NAP TIME ANTICS

So yesterday my darling son decided to forgo his nap and make mischief in his room instead.  He wasn't unhappy, he just wasn't napping.  I could hear him talking, singing, and moving some things around his room.  I figured he was playing and I would walk into a bit of a mess.  And when I say mess, I mean I meant books spread around his room or maybe some clothes strewn about.  I was not prepared to find the bag from his diaper pail out of the pail, ripped open, and dirty diapers all over the room.  Let's just say I was not happy.   And his room has never been as clean as it is now. 

ATTEMPT AT CRAFTING

So the other day I though a fun activity for Alexander would be to make a pasta necklace. 

At the beginning.  Stringing pasta.

Decided it would be more fun to pour the noodles from one bowl to another.



And this is how we finished the activity. 

This craft ended up a bit of a bust, but he had a good time.  However, no necklaces were actually crafted.  Oh well. 

REFERAL

I talked to the doctor on Monday about the results of Anna's VCUG.  The test came back normal which rules out reflux.  This means that urine is not backing up into the kidney, which is good.  Since we still don't know what is causing the hydronephrosis, her doc is referring us to a nephrologist.  While explaining our current situation and travel plans, he said that it would be fine to wait until we're back in town and Chris is home.  So we'll schedule something for early January. 

SLEEPY GIRL

I put her down on my bed for just a few minutes yesterday and this was how I found her.  This girl loves to sleep!  Thank goodness! 

VCUG

I took Anna for her VCUG on Thursday and the radiologist said that it looked normal and that it did not look like she had reflux.  I have yet to talk to her doctor to find out what will be the next step.  But this sounds like good news so far.  She handled the procedure pretty well though.  She did cry the entire time that the catheter was in, but who could blame her, really?  Luckily I was able to be with her through the whole thing.  It was really sweet, the entire time that she was on the table her eyes were completely locked on mine even though there were lots of other people in the room and talking to her.  She knows I'm her mommy and that just melts my heart.  It makes me so sad to think that there might be something wrong with my perfect little girl. I love her so much and I really hope and pray that this all ends up not being a big deal. 

ANNA'S KIDNEY ULTRASOUND

At Anna's 2 month check up I requested a follow up ultrasound to check out her right kidney.  She had been diagnosed in utero with unilateral hydronephrosis on her right kidney, but then on the ultrasound after birth they said it was gone.  Well, I really wanted to make sure that was accurate and requested a follow up.  I took her last Wednesday for the ultrasound and found out that she does have "mild" hydronephrosis on her right kidney.  I'm now taking her this Thursday for a VCUG (Voiding Cystourethrogram) which is basically an xray of her bladder and urethra with contrast administered via catheter.  It shouldn't cause her any pain, but it should give us some insight into what is going on with her kidney.  You would never know that anything is wrong with her though.  She is just as sweet as ever!  She even slept for an 8 hour stretch last night!!  Thank You!!! Thank You!!!  And Alexander slept through the night and stayed in bed til after 6am!!  Their mommy needed that desperately!!!! 



Does it get any prettier than that???



A FEW RANDOM PICS

Pretty Girl

Decorating a pumpkin with stickers.



Combing through the Toys R Us Christmas catalog



Pretty in purple.

ALL DRESSED UP, BUT NO WHERE TO GO...

Tonight is Halloween and I got the kids all dressed up to stay at home on the rainy night.  Alexander has been kind of sick all weekend and then today after his nap he woke up with a fever of 100+ so I couldn't let him go out.  Luckily he was in a great mood and really didn't know any difference and really enjoyed giving out candy to the few trick-or-treaters that braved the rain.  Our neighbors brought over little bags of candy for him, which he loved.  I let him have a few pieces and of course, he loved it.  He was really sweet about sharing with me though.  We've had a really rough few days so it was wonderful to have a fun evening together.  Anna was a very sweet little lady bug, who had absolutely no idea.  Hopefully next year Chris will be home to celebrate with us!! 



My little fighter pilot.



Check out that cheesy smile and spikey hair!

ANNA'S 2 MONTH

Last Thursday I took Anna for her 2 month check up (I know, I can't believe she's already 2 months old either!) and she is looking good.  She now weighs 11 lbs 3 oz, 42% and she is just under 23", 48%.  She also had to get 3 shots and took them pretty well until a few hours later.  She took a nap later in the day and woke up screaming and continued to scream for over an hour.  And this is really rare for my calm little girl and I knew that she wasn't feeling well.  I think that her leg must have been really, really sore.  I felt so badly for her, she just seemed miserable.  She eventually calmed down and then slept a lot the next day, but seemed to feel okay.  Overall she is still just as pleasant as ever.  Such a sweetie!! 

