Entertainment?

Maybe I've blocked this part out, but when Annika was Declan's age, I don't recall her being so hungry for attention and entertainment. Don't get me wrong - I realize that 11-week-olds enjoy the attention and want to be cooed at, fed and cuddled, but Declan is *starving* for it. He just needs someone to be in his face at all times and if you're not in his face, you better be holding him - or else! I type this as he screams in his crib...he's completely tired and ready for a nap, but refuses to fall asleep.

Any ideas? We have the playmat, which is useful for about 10 minutes. He does like it, but the magic wears off. He started to enjoy Annika's old bouncy chair, but now he gets furious off when he sees the toys that dangle from the overhead bar. Annika used to squawk at the bird, but Declan screams at it like it's going to come alive and peck his eyes out.

He has a new toy named Sandy the Seahorse that captures his attention for about 2.48 minutes. He picked it out at Babies R Us (after I showed him a few toys while we shopped - and that one elicited a smile) but since he's not ready to fully grab and grasp things yet, it's usefulness is short lived as well.

Maybe he's going through a phase. Maybe it's second child syndrome - since his attention from birth has been split with his sister. Maybe he's just a needy little boy. I'm ok with that, but it sure does make the day go by slllooowwwlllyyyyy....

If you have any ideas for entertainment, drop me a comment. I'm open to all & any suggestions!

I think my kids look alike

Who's with me???

Annika at 10 weeks:



Declan at 10 weeks:

For Chris

Chris said he doesn't like the picture of his son, topless in a denim hat. So I'm posting this so we can move on with our lives.

Weight check

When Chris and I take Declan out, we get one of two comments: "He sure looks like a boy" or "Wow - he's big!" I guess it's a good thing that he looks like a boy, but the big comment is mixed. I mean - he's two months old - do I need to worry about weight problems already??? Probably not. We went to the doctor's yesterday for his 2-month check-up and one thing we know about our doctor is that he'll say something's wrong if something is. He said that he's big for his age, but also tall, so he didn't have any issues. It is a little disturbing though when you see a walking 1-year old at the Injection Clinic and she's the same size as your 10-week old son...

But whatever! He's damn cute!

Here are his stats:

Height: 24.13 inches (81st percentile)
Weight: 15 pounds, .5 ounces (96th percentile)
Head circumference: 16.14 inches (66th percentile)

Annika's head circumference was never smaller than 95th percentile. Chris made the comment - no wonder it seems easier to put on Declan's shirts...

More fun updates on Declan - he is smiling more and staying awake longer. He is much more interested in his surroundings and he's always looking for entertainment. If you're unable to meet his expectations of entertainment, he'll cry...loudly.

Today he purposely knocked his hanging car seat toy. He was so proud! He smiled and even laughed a bit. I saw him continuing to try and hit it and he was so excited when he connected.

Oh and yesterday when he got his first series of shots, I marveled at how differently my children reacted. Annika was always a trouper about it - she would feel the needle go in and go still...then she'd look at you and then SOB. But she was overit pretty quick. Declan cried the second the needle grazed his skin and so deeply that he stopped breathing. His face was so red and the screaming so loud. I'm sure we scared a couple of kids in the waiting room...sorry!!

We had a bit of a scare yesterday - Declan vomited up blood. Luckily we already had the doctor appointment scheduled, so I tried not to panic too much. It only happened once, too, which was good. The Doc said that his esophagus could be irritated by all the times he spits up (usually 2-3 times after every feeding) so he prescribed an antacid. No blood any more, but not sure if the antacid is helping. But it's been 12 hours. So maybe I'll give it a little more time...

Lucky

"Momma...I feel lucky."

"You do, sweetie? Why is that?"

"I feel lucky to have parents like you."

Back at ya, kid.

Looks cute now

But puked all morning and can't stay asleep. Annika just woke him up after he finally went down. Yay.......

But this (sorta) makes it worth it.

