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!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
My 19-month-old :)
~ 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 :)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
36 weeks.
How far along?: 36 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: I mean, at this point, does it really matter?
Maternity clothes?: Pulled out some of my "pregnancy fat clothes" this week, i.e. my maternity clothes from last time when I was much bigger. Some of the stuff I wore early on in that pregnancy fits now.
Sleep: Been up with Brooke every night this week (first she had a stomach bug, now a miserable cold/possible ear infection), so my sleep was majorly compromised. I usually feel worse on days I don't get much sleep.
Movement: The "books" say that movement should really decrease around now because the kiddo has less room. Not true. Even though this kid is huge, he is still jumping around like he's in a bouncy house.
Labor Signs: I'm very curious to find out if the baby is still head-down. His movements felt like maybe he was shifting all week, so I'm a little worried he may be sideways. The pelvic pressure is in full force so I'm hopeful that he's starting to drop. Might find out on Wednesday when the OB does my 1st internal check.
Food/Cravings: Nothing new here. This baby may come out looking like a baked good.
Gender: Feeling boy this week.
New w/pregnancy #2: I can't get enough orange juice. Last time, OJ was one of my major aversions. But this time I want it every morning; other juices just don't cut it anymore (I gave up apple several months ago, and now my beloved grape juice just doesn't sound good either.)
What I miss: Breathing, walking with ease, sleeping/sitting/existing comfortably. To sum up, being not pregnant. (I know, I know, Debbie Downer reporting for duty.)
What I am looking forward to: Weekly OB visits from here on out (though not so much looking forward to the internal checks that come with them...)
Best moment this week: Brooke is officially sleeping in her Big Girl room full-time, so I've started cleaning out the nursery. It's the little things that are getting me excited now, like the thought of lifting the crib mattress high enough that I can put the bed skirt on or getting all the burp cloths organized in the dresser. And I also have new Coming Home from the Hospital outfits ready and waiting (size 3 months, none of that NB nonsense this time. In fact, we only have one little pack of NB diapers; it says "up to 10 lbs" on the package, and I have a feeling this one might tip the scales above that from the start.)
Weekly Wisdom: A pregnant woman pees a lot. True story. Especially when her fetus is camped out on her bladder. I've gone so many times today that the husband was concerned something was wrong with me.
Milestones: Friends, tomorrow is August. AUGUST. The month in which this baby should be born (strong emphasis on the should). Kids are going to be going back to school soon - the benchmark for when baby is due. Hot dog!
Total weight gain/loss: I mean, at this point, does it really matter?
Maternity clothes?: Pulled out some of my "pregnancy fat clothes" this week, i.e. my maternity clothes from last time when I was much bigger. Some of the stuff I wore early on in that pregnancy fits now.
Sleep: Been up with Brooke every night this week (first she had a stomach bug, now a miserable cold/possible ear infection), so my sleep was majorly compromised. I usually feel worse on days I don't get much sleep.
Movement: The "books" say that movement should really decrease around now because the kiddo has less room. Not true. Even though this kid is huge, he is still jumping around like he's in a bouncy house.
Labor Signs: I'm very curious to find out if the baby is still head-down. His movements felt like maybe he was shifting all week, so I'm a little worried he may be sideways. The pelvic pressure is in full force so I'm hopeful that he's starting to drop. Might find out on Wednesday when the OB does my 1st internal check.
Food/Cravings: Nothing new here. This baby may come out looking like a baked good.
Gender: Feeling boy this week.
New w/pregnancy #2: I can't get enough orange juice. Last time, OJ was one of my major aversions. But this time I want it every morning; other juices just don't cut it anymore (I gave up apple several months ago, and now my beloved grape juice just doesn't sound good either.)
What I miss: Breathing, walking with ease, sleeping/sitting/existing comfortably. To sum up, being not pregnant. (I know, I know, Debbie Downer reporting for duty.)