GOODBYES. YES, MORE THAN ONE

This past week Chris left for deployment and we were lucky enough to get to say goodbye twice.  If you can't tell, I am being very sarcastic when I say lucky.  We said goodbye one night and he ended up not leaving, coming back and having to say goodbye again the next night.  His deployment in 2007 we said goodbye 4 times and it is not easy.  And it is definitely not any easier with kids.  I felt so bad for Alexander.  He was pretty confused, but seems to be handling it well so far.  He's been a bit emotional, but it's hard to tell if it's deployment related or if it's because he's 2.  It's so tough because you love having the extra day with him, but you also just want him to go ahead and leave so that you can start looking forward to him coming home.  So now the countdown to his return is on!

I was able to talk to Chris today and he has made it to his second leg of the trip.  He should hopefully be in his final destination in a few days.   He seems to be doing well so far. 

We've been pretty busy the past few days and I'm trying to continue keeping us busy.  We've been to the park, playing with neighbors, watching soccer games, and having friends over.  Alexander was also sent a toy train from his Great Grandmother and he has been playing with that every chance he gets. 

Anna is as lovely as ever.  Today she was awake for a whole 2 hours in a row and was very content the whole time.  I keep waiting for her to snap and hit a really rough patch, but for now she is a wonderful and calm baby.  An absolute sweetheart!

FAMILY WEEKEND

This past weekend we were trying to get in as much family time as possible before Chris leaves.  Chris had Monday off for Columbus Day so we were able to do some really fun stuff.  Saturday night we went out for an adult (and babies) dinner to farewell some really good friends who are moving to England.  It was a great evening!  Sunday the weather was beautiful so we took the kids to a local state park to do some hiking.  Alexander turned out to be quite the little hiker.  He picked up a walking stick and a pine cone before we left the parking lot!  He absolutely loved hiking through the woods and didn't tire out until the hike up the hill back to the car.  I held Anna in the Moby and she was also a happy little hiker.  Actually she just slept, but she seemed pretty happy.  On Monday we took the kids to go pumpkin picking.  Alexander was so excited!  We took a hayride, picked pumpkins, fed some fish, went down a giant slide, swam in some corn, and much more. We had a great weekend together!



Alexander, the Trailblazer!




He learned all about following marked trails.



On top of Daddy's shoulders!

Family photo.  One of us doesn't look happy...

another try on the hay ride, still no smile.

he carried it all the way back to the tractor.

swimmimg in corn!

ANNA ROLLING

Today Anna rolled over for the very first time and Chris and I both missed it!  But then she did it 3 more times and we were able to see those.  Even though it seems as if she usually just naps during tummy time, it must be paying off. 

ANNA GROWING

Last Friday I had to take Anna to the doctor for her eye.  It was tearing and there was mucas in her eye.  It seems that she scratched her eye and I have to put ointment in it for a week.  It doesn't seem to bother her at all though. While there she was weighed and with all her clothes on was 10lbs, 7oz!  She has gained 3lbs in 5 weeks!  I can't believe how big she is getting!

Uncle Brian and Auntie Claire also visited this last weekend.  We had a wonderful time and celebrated Thanksgiving with Chris. 

ALEXANDER'S ANTICS

Alexander is so funny and smart these days.  This morning, before he was even out of his pajamas, he got it in his head that we were going to go somewhere in the "ga ga" (car).  I told him that we weren't going anywhere yet he proceeded to go and put on his shoes.  Then he tried to get out of the house into the garage to go to the car.  Well the door was locked and thankfully he can't reach the lock yet.  This was not to deter him.  He went into our bedroom and found Chris's keys.  He took them to the door and realized once again that he wasn't tall enough to get the key in the door.  Well, once again he had a solution to this problem.  He went and found our step ladder and took it over to the door.  He had some problems at first getting it out and upright, but he eventually won that battle.  He climbed on up and tried his hardest to get the key in the hole.  Luckily for us, he's still not that good with his hand-eye coordination.  During all of this he didn't ask Chris or I for help even once.  His problem solving skills and his determination just amaze me. 

And of course I couldn't leave out Miss Anna.  Here are a few pics of my beautiful little girl in her pretty little dress. 

My Babies

How cute are these two?

Baby baby!

Here's a pic of Anna and I hanging out during Alexander's nap time.  She is just so sweet.  The last 2 nights she has been sleeping much better with a 5 hour stretch and then a 3 hour stretch.  This has been wonderful for her momma.  Especially since all of our reinforcments left yesterday!  So far, so good...

