George vs. Water Fountain

This video isn't as funny as it could have been had I gotten the camera going a second earlier.  George pushed the chair up to the water fountain and tried to drink.  He would push until the water started and then it would turn off as he leaned forward!  He was so confused, it was hilarious!  This went on for a minute... then the got the hang of it!  Darn! Haha

Officially Two Years!

I was supposed to finish these posts last week, on George's actual birthday!  That was my intention... but the reality is that we were just having too much fun!  That's the way it should be, right??

Two years ago (last week--on the 8th), I woke up from my narcotic-induced heavenly sleep to worsening contractions!  The labor had not progressed much over night (probably because of the pain meds), so the doctor had me walk the halls.

A few hours later, the doctor broke my water.  The first thing I yelled after that was "I NEED AN EPIDURAL!"  The doctor said, "You didn't have an epidural??" and then looked at the nurses and said, "Why didn't she get an epidural??"  They told him that I didn't want one.  They were right, but that was while my water was still in tact.  Once my water broke, the pain intensified by about a million and I was really regretting that decision.  Luckily, George was born about an hour later at 1:15pm.  He was 5 lb 13 oz and 18 1/2" long.

They whisked him into the corner and he was surrounded by about 10 people.  I saw Steve go over and watch and give him a blessing.  I didn't know what was going on.  Then, they went to rush him out of the room.  My mother in law said, "Does the mommy get to see her baby??" and, almost as an afterthought, they shoved him in my face for a second and ran him out the door.

I didn't get to see him for a few hours, but Steve brought pictures back from the NICU.  It was two long days before I got to hold him.  He was home from the NICU in 10 days, which felt like the longest 10 days of my life (up to that point... little did I know how short that amount of time really was).  He came home from the hospital on December 18 and it was a great little family Christmas with just the 3 of us!

That 5 lb 13 oz baby grew and grew and grew!  He grew and now he is 2 years old and 32 lbs!  We sang to him over pancakes (his favorite breakfast) and opened presents.  We had a great family day at the zoo!  I can't believe he is 2 years old!  I don't know where the time has gone!  We sure do love this crazy little boy!

Two Years [Part 2]

Two years ago today was a pretty productive day.  I cleaned the ceiling fans and even took a shower and managed to fix my hair!  I painted my toe nails while sitting on the bathroom floor.  I finished hanging up baby clothes.  My mom flew in and she and my aunt finished unpacking our apartment (we lived here for two weeks).  

I started feeling contractions again in the late afternoon and they didn't go away when I laid down.  My mom started timing my contractions and they kept getting closer together and more intense.  Steve got home from work and we ate Ritz chicken.  It was delicious... mostly because I didn't have to make it!  Steve went out with the missionaries from church (and I was not happy... but I have since realized that I was being ridiculous).  He came home and showered (again... not happy).  We packed my bag and Santa drove through our neighborhood on the back of a fire truck.

We left for the hospital after 9pm.  I was all settled in my room by 10.  I immediately had Steve turn on the tv because "16 & Pregnant" was on.  The nurse was totally disgusted, but whatever!  The nurse also seemed nervous that I was only 35 weeks along.  This was the first time I even thought that there might be a problem, but I was in too much pain to really think about it too much.  They didn't do anything to stop my labor, but they didn't do anything to make it progress, either.

This happened technically on the 8th, but my contractions started to get unbearable around 2am and I got Stadol (a narcotic).  I fell asleep within 10 seconds of that going through my IV and that was the best 4 hours of sleep I have ever had in my life!

to be concluded.....

Two Years [Part 1]

On Monday, I reminded Steve that two years ago, he put the crib together in George's room.  I remember this date because of this picture:

Taken right after I said, "Do you realize we could have a baby in as little as 2 1/2 weeks??"

Skip forward to two years ago today... I had a check-up, and omitting the personal details, my OB told us this baby would definitely be here before Christmas. (My due-date was 1-11-11).  He reminded us how to time contractions and when to go to the hospital.  We went home and Steve went to work.  I folded baby laundry and put it away.  I started feeling regular contractions, so I laid down and they went away.  I spent the rest of the day/night watching tv on the couch.  My mom freaked out and booked a one-way ticket for the next morning... intent on staying until the baby arrived... even though my due date was over one month away!  Little did we know what was coming.....  

To Be Continued.........

