Aedan Andrew's Birth Story

I'll try to keep it from getting too long, but here is the story of Aedan's arrival!  (I'll keep the gory details to a minimum - but for those that don't want to hear the details of labor, may want to skip this one)

Aedan was due to arrive September 20th, but not surprising, he didn't come on time.  At my 40w appointment, we discussed induction and when was the right time.  He said he'd prefer to induce no later than 41 weeks, which would be Sept 27th, but I could pick any day between now and then.  At this point, I'd been having contractions for a week, mostly in the middle of the night, but never enough to progress into labor.  I was this close to having him induce me the next morning.  I was done.  I also knew that Aedan was another big baby (Brody was 8lbs 14oz), so I didn't want to let him get too much bigger!

Instead we settled on 4 days late, Monday morning.  I was positive that Aedan would come over the weekend (I mean it had already been a week of contractions!), so I didn't think we'd need the induction.  I was wrong.  The weekend came and went and no baby. 

Monday, September 24th

Enjoyed our last morning as a family of three, took a few pictures and then took Brody to daycare.  In case things didn't work-out as planned, we didn't want to tell Brody anything, so he went to daycare clueless as to what was going on.

7:45 - Arrived at hospital, got hooked up to monitors and IV.  Contractions were about 8-10 minutes apart, but weren't strong enough to be considered real labor.  But the good news is that my body was at least showing that it was ready for labor.  Took three pokes to get my IV started (lovely!) but finally got it going.

9:15 - Pitocin started flowing (medicine to induce).  Contractions got closer together, but it was a low enough dose that they weren't too painful yet.

9:45 - OB comes to visit & break my water.  Tells me I'm about 1-2 cms dialated, 50% effaced (thinness) and -2 station (+2 is when the baby is ready to go).  I was 1cm dialated at my appointment on Thursday, so I was really annoyed that in 4 days my body didn't do anything.

Then, he breaks my water.  This was awful.  Apparently mine was a little tougher than normal.  There was a point where I think he actually thought he wouldn't be able to do it.  By the end of it, I was in tears.  But I knew that this was nothing compared to contractions, so I just considered it prep.

Lots of discussion at this point about how long it was going to be.  Clearly Jason was worried about whether or not he'd miss the Monday night football game, since the Packers were playing.  Sheesh.  The generally consensus was that I'd probably deliver by kick-off, but not much before that.  Jason was hoping to hear it would be by 4:00, the OB laughed.

OB also said whenever I wanted to get the epidural, that I was fine to go ahead and do so.

11:00 - Heaven.  In other words, epidural.  The contractions started coming 1-2 minutes apart after he broke my water.  Since I had to be monitored to make sure that Aedan didn't react poorly to the lack of fluid, I couldn't walk around much to manage the pain.  I tried a couple different things, but was in enough pain to get the epi.  I always knew I would get it, so it was just a matter of when.

After that, I layed in bed, relaxing, facebooking etc.  I could sometimes feel the contractions, but it just felt like tightness without any pain. 

1:30 - Nurse came in to check my progress.  I was hoping for some good news that things were progressing faster than expected.  (one can hope - right?!?)  I was 4cms, 80% effaced, -1 station.  So, I was progressing right on track.  It looked like the dinner-time prediction by my OB was going to happen.

Nurse told me to turn on my side to get the baby moving down quicker.  I had been staying on my back because with the epi when I layed on my side the numbness went all into one leg.  But I turned on my side anyway.

2:30 - My left leg was numb and I could feel contractions on my right side.  Since I was getting uncomfortable, I turned to my right side.  This is easier said than done with an IV and two monitors with cords.  So flipped and layed there for about 10 minutes or so.

Despite flipping sides I was still very uncomfortable.  I felt a lot of pressure.  Mentioned it to the nurse and she asked if I needed to push?  I was like, well, no, I don't think so?  I never felt the need to push with Brody, so it wasn't something I expected.  Besides, it had only been an hour since I was 4cm.

2:45 - Um, nurse?  Yeah, kind of feels like I need to push...

3:00 - 9.5cms - get ready for baby!  (Seriously...5 1/2 cms in an hour??  I was in shock)

3:15ish- Nurses are all in the room, everything is set up, we're ready to go.  I'm trying everything I can to not push.  One nurse has me do a "practice-push" to see if we can get Aedan a little further down.

