Fall

Pregnancy is kicking my darn butt! Most of the time there is major pressure & sometimes I feel hugely/far along pregnant. Morning sickness is daily but some days aren't as bad. I have to be so careful of how much I eat or I get nauseous. My back sometimes kills me but I remember having a lot of back pain the first time too. I seem to get more & more lethargic, that's no fun with a 2 year old. Katie had a blast on Halloween. She bugged me all day long with "trick or treat? trick or treat? daddy home! trick or treat!". I told her when daddy got home we would get dressed & go. She still says trick or treat when she wants her bucket of candy. She didn't even get that much but she had a blast. That's about it. I'll leave some pictures here, some fall & Halloween pictures. Katie was a strawberry. She's getting so big, I can't believe it.

 

 

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Wow

Well, soon I'll have to change my blog title. I found out today that I'm pregnant! We suffered for 6 years with primary infertility but we did not struggle with secondary, thank goodness. I'm in shock! I can't believe I'm actually pregnant, that is just freaking crazy. I'm about 6-6.5 weeks along. I called my husband freaking out & scared him to death. I did not want to tell him over the phone, that's a horrible way to tell him but I just...freaked! I didn't know what to do. Holy crap I'm pregnant, what?! Oh my GOSH!!! This is crazy!!! How can I not tell family! I want to shout it from the rooftop!!! I want to tell everyone! Even if it hasn't been comfirmed by the doctor yet. 2 home pregnancy tests have said YES! I want to buy more! AHHHH! Do you know how crazy this is? I didn't think for a second it'd be easy to get pregnant again. I've gained SOOOO much weight since I had Katie. I'm huge. And yet, I'm pregnant again! AHHHH! I don't know that I'll be able to keep it a secret. We may tell everyone tonight. I just WHAT! This is crazy!

I'll be due middle of June 2015. I am due middle of June. If all goes well, if baby keeps sticking, that is. Stick baby stick! Stick baby stick!!! 

2 years 2 months

Or Nearly, in 9 days. Not a lot has changed but at the same time it has. I was asked to measure Katie about a week ago & she was still coming in at 32 inches but I swear she feels longer when I carry her to bed. She stepped on theI' scale the other day in shirt & undies and it showed 20.4 lbs. So maybe 21 lbs if she was on the hospital one.

She has a favorite book, that's for sure. "My No No No Day" by Rebecca Patterson. She can even help read it. She knows what bella says. She doesn't say all the words but she knows the jist of it for most of the page & is happy to say bella's part of the story. It's cute & funny. Wish she would find a few new favorite books, it gets tiring reading the same ones over & over. She actually got upset the other day because she couldn't find her No No No Day book. Oh geez! It was found & all happiness was restored.

Jumping. She can jump & she loves to do it. Randomly usually & she has a blast. When she was a baby she hated her jenny jump-up & the exersaucer. Well she liked the exersaucer but she didn't like jumping in it. Yesterday she was using a pillow next to my night stand like a trampoline, going up & down. I'm mostly meaning the both feet off the ground jumping without holding anything. One day she decided to try to jump & of my gosh, that was the most hilarious day. Her eyes got so big the first time she came off the ground & her body went forward a little so she was off balance when she landed. Didn't fall but surprised her. I'd say within a week of starting to do it she had it down.

Clothes/Diapers/Undies: She is for the most part potty trained. When she wants to be that is. I think she sometimes gets caught up in playing or just not wanting to walk to the bathroom. When she pees in her panties she takes them off & hides them. Yay! Honestly she has accidents mostly with daddy home. She does good with me. She can now even wear shorts with undies & still use the potty. Pants may be a little harder. She's also had successful trips out in undies. Once we went to Walmart, accident free. One time we were out for about 2 hours & forgot she had on undies, she made it til the drive home. Not her fault, I completely forgot because usually she has on a pull up & this time daddy forgot to change her. Yesterday we went to dinner (again, it was a forgot to change her), only gone about 30-45 mins & we made it home dry. I think it might be time for switching to panties on outings, if they're going to be shorter that is. Her panties are size 18m, size 2/3T pull ups when used & she's in between 3 & 4 night diapers. Her 3 night diapers are too small but the 4 pampers are way big. I'll switch to huggies 4 because I think they're smaller or maybe use size 3 pamper night ones. Clothes... 18m shirts still mostly fit but so do 2T. 2T shirts actually fit pretty well now. 18m shorts are still fine. Pants, that's a different story. She has no butt, panties are thin, & her waist is tiny so what fits in length doesn't in the waist. We've always used thin diapers (can't stand fat ones or cheap ones) so we've always had issues with bottoms fitting. Now it seems worse because diapers at least gave SOME padding. I guess I'll just have to find long 18m smaller waist pants. She even fits into 12-18m children place pants. If she grows any taller we're in trouble, they're barely long enough to be normal right now. Oh the joys of a smaller children. I was the same way so I feel my mom's pain.

