Big Lady news :)

I'm interrupting the pregnancy posts to celebrate a pretty big day. Today marks Brooke's 14-month birthday! My baby girl is getting so old! And big - she's at least 31 lbs, maybe a touch more...

(Coincidentally, it is exactly 6 months until my due date, a reminder that if this baby is born between Aug 29th-31st, I'll have 2 kids without real half birthdays. A seemingly silly factoid to you, terribly sad news to me.)

Here's my girl in a nutshell at 14 months:
- Still super-obsessed with all things Daddy. If there's a picture of him in the room, she will find it and point him out (nevermind that I'm also in 99% of the pictures he's in.) She talks about him all day long. She just loves him (I guess I don't really blame her...)
- She had her 1st haircut today. And by haircut, I mean that I made one little cut to the hair at the nape of her neck so she didn't have a baby-mullet anymore. I saved the tiny little lock of hair for her baby book :)
- She has developed her own little language, full of all sorts of jibber-jabber that we don't understand. She tries to tell me so many things every day. She even sings along to songs in her little language.
- She's the proud owner of 9 teeth, as 1 of her molars made an appearance this month.
- She loves to "find Mommy's baby", i.e. lift up my shirt to point out that the baby is in my belly. Not that she really understands what that means. In fact, she might just think "belly" and "baby" are interchangeable words.
- Probably the biggest change in our world with this little lady are the tantrums. They are in full effect, folks. Like, big time Terrible Twos. She has started throwing tantrums about everything. If she doesn't get her way, watch out. We figure the best defense at this point is just distraction, so we try to get her attention on something she is allowed to do/have/etc. On rare occasion, the tantrum turns into a full-on meltdown. And we just laugh at her. Because, honestly, it's funny. We don't know why she's crying; heck, she doesn't know why she's crying. She'll just stand in the middle of the room with the most dramatic little sob (wonder who she gets the drama from...) I don't foresee an end to this anytime soon, so I guess we'll just have to ride it out.

Random pics from her 14th month (including goofball smiles and middle-of-the-floor snack time.)

Lime time.

(This post was originally written on 2/6/2011, at 11w0d pregnant.)

How far along?: 11 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: I’m pretty sure I lost a pound this week...I really need to start writing this down so I remember where I was the week before.
Maternity clothes?: Not yet. I’m hoping to get by with just a few key pieces for the rest of this winter (i.e. maternity jeans, a few shirts, etc.) and then really stock up when it starts to get warm. I foresee a lot of dresses this summer!
Sleep: I got a few decent nights this week (meaning I only got up to pee about 3 times, plus the munchkin actually slept through the night!)
Movement: Nada.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular, though I am eating a lot! I can’t get enough. And I have to eat something every hour or two or I get a killer headache.
Gender: No clue, but wouldn’t it be great if all this sickness meant I was having a boy?
New w/pregnancy #2: Crazy nausea. I’m SOOOO sick of throwing up. My OB was all “For most women, it’s usually worst the 9th week and then gets better.” Clearly I’m not most women. I honestly think I pulled a muscle in my stomach this morning.
What I miss: Good sleep.
What I am looking forward to: A much, much, much-needed date night with the husband next weekend.
Best moment this week: I’m too tired to come up with one...pathetic.
Weekly Wisdom: Husbands are particularly invaluable when dirty diapers need to be changed, especially when it’s before noon and you already threw up once.
Milestones: Baby Reeder is the size of a lime already, something neither the husband nor I could believe.

Week 10 :)

(This post was originally written on 1/30/2011, at 10w0d pregnant.)

I started the weekly pregnancy updates at 10 weeks with Brooke, so it’s only fair to do the same for bambino numero dos.