One Month

Ruthie has been home for one whole month!  She is 10 lbs 2 oz and somewhere around 21" long (not sure exactly because I think the doctor's ruler is off a little).  She has grown out of all of her newborn footie-pajamas (but she still fits in the stuff without feet for a little while, anyway).  She has pretty much grown out of newborn diapers, but I am using up what we have before I move her up to size 1.

It has been nice having her home and not having to drive back and forth to the hospital... but it's also really difficult.  I miss having the nurses around to answer all of my questions... and I miss having her checked out by a doctor every day.  Paranoid mom stuff, I'm sure.

Ruthie loves to be held.  At first, I thought she was a lot needier than G at this age... and then I remembered that for the first few months, all G and I did was lay in bed.  Once I realized that, I felt bad that I don't get to just sit and hold her all day.

I am having to learn how to handle George again.  He was a totally different little boy before Ruthie was born.  While I was running back and forth to the hospital, he entered his terrible twos.  I feel like we are improving every day, but some days are still difficult!  I have found that what he needs is all of my attention. So as long as he has that, he's fine.  As you can imagine, things start to fall apart when I am feeding Ruthie or she wants to be held.  He doesn't get mad at her, though... he gets mad at me.  And he pulls my hair.  So that's where cartoons come in handy.

So I ordered "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" the other day.  I was so happy with "The Happiest Baby on the Block," so I really, really hope this works, too.

Ok-the girl wants to be held, so I need to run!! 

This & That

Just a few stories about our lives lately:

First, this requires back-story:  I have been listening to T-Swift in my car non-stop since my honey surprised me with the cd the day it came out.  (And when I say "surprised," I mean that I reminded him and reminded him and finally reminded him as we were passing Target... so he went in and got it.)  Well, on Sunday, Steve came in after church and said, "I could totally do LA Reed's job.  I heard the song 'Begin Again' in your car and I thought, 'This song is a hit.' and now it's on the radio all the time."  So there we go, my husband has a great ear for great music... but I will not support this career change.

On Saturday, Steve was in the kitchen near the fridge and George was trying to push him out of the way. I said, "George!  Why are you pushing Daddy?" and he yelled "I WANT TURKEY!"  So, ok!  We got him turkey.

The pediatrician sent Ruthie to the opthamologist for an exam to make sure her optic nerves were healthy (an issue for preemies).  Thank goodness that this appointment went perfectly!  You never know with this girl... she likes to make us worry!

I've gotten to know our night-owl neighbors very well (maybe too well...) since I've been up nursing in the middle of the night.  Well, last night they woke me up and they even woke Steve up... which is a big deal.  Steve doesn't wake up for anything.  We heard loud banging and yelling and crying.  Now, I know these walls and floors are not sound-proof, but I shouldn't be able to hear voices and sobbing.  So I called the cops.  I hope they are embarrassed about their behavior.  There is no reason for a grown adult to be acting like that.  I heard the cops talking to the girl upstairs and all I heard was her crying and the cop saying, "What's going on, Sweetie?"  That's when Steve made me shut the door.  I secretly hope that they break up and she makes him move out... and he takes his drum set with him.  

(As an aside--Did I tell you about the time we called the cops on our upstairs neighbors in OH?  They fought a lot, but one night we heard screaming and things being thrown and doors being slammed.  Turns out they were just watching an Ohio State March Madness game.  Oops.)

Ruthie only woke up once to nurse in the middle of the night last night!  Actually, I woke her up because she's not supposed to go more than 5 hours in the night without eating.  She ate a lot and then slept another 5 hours.  Too bad I don't go to bed at a regular time and still woke up exhausted.

We are so excited for Thanksgiving tomorrow!  We have most of our ingredients acquired.  We are having turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, cranberry sauce, stuffing and pecan pie.  Yup--for only 2.5 eaters.  We will be eating left-overs for a long time.  We are mostly excited that Steve will be ours allllll day!  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

My Week in Pictures.

Alternate title: "Why I Couldn't be Happier This Week is Over."
Other Alternate title:  "My First Week Without Grandparents."

George found out this isn't a real drawer.

He was obsessed with getting eggs out of the fridge... until this happened.

Steve gave him a sticker... and this happened in 2 seconds.

A black eye.  Sadly, not his first one.

Probably not even his third one.

And this is kind of how I felt:

But to be fair, it did get better:

He really loves his sister.

