Can you say whirlwind weekend? Because phew!
It has been one nutty, crazy, chaotic weekend up in here! Thanks to the help of some of the greatest people I know, we now have a freshly painted beach-themed kids' hall bathroom & a freshly painted still-to-be-decorated-but-now-a-lovely-shade-of-light-yellow Big Girl bedroom for one Miss Brooke Mary! The bathroom looks darling and is just a few decorations away from being complete. Brooke's room still has a long way to go before it's ready for her to move on in, but the hard part is most definitely over! (Oh & did I mention a ceiling fan/light was also installed in there? Yeah, super awesomely-handy family members were here!)
I feel like I've been on my feet for 3 straight days! I'm actually surprised that I've felt as good as I have at the end of each day. I hope that is a testament to my overall physical health, because I don't ever work out anymore but I like to think that chasing the munchkin all day every day is enough "exercise" at the moment (and I'm gonna go ahead and keep on thinkin' that, too.) I really should be getting to bed, since I'm 100% beat and a certain little toddler will be waking me up bright and early in the morning and there's no one else here to get up with her. (Did I forget to mention that we are Daddy-less this weekend? He's off to the races - Indy 500, that is!) But first things first...weekly baby update!
How far along?: 27 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: +3.5 over 2 weeks. I've officially hit 20 lbs, and I'm pretty okay with it actually.
Sleep: Uncomfortable would be a great word for it. I've reached the point where I'm really only "comfortable" on my left side (using "comfortable" loosely, of course) so my left hip is taking a beating. I wake up several times a night just to slightly readjust so my hip stops screaming out in pain.
Movement: Just like baby #1, this kiddo hates having the hiccups. He completely spazzes out everytime he gets them (which is about 3 times a day.)
Food/Cravings: Donuts, cookies, brownies, cupcakes...doesn't even matter. If it has a lot of sugar in it, I want it. (Disclaimer: I'm really not indulging in this craving as much as I'd like, though the 20 lb weight gain may have you thinking otherwise...)
Gender: When I think of the baby in my belly, I think it's a boy. But when I start thinking about taking care of the baby post-birth, it's so much more natural for my thoughts to go to another girl.
New w/pregnancy #2: Acid reflux is slowly creeping its way into this pregnancy and I'm not happy about it one bit.
What I miss: Pain-free sleep.
What I am looking forward to: Memorial Day! Parade & picnic & play time with my favorite girl (& hopefully her Daddy if he makes it home in time...)
Best moment this week: Hands down it was our anniversary dinner. The food was yummy, the conversation was delightful, and - best of all - I didn't have to cut up anyone's food while mine got cold or pick up a sippy cup off the ground or listen to whining. I love my child and can't wait for the next one, but sometimes a girl needs to eat a hot meal while having an adult conversation, ya feel me?
Weekly Wisdom: If you can afford it, hire people to do around-the-house home improvement projects (for example, painting bathrooms & Big Girl bedrooms) when you're pregnant. If you can't afford it & have to do it yourself, have the heating pad & Tylenol ready when you finally get to sit down! (Sadly, I fall into this latter category. Mucho mucho thanks go out to everyone who helped - never could have gotten it all done without all of you!)
Milestones: Did somebody say 3rd Trimester? Because if I remember correctly, that's the last one. Oh snap!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tiny bit proud.
Warning: This post is going to be chock-a-block full of...bragging. (And if you just got that Love Actually reference, we should hang out more.) That's right, I'm about to pull the Proud Mom card and completely abandon any trace of humbleness that I've ever had. So if you're not interested in hearing it, move on. Because the bragging will commence in 3...2...1...
This child is blowing our minds.
Like, seriously. Brooke baffles us on a daily basis. Straight up baffles us. We are 2 educated, intelligent adults (he moreso than me, sure, but I can hold my own) and yet we are left with our jaws hanging open multiple times a day.
I'm not even sure I can accurately explain to you how crazy-smart this girl is. We've been impressed with her since she was born, as she's been crushing milestones like it was her job since the beginning (okay, so it is her job.) But, for the most part, they were physical things, so we attributed them largely to her size. I mean, sitting up at 4 months had to have more to do with the fact that she was already 21 lbs & super strong than it did intelligence. And when she started saying "Dada" at 8 months we thought "Okay, this is probably a little early, but not ridiculous." But now, oh but now...