My kid apparently has a connection with her great-grandpa who passed in December 2013. On 2 occasions, both within a week, she has talked to "grandpa". I know kids play & this kid play calls family all the time. This is different, way different. I've gotten videos of it. She talks to the ceiling, like someone is there and when I've asked her if she sees grandpa/grandpa is here she's pointed to the ceiling. It's only happened in our room, when it's been very quiet. We have a plague we made for Papa in November with pictures of her & him. When I ask who that is, it's grandpa. Believe what you want, believe it or don't, that's fine. It's hard for me to accept too but I know I'm not coaching her & I've seen it happen twice now. It's so amazing & surreal. I hope it keeps happening, I hope she gets to keep that connection with him & he continues to watch over her.

2 year appt!

Today we had Katie's 2 year appt & it almost didn't happen. Katie's NP(she didn't even have a doctor, but her NP was fabulous) left 2 weeks after we met her which was a HUGE bummer. Well since a new doctor hasn't taken NP's place Katie doesn't have a doctor assigned to her. I tried to make an appt a month ago & first avail. was 6 weeks later/mid August. I was told to call at 6 am to get a same day appt when I needed it. So I called today, promptly at 6 (I actually called twice slightly before 6 trying to be one of the first callers but wouldn't let me through). Anyways, call at 6 exactly, wait 10 mins to get through & then I'm told Haynie's(NP) back-ups are full. Imagine silence on my end. So she said she'd try to get Katie in with another provider & we got in with a Mr. Leifson (who, don't tell my husband, was not bad looking.... :) ). Katie was weighed & measured and all I wanted was her to be at least 20 lbs. As long as she was 20 lbs I would be ok with it. I was hoping they'd do it clothed, I knew that'd help, but she wasn't, she was weighed naked. So, Katie is...

19 lbs 15 oz

32 inches

Well... haha. As close as you can get without being there I guess. The nurse asked for my concerns & I said weight, that I just want to know it's ok she's so small. Because in Sierra Vista/Ft. Huachuca, they were mostly ok with it. They accepted she was small. When we moved to Clarksville/Ft. Campbell Haynie wasn't ok with a 18 month old 18 lb little girl. Leifson was perfectly fine with her only being 20 lbs, because she's staying on the same arch/curve as other kids. She's below the line but staying consistent with it. So, ok I guess. I was SO glad to hear 32 inches too. She grew!!! She grew an inch & a half in a month. Woo hoo!

It felt really good to be able to answer yes on most of the questions about what she can do. To know she's on course mentally/learning wise with kids her age. Welp, guess that's it. Have a good day.

Newborn/1 Year/2 Year

She's 2!

My Baby Girl is 2! Tell me it isn't so! But it is & she is. She's gotten so big & she's changed so much. I made a collage/timeline with a newborn photo, 1 year photo, & her 2 year photo. Oh my gosh, she looks so different. She has beautiful curly at the ends hair, sometimes she has these beautiful ringlets in her hair. I love it & I don't ever want to cut her hair, in fear she'll lose them. I'm told I had them too when I was a baby. She's mostly a happy go lucky baby or toddler I should say. Attitude, man she's got attitude. She speaks quite a bit but it's usually hard to understand. She's obsessed with cats & bunnies, she loves seeing the bunnies out the back window. She loves blowing & playing with bubbles and she loves playing in her power wheels, she can finally press the pedal right. She likes her power wheels on high & crashing into my car or the bush. She laughs so hard but then again, we're laughing too because it's hilarious! My big girl, she's getting so big. Please tell her to stop growing. She's still wearing mostly 18 or 18-24 month clothes. Most 24 month or 2T clothes are way too big. I would say she's potty trained but she does have some accidents & it's just pee wise, not poop. During the day if we're staying home she wears undies. Half the time we go out & about she won't pee in her pull-ups but I like knowing she had to go she can go without causing extra laundry. Last I measured her she was about the same size as when she was 18 months but I really think she's had a growth spurt the last few weeks. She seems taller to me. Weight, she's still about 20 lbs. I'm going to try & get her in for her 2 year appt on Monday so we'll see then. It does bother me that she's the same weight as some 1 year olds & even some fat 4-6 month olds. I want her to gain & grow, it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong since she's not gaining. I feel like the doctors are going to think I'm starving her or something. Doesn't help that I've been having to fight her morning, noon, & night to eat & I keep worrying about the appt & her weight. Ugh, parenthood/petite child worries!!!
So, I guess I'll share some of her 2 year photos. She was not a happy camper & refused to really smile. Oh well. :)

