Fingerpainting Fun!

Joey had such a fun time fingerpainting! He eventually wanted me to clean his hands off, I guess he doesn't like to have dirty hands!

25 Weeks

What's up with Baby Pitt:

• 2/3 of the way through this pregnancy! Time is flying by. Hopefully we'll have everything ready for her arrival!
• Baby now measures 13 1/2 inches from head to heels.
• Weighs about 1 1/2 pounds. 
• Baby is growing more hair; maybe why I have had terrible heartburn?!
• Her eyes are starting to open now that the retina is developed. Not too much to see in there though! 
• She has been kicking up a storm. Especially when I lay down to go to sleep or when I eat something sweet :-) 

How I've been feeling:

• Heartburn! I hate it! When I was pregnant with Joey I had it, but I don't remember it starting this early. 
• My body is SO sore. My lower back feels like it it stretching so much it's going to pull apart.
• Sciatica has subsided for now. Yippee! i know it'll be back with a vengeance soon...
• Some days I forget I'm even pregnant. That won't be the case too much longer! 

Yesterday, Joe started sanding the crib we picked up on Craigslist for FREE! It is in good used condition, but it is dark brown and we want white furniture for our little girls room. He also started going through the closets in the nursery that we have been using for storage. I am so relieved to feel like we are making progress! We still have a loooong way to go and lots more to buy before she gets here, but I am oh so thankful to have a supportive husband to help me along the way.

I hope I'll be able to make the bumper for the crib this week. Maybe even the crib skirt if I have the energy! I can't wait to see the finished product. It has been such a fun and rewarding project to make her bedding myself. 

What we have left to buy:

• Clothes in all sizes up to 2T. I bought ahead for Joey and it has helped so much. 
• Diapers size 2 and up.
• Double stroller.
• Changing table/dresser combo.
• Convertible car seat.

I am sure there is probably 25 things I need to add to that super short list. But those are the big things that we need to focus on. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! 

-Laura

Thankful

I love this time of year. Pumpkin pie, spending time with loved ones, and being thankful for each and every special person in your life and just how much they mean to you. Oh, and did I say pumpkin pie? :-)

We're having our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, and while I have been mostly frantic trying to get the house cleaned and making sure I have all of the ingredients I need for cooking, I took a few minutes today to sit and really think about my life and where I am now. Sometimes my emotions get the best of me and I don't give myself enough opportunities to have these refreshing moments to myself to just think. 

Two of my favorite people in this whole wide world.

The person I am most thankful for is my husband. Even when I get frantic and somewhat out of control, he always helps me find my feet and gain control. I am sure he thinks that I am mostly ridiculous, but I know he loves my ridiculous self. 

I am thankful for God blessing me with our wonderful son. He can be a bucket of chaos sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He brings so much excitement, love, and happiness into my heart. Just when I feel that I am at my wit's end with him being a rascal, he turns on his sweet face and gives me a kiss and maybe even a quick cuddle. And instantly everything is okay in the world. 

I hope everyone has some time to themselves to really think about everything they have been blessed with and enjoy it all this holiday season. Of course there are many more things I am thankful for, but what I wrote above brought enough tears to my eyes! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Laura

One Of THOSE Days.

Ugh. Talk about an overwhelming week. I feel like any other "normal" person would be able to easily handle what I have gone through this week, but since my anxiety seems to be at an all time high, I feel like I'm on the verge of a major meltdown. 

So what's happened? 

Joey has had diarrhea the past 3 days. No fever, no other symptoms, just the nasty squirts. I feel terrible that he is sick! I also feel terrible that I feel like there is nothing I can do. I called his pediatrician's nurse advice line, and I keep missing their phone calls. So I had to call back and leave another message and just hope that I don't miss their call again. I'm still waiting. We've been giving him Pedialyte to make sure he's still getting the nutrients he needs. I've also only been feeding him yogurt, rice, toast, and a few bites of my mac n' cheese. He wanted it so bad I couldn't say no to him. 

Lexi, our dog is a stage 5 clinger! Every time I sit down, she has to be in my lap immediately. I remove her from my lap and 2 seconds later she's back again. I enjoyed this at first. Now, not so much. There are some moments that I feel like I need my own personal bubble to not be violated, and she's constantly in my bubble. Other than that, she's been a great dog. It's definitely something I'm going to have to get use to! 

I offered to host Thanksgiving dinner here at our house for my Dad and his family and my Mother-in-Law and her husband. I love them all dearly and I am so excited to spend time with them. I just let myself get too worked up about what I have to cook, clean, and do before their arrival that I'm already stressed to the max and it's not even Turkey Day yet. I need an "off" switch attached to my brain. I want to be able to enjoy everything about Thanksgiving and not let the small stuff overwhelm me. 