What I am looking forward to: Weekly OB visits from here on out (though not so much looking forward to the internal checks that come with them...)
Best moment this week: Brooke is officially sleeping in her Big Girl room full-time, so I've started cleaning out the nursery. It's the little things that are getting me excited now, like the thought of lifting the crib mattress high enough that I can put the bed skirt on or getting all the burp cloths organized in the dresser. And I also have new Coming Home from the Hospital outfits ready and waiting (size 3 months, none of that NB nonsense this time. In fact, we only have one little pack of NB diapers; it says "up to 10 lbs" on the package, and I have a feeling this one might tip the scales above that from the start.)
Weekly Wisdom: A pregnant woman pees a lot. True story. Especially when her fetus is camped out on her bladder. I've gone so many times today that the husband was concerned something was wrong with me.
Milestones: Friends, tomorrow is August. AUGUST. The month in which this baby should be born (strong emphasis on the should). Kids are going to be going back to school soon - the benchmark for when baby is due. Hot dog!
Baby Reeder at 36w0d
(I spy some high school gym shorts from 13 years ago. And, also, holy belly explosion!)
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Things Brooke says.
* My most favorite thing Brooke says right now is "Mommy, where are you? Arrrre you?" If I go upstairs to put something away or grab something (and she actually notices that I'm gone,) she'll start running around the house looking for me, yelling this as she goes. It's beyond adorable. A related question we hear all the time is "Where ___ go?", whether it's a person or a toy or even something she just dropped off her high chair. Most frequently, it's "Where my Daddy go?" which is just heavenly for me to hear. The best part is that she's starting to answer herself. "Oh, he upstairs, shower."
* She now says "Arrgh, I a pirate!" with an appropriately scrunched up pirate face. It kills me every single time. (She picked this up from one of her shows. They said it once & about 2 mins later she repeated it. Then again a few hours later, and it's been non-stop since.)
* Instead of "I don't think so" she says "No me think so". No idea where she picked this up.
* Her manners are getting so much better. She sometimes says "Bless you, Daddy" when he sneezes (and he sneezes a lot, so she has lots of practice with this one.) She has started saying "no, thanks" in place of just "no". And about half the time she says "thank you" without being prompted. She says "sowwy" all the time, both appropriately and unnecessarily to herself. Oh! And I almost forgot the "scuse me" when she is, um, gassy.
* When she thinks something is funny or silly, she has a number of phrases she uses: "Oh, silly!", "Me kidding me?", "Oh my goodsis".
* Brooke is involved in a lot of decision-making these days. If I can get her opinion on something, I do. I figure the more involved in the process she is, the more cooperative she'll be. Examples: what color popsicle she wants, which diaper she wants to wear, where we should go for lunch (she always chooses "noodles, cheese, cwackers!" = Skyline.) Anyway, as she contemplates something, she'll tap her finger on her chin and say "Hmmm, let's see..." Hysterical.
* She now says "Arrgh, I a pirate!" with an appropriately scrunched up pirate face. It kills me every single time. (She picked this up from one of her shows. They said it once & about 2 mins later she repeated it. Then again a few hours later, and it's been non-stop since.)
* Instead of "I don't think so" she says "No me think so". No idea where she picked this up.
* Her manners are getting so much better. She sometimes says "Bless you, Daddy" when he sneezes (and he sneezes a lot, so she has lots of practice with this one.) She has started saying "no, thanks" in place of just "no". And about half the time she says "thank you" without being prompted. She says "sowwy" all the time, both appropriately and unnecessarily to herself. Oh! And I almost forgot the "scuse me" when she is, um, gassy.
* When she thinks something is funny or silly, she has a number of phrases she uses: "Oh, silly!", "Me kidding me?", "Oh my goodsis".
