Archive for the ‘Baby #3’ Category
Jocelyn’s Birth Pictures Round 2
Monday, April 11th, 2011
Well, another week has gone by and I’ve only managed one blog post! It’s slow going around here learning to adjust to our “new normal” but I’m loving it. Although everything else seems to be slightly out of control ( as in my HOUSE and DESK) I’m loving loving loving having Jocelyn in our life! The girls just dote and kiss on her. Unless I really need them to give her her bottle while I’m cooking dinner. Then…they suddenly don’t want to hold her.
Why is that? Hmm…something we’ll have to work on!
I wanted to share a few more pictures from the hospital that I didn’t get to put in my last post.
Here’s a shot my parents took of my girls right before they left for the hospital to meet Jocelyn. I love it! You can see how excited they are!
Geemaw and Jocelyn. (Also a picture my parents took. Many of these you’ll see are ones I stole from my parents. They got better shots and angles than we did in the hospital. I think it was a couple of days before *I* got a picture with my own newborn daughter! It’s so true what they say…the third kid gets the least amount of pictures….)
Geempaw and Jocelyn
I think this is such a sweet picture of my girls watching Jocelyn get changed into her first sleeper at the hospital. They were enthralled! Katelyn kept asking to “see her body”. Haha. She was so curious to see what a newborn baby looked like naked. Can you blame her? They were also curious to see what Jocelyn had in her diaper each time she got changed. Especially if it was a poop! The things that fascinate my girls are kinda…weird…. (They get that from their daddy’s side of the family.)
Papa with Jocelyn
Nana with Jocelyn
Meeting baby sister for the first time! I love this picture.
Big sister Maddy holding Jocelyn.
Big BIG sister Katelyn holding Jocy.
Are these not the cutest, wittle feet?? I love baby feet!! Thanks again to my parents for snapping this photo. I cropped and played with the color a bit.)
And the chubbiest, sweet face?? (Her face has actually slimmed down since this picture was taken)
Daddy and Jocelyn waiting to go home…
Happy mommy to have her baby in her arms!
And lastly, I’ve enjoyed doing some baby wearing! And I took this photo of myself with our new iPad 2 that my husband was able to miraculously get the day before I went in to have Jocelyn. Go me!
I hope you enjoyed this post! It could be the last one for a while. I hope not. But it might! Or not.
Hope to see you very soon!!
Introducing…..
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
JOCELYN ABIGAIL!!
8 pounds 14 oz and 21 inches long.
Born March 23,2011 at 8:53 am
This is my dad holding Jocelyn a couple of hours after she was born.
Big sisters Katelyn and Madelyn love her to death. They held her as much as they could when visiting in the hospital.
It was great to have both sets of grandparents there for the birth. My parents flew in from Texas a couple of days before to stay with us for two weeks. I was thrilled to have them with us! They took wonderful care of Katelyn and Madelyn while I was in the hospital for five long days.
My parents and girls meeting Jocelyn for the first time. Can you see my girls were thrilled??
Mommy and Jocelyn
Daddy, Jocelyn and Katelyn
Now for a little pre-delivery humor! Mike was enjoying himself way too much.
And a not so flattering picture of me…
The two hours before the c-section went by so fast. And Mike and I had a good time together waiting. I just couldn’t believe it was already time for our newest princess to be born!
And now we’re a family of FIVE!
I honestly don’t know how the mommy bloggers who have just had babies blog every day. Jocelyn is two weeks old today and I’m just writing my first post! And there’s going to have to be a “Part 2″ since I have more pictures and must go feed the little princess.
I need to come up with a new picture for my header!
We thank God for our newest little blessing!
More to come!
36 Weeks Update
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
We’ve had some internet issues this week so this is the first chance I’ve had to write a post.
We’re finally at the last stretch. I’m officially 36 weeks/ 9 months pregnant!
My dear oldest daughter took this picture since I was having a half way decent clothing and hair moment.