(And you can't tell, but she loves him, too!)

AND someone had a big day yesterday....

it was Ruthie's DUE DATE!

At her 2 month check-up she is:

8 lbs 8 oz

&

21.75"

Silly Georgie

Here are two funny George moments that happened before I even ate breakfast:

Ruthie was fussing and then started crying.  I turned to get my nursing pillow.  I turned back around to find George standing by the bassinet... and Ruthie had a diaper on top of her.  I guess when you're sad, you need a new diaper?  It's so funny to see the connections he makes when he's "helping."

This next story requires a little back-story.  Last week, George grabbed a can of Diet Coke off of the end table and went running.  He splashed some onto the tile in the entry way.  I took the can away and handed him a paper towel and he actually cleaned it up!  George.  My child who never helps clean up (in nursery, he sings the "Clean Up" song while pulling the toys back out of the cabinet)!

This morning, I was walking out of the bathroom and George came up to me yelling "Oh no!  Oh goodness!  Oh no!  Oh goodness!"  He took me by the hand and led me into the living room where he pointed to a cup on the floor.  I noticed that he knocked it over.  There was something laying on top of it:  the shirt I wore yesterday.  So, he knocked over the cup and then went in search of something to clean it up!

That's my funny, sweet boy!  Seriously--I wonder what goes through his head.  It's so funny to see him imitate us.

And now, some pictures:

George going crazy in the bath

Ruthie sleeping... I think this hat might be too big?

Our first walk as a family of 4

(Steve was taking the picture)

(George didn't want to take a picture)

We're HOME!!

Last night we had a sleep-over at the hospital!  They call it "rooming in."  Ruthie was taken off of all of her monitors and we were given a hospital room to stay in.  The nurse came in to check on us every few hours and I kept a log of eating/peeing/pooping.  It's nice because I got a night with my baby with the nurses close by and it's nice for them because they can make sure that I'm taking care of my baby.  Seriously--I had to sign a paper saying that I would feed her.

So we checked into our room and I fed Ruthie.  We then called my mom and had her bring George up to the room!  So, after 6 1/2 weeks, Ruthie finally met her big brother!  He was so sweet!  I couldn't have asked for it to be any better.  Steve brought him in the room and I had Ruthie on my lap.  He kept saying "Baby! Baby!"  He was holding her hand and tickling her toes.  He was very gentle!  

Last night went well.  It was nice to be able to wake up to feed a baby and not to be attached to a pump!  The nurse practitioner checked her out for the last time and then we were good to go!  We had the same nurse take us to the car today that took us out with George!  She is so sweet and was so sad/excited to see Ruthie go home!  We got her info so we can keep in touch!

So we have been home for a few hours now.  Ruthie is sleeping and George is watching cartoons.  It's nice to be able to spend a leisurely afternoon at home!  I haven't had that in a while!  I never thought this day would come!  I know that the Lord has blessed and strengthened our family over the last 6 1/2 weeks because of the prayers and fasting of our family and friends!  Thank you all for your kind thoughts and words!  We look forward to introducing Ruthie to all of you in the coming weeks and months!! :)

Quick Update!

Little Ruthie has been tube-free since Friday night!  She has been caffeine-free since Monday morning!  Keep her in your prayers... they are keeping her for observation for a little bit and if everything goes well, she should be home soon!

And Georgie continues to make me smile!  When he sees a picture of Ruthie, he says "RUTHIE!"  (In fact, he's doing it now as I write this!)  He's going to love her!  

Also, he cracks me up and always has a hurt finger or toe that he wants me to kiss.  I'm starting to wonder if they are actually hurt or if he is faking it.  Either way, it's fun to give him a kiss and see him run away "all better!"  Today, he was laying on my lap going, "Aaaaw Baby!"  I just love this little boy and can't wait to get to spend more time with him again!!

We appreciate all of your prayers!  I know that Ruthie is doing better because all of the people who love her  and all of the prayers being given on her behalf!

Baby Update!

Ruthie is now 36 days old.  She is 5 lbs. 9 oz. and 18.7" long!  She has grown over an inch since she was born... and it's all in her long little legs!  Seriously, her legs are super long!  She was wearing some premie jammies and it was supposed to be a one-piece with long pants... but they hit her like capris!