Some more birthday stuff

Since Annika's birthday was on a Wednesday, we kept the actual day of her birthday pretty low key. She still went to school where she brought cupcakes. She went to her cousin's house after school then Chris and I picked them both up for a trip to Chuck E Cheese. We all came back after a couple of hours to have cake and ice cream. Wednesday kicked off the weekend of birthdays, and it'll probably take her another day or so to fully recover. She's napping on the couch as I type this, and is incredibly cranky. Tough life!

Party weekend

Not only was Annika's pool 4th birthday party this weekend, but so were two other important birthday parties - Nico's and cousins Pierce and Audrey. This is what she looked like after her 6-hour party yesterday:

Backing up a bit, this is what she looked like in the middle of the party after a 2-hour swim and after she swallowed some water:

Then it got a little better when the pinata made its appearance:

Oh, and she enjoyed her birthday cake and the party theme - Scooby Doo. Have I mentioned how much she loves Scooby Doo? It's unnatural. So unnatural in fact that she's watching the live action movie right now...who would do that willingly? Only a true fan!

I'll post some video from the part(ies) later this week. I have some great pool action shots, though I missed Chris's cannonball.

Baby turns 4

My little girl is 4. Four years old! Four going on 18....

Annika is a really special person. She is caring. She is smart. She is selfless, and she is picky. She's so unique that Chris and I often marvel that we created her...we created this awesome person.

Annika asks a lot of questions. She understands a lot. We had a conversation last week about creationism vs. evolution. She so far is pretty sure that God created the Earth and people, but respects Darwin's position.

This year will be remembered for Declan's birth. But I hope we also remember that this is the year that Annika entered Pre-K, tried to learn to swim, asked for "Jack In The Box" for the first time (embarrassing...but true) and told me that she would "never break up" with me and that we'll be "best friends forever."

Annika - I love you so much, it swallows me up! You'll always be my baby and my best friend. Happy Birthday to you.

Woo hoo!

He slept 7 hours last night! Not that I expect that to last....but I'll take it.

Annika loves to cuddle with her baby bro in the morning.

I've never seen this before

When we first started giving Declan baths, he really didn't like them. Can't say I blame them - we did them in our kitchen on the island and he wasn't allowed to be submerged because of his umbilical cord - so he was freezing. This is a kid that loooves to be warm, so he would complain. Loudly.

A few weeks ago I discovered that he could take a bath while I took a shower. I discovered this out of necessity since he would be screaming his head off every time I'd turn off the water and start to dry off. Most showers end with me soaking wet, racing across the room to get to him and staying wet and undressed until he fell asleep again.

So the shower thing really worked. He loves the sound of the water and he likes being warm and submerged (his umbilical cord fell out when he was nearly 4 weeks old). The last two times he took his bath, his eyes would start blinking heavily and he almost fell asleep. I thought it was the cutest thing - until this:

This is not a picture of him blinking - he's fast asleep. He slept for a good five minutes while I finished up my shower and Chris took pictures. He didn't wake up until Chris put him down on the changing table to get him dressed.

I wish I could say he could sleep anywhere...and often...but that would be a lie.

P.S. I blurred out some of the more controversial content of the picture....that's not really what it looks like.

Harder than it looks

...to get a picture of him when he's not blurry. He never stops moving!





Also, is it just me or does he look older than his 7 weeks of life?

He smiles!

He smiles...even on his sister's lap! This is big news...whether or not it seem so to you.

He is actually picky about when he smiles - you really have to earn it. He smiles most often for Daddy who works for it. Though last night I walked up to him just to say hi and he gave me the biggest little grin. Made my night.

Annika and Declan and I have been hanging out today. A day with both the kids is exhausting, but goes fast - definitely no down time. However, I do have to say that Annika has been a model daughter and model big sister. In fact, today she really came through by entertaining Declan while I was getting ready for us to go out and run an errand. He thoroughly enjoyed it and she was gentle enough with him not to freak him out. Success!

Happy birthday, Chris!