23 Months!

We are SO close to 2 years old. Actually we're 22 days away, 3 weeks! Can I cry now?! Please!!! Oh my gosh, it's going SO fast! She talks so much now. It's still toddler talk so it's hard to understand usually but she says a lot & understands a lot. It's amazing. She loves watching the bunnies out the window & will tell you Bunny. Also she says birdy or birds. She loves looking up into the sky & seeing airplanes, she even says airplane in her toddler way. She knows pink, blue, purple, green, & working on red. Yellow & Orange seem to be hard for her to say. She helps me put away dishes & she gets paid to do so. Usually 25-50 cents each time, depending on how much. Helping with pot lids gets extra money. She loves putting money in her piggy bank. I counted her stash today & she has $7.25 in there. She still loves reading books & sometimes read to herself. She tries to sing along to songs & it's funny to watch her just move her mouth with no sound coming out. She loves dancing & being chased. She will chase back now. She loves to say "ready, set, go" and take off. She says Bye, Hi, I Love You, Have a good day, what you doing?, what's that?, & more. She knows the sound of dog, cat, elephant, lion, moose(from a game), monkey, & I'm sure a few others. She knows how to say Mimi, Nini, Appa, Stephy, Joshy, Chris, Matt, Daddy, Mommy, Te-te(auntie or aunt t (my sister)). We're working on granny & grandpa but since learning Appa she's called my dad appa too. She's still in 18-24 month clothes. Size 3 diapers when she wears them. She likes The Chica Show, most Disney shows, Sesame Street, & anything cat.

Potty Training! It was HELL! I wanted to rip my hair out, I wanted to scream & cry, I wanted to give up so bad. But I knew the second time was worse than the first & the third would be worse than the second so there was no way I was giving up without a fight. Mommy won! She actually did pretty good & I won't say we're completely potty trained because she has an a few accidents lately but for the most part she's pretty potty trained, pee wise that is. She didn't have any accidents for like 5 days & then last night with daddy home she had 2 within like an hour. She knows to tell me if she has to go, she'll say "go potty!" & we'll go to the bathroom. She did have a habit of holding it but now she won't hold it, she'll just pee in the toilet. We have a whole routine. We clap, we high five, we dump the bowl, rinse it while she flushes the toilet, then we put a sticker on her chart. Last night, end of Day 14, she had 65 stickers! She tends to pick all the mickey stickers, she apparently prefers mickey. :) We had company last week so I think it would've been higher if we weren't running around for a few days. She got 10 stickers yesterday, her highest for a day. Previous high was 7 a day & got that a few days. Not bad, not bad baby girl! :) She runs around bottomless during the day because we haven't mastered not going in panties. She'll usually go if we put on panties. I think she forgets it's not a diaper & she can't just go. Well she can, they're gerber training ones so a little thicker & more absorbent. So, at home she runs bottomless. :)

I don't know about her height or weight currently but she seems to have a more solid stomach. Maybe she's gained a little. I hope so. Hoping we break the 20 lb mark when we go to her 2 year check up. :)

Potty Training

Oh begeebus! Potty training sucks! Attempt 1 failed and maybe 2 will too. Yesterday was attempt 2 day 1 & it was the most frustrating experience of the year. I wanted to scream, cry, throw things, etc. I tried nice momma, mean momma, give up momma. 1 success & like 8 fails/oopsies. I prayed for a calm mind & an understanding mind & apparently the big man up there came through. Today was way better mentally for me & more successful. 4 successes & yeah, about 8 oopsies. In the last 2 days she's peed in the bathroom by her potty about 6 times. Today it was directly in front of her potty right after standing up. There is a sticker chart, I have a sticker chart(see Katie, mommy gets a sticker, don't you want one too), I've bribed with candy, phone games, playing outside, etc. Bribing doesn't really work but you know, maybe one time it'll work. Haha. 4 successes! That's awesome! We spent hours in that bathroom, sadly maybe as much as 2-3 hours when you add it all up. All for a fighting chance of potty training.