Jokes start about whether or not we're going to deliver the baby without the OB.  He still wasn't there yet...

Few minutes later... In runs my OB.  Apparently there was a miss in getting him the message.  His office is attached to the hospital, so there was no reason he shouldn't be there for the birth.  Once he checks that he didn't miss anything, he runs off to change.

3:30 - ready to push.  Started pushing Aedan out.  It was definitely different than with Brody and a lot more uncomfortable.  Let's just say I was motivated to get him out sooner than later.  OB did seem concerned at one point and said a couple of times that "IF he looked good when he came out that they'd put him on my chest right away" I was a little worried that he kept saying, "If..."

3:38 - Aedan Andrew arrives!  4 contractions, 8 minutes of pushing.  He was clearly a big baby.  Luckily he was doing great and came right up by his mommy.  However, his umbilical cord was pretty short.  He wasn't able to put him on top of me before cutting it.  Jay wasn't thrilled about cutting the cord to begin with, so he had no issue letting my OB cut it.

Let the jokes about how big he is begin...Oh, and the bets on the official weight. 

9lbs 8oz.  21 inches long (I'm waiting for the pediatrician to confirm this, I totally thought he was longer than Brody).

My OB also made a comment on how Aedan's APGAR score should be a 10 just because of how pink he was.  He was clearly thriving instantly.

The entire pregnancy has been more stressful and emotional for me.  Turns out the birth was to.  It was very uneventful and successful, but bringing him into the world definitely filled my heart in a different way than Brody.  With Brody, I didn't really know what was in front of us.  With Aedan, I really know what it is like to raise a little boy and love him so much. 

What I didn't know is that it's possible to love two little boys more than anything else in the world.

40 Weeks

39 weeks 5 days

 

The weekly update I never really want to write.  But Aedan's due date has come and gone.  Honestly, from the beginning I never expected him to come early.  Brody was 5 days late, so I didn't think Aedan would be here sooner.  I'm glad I haven't felt ready for the last 4 weeks like I was the first time.  It made for less "waiting" time.

 

40 weeks

 

Total weight gain/loss: Up a couple pounds this week, 29 in total.

Maternity clothes:  Sweatpants and tank-tops from here on out!

Sleep: I've been up with contractions almost nightly for the last week.  So sleep has been a luxury when it comes.  Of course the contractions stop and aparently aren't actually doing anything.  So I'm just sleep unnecessarily sleep-deprived at this point.  But it's all part of the process right?

Best moment this week: Last day at work!  My mind wasn't working that well on 4 hours of sleep, so it's best for everyone that I'm done. 

Food cravings: Custard...but since I'm not eating it, I've just substituted it with other desserts.

Labor Signs: Lots of random contractions, but nothing that means anything.

What I miss: My body.  It takes me like 5 minutes to roll over in bed, I can't fit in tight spaces and my lap is nonexistent for my toddler to cuddle with.

What I am looking forward to: Baby snuggles

Milestones: Due-date!
Differences between 1&2: Everything.  Instead of laying around pampering myself the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, it's been about making sure Brody feels loved and secure.  It's actually been great because he helps keep my mind off the waiting.  And this time, instead of pampering me by doing things for me, Jason takes care of me by taking care of Brody more.  He lets me nap when Brody naps, sleep-in when I need to and do the heavy-lifting (literally) when we're out with Brody. 

My Obsession with Dates

Okay, so I have a little obsession with dates.  Not the fruit.  But the day of the week, year etc.  In High School I notoriously could remember practically everything that happened on the date that it happened.  It was a little obsessive.

It's decreased over-time (though I really think it's my memory that decreased, not my obsession), so I couldn't tell you exactly what I was doing on Sept 19th last year.  Although, since it was a Monday, I'm going to guess that I was at work. 

So, clearly, since I have ZERO control over when this little man shows up, I obsess over dates.  When might his birthday occur?  Wouldn't it be great if he was born on xyz date?  and so on...

I'm actually surprised at how many dates in September we've felt some sort of connection to.  First it was:

Sept 9th - the date Jason & I were supposed to get married.  That is, until our reception hall decided to double-book us and we had to set a new date.  Our dating anniversary was also the 9th, so it had significance.

Then...
Sept 11th - why not have something happy on this tragic day?  It wasn't so much a wish for this date as it was that it would be wonderful to have something to celebrate on a day that brings so much saddness.

