20 months :)

Another month has passed! Hard to believe how quickly Brooke is growing up. It's crazy to think that she wasn't even 1 when we found out that our family would be growing, and here we are just a few months away from 2! The chickadee changes so much each month, so I hope to continue with these monthly updates even after Baby Reeder is added to the mix.

~ The absolute greatest, most awesome thing this child started doing this month is singing along to, well, everything. A few of her toys have little songs when you press buttons and she knows all of them. She also sings along to the songs in the shows she watches. And, thankfully, she only watches shows that are mostly educational, so she's learning while she does it! (See below for video of this cuteness.)
~ On a similar note, she can read along with books when you read them to her, too. Sometimes I catch her "reading" books to herself out loud; she gets the gist of each page.
~ She's very into doing things by herself now. Everything is "I do it myself." Which is great...most of the time. Until what she wants to do herself takes a million years when we're in a hurry (i.e. buckling her car seat herself) or is very messy (i.e. putting on lotion). But, with Baby Reeder almost here, I guess I better embrace this independence, even if it does mean a little more time or work for me in the long run.
~ She's doing really well using utensils. She can eat cereal w/milk with a spoon, though there's usually a little puddle on the high chair when she's done. She can stab most foods with her fork...when she remembers to use it. Half the time she'll be holding the fork in one hand and picking up food with the other. But she's making definite progress!
~ She still loves popsicles and asks for them daily, but "animal kwackas" are the snack of choice these days.
~ If we're sitting around at home between 7-8pm, we typically watch "Wheel, owange balls, and Jeopady". Brooke loves this hour of television, just like her dorky parents. If it goes to commercial, she'll say "Wheel all gone?" in a sad little voice. And in case you can't figure it out, "owange balls" refers to the Ohio Lottery drawing that happens in between the 2 shows.
~ We're slowly working on better manners. If she wants something, she has to say "May I have ___ please?", used most often when she wants milk or a snack. She also apologizes more appropriately now (rather than say sorry for everything, she says it when she gets in someone's way, accidentally hurts someone, etc.)
~ Brooke gets very concerned when someone else is sad or hurt. If someone is crying, she almost starts crying herself as she asks "___'s cwying?" It typically takes a few minutes of her repeating this over and over and reassurance from me that the person feels all better before she is content. One night, my grandma was over and started choking on some food. Brooke was quite concerned and very seriously asked "Gwamma okay?" Needless to say, we are pretty sure we're going to hear "Baby cwying?" or "Baby okay?" every time the baby makes a noise for the first few weeks he/she is here!

This is a pretty good example of her singing along to tunes. I had been secretly watching her for a few minutes before this video started. I was afraid she'd stop if she saw me but she just kept on going! The songs go a little too fast for her to get every single letter/number/word correct, but I still think it's incredibly impressive and 100% adorable!

The day has come.

We had just turned the light off, starting to drift off to sleep last night, when the husband's phone buzzes. He checks it, then sets it back down quickly.

Me: Everything ok?
Him: Yeah, it was just a calendar reminder. Your due date is in 10 minutes.
Me: Um, thanks.
Him: I set it 8 months ago.
Me: Awesome.

Yes, friends, we have made it. SHOCKING that I'm not going to have this baby on time, isn't it? I'm okay with it right now, just praying that it doesn't last much longer. I can't say I've been this calm about it all week...there may have been tears before, during, and after my appt on Monday. (Yep, even before. I knew she wasn't going to tell me what I wanted to hear - that I was ready to be induced this weekend - and my emotions got the best of me before I even went.) But I've been tear-free about it since, so that must mean I've entered the they-won't-make-me be-pregnant-forever stage of thinking.