Here’s a closer shot (in which I wasn’t too prepared…)
I honestly feel I’m not as big as I was with Madelyn but Mike says my belly is going to need a bed of it’s own soon. So….selective memory??
I went for my weekly appointment yesterday and I had gained a pound from last week. Last week they told me I had lost a bit of weight. I had gone from an 8 pound gain to a 6 pound gain. Add the pound from this past week and that makes a 7 pound gain.
Not bad!
Everything looks good. I’m not measuring bigger than what I should be right now. So, I’m wondering…is Jocelyn really going to be a 9 pounder like they predicted from my ultrasound a few weeks ago?
Thoughts going through my head right now:
~We’ll be meeting this little girl in 3 weeks!! THREE WEEKS!!
I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve had a newborn in the house. I can’t wait to hold her, squeeze her, kiss her and just stare at her.
~Three more weeks until I can eat whatever I want.
My first request in the hospital is going to be an Everything Bagle with chive cream cheese from Dunkin Donuts. And a chocolate milk. Oh, how I’ve missed chocolate milk! I haven’t wanted to waste a perfectly good carb choice on chocolate powder. So, I’ve gone without.
~ These compression socks have worked wonders for my varicose veins but I CANNOT WAIT to not have to wear them anymore. And to have my legs back. They look terrible but I don’t feel pain thanks to the socks. I can’t wait to wear flip flops!
~ 3 more weeks of sleeping through the night.
This one scares me a bit. I’ve been sleeping through the night for three years. Since I’m “older” will I handle it as well as I did in the past?
~What in the world will this kid look like? I have a blue eyed brunette, and a blue eyed blond who don’t resemble each other all that much. One looks like their dad and the other looks like my sister! They have a little of me in them. Will this child finally have brown eyes like me? Will she be blond or brunette? Will she look like me? Will she look like either of my girls??
~I’m actually a little sad that my pregnant belly will be gone in a few weeks. I remember that with both of my girls I’d touch my belly after being back in my room and thinking that there was no longer a baby inside it.
What makes me even sadder is not knowing if this is my last pregnancy or not! It could be and that makes me very sad!
To Do List:
~We’ve finally gotten the baby’s room cleared out. Now we need to move the changing table and rocker into it and arrange the furniture to our liking.
~I’ve gotten all of Jocelyn’s clothes sorted and put away.
~We have a new stroller with a headrest thanks to a friend and co worker of Mike’s.
~We are going to go a bunch of boxes in the garage so I can find some baby items I’m missing. We’re also going to look in the loft for my larger baby items like the Pack N Play and infant seat.
It’s all starting to come together! At the very last minute but….anyhoo.
The girls get more excited by the day. We made a paper chain to help us count down the days until Jocy is born.
Each day we tear off the link as the days get closer to Jocelyn’s arrival!
Can you see their excitement?
We are ready for Jocelyn, yes we are!!!
Pregnancy Update: 31 Weeks!
Friday, January 28th, 2011
Time for another update on this pregnant lady.
Basic Stats and Health:
I was 31 weeks on Wednesday. It seems as if time has flow the past few weeks My C-Section is scheduled for March 23rd at 8:30 am. I can’t wait to meet this little lady! Or should I say BIG lady? My ultrasound on Tuesday revealed that she already weights 4 pounds 7 oz. The doctor said she will most likely weigh 9 pounds or more at birth. I’m not surprised! Madelyn was big and my girls come by their “tallness” and “bigness” honestly.
I was recently diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. Boo. Not happy about that. But I’m on a good diet plan that’s keeping my glucose levels at a good range. I have to test my blood four times a day.
I haven’t gained much weight at all. I’m having to go by the amount my doctors are telling me because I haven’t kept very good track of it at all this time around. All they told me yesterday was that I had actually lost a little weight. I looked at the number on the scales myself and tried to remember what I weighed last time. As far as I could tell I had lost 2 pounds as of Tuesday! I was also stick with the stomach flu over the weekend so that could have contributed to my weight loss.