So a few weeks ago I get this poll in an email: "How many words can your 16-month old clearly say?" The options were: 0-4 words, 5-8 words, 9-15 words, 16-20 words, & more than 20 words. I looked at this poll like "That's it?" So it got us both thinking about just how many words Brooke really knows right now. Because if 20 is as high as the poll goes...well this girl has got to be near 100. Curiosity got the best of me yesterday, as she pulled some crazy word out during lunch that I couldn't believe she knew (and I can't remember at the moment, of course.) I grabbed a piece of paper and started trying to list her words.
Friends, I ran out of room and had to get a 2nd piece of paper! The number I came to yesterday: 170. What? Yeah, exactly. This includes a good number of family members' names, as well as the names of the characters in the shows she watches (she can pretty much name all the monsters on Sesame Street & everybody on MMC.) And I only included words that actually sound like the real word, words that a stranger would likely be able to understand. (I can't even try to spell how she says "windy". I'm pretty sure I'm the only person that's ever picked up on that one when she says it...and really only because my hair is blowing in the wind at that point. Plus, I know her really well.) And not only does she know all of these words, she uses ALL of them on a regular basis. For example, she can tell you everything she's eating 95% of the time (did I mention that a nice chunk of the 170 was food-related?)
Oh, and today, I added about 20 more words to the list that I forgot yesterday (like "pickle" and "color" and "flashlight".)
It's not just the words, kids. She got in her cozy coupe today and buckled her pretend seat belt while saying "buckle." As she handed me the foam letters she plays with in the bathtub this morning, she correctly identified 3 of the 7 letters. No joke, she clearly said "M", "D", & waitforit "Q" as she handed them to me. Q? Really, child? She always repeats us when we tell her the letters as she gives them to us, but this was the first time she got them on her own. Speaking of letters, she can repeat the alphabet letter-by-letter and pronounces about 90% of them correctly. Oh, and a week or so ago, the husband brought home a light bulb keychain from work. Before either of us said a single word about it, Brooke took it from him and said "keys" and then her version of light bulb (which sounds a little like "bulb-bulb" and is hilarious, btw.) I just...I don't even know anymore.
I wish I could take credit for it. I'd love to sit here and tell you that we sit down home-school style and practice alphabet flashcards on the regular. But I refuse to take credit for this kid. She just shines all on her own.
Ok, bragging is over.
Well, almost. She's also crazy cute. Ok, done for reals.
(If this was all too much Brooke-is-da-bomb for you, come back soon because I promise I'll be blogging about how incredibly stubborn and sassy and stubborn and moody and oh-holy-hell how stubborn this child is very soon. Sure to knock her down a peg or two in your minds, don't worry.)
This child is blowing our minds.
Like, seriously. Brooke baffles us on a daily basis. Straight up baffles us. We are 2 educated, intelligent adults (he moreso than me, sure, but I can hold my own) and yet we are left with our jaws hanging open multiple times a day.
I'm not even sure I can accurately explain to you how crazy-smart this girl is. We've been impressed with her since she was born, as she's been crushing milestones like it was her job since the beginning (okay, so it is her job.) But, for the most part, they were physical things, so we attributed them largely to her size. I mean, sitting up at 4 months had to have more to do with the fact that she was already 21 lbs & super strong than it did intelligence. And when she started saying "Dada" at 8 months we thought "Okay, this is probably a little early, but not ridiculous." But now, oh but now...
So a few weeks ago I get this poll in an email: "How many words can your 16-month old clearly say?" The options were: 0-4 words, 5-8 words, 9-15 words, 16-20 words, & more than 20 words. I looked at this poll like "That's it?" So it got us both thinking about just how many words Brooke really knows right now. Because if 20 is as high as the poll goes...well this girl has got to be near 100. Curiosity got the best of me yesterday, as she pulled some crazy word out during lunch that I couldn't believe she knew (and I can't remember at the moment, of course.) I grabbed a piece of paper and started trying to list her words.
Friends, I ran out of room and had to get a 2nd piece of paper! The number I came to yesterday: 170. What? Yeah, exactly. This includes a good number of family members' names, as well as the names of the characters in the shows she watches (she can pretty much name all the monsters on Sesame Street & everybody on MMC.) And I only included words that actually sound like the real word, words that a stranger would likely be able to understand. (I can't even try to spell how she says "windy". I'm pretty sure I'm the only person that's ever picked up on that one when she says it...and really only because my hair is blowing in the wind at that point. Plus, I know her really well.) And not only does she know all of these words, she uses ALL of them on a regular basis. For example, she can tell you everything she's eating 95% of the time (did I mention that a nice chunk of the 170 was food-related?)
Oh, and today, I added about 20 more words to the list that I forgot yesterday (like "pickle" and "color" and "flashlight".)