How far along?: 10 weeks, 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: As of this week’s doctor’s appt, I’m up 2 lbs so far.
Maternity clothes?: Nada as of yet. But I found myself unbuttoning my jeans to get comfy on the couch the other day, so I know they are coming soon. (Do not judge; it’s a miracle I was wearing jeans and not sweatpants...it was just a Thursday...)
Sleep: Ugh. Pregnancy insomnia is in full swing, as is the peeing-9-times-a-night thing. Uber fun.
Movement: Well of course not.
Food cravings: Nothing and everything. When asked what sounds good for a meal, my answer is always “Nothing”. Yet I’ll eat anything that’s in front of me (hence the fact that I’m already gaining.)
Gender: Lord knows we could use a little man up in here to balance out the pink & purple.
New w/pregnancy #2: Severe exhaustion. And it hit me right away, like Week 5, much earlier than with Brooke.
What I miss: Sleep. I will likely answer this the same way for the next 30 weeks. I already hate my bed.
What I am looking forward to: Hearing my munchkin’s heartbeat in a few weeks :)
Best moment this week: When my sister returned my giant bottle of Tylenol PM that I lent her during her pregnancy.
Weekly Wisdom: The grocery store is no place for a pregnant woman.
Milestones: 25% down already. Wow. This pregnancy is a-zoomin’ on by.

Grocery stores.

(This post was originally written on 1/24/2011, at 9w1d pregnant.)

I love being pregnant. I loved the full 41+ weeks of it the first time, and so far I love it this time. I don’t always like it – the nausea is the worst, I could live without the exhaustion, and holy hormones! – but I just love being pregnant. That whole “I am woman, hear me roar” thing comes into play a bit, like “Um, I’m growing a LIFE. What have you done today?” It’s such a crazy-awesome feeling, knowing that all this crap leads up to something so incredibly great. Pregnancy is the bee’s knees.

Until I step foot into the grocery store, that is. There may be young, childless women reading this, thinking to themselves “Don’t pregnant women love food? The grocery store seems like it would be your Mecca.” Let me set you straight, girls. The grocery store is THE WORST when you’re pregnant. And at all stages of pregnancy, too. Something I totally forgot until I, like an idiot, went today....before lunch....by myself. Huge mistake.

Let me set the scene for you. There I am, browsing the produce section, thinking to myself “I can do this, it’s not so bad.” I mosey past the onions and potatoes, and there it sits. The Deli Counter. Miraculously, there isn’t a line (I say miraculously because most people have figured out that the packaged, pre-sliced meat just doesn’t measure up). So I order my low-sodium turkey for Brooke and patiently stand there waiting. And that’s when it hits me - the smell of rotisserie chicken & chicken pot pies & baked goods, etc. And then I glance down and am met with the sight of days-old potato salad and pre-cooked stuffed pork tenderloin (seriously, people buy that?) Not to mention the olive and hummus bars are right behind me - blech. And the combination of all of this is enough to make me want to throw up my breakfast in the tiny trash can they provide to throw away your little number. Somehow I fought the urge to do it just as they handed me my turkey. But Brooke loves her some colby cheese, so I was forced to stand there a few minutes more. I was so exhausted by the time I had my cheese that the rest of the store was almost too much to handle.

Going later in the pregnancy is no picnic, either. Inevitably, whatever I need is always on the bottom or top shelves, never in the middle (maybe that’s because I’m cheap and try not to buy the fancy name brands from the companies that pay for those middle shelves....) And, especially when I’m pregnant, it seems the universe is craving the exact same things as me because the shelf is always empty. Ever seen a pregnant lady on her hands and knees trying to reach to the back of the bottom shelf to get the last box of granola bars? It’s not pretty, folks. Also not easy is reaching way up high to get something with a giant belly getting in the way.

I think OB’s should make it a rule that after 36 weeks, a woman just isn’t allowed in a grocery store anymore, especially alone. It’s the most exhausting thing, like, ever. And because it’s just so tiring to go, you don’t go often enough to need less than a full cart when you do go. Pushing a full cart when you’re already carrying an extra load is tough, friends. And, if you haven’t noticed, most stores are ginormous. I’m ready for a nap by the time I get to the ethnic foods section, and I still have to get through the other 70% of the store!

I’m telling ya, naive childless ladies – steer clear of Kroger when you finally get that bun in the oven. It’s just too much. And if you have to go, avoid the Deli Counter like the plague. You’re not supposed to be eating deli meat when you’re pregnant anyway...