My varicose veins have definitely gotten worse, but thankfully I don’t feel any pain due to my wonderful compression socks. I wear them every day, all day.
I’m thankful to be feeling energetic and normal over the past few days. Over the past few weeks I’ve been totally unmotivated and fatigued. Which was annoying me because my “to-do” list before Jocelyn arrives was growing. I was actually starting to feel like I didn’t have enough time left to get everything done!
Emotions:
My emotions have been all over the place. I’ve suddenly become this unstable maniac! Again, this week has been better. Not sure why the previous two weeks or so were so bad. I’ve been grumpy and in bad moods. Easily annoyed. I’ve started crying for no reason at all.
I’m already so in love with this baby. And sometimes I just can’t believe I’m having another one in 8 weeks. I sit and try to imagine what the birth will be like and what having this new little one will be like. It blows my mind. Having Katelyn and Madelyn has felt so normal. Now we’re adding another little person into the mix.
Then there’s the BIG question for us: IS this is” it” for us? I truly would like four children but wonder if after we have Jocy if I’ll feel we’re done. Right now I don’t feel peace about being done having children. My husband feels three is enough. I keep thinking: Is this my last pregnancy? It makes me really sad to think that.
*Enter weepy moment.*
I was told with each pregnancy the varicose veins will get worse and I’ll most likely have Gestational Diabetes for the next one as well. I’ve been a little more “beat up” during this pregnancy. Do I want to get even more beat up the next time around? ( if there’s a next time). I’ll be even older than I am now (32 isn’t old by any means) but I know as each year passes pregnancy will get harder.
I’m just praying that God will give us both peace if the time comes for us to decide for sure if we’ll have more. I will say I’m not going on any kind of birth control yet! That may seem a little crazy since my husband is pretty sure he’s happy with three.
I’m just not ready. Can anyone relate?
To- Do Before Baby Arrives:
The nursery is about half way there right now. I still have out of season/out grown clothes waiting to go up to the attic. ( We have a walk up attic in which the door is located in the nursery). There’s also Christmas decorations hanging out in there waiting to be put in the attic as well.
We still need to:
~Bring in changing table and rocking chair from garage
~Bring baby swing down from attic. Wash and clean it.
~Find infant car seat. Wash and clean as needed. I believe it’s in the loft in the attic.
~ Find and clean travel Pack N Play, as this is what we use as a bassinet in our room for the first few weeks of the baby’s life.
~Find Boppy pillow and wash as needed.
(Are you sensing a trend here? Of finding baby items that have mysteriously disappeared)
~Bring down bouncy seat from attic and clean as needed.
~Purchase nursing bras.
~ Purchase or rent breast pump.
~Purchase bottles since I got rid of my old bottles. I would like to go with glass bottles this time around but I may go with the Avent BPA free bottles instead. I think the pink ones are so cute!
*On a side note, if I had known I was going to have all girls up to this point I may have just gone and registered/bought pink stuff all around instead of the neutral stuff I went with. (I love pink stuff!!) But, I didn’t know this so it’s wise that I have gender neutral baby gear.
~Finish decorating the nursery. (Hanging things on the wall and putting the letters to her name up). Incidentally, I need to FIND the valances that go on her windows. We’re reusing the same theme we used for Katelyn and Madelyn nursery as well. I figured buying a whole theme was going to be a waste of money. So…where did I put those dang valances..???
~Pack diaper bag.
~Decide on whether we’re going to cloth diaper and purchase infant sized cloth diapers.
~ And, of course, pack hospital bag for Mike and myself.
When I look at this list it seems like I still have so much to do! But, I know if I pace myself I can get it done in 7.5 weeks.
Can’t wait to meet my new baby girl!
I’ll leave you with some pictures of me at 31 weeks. (Pardon the extremely dirty bathroom mirror. I’m embarrassed!)