2 WEEK CHECK UP

Last Thursday, I took Anna for her 2 week check up and her progress is amazing!  She was up from 6lbs 15oz when we left the hospital to 8lbs 6oz!  The doctor told me that I must have some Super Breast milk or something.  I knew she was filling out, but I didn't really expect that much weight gain.  She's starting to get little rolls on her arms and legs and her little face is really looking full.  She still looks just like her daddy though!

Alexander has been the best big brother so far.  He loves to shower Anna with kisses and sweet little pats.  He is often curious where she is if he can't see her. I love seeing him be so sweet to her.  I was a bit nervous that he might take out some aggression on her, but I haven't seen even a trace of it directed toward her.  He is definitely testing Chris and I on a more regular basis which is making things a bit rough some, but overall he's doing really well.  I know that he is going through a lot right now and has even more adjusting to go through soon.  But he is such a trooper and he is doing really well.  His Grandma Oolie arrived this past weekend and he's truly enjoying all of the time playing with her.  And so are his mommy and daddy!!! 

THE STORY OF ANNA

Last Wednesday, August 24, I went to the doctor for my 39 week check-up and left very disappointed because I had made no progress from the week prior.  I was still 1 1/2 cm and only 25% effaced.  The least you could say is that Chris had a very bummed out wife on his hands.  Since I was convinced that my daughter was never going to make an appearance (yes, I have a flair for the dramatic) it was back to business as usual for the 3 of us.  Thursday morning I woke up and went for a long walk and then instead of sitting around waiting for a baby, I took Alexander to a friend's house to go swimming.  I had been feeling kind of bad that morning, but figured a distraction would help put me in a better mood.  We had a great time with Alexander doing his favorite thing - jumping in the pool and then me lifting him back out and doing this over and over again.  After putting an exhausted little boy down for his nap at 2pm, I decided to lay down as well.  I napped for about an hour and then woke up feeling like I might be having a contraction.  I figured it wasn't real, but decided to keep track of the time, just in case.  Well, about 20 minutes later I felt another one and then another 20 minutes passed and I had another one.  Chris came home soon after they started and I let him know what was going on.  He didn't seem like he thought they were very serious either.  As the evening progressed and I started to make dinner they got a bit stronger and a bit closer together and by about 6pm they were about 10 minutes apart.  Chris finished making dinner for us and we sat down to eat while the contractions continued every 10 minutes.  After dinner I laid down on the sofa to see if they would continue and they did.  At about 7pm I called my good friend and back up for Alexander and told her to be on alert.  At about 8pm I called the hospital and told them I had been having pretty strong contractions and they were between 8 and 10 minutes apart.  When I told them my water hadn't broken and there was no sign of blood they told me to stay at home and wait for them to be about 5 minutes apart for an hour and to make myself comfortable that it could be a long night.  The contractions continued to get worse and worse and were lasting for about 1 minute each, but were still a good 7 minutes apart except every now and then I would have one right after the other, but then it would be another 7 minutes before the next one.  Also, anytime I would stand up and walk around they would come more often.  Well at about 10:20pm Chris asked if I wanted to go to bed and I told him that there was no way I could sleep and I wanted to stay right there on the sofa.  He turned out the light and got comfy next to me.  At 10:30pm my water broke in a major way and Chris, my hero, jumped into action.  He got me new pants (mine were now soaking wet), he grabbed our bags and started to go and wake up Alexander.  The contractions immediately started coming every 3 minutes and had really picked up strength.  I called my dear friend and told her we were on our way, then called the hospital and told them the same thing.  I didn't give them any chance to tell me to stay home.  I knew that this was it. 

We put Alexander in the car and took him to my friend's house and I tried to smile as much as possible so that he wouldn't be afraid.  Luckily he loves our friends and feels right at home with them.  He was a super brave little guy!  By the time Chris made it back to the car I was in a lot of pain and feeling the need to push.  I did not tell Chris this because I was so afraid I was going to have this baby in the car.  I just focused on keeping her inside.  We pulled up to the hospital at 11pm and they put me in a wheelchair and I was in so much pain, but really trying to not push.  The nurses knew I was coming in so they were ready for me, but really didn't act like there was much to hurry about.  I was put in a bed and hooked up to some monitors.  The nurse didn't really believe me that my water had broken and then went to check me for dilation.  I was 8cm!  She immediately began to realize that I was serious and called the doctor who, of course, was at home.  As she was quickly heading out the door (it's amazing how fast they move when they realize you're 8cm with the need to push) I yelled out asking for an epidural.  She looked at me like I was nuts and said that there was absolutely no time for that.  I looked at Chris and started to cry a bit because it already hurt so much.  I had not anticipated a drug-free delivery.  He immediately turned into the best coach and gave me a pep talk and told me that I could totally do this.  I was having serious doubts, but he kept me focused and breathing.  The doctor made it in, and I was finally allowed to start pushing.  4 pushes later I was holding my beautiful Anna Margaret at 11:36pm.  And she was howling!  As she lay in my arms she just cried and cried and so did I.  It was quite a dramatic entrance, but she was worth every ounce of pain.  She weighed in at 7lbs 7oz, 20" long and she looks just like her father.  She is absolutely perfect. 