I promise this won’t be the last time you hear me whining about this. Why? Because my family needs to eat over the next 7 months. And, also, I like soapboxes.

Here we go again.

(This post was originally written on 1/4/2011, at 6w2d pregnant.)

16 days.

That’s how long I’ve known that I’m pregnant. Number Two, y’all. As in, two babes under one roof. As in, one child per parent. As in, how will I ever carry a 10 lb infant and a 40 lb toddler at the same time?! (She’s 30 lbs now, so why wouldn’t she be 40 lbs in 8 more months?) That’s 50 lbs of kid.

Oh. Em. Gee.

Already, this pregnancy is different. Never in my whole entire life have I ever been this tired. Not even after laboring for 46 hours and pushing out a toddler was I this tired. I’m bloody exhausted all day long. Even as I sit and type this, at 11:30 in the morning, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. Maybe it’s because with pregnancy number one I just sat at a desk all day and wasn’t chasing around a tiny terror who thinks it’s hilarious to pull the trash out of the can. Or maybe it’s because I only had to deal with insomnia with the last pregnancy versus insomnia & a sleepless baby this time around (much thanks to the holidays for totally ruining my sleeping-through-the-night sleeper.) I am beat. And you know what makes you more tired? Having to pretend you’re not tired so no one realizes that you’re a walking zombie and subsequently suspects that you’re pregnant. I powered through Christmas and her birthday as bright-eyed as one could be on 2 minutes of sleep (I think I fooled everyone, but I guarantee someone – probably my mom or sister or BFF – is reading this going “She didn’t fool me, I knew something was up!”) And I’ll continue to power through until we decide to spill the beans.

Which is another big difference this time around. I have no plans as to how/when/where/to whom our news will be shared. Last time? I knew within 24 hours of being pregnant how I wanted to tell our families and when we’d do it and where we’d be and what I’d wear (okay, maybe not that last part.) But this time? Eh. I made Brooke-o a shirt to reveal it to her Daddy, maybe we’ll use that...? No idea.

And morning sickness started uber-early, even if the husband thinks it’s all in my head. Trust me, it’s not. Every little thing is making me nauseated up until about noon each day. Haven’t gotten sick yet, but soon, I am sure (note to self: teach Brooke how to hold back Mommy’s hair while she throws up.) Add early morning diapers to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster. Luckily, Daddy’s been home for winter break up until yesterday to take care of said diapers, but the last 2 days I’ve been on my own. (Side note: it’s INCREDIBLE how much this child can fill an overnight diaper. And how badly it smells like pee before you even take it off – so much so that I’m getting nauseous just thinking about it. And also, these things are ridiculously heavy. Like, if I ever hear a burglar in our house in the middle of the night, I’ll run in to the nursery and take off her diaper and throw that at him. Should knock him out in seconds flat.)

Other differences? My body has become totally unable to regulate its temperature. I’m layered up like I’m going to play in the snow...but instead I’m just sitting on the couch. And I’m already forgetting things like an idiot, too, but this time it’s at the expense of my poor child. Like today, when I forgot to give her Tylenol before her shots. Or a week or so ago, when we forgot to give her breakfast. (And I say we because the husband was home, too. And he can’t blame an embryo in his uterus for that one. And we didn’t starve her, let me be clear; she had a morning bottle and then a big lunch. I mean, the girl could stand to miss a meal now and then anyway...)

Also, I’m not spending every waking hour of my day thinking about the fact that I’m knocked up (yep, still hate the term "knocked up".) When I was pregnant with Brooke, I spent the first month on baby overload. Thoughts of her impending arrival consumed me, like totally. Maybe it’s just that I’m so busy with her now. Or maybe it’s that I know what to expect this time around. But this poor little thing only gets passing thoughts throughout the day, usually when I feel like I’m going to throw up or I realize 2 bites too late that I’m not supposed to eat something. (Sorry, Number Two, but Mommy already ate 2 Skyline cheese coneys before remembering hot dogs were on the no-no list. I’ll reluctantly switch to chili cheese sandwiches for these next 8 months, but only because I love you to pieces.) And I keep telling myself that it’s okay, that it doesn’t mean I don’t care about him/her enough. I think it just doesn’t feel all that real yet and I don’t have the time to sit and dwell on it, you know?