10 Memorable Moments Of 2010
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011
As I was trying to think of a Top Ten Tuesday post for this week I thought what better way to “close out” 2010 than to write a post of top ten memorable moments for me this past year. When I say “memorable moments”, it doesn’t mean that they’re all happy moments. Many of them are. But not all of them. These happy and sad moments touched my life and emotions this past year and I will never forget them.
1. Not selling our house- Last January were spent looking at houses and getting ready to sell ours. It seemed liked everything was in place and we had found several bigger houses in better locations for us. When it came time to put the house on the market our Realtor told us that after doing a market analysis for our area we’d have to sell our house for waaay less than what we planned because of how the houses in our area were selling. So, super disappointed, we made the decision to wait. And now it’s a year later and we’re still in the same house. I learned a lot about contentment last year.
2. Financial Peace University/ Becoming Debt Free- In March we took a Financial Peace University class at our church and by the end of June were DEBT FREE. It was a HUGE achievement in our marriage. We learned so much about how to manage our finances and to really control our spending. We spent 9 years struggling with debt and having no control over our finances, despite the good salary my husband receives. We learned better communication over our finances and actually work together now. This is the first time we’ve come into the new year with NO DEBT and it is an awesome feeling. We paid cash for Christmas and have no more credit cards. Did I mention how HUGE this is for us?
HUGE.
3. Pregnancy/Miscarriage- In April of last year we found out that at after almost 2 years of trying to conceive we were finally pregnant! We were elated. I even posted this picture of the girls on Facebook and on my blog to help announce the glorious news. (I’m not one to wait….)
Six days later I miscarried. Although I hadn’t been pregnant for that long I was devastated and angry. The night I started spotting I went to one of our Financial Peace classes. I was developing a migraine and worried but didn’t want to miss a class. One of the couples in our class had had their fourth baby a few days before I miscarried and they brought him to class that night to show everyone. I thought ” How ironic! They’re bringing in a new life and I’m losing one.”
4. Pregnancy Round Two- After much struggling and anger at God for not letting us sell our house, allowing me to get pregnant in the first place and then allowing me to lose it, I started calming down as Spring wore on. Summer came and we were all in a good place. I was settling in emotionally and in a happy place. Then, in July, to our great joy, I found out I was pregnant AGAIN!! We had been hoping and praying it would happen again but weren’t sure how long it would take to happen this time. It could have taken another two years! But, praise the LORD, it didn’t!
We were so thrilled and thankful. And I’ll be 28 weeks this week with baby girl number 3! She’s due in March!
Oh, and a month later my sister found out she was pregnant with her second. A girl, due in April! We’re a month apart!
5. Going On Nana and Papa’s boat for the first time: We took the girls on my inlaws’ little boat for the first time this past Summer. It was so fun! I had been on it before, but they never had. It was quite the memorable and fun day. Granted, it was an overcast, cold, rainy day when we went. We didn’t let that stop us from having fun!
6. Anniversary trip to Salem,MA- I’ve always had a huge fascination with learning more about the Salem Witch Trials. So off we went this past August to spend the day in Salem, MA to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the Salem Witch trials that day and had a great, romantic little getaway with my husband. Unfortunately, my camera battery died at the very beginning so I have no pictures from that day!
7. Homeschooling- Last year was the year we decided to try our hand at homeschooling! We purchased the Kindergarten curriculum from Christian Liberty Academy and started homeschooling our daughter the second week in September. I have absolutely loved homeschooling thus far.It has been a challenging, frustrating at times and rewarding experience so far.
These were taken the very first day we started homeschooling….
I also do preschool work with my 3 year old daughter every day. She partakes in the art, Bible, science and field trip activities we do.
My husband finished our homeschool room in the basement not long after these pictures were taken. Now we do school every day in our little school room. We love it!
