One third of the way through the third trimester, the time of pregnancy when every single day counts. Ask me how far along I am today and it's not 32 weeks, it's 32 weeks and 3 days...because those 3 days really do make a difference at this point in pregnancy. I've had a lot of things on my mind lately. These thoughts usually come to me at 2am, when I'm wide awake, listening to my husband snore...so here they are, random as they may be. My vents, my hopes and my feelings on pregnancy.
VENTS
Anytime a woman is pregnant, it's NEVER ok to say the following:
*You look like you're going to pop any day now (um, no...I actually have 8 more weeks).
*Are you sure it's not twins? (yep, pretty gosh darn sure there's only one in there)
*When are you due? (around Christmas)...oh, wow, you still have a long time to go (considering I've already done 32 weeks, 8 weeks isn't THAT long).
I'm still baffled that people think it's ok to say these things. I get ALOT of comments on the size of my belly, but each week, it measures exactly where it should be.
Anyway, I met a nice Mom at the park the other day. She asked me when I was due, I told her the answer, and her response was: That's awesome, you're SO close to the end, it will be here before you know it. I liked her.
Pregnancy
I wish I was one of those women who enjoyed being pregnant, but sadly, I am not. Yes, there are some incredible moments during pregnancy and I believe it's a complete and utter miracle, but I do NOT enjoy being pregnant. I'm not saying this just because I'm in my third trimester and am ready to get this baby out. This is how I feel my entire pregnancy.
Elijah's swim teacher was telling us how much she enjoyed pregnancy. She said that even while she was throwing up every day, she loved being pregnant. In my mind, that sounded pretty twisted.
I think back to the 2.5 months of this pregnancy when I felt nauseous 24/7 and it makes me never want to be pregnant again. Don't get me wrong, I love Elijah and I know I'll love this little girl just as much, and they are worth it, but that doesn't mean I have to love being pregnant. I prefer them on the outside, thank you very much!
Hopes
At my last appointment, the nurse practitioner was asking me how my birth with Elijah was. Well, let me see...where to start. I was pumped with Pitocin for 19 hours straight, then I had Elijah pulled out of me with a vacuum, he was whisked away to the nicu and I was left with my placenta inside of me for almost 24 hours, pumped up with so many drugs and shots to try to get it out, until I delivered it...myself...in a hospital bathroom. End of story. She basically assured me that it probably doesn't get much worse than that and this birth should be much easier.
So, that is my hope. I hope to wake Dustin up in the middle of the night, saying we need to go to the hospital. I hope to make it through most/all my delivery unmedicated. I hope to have a baby that gets to stay in the hospital room with me and more importantly, leave two days later with us. I guess I'm just asking for a "normal" birth. Please, someone tell me, that they do happen?!
I guess that's all I've got for now. Baby girl's room still isn't complete, but guess what? I don't care! If she were to come early, she has a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear and diapers for her little butt. It's amazing how your priorities change the second time around!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
16 Months!
The 21st day of every month marks special milestones in our house. Today, it means that Elijah is exactly 16 months old, it means that I'm exactly 4 months away from turning 30 (yikes) and it marks exactly 2 months until baby girl's due date. Lots of exciting things going on!
It seems like every month that goes by, we fall more and more in love with Elijah. He is our sweet, silly, happy, easy going little boy. He is full of personality and expressions, but only lets those closest to him see that side. He is still very shy around strangers and other kids, often hiding behind Mom's legs or burying his head away so he doesn't have to look at them.
He has really lost his "baby" look and people tend to think he's older than he really is (most think he's around 2 years old!). Unfortunately, he still gets mistaken for a little girl sometimes, which I have yet to understand.
Here's a little look at what Elijah is up to at 16 months:
Weight: 25.5 lbs
Height: 33 inches
(Both measurements were taken by me, so they may be off by a little)
Food: While he used to eat anything & everything, he's become more particular about what he will & won't eat. Favorites include any type of fruit, broccoli, corn, green beans, cereal, yogurt and anything that is probably considered not too healthy (pizza, ice cream etc.). He will not eat ground beef. Chicken has become hit or miss...along with many of the main items to any meal. He still LOVES milk, drinking about 20oz a day and would probably drink more if we gave it to him.
Sleep: Still takes 2, 1.5 hour naps each day, sleeps about 11 hours a night.