Chris is 29 + 4. Just to be clear, I am 29 + 3. I love June 12!

But seriously - happy birthday to the best husband and daddy ever. Love, love, love you!

How it is...

Right after he's been fed. More than happy to have anyone hold him ... Including his intense sister.

Annika, however, is ecstatic to hold him whenever he'll let her. She is a sweetheart.

But what about Annika's adventures??

This blog has been Declan-heavy lately, so let me catch you up on Annika's life.

She's a big sister and she takes the responsibility very seriously. She insists that he likes to be tickled on his feet (though I agree he is ticklish, not sure he likes it), wants to be patted on the back...vigorously (true, actually) and is awfully annoying when he cries and cannot be consoled (also true). She told us last night that "Baby bro keeps waking me up!" but I actually think she wasn't ready to go to bed.

Bed time is a little different for her. She had a monitor in her room until just last week, when we finally weaned her. Having two kids on a monitor wasn't something I was personally into, and she's old enough to get out of bed if the situation warrants. The issue is that she thinks all situations warrant it.

"Mommy, Declan is keeping me awake."

"Daddy, I want new stuffed animals."

"I have to go pee." (a legitimate reason to get up, but often times it's just a few trickles...another stall tactic).

"Mommy, I have just one thing to say to you....are there mummies?"

She has friends at school - two girls for the most part, but one that she is particularly enamoured with. She told me "I hug her soooo tight, and she asks me to stop, but I can't help it!!!" My baby has a friend crush! Literally. We had a talk about personal boundaries, but not sure it took.

Speaking of boundaries, according to her, Declan doesn't have any. Whether he's feeding, sleeping, crying, pooping, taking a bath...all of his activities are fair game for her to jump in and rub his head (vigorously) or hug him sooooo tight or tickles his feet, etc...you get the idea. She's madly in love with him and her preschooler ways don't really understand quite yet how to tone it down. But I am so grateful for how much she loves him. She is not jealous at all. She just wants him to be her toy.

We are trying to teach her to swim this year, but she really just wants to hang out in the pool. She's not a fan of ....learning. We'll keep trying, but thinking she might have to get group lessons so she'll succumb to peer pressure. Ahh, the American way.

She is very much into art. Loves to paint, play with Play-Doh and draw most anything. She's also into 3-D art where she'll glue an item to a paper and then draw around it. Her Nana says she has a great sense of color, and I have to agree. I need to get her a portfolio to keep these pictures...they're all over my house and I have no idea what to do with them.

Her 4th birthday is coming up quick and she talks about her birthday party a lot. She also knows what she wants to be for Halloween this year - a cat.

Declan: one month

Declan will be one month on Monday, and to celebrate we went to the doctor's office today for his first well baby appointment. There were streamers and everything! (not really)

You can check all the percentiles here, but the 411 is that he's generally smaller than Annika....especially in head size. She was always in the 90th percentile for head circumference, but he's between 50-60%. Chris says he has a pinhead. I say he can wear hats made for his age!

Other stuff he can do right now: hold up his head, kinda smile (mostly when gassy, but sometimes when Chris kisses his chin), cry, eat, not sleep that much. (I am tired).

The stats:

Length: 21.75 inches

Weight: 11 pounds

Head circumference: 15 inches

Restful slumber?

Not sure why this is so comfortable, but he slept like this for over an hour.

Before I forget

I'm going to be a little indulgent and tell the story of my labor (of love) for Declan. I usually love to hear friends' tales of birthing their children because through the inevitable similarities each experience is unique and so special. Of course, I know a few people who birth their babies just a little too easily...you know who you are! I'm not jealous. (Yes I am).

On May 4 at 6 am (just around the time Chris's alarm went off for work) I started to feel what I thought might be

contractions. "You thought they were contractions?" you may be asking...."haven't you had a kid already?" Yes, I have. But I swear those early ones aren't so obvious.

Chris got ready for work and I contemplated telling him what I thought was happening. I knew he still had a few things to wrap up at work and I also knew that even if this were the "real deal" it would be a while....so I let him go to work.