Some may say I'm doing it too young & yeah, it feels like I'm trying young. It really does. But then I heard about 12 month olds training, 15 month olds, 18 month olds. I really really hate those with 12-15 months old that it was uber easy. Then I hear about the 3 year olds still in diapers & 4 years old. Oh hells to the no to the 4 yr olds is diapers! It seems with a lot of people/their kids that their kids just one day decided ok, I'll use the potty and by "a lot of people/their kids" I mean the people here at Ft. Campbell. Those whose kids decided it was time were mainly 3 yr olds, almost 4 year old. Good for them & awesome it was easy, though I know most tried potty training before & it just didn't work. Awesome the kid wanted to do it & did it but I don't think I have the patience to have a 3 yr old Katie in diapers. Though she is tiny & would probably still be in size 4 diapers at that time. :) She's in size 3 now at nearly 2. ANYWAYS, trying to get away from diapers.

Will this attempt at potty training work? I don't know. She's not even 23 months & I do admit part of it is because of my in-laws coming which honestly is stupid because when they're here I won't be able to give her my full attention to prevent accidents as much as possible. Today I realized that she gives me a certain look when she needs to go. She looks scared a little, frantic kind of. She'll deny needing to go but now I know that means go time. She'll get really close, leaning against me, & grab my sleeve or something, that usually means pee is on the way out. By the time it registers what she's doing she's already had a least a little accident and we run to the bathroom. She gave me the signals yesterday but when she told me "no" to "do you need to pee" I believed her. WRONG! :) So, I paid attention more to her signals today. Poor kid is scared to pee on the potty. I turned off the music but still she fights peeing in the potty. There were many tears shed today, many frustrated at mommy moments. She hated me for making her stay on the potty or get back on the potty. She knows it's wrong to pee on the floor because she'll say "Oh No..." or "Uh oh". We're doing naked method by the way, because I think panties would be too much like diapers for her. She might realize oh no the first time or two but then she'd not think twice about it. Using panties would be cleaner that's for sure. Man am I tired of cleaning up pee! I know I have a few more days to go. Mike doesn't really support my potty training methods. He doesn't want her peeing on the floor & he won't watch her or pay attention like I do. He needs to get on board but I'm not sure he'll get that way. He's always put a diaper on her as soon as he got home from work. Part of me wants to not be potty training either. Diapers are so easy, so effortless. Put them on, send her on her way. I don't have to worry about her having an accident because I'm in the other room doing dishes or laundry or picking up whatever it is that needs to be picked up. I can't pay attention to her when I'm cooking dinner or making lunch. Seriously, at least for us (katie & I), I need to be able to see her face & her demeanor/body language and be able to respond right then & there.

Potty training sucks but I seriously hope this times the charm. I don't want to fail & I definitely don't want to start over a 3rd time. Day 1 of Attempt 2 was as bad or worse than Day 2 of Attempt 1. I'd end up in a nut house from Day 1 of Attempt 3. We can not fail, we can not fail! We will do it!!!

In all honesty, if it fails, which I plan to give it an honest try. I gave it 2 days last time, I gave up quick. This time I plan to try for at least 3-4 days, hopefully a week but I know the weekend will be tricky. We have cleaning to do & shopping to do. So anywho, I really need to give it a real good strong try this time. But IF it doesn't work, she's not even 2. She is still young, quite young, so I have time. A full year before we're pushing 3 & oh heck no, you better get out of diapers. :)

I'm sure I've babbled on & on saying the same stuff over & over. Probably boring or frustrating to read. Oh well. This is more for me to be able to come back & read some day, in a few years or 16. Tell me my baby girl isn't almost 2! Geesh! :) Bye!