* Brooke is involved in a lot of decision-making these days. If I can get her opinion on something, I do. I figure the more involved in the process she is, the more cooperative she'll be. Examples: what color popsicle she wants, which diaper she wants to wear, where we should go for lunch (she always chooses "noodles, cheese, cwackers!" = Skyline.) Anyway, as she contemplates something, she'll tap her finger on her chin and say "Hmmm, let's see..." Hysterical.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
One to go...
One month. 31 days.
(Well, give or take a few days, but you know what I mean.)
It's hard to even believe how close we're getting to the due date. I'm beyond excited to meet this little thing that has taken up residency in my belly for the last 8 months. I'm excited to find out if we're giving Brooke a brother or a sister. I'm so excited to introduce her to the baby and watch their relationship blossom. And I'm excited to bring him or her home and figure out how to integrate a newborn into the craziness we already have going on in here (because, trust me, we have not figured this out yet.)
I'd be lying if I said I was as mentally prepared for this baby as I was the first time. With Brooke, her impending arrival was all I ever thought about. Now? Well, let's just say I have a few million things to distract me these days. With Brooke, I only had happy (possibly naive) notions about what life with a newborn would be like. Well, I'm not naive anymore. Despite the sleepless fog I was in those first few weeks (coughmonthscough) that she was here, I remember exactly what it was like. So the thought of having a newborn & a toddler at the same time is slightly overwhelming. (Not to mention that the toddler has waaay more personality than should fit into a body that small.) And I'm also filled with a bit of anxiety over how I'll give each child the right amount of attention, the amount each deserves.
Despite all of this, I'm ready. I'm sooo ready for this baby. (And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm stick-a-fork-in-me-I'm-DONE being pregnant. Promise.)
One month. 31 days. Let's do this.
(Well, give or take a few days, but you know what I mean.)
It's hard to even believe how close we're getting to the due date. I'm beyond excited to meet this little thing that has taken up residency in my belly for the last 8 months. I'm excited to find out if we're giving Brooke a brother or a sister. I'm so excited to introduce her to the baby and watch their relationship blossom. And I'm excited to bring him or her home and figure out how to integrate a newborn into the craziness we already have going on in here (because, trust me, we have not figured this out yet.)
I'd be lying if I said I was as mentally prepared for this baby as I was the first time. With Brooke, her impending arrival was all I ever thought about. Now? Well, let's just say I have a few million things to distract me these days. With Brooke, I only had happy (possibly naive) notions about what life with a newborn would be like. Well, I'm not naive anymore. Despite the sleepless fog I was in those first few weeks (coughmonthscough) that she was here, I remember exactly what it was like. So the thought of having a newborn & a toddler at the same time is slightly overwhelming. (Not to mention that the toddler has waaay more personality than should fit into a body that small.) And I'm also filled with a bit of anxiety over how I'll give each child the right amount of attention, the amount each deserves.
Despite all of this, I'm ready. I'm sooo ready for this baby. (And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm stick-a-fork-in-me-I'm-DONE being pregnant. Promise.)
One month. 31 days. Let's do this.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sooo hot.
How far along?: 35 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: +1.5 lbs this week, so +24.5 lbs total.
Maternity clothes?: So, very little of my clothing fits now. And I'm talking maternity clothes. I'm down to about 4 dresses and half a dozen tank tops (but those are slowly creeping up the belly) that fit. In an attempt to not look like white trash with my belly hanging out below my shirt, I may have to invest in 2 or 3 more tank tops to get me through this last month. (Yes, more tank tops. Just the thought of wearing sleeves, even short ones, makes me sweat.)
Sleep: :(
Movement: Rolling, rolling, & more rolling. In a semi-painful way for me.
Labor Signs: Lots of pelvic pressure. Lots. Does this mean the baby's dropping? Eh, I'm not convinced. Also a fair amount of BH contractions.
Food/Cravings: If that whole "you crave sweet if you're having a girl, salty if it's a boy" thing is legit, there will be another little lady in the family soon :)
Gender: I think we have names locked in. Yay! And I love them both so much that I don't even care what pops out!
New w/pregnancy #2: ...