I laid in bed for a while, then started to time the pangs. I eventually upgraded them to contractions since they were coming at fairly regular intervals (5-7 minutes apart) and lasting about 45 seconds. At that point, I knew I needed to take a shower and tie up my own loose ends (clean the kitchen, pack Annika's bag and make sure I had everything in my bag).

While I was in the shower, my in-laws called to offer to pick up Annika that morning...she was scheduled to go to their house for the day, and I had already decided I could probably drive (it was fiiine!) but they have a sixth sense, so I gratefully agreed and they said they'd be o

ver in 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Annika finally woke up and hung out in my room while I got ready. A few minutes before her grandparents arrived, I finally told her: "Sweetie, I have something to tell you....the baby will probably be born today!" She sort of looked up at me, then looked back at the TV. Maybe I wasn't clear?

I finally decided it was time to call Chris. The last two weeks, every time I had called him at work he answered in a slightly panicked voice. So I told him I would text him first with a heads up, then make the call...I did just that. When he answered, I could hear the smile in his voice and he promised to come as soon as possible.

Chris' parents picked up Annika and Chris arrived shortly afterwards. The contractions were getting a little stronger, but sticking around 5-7 minutes apart and lasting between 30-45 seconds. They tell you to call the hospital when you're 5 minutes apart and they last about a minute for at least an hour. Plus, being the second kid, I wasn't in such a rush to get to the hospital. Uncomfortable beds, monitors, poking, prodding... that could wait.

I wanted to be sure that I was in active labor, so Chris and I took a walk in the park. As we neared the end of the walk, it was harder to talk and walk...so I was sure we were getting close. When we got back to the house, the pain increased and I finally said to Chris "it's time to call the hospital." It was about 1 pm.

The hospital agreed to have me come (thanks!) and we packed our bags and left. We got there, were admitted (mid-contractions....a very comfortable experience) and were put into the "observation room" which means "you don't get a room until we're completely sure you're in labor and deserve a real room." The doctor checked me within 20 minutes, and announced I was at 4.5 centimeters. Woo hoo!

When my room was finally ready we got ourselves comfortable. This hospital was built in 2006 so everything was pretty nice. Though I didn't understand the wallpaper. I told everyone that would listen that I would be partaking in an epidural. They all agreed that was fine, but anesthesiologists are busy guys. They offered me a narcotic to "take the edge off" and the nurse who offered it to me said it was like having a pitcher of margaritas. That was definitely a strong selling point, but I also knew that narcotics affect the baby while epidurals do not...so I declined. That was the hardest thing I had to do the whole delivery (just kidding).

Epidural came....for those of you who may remember (and you probably don't, because why would you?) when I had an epidural during Annika's delivery, it didn't work on one side of my body, and I felt the full force of those contractions on one side of my body for much of the labor. I told the anesthesiologist about this, in case they could avoid that this time, and though he sympathized. he didn't think it would happen again. He also said that this time they have a wonderful little button that allows the epidural to get stronger each time you pressed it. AWESOME. I pressed that thing about 30 times.

Unfortunately, the one side pain thing happened again...but this time the nurse suggested that I lay on the "bad" side because gravity often helps with this situation. It did help and for a while, I was quite comfortable. Especially after hitting the button a few times for good measure.

They came to check me again around 6 - about 5 hours since I made it to the labor room. As the doctor put it, "Hopefully this pain has been for something!" Of course we should have known that would curse us. I was still at 4.5.

The doctor then offered me pitocin to "help" me to progress. Again, my ridiculous knowledge of the labor & delivery process (thanks BabyCenter and TLC!) reminded me that pitocin may speed up labor, but also makes the contractions stronger - and more painful. The only reason I would need the labor to speed up would be to avoid a Cinco de Mayo birthday for the little boy...too many visions of college "birthday" parties danced in my head...so though I wanted to avoid that, I didn't want a drug to attain that goal. I declined the pitocin and though the doc clearly disagreed with my decision, she was ok with it, and said they would check me in about an hour to see if I had made any headway...and if not, I may get the drugs anyway.