Language & Associations: Mama, Dada, car, banana, buh bye, oatmeal, Elmo, Papa, uncle, grandma & bubbles. He likes to hold up objects and try to repeat the names of each thing. Sometimes, he goes on talking spurts where he'll just babble non-stop and point to things. How I wish I knew what he was trying to say! He can tell you the sounds that a lion, cat, cow & giraffe (we made up this sound) make.
He always associates the word "bye-bye" with Dada. Whenever we put on his socks & shoes, he says "car?" & when he sees pictures of monkeys, he says "nana".
Play: He loves to be outside! We go to the park probably every other day. Some of his favorites right now include bubbles, his sand table, the hose, balls, reading books, cars & anything with animals.
His bedroom is starting to look more like a big boy room. The rocking chair has been replaced with his own tiny chair & the changing pad is no longer on his dresser.
I leave you with a few more pictures of his ever changing expressions:
It seems like every month that goes by, we fall more and more in love with Elijah. He is our sweet, silly, happy, easy going little boy. He is full of personality and expressions, but only lets those closest to him see that side. He is still very shy around strangers and other kids, often hiding behind Mom's legs or burying his head away so he doesn't have to look at them.
He has really lost his "baby" look and people tend to think he's older than he really is (most think he's around 2 years old!). Unfortunately, he still gets mistaken for a little girl sometimes, which I have yet to understand.
Here's a little look at what Elijah is up to at 16 months:
Height: 33 inches
(Both measurements were taken by me, so they may be off by a little)
Food: While he used to eat anything & everything, he's become more particular about what he will & won't eat. Favorites include any type of fruit, broccoli, corn, green beans, cereal, yogurt and anything that is probably considered not too healthy (pizza, ice cream etc.). He will not eat ground beef. Chicken has become hit or miss...along with many of the main items to any meal. He still LOVES milk, drinking about 20oz a day and would probably drink more if we gave it to him.
Language & Associations: Mama, Dada, car, banana, buh bye, oatmeal, Elmo, Papa, uncle, grandma & bubbles. He likes to hold up objects and try to repeat the names of each thing. Sometimes, he goes on talking spurts where he'll just babble non-stop and point to things. How I wish I knew what he was trying to say! He can tell you the sounds that a lion, cat, cow & giraffe (we made up this sound) make.
He always associates the word "bye-bye" with Dada. Whenever we put on his socks & shoes, he says "car?" & when he sees pictures of monkeys, he says "nana".
His bedroom is starting to look more like a big boy room. The rocking chair has been replaced with his own tiny chair & the changing pad is no longer on his dresser.
I leave you with a few more pictures of his ever changing expressions:
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Truth be told...
Truth be told, even stay at home Mommas can have bad days (or even weeks). I've discovered that even when you love what you do, there are days when you feel like doing anything but that, and I must accept that it is human to feel that way. But, at the same time, I feel guilty when I don't enjoy what I most want to be doing: being a stay at home Mom.
There are days when Dustin comes home from work and excitedly tells me to watch something "new" that Elijah is doing. And my first thought is: "yeah, yeah, I spend 10 hours a day with him, I've already seen him do that. Is it possible that I could just smile and share in his excitement of seeing Elijah do something "new"?
There are days when I feel like Dustin doesn't understand the monotony of being a stay at home Mom. Wake up, feed Elijah, empty dishwasher, change diaper, change child, playtime, naptime, snack time, clean up house....do it all over again tomorrow. And it gets tiring, lonely and sometimes, dare I say, boring. Is it possible to find joy in the little things?
There are days (most days) that I feel like a horrible wife. I put so much energy into taking care of Elijah that by the time Dustin gets home from work, I'm grumpy and short with him. I pick apart the way he does things and make demands of him, even though he's also exhausted from working all day. And I know, that isn't the way this should be. One day, my children will leave the house and my husband will be the one who stays with me for the rest of my life. I sure want to make him feel like he's excited to spend the rest of his life with me. Is it possible to let go of my set in stone ways and relax a little?
At the same time, I tell Dustin quite often that I'm SO happy to be a stay at home Mom. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I enjoy being able to watch Elijah grow everyday. I enjoy the fact that if I really need to, I can take a nap during the day when Elijah naps. I don't dread Mondays because I have to go back to "work".
And so, maybe in those times when I'm having a bad day, I can remember that the good far outweighs the bad and this too shall pass.