What I miss: Being cool. (In a damn-it's-hot-outside kind of way. I've never been cool in a people-wish-they-were-me kind of way.)
What I am looking forward to: September. There will definitely be 2 Reeder kids in this house in September. Maybe not by the 1st, but surely by the 30th. (Oh my god, can you imagine if I stayed pregnant until the 30th? ::shuddering at the thought of an extra 4 weeks::)
Best moment this week: Naming this baby! So, so excited...can you tell? It really has given me a second wind for the pregnancy. Being able to put a name (well, technically 2 names) to this little thing that's bouncing around in there makes him/her so much more real.
Weekly Wisdom: Pregnant women really do melt. On a similar note, it's ridiculously hot out.
Milestones: 35/35, kids! 35 weeks down, 35 days to go. For some reason, "5 weeks" seems like a lot less time to me than "35 days". But really, no matter how you say it, it's really not too long now :)
Total weight gain/loss: +1.5 lbs this week, so +24.5 lbs total.
Maternity clothes?: So, very little of my clothing fits now. And I'm talking maternity clothes. I'm down to about 4 dresses and half a dozen tank tops (but those are slowly creeping up the belly) that fit. In an attempt to not look like white trash with my belly hanging out below my shirt, I may have to invest in 2 or 3 more tank tops to get me through this last month. (Yes, more tank tops. Just the thought of wearing sleeves, even short ones, makes me sweat.)
Sleep: :(
Movement: Rolling, rolling, & more rolling. In a semi-painful way for me.
Labor Signs: Lots of pelvic pressure. Lots. Does this mean the baby's dropping? Eh, I'm not convinced. Also a fair amount of BH contractions.
Food/Cravings: If that whole "you crave sweet if you're having a girl, salty if it's a boy" thing is legit, there will be another little lady in the family soon :)
Gender: I think we have names locked in. Yay! And I love them both so much that I don't even care what pops out!
New w/pregnancy #2: ...
What I miss: Being cool. (In a damn-it's-hot-outside kind of way. I've never been cool in a people-wish-they-were-me kind of way.)
What I am looking forward to: September. There will definitely be 2 Reeder kids in this house in September. Maybe not by the 1st, but surely by the 30th. (Oh my god, can you imagine if I stayed pregnant until the 30th? ::shuddering at the thought of an extra 4 weeks::)
Best moment this week: Naming this baby! So, so excited...can you tell? It really has given me a second wind for the pregnancy. Being able to put a name (well, technically 2 names) to this little thing that's bouncing around in there makes him/her so much more real.
Weekly Wisdom: Pregnant women really do melt. On a similar note, it's ridiculously hot out.
Milestones: 35/35, kids! 35 weeks down, 35 days to go. For some reason, "5 weeks" seems like a lot less time to me than "35 days". But really, no matter how you say it, it's really not too long now :)
Baby Reeder at 35w0d
(Nope, this isn't deja vu. Pretty much looks identical to the 33 week pic.)
Saturday, July 23, 2011
18-month pics.
Well, we were a few weeks late, but we finally got Brooke's 18-month pictures taken! We haven't had photos taken since her first birthday, so it was exciting to see how much she has changed. One thing sure hasn't changed - her stranger anxiety. In fact, I think it's gotten worse in recent months, making a stranger photographer the last person she wanted to smile & cooperate for. Between my mom & I, we struggled to get this girl to do what we needed her to. Which is exactly what I expected would happen, so I was prepared with snacks and drinks and an Elmo DVD. They usually take 100+ pictures for you to choose from; the photographer took 62, only 19 of which were actual smiles. At least it made it easy to pick the best ones!
And now for the outtakes, because 2/3 of our pics this time around would qualify as outtakes.
"I'm outta here, friends."
"Oh, is Grandma's phone not supposed to be in the shot? My bad."
A mouthful of Cheerios makes it hard to smile.
"Your attempts to make me smile or laugh are so not funny."
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