I was disappointed that things weren't moving so quickly, esp since I was in a decent amount of pain, but doing well enough. However, just like with Annika's delivery, the little guy started to have heart decelerations with each contraction...which can be a sign of stress. The bad news: if that continued, I may need a C-section; the good news: luckily I had declined the pitocin which might have bothered him more since they increase the strength of the contractions...so Jenn: 1; Doctor: 0.

The other thing that was not at all awesome was that the pain on my left side was getting worse, and they wouldn't let me lay on my left side since the baby seemed o do better when I was on the right. It hurt!

They came to check me as promised in about an hour's time, and I made it to...8.5 centimeters! Everyone cheered; I grunted. Pain...was....getting...worse. I kept pressing that button at Chris's urging. It really only helped a little.

In about 20 minutes (it's about 8:15 at this time) I started to feel a lot more pressure. I told my nurse who got the doctor who confirmed I was fully dilated. Wow! This was so much faster than Annika. They are right that the second kid is a lot faster. Unfortunately, he was still having issues with his heart rate, but they kept a close eye on it and let me continue on.

The doctor left so I could start pushing with the nurse. She asked me how long I had pushed with Annika and I said 4 hours...she raised an eyebrow, but just said "OK, we'll see how this one goes." She got me all set up, asked me to push and.....told me to stop! S

he said "Yeah, we'll be getting the doctor right now...he's pretty much here." Again...not at all like my stubborn daughter. A good sign of things to come?...

The doctor came about 10 minutes later. They asked me to push. I did. They said "stop stop!" I guess he was halfway out? Then they asked me to push one more time...and he was here!!! 9:11pm. They plopped him on my belly and he was just beautiful!! Also, I asked to cut the cord (when would I ever get to do that in my life?) and they gave me the scissors and I did. (It was squishy and I was scared I was going to cut him).

Welcome to the world Declan!

But...he wasn't really crying and I knew he had passed some meconium. I realized he had probably swallowed some, and even worse, probably aspirated some...they whisked him away to his little bassinet and I waited.

Chris was with him as the nurse suctioned his little lungs and nose. He wouldn't cry. I could hear them saying his oxygen saturation was lower than they'd like. He tried to cry...it sounded sad. The bassinet was directly in my line of site from my bed and I kept staring at it, willing myself to be calm. And he just wouldn't get loud.

Chris was taking pictures and looking over at me and giving me thumbs up...I make fun of him about that now because at that point, nothing was ok...but he was trying to reassure me. It worked...a little.

Then the nurse finally asked for a doctor from the NICU to come. I could feel the panic welling, but just kept it locked in a box. I was terrified.

Chris told me later that for the first 8-10 minutes, his oxygen sats were 78-82...a healthy baby should get 95-100. My poor sweetie. But the nurse never gave up on him and kept working on him - I could see her calm fear from across the room, but I could also sense that she was willing him to breathe...and just as the doctor arrived, he was up to 100. The doctor reassured us all immediately that he was fine since he was at 100 at that point. He said that his nose would be swollen for a while since she was shoving tubes down it for a while, so he might snort a bit (and did he!) but he was fine. I had never ever been more relieved in my life.

They finally brought him back to me and he was so serene and beautiful. It is true...you have enough room in your heart to love all of your children, and that love is limitless. I can't wait to get to know him better.

Stats:

Length of labor with Annika: 25 hours

Length of labor with Declan: 15 hours

Annika's birth weight: 8 pounds, 1 ounce

Declan's birth weight: 8 pounds, 10 ounces

Annika was born 10 days passed her due date

Declan was born 6 days passed his due date

How much weight Annika lost in her first week: 1+ pounds

How much weight Declan lost in his first week: maybe an ounce?

Day of the week Annika was born: Friday

Day of the week Declan was born: Monday

More cuteness

Annika's big adventure

Big sisterhood.