8. Singing In Our Church Choir- This past September I started singing in our church choir. I hadn’t sung in a choir in ages and I had scheduling conflicts the previous year so I was unable to join. I have so enjoyed it! We’ve caroled, done a Dessert Theater and sung almost every Sunday. I’ve had many opportunities to sing solos, duets and trios and it’s been so fun! We have a very talented bunch of people in our choir.
9. My Family’s Visit For Thanksgiving- I was so blessed to have my whole family visit for Thanksgiving week! My sister, husband, niece, brother and parents all flew up from Texas and stayed in my house for the whole week. It was a tight fit but an awesome time together! My brother in law had never been to New England so this was a new experience for him. My sister and I got to “be pregnant together” while she was here. We spent a day at Boston Museum Of Science and had a blast. That is a memory that will live in my mind forever.
The girls are with their Geempaw in this space shuttle replica.
My parents with their three current granddaughters. Two more coming in the Spring!
10. The Passing Of My Uncle Mike- On Christmas day we received the sad news that my uncle Mike had died after a long battle with Lymphoma. He was a great, godly, man and will be greatly missed. We were all blessed by who he was. His family has also been a great testimony in their peace and attitudes. They are sad but also filled with hope since they know where Mike is and that they will all see him again some day. He’s in Heaven, cancer-free with Jesus! I will certainly never forget getting the phone call about his passing.
There are so many other moments I’d love to mention but since I’m pressed to keep the list at ten these are the ones I chose.
Do you have moments that defined 2010 for you?
This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday hosted by Oh Amanda.
{Wordful Wednesday} Me at 20 Weeks
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
As promised from last week, here are some belly pictures of me at 20 weeks. You will also see pictures of my deformed leg from varicose veins. You don’t have to look at these if you find them gross!!
I took these of myself last night before I went to bed. They aren’t super flattering but I decided that if I waited for someone to get a flattering picture of me it would hardly ever happen!
Here are some shots of my leg. Any purple or blue you see is NOT bruising. Those are the actual veins sticking out.
And one more of my foot and ankle. Because I’m sadistic.
I hope you enjoyed this recap of me at 20 weeks!
This post is linked to Wordful Wednesday host by Parenting By Dummies.
Pregnancy Update {19 Weeks}
Thursday, November 4th, 2010
I figured it was time for a pregnancy update. I realized I hadn’t really written any.
Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures! I had planned on having them ready for this post but, alas, I don’t. Next week I’m going to post a Wordful Wednesday post which will have pictures of my pregnant self.
I’m 19 weeks. Almost half way there. Can you believe it? I mean….really? It’s starting to go by faster. The first trimester really felt like it dragged.
How I’m feeling:
I can’t really complain too much about how I’ve felt along the way. I’ve had a little nausea every now and then. Usually, it’s caused by something. (Usually a smell. My sense of smell is super sensitive!!) Mike had to clean out my freezer a few weeks ago because there was a horrid smell that was making me GAG every time I opened it. He threw out all the ice and anything questionable looking in there. What a difference!! I was very thankful he did that.
I napped or rested on the couch for the first three and a half months or so. I got a lot of the “Anne Of Green Gables” series read this way. I’m on the fifth book now!
I’ll have to admit, I did go through several bouts of fear that something was wrong with the baby. Lots of prayer and just “trying not to think about it” got me through that.
After seeing a wonderful ultrasound of our baby GIRL (Jocelyn Abigail) and seeing that she was right on track with her growth I’ve felt a lot better. Plus, I’m consistently feeling little nudges and flutters so that’s reassuring.
My left leg looks deformed. It started turning purple from varicose veins almost from the moment I found out I was pregnant. Mike even pointed out that if there was any doubt that I was really pregnant all I had to do was look at my leg!! This has been typical for me with my other two girls too. It’s pretty painful this time around and the pressure when I first stand up is pretty bad. I’ve been wearing diabetic/compression socks and those DO help. My the veins feel hot and itchy a lot. Some days my left feels like it’s going to explode!
But…enough about that.
