It's almost Christmas time!!

Well, it's been a while since my last post. Things have been kind of hectic around our house. With Christmas coming and planning for Jacob's 4th birthday party in full swing, there's really very little time for "extras", like blogging. Jacob has been going through a "phase" (or at least I hope that's what it is). And for the record, I'm not a fan of the 3's (age)!! In fact, Kyle and I were saying "what's up with the "terrible two's"? 3 is WAY worse!!".

Jacob is going through a "scared" phase. He absolutely FREAKS out if he is alone. Before, I could put him on the couch with the tv on while I got ready for work. Now, if I tell him I'm going to get ready, he says "OK", then 2 seconds later when I leave the room, he freaks out saying, "I was lost". Poor guy. I hope it's a short phase. Oh, and bedtime. He is afraid, so we constantly catch him opening his door and peeking out to see where we are. And he's getting up 1-4 times per night to come get me.

Jordyn still isn't sleeping well, and now w/ Jacob not sleeping well, it's exhausting. I'm very grateful to my mom who is helping me tremendously! Jordyn is just about to turn 7 months old. She is still not crawling. And she's still not interested in eating, just nursing. She seems to be on track with her weight, so I'm not worried. She'll eat when she's ready. She is wearing mostly 9 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

We're in the process of making decisions about health insurance. I'm very blessed to have options. At work, we have about 8 health insurances companies, 6 dental/vision insurances companies and a flex spending acct to choose from. While the variety is fantastic, it makes my decision making VERY hard. Every year they change and it's so hard to know which is the best one to take. I actually sat down and compiled numbers today. One is higher in premiums but lower in meds....etc. Anyway, looks like we'll be switching yet again.

Anyway, that's what's going on in our world.

Here's a few current pics....

6 months!

Well, we had our 6 month f/u appt yesterday. Baby Jordyn is doing great. Well, mostly. Her growth is right on track--16 lbs, 10 oz (70th percentile) and 26 inches long (60th percentile). However, she is still not sleeping for me. And she seems to have times when she just can't be consoled. Almost colic-like. So, we've tried EVERYTHING we could think of. Seriously. Nothing seems to matter. Our last-ditch effort was a trial of 2 days of just formula (thinking it was maybe something I was eating that was bothering her). One full bottle of formula = vomit 5 min later. Fluke?? Nursed her during the night = fine. 2nd full bottle of formula = vomit 5 min later. *Light bulb moment*....hmmmm, could this be a milk intolerance?? Discussed this with the pedi. After hearing our struggles, and finding a rash on Jordyn's back that she said looked like a food allergy rash, she suggested that I try a strict non-dairy diet. And she gave us a sample of non-dairy formula. We'll see. It can take up to 2 weeks to determine if this is helping. I'm definitely not looking forward to this (have you ever noticed that EVERYTHING has milk in it?!?!), but if it helps, I'm game!

Jordyn won't touch the formula. Can't say that I blame her. It smells absolutely awful! So yesterday, we mixed it with breast milk. I'm hoping to add more and more formula each time to get her used to it. However, my goal is to continue breast feeding through the winter months (cold/flu season).

I'm also worried that she is just using me as a pacifier during the night. I'm trying not to nurse her every time she wakes up, but sometimes that is all that works. I need to just let her cry, but 1) that breaks my heart and 2) her room is right next to Jacob's and I prefer to not wake him up and have to deal w/ 2 cranky kids at 3 in the morning. However, I do realize that if I don't nip this in the bud NOW, it's only gonna get worse. And no offense to any die-hard breastfeeding advocates out there, but I don't plan to be nursing if my daughter can come up and start unbuttoning my shirt. ....just a bit too creepy for my taste.

Anyway, despite the nighttime sleep struggles (oh wait, she won't nap much either, so that'd be nighttime AND daytime sleep struggles), she is perfect. I'm a walking zombie these days, but still awake enough to notice how stinkin' cute she is.......

Our first family hike....