She is now mostly out of premie clothes.  She had a nice little rotation going and then they wouldn't fit over her big head!  She still fits in some premie snap-up things... as long as they don't have long pants.

She is off of her feeding tube!  She takes all of her feedings by breast or bottle... and she is a champ at the bottle... unlike her brother, who could never quite figure out how a bottle works!  She will drink 50 ccs (almost 2 oz) in about 5 minutes!  Last night, for the first time, she finished a bottle and then screamed and cried for more!  She ended up eating 70 ccs!  What a hungry girl!  She will be chubby in no time!

She is getting to be more alert... and that's a lot of fun.  She is also holding her gaze and following with her eyes, which developmentally is what she should be doing at 5 weeks old.  Amazing!  For how early she was, it will truly be amazing if she stayed with her real age instead of an "adjusted" age.

We are trying to give George as much attention as possible right now.  The poor kid just knows that we are hardly ever around, but doesn't know why.  He has yet to meet his little sister!  We show him pictures, but he doesn't get it... he is just excited to see pictures of a baby!  He's running around like a crazy person and jumping off of everything.  He loves Thomas the Tank Engine these days and throws a fit if he's ready to watch it and we don't turn it on.  Grandma got him a toy Thomas that he even takes to bed!  No, it's not a snuggly toy.  He has been spending a lot of time with Grandma and he loves it!  When she leaves his sight he yells, "GRANDMA!  WHERE ARRRREEEE YOU??"  He has even starting picking up some words from her.  My favorite is how he says, "Oh, goodness!  Oh, goodness!"

So, we're still here.  Running back and forth and pumping leaves little time for anything else!

We're Still Here

I realize that the last picture looks much worse than it actually is.  Here's a new picture!  This one is a few days old.  Ruthie now has her feeding tube through her nose (with her smaller cannula) so that she can drink from a bottle easier.  Oh, and how she drinks from a bottle!  She's a champ!  She only gets a few a day but the first one she drank in about 20 minutes (she got the hiccups half-way) and the other, she ate it all in 8 minutes!  That's right--8 minutes!  So she is learning to take a bottle right now, but still getting most of her feedings through the tube because the bottle really tires her out.

She is now 23 days old and 4 lb 11.1 oz.  She's almost a full pound over birth weight!  She is wearing clothes that we took in for her.  I have a few premie things that she rotates through and the rest of the premie stuff I am slowly returning for newborn-sizes.  She's not going to be under 5lbs much longer!  In fact, the chubbier her face gets, the more she looks like George (but a very feminine George)!  She's so sweet and we love her!  They haven't said anything about her coming home... so I suspect we're still a little while from that.  But she's doing really well, so really, as long as she keeps moving forward, it won't have to be too terribly much longer.

Stay tuned!  We'll keep updating!

Surprise!!

This may sound familiar... but we had another surprise arrival in our family!

Ruth Kathleen

9/13/12 at 12:38pm

3lbs, 12 oz  17" 

She has thick, dark hair and she is absolutely beautiful.  We love this little girl!  She is currently in the NICU, but she is making improvements every day!  She will be there for a while longer than George was, but I suspect that it will be mostly to grow in an environment where she can be closely monitored.  We appreciate all of the prayers and fasting that we have received!  We are definitely feeling the calming effects of the Holy Ghost!  And I know that little Ruthie's progress is a direct blessing from those prayers and thoughts.  Keep them coming... she has a little while to go!  I'll update more later.  Right now I'm going to pump and take a nap.  I really forgot how lame it is to pump.  It's so much easier to feed and cuddle a sweet baby... and I can't wait until we can try it in a few weeks!

Big Foot Sighting

It's been a busy month... again.  So I guess this just makes it a busy summer!  I can't believe it's going to be September tomorrow!

I spent almost 2 weeks this month in AZ for my sister's wedding.  I got to hang out with my friend Dom from BYU!  It was so fun to see her!!  It's been too long!  She's having a little boy in December, so we got to talk pregnancy and babies!  We went to my favorite AZ restaurant... and then we went there the next night with Steve's good friend and his wife and daughter.  Yes... I ate at the same restaurant 2 nights in a row.  It was delicious.