**TMI alert!! If you’re man you may not want to read this part.**
Unfortunately, the varicose veins are getting higher up my thighs this time so you pretty much know where they’re headed. It’s making things pretty uncomfortable “down” there. I feel lots of pressure already “down there” and I’m wondering how much worse it’s going to get as time goes on.
**TMI done!!**
Weight Gain:
I’ve only gained 4 pounds so far. ( I think) My scales say I haven’t gained anything when I first weigh in the morning. I always do well in the weight gain department.
Have I exercised AT ALL yet??
Nope!
I was so planning on that too!! I really wanted to make that a regular part of this pregnancy.
Maybe after the holidays…..?
<sheepish grin>
What’ we’ve been up to (You know…while pregnant…)
I have been working hard at getting this house ready for another baby. It’s really gotten pretty cluttered and messy all the time. I hate it, but that’s how it is.
I’ve been getting the third bedroom cleaned out for my family’s visit for Thanksgiving. At least that’s motivating me to get it cleared out a lot quicker.
Here’s an embarrassing picture of what it’s looked like:
Ew.
This is where my sister, her husband and daughter will be staying in about three weeks.
Uh…yeah.
Thankfully it only looks half this bad right now.
The room is very small so I’ll be doing some simple decorating and really pairing down what’s going in Jocy’s room. ( Yeah…about the nickname…the spelling may change frequently. I’m trying out different spellings of the name “Josie” for Jocelyn’s nickname. Long story…)
There will be “after” pictures when it’s ready for Jocelyn!
Homeschooling is going great! We’re keeping up a steady pace. We start our day anywhere between 8:30 and 9:3o and end anywhere from 10:30 and 11:00. I haven’t been on the ball as much with starting at 8:30. But, that’s the joy of flexible homeschooling!
Soccer will be done this coming Sunday for Katelyn. Thankfully. It’s getting really cold! And we would like our Sunday afternoons back.
Dance is going wonderfully! That will be a continuous Saturday morning event until May. Both girls love it.
My Wednesday night Mission Friends class will be done in a couple of weeks for a long break. It will start back up for about eight to ten weeks in January or February.
I’m loving being in choir again. I’m helping direct the skits for our Christmas Dessert Theater in December. Our church does lots of fun Christmas activities which really helps drive home the true meaning of Christmas.
Did I just talk about Christmas? It’s next month already!!!
So….there you have it. In case you were really wondering about all the details of my pregnancy you can now be in the know.
You’re welcome!
Of Breastfeeding, Babywearing and Co-sleeping
Monday, October 4th, 2010
I feel differently about this pregnancy and this baby already. I can tell. When I was pregnant with Madelyn I was working and our life situation was little a different so I was more stressed. Plus, Katelyn was still practically a baby herself and getting pregnant that second time seemed to catch us almost by surprise. I wasn’t as relaxed with my pregnancy with Madelyn as I have been with this one. I’m surprised Maddy turned out as mellow as she did! I’ve definitely had my moments this time around, too, but this is my first pregnancy as a full time stay at home mom. We’re in a better church fit situation and we’re debt free. Both stress reducers. It also took us the longest to get pregnant this time around and it happened after a miscarriage. All these factors lead to a different pregnancy experience this third (fourth?) time around.
I was very overwhelmed going from one child to two. “They” say that’s the norm. After you get used to two, any more than that feels like a breeze. Sort of. I feel as if this baby will just fit right in with the flow of our family. I feel as if I’ll be calmer and want to just sit and hold this baby more. That maybe I’ll enjoy those first 6 months a little bit more. I’ll admit- months three to five are my least favorite with babies. The newborn stage is just so cuddly and tiny and cute. Months three through five is when they start really noticing the world and wanting to do stuff but can’t. So, they are fussy,bored and need to be constantly entertained. They can’t sit up yet, roll over or really manipulate little toys like they really want to. Those months were the ones that drove me a little batty.