It's not just the words, kids. She got in her cozy coupe today and buckled her pretend seat belt while saying "buckle." As she handed me the foam letters she plays with in the bathtub this morning, she correctly identified 3 of the 7 letters. No joke, she clearly said "M", "D", & waitforit "Q" as she handed them to me. Q? Really, child? She always repeats us when we tell her the letters as she gives them to us, but this was the first time she got them on her own. Speaking of letters, she can repeat the alphabet letter-by-letter and pronounces about 90% of them correctly. Oh, and a week or so ago, the husband brought home a light bulb keychain from work. Before either of us said a single word about it, Brooke took it from him and said "keys" and then her version of light bulb (which sounds a little like "bulb-bulb" and is hilarious, btw.) I just...I don't even know anymore.
I wish I could take credit for it. I'd love to sit here and tell you that we sit down home-school style and practice alphabet flashcards on the regular. But I refuse to take credit for this kid. She just shines all on her own.
Ok, bragging is over.
Well, almost. She's also crazy cute. Ok, done for reals.
(If this was all too much Brooke-is-da-bomb for you, come back soon because I promise I'll be blogging about how incredibly stubborn and sassy and stubborn and moody and oh-holy-hell how stubborn this child is very soon. Sure to knock her down a peg or two in your minds, don't worry.)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
3 years.
Reservations have been made. Our babysitters are ready & waiting. The dress & heels are ready to be thrown on at the last minute (to avoid being covered in Goldfish crackers & juice in the meantime.) My stomach is already preparing for the feast that awaits us at dinner tonight.
All to celebrate 1095 days of marriage. 3 years.
At times, it feels like it's been a long 3 years. After all, a lot has happened in 3 years. I moved in to the house we bought together. I got pregnant 10 months later, celebrating our first anniversary at 10 weeks pregnant. We then had a kid and spent our 2nd anniversary enjoying the chubby, little bundle that was the result of our union. One year later, we're happily chasing around the little Miss while awaiting the arrival of yet another bouncing bundle. Phew. That's a lot to cram into 3 years, no?
Yet at the same time, it feels like these 3 years have just flown. It might as well have been yesterday that I woke up a single woman, filled with incredible excitement as I waited for 6:30 to roll around. Got my hair & make-up done amidst a plane-crash-induced power outage. Ate my most favorite sandwich on a giant bus, leaning over so as not to get anything on my pristine white gown. Took pictures in the hot sun with a bouquet of gorgeous white hydrangeas in my hand. Waited patiently in a tiny room with my maids, listening to the start of the music while guests poured into the church mixed with the now-so-familiar Elmo's World theme song while my little flower girl ate her snack on the floor. Walked down the aisle with the proudest father on the planet, admiring the faces of all the people we love. Heard "Mr. & Mrs." for the first time as I walked arm-in-arm with my groom to the back of the church.
In 3 years, we've come a long way. And it has been one hell of an awesome ride. So exciting to imagine how much will happen in the next 3 years.
Happy Anniversary, hon. Love you :)
All to celebrate 1095 days of marriage. 3 years.
At times, it feels like it's been a long 3 years. After all, a lot has happened in 3 years. I moved in to the house we bought together. I got pregnant 10 months later, celebrating our first anniversary at 10 weeks pregnant. We then had a kid and spent our 2nd anniversary enjoying the chubby, little bundle that was the result of our union. One year later, we're happily chasing around the little Miss while awaiting the arrival of yet another bouncing bundle. Phew. That's a lot to cram into 3 years, no?
Yet at the same time, it feels like these 3 years have just flown. It might as well have been yesterday that I woke up a single woman, filled with incredible excitement as I waited for 6:30 to roll around. Got my hair & make-up done amidst a plane-crash-induced power outage. Ate my most favorite sandwich on a giant bus, leaning over so as not to get anything on my pristine white gown. Took pictures in the hot sun with a bouquet of gorgeous white hydrangeas in my hand. Waited patiently in a tiny room with my maids, listening to the start of the music while guests poured into the church mixed with the now-so-familiar Elmo's World theme song while my little flower girl ate her snack on the floor. Walked down the aisle with the proudest father on the planet, admiring the faces of all the people we love. Heard "Mr. & Mrs." for the first time as I walked arm-in-arm with my groom to the back of the church.
In 3 years, we've come a long way. And it has been one hell of an awesome ride. So exciting to imagine how much will happen in the next 3 years.
Happy Anniversary, hon. Love you :)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
26 weeks.
How far along?: 26 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: TBD.
Sleep: Oh, you know, the usual awesomeness.
Movement: The nudges I get are all over the place these days. High, low, far left, far right, and everywhere in between. This kiddo seems to be out of room already!