The short of it: she is loving it. The longer of it: well, not all of the time...

But she can't get enough of him:


If she could hold him all day without him crying, she would do it. But, well, he cries.

My view right now

We're home!

Declan Vaughn Hakes

8 pounds, 10 ounces. 21 inches long. Born at 9:11 pm on May 4.

Going to sleep now.




-- Post From My iPhone

Finally

At the hospital. 4.5 centimeters dilated. Bring it! (and by bring it, I mean the drugs...)



-- Post From My iPhone

Still at home

Still pregnant.

Today

Taking a long walk in the mall. Feel big.

No baby yet.

No...not yet

As an FYI, Annika was 11 days late.

Baby #2's Nursery

Bedding: Courtesy of Migi's "Splash"

Paint color: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore

Crib and other furnishings: Courtesy of Annika

Name: Courtesy of the Baby Name Wizard

Fish theme: Courtesy of Daddy

Boowie the Dog

It's pronounced "boo-wee"...not sure how it's spelled, but I took a chance.

Annika and I have been drawing together all night. She says the animal she wants me to "trace" (i.e. freehand of anything that seems doable on the internet) and she colors. So far, she has colored a butterfly, frog, tapir, dog and is currently working on a kitty cat. Oh - and she wants to be a kitty cat for Halloween this year. She's told us about a thousand times.

Oh - tapir was not a typo.

Non-updates

No baby yet. He is due 4/28 - so it's ok. Originally we had a due date of 4/22, so wanted to clarify any confusion...I am not late (yet). Annika was 10 days late - so I'm actually familiar with that awesome feeling. (Yes, the use of "awesome" was sarcastic).

I feel ok for the most part. Tired (of course), cranky (a little...Chris would say a lot) and a somewhat emotional (I almost cried when reading Annika "Horton Hears a Who"...what a beautiful story!). I have terrible hip pains, usually at night after a long day's work (cleaning, shopping, general merriment). But otherwise...just waiting for the little dude to make his appearance!

Been on maternity leave since last Monday and I am very grateful that I don't have to go to work right now. Getting up every morning on Annika's schedule is rough enough - but for work we'd get up earlier. I'm tired writing this post.

I'll post pictures of the little dude's nursery soon- I think it came out great, but still needs a few more accent pieces. Hopefully I'll have time to get a few before the big day because after that - I don't think I'll care all that much.

64? Nah...96!

One of my most prized possessions when growing up was my box of 64 Crayola crayons. Annika has dozen of drawing utensils, but no box o' 64. I kept trying to remind myself to get her a box, but it continually slipped my mind.

Through the fog, I finally remembered and made good on that promise to myself. We went to the drugstore last night and picked up a box...but well, everything in Annika's life is bigger and better than anything I've ever known, so I opted for the box of 96. Who knew it existed? Oh, and it totally has a built-in sharpener. Genius!

She has really enjoyed - as much as I hoped - and is finding a new interest in coloring. I think the wide array of colors makes any girl happy. Next stop...make-up.

Annika the Builder

Making cupcakes

Thank you, (Great) Aunt Christine, for these amazing cupcakes from Sprinkles!

Who's cute?

That's who!

San Diego is a "wonderful place"

Before we went to Hawaii last year, there was a debacle with an airline going under, and as a result, we were issued vouchers to Southwest Airlines. Just so happens that we don't travel too much and they expire on April 28.

I told Chris to go to Vegas with Uncle Ben, but Chris is way too loyal or something, so he declined. So I said we needed to use them and use them fast....before I expired.

So we went to San Diego the first weekend in February with pretty much the sole goal of going to Legoland. From what I could tell online is that it's pretty geared towards toddlers. And it was. Also, because we are lucky people, it rained that whole weekend...in San Diego. Where it never rains.