I'm sooooo proud of our lil' man. He is such a big boy. At 3...almost 4 years old, he held his own on our weekend hike. We hiked a little over 3 miles of wooded, grassy, hilly trails and he kept up like a champ (and only complained a little....maybe even less than we did...of course, we were carrying 16 lbs of baby and a back pack w/ water, etc....LOL).

It was a GORGEOUS day and we couldn't stand being inside, so off we went. This trail is a conservation area about 18 miles from our home in Hartsburg. Once you get to the "top" of the trail, there is an overlook deck and the view is just amazing.

I'm so happy that Jacob enjoys being outside. I hope to enstill a love of nature and the outdoors over sitting in front of the idiot box all day. Seems like he's on the right track so far. Hopefully, he'll learn some good habits to teach his sister.

5 months

It's official...as of Labor Day, our lil' angel is 5th months old. I know I say it all the time, but I just cannot believe how fast time is going. As much as I long for uninterrupted sleep at night (and yes, I realize that a far off dream), I really wish I could slow down the clock. It makes me sad to think that this is the last time we'll have a 5 month old around. I absolutely LOVE this stage. Jordyn is SO STINKIN' CUTE, I can't stand it. Yes, I'm a bit biased, but I could just eat those cheeks up! I absolutely love watching Jacob interact with her. She is in love with her brother, and he just eats it up. It is the sweetest thing!! He can make her belly-laugh better than anyone else.

Anyway, here's a few new pics.....


Think they look alike????
















And of course, Chloe will always bee my baby too!

A different kind of outing....

Monday was my Dad's birthday. If he was still with us, it would have been #74 for him. Something dawned on me that day. This year marks 18 years since his death. I was 18 when he died. That means that I have now officially been without him as long as I was with him. I feel jipped. I had the best dad, and I only got 18 years with him??? Then I thought...wait, I got 18 years with the BEST dad. That's way better than 40 years with a crappy dad. But, now I feel jipped for my kids. They will never meet their Grandpa Ernie (on this earth). They are jipped. My dad would have LOVED them SO much.

Anyway, not to start a pity party or anything.....
I wanted to make sure that my kiddos know their Grandpa as best they can. We made a visit to the cemetary. On our way, Jacob asked where we were going. Kyle said, "We're going to see Momma's dad, your Grandpa". So, when we got to the cemetary, Jacob sat down at the grave, put his hands on the headstone and said, "Is this where Papa lives?" Sweet and sad all at the same time. And I love that he just automatically called him "Papa". Melts my heart. Here's some pics....
As you can see, Jordyn slept through the whole thing.....haha.

3 months already????

Actually, it's been 3-1/2 months already!! I know, I know, it's been quite a while since I've posted....oops! I knew that having two kids would be a lot of work and take a lot of my time, so this shouldn't really surprise me :)

Jordyn is growing fast. She is doing great. During the first month, I was griping quite a bit about how she was a "clingy" baby (wanting to be held all the time). Either that's just the way ALL babies are in the first month (DUH!) and I've forgotten, or it was just her. Either way, she is finally getting used to the world outside of my tummy. She is now a very happy, content little girl. She is more than happy to sit back and watch the world around her. She loves her big brother and watching him play. He makes her smile, which of course, makes us smile.

She had her first round of shots back in June. She was a bit cranky that day, but otherwise, she did great! She is already coming close to her second round of shots. I dread those appointments for obvious reasons.

At 2 months, she was 11-1/2 lbs and 23 inches long. That put her in the 75th percentile for both height and weight. We are still breastfeeding (which I'm SO excited about!) and she is eating about 4oz every 3-4 hours during the day. She varies her sleep so much, it's hard to say what's "normal" for her. She generally just cat naps during the day. Then, she usually falls asleep in her swing around 9pm. I feed her one more time at 10pm and put her to bed. Some nights she sleeps all the way until 7:30am (LOVE those nights), and some times, like last night, she was up at 12:30 and 4:00 to eat (YAWN). She is still tightly swaddled which seems to make a big difference in her sleep. Of course, on the nights she sleeps straight through, Jacob usually doesn't. Guess that's the joys of having two :)

Jacob is still doing fantastic with her. He loves his little sister so much. In fact, yesterday morning, I guess I was so tired, I didn't hear her crying at 5:45am. Jacob came to my side of the bed and said, "Momma, Jojo is crying". Before I could get in there, he had climbed up on her crib, trying to get her binky for her. Like I said, he loves her.

