The second child

[did I double post that last post??  Uh, oh well. I've looked at Blogger on about 3 different devices so I was getting confused when one said it wasn't published! Bear with me, just getting back into this blogging thing!]

Disclaimer:  Nearly all the posts I have in mind are all about babies or toddlers.  The fact is that is just my life right now! I know some don't care to read all of this... so this is my official disclaimer!

This second child will be here soon!  I mean, in God's timing of course. But really, soon would be OK.

This is not at all how I felt with my first child. I worked my last day on my due date and pranced around in my newly nested house.  Maybe I just remember it better than it was after time has passed.

This time around, it started pretty easy.  OK, honestly it started pretty surprisingly.  We had just sold our house and moved a week prior.  It was one of those "what is today's date?" and "should I have had that second (third?) mojito?" moments.  But true to God's promises- He has a plan and a purpose for us, not to harm but to prosper.  Every blessing is from above- and this one is truly, truly a blessing!!

First trimester, I felt TIRED.  We were living in transition with Ben's parents and I had no boxes to unpack for several weeks so I was able to nap at about every Obi nap time.

At 20 weeks, we were so thrilled to learn that we would be having another boy!  I spent most of the summer and fall just soaking up my firstborn and cherishing the simple single child days!

Appointments told me I didn't gain any weight for a few weeks. I was OK with that- but they were concerned and I got a lecture on eating regularly blah blah blah.  Then several weeks later I gained "too much" weight. I was still OK with that- but they were concerned and I got a lecture about eating balanced blah blah blah. I wasn't changing too many of my normal habits, I had a toddler to chase around, and we took longs walks nearly every day.  I promise, I'll worry about my weight enough in the spring so don't let me worry about it now!

At about 32 weeks I remember thinking I am SO much bigger than last time.  People and midwives told me that comes with a second pregnancy. Especially a second pregnancy not super long after the first one.  At 34 weeks I remember telling people that I felt 39 weeks.  I told my midwife I thought my belly grew a ton and she confirmed that baby boy had a growth spurt!  And because I was measuring big to do a simple ultrasound at 36 weeks to see how he's doing.

At 36 weeks we saw our little boy on the fuzzy black and white screen (that is super hard for me to tell what-is-what.)  The tech laughed at the amount of hair he had!  I was so excited to hear that and it made me so excited to have another long haired baby boy.  I was told he was breech, and my fluid levels were high.  I was also told that he was already 7 pounds!!  

 At 37 weeks, another ultrasound said that he's flipped and no longer breech- yay!  But, my fluid levels had risen even higher.  Now I'm a part of the 1% of pregnant ladies who knows the word "polyhydromnios."  It means there is an excessive amount of amniotic fluid around this child.  There's no known cause and not a ton of serious risks.  Especially since I'm now in the "safe zone" to have him anytime.  Basically, I'll have been walking around feeling and looking like a 40 week pregnant lady for nearly 2 months. Which is so glamorous, as you can imagine.

38 weeks brings us up to date now.  We had a higher-tech ultrasound to see if that could show a cause of the extra fluid.  Things checked out fine... and revealed that he is at least 8 1/2 pounds!  That last fact I'm scared to admit because that means we could have a huge baby if he still cooks in there for several more days.  But now you're all warned. And any comments that state the obvious resembling "what a big boy" really won't be necessary. :) Crazy to think that this child is already bigger than my past-due-date Obi who was 8 pounds!

My prayers are that he doesn't keep swimming around and find himself breech again. For wisdom and peace considering a scheduled induction.  That he'd switch from being posterior to roll around to be facing down and ready to be born. Also, that I would enjoy my firstborn in these last days and keep my complaining to myself and my comfortableness in perspective.  And I'm thanking God for a new life and a baby with lots of hair :)

Now here's some crazy pictures that I'll admit are a little freaky to know that this tiny human is inside me.  Really, every birth is a miracle! 

Our recent detailed ultrasound gave us some 3D images and we can see the sibling resemblance!

And yes, nesting has been in full swing over here!

No excuses and no promises :)

Hey blog! It's me, the author again!  I could give a ton of excuses (and they are really good excuses) on why this blog has been neglected.  But then I realized I'm not getting paid for this and it's really only for me to record our life and as an outlet for this once-upon-a-time English major. So I'll spare you the excuses and just post a few drafts I've had going. Baby #2 is on his way within the next few weeks so at least that will be something exciting and worthwhile to post! 

 Also, I'm not going to make promises on posting once a week or anything.  So, let's just jump into things!  

So here's a few pictures from our summer!  

Sorry I lied...

Last time I said we had an "announcement"... I said we're not expecting and that we're moving.

Well, I'm here to apologize.  I just need to clear my conscience.  I lied.

We're expecting!!   Though I technically didn't lie because I didn't know when I previously wrote that... but ignorance is not an excuse for sin.

So yes, baby #2 is due December 3rd (but I really think it's a week after that...)

So I'm just trying to accept the fact that I will probably spend at least 3 consecutive years either pregnant or nursing a baby. And maybe next summer will be the one where I can feel OK in a swimsuit again. Maybe. 