I think I’ll appreciate all of that more. Because I’ve been wanting it for so long. I don’t think going out and about with three kids will bother me. If you have two kids or more do you remember how overwhelming taking you first two out by yourself seemed at the beginning?
There are several things I want to try to do differently this time. And some things worked so well for me that I’m going to keep doing them.
1. I want to try breastfeeding this time. I wasn’t able to with my first two, due to the seizure medication I’m on. But since then I’ve read articles about breastfeeding and seizure medication. According to many doctors and neurologists the benefits of breastfeeding out weigh the negative side effects of the seizure medications. The baby actually gets more of the meds during pregnancy than they would while breastfeeding. One of the main side effects of the medication is that it can cause the babies to be very sleepy and lethargic. I’m thinking that if I have a screamer, maybe that would be a good thing?
Just kidding, folks. Kidding!!!
I have to talk some more with my OB as well as my children’s pediatrician. I think opinions vary from doctor to doctor. Not sure what I’ll do if my children’s pediatrician insists that I shouldn’t breastfeed. Especially if I know there are doctors out there with a differing opinion.
I’m also nervous about breastfeeding! I breastfed Katelyn for about a week or so when I found out I wasn’t supposed to be. It was a nightmare. Katelyn screamed and was constantly shoving her hands in her mouth when I tried to get her to latch on. She started losing weight. I had to completely undress at the top to feed her.
( TMI alert!!) At one point in the hospital, I had a nurse holding Katelyn’s hands back, a nurse holding my breast and a lactation consultant trying to guide Katelyn’s head and mouth in the right direction. It was a process!! She didn’t seem to like any of the normal ways to hold a baby while breast feeding. There was no modestly- covering- myself- with- a- blanket- and -just-lifting- my -shirt while still visiting with family. I had to leave the room, undress and struggle.
I have all these visions of me being tied down to breastfeeding and not being able t0 go anywhere. With bottle feeding, if I was at the grocery store and my baby started crying and needed to eat, I’d take out the bottle and feed it to one of them while still pushing the cart. You can’t do that while breast feeding! What if it takes me a long time to get the breastfeeding thing down? What if there is a lot of stress and tears over it? I liked that Mike or my inlaws could feed Katelyn and Madelyn. If I am able to breastfeed I’m also pumping. That way I can hopefully have the best of both worlds. I want to give it my best shot. But I’m open to formula feeding too! I have two healthy, smart girls who thrived on formula. The problem with formula is that it is expensive! Even the Wal-mart brand, which I used, added up into monthly big bucks. Breastfeeding is free so it would really help budget wise as well.
2. I want to try babywearing this time. I have tried it in the past and it hasn’t worked so well but I’m hoping that maybe with the right baby carrier I can do it. Part of the problem was that I had big babies and they just didn’t fit well on my front. I’m short, short waisted and plumpish so I already have a lot going on in my middle. I also used to suffer with back pain so wearing my babies around the house and having them stick way out in front of me was not practical or good for my back. I really couldn’t do much with them on me like that. I couldn’t see my feet while walking up and down stairs, I couldn’t do dishes because I couldn’t get close enough to the sink with them on me and my back would really start to hurt after about half an hour. My swing was my best friend. I will still use my swing but I would like to throw in a little baby wearing too. Plus, I plan to keep up a good eating and exercise regimen so hopefully I won’t have as much going on in my middle!
3. I want to cloth diaper from the beginning. I started late with Madelyn and didn’t do it for very long. It was a lot easier than I thought and economical. I’m sure I’ll still use disposables every now and then but I did enjoy cloth diapering. My only issue with cloth diapering is the cost up front.
4. Delayed Vaccination. There are some parents these days who choose not to have their children vaccinated at all. I’m a little hesitant to go this route, and want to look into having this baby on an alternate vaccination schedule.
Things I’m not going to change are:
1. My sleep training/sleep scheduling. I didn’t have either of my girls sleep in my bed so I won’t be doing that now. Even if I breastfeed! Although, I’ve heard that co-sleeping makes breastfeeding easier we don’t do co-sleeping in our house. It works for many families but not for us.