How far along?: 40 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: Didn't gain anything this week, which is incredible considering how much ice cream I've had.
Sleep: Started out the week with the lovely pregnancy insomnia and just assumed it was here to stay. But, thankfully, the second half of the week was filled with decent nights of sleep.
Movement: The munchkin is still trying hard to move about and stretch out. Swift kicks to my pelvic bone are the norm.
Labor Signs: We commemorated Due Date Eve with a trip to the Reds game last night; Baby Reeder showed his appreciation by giving Mommy contractions throughout the entire game. Super fun! So yeah, lots of BH contractions, but that's about it. There have been a few other things that have made me think "Oh, maybe this is a labor sign" but I'm pretty sure it's all in my head.
Food/Cravings: My body seems to reject any food that isn't made with a lot of sugar after 8 pm.
Gender: Almost time for the big reveal!
New w/pregnancy #2: Packing a bag for the Big Sister's stay at Grandma's house in addition to our hospital bag. Both bags are ready to go!
What I miss: I could use a beer.
What I am looking forward to: Having this baby! C'mon, baby, let's not hit 41 weeks, okay? Crossing my fingers that we schedule an induction at my OB appt tomorrow (even if it's not until next week, I just want to start planning!)
Best moment this week: Reaching my due date. It just makes the end seem that much closer. I will be holding my beautiful little baby in my arms in just a matter of days, no matter what my body seems to think!
Weekly Wisdom: Sooo not wise today.
Milestones: I'd say hitting my due date is a pretty big milestone, wouldn't you?

Baby Reeder at 40w0d

Pink like Mommy's.

Within 10 seconds of being out of bed this morning, I was painting 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes "pink like Mommy's".

After weeks of admiring Mommy's "pink toes" but being too afraid to have hers painted, she woke up ready to make that Big Girl step today. So I sat on my bathroom floor (a pretty big feat with this belly), eyes barely open yet, and I painted the tiniest nails I've ever painted a very pale shade of pink. She sat so still, watching me very intently. We used the low setting on my hair dryer to speed up the drying process since patience isn't exactly our forte these days. The results? Still slightly smudged, but "pink like Mommy's" indeed!

And what a proud Big Girl I have on my hands this morning.

Somebody's growin' up.

So close...

How far along?: 39 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss:  +1.5 lbs this week, +33.5 lbs total. Clearly the healthy-eating thing from last week didn't stick around...
Maternity clothes?: Whatever fits at this point.
Sleep: Depends on the night, really. Some are decent, some are rough - last night being one of the rough ones...
Movement: It has certainly slowed down, but not in the alarming kind of way.
Labor Signs: Random contractions here and there, still nothing consistent.
Food/Cravings: Nothing in particular.
Gender: I've been going back and forth lately. So glad we don't have to wait much longer to find out :)
New w/pregnancy #2: Remember how I was crazy about getting my house spotless towards the end of my last pregnancy? Yeah, me neither. I wanted to bring my baby home to a clean house, don't get me wrong, but I had no desire to do anything about it (much to my husband's dismay.) Well, things are a wee bit different this time. I can't get this place clean enough. And I have the desire to do something about it...I just don't have enough energy to get it all done. I feel way behind, like I have tons left to do and no time to do it. (Of course, some of my list may be a tad bit irrational, as everything I see looks filthy right now. For example, on my list of things to scrub down before the baby comes is my baking cabinet where I store things like measuring cups and flour and chocolate chips. Something tells me that I could bring the baby home to a house with a messy baking cabinet if need be...)
What I miss: Feeling calm. Lots of nerves and anxiousness up in here.
What I am looking forward to: I just want to hold my baby...
Best moment this week: The baby stuff (cradle, swing, etc.) has emerged from the basement, the hospital bag has started to be packed, and Big Sister's car seat has officially been moved to the other side of the car to make room for the infant seat on the easier-to-reach-back-and-put-the-pacifier-back-in-the-mouth-while-driving side of the car. It's beginning to look a lot like Baby Time :)
Weekly Wisdom: It's partly fun and partly annoying when you answer someone's "When are you due?" with "one week" and they look at you like your water is going to break right there on their shoes.
Milestones: Single digits!

To my girl...

Brooke Mary,

We are down to only a matter of days before our baby finally comes out of Mommy's belly to meet you.

I wish I could tell you that your world isn't going to change. But, the truth is, it totally will. Our family is going to grow overnight. A tiny little baby is going to come live with us and won't be leaving anytime soon. Our house will be noisier, messier, and way more chaotic than it is now (hard to believe it could be, right?) You'll have to be more helpful and independent, something I'm very certain you will embrace. You'll also have to practice being patient more, something you don't always like to do.

The best part about all of this change is that you are about to have a sibling, one of the greatest things in the world. This little baby is going to love you unconditionally from the start, and I'm certain you'll return the feeling. I know you and the baby will become the best of friends. What a lucky baby to have you for a big sister!