Food/Cravings: More sugar, please.
Gender: Still going with Team Dirt & Trucks & Football.
New w/pregnancy #2: I think I'm going to melt this summer. Temp hasn't even reached 90 yet. Yep, I'm most definitely going to melt. Having Christmas babies seems so much more appealing now.
What I miss: Waking up in the morning feeling refreshed & well-rested. And not like I got hit by a Mack truck overnight.
What I am looking forward to: Tuesday.
Best moment this week: Brooke played pat-a-cake with my belly today. Ridiculously cute, right? She's really into babies now, too. So so sweet.
Weekly Wisdom: As your belly grows, you just get dumber. I swear, the blood that used to go to my brain must all just be going to my uterus now because it just doesn't work like it used to. This is most noticeable while watching Wheel of Fortune - I get progressively worse at the puzzles as my belly expands. (And I am a master at The Wheel usually. No really, I am that good. Ask the hubs.)
Milestones: We're under 100 days already! Holy cow!
Total weight gain/loss: TBD.
Sleep: Oh, you know, the usual awesomeness.
Movement: The nudges I get are all over the place these days. High, low, far left, far right, and everywhere in between. This kiddo seems to be out of room already!
Food/Cravings: More sugar, please.
Gender: Still going with Team Dirt & Trucks & Football.
New w/pregnancy #2: I think I'm going to melt this summer. Temp hasn't even reached 90 yet. Yep, I'm most definitely going to melt. Having Christmas babies seems so much more appealing now.
What I miss: Waking up in the morning feeling refreshed & well-rested. And not like I got hit by a Mack truck overnight.
What I am looking forward to: Tuesday.
Best moment this week: Brooke played pat-a-cake with my belly today. Ridiculously cute, right? She's really into babies now, too. So so sweet.
Weekly Wisdom: As your belly grows, you just get dumber. I swear, the blood that used to go to my brain must all just be going to my uterus now because it just doesn't work like it used to. This is most noticeable while watching Wheel of Fortune - I get progressively worse at the puzzles as my belly expands. (And I am a master at The Wheel usually. No really, I am that good. Ask the hubs.)
Milestones: We're under 100 days already! Holy cow!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sugar is my friend.
I had my latest OB check-up on Friday. All is well with both of us! Baby Reeder's heartbeat was steady at 153 bpm. No major concerns at this time!
How far along?: 25 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: +3 over 2 weeks, +16.5 lbs in total.
Sleep: It's been particularly rough. Brooke woke up once or twice almost nightly this week, several times requiring Mommy's intervention. Additionally, Baby Reeder moves around quite a bit in the middle of the night. Plus, my hips are really starting to ache and my belly is getting heavy. All of this just adds up to craptastic sleeping.
Movement: Sitting in church yesterday, I suddenly realized that I hadn't felt much movement out of the kiddo all day. As if on cue, the little one started doing flips :)
Food/Cravings: Anything and everything sweet. I just want sugar all the time. No really, all the time. Thankfully, I've discovered that popsicles (the good kind, made w/real fruit & no added sugar) are just sweet enough to satisfy me when I need a fix. Added bonus: I am always hot & they are refreshingly cold.
Gender: I really think this is going to be a boy. A very big boy.
New w/pregnancy #2: I've said it before, but this one is zooming by. It's mid-May already, I'm almost 6 months pregnant, & I'm only a week or so away from the 3rd trimester...when did that happen?
What I miss: A nice glass of wine while out for dinner. (And the funny part is that I really don't do that on a regular basis, like maybe once every few months.)
What I am looking forward to: August 28th :)
Best moment this week: Passing my blood sugar test! For those of you that have never had to the joy of doing this test, it requires several hours of fasting beforehand, with the exception of this glorious 10 oz orange beverage they provide. It's not exactly Crush. And because I like torturing myself, I made the husband some bday cupcakes during the fast before my appt (I can't even begin to tell you how hard it was not to lick the beaters or steal some frosting!) Luckily, my blood sugar was in the perfect range, so I got to enjoy some of his bday treats after all :)
Weekly Wisdom: Heating pads & Tylenol PM must have been invented by pregnant women.
Milestones: Baby should weigh about a pound and a half & stretch well over a foot long at this point. Something tells me this kiddo is probably bigger than that. (And that something is my 31 lb Amazon toddler sleeping in her size 3-year jammies upstairs right now.)
How far along?: 25 weeks, 0 days.
Total weight gain/loss: +3 over 2 weeks, +16.5 lbs in total.