Sept 15th - Brody was due Jan 15th and born on Jan 20th.  So wouldn't it be funny if Aedan was born on the 15th when was due the 20th??

Sept 17th - same day of the month as Jason's birthday

Sept 20th - same day of the month as Brody's birthday (keep it simple kiddos!)  Not to mention he'd be born on his due date, he'd naturally be my favorite child for learning to be punctual early on. 

Sept 21st - 21 is Jason's favorite # (and I think his baseball # in high school)

Sept 27th - 27 is my favorite #, I was born on the 27th and I was a second child.  However...I will cry if he's 7 days late...so I really don't want him to be born on the 27th. 

Obviously, I can't control anything at this point.  So, since I'm sitting around waiting, I daydream about the day my little man will be born and a date that we will celebrate for the rest of our lives.  (Now I have TWO birthday parties to plan each year - woohoo!)

39 Week Doctor Appointment

Friday I had my 39 week appointment.  I found out sometime back that my OB was going to be on vacation this week, so even though I really want Aedan to join us, I am glad he didn't make his appearance while my OB was out.  So my appointment on Friday was with the OB that was on-call over the weekend, in case I ended up going into labor. 

Weight: Down 3.5lbs - yep, I lost exactly the amount I "gained" the week before.  It looks like I was really just retaining a ton of water.  So officially only up 27 lbs in 39 weeks.  I'm happy with that.

Blood Pressure: 110/60 - also back to a normal amount for me.  I'm a lot less worried about showing signs of pre-eclampsia now!
Heartbeat: Good - 140ish
Fundal Height: Fill-in OB actually measured me, she didn't tell me what it was, just that it was fine.

Labor Progress: I woke up with severe but sporadic contractions Friday morning.  Since I never had any contractions before I was in labor with Brody, I assumed that this was it!  I figured it had to send me into labor within the next 24 hours or so...right?!?  WRONG!  (Anyone ever heard of false labor? ugh.)

So at my appointment I told her about the contractions and she checked progress.  I was lower than last week, but still only about a cm.  Apparently my contractions weren't doing much.  Oh yeah, and it's now Tuesday and I'm still pregnant. 

Questions: I was also worried about how to tell if I'm leaking amniotic fluid or if I am just showing signs of dialation.  She did a quick check to make sure everything was still in tact, and reassured me that it was just my body progressing and nothing else to worry about.  So that was good news!

Then she just told me that if the contractions get closer together or stronger to come in and get checked again that afternoon.  Also reassured me that she's on-call all weekend, but she won't be offended if Aedan decided to hang out and wait for my regular OB.  :)

So obviously nothing happened.  The contractions eventually fizzled out.  Then started up again Friday night continued on and off until Monday night.  But they're pretty much the definitely of "false-labor."  They are all over the board for timing and never get stronger.  Some are pretty strong (wake me from dead-sleep) and then the next one will be weaker. 

So, I am still predicting that Aedan will follow his big brother's lead and keep his Mama waiting...impatiently waiting.

My Favorite 2 1/2 year old

Rockin' Mommy's sunglasses

Let's face it.  This blog has been quiet for a few months and when I do post, it's very much baby related.  Unfortunately, that's probably a little representative of how things are going at home.  I'm trying to be very conscious of not talking about Aedan too much and reassuring Brody that he's still my favorite "big-boy."  As the end grows nearer, I think he's getting more and more worried about his attention from his parents.

Yesterday, I dropped him off at daycare and along with begging me to stay longer to play with him, he actually whimpered (not quite crying) when I left.  He hasn't acted that way in well over a year.  It nearly broke my heart. 

So, the last few weeks, we've tried to do some extra-fun activities and have been doing as much "family of three" stuff before that changes.  Our regular babysitters haven't been happy about this arrangement, but Brody is getting lots of mommy & daddy time! 

Zoo Train

"Driving" a tractor

Snack-time in front of the Badger Game

So here's a few updates on what Brody is into these days:

-Despite the start of the football season, he's still obsessed with playing baseball.  Which also means I often have baseballs thrown at me when I'm not looking.  (we're working on that!)

-He still loves reading books - his favorite lately seems to be "The Big Hungry Bear," which is funny because we've had the book for a long time but he loves it more after reading it with Aubrie on our vacation with them.