But there are lots of things that aren't going to change, you can be sure of that. You will always and forever be our sweet, sweet girl. We will always make time for you, listen to you, take care of you. The number of hugs, pats, and kisses you receive from us each day will not change, even as we give them to the baby, too. Most importantly, Mommy & Daddy will love you more and more every single day, just like we have for the last 20 or so months that you've been our only little roommate.

Oh, darling girl, this new adventure is about to begin! It's going to be fun and exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. But I promise you we'll have more good days than bad ones, filled with tons of laughs and smiles and, of course, hugs.

Love you to pieces, kiddo!
Mommy

2 more, baby!

Dear Contractions,
Unless you're going to put me into full-blown labor in the next few hours, ENOUGH ALREADY!
Love,
Sarah

How far along?: 38 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: With only 2 weeks to go, I'm up 32 lbs. A little more than last time, but still within the "healthy" range.
Maternity clothes?: So depressing when the maternity clothes get too small. Gonna wear the same 4 things until this baby pops out, so be prepared to see the same stuff.
Sleep: It's been better the last couple weeks. Still getting up 2 or 3 times a night, but I feel rested most mornings. Hoping this lasts...
Movement: Poor thing is so cramped in there. Baby Reeder is trying to move around, but it's getting much harder!
Labor Signs: Lots of contractions. I had so many last night that I even timed them - they were coming about 6 minutes apart for a while, but then tapered off. I'm hoping like crazy that all of these contractions are moving things along and I get good news at the OB tomorrow!
Food/Cravings: I actually feel like eating healthy things again. Had lots of fruit today plus a salad for dinner. Don't worry, it won't last...there's a pint of Graeter's in my freezer.
Gender: Can't wait to find out! Hurry, baby!
New w/pregnancy #2: I'm carrying this baby so much lower than Brooke. Makes breathing so much easier.
What I miss: Standing up without wincing.
What I am looking forward to: The end of the month!
Best moment this week: Mapping out our induction plan with my OB. We have a few options based on how much progress I've made by the start of next week. It's so nice to have some tentative dates in the works!
Weekly Wisdom: Please, I beg of you, don't ask a pregnant woman if she's having twins. C'mon, people! How often is the answer to that question going to be, "Why, yes, yes I am having twins"? You have like a 3% chance of being right. And you have a 97% chance of pissing off a heavily pregnant woman who doesn't really care that you think she looks like a house. Unless you know with 100% certainty that she is, indeed, carrying multiples, just say "You look great!" and move on. Or better yet, keep your mouth shut.
Milestones: I can count the number of days I have left on 2 hands and a foot. That's pretty awesome.

Baby Reeder at 38w0d

A boy-mom.

I am a girl-mom.

The provider of pink and princesses and pretty things. I prefer Dora over Diego, skirts over shorts, and purple over green. I make hair bows, for crying out loud. And wear probably too much pink.

I don't like getting dirty, smelling like "the outside", or hearing gas-induced noises. (See, I don't even like the word "fart".) I think air shows are ridiculous, find the 4th of July hot dog eating contest repulsive, and go to sporting events just for the food.

I am an especially girly girl-mom.

But in roughly 3 weeks or less, I might be a boy-mom, too. And the scary part? I have no idea how to be the mom of a boy!

I have 4 brothers, so I grew up around boys. Thanks to them, I know that being a boy means lots of Legos & Playmobile when you're young and basketball & video games when you hit junior high. In our house, it also meant a lot of wrestling/physical fighting (not the emotional games that us girls engage in.) Plus, a lot of bodily fluids/functions that I am just not cool with (i.e. spitting, sweating, burping, and the aforementioned f-word I don't appreciate.)

And I have a husband, so I've picked up a thing or 2 about the opposite sex from him, too. Thanks to him, I know that being a boy means producing 4x the volume of laundry of a girl, especially in the summer (and especially if you're in 2 softball leagues). And it means a lot of History Channel and Fox Sports over TLC or Bravo. And far more excitement over illegal fireworks than I could ever understand.

So, I mean, I guess I have a little bit of a clue as to what boys entail. It's not like I'm going to put rocks and sticks in front of my son and call them toys. Or freak out the first time he eats dirt. But, at the same time, I just don't feel 100% confident that I am going to know what to do with a little guy. I have doubts... Will I be able to pretend that Mommy enjoys playing with trucks just as much as she does playing with dolls? Will I be able to be convincing enough that I actually care about the silly sports stat he just told me? Will I be able to let him win when we play Mario Kart together? (Because, honestly, I'm pretty good...)