He is definitely a very active toddler. We got a Wii a few months ago and he has just about mastered it! We basically just turn on the tv and hand him the controller and he can navigate through it like a pro. He can even set himself up to play "live" with other REAL people online. It's really scarey how quickly he's caught on. Of course, we shouldn't really be that shocked....he's IS smart, y'know... :)

He is almost completely potty trained now. He has been without diapers during the day (even for naps) for about a year now. He's still wearing pull-ups at night, but most of the time, he's dry when he wakes up in the mornings. He has been such an adaptable kid. We are truly blessed!!

Being parents of two small kiddos is very tiring and between both our full-time jobs and maintaining the house, we're both wiped out pretty much all the time. I'm sure EVERY parent out there can relate! We're tired, maybe a little cranky now and then, but we wouldn't trade it for the world!!

1 month!!

In some ways, I can't believe it's already been a month. In others, it's seemed like decades. Unfortunately, my hopes for a good post partum time were dashed. I'm apparently just one that's gonna have trouble with hormones leveling out. I've been struggling. Finally, I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel....I think. Jacob had hand-foot-mouth disease the second week we were home. Now, this past week, he's battling double ear infections (he hasn't had one in over 1.5 years) and we're having trouble keeping his fever down below 103!! Even with antibiotics. So, obviously, we're just trying to get by.

Jordyn is doing great. She is eating great (ALL THE TIME). And YAY!, I'm still nursing her. At least I was able to do that this time. I made it a full month before giving her a bottle. That was a HUGE milestone for me. She has had 2 bottles of formula (we tried to see if she'd sleep longer, but didn't work....and she'd much prefer momma's milk anyway). She is sleeping 3-4 hour stretches most of the time. Once, she gave me 5, but I'm still looking forward to the day when that is the norm vs. the exception. She is a very needy baby. Much more than Jacob was. If she's awake, she wants to be held or fed. She doesn't like the swing, bouncy seat or a pacifier. So, it's kind of wearing me down, but I'm trying to just soak it all in now cause I know soon enough I'll want to cuddle her and she won't want a thing to do with me. It's hard though when you are running on a month of sleep that consists of 3 hour stretches.

Baby Jordyn Renee is here

I went in to the hospital Tuesday (April 6th) as planned for my c/s. Long story short, I walked to the OR, got on the table, got a spinal that didn't take. Had to get a second spinal. Once I was good and numb, they started. The actual surgery was quick and painless. My previous c/s was with an epidural, and I felt much more pressure and pulling. This time, I really felt nothing (although I could smell her caurterizing some vessels.....ick). Kyle got some good pics of the actual surgery (if anyone wants to see what a uterus looks like, just let me know....lol). Jordyn was born at 7:55am. She came out crying....actually before her body was even out.

Because I had to have 2 spinals, I was numb until 5 pm that day. I had to lay flat that entire time!! Jordyn is doing great. Nursing is going great so far. My recovery is slow and painful, but I'm making progress.

Jordyn had a low blood sugar right after delivery and had to receive some IV fluids and formula, but she bounced back quickly and hasn't had formula since. She is still a bit jaudiced, but nothing of concern. In fact, the pedi didn't even schedule her back for a weekly follow-up, but 10 days instead!! She did fail her hearing test in the right ear, but again, the pedi was not concerned. She said that it's actually pretty common because of the fluid from birth. She'll be tested again in a month. Jacob was not too thrilled by her, but that was nothing we didn't expect.