-We don't let him watch that many TV shows, so the few we approve of generally rotate.  The last few weeks though, he's loving Dora & Diego.  Lately he's been a bit of a TV addict (asking to watch it all the time), so we're saying no a lot more often and trying to control that for now. 

-Still as active as ever.  The best days we have with him are when he gets time to run around outside.  It's better when we go somewhere (like the zoo).  I'm dreading winter-time!

I LOVE the funny things this kid says & does...so here's a few:

-"I don't want one brother, I want TWO"

-Randomly singing a Tim McGraw/Kenney Chesney song in the car...when it wasn't even playing on the radio!

-"Mom you can't wear boots, it's not snowing outside!"  (Clearly I've stopped taking fashion advice from him)

-"I don't want to be a big brother, I'm going to be a big sister"

 

39 Weeks & Pregnancy Reflection

First, the routine stuff:

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure - will find out at Dr appt tomorrow

Maternity clothes:  Running out of options, hopefully only a week left of work to worry about it!

Sleep: Trying to get as much as I can!

Best moment this week: Finally feeling ready

Food cravings: Trying to eat what I can at this point that doesn't have too much dairy in it.

Labor Signs: Lots of random contractions, but nothing that means anything.

What I miss: Currently, it's milk!  And it's only been a week!  Hoping once we see how Aedan is doing I can phase in some milk here and there without affecting him.  But we'll see.

What I am looking forward to: Tiny baby feet, baby toes, baby hands. 

Milestones: 39 weeks down!
Differences between 1&2: No matter how many times you go through this, every pregnancy is different.  I never felt contractions with Brody until I was in labor.  Now, I feel them all the time.  I know they're not the real-deal because they don't stick around.  But it's really annoying wondering all the time if it's going to turn into anything.  I think I'd rather go back to being naive.  :P









Reflecting back on the last 39 weeks:
Last time, I did a post of all the things I'll miss about being pregnant and the things I'll be glad to leave behind.  So I thought I would do the same. 

What I'll miss
1. Life with one child.  Nap-time at our house is (usually) a time to get things done, read a book, take a nap etc.  Now, I won't have that luxury, until we can get them both on the same nap schedule at least. 

2. Ability to gain weight without concern.  Ice cream for dessert? Why not!  2 brownies instead of 1?  Sure!  Of course since I've been on a slower weight gain than last time, I've been even easier on myself these last few weeks...

3. The kicks.  I love the bond that I have with Aedan right now.  It's just the two of us and feeling him move around is a great feeling.  Even when it hurts.

What I'm happy to leave behind
I think I've said before that I believe this will be my last pregnancy.  Jason thinks we're done having kids, I am undecided, but I know either way, if there is another child, it will be one that we give a loving home to that doesn't currently have one.  While I always reserve the right to change my mind, I don't believe I'll birth anymore children.  So, you'd think I'd be a little sad to end this chapter in my life...

Honestly?  Not too much. 

1. I'm excited to get my body back.  Breastfeeding will present certain challenges, and I will always continue to sacrifice if necessary (like giving up dairy), but for the most part, I will start to feel like myself again.  I can drink more caffeine, consider a glass of wine, and fit into smaller spaces. 

2. Putting on non-maternity clothes.  I can't wait to get into my cute fall sweaters and real jeans (though I know I won't be in jeans right away!)  There's also a couple cute shirts I've bought while pregnant that I'm excited to be able to wear for the first time. 

3. Stress of work.  Though it's only for 12 weeks, I'm hoping to disconnect as much as possible and enjoy the time with my boys.  Then, when I return, I'll at least be able to function a little better at work (even sleep deprived, I can bulk up on caffeine & won't have shooting sciatic pain from sitting at my desk too long!)

We're Ready! (Finally)

I've blogged before that we haven't been as prepared as early as we were with Brody.  By 36-37 weeks we had everything ready to go and I sat around impatiently waiting for Brody to make his arrival.  With Aedan, I figured we had time, so why rush it?

A couple weeks ago, I got to the point where if I went in labor, I knew we'd be fine.  Jason would have to go home to do a few things while I was in the hospital, I wouldn't have had a hospital bag packed...but we had all the necessities, so we'd be fine.

Now?  I can actually say, we're officially ready!  About 8 days before Aedan's anticipated due date, I finally feel like we're ready.