I’m hoping the sleeping and bedtime routine works for this baby! It worked wonders for my girls and they were both sleeping through the night at eight months. (At the latest!) They both took regularly scheduled naps each day and have always been good sleepers. I was very strict about naps, especially, and although our schedules did revolve around naps I don’t regret it for a minute. It made my days a lot easier!
What are your thoughts on these issues? Some can be quite controversial. Speak your mind! (As long as you do it nicely…)
Fishing And A Pregnancy Update
Monday, August 9th, 2010
We went fishing for the first time this weekend. My poor husband has wanted to do this all summer long and we just haven’t gotten around to it yet. So,Saturday while I was at a baby shower, he grabbed the girls and took them fishing. I met up with them after the baby shower. I had originally planned on going home and taking a nice nap (yep, I’m so there right now!!) but then I felt guilty and thought I really should meet up with them and see the girls fishing. Well, I’m glad I did! It was fun and I got some cute pictures. The girls were really more interested in the snacks Mike brought them and throwing rocks in the lake. What can I say? They take after me in that department.
The only thing “we” caught was a snapping turtle.
She makes a cute fisherwoman, right?
My other cute fisherwoman.
I adore them and this picture.
Madelyn with one of her many rock treasures.
Me!
A rare sight. Me in front of a camera instead of behind it! Since I had come straight from the baby shower I was not wearing the most appropriate fishing attire. Those black pants were darn hot!
Now the pregnancy update part:
Yep, still pregnant! It feels weird and exhilarating to write that. And as I do I feel like I’m jinxing it. But, ahem, I don’t really believe it that. I’ll be 7 weeks along this week and I thank God for every day that passes that I continue to stay pregnant. I’ve kind of been walking around holding my breath right now. It’s amazing how oblivious I was to miscarriage with Katelyn and Madelyn. I went along knowing they were common and happened to other women but never thinking it would actually happen to me. Now I’m so aware of that! I don’t want to be a nervous wreck until the first trimester is over but I’m definitely nervous. I really have to keep myself in check. And I know that God has his hand in everything that happens to us. And the reality is(not to be morbid!) anything can happen to this pregnancy, this baby or any of my children at any time. I can’t live my life in fear of this.
{Wow, this update went off the deep end! } So all morbidity aside, I’ve been feeling pretty good. Only a little nausea every now and then. Tiredness is starting to set in. But other than that I can’t complain! I have my first prenatal appointment on the 25th of this month. I really looking forward to that. I really, really , really want to exercise during this pregnancy. I’m also going to try to go to the Chiropractor once or twice a month and see if that keeps the migraines at bay.
If you’ve read this far I thank you.
Peace!
It’s Baby Time!
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
The title says it all!
In nine months, or around…
We’ll have a new addition to our family!!!
Almost three months to the day after my miscarriage I found out I’m ….
AGAIN!!! I’m pretty shocked myself. I truly wasn’t expecting it to happen again so soon. But God is amazing like that.
And…. I’ve held it in for almost a week!!! I’m about to explode and couldn’t hold it in any longer. My first prenatal appointment is already scheduled. I was a bit apprehensive and wanting to get past that fifth and sixth day after I found out I was pregnant last time and started to miscarry. Thankfully I’m almost a week past finding out and there has not been one sign of miscarriage. I know that sounds a bit superstitious. God has given me peace about this pregnancy and I fully trust that he has this little life in his hands. I plan on and look forward to lots of updates on this pregnancy. However, we’d really appreciate your prayers too!
We told the girls and they are excited but a little clueless still. I had to explain to Katelyn that the baby is not only coming after Christmas, it’s coming after Valentines day and the first day of Spring! I’m sure I’m going to have to put up with many questions about when the baby is coming.
For now I’m thrilled and feeling fine (so far).
Thank you all for the prayers and support while we prayed for another baby.