Here are the final stats:
7 lbs, 7 oz
20 inches long
She's perfect!

38 week appointment

This was a bitter-sweet appt for me. It is my last one. While it marks the end of this discomfort (well, almost...one more week), it also marks the end of the pregnancy. Yes, I whine and complain about how uncomfortable I am, but at the same time, I cherish every minute that God has allowed me to carry this little miracle inside of me. Being a woman, and having the gift of growing life inside of you, is truly amazing. That being said, I'm ready for this lil' one to be on the outside now.

Today, I had to see a different OB because mine was on vacation (how dare she go states away when I'm about to give birth...never mind that it's spring break or something....) My weight was up almost 2# from last week. That puts my total wt gain so far just under 30#, which I'm very pleased with. My tummy measured 38 cm...still right on track. My BP is creeping up, but still not alarmingly high...130/86. With Jacob, it started running high in the last 2 weeks, so this really doesn't surprise me much. During the u/s, the baby's HR was 145 bpm. She had to be poked and proded again to get some movement, but hey, it's getting crowed in there). She again displayed her practice breathing and fabulous heartbeat right away. During the NST, the HR ranged from 110-175 bpm....again, normal. My fluid was again a bit lower this week, but still well within the normal range. I was checked for dilation again. This time I was 1.5cm dilated and 70% effaced. Last week I was not dilated at all and was 50% effaced. What does that mean? Nothing really. Just different. Some ladies can be dilated to 4cm and not have the baby for weeks, while others report being ZERO and having their baby that night. I'm still guessing we're in this for the long haul, which is just fine by me.

Oh, another plus...this different OB said that the baby was still high up. That normally wouldn't be a good thing, but hear me out. When I mentioned that Jacob never would drop, even after 12 hours of labor, she said, "Oh, then I definitely think you're doing the right thing by planning another c/s. More than likely, if Jacob didn't drop, this one won't either". She did, however, say that she thinks this baby will outweigh Jacob. Um, he was 8lbs, 13oz. Can I just add that I'm glad I'm having the c/s too!

So, by this time next week, we will officially be a family of 4. Gulp.

Here's my belly as of today....38 weeks....

37 week--FULL TERM!

Another GREAT appointment....

Wt was up not even a full 1# from last week. That puts my total wt gain so far at ~28#. My tummy measured 37cm...right on track. My BP was just a bit higher than usual, but still good at...130/68! During the u/s, the baby's HR was 143 bpm. She was very active this time, thankfully (it didn't take near as long...and no buzzer was involved...haha). She again displayed her practice breathing and fabulous heartbeat right away (I never get tired of that wonderful sound!). During the NST, the HR ranged from 110-161 bpm....again, normal. My fluid was just a bit lower this week, but still well within the normal range. And today was another weight estimate. She is estimated to be 7 lbs right now. So, that puts me right on target for an 8 lb baby at 39 weeks (when we have the c/s planned). I was also checked for any dilation, which was a big fat ZERO. I'm guessing we're in this for the long haul, which is just fine by me. I'm in pain and ready to have my body back, but I want the very best for my baby, and that means growing until she is ready! However, since she checked me for dilation, I've been having pains (contractions??). Who knows? I guess only the baby...LOL.

I've still been battling this stupid cold. I woke up Sunday feeling pretty lousy and by Monday, I was 99.9% sure that I had a full blown sinus infection (as evidenced by my swollen, sore face and hurting teeth). I had been asking for antibiotics for the past 2 weeks, but my OB wasn't sure if it was just allergies or if it was the normal stuffiness that can result from pregnancy. I guess it finally took a painful face and teeth to convince her. I got my antibiotics yesterday and am already feeling better. And thankfully, I can still take Sudafed and Benadryll which offer additional relief.

The baby's room is almost complete. The clothes are washed and put away, the diapers and changing table are waiting. The crib is ready. The recliner is ready. All that is left is just a few wall hangings to hang. Now, the REAL question....am I ready?

