation nursery and Collins big girl room are going to be underway.  I found a dresser on Craigslist this weekend that I am hoping we can go pick up and I can paint for the nursery. 

Movement: Oh yes.  I know I just said last week that I thought he was still pretty low but I have felt him up much higher this week. It's crazy that he is almost his length he will be at birth but still has a lot of weight to gain.

Sleep: Decent. Derek was out of town almost the whole week so I never sleep good when I am alone but luckily Amy and the kids came for the weekend and Paxton and Harper took turns sleeping with me.  And still peeing 1-3 times a night.

Maternity clothes: Stupid Kansas weather. Last week it was in the 80s and this week it was in the 60s. Had to bust out the maternity jeans and long sleeve shirts again.

Milestones: Starting to exchange the long lean look for some baby fat. As this happens, the wrinkled skin will smooth out and he will start looking more like a newborn.  He might be growing hair and if you could see it, you'd be able to discern its color and texture. 

24 weeks

You'll have to forgive me, no belly shot. BUT I realized I never posted my sonogram pics so lets look at the cute fella instead. These were from the day we found out the gender (3/28/14). I was bummed she only printed 4 pics because he was being active and cute but oh well. Here's baby boy Lorson...

We both laughed because we have this almost identical pic of Collins

Peace dude

100% boy

 How far along: 24weeks (5/6/14)

Size of baby:  he's gained about 4oz this week putting him over a pound and about 12 inches long. About the size of a ear of corn. 

Feeling: I broke down and bought an inhaler and it helped a ton in just a day. I haven't been as out of breath and tired but my cough is still lingering around. I had a lot of headaches and body aches this week but I blame them on the cough. 

Weight gain: Scale varies from 9-10lb. I made sure to eat 3 meals all week but other then that, I didn't have much of an appetite. 

Gender: BOY!!  

Cravings: Well we went to a carnival so I had to have a funnel cake. And I wanted cotton candy as well but talked myself out of it. Sweets have been sounding great and meat has sounded awful. 

Best moment this week: celebrating my first Mother's Day as a mommy of 2. I'm sure next year it will sink in even more. 

Movement: As I type. Sometimes I have to give him a little nudge to make sure he's still ok in there but he's still mostly active in the evenings. He seems so much lower then Collins was. It probably won't be long before I feel him up in my chest and ribs. 

Sleep: Collins has luckily been sleeping through the night again but I still wake up having coughing attacks.  Drinking water to help the coughing results in multiple bathroom trips. 

Maternity clothes: It was in the 80s this week so I wore lots of comfy shorts and tanks. Love my non maternity linen shorts from old navy.  Totally see through but keep me from being super hot. Not to purchase more. 

Milestones: baby has a pretty lean figure but will start filling out from here on out. His brain is growing rapidly and his taste buds are developing as well. His lungs are developing branches as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help air sacs in the lungs inflate once he enters the world. His skin is thin and translucent, but that will change soon. 

All schools day

You can always be sure to find us at the All Schools Day on the first Friday of May. Derek grew up being part of it and now we make it a tradition to go.

Collins was a baby last year for it but she had an absolute blast this year. I was scared she wouldn't sit still for the parade but she did so good sitting on the blanket with her cousins or on somebody's lap. My sister Amy has met us for it the past 2 years since it's only about an hour from El Dorado. Collins was in heaven with almost all of her cousins. 

We walked to the park after the parade for lunch and the bounce houses. Collins was upset she wasn't quite big enough for them but walked around and watched her cousins do them instead. Next year she'll join the fun. 

And if that all wasn't enough, we headed to the carnival next. Derek's sister and her family had already been earlier in the week so just Amy and the kids came with us.  It was already 2pm so we let the kids ride a handful of rides, I got my funnel cake and we called it a day. 

I wasn't positive that Collins was going to be big enough for the rides but they had 2 I was pretty confident she would sit through. We were all on the fence on how she would react once they started but with Harper by her side, she had the best time of her life. She started laughing as soon as the first ride started (which was kind of fast) and cried when it was time to get off. She rode a second, much slower ride, with Harper and then we watched Pax kill it at a few games. 