Car seats - installed. 
Hospital bags - packed. 
Pack n play - mostly set-up. 
Nursery - stocked (with teeny tiny diapers!). 
Maternity leave plans put together at work.
Baptism date - tenatively planned. 
Eliminate dairy from diet - 1 week in.
Toddler potty-trained??  - Close.  We're getting there.  Just keeping my fingers crossed that when his world is turned upside-down, he doesn't regress.

Now, are we mentally prepared for this baby?  The jury is still out on that one.  But I don't think I'm ever going to be prepared for the challenges of two little boys.  I'm just praying that Aedan takes after his brother and is an awesome go-with-the-flow baby.  A girl can wish, right??

6 years and counting

Continuing to look back on the couple months I didn't post...

Jason and I celebrated 6 years together on August 11th.  It's amazing how it feels like just yesterday that we got married but at the same time, I feel like he's always been in my life.  Considering I've known him for 14 of my 29 years of life, it makes sense.  He's been one of my best friends for a very long time.

Celebrating 6 years wasn't very eventful for us, we spent the day before our anniversary at the State Fair for typical fair stuff & a Barenaked Ladies concert that night (my favorite band of all time). 

I look back on this year though and think that it was probably one of the more challenging years for us.  We're no strangers to life-stresses (both good and bad).  When I look back at what we've gone through together, just as a married couple, it's a lot.  We've lived in 3 states, moved 5 times, bought 3 houses, sold 2 houses, adopted 2 dogs and had a baby.  We've lost a friend and a few family members.  We've supported each other through several job changes, career changes and the stresses that go along with job promotions. 

This year, even though it seems like it would have been a piece of cake (no moves, no big purchases), had it's challenges.  A lot of changes at Jason's work, a job change for myself full of high-expectations combined with the beginning of pregnancy with a 2 year-old requiring a lot more patience, along with all the other craziness, we've had to adopt our styles and learn even more about each other.  No matter what we go through, I feel that we're constantly growing as a couple even as we grow as a family.  As cheesy as it sounds, I know I can get through anything with him by my side.  *even if I am a cranky, hormonal pregnant woman*

I say all of this, as we're about to embark on life with TWO children.  Yep I said it, we're going to have TWO kids to look after.  No more two parents > 1 child.  We will have to split up, we will have to learn the style of another baby and learn to communicate even more.  Does this scare me to death?  Yes!  But again, I'm lucky to have someone by my side through it...and if all else fails, we'll ship them off to their Grandparents.  :)

Some of the more fun things that happened in our 6th year of marriage?  We traveled to the same country we honeymooned at to see two great friends get married there.  Jason turned 30! (I think that's fun, he thinks it's the end of the world) We also took trips to Orlando and New York City.  We watched our little boy turn 2.  Our favorite baseball team won the NLDS and we were able to see a game.  The biggest event this year was obviously finding out that we were expecting our second little man.  And as we embark on our 7th year of marriage, I guarantee there will be no 7-year-itch.  We're in it for the long-haul.

My favorite song as of late:

"Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts. 
We got yeah we got a lot at stake
...
We had to learn, how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I got, and what I'm not and who I am.
I won't give up on us even if the skies get rough
i'm giving you all my love" - Jason Mraz

38 Weeks & 38 Week Appt

 Yes, I'm aware I look HUGE!

Total weight gain/loss: Up 3 1/2 lbs in a week, really weird.  See dr appt update below for more...

Maternity clothes: Did you know that some maternity clothes don't even last the full 9 months?  I have a few shirts that are now too short.  Annoying!!  (Plus it's really sad when you're so big your maternity clothes don't fit - ha!)

Sleep: I consider it a success when I can sleep straight until 5am.  Soon enough I'll be begging to sleep for at least 4 hours, so despite the pain I wake up in, I'm trying to enjoy sleep as much as possible.

Best moment this week: When Brody told Jason he doesn't want to be a big brother - he wants to be a big sister!  I love that kid.

Food cravings: I'm officially giving up dairy (obvious sources: cheese, milk, yogurt etc) to prep for breastfeeding.  Aedan is higher risk for milk intolerance since Brody had dairy issues his first year.  I'm trying to give us the best opportunity for successful breastfeeding by cutting dairy out of my diet, so we'll see how it goes.  So in the last week, I've been eating a few extra bowls of custard.

Labor Signs: Nada

What I miss: Being able to snuggle with my boys.  For starters, Brody hasn't realized that my lap dissapeared.  So during bed time he just scoots back more and more squishing my stomach.  Then Jason attempted to give me a "side-hug" because my belly gets in the way.  I just want normal snuggles!!