I have SO loved just having me and my little Obi.  He's now walking more than crawling and he's our little helper in all we do.  Or rather just our little rearranger and moving things from where we put them.  He's our little lineman and pushes anything that moves.  I'm so excited to see him as a big brother and try and teach the baby sign language. :)

They'll be about 19 months apart and I'm almost 16 weeks along.  It's been fun to personally tell people as we see them. But  I've been rockin' that belly band for a while now so I suppose we better make this social media official so people don't have to feel bad for thinking I'm carrying baby weight from #1.  Nope, most of it is baby weight with #2. Most of it... 

And of course, some pictures of my favorite... he has no idea what's coming for him! :) 

We moved and we survived!

Just letting blog-land know we survived the move.... because it may seem like we hadn't since I haven't blogged since then!  Between not much laptop time and other thing going on... I guess blogging hasn't been a priority!

One big thing that has happened is Obi turning 1 on April 30th!!!

Here's some pictures of our weekend away at Grandpa's!

As soon as I can resolve the situation that my recent pictures are in three different places... I'll get some other photos from the last couple months up!  

We have an announ... or news... or something to say...

Whenever the word "announcement" or "news" is said in regards to a young married couple.... usually a kid is somewhere in the making.
Well, we're not expecting... but we do have other news.

We're moving!

For a while, we felt the pull to be back where we came from and be closer to family.
We also knew that this summer we would move closer to Ben's work. And we thought that if we're going to move to a different city anyways.... then let's think about moving somewhere close to family and where we already know we like to live.

We've loved these past two years. We loved contributing to our church and getting to know this city. Ben was thankful for the manufacturing experience he got and being a part of several different management teams has taught him a lot.  The company may be sad to see him go. He excited to pursue different options with family business and no doubt use the skills he's learned these past two years.

As with any move, there some bitter mixed in with the sweet.  This is were we raised our first child for (nearly) the first year of his life.  We'll miss Which Wich and a Panda Express drive-thru.  I loved my doctor, pediatrician, delivery hospital, etc. I even liked the dentist I found here.  I LOVED being able to walk to Panera, Von Maur, consignment shops and grocery stores. I love the pedmall downtown and the library. I feel like I'm leaving one of the best places to raise a toddler.  I live an 8 minutes walk away from an outdoor park splash pad!  I also feel like we're leaving this city during a time when it's best to live here!  Oh spring is so glorious... and summer in a college town is awesome.  And our house, I love our house and it's been so perfect for us.
I also noticed that the minute something is about to leave or change- I realize how much I love it.

But, I've also learned that moving is not the end of the world, but actually can be quite the opposite. Moving happens a lot here.

Another cool confirmation was the ease of selling our house. Our neighbors were one the first people to know we were putting our house up for sale.  I figured maybe they know someone who wants to be their neighbor!  And they did. They connected me that night to their brother's family. That family saw the house a few days later. The next day we accepted their offer.  Boom. Done. (almost...)  How BLESSED to not even have to stick a "for sale" sign in our yard or finish the sub-par website that I started about our home.

So my days have been filled with soaking in the local things/people I'll miss and packing a box or two.
We're so excited to start something new and know that wherever we are, our God is the same.

thirteen thousand "words"

If a picture is worth a thousand words.... then here's thirteen thousand words!  Titled "Florida, January 2013"  Better late than never, right??

The first of many play place stops in our future! 

Those are manatees... at least that's what I was let to believe. 

291 days old

I just got curious today and thought I'd do some simple math.  Or... google a website that could do this simple math for me.

It's official.... Obi has been out of the womb longer than he was in it.  So that pretty much means he's a big kid now.  291 days since this kid has been out in the real world!!

But really, he's eating pretty much anything now and sleeping like a champ (most of the time).  Half the time he cries when he wakes up and half the time he bangs his pacifier on his crib or tosses it out and I can hear it hit the hardwood floor.
He finally has two tiny bottom teeth that make his smile more mature.
He's crawling faster everyday and finding new things to pull himself up on everyday as well.
He loves his mom and sometimes gets nervous when she's not around.
He likes things that are attached to strings (sweatshirt/coat strings, pacifier clip, a drum toy that we have).
He also likes things that are like sticks that he can hold and swing around like  my his soup ladle and whisk.  We had a paint-stir stick out and (of course) he managed to find it and then crawled around poking and prodding his toys and furniture.
He claps puzzle pieces together like cymbals and enjoys making any noise.
He crawls around my feet in the kitchen everyday and is thrilled with each new tupperware or utensil (or occasional food scrap) that I'll toss down to him. I love it when he crawls while grasping a toy in his hand.
He's so funny to watch explore and learn through playing.
"Baby Signing Time" is his favorite show but we're still working on those concepts to click.  He knows how to sign "milk," "more," and "all done."  He just doesn't know when to do them and which one gets him which thing.
He claps, all the time.
He is a master beat boxer and can make so many noises with his lips and mouth.  He can imitate a ton! He's pretty good as his "da-da-das" and his "bowbowbow" (rhymes with wow) and can make an "mmmmm" sound but not quite "ma" yet!
He turning into quite a flirt when he turns his head sideways and gives a sly smile.  He can only turn his head to the right, though.

Oh Obster.... You are truly a joy!!