Amy went back to El dorado and we forced our sugar high baby into a nap. We ended the day at Derek's sisters house with a bunch of kiddos and adults enjoying the beautiful weather.  Collins was a permanent passenger in the jeep. I kind of wanted to put a helmet on her but her cousins are pro drivers and didn't throw her out of it. And when it was time to go back to memo and papa's, she was daddies DD. Kidding!! 

23 weeks

Please don't mind the no make up, comfy shorts and awful hair. It was 8:30pm on 23 weeks 6days so I HAD to squeeze in a pic. This is so embarrassing...

 

 

 How far along: 23 weeks (4/29/14)

 

Size of baby:  More then 11 inches and just over a pound.  About the size of a large mango.

 

Feeling: Definitely the toughest week so far. My asthma has been bothering me really bad. I feel like I ran a 5k after walking up 5 steps, I cough and can't breath all night and my allergies are bothering me on top of all that. 10 days and their still going strong. I went to the doctor and he said it was just a virus and my asthma acting up so he prescribed an inhaler and I finally picked it up.  Hopefully that will kick the sickness to the curb. 

 

Weight gain: 10 pounds. 

 

 

Gender: BOY!!  And the name is still sticking so we might announce soon. 

 

Cravings: All food has sounded terrible, especially meat.  I've had to force myself to eat so I don't starve the bambino. Wish I could have this lack of appetite when I wasn't pregnant!

 

Best moment this week: I mentioned brother and Collins automatically lifted up my shirt. Smart girl!

 

Movement: my coughing at night is keeping the both of us awake. He's been kicking a lot in the middle of the night and is most active from about 9-10pm. Moves throughout the day as well but I wouldn't say as much or as predictable.

 

Sleep: I'm sure you can guess where this is headed. HORRIBLE sleep this past week. Collins woke up probably 5 of the 7 nights for about 2 hours each time (guessing teeth and allergies), I've been wide awake, coughing and trying to breath from about 4-5am every day and then of course the coughing till I want to throw up all night long. 

 

Maternity clothes: Yes, and I did a little shopping for myself this week too. Mostly maternity clothes from Old Navy but also my favorite draw string linen shorts that aren't maternity, just bought bigger. 

Milestones: Sense of movement is well developed so he can feel  me move and dance.  You may be able to see him move underneath clothes (which I can).  Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing and his hearing is becoming more keen.  The cochlear (inner ear mechanism) is fully formed so he can hear what I hear but not on the same level. 

5 on Friday

Jumping back on the 5 on Friday. Easy way to get some things off my mind. 

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1.  Can someone send us some sleeping dust? Collins had done SO good sleeping and had been sleeping 12+ hours. The past 3 nights? Not so much. It's taken 1-3 HOURS to get her to stay asleep after waking up in the middle of the night. The cry when we try to leave the room is blood curdling so we are thinking night terrors? Whatever it is, I need help on making it stop!! Good thing she's cute. 

2.  It has been so cold and cloudy this week. Derek was out of town as well so we are sssooo ready for a warm weekend. We have Aidens soccer game, farmers market, maybe going to Royals game and watching daddy play softball on the agenda. Bring on the sunshine. 

3.  I wasn't sure buying for a boy would be much fun but this little guy's room is filling up quick with boy clothes. We needs a dresser ASAP. Derek wasn't thrilled but he got his first pair of leggings. Boys can totally wear leggings btw. 

4. I just ordered Collins the bloomers on the far right with her name all over them and I can't wait to get them in the mail. Brother will get a hat when we decide for sure on a name. 

5.  Here are some of my ideas for the playroom. It's mostly pink right now so I dirge we better change that before brother arrives. I have no idea what color to paint the walls though. We have some leftover grey or blue from Collins' room and the guest room but I am open for suggestions. Operation playroom and nursery remodels are on this summers agenda. 

Happy Friday. Have a cold one (or 5) for me!