What I am looking forward to: Meeting this little man.  Can't wait to see his personality, if he looks exactly like Brody and how big he's going to be.  So excited. 

Milestones: Just another week closer!

Differences between 1&2: Preparing for labor was a little easier the first time because aside from worrying about someone swinging by to take care of the dogs, it was easy to go to the hospital when it was time.  This time, we have to worry about Brody.  So there are a lot of, what happens if it's in the middle of the night? during the day? on the weekend?  Lots of contingency planning necessary. 

38w Dr Appt

Weight: + 3.5lbs
Blood Pressure: 128/70
Heartbeat: Good - don't know the exact number

Fundal Height: For some reason he hasn't been measuring my stomach, but I keep forgetting to ask him if he should. 

Labor Progress: "1 & long" as the OB put it.  1 cm dilated, but still very high and not effaced at all.  All of this is totally fine with me, I have two weeks to go.  I'm actually just really really excited to be 1cm even though it means absolutely nothing.  I wasn't dialated at all with Brody, even after over 24 hours of contractions.  So the idea that my body actually got started a little earlier this time, makes me feel better about my ability to go into labor on my own again.

Questions: So we've talked the last few appointments about the crazy headaches I've been having.  I'm not new to migraines, but I've had more over the last few weeks than the rest of my pregnancy.  Since headaches can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, he's been keeping an eye on my blood pressure.  Even though it's high for me (I'm normally a 115/60ish person), it's still very much within normal range.  But then this week, when he saw my weight spike (likely due to bloating), he sounded a little more concerned.  He just told me to call if my headaches get bad enough / if I feel weird sensation where things "just don't feel right."  Don't know exactly what that means, but we'll see. 

He sounds very open to inducing me if at any point I want him to, however, I'd really like to go into labor on my own, so I am hoping everything stays healthy enough to do that.  In the meantime, I may be eating a few extra spicy foods to see if I can prod him out on his own.  :)

Tough Twos?

All the posts about the new baby, there hasn't been a lot of posts on how Brody is doing these days.  I hate to call them the terrible twos, but he's definitely full of challenges as he's making his way to three.  So, I'll call it the good, the bad and the ugly of the twos.

The Good

 
There are so so many good things about this stage, that I am sure I won't do it justice when I get to the "bad" and the "ugly."  For starters, the independence of a two year old is great.  He's great at playing by himself, listens to directions and can even climb into his booster seat on his own.  This allows us to do a whole lot more as parents, which is great, but it's also amazing to watch your baby's personality develop even more by watching what he does when you're not right there next to him.  I LOVE sneaking up on him when he's playing and watch what he does / what he's playing with.  Some of his favorites these days are: his Little People Zoo toy (listening to animal sounds), legos, playing baseball (his absolute favorite) and singing with Elmo.

Communication is also great.  He can tell us what he wants, how he feels and remembers things he's done.  This is absolutely the best thing about this age.  The phrase "kids say the darndest things!" is so true.  Especially at 2.  He sees the world so differently that it often opens my eyes to how innocent and impressionable he is.  I often have to remind myself that he's absorbing everything I do and to be careful about what I say.  My favorite though? "I love you mama"  Best words ever spoken by a sweet little boy.

Leading me to my little boy's developing personality.  He may be rough and very much a boy, but he also has the biggest heart.  And he definitely loves his mama.  Last weekend he was being a little crazy and jumping on me.  When I said "ow! you need to be more careful, you're hurting mommy."  He said, "I'm sorry! I'll get you some ice!"  With purpose in mind, he went straight for his stool, opened the freezer and then realized he couldn't reach the ice.  So then of course he asked for help and held the ice up to my arm.  So sweet.

The Bad

Remember how great I said it was that he can communicate?  It's also the "bad" of two year olds.  He can be stubborn, defiant and downright sassy.  He'll argue with us over the silliest things (the difference between fog and smoke, whether or not his food is hot, etc), but it's just how he is discovering and interpreting his world.  He's also learning to push our buttons and is real good at it.  No one should be surprised by any of this though, he comes from two very stubborn parents and his Mom definitely has a sassy streak to her.

In typical boy fashion, he's messy, high-energy and can get a little crazy at times.  But these are all things we've learned to love about him.