36 week appointment

Getting SO close!

Another GREAT appointment....

Wt was up 1# from last week. That puts my total wt gain so far at 27#. My tummy measured 36cm...right on track. My BP was still fantastic...120/70! During the u/s, the baby's HR was 146 bpm (that's the highest it's been during the u/s...but still perfectly within the normal range). She tried to sleep through the entire u/s again, but with a little poking and "buzzing" (they actually put a buzzer to your belly to wake up and startle the baby), she stirred for us. She again displayed her practice breathing and fabulous heartbeat right away (I never get tired of that wonderful sound!). During the NST, the HR ranged from 110-179 bpm....again, normal. My fluid was still on target.

I'm battling yet another cold. This has pretty much be going on for the past 8 weeks. It gets better, then worse. I'm still not sure if it's due to the pregnancy (they say you can be stuffy and congested due to the hormones), if it's allergies (apparently everyone with known allergies is complaining about how bad they are right now) or if it's an actual cold. I'm guessing the cold because Jacob and all of the kiddos at his daycare are coughing like crazy and have stuffy noses. Leave it to them to share. Thanksfully, I can take Sudafed and Benadryll which offer some relief. But when you add a stuffy nose to an already short-of-breath pregnant lady, it makes for some "fun" times.

35 week appointment

Another GREAT appointment....

So, here's the details....
Wt was up 3# this week (which is overall still down 2# from the lovely stomach bug). That puts my total wt gain so far at 26#. My tummy measured 35cm...right on track. My BP was still fantastic...122/78! During the u/s, the baby's HR was 132 bpm. She decided to make a liar out of me at this appointment. I told the u/s tech that she moves ALL THE TIME, and what does she do....she sleeps through the entire u/s. Lil' stinker. I think I have stubborn lil' girl on my hands!! Even with poking, proding and turning onto my side, she would barely budge. But, she displayed her practice breathing and fabulous heartbeat right away, so no worries...she was just napping. During the NST, the HR ranged from 110-160 bpm. My fluid was still on target.

Oh, and I was registering contractions on the NST monitor. I didn't feel them, but they were there. However, this morning, I'm feeling some sporadic ones! Hmmm......

34 week appointment

Well, I guess this is going to be boring, but this is a GOOD thing....it means I keep getting the same report....which is "PERFECT".

I was especially worried this week because after a serious stomach bug over the weekend, I had dropped 8 lbs (in one day!) and was really, really weak. Not to worry though, my lil' lady bug is a strong one. She wasn't phased by all the puking I was doing. In fact, she was partly to blame....lol....(belly movement while nauseous is not fun, lemme tell ya!)

So, here's the details....
Wt was down 5# this week thanks to that lovely stomach bug (so I've gained back 3 of the 8 I lost). That puts my total wt gain so far at 23#. My tummy measured 34cm...back on track. My BP was still fantastic...117/78! During the u/s the baby's HR was 126 bpm. During the NST, the HR ranged from 110-160 bpm. She was moving like CRAZY!!! My fluid was still on target.

Again, another fantastic appointment. I am so blessed!!

In other news, we had one of our baby showers last weekend (I don't think I mentioned this last week). We got so much cute stuff. I can't believe how well dressed this baby is gonna be! I just love all of the pink, ruffley, frilly stuff and bows! I can't wait to see her in all of this!! I have another shower at work planned this Friday and another shower Saturday at my sisters (for family). I'm so excited.

33 week appointment

Here's how it went:
Wt was up 3# this week...not too surprising after how I've been eating!! That puts my total wt gain so far at 28#. My tummy measured 34cm...still one week ahead. My BP was still fantastic...118/76! During the u/s the baby's HR was 128 bpm. During the NST, the HR ranged from 120-160 bpm. This time, she was sleeping and did NOT want to be disturbed. The tech spent some extra time trying to get her to wake up and move so she could measure the fluid and watch for the practice breathing again. She even had to break out the annoying buzzer. This gets placed right next to the tummy and is supposed to wake them. Even that didn't work. FINALLY, she proved to us that she could still do it (guess she's gonna be stubborn). My fluid was still on target. Today was also "growth" day, meaning they get an estimate of her weight. Um, she's already 5 lbs 6oz!!! And that explains the horrible back pain!!!