When I really think about it, I didn't really know how to be a girl-mom when Brooke was born. I just knew how to be a girl, so I had an advantage from the start. The mom part ended up falling into place as time went on. As I'm sure it will this time, too, regardless of this kiddo's gender. And, if it is a boy, I have absolutely no doubt that I'll love him enough or be able to fulfill his needs. I will jump right in and learn to love the dirty fingernails and Tonka trucks and animal-adorned clothing (though this last one is going to take some serious getting used to...) I am going to look into those eyes and fall madly in love with who I will affectionately call "Mama's boy".

Boy-mom? Bring it.

Full-term!

The weekly pregnancy email I get started out like this today: "Your baby is now the size of a watermelon." Well isn't that the truth! People keep telling me I look great and some can't believe I'm due in just a few weeks...but I feel huge. So, watermelon? Yep, that sounds about right to me.

How far along?: 37 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: Creepin' up on the 30 lb mark. I seem to be putting on a couple pounds a week right now, which is exactly what happened last pregnancy.
Maternity clothes?: The husband keeps laughing at the belly sticking out of the bottom of my shirt. I bet I pull my shirt down 25 times a day to make sure this doesn't happen in public, but at home? Who cares!
Sleep: Not bad this week, yay! I woke up several mornings feeling very well-rested. I even went a solid 7 straight hours without getting up to pee once. Score! I am preparing myself for the killer end-of-pregnancy insomnia that kicked in those last few weeks last time, though.
Movement: Seems to have been an especially rowdy week this week. You can pretty much watch my entire stomach shift just about any time. And there have also been an incredible amount of little limbs poking out this week.
Labor Signs: Tons of Braxton Hicks contractions this week as well as some other signs that are making me naively hopeful that this kiddo might come out sooner than the last one (or at least faster!)
Food/Cravings: Golden Oreos, you were a wonderful rediscovery.
Gender: I still think there's a big, fat boy in there.
New w/pregnancy #2: So many BH contractions. I pretty much have them every night, off and on between 7 and whenever I finally get in bed. I really didn't have too many with Brooke, and they certainly never stopped me in my tracks like these do sometimes. (Do you see what I mean about all the [probably false] hope this kiddo is giving me?!)
What I miss: Right now? Snow.
What I am looking forward to: Looking into that sweet face and immediately forgetting all about the crap I've been through the previous 9 months. All the hard parts just melt away in an instant.
Best moment this week: I think the reality of this baby has finally sunk in this week (just in the nick of time, I know!) As we get closer and closer to the end of the month, I find myself constantly thinking about labor and delivery and holding my precious little one in my arms for the first time. I have a "To Do Before Baby" list now, full of things like "wash crib bedding & lift mattress" and "pack hospital bag & Brooke's bag", and I'm slowly checking things off of it (and by slowly I mean that I've checked off maybe 2. I better get my act together!) My excitement grows every single day.
Weekly Wisdom: Strangers in 2011 lack the same level of tact that strangers in 2009 did. Earlier in the week, a woman told her son to hold the door for me, but not before saying, "Make way, preggo coming through." Yesterday, a woman at the outlets said to me "Giiirrrl, you look like you need to go have that baby right now! I looked up and all I seen was belly." Sigh. Good to know society hasn't grown up in the last 2 years.
Milestones: Full-term! Full-term! Full-term! It's just a matter of time now :)

Family updates!

Just a few quick updates on my kiddos!

Brooke: We had her tested for food allergies yesterday. They had to do the skin test on her, with 13 pricks on her back. Brooke's cooperation was a million times better than I was anticipating. I was seriously dreading the day for an entire month! There were a few tears, of course, considering she was being poked by a strange nurse. But, overall, she was such a champ and I was so proud of how brave she was. Unfortunately, the results were not as great as her behavior. She is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and seafood, so all of these foods have to be completely eliminated from her diet. She really shouldn't even have physical contact with them - which is how we discovered the allergies in the first place. And the allergies are serious enough that we now have to carry around emergency medication wherever she goes (it must be within 2 mins of her at all times!) I know it sounds scary...and quite frankly, it is a little scary. Let's hope we never have to use any of it!