The Ugly

Here is where I would insert a super-cute picture of Brody posing in his big-boy underwear...but since it's not something I think should be posted on the internet, you'll just have to picture him in super-cute Nemo underwear.

So, the ugly?  Potty-training!!

**If you don't want to read about a toddler's toilet habits...you can stop here** 

He's been amazing at peeing in the "potty" and has been wearing underwear for over a week with only 1 accident where he didn't make it to the bathroom in time to pee.  He's doing great and even started to tell us when he needs to go (as opposed to us reminding him to go).  The 1 M&M reward system worked great at home and daycare uses a sticker reward system that has been awesome.  Truly a peeing super-star.

However...he REFUSES to poop in the toilet.  We thought underwear would help motivate him to go, but so far it hasn't.  Instead, at least one pair has ended up in the garbage and several pairs have had to be cleaned & sanitized.  Ick!  We've tried bribing him with absolutely everything (treats, toys, the party he gets to have at school).  I've tried pulling the "big-boy" card: "Only babies poop in their diaper."  I've even tried making him feel guilty (not my best parenting moves) by telling him that Mickey Mouse is sad that Brody pooped on him (he was wearing Mickey underwear). 

It's been a little stressful, but can be pretty hilarious at times too.  The new method I tried this weekend, was staying on top of him, watch for sign that he's going to poop and then trying to get him to do it in the bathroom.  Picture 8 1/2 month pregnant woman running (well, waddling) through the house with 2 year old held at arms reach saying "no!! poop in the toilet!!"  Only to get there and have him poop, in his underwear, 2 inches from the toilet.

His teachers assure us that he's not going to go to college in diapers, so it has to happen eventually, but it would be real nice if it happened sooner than later!

And...we're back

I have a lot of catching up to do...clearly.  Summers are always busy for us, but add in exhaustion from pregnancy, potty training and baby-prep left me with zero time to blog.  But, I'm back and planning to pick it up more regularly, especially since we'll have a sweet little baby to show off soon enough!

First update will be a pregnancy update, then I'm going to post on some of our summertime adventures as well as a Brody update.  He is of course the whole reason I started this blog!

29-37 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Only up about 26 lbs (actually lost weight in between 36-37 weeks), while I'm excited about the slower weight gain, I know I started with a little extra cushion this time, so it will still be work to get back in shape afterwards.

Maternity clothes: Thank goodness for our summer dress-code.  A perk of being at a satellite location for work is that they allowed us to wear jeans all summer. I took full advantage of the less-dressy atmosphere.  Now that Labor Day is over, I am back to dresses and dress pants. 

Sleep: No longer sleeping through the night, but even worse, I wake up and can't fall back asleep.  This makes for several exhausting nights a week and I'm not the smartest at work anymore, but the end is almost near.

Best moment this week: Even though the second pregnancy has proven to be more difficult, the best thing about it is watching how excited Brody is about his little brother.  He loves to play in the nursery, reading about having a new baby and just yesterday practicing holding his doll with the boppy pillow.  He constantly gives Aedan hugs & kisses through my belly.  It's the sweetest thing in the world.

Food cravings: I've come full-circle and am back to food aversions.  I've even gone as far to make myself a separate dinner because I can't imagine eating what Jay & Brody are eating, even though they're typical meals in our house.

Labor Signs: Nothing yet.  Random contractions, but nothing worth thinking about.  I imagine he'll take his sweet time like his big brother.

What I miss: Regular clothes, picking up Brody without paying for it later (same goes for sitting on the floor with him).  Wine.  Oh how I miss wine...

What I am looking forward to: Brody being a big brother. And 4 weeks of maternity leave with just me and a baby. 

Milestones: Well, I'm term, which means he can come "any day now" (don't hold your breath!).  Other awesome milestones I hit in the last 2 months: swollen ankles (even Jason noticed), stopped wearing my wedding rings (sad!!), Aedan turned head-down and seems to be staying there and I may have dropped - but the jury is still out on that one.

Differences between 1&2: Every pregnancy is different, which has been very true for me.  I believe that some symptoms are different because of the time of year (heat of summer causing some of the swelling) and some are just different.  The good news is that even though this pregnancy has come with a lot more aches and pains, Aedan appears to be just as healthy as his big brother.  And that's all I can ask for.

Then I'll leave you with a few pictures of my growing belly...

Almost 37weeks

35 weeks

34 weeks