I ate Greek food and liked it for the first time.  G loved the appetizer that they lit on fire and yelled, "Opa!"  He would yell, "YAY!!!" and clap his hands!  The drunk (but fun) owner kept coming up and grabbing his face and calling him a beautiful baby!  But we already knew that!  Look at this handsome face riding the helicopter at the mall:

The wedding was great, but it's weird that she's married!  I am a terrible sister because I did not take a single picture that day.... but it was hot.  And Steve and I were chasing G around.  It was a long day for him, but he hung in there like a champ (except he was not too happy at dinner).  He especially loved dancing with all of the nieces and nephews from Mark's side!  He's been a dancing fool ever since!

When we got back, G was so excited to see all of his toys.  He played with each toy as he took them all out of the toy box and made a huge mess.

I had another OB appointment.  I had to take my glucose test.  They gave me fruit punch this time and it was way gross.  I loved the orange drink last time.  Next time, I'll request that one... I saw it in her fridge, but thought I would try something new.  Since we had to be there for an hour, my great doctor decided to do an ultrasound.  It's still a girl (thank goodness... we're accumulating a lot of pink and purple these days)!  And when the doctor measured the leg, he said "Whoa!  Those are some big feet!"  He was so impressed that he printed a picture:

Once again, I have a baby that is measuring big.  At least this time, her abdomen is measuring big, too.  With G, it was always just his head that measured big.  I guess it still is always his head that measures big... it's full of brains!

We got a few good peeks at our little girl's face!  Here's a picture... it looked better on the screen, but she moved just as he was taking the picture.  Her forehead is to the right and chin is to the left.  Isn't she pretty??

So we've just been taking it easy the last week and a half or so.  Erin & Mark stayed here on their long drive back to AZ and eventually back to school.  They stayed all day yesterday!  It was so fun and G loved all the attention!

There you have it.  Our August in a nutshell!

Nesting

(These were my beautiful flowers that I got at the Farmer's Market a few years ago.  They were so pretty until a bird laid eggs in them.  Once the eggs hatched, I didn't have the heart to water my flowers and potentially drown the little birdies.  My flowers died.)

The past few days I have had this panicked feeling about where we are going to put another person in this apartment!  Since G's room is really supposed to be a "den," it's not very big.  The closet is actually a really good size, but it's jam-packed with George stuff!  So, my project over the next few days (to help myself find peace of mind) is to organize G's room... starting with the closet.  Today I went through 2 boxes of baby clothes and got rid of things that were totally stained or faded and pulled out white onesies (pretty much the only gender-neutral clothing we have).  I was really hoping to get rid of a lot of things, but so many of his little clothes are in great shape (and I have sometimes have a bit of a hoarding tendency... "But I can use that someday!" is a phrase that I use frequently).  I have been googling ideas for storing baby clothes.  I am going to go to Target and get some XL Ziploc bags.  If I put the clothes in the Ziplocs and then in the Rubbermaid boxes, I think they will be safe to put in our storage closet (I hope).  Next, we're going to have to clean out our storage closet (Steve's job)!  

So I have some stuff to donate and things to organize... but already I'm feeling a little bit better.  I think I'm nesting so early this time around because I never really got around to it last time.  Seriously.  I was in labor, laying on the couch while my mom and my aunt finished unpacking the nursery and getting things all set up and ready.  So, I want to at least accomplish the things that I need to do before I can get things set up for our baby girl!

(PS--on a sort-of-side-note... last week was a busy busy week for babies!  George got a new little cousin and three of our friends had babies!  That makes FOUR babies in one week!  And one more friend coming this week!  How crazy!  I guess Thanksgiving is a pretty romantic time?)

Videos of Georgie

Steve is always telling me that I need to record more of what G does.  Seriously, though... once I think about it, he's done doing whatever he was doing.  Tonight I got some funny ones!

This one I call, "George Gives Up..."

And these next two are George going absolutely crazy because he's sooo tired, but it's just a little too early for bed.

And yes, he knows what a cow says... he was just mad at me for taking his beloved binky!

A Pain in the Hiney

When I was pregnant with George, an anesthesiologist came to our birthing class to make us feel "more at ease" with the idea of an epidural.  He showed us the needle and how it works.  Well, the needle was waaaaay too big for my liking.  Instead of feeling better about an epidural, I decided that night that I 100% did not want an epidural.

So I had George without an epidural.  Really, it was only unbearable for the last hour before he was born... and then it was such a relief to push.  And my pushing was more effective because I could feel what I was doing, so I only pushed for about 15-20 minutes.  It wasn't too bad of an experience, so I will likely have this baby without an epidural. (But really, if it gets too bad too early, give me the drugs!)

