He's Here!

Alec was born Wednesday weighing in at 8 lbs even, just 2 ounces shy of his big sister. We came home Saturday while my parents had Kate at the beach, giving us 2 days at home without a toddler running around which helped get used to Alec's sleep and eat 'schedule'.
I am already so in love with him, no baby blues this time.
Here's hoping sleep deprivation and a crazy toddler don't drive me insane :)

Packing For a C-Section

I've tried remembering what I packed for the hospital with Kate and have been searching lists online to get my hospital bag packed. What's different this time around is I'm going in for a scheduled c-section. So I don't feel the rush to get things packed, and I won't need all the extras for the (possible) day of labor confined to a hospital bed.

Currently my bag contains:

• Going home clothes for me and baby. I stayed in the hospital gowns and Kate was in their wrap shirts and blankets the entire stay.
• Toiletries. Just some deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, lip balm, hairbrush, and travel shampoo. 
• Lansinoh. I didn't need it last time, Kate latched right away with no problem, but you never know- all babies are different.
• Baby blanket. Kate was swaddled with the hospital's receiving blankets, but those rooms can get cold so we also used the knitted blanket Adam's grandmother made. This time we have one made by my mom.
• Boppy. I remember using it to prop Kate in my hospital bed, but will definitely be using it for nursing as well this time around.
• My folder of maternity leave paperwork. A lot has been done already, but there's still a lot to do after baby is born that I can get done while in the hospital.

Things I'll grab the morning of:

• iPad, phone, camera, and chargers. 
• Gift for Kate from Alec. I've heard that having the baby give a present to the older sibling when they come to visit at the hospital helps with some of the jealousy they may feel. Alec got Kate a stuffed Mickey Mouse to go with her Minnie.

So that's what I'm packing for my planned delivery. I hope I didn't forget anything, and baby stays put until the scheduled date!

37 Weeks

It's almost here. In just two weeks we will meet our little nugget.

This is me at 37 weeks.

I kind of regret not taking bump pics like I did with Kate, but honestly there just wasn't the time and I didn't have the energy. 

The c-section has been scheduled. As soon as I put that on my calendar it felt real. We are going to have two kids. A two year old monster and a little new born nugget. How are we going to manage? How is Kate going to react? I guess we'll figure it out in 2 weeks.

Big Sister Practice

While I don't know what is going on in Kate's head, I do know she is becoming more aware of the baby growing in mommy's belly.

She had been taking care of her doll and giving it kisses and blankets and toys. She has also become more interested in other babies. Recently she started giving kisses to my belly.

giving kisses to the baby who is covered by violet and, sleep giraffe, and a blanket

If you ask her what is in my belly she will say 'Alec', or if you ask where Alec is she will point to my belly and say 'right there!'. I don't think she really gets that Alec will one day be out of my belly and will be coming home with us, but I'll keep trying to tell her.

way back at 21 weeks

Here's hoping Kate will be a great big sister!

She's Two!

I don't know how it happened, but Kate is now two.

We had her birthday party a couple of weekends before her actual birthday because of Adam's schedule. Unfortunately there was a downpour of rain (and some snow!) that weekend so everyone was confined inside of our little house, not able to send the kids out to the backyard to run around. But Kate had fun seeing everyone, playing with the kids, and of course opening presents and eating birthday cake.

Since she is a bit obsessed with Mickey Mouse, we had a Mickey cake, decorated the juice boxes with Mickey stickers, and had a couple Mickey balloons. Then came the Minnie dress, a present from my parents. Kate couldn't have been happier.

As far as what has happened since turning two, well she is definitely testing rules and having meltdowns over silly things. I guess the Terrible Twos really do exist. But I know it all stems from trying to gain more independence so I try not to get frustrated when she is lying on the floor crying or  refusing to take a nap. It is just a phase... "This too shall pass"...

One of her most recent meltdowns was at the doctor's office. She didn't even need a shot, but she wouldn't let the nurse measure her height and that was just the beginning, but I don't need to say anymore. She is growing and her development is great. She is off the charts for height and 95% for weight. Yes, our little monster is a giant.

Happy birthday, Monster!

30 Weeks

(A week late because I'm lame and never got around to taking a bump pic)

 10 more weeks until the due date, but with scheduling a c-section nugget will be coming a little bit sooner.

This pregnancy started off the same way as my first: no morning sickness, some acne, and that's all. But slowly over the past 30 weeks I have been experiencing some differences: acne never went away, much more exhausted, sciatic nerve randomly sending shooting pains down my leg, feeling out of breath after walking. And this one is positioned a lot lower, where I feel like I am further along than I really am. My stomach has also been feeling tight, which I later learned were contractions - go figure, I never had a single one during my first pregnancy until I went into labor.

our big boy, measuring almost 2 weeks ahead because of his big head and long legs

I am so ready to have this little boy and be done with this school year, but I know I am only 30 weeks. My coworker delivered her son at 30 weeks and I can't imagine going through that. So I will happily keep him inside for these last 2 months and enjoy time with Kate (before her life gets turned upside-down).

Toddler Talk

Kate says many words and in the past few months she has been putting phrases together (along with some gibberish). Some are so adorable that the first time people hear them they start laughing and comment how cute it is (seriously...and I don't even know where she got it from).

Here are some of the most commonly uttered phrases:

• Thank you, Mommy (or daddy or Pop-Pop...)
• No like it.
• 1 more time! referring to wanting to eat more, watch another show, anything really
• Do you see ________anywhere? (birds, her toys, mickey, any color...)
• Mommy! Where are you?! she will call for anything, but I love when she calls for me and I'm standing in front of her. 

She will also have a whole conversation with herself:
Mommy! Where are you? Do you see Mommy? Where? There she is!
Or after she falls down: Oops, sorry, you ok.

She also plays games with me in the car: What says....a cow? (or any animal)

I love that she is finally able to tell us what she wants and am excited to hear her vocab grow.