I got to my OB appt and she again said, "Baby looks great....are you tired of hearing that?" I said, "NO WAY". She said that if the baby continues in a normal pattern (gaining 1/2 lb per week) from here on out, we're looking at about 8 1/2 lbs!!! I guess that really shouldn't surprise me, Jacob was 8 lbs 13 oz!! I guess I just grow 'em big!

32 week appointment

Here's how it went:
Wt was up only 1# again this week...WOOHOO!! That puts my total wt gain so far at 25#. However, my tummy measured 33cm (last week it was 31 weeks), so that was one week ahead. Nothing to be alarmed about, just means my lil' one is growing! And that explains all of the "stretching pains" I had all last week. My BP was fantastic...116/74! During the u/s the baby's HR was 123 bpm and she got all of her points right away. My fluid measured right on target. The tech noticed the baby doing "practice breathing" as soon as she put the wand to my belly. She said that sometimes they don't see that for 20-30 minutes. During the NST, the HR ranged from 120-160 bpm.

I got to my OB appt and ended up seeing a different doc (mine was on vacation). Anyway, she said, "Man, if all strips (referring to the NST strip they print off) were as perfect as your's, my job would be easy". SO, last week MY OB said, "Perfect", and this week, I basically got the same from a second source! I've very HAPPY about that!! An official second opinion!

I got to ask a few questions about the tubal ligation I'm planning. All in all, it was another glorious appt. Couldn't ask for better!!

31 week appointment

Here's how it went:
Wt was up 1# this week...much better!! That puts my total wt gain so far at 24#. My tummy measured right on track (31cm for 31 weeks). My BP was a fantastic 118/71! During the u/s the baby's HR was 128 and according to the tech, "she is doing everything she should be and got all of her points". My fluid measured on target. The baby was doing quite a bit of "practice breathing", which is one of the things that they are looking for, and they saw fluid in her belly, showing that she is swallowing...also a good thing. During the NST, the HR ranged from 120-150. The tech said, "that's the most perfect strip I've seen all day". Then, the OB entered the room with a "PERFECT"!

Another PERFECT exam. Couldn't be happier!!

OH, I also got the ok to travel in the next 2 weeks and to color my hair.....

30 week appointment

Well, I'm into my 2nd week of my "weekly" appointments.

Here's how it went:
Wt was up 3# this week (YIKES!). However, over the past month, I had dropped 2#, so I guess this was to be expected. My total wt gain so far is 23#. My tummy measured right on track (30cm for 30 weeks). My BP was a fantastic 124/69! The baby's HR was 130-160. My fluid measured "perfect". The baby was doing "practice breathing", which is one of the things that they are looking for, and they saw fluid in her belly, showing that she is swallowing...also a good thing. The NST (non-stress test) was "great" and the OB said that my lil' girl was moving like crazy for 30 weeks, so that was amazing!

All-in-all, the OB said everything was "fantastic".

Couldn't ask for anything better!! Praise the Lord!

Oh, and the official birth date for this lil' girl is going to be April 6, 2010 (scheduled c/s). That's only 9 weeks away.

3D Ultrasound

While she was not overly cooperative, we got to spend a whole hour with our lil' lady bug today. This was the coolest experience! She had either her hand, her foot (yes, her foot) or the cord up in her face on most of the pics we got. In one, she even flipped us off...(ha, I think she was tired of the poking and proding). But, we got a glimpse into her world and I must say, she looked pretty content in there. And she's pretty cute!

Jacob's 3-yr pictures

Here are a few pics we took today for Jake's 3-year pictures. Such a handsom fella, if we do say so ourselves.....