I finally made the call the the perinatal mood disorder practitioner this morning and left her a message. After I hung up, I put down the phone and sobbed. Is it because I finally took that step to get help for suffering through SOMETHING that I'm not sure exactly what it is yet? Is it because I am so damn hard headed that I feel like my pride has been tarnished? Is it because I have come to the realization that I am not supermom and can't work through my feelings no matter how hard I try? All of the above apply. I know I need help. And I promised myself and Joe that I would do everything I could to not suffer through postpartum depression (PPD) after this baby is born like I did with Joey which I never got help for. 

.Sigh. 

These are only the "big" things that have triggered my anxiety this week. Every little thing that happens (Lexi's spilled water bowl because of Joey, Joey has now figured out how to open the baby gate by shaking it ferociously, etc.) I almost have a complete meltdown over. 

Now I am going to go curl up in a ball until Joey wakes up from his nap and hope that I'll be in a better mood this afternoon. By the way, I have demolished a huge container of leftover macaroni and cheese already today and a nice big slice of pumpkin banana bread. Drowning my sorrows with food. 

-Laura 

Lexi, Our New Fur Baby

Joe and I have been talking about getting a dog. We both grew up with them, and loved having them around as kids. We wanted to be able to give our children that same experience. 

We have been searching Craigslist for the past few weeks. We did not want to buy from a breeder. We wanted to help someone out who could no longer care for their dog, or adopt from a rescue or shelter. We came across Lexi's post and fell in love. We adopted her from Mitchell Mill Animal Hospital Rescue in Raleigh. A friend of an employee there was vacationing in the mountains when they came across someone desperately trying to get rid of her. They told them if they did not take Lexi, she would be shot and killed that night. Without asking any questions, they brought Lexi home with them and to the animal hospital to get checked out. She has previously had a litter of puppies. I would have LOVED to have seen them! I'm sure they were tiny and adorable. They spayed her while she was there, and got her all caught up on her shots. She weighs 12 pounds, and the vet guessed that she is about a year old. 

She seems pretty happy and comfortable here with us. She fits right in and does wonderful with Joey. Our main priority in searching for the right dog for us was to find one that did well with kids. Joey can be rough and wild around the house, and she doesn't pay him any mind. She even lets him pull her ears and poke her eyes without even flinching! We of course don't let him hurt her though. 

Please excuse our messy house in the pictures! Tornado Joey comes through everyday and I don't even try to clean up until nap time. 

I am thrilled that she is potty trained! I was worried about having to work with her on it and having to get up at night with her. The first full day she did have 2 accidents in the house, but I wasn't upset over it because I knew she was adjusting to our home and being in a new place. She scratches the door when she has to go out. No guessing games with her! She sleeps next to our bed on the floor on a pillow underneath a blanket. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend!
-Laura

23 Weeks

I feel like I just posted my 22 Weeks blog post yesterday. Seriously?!? Where is time going?! 

I had a check-up with my midwife today. Baby's heartbeat sounded great and strong, and I measured right on track for where I should be. I haven't gained any weight since my last appointment 5 weeks ago, so she was thrilled about that considering I started out overweight. I've only gained about 5 pounds so far. She wants me to aim for 10-15 pounds for the rest of my pregnancy, but said she would be thrilled if I didn't gain anything as long as I was eating healthy and exercising occasionally. 

I did talk to her about my increased anxiety recently. Irrational thoughts and fears come into my mind occasionally, some days more frequently than others. Some nights it keeps me from getting the sleep I need, but some days are better and I can manage to keep the thoughts at bay. She referred me to a perinatal mood disorder specialist to talk to about it. I am looking forward to going so I can talk about these thoughts and figure out a better and safe way to deal with them during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Up until now, I have just been focusing on something else and trying to stop thinking about whatever terrible thought I have at that moment. 

Anyways, we STILL haven't settled on a name! I feel so behind, and it makes me feel bad that this baby doesn't have a name yet. Both Joe and I love the name Hayley Grace. So what's holding me back from using that name? It was the name we were going to use if Joey was a girl. I feel like since I made that connection to that name while I was pregnant with him, I shouldn't give her that name because it doesn't seem as "personal". Almost like reusing a siblings name, even though Joey is Joey, and not Hayley. The more I talk about it, it does seem silly. But it just doesn't feel right. I'm hoping I can find a name that I love just as much as Hayley Grace. Maybe I'll get over that feeling about that name before she gets here and we end up using it. Who knows?! 

I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made with getting prepared for the baby's arrival. We have mostly cleaned out the nursery. We still have to go through the closets and find somewhere else to put Joe's hunting gear and our extra clothes. I wish we had a bigger house so I wouldn't have to even think about stuff like this! 