We stayed in the hospital until Saturday morning when they released us to go home in the middle of Hurricane Irene.  We had lost power that morning at the house so things were a bit interesting.  Luckily my mom had made it in on Friday afternoon so Alexander had a playmate.  We entertained him with glow sticks all day while the wind and rain whipped around outside.  We ate a dinner of cheese and crackers and wine by candlelight.  Sunday morning we woke to beautiful weather, but still no power.  As it started to get warmer and warmer on Sunday I was starting to lose my patience and hit my breaking point.  When the power finally returned at about 2:30 I almost wept with relief. 

Since then things have calmed down and we're settling in with our family of 4.  Both my mom and dad are here now and are a huge help.  Alexander loves his new baby sister and loves to kiss her on the head and pat her when she's crying.  If you ask him what Baby Anna does he says, "Eat, sleep, poop".  And that pretty much sums it up.  She's a great little nurser and is filling out nicely.

We didn't share this with everyone, but about 2 1/2 months ago, Anna was diagnosed with hydronephrosis.  This is a dilation of her right kidney.  We were told that nothing could be done until she was born and they were able to do an ultrasound on her kidney to see what we were dealing with.  Well, after 2 months of worry and prayer they did an ultrasound on her at the hospital to find no signs of the condition.  Thank God!  The doctor explained that this happens sometimes and we are so thankful.  They gave her an absolute clean bill of health!  We could not be more happy!

After all of that, here are some pics of our beautiful daughter and our Family of Four.

SUMMER FUN

Last weekend my parents came to visit and we had a wonderful time with them.  I think they were astounded at how much Alexander has changed since they saw him in April.  He talks constantly now and you can really understand a lot of what he is saying.  Almost everyday he is saying and remembering new words.  It is just wonderful to witness.  He can almost count to 10.  He has trouble with 7.  He loves to sing as well.  Some of his favorites are the alphabet song, row row row your boat, and the itsy bitsy spider.  It's pretty cute to watch. 

During their visit we took them to the beach and had a blast.  The weather was lovely (a bit windy) and we all really enjoyed ourselves.  Alexander loves the ocean and really has no fear of it whatsoever!  Which is a bit scary to his mom.  Sometimes I wish he had a little more fear of things.  Chris and I also were able to get in a date night while my mom and dad babysat.  They took him to dinner and then put him to bed and it sounds like they all had a lot of fun. 

My pregnancy is progressing nicely.  I will be 33 weeks on Monday!  I really can't believe it.  I almost have her nursery completed and it's looking really cute.  So far I've gained about 30 pounds, but I feel pretty good.  She has taken up residence in my rib cage which is a bit uncomfortable and my back is starting to hurt.  But I feel like the most frustrating thing for me is that I'm slowing down.  When I go for walks or go shopping, I can feel myself moving slower and I don't like that.  After she's born, I can't wait to start running again!!  We talk with Alexander every day about his baby sister.  Hopefully this will help with the transition from a family of 3 to a family of 4.  I watched a friend's 10 week old on Thursday morning for a little while and Alexander did pretty well.  He kept wanting to give her his toys to play with and didn't really understand that she couldn't play with his trucks or help him make a puzzle.  But it was super cute and nice of him to share.  I know he'll make a great big brother! 

One more thing that we've been working on is Alexander going to Mother's Day Out.  He's been going once a week for the last 2 months and it has been tough on us both.  He would cry the whole time that I would leave him which would make me cry.  The teachers there kept telling me to keep bringing him back and he would eventually get used to it and this past Wednesday he was able to stay the full 4 hours and even ate lunch there.  When I picked him up he was smiling and playing happily!!  I knew that he would have fun if he would just let himself! 

Anyway, I've yammered on enough.  Take care!

LONG TIME

I realize that it has been a long time since I have posted anything, but we have been super busy.  Here are a few pics of a recent trip to the beach.  Alexander absolutely LOVED it  and we can't wait to take him back.  We have also transitioned him to a "big boy" bed since he was climbing out of his crib.  He's doing pretty well with it.  If I could get him to sleep in past 5:30 am, I would be really happy, but I suppose I should just get used to being tired again since I'm due in almost 10 weeks!  Chris just finished his Transition Course and is now a part of the 336th Fighter Squadron.  And that is what we have been up to in a nutshell...