"For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have the learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" Philippians 4: 11-13
There are days when Dustin comes home from work and excitedly tells me to watch something "new" that Elijah is doing. And my first thought is: "yeah, yeah, I spend 10 hours a day with him, I've already seen him do that. Is it possible that I could just smile and share in his excitement of seeing Elijah do something "new"?
There are days when I feel like Dustin doesn't understand the monotony of being a stay at home Mom. Wake up, feed Elijah, empty dishwasher, change diaper, change child, playtime, naptime, snack time, clean up house....do it all over again tomorrow. And it gets tiring, lonely and sometimes, dare I say, boring. Is it possible to find joy in the little things?
There are days (most days) that I feel like a horrible wife. I put so much energy into taking care of Elijah that by the time Dustin gets home from work, I'm grumpy and short with him. I pick apart the way he does things and make demands of him, even though he's also exhausted from working all day. And I know, that isn't the way this should be. One day, my children will leave the house and my husband will be the one who stays with me for the rest of my life. I sure want to make him feel like he's excited to spend the rest of his life with me. Is it possible to let go of my set in stone ways and relax a little?
At the same time, I tell Dustin quite often that I'm SO happy to be a stay at home Mom. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I enjoy being able to watch Elijah grow everyday. I enjoy the fact that if I really need to, I can take a nap during the day when Elijah naps. I don't dread Mondays because I have to go back to "work".
And so, maybe in those times when I'm having a bad day, I can remember that the good far outweighs the bad and this too shall pass.
"For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have the learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" Philippians 4: 11-13
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The End!
August 12, 2013: 3:15pm, drive 25 minutes to swim, get Elijah changed, hand him over to a complete stranger and watch him cry like crazy for 10 minutes, get out of pool, get dressed, drive 25 minutes back home. Gave him a full glass of milk after swim and he puked all over himself. I believe I called Dustin on the way home and told him I didn't want to go back the next day. Was this worth it? It all seemed SO overwhelming for a 10 minute lesson. And now, I had signed up to do it EVERY weekday for the next 6 weeks. Somehow, Dustin had convinced me to go back the next day and I'm so glad I did....
October 1, 2013: I'm no longer nervous watching Elijah in the pool. Today, he swam in jeans, a coat, a t-shirt, socks and a regular diaper. His teacher had him "fall" into the pool from different angles, and like a fishing bobber, he'd sink down and immediately float right back up to the top. After today's lesson, he was smiling at his teacher, waving goodbye and blowing her kisses. Would I do it all over again? Yes!
October 1, 2013: I'm no longer nervous watching Elijah in the pool. Today, he swam in jeans, a coat, a t-shirt, socks and a regular diaper. His teacher had him "fall" into the pool from different angles, and like a fishing bobber, he'd sink down and immediately float right back up to the top. After today's lesson, he was smiling at his teacher, waving goodbye and blowing her kisses. Would I do it all over again? Yes!
A Small Glimpse into ISR
When I first signed Elijah up for the program, I felt VERY overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork and things to keep track of. There were certain foods that he wasn't supposed to eat at all during his weeks of swim, he wasn't supposed to have any dairy for 2 hours before the lesson and no food of any type for one hour before his lesson. We were to track all of his eating, sleeping, bowel movements & urine output from Sunday-Friday on a special sheet. You are to bring 3 towels to lessons...one to put down on the surface, another to put on top of that one (in case of spitup) and another to cover your child at the end of lessons. They are to remain on their left side for a few minutes after each lesson to expel any air/water they may have in their tummies. PHEW! After reading all of these things, I started to question if we had signed up for something we weren't ready for. Of course, there is a reason behind each of these rules and as time went on, it just became a part of our everyday routine.
Now that Elijah is done with lessons, I can say what an AMAZING program it is. I was there for every single 10 minute lesson and am still amazed and can't quite explain how the instructor taught a 13 month old (when he started) to swim, float and essentially rescue himself in water.
Here are a few pictures from his final day at ISR:
Now that Elijah is done with lessons, I can say what an AMAZING program it is. I was there for every single 10 minute lesson and am still amazed and can't quite explain how the instructor taught a 13 month old (when he started) to swim, float and essentially rescue himself in water.
Here are a few pictures from his final day at ISR:
Of course we had to celebrate the end of lessons by having ice cream for dinner, so over to Culver's we went:
We are SO proud of you, Elijah Ray!
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