But anyway, this post isn't about epidural or no epidural... it's about needles.  And the joke is on me.  See, about 80% of the reason that I didn't get an epidural was the needle.  I couldn't get that image out of my head.

Well, today, "Project:  Prevent Another Preemie" commenced.  I got my first shot of progesterone to keep this baby girl inside until she's strong enough to be born.  No, I was not in pre-term labor... this is preventative at this point.  But let me show you what it looks like: 

A giant needle in my hiney.  I'm talking a 2" needle all the way down to my muscle (or, you know, whatever I have down there where my muscle should be).  So there should be no way that we have a repeat of this:

No, not the kid--we love the kid.  We don't love the tubes and wires.  And really, he wasn't even as bad as all of the tubes and wires make him look.

So the shot itself didn't hurt as much as I anticipated.  I guess when I have built things up in my head for the last 20 weeks, it can't possibly be as bad as I built it up to be.  I got all sweaty after and had to lay down for about 15 minutes.  It was fine all the way home, but now I have a pain radiating from my butt.  I mean, it really hurts.

But I just need to keep telling myself that this will be cheaper, both financially and emotionally in the end! (No pun intended)

George-isms

This is quite possibly the best picture that we have had of G in a while (or ever).  No binky... he's looking at the camera, and actually somewhat-smiling!  Seriously--this is a rare, rare photo!

G has some new, funny phrases lately:

• "Bless You!"--for sneezes, of course... even his own!
• "I back"--means, "I'll be right back."
• "Thereyougo" and "Hereyougo"--said as if they are all one word.

I can't believe he's growing up so quickly!  He's 19 months old already!!  And our baby girl is due in just 119 days!  

It's a...

It's been busy-busy around here.  Well, not really around here, exactly.  We took a last-minute trip to Utah to visit family, which was way fun.  It was nice to get away and introduce George to some aunts, uncles and cousins that he's never met!

Right before we left, we had an ultrasound!  I'm sure that everyone who reads my blog knows this already.... but it's a girl!  It's funny because I left the ultrasound excited, but very nervous!  I felt the same way when we found out George was a boy... I left thinking, "Awesome!  But I only have sisters!  I've never been around little boys!  What do I even do with a little boy??"  and I left this ultrasound thinking, "Awesome!  But I have a boy!  What do I do with a little girl??"

So we are very excited!  She has been moving a lot lately and it's so fun to feel that again!  We are still deciding on a name.  The problem right now is that our list is too long!  And it keeps getting longer!  While we were in Utah we had a little baby shower already (since I will likely not make it back before she arrives)!  It was so fun and this little girl is going to be the best-dressed baby on the block!

And as of this morning, she has bedding thanks to someone who returned a really cute bedding set to Target!  I love when I find "Online Only" mark-downs!  Seriously... I got this bedding for a steal! (Ignore all the other stuff... the set came with the skirt, bumper, sheet, and quilt).  I saw it yesterday, but I thought, "I need to calm down and not buy everything I see."  Then I told Steve about it and he said "WHAT?? Why didn't you buy that?? Go back tomorrow first thing!"  And I was kicking myself for not buying it all night!  So I woke up early this morning, woke George up, and ran to Target!  Yes, I ended up paying for waking George up!  He was happy for about an hour... and then he had a total melt-down.  It took him a while to calm down, but once he did, he crashed.  So I'm letting him sleep now.  I'm still trying to figure out his sleep schedule.  It's been a little rough.  Also, I'm still trying to figure out what he will eat (other than the kid-friendly staples which are not all that healthy).  Really, I'm just making all of this parenting stuff up as I go.  That's my secret.

My Thoughts Exactly.

"Obviously, I don't cook.  I even looked at a Martha Stewart cookbook... that was taking too long." --Scott Disick

Adventures in Sippy Cup Shopping!

Let me start by saying that George never took a bottle.  Ever.  So he doesn't understand that to drink out of some things, he needs to tip it up.  So the only cups he can drink from are cups with straws.  As you can imagine, it is much harder to find a straw cup that doesn't leak all over the place!  So we now own about a million sippy cups... and have primarily only used 2 up until today.  We finally found another one that I like... for now.