We weren't there very long, just for a day, so it was a quick trip - but Annika had the time of her life. The rain turned out to be a blessing of sorts since we hardly ever waited in line and Annika had a stylish rain jacket to keep her dry. We stayed at a really nice hotel where we didn't feel crowded and by the end of the trip, Annika asked "why are we leaving this wonderful place?!"

Ouchies

So, despite the panic in my previous entry, this pregnancy has been smooth sailing. Suffered a touch of morning sickness in the first trimester, some food aversions and narcoleptic tendencies throughout these seven months. But overall, not too bad.

Well, that's not entirely true. Just at the start of my second trimester, I had a reoccurrence of a "soft tissue" injury in my right leg (just under my knee) from when I was running pre-pregnancy. Basically - super bad shin splints. The kind that make you unable to walk. Unfortunately, my lifestyle dictates that I walk. Often.

The pain usually lasts from 1- 2 weeks and is very debilitating. I limp around like an old lady while sitting and standing is excruciating. Sleeping isn't much better. And, not like I have drugs at my disposal. So, the second time it came back, I went to my doctor who basically said I was screwed (paraphrasing) because of my condition, and then suggested a cane. So yes, every other week or so, you'll see a pregnant lady on a cane lumbering towards you. It's just as attractive as it sounds.

Meanwhile, I also have terrible round ligament pain. I had this with Annika, so it doesn't concern me, but in addition to the leg pain it makes me sad. Luckily my body shifts the pain from one area to another, depending on whatever is flaring up so generally only the leg hurts or the round ligament pain does...woo hoo! Not really.

I'm ok with the pain since the kid is healthy and that is what matters (said without a drop of irony). But the whole thing is a bummer when trying to play with Annika, taking a walk or sleep. I swear this isn't a 'pity-me-post' but really just an explanation for if I seem a little grumpy...more than usual at least.

Otherwise, we'll hit the 30-week mark next week. Oh, and I love buying newborn clothes! Damn, they are small.

Don't do that again!

The subject is a message to my unborn son: Don't scare me like that again!

Early last week, I took a routine glucose tolerance test to determine whether I had gestational diabetes. I didn't have it the last time with Annika and I don't have any of the markers commonly associated with a higher risk. Of course, there's a first time for everything so I was nervous about the test.

Of all the things that can go wrong with pregnancy, this one was the one that scared me the most. Now, I know that there are so many others serious things and - knock on wood - we've been blessed not to have to really worry about any of them with both pregnancies. I think that's why I was scared of gestational diabetes - it felt like the one thing I really could have. Not that I had any symptoms or predilections, but well, it just felt real.

The other thing about gestational diabetes is that if it's managed well, everything is very likely to be fine. But as someone who educates herself to the fullest about this thing called pregnancy, I also know there are a lot more risks associated with a pregnancy marked by gestational diabetes. I tend to be "dramatic" (I put that in quotes, because it's not really true) and think about the "worst-case scenarios" and so, I was pretty scared.

I didn't pass the first test. It sucked. I spent 5 days waiting to take the follow-up test. One other wonderful thing about testing for gestational diabetes is that the first test is one hour (you take a super sugary drink and then get your blood tested after an hour to determine how your body processed the sugar) and the second one is three hours. Thank goodness our hospital's lab is open on the weekends. Who has the time for this stuff?

So I went early in the morning by myself to the lab which was ok - I read a book, a magazine and played some games on my iPhone. It was almost relaxing. Again, our health care provider is pretty great and they can usually get results to you within 24 hours (or less) and send them via email! How great is that?

So I checked my email about 400 times yesterday while watching the SuperBowl (Sorry John...but I was rooting for the Cardinals, so though it was an exciting game, it ended in a bummer) and tried to eat healthfully...at a SuperBowl party. Not easy. Sort of a glimpse into my future. (Oh, and I won $155 in a SuperBowl box pool...woo hoo!)

I checked one last time before we went to bed and went to sleep knowing that my fate was sealed and that I had the support of my friends and husband if this were to become real. Chris has been great - agreeing to go on whatever diet they put me on and to encourage us both to eat better...no matter what the results.