So yeah. Pregnant again. Excited, thrilled, elated, a little scared, a bit overwhelmed, and totally ready. Let’s do this, Number Two.

Drumroll, please...

Brooke has an announcement to make....

...and she's pretty excited about it!

Our little family is going to grow by about 10 lbs in about 6 months!

We could not possibly be more excited to expand our family! Our kiddos will be 20 months apart, which should make for some pretty fun (and pretty chaotic) moments. If this baby is half as awesome as Brooke-o, we're in for a treat. Today marks the beginning of my 2nd trimester. We heard Baby Reeder's heartbeat last Friday, so we're fairly confident that this little one is healthy enough to start spreadin' the news!

And I'm thrilled because I've been dying to blog about it! In fact, I've been blogging about Numero Dos for months now, just haven't been able to post them. So, for the next few days, I'll be posting entries that I wrote over the past 7 weeks or so, including the weekly updates from weeks 10-13 (just like I did with my 1st pregnancy.) Now that I have 2 kids (2!) to blog about, you can expect more frequent blogging in the near future. (But don't hold me to that...I went straight from morning all-day sickness into an upper respiratory infection, so I may still need a week or so to recover.)

So, in conclusion...yay us!! :)

(Oh, and to clarify, just because Brooke is going to be a big sister does NOT mean we are having a girl. We don't know what we're having. We've had 2 people respond to "Brooke's going to be a big sister!" with "Oh, so you're having a girl?" A little surprised I have to clarify this, but...she's going to be a big sister whether Baby Reeder is a boy or a girl.)

Vocabulary.

We are amazed on a daily basis by Brooke's vocabulary. She is so expressive, using body language and voice inflection appropriately. For example, even if she is just babbling, you can tell if she's trying to ask a question because her voice gets really high, she turns her head to one side, and she furrows her eyebrows. We've already gotten to the point where she gets frustrated sometimes when I don't understand what she's trying to say. Luckily, between speaking and signing, she can say most of the basic words we use on a daily basis.

The emails I get say she should be speaking about 3-5 words at 14 months. Well, here's her current list:

Daddy (pronounced Da-ee)
Mom (pronounced A-mom)
juice
milk (both spoken & signed)
cheese (pronounced deez)
please (pronounced peez, both spoken & signed)
more (both spoken & signed)
bath (pronounced baff)
Elmo
book
ball
bow (as in hair bow, proud of this one)
spoon (pronounced poon)
nose
Drew (as in Uncle Drew)
two (still no "one" though...)
no
hi
bye
teeth (pronounced teef)
baby (pronunced beebee, both spoken & signed)
me
bear
hot dog (thanks to the Hot Dog Dance on MMC)

On top of these she can tell you what sound a cow, horse, dog, cat, & sheep make, as well as Santa & a train (Ho & choo, respectively.) If you can't tell from the list, she's pretty much mastered the long "o" and long "e" sounds.

I've been meaning to post this for a while now, not to brag about Brooke's genius (like "OMG can you believe how smart she is?"), but to document it so I can a) get it into her baby book at some point and b) keep an eye on her progress. And, also, so I can compare her progress with any future children we have, because, let's face it: parents compare. I'm pretty sure our future children will fall short, but only because she's our firstborn. (Birth order studies? Yeah, they're super accurate. I'm married to the definition of a firstborn.) She gets all of our attention; we read books all day, ask her questions all day, point things out to her all day. She just soaks it all in and doesn't have to worry about siblings distracting either her or us. It's a pretty sweet deal, and we keep telling her to enjoy it while it lasts :)

And because I'm seriously lacking in the picture-taking/posting lately, here are a few from Valentine's Day. Let's talk about how SHE HAS A PONYTAIL!! I love it. I think she looks like heaven. The husband disagrees, but clearly I don't care. So so cute!

Oh, and also...OMG can you believe how smart she is???