36 week d/a update

I had my doctor's appointment for this week this morning. Everything looked perfect. I am excited to say that my blood pressure is still looking great, Eli's heart rate was 144 bpm and I am starting to dilate. I am up 20lbs so far, so weight gain is looking good too. Overall it was just another boring and uneventful appointment(the best kind), and I go back next Friday. Full term on Wednesday!!!

Noah's new teeth!

He sure has a cute smile with all those new top teeth! He is also getting a molar and 2 more top teeth! Still just the 2 on the bottom though :)

Just like Daddy

Maybe it's the pregnancy...

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but I cannot stand it when people have to make a negative comment about pretty much anything you have to say. This comes about from a recent conversation I had with someone. I know her from high school, and we weren't really ever good friends, but we had several mutual friends, and we get along great...we just never really had classes together or did anything together so we never got that close. Anyway, when Noah was about 6-7 months old I made a comment about how much Shout we go through stain treating his clothes. Her response was something like "oh I can tell you are a new mom. Once you figure things out you will realize that is just a waste of time". So the other day I ran into her at Wal-mart, in the laundry aisle. I was buying Shout :) She said "wow you still haven't figured this whole mom thing out have you". I am sure I have a lot to learn still...but I have figured out that I like my son to look like nice young man and I also realize that clothes are expensive, and if I want Eli to get good use out of them I can take the 2 seconds it takes to spray shout on something so it stays in decent condition. Anyways...maybe it's just the pregnancy hormones, but it really got under my skin. I never mind advice, I can choose to take it or leave it, and some of the best advice I have gotten has been from other mom's just throwing out ideas to me, but I hate those comments that really serve no purpose but to try and knock you down a peg or two. Okay...that's out of my system...on to better things!

36 weeks

Well technically I am not 36 weeks until tomorrow...but I got dressed for once today so figured I might as well just do the picture a day early :)

Working out the details

Just when I think I am ready for this baby to come, I realize I have more to do. When I think I have just finished the last thing on the "to do" list, another pops into my mind. This past weekend Brandon and I went out and bought all the remaining items we needed (diapers, crib sheets, and new sheets for the pack and play), but getting everything done around the house is another story. I know I need to set up a few things that we put away when Noah was done with them, and I need to do some organizing of the boys room. I also need to boil pacis and a few bottles, but since I am nursing the bottles can wait a few weeks...but I would prefer to get it done before I have 2 kids at home! I think we are good and stocked up on freezer meals, I have a bag ready for Noah, but not for me yet, and I know I need to find sheets for the air mattress for who ever ends up staying here with Noah, and get them washed since they have been sitting in a closet for who knows how long (but long before Noah came around). There is just so much to do! And I have far less motivation or time with a toddler at home to chase around!

Frustrated rant

Lately I have been feeling pressured into allowing Noah to spend the night with family members. I see absolutely no point to it, and don't feel like he is ready to do sleepovers when there is not a need for it. I could see if Brandon and I were going somewhere out of town or something like that, but not just for kicks...he's 1. And as for the argument of needing a break. I don't need one. I love my son, I love seeing my son, I love playing with my son. Noah goes to bed at 8, Brandon and I are up until 11. We have time every night alone, and we have tons of willing babysitters when we want to go out for a "date" on the weekends.

Anyway, it leads me to this point. Why do people feel the need to add their two cents to everything when it comes to raising a child. I don't make comments about people needing to do this or that with their child, I don't tell other parents what they should or shouldn't feed their kids, I don't tell them what they should or should not be doing with them. I don't tell people to spend more time with their kids so don't tell me to spend less with mine. I just feel frustrated when my parenting is questioned or criticized. And pressuring me to do something that I don't feel is right for my son will only make me upset, it will never help anyone get what they want. It seems our society thinks parenting (and pregnancy for that matter) is a free for all and that unwanted comments are acceptable. I see my son everyday. I am here when he wakes up, and I put him to bed everynight. I wake up with him when he cries in the middle of the night. I work with him everyday, play with him everyday, make him 3 meals...everyday, and he is happy and thriving. I am doing a darn good job! Why is it that people who see him a few times a month feel they know better than I, what is best for him? The fact is Brandon and I really enjoy our son, and love every minute we get to spend with him.

34 week appt. a little about Noah, and other random updates

I had my 34 week doctors appointment this morning. It was supposed to be this afternoon, but we are having another huge snow storm and it is supposed be white-out conditions here shortly so I called and begged them to let me come early. When I went in they told me they had tons of cancellations so they were happy I decided to come early, because my doctor was going to try to send her staff home as early as she could, so she needed to clear her afternoon appts so it work out perfect!

Ok...anyway...I am up to 18lbs total gain, my blood pressure was a little elevated for me, but still well within the normal range, and there was no protein in my urine which means there is absolutely no signs of pre-eclampsia at this time. Eli has turned head down, and is sitting low, so unless he decides to move, he is ready to go. His heart rate was 144bpm and everything else was good too! Noah flirted up a storm with the nurses who were happy to occupy him for me (I think I am in for trouble when this kid hits the teen years). I go back the 22nd and will be in weekly from then on. This pregnancy has flown by!

Noah still amazes me everyday. His vocabulary is growing quickly! He regularly uses 23 words, knows most of his body parts, and can make animal noises for Dog (woof woof), Cat (mommy taught him to hiss, but he only does it about half the time you ask what a cat says), Sheep (baa), Lion/Tiger/Bear (roar), and Bee (bzzzzzzzz). He loves reading books, and will literally sit on the floor flipping through pages for an hour as long as I put the books next to him. I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with him!

Noah's new favorite food are "balls" AKA oranges. He still wont eat veggies unless I trick him into it. We do V8 fusion juice everyday, which has a serving of veggies, but tastes like fruit juice, and I can usually hide pureed carrots in pasta dishes without him catching on. I also found some veggies chips which are like potato chips but made with spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes and he seems to like those too, so I usually give him a few with lunch or as a snack. He will eat peas if they are mixed in dishes, but just a few, and he has eaten green beans on rare occasions if they are covered in butter.

Brandon is off working in Cedar Falls, which is 1.5-2 hours from us. He is staying up there until he finishes so Noah and I are trying to keep ourselves occupied with out him. He will be home for the day Saturday and then hopefully he can finish up next week...Noah misses him!

In other baby news, we are pretty much set! I still have to get everything out of the garage and put together, but we have most everything we need...besides diapers. I still need to get some diapers for Eli. I think I am still in denial about having to buy diapers for 2 kids. I also need to get a few crib sheets and new sheet for the pack and play since I seem to have lost the ones I had, but that's it! We are "ready"...at least as ready as we could ever be...

34 weeks

I feel like I have gotten a lot bigger in the past 2 weeks.

What Noah really thinks about Eli.

I was trying to get him to nod yes at all the questions...but he felt like being more honest I guess.