Well, the results came back this morning and I passed the test. I can't tell you how relieved I am and how appreciative that this baby boy is so far very healthy. I thank God every day for both of our healthy children and a health scare even as minor as this serves as a reminder of how good we have it. But...baby boy: Don't do this to me again!!!

Preparation

Practice makes perfect!



By the way - Dario is super cute, born on January 7 and has been a great teacher for a soon-to-be-big sister.

Behavior modification

Annika is going through the terrible 3.5's. Now, to put it in context, a terrible Annika isn't so bad...but it is frustrating. The obvious answer might be that she's reacting to the imminent arrival of her baby brother or that she's going through a lot of her own changes that are affecting her behavior. Maybe a combination of both. I'm naive enough to think that the arrival of her baby brother isn't affecting her quite yet...when we talk about him, she is excited and well understands that he'll be limited when first introduced to our family - that he won't be an immediate playmate ready to play in the sandbox or kick the beach ball around the back yard. That said, when we talk about him sometimes, she abruptly will say, "I wish there wasn't a baby brother. I mean it." I know it sounds harsh, but these moments are fleeting and usually prompted by an extended conversation about him...naivete strikes again!

What usually sets her off is simply not getting her way. No, she can't have a piece of candy before dinner. No, she can't stay up passed her bedtime. No she can't watch her TV show. No, Momma is too tired to play dolls right now. She gets frustrated in 1-60 flat and once she teeters off the edge...well, sometimes it takes a while to get her back.

We've been spoiled for too long and there's nothing wrong with a little challenge with our first born. Because even as she frustrates me to no end, she, in the next 5 minutes, will turn and grab my face, lean forward and kiss me proclaiming, "You get one free kiss!" Not too shabby.

Baby's first hot chocolate

Downing her not-too-hot, just right, hot chocolate:



"Uh-oh!" it's (predictably) on her shirt:



And yes, we still call her baby.

Belly pics: 20 weeks and 3.5 years

Jingle bells

Annika and I trimmed the tree on Sunday (after Daddy put it up, vacuumed the carpet of stray needles and hung the lights) and I can say this is the first year she's fully aware of Christmas and its traditions. Uncle Ben brought over an Advent Calendar (which Chris and I never had...so know nothing about, but apparently there's candy involved) and she's already made her first handmade ornament at school.

Trimming the tree was so much fun with her because every ornament would delight her. She'd say "it's so pretty!!!" and ask me every time she hung one if it was in an ok place. You'll note from the picture she was particularly fond of one section of the tree and that is where most of her ornaments were hung.

She is also excited about what she's getting for me and Daddy this year. When I asked her what she wanted to get him, she knew right away. She said, "I want to get him [this]." I said, wow, ok, and then I asked her for more specifics and she knew exactly how she wanted it to be. Chris said he's had similar conversations with her about my present except what she wants to get me and what he thinks she should apparently have led to a disagreement of sorts. I can't wait for the full story...I'm sure the punchline is that she is awesome and adorable.

Baby # 2 continues to grow and so does his mom...just not only in the tummy. But don't judge me!

I'm tired

Might explain the lack of blogging.  Might be a cry for help.  You decide.

Will post real pictures later this week, but please be entertained by what my son should look like right about now...

He started kicking right before Thanksgiving and he pretty much has a go at it all day. He's still a tiny little guy, so I'm a little concerned what I'll be feeling in the next 4 months.

Annika loves to talk to him and is so anxious to feel him kick. I swear to both Annika and Chris that some of his kicks can be felt on the outside, but neither of them have had the patience to wait for it.

Also, the Naming Game is in full force, but so far no luck. I have a frontrunner, but Chris isn't convinced. In the meantime, enjoy some names that made our longer list, but are pretty much done for one reason or another (read: one person liked it and the other one didn't):

Gavin
Augustus
Raphael
Grant
Remington
Kellen
Elias
Maximus

Figure out who proposed which name - could be a fun game!