We have an Arm's Reach Cosleeper for our bedroom. She'll be sleeping in there with us for the first few months to make all the nighttime feedings easier. We had Joey in our room with us until he was 4 months old and he was so easy to switch over to his crib. I think Joe and I missed having him there more than he missed us! I've been trying to find a nice double stroller that is reasonably priced. Since I won't be having a shower for this baby, I'm trying to plan all of the big purchases so everything doesn't hit us at one time (double stroller, crib, dresser, car seat, etc.) I've even been picking up a pack of diapers here and there to help with the cost of having two babes in diapers. 

Thanksgiving is almost here! I have got to buckle down and start planning our various family gatherings. The holidays always fly by for me. Once we enter into 2013, I'll be nearly 7 months along! Phew.... When I look at it from that perspective, I feel like I need more time! 

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone. 
-Laura

Nursery So Far

This is what I have done for the nursery so far. I am pretty proud to be able to do this by myself after just recently starting to sew again! The glider rocking chair is not yet finished. I still have to make covers for the arm rests and recover the ottoman. Then this little corner of the nursery will be done! 

I am so happy I went with this fabric. It is even more beautiful in person. It's not too "babyish", I think the curtains we will be able to use for many years to come. 

I followed this tutorial for the glider rocking chair, and this tutorial for the curtains! Of course mine did not come out as well as the bloggers tutorials, but I tried. I'm very happy with the outcome! It makes it so rewarding knowing I made it, and saved money in the process! 

Sorry the picture quality isn't too great, I took a quick picture using my phone. 

I also made this little cute diaper pouch for my diaper bag a couple of days ago. 

It was pretty easy to make, and it has tremendously helped in organizing the diaper bag! Let's see how long it stays that way... Here's the tutorial for anyone who would like to know. 

We are halfway through the week! Do you have any plans for the weekend?
-Laura

22 Weeks!

I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. I guess chasing a toddler around all day helps with that! Boy do I look forward to his nap time. It's the only time of day that I can work on my many projects for the new nursery. I wish I could take a nap when he does, but I can never fall asleep!

What's going on with baby love...
-About 11 inches and about 1 whole pound! She's growing fast, I wonder if she'll be anything like her big brother in that department.
-Lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, making her look more like a human than an alien :-)
-Tiny tooth buds are developing underneath her gums.
-Her eyes have formed, but still lack pigment in her irises.

I have been feeling her kick and wiggle around a lot! Joe even got to feel her a couple of weeks ago. Just this week I have been able to feel her when I am sitting up. I think feeling the baby move around is my absolute favorite part of being pregnant. It's a reminder that my body is doing something so amazing!

Lately I have been feeling great. No sickness, not much fatigue, and all of the food aversions have almost gone away. I have been craving a pumpkin pie for about a week, so I made one last night and enjoyed a slice before bed. It was soooo good! Satisfied my craving instantly. I also made loaded baked potato soup. It was delicious and perfect for a cold day. It was only 42 degrees here yesterday. Hubby even bragged it was the best soup he has ever had!

Have a Blessed Day!
-Laura

This Week's Schedule

To update family and friends (and help me keep up with what we have planned), I'll post weekly about what we've got going on. Some weeks will be busier than others, and I'll admit, I cherish the weeks when I have NOTHING planned. We still end up having plenty of activities going on, but to go into the week with a blank slate is always refreshing. 
Monday- Nothing planned

Tuesday- Nothing planned 

Wednesday- Playdate

Thursday- Midwife appointment. I love hearing her heartbeat :-)

Friday- Dinner with the Ballman's

I also have to organize the nursery, browse Craigslist hourly for a dresser to put in the nursery, organize the laundry room, and organize the pantry. Maybe by posting everything around the house that I have to do it will help hold me accountable to what I have to get done! I hope that's the case! Of course there is more to be done around the house (as always), but I'm trying to be realistic in my hopes to at least get these things done this week. 

I've also been toying with the idea of repainting a crib we got for FREE off of Craigslist instead of buying a different one. The one we got is espresso, and we want a white crib that will match the changing table and glider that we already have. I've looked at a few tutorials online of how to safely repaint a crib, but I'm still not 100% convinced that it's completely safe for when the baby chews on the sides. I'll post more about that if we do decide to do so. 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. 
-Laura

Marble's Kids Museum

We took Joey on his first excursion to Marble's Kids Museum this week! He absolutely loved running around and playing with all of their different toys and checking out all of the exhibits they have to offer.

Vroom Vroom! Off he goes!

This big bus was one of Joey's favorite things to do, especially sliding down the slide they had at the back of it going into the toddler zone. 

Joey driving the ambulance

Joey and Daddy planting veggies!

Joey went shopping at the Farmer's Market and picked up some "fresh" veggies. 

Joey and Daddy playing with blocks

I am so happy that Joe got to take a day off of work to join us. Joey loved having him there, too! I would love to be able to take Joey to museums once a month or every other month. He had so much fun exploring and learning!

-Laura