Baby Reeder: I had my 36-week check-up today. The baby is doing great! Heartbeat was about 150 and the kiddo is growing like a weed (the OB still thinks he/she is going to be a big one.) I had my first internal exam. I was hopeful that I might be making some progress since I have an incredible amount of pressure/discomfort, um, down there. I really don't remember having this much (if any) with Brooke. Well, I am a fingertip dilated (woohoo!) but still very high and thick (boo!) She tells me the extra pressure and tiny bit of dilation are "typical 2nd baby stuff". She also said, and I quote, "You'll probably still be pregnant at 40 weeks." Awesome. Looks like we have another full month to go!

My 19-month-old :)

Ok, so the 18-month post about my firstborn that I promised didn't happen. Sue me. Instead, I'm going to update you on life with my favorite toddler at 19 months.

~ She calls herself "Brooke-o" most of the time, something I'm trying my darnedest to change. I correct her every chance I get. If she says "Yeah Brooke-o!", I'll correct her and say "Yeah Brooke!", which she'll then repeat. Here's the big problem with all of this: we call her Brooke-o all of the time, too. It's a hard habit to break! But we're trying to, because I really don't want her to walk into preschool and tell her teacher that her name is Brooke-o Reeder.
~ Smarty Pants knows all of her colors ("all" being the rainbow colors plus pink, brown, black, and white), consistently knows numbers 1-14 (with a sprinkling of 15-20 here & there), and a few shapes (circle, square, triangle, star.) She can recognize a handful of letters and, thanks to a LeapFrog movie she watches in my mom's car, she knows the sounds that many of the letters make. Oh, and she's also starting to count in Spanish. (I kid you not. Thanks to Dora & Handy Manny, she randomly says #'s 1-6 in Espanol.)
~ Her favorite things to play with are cell phones, Mommy's wallet, and our food pantry. Since she's not allowed to play with most of these things on as frequent a basis as she'd like, she has to resort to her playroom full of actual toys. Her favorite toy to play with is her bucket of Legos. My girl loves her some "big towers" made by Mommy or Daddy; she can't really make them herself but she's an expert at taking them apart. She's also a pretty big fan of flashcards (following in Daddy's dorky footsteps already.)
~ She recently figured out how to fake-cough. And she thinks it's hilarious. So don't let her fool you.
~ If she had her way, Brooke would eat 11 popsicles a day. She starts asking for them first thing in the morning (within 30 secs of being awake today, not kidding) and asks all day long.  When she finishes one, she usually asks for another. The biggest problem with this, other than the severe meltdowns that often occur when you tell her no, is that she asks so nicely in just the sweetest little voice & with the prettiest little smile she can muster: "I have a popsicle, please?" Sometimes I swear she bats her eyelashes, too. Very hard to resist her charms.
~ Other than popsicles, some of her favorite foods at the moment include: oatmeal, broccoli, corn on the cob, strawberries, chicken, steak, & vanilla ice cream cones. Oh, and she'll eat just about anything if it's dipped in "kep-up", just like her Mommy (and I do mean anything...peaches and green beans included, apparently.)
~ We are not potty-training and don't plan to start for a while. We're in the "talking about it" phase instead. She has a little potty and loves to sit on it (fully clothed), but I just don't think she's ready for it yet. And, frankly, neither am I. So the plan is to keep discussing it and wait until things calm down after the baby comes. My new goal is to start trying by her 2nd birthday.
~ She still expresses her emotions very dramatically. And I know what y'all are going to say: "Like mother, like daughter." But here's the thing - unless it's genetic, it's not my fault. It's not like I throw tantrums in front of her and totally melt down when I don't get my way. That being said, she is all sorts of drama across the board, a trait I will admit she likely got from me (though her Daddy is not void of the drama himself at times.) Even the way she speaks is dramatic. Her facial expressions and voice inflections are way more dramatic than any 19-month-old I've ever met.
~ In spite of all the tantrums and drama, this really is an awesome stage. She makes me laugh a million times a day. The fact that she can hold real conversations with us makes life an absolute trip. I have a feeling it's only going to get better from here :)

And because I've been depriving you of pictures lately, here's a little sampling of what we've been up to this summer :)

Pool time with her cousins at Grandma's house

 Helping Mommy make "corn bed"

 Lots of playtime in the backyard!

 Celebrating my birthday on the 4th (while still recovering from that crazy sickness I had)

 She actually liked the fireworks this year! She was a little unsure at first, but by the end she was clapping for them and telling me all the colors she saw :)

 Our 1st trip to Kings Island for the summer was so much fun!

 Brooke's 1st golf lesson :)