This Playtex sippy cup has no stop-valve.  It flows straight out of the straw.  It has been demoted to a "water only"  (and really, only when we're home) cup.

This Nuby sippy cup has a great valve and a leak-free straw... unfortunately, the threads are all messed up and it leaks from where the lid screws on!  These went back to the store immediately.

These Playtex cups are a close second.  They don't spill when all of the pieces are together the right way... but the valve has 2 pieces that come apart (for easy cleaning, I assume).  Well, sometimes when George is too aggressive with the straw, the valve comes apart on its own... so not only can he not drink it, but it also spills all over the place.  Also, sometimes the pressure builds up in the straw and the milk comes out like a volcano.  Not too much, though.  Other than those little issues, we use these a lot.

But today, I stood in front of the cups for way too long.  And after being terribly disappointed by the Nuby cups (which were the cheapest that Target sells), I decided to go with the most expensive that Target sells (a whole difference of $2... haha--am I that cheap??).  It's made by Tommee Tippee.  Well, had I known that these cups are awesome and really don't spill, they would have been the only ones I bought all along!

I have only found one problem so far... and maybe this is just me being picky.  It comes apart (fairly easily) into about SIX pieces to clean!!  Six pieces seems a little excessive to me... but maybe that's what it takes to make it spill-proof?

Anyway... hopefully this saves you a little bit of hassle.  Moral of the story:  Don't be cheap... the more expensive sippy cups are worth $2 more (that's $2 for a pack of 2... so really $1 each).

18 Weeks!

(Left:  Me at 20 weeks with Baby G;
Right:  Me at 18 weeks with Baby 2)

See the difference??  Aside from being smaller in general (after all, that was 2 years ago), I am much bigger with this pregnancy than I was with George!

How far along?  18 Weeks!

Total weight gain:  2 lbs.  (I was not my thinnest when I got pregnant... so I'm burning through extra fat.. which is kinda nice!)

Maternity clothes?  Sadly, since about 10 weeks (pants, at least)!

Stretch marks?  No new ones... and I really don't have many from G.

Sleep:  I already just can't get comfortable... it's going to be a long 22 weeks.

Movement:  A few sporadic movements that I'm about 70% sure are baby... but nothing definite yet!

Food Cravings:  Milk, Milkshakes, Ice Cream.

Gender:  We find out June 27th!! (9 days!  We can't wait!!)

Symptoms:  I haven't been very sick... a few quick trips to throw up, but I'm always fine right after.  However, I am tired!

Looking forward to:  Finding out the gender!! I seriously have no clue!

Ok, so there is my modified little quiz.  I took out the parts that don't really apply yet.  Maybe it's part of the fun to see how things change, but I don't even want to talk about things like labor yet!  My ring is on (and was all through my last pregnancy) and my belly button is still an innie (and got flush, but not out last time).

XOXO

And this is from George:

|]l\

(l,8+

Baby! Baby!!

Much to my dismay, George is fascinated by the computer.  He loves to bang on the keys, push buttons, knock it onto the floor, and even tap-dance on it every once in a while.  Well, yesterday he discovered the button that turns on the camera.  All of the sudden I heard "Baby!  Baby!  Baby!"  I looked up and he was pointing at the computer screen.  I thought he was looking at the picture of him that is set as our background.  Nope... he was looking at his reflection through the webcam.  So... enjoy a few pictures that I snapped ...

And some from today...

Big News!

For those of you who haven't seen it on Facebook, we are expecting another little baby in November!  I am 15 weeks along!  My due date is either November 14 or 15... not like that's any difference, really.  The baby measured a due date of November 15, but if you know how a due date is calculated, the calculation says the 14th.  I know that I sound totally dumb...

To answer the most common questions that I get:

• Yes, this was planned.
• George will be just shy of 2 years old.
• I will find out of it is a boy or girl on June 27th!  And I can't wait!

I feel great... just really, really tired!  Poor George watches way more cartoons than he should... but he is so sweet and comes over and gives me hugs when I'm laying on the couch!  For the first trimester, I started to feel sick around 11pm (after dinner digested and my stomach was empty).  As long as I got a snack, I was fine... but I did miss my "snack window" a few times and got really sick.  Throwing up an empty stomach is just about the worst!

I did have a weird symptom that appears to be gone.  I had a really sweet taste in my mouth.  It was gross and it didn't go away.  It made water (and other things without much taste) taste really bad.  I noticed last week that I think it's gone.  So that's good.