Sleep: It's been particularly rough. Brooke woke up once or twice almost nightly this week, several times requiring Mommy's intervention. Additionally, Baby Reeder moves around quite a bit in the middle of the night. Plus, my hips are really starting to ache and my belly is getting heavy. All of this just adds up to craptastic sleeping.
Movement: Sitting in church yesterday, I suddenly realized that I hadn't felt much movement out of the kiddo all day. As if on cue, the little one started doing flips :)
Food/Cravings: Anything and everything sweet. I just want sugar all the time. No really, all the time. Thankfully, I've discovered that popsicles (the good kind, made w/real fruit & no added sugar) are just sweet enough to satisfy me when I need a fix. Added bonus: I am always hot & they are refreshingly cold.
Gender: I really think this is going to be a boy. A very big boy.
New w/pregnancy #2: I've said it before, but this one is zooming by. It's mid-May already, I'm almost 6 months pregnant, & I'm only a week or so away from the 3rd trimester...when did that happen?
What I miss: A nice glass of wine while out for dinner. (And the funny part is that I really don't do that on a regular basis, like maybe once every few months.)
What I am looking forward to: August 28th :)
Best moment this week: Passing my blood sugar test! For those of you that have never had to the joy of doing this test, it requires several hours of fasting beforehand, with the exception of this glorious 10 oz orange beverage they provide. It's not exactly Crush. And because I like torturing myself, I made the husband some bday cupcakes during the fast before my appt (I can't even begin to tell you how hard it was not to lick the beaters or steal some frosting!) Luckily, my blood sugar was in the perfect range, so I got to enjoy some of his bday treats after all :)
Weekly Wisdom: Heating pads & Tylenol PM must have been invented by pregnant women.
Milestones: Baby should weigh about a pound and a half & stretch well over a foot long at this point. Something tells me this kiddo is probably bigger than that. (And that something is my 31 lb Amazon toddler sleeping in her size 3-year jammies upstairs right now.)
Baby Reeder at 25 weeks
Friday, May 13, 2011
My Daddy.
She calls you "My Daddy" for a reason. You are all she talks about every day. You are her favorite soccer partner. You are the resident bedtime story reader. You make a much better grilled cheese than Mommy. You are her most favorite guy.
Happy birthday from both of your girls!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunshine...finally.
After the rainiest April in the history of Cincinnati, I can't tell you how happy the ladies in this house are to see some sunshine. We've finally gotten a taste of the bright, warm Spring we've been waiting for. The little one has this incredible fascination with being outside - like, she ADORES it. Which is hilarious if you know me. I'm not exactly Queen of the Great Outdoors. I mean, I love sunshine, but more in a loves-to-lay-by-the-pool kind of way than a let's-all-take-a-nature-hike kind of way. Spring usually brings out the tiniest little outdoorsy part of me, though, and I try to take advantage of the beautiful days when I can (especially now that offspring are in the picture.) So anyway, the kiddo and I have been out in full force enjoying the sunny days we've had this week!
(I'm not sure what was so riveting on the TV that she couldn't keep her eyes off of it. The end of Oprah perhaps? Maybe she knows that there are only a few episodes left ever so she's trying to soak it all in while she can...)
On Monday, Brooke's cousin spent the whole day with us, including some playtime in the backyard. Neither of them was too keen on letting go of their sippy cups to do much playing, however. I tried to engage them in some Dora soccer and even broke out giant bubbles (hello, giant bubbles!) Thankfully, Brooke was willing to appreciate my efforts a bit, especially the bubbles. (My nephew kept trying to break back inside...he seemed afraid of the grass.)
We spent a little more time soaking up some Vitamin D again today. We made the quick 10 minute walk down to the park this morning. I specifically went early in the day to avoid the heat. The weather channel said it was only 75 degrees. Um, it felt like 110. The husband tells me it was the 100% humidity that killed us today - I guess I didn't pay much attention to that little tidbit when the meteorologist was singing the praises of today's weather. I swear, both the munchkin and I were sweating after just 5 minutes at the playground. She powered through, but Mama was a hot mess by the time we left. (Oh, and note to self: the walk home from the park is pretty much all uphill. She's only going to get heavier and you're only going to get more pregnant. Keep that in mind.) The big lesson I learned today is this - it's going to be one long, blazing hot, pregnant summer!
After the chica's nap, we spent a little more time outside. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of her cute little skirt and ponytail!
After a double dose of hot for the day, I thought it was only fitting that we have a little snack :)
(I'm not sure what was so riveting on the TV that she couldn't keep her eyes off of it. The end of Oprah perhaps? Maybe she knows that there are only a few episodes left ever so she's trying to soak it all in while she can...)
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