I am showing at 15 weeks more than I showed until about 20 weeks last time!  I really haven't gained any weight yet.  I think that's because I gained 10 lbs right away when I started weaning George.  So, I actually dropped 5 lbs immediately and have only gained those 5 lbs back.  My little sister asked me how much I weighed the other day... riiiiiiiight.

I have been in maternity clothes for about a month now.  At least the pants.  I got the most comfortable shorts known to man at H&M for Mother's Day, but had to open them early because it's so stinking hot here!  I realized that last time around, one of my friends let me borrow all of her maternity clothes... so I didn't get much.  I guess I didn't really think about the fact that I would have to give them back.  So my mom & I got a few more things the other day and I'm pretty set and a lot more comfortable!  (My mom was really getting sick of looking at me wear Steve's red basketball shorts!)

And last but not least, George dragged a baby doll around by the foot all week last week.  He was really sweet and offered her his binky.  He loved putting her to bed and giving her kisses (with his binky in his mouth).  If this is what I have to look forward to, he will never, ever, ever be with this new baby unsupervised... not even for a second!  Not even while I blink!  He was so sweet, but a little rough!

Busy Busy!

George riding a mechanical horse at the Stockyards.

George in the saddle at the "stroller corral" outside of a restaurant.

We've been MIA in the blogging world lately, huh?  Lots and lots has been going on!  We stole away for a few days to visit Steve's family and then the day after we got home, my dad & step-mom came to visit!  Now we're getting ready to go visit my mom!  It's the World Tour of Kathleen & George!  

We've been having so much fun the past few weeks!  When all of these fun visits are over, G is going to be so, so bored with me!  Seriously!  He has had cousins and grandparents who have spoiled him rotten!

Anyway, maybe I'll be better at blogging when things slow down a bit.  But that doesn't give you an excuse to not update your blogs... because I still read them daily... and I get angry when you don't post often enough! XOXO

PS-  I read today that Gossip Girl's next season is its last?!  That is so not cool.  Also, they cancelled Ringer.  The CW is on my list right now.

A Month of Firsts!

George got his first haircut this month!  Boy, did he need it!  Steve had these great hopes of George's hair growing out nice and curly... which didn't happen.  Instead, the top got curly, the sides just covered his ear, the back got ratty... complete with rat-tail!  It had to go.  Finally, Steve saw my point.  We set up Elmo's World and his high chair in the bathroom and Steve cut his hair! (Impressive, right??)  It took a really long time because Steve was kind of obsessive about it... but it looks great!

The Finished Product:

Much, much better!  My little boy now looks like a little boy again!  It's so funny that it took 16 months for him to get his first haircut!  Poor boy has just never had much hair!

George also went camping for the first time!  I don't really like camping, but I must say that we had fun!  It was our ward camp out.  We don't own any camping equipment (none at all), so I was planning on using that as an excuse to not have to spend the night... and then our friends Jenn and Ryan told Steve that they have a gigantic 2-room tent.  It was seriously gigantic!  We had room for a queen-sized air mattress and the pack and play with plenty of room to spare!  George did not want to go to sleep... and he was awake until probably after 10.  We were all awake talking around the campfire until about 11:30!  I didn't sleep much anyway because I wasn't really comfortable and it was soooo windy!  I probably got to sleep at 4 and then I woke up at 6:30 all because.... I woke the baby.  G was sleeping on top of his blankets and it looked so cold and we didn't have any spare blankets!  So I tried to gently move him... which didn't work.  So, good morning, campers!!  We've got a crying baby!  We got home around 10am and it felt like 4pm!  G fell asleep in the car... so he only slept for a few minutes once we got home.  I swear I slept all day!  I know for sure that we took a 2 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon... but I don't remember much more of the day... so I think I was probably asleep on the couch while G ripped the place apart!  Here are some pictures from that adventure:

And last but not least... G is really into putting on shoes lately.  He goes over to the door and grabs a shoe and puts it on and tries to walk.  Don't tell Steve this because he would be mad... but George has been walking around in one of my shoes for the past 2 days!  It's so funny!  For some reason, he has really taking a liking to this one shoe and I think it's really easy for him to walk in...

Ok--this should be long enough to make up for my terrible blogging in the month of April!  The months are seriously just flying by!