28 weeks

How many weeks: 28

Size of baby: An eggplant and measures 26 cm or 10.2 inches, crown to rump length. Head to toe is 14.8 inches. The baby also weighs 1100-1250 grams or 2.4-2.75 pounds.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I did not gain or lose since last week so I'm still up 8 pounds total.

Maternity Clothes: Yep.

Gender: Boy. 

Movement: I still feel movement mostly on either side but I think he might have shifted his position because I do feel it on the top of my stomach times, where I never did before.

Sleep: I have been dealing with two coughing sickos in my household haha so I'm pretty tired and sleeping really soundly.

What I miss: Exercising! I did up in this week knowing the 1 hour glucose test is coming up.

Cravings: Sugar, chocolate, candy! (Same as last week)

Aversions: Nothing.

Symptoms: I'm having some problems with my gums again. Sometimes I seem to have an allergic reaction and I haven't ever been able to figure out what it's to, but something I eat. This happened at the Children's Museum and all I had was a hummus/vegetable wrap. So who knows. It still hurts 4 days later, and I'm downing Tylenol. Advil would be a whole lot better but at least Tylenol helps a little.

Best moment this week: Christmas! I love this holiday and it was a great one this year. I'm looking forward to two kiddos next year.

Looking forward to: Being done with the 1 hour glucose test. Please cross your fingers I pass it. (By the time this posts I will be done.)

Same this time: Tired, feeling my stomach for sure, and I talked last time about not exercising as much and missing it.

Different from last time: Ok so I'm going to preface this with the fact that this is a tmi topic that seems to not be discussed. Ever since Neil, I've had some pretty bad bladder problems. I assume a lot of it is because of my labor, which was fast for a first baby, but I spent most of the time on the toilet, laboring on the toilet (both at home and at the midwife center). Which meant very bad hemorrhoids and my bladder was seriously shot. I was too embarrassed to even tell the midwives at my 2 week and 6 week post partum check ups. And when I say seriously shot- if my bladder was too full, when I pulled down my pants to sit on the toilet everything just came out. I had some extra cleaning to do that I didn't even admit to Dave for awhile. I did kegels and stuff and it got better. But even at the best, I had to wear something when I ran because I just could not control my bladder- to the point that I didn't even realize I had peed until after my run when I checked in the bathroom.

Ok so with that said, I was in denial that I should go to a doctor; kept insisting I could take care of it myself and that it was getting better. And really I only noticed anything when I ran. I could sneeze, cough, etc. just fine. Then I got pregnant. And now it's just getting worse. I can't sneeze. I can't cough. I can't laugh very hard. If I don't cross my legs, I lose some control of my bladder and it seems to be getting worse. This is actually very difficult for me to admit. I did mention it to the midwife center when I initially called them about being pregnant and they said I can't do anything about it while pregnant but I will be discussing options after having this baby. In the meantime, though, I'm honestly worried I'm going to end up in Depends before this is over. Talk about embarrassing. It seems to be better if I make sure I empty my bladder frequently but I know from last time this is only going to get worse. Ah, the joys of pregnancy. But believe me, it's worth it. Neil is so worth it.

2014 Recap

2014 has been a great year! Here are some of my favorite posts and activities from the past year.

January

Neil's first time in the snow

Neil's first birthday party

February

Disney Cruise

March

Neil turns 14 months

April

Our anniversary

May

Neil turns 16 months

June

Colleen comes to visit  - she had a better post on her blog

July

Neil's first haircut

Swimming fun

August

Pittsburgh Zoo

Idlewild

September

Pittsburgh Zoo

October

Baby announcement

Pumpkin Picking

Savannah/Tybee Island

November

Thanksgiving

December

Penguins Hockey

Christmas

Bring it on, 2015! I cannot wait for some big changes in our lives, one of them being the birth of our second son. I can't wait to meet him face to face and see how much our lives will change again.

23 months

Wow in a month we will have a 2 year old. I was just hugging Neil today, thinking about this.

Neil is still asserting his independence and it seems like he's testing us. He still wants his own separate towel after a bath, but doesn't try to dry himself. (If I try to take it away, though, WHOA, watch out.) Where he used to choose from two sets of pajamas now he refuses to change and if I pick one he will pick the opposite. I didn't realize reverse psychology could work so early, ha. He also likes to tell us no, point his finger at us (I blame daycare for that) and is not listening. We say Neil over and over and he ignores us. But we know he can hear because he does respond when he hears something he wants to respond to.

With that said, though, I think (so far at least) this was the perfect age for Christmas. We could explain things to him- he got Santa. He understood that not all presents were for him, and even helped us give presents to each other from under the tree. He didn't open them until we said okay, and took his time for the most part. When we were at his aunt's house, though, once he opened one he just kept going so I think some of it was novelty for him. He also points out Baby Jesus and Mary, as well as the Three Wise Men, so thank goodness he's also getting the Christian aspect of the holiday, which is really the whole point.

Neil still calls all colors green but he does differentiate so that's a good sign. He still loves books, singing, and talking. I keep getting comments from people about how clearly he talks compared to other kids his age. I still think at times it can be hard- it's much easier if you understand what he's actually talking about. This month of course the theme has been Christmas, and we have been hearing repeated renditions of Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town... I'm sure I'm forgetting more. He just loves all the Christmas music and books.

Speaking of music, combined with independence, he doesn't want me playing the piano anymore, which is kind of disappointing because I like to play. Now he wants to play himself and he even had Mickey playing the piano (putting Mickey's hands on the keys). Santa got him a drum set for Christmas and he really likes that as well, but alternates playing with his Dad. He tries to alternate with me as well but I'm not really thrilled about playing drum set. I prefer those melodic percussion instruments.

We got out the toddler bed and gave Neil a blanket for the bed for Christmas. I'm not sure how or when we're going to transition but he loves hanging out in it and recently asked us to read to him in his bed instead of in the living room. He still goes to his crib to go to sleep but I'm wondering if he's going to ask to sleep in his big boy bed soon... For anyone reading this, I realized for now that he won't use the top sheet so we'll probably just have a crib sheet (crib mattress on the toddler bed) along with a blanket and this is when we are finally introducing a pillow for him. It doesn't look like he'll use it but we'll see. Dave doesn't really want him sleeping in there until he anchors some of the furniture because he's exploring more and we don't want him pulling the dresser or bookshelf on top of himself.

We also started letting him sit in the booster chair at the table to eat instead of the high chair. Right now I'm kind of letting it be his choice and so far anytime I've asked he's said booster chair. I'm not sure if it's that I can't handle him growing up, or I'm just being lazy, but I'm letting him pace it himself, for now. We may regret this later if he doesn't transition on his own though!

Neil takes FOREVER to eat. They tell us at daycare that he's middle of the road (good eater) so I don't know if we're doing something wrong at home but he takes a bite and then sings, talks, and has a good old time. Often I have to threaten to or actually take his plate away and he starts crying saying he wasn't done. We also ask him a lot if he's done and he says no, and stuffs food in his mouth. I will take any advice on this, or maybe it's a good thing because he's not just gobbling food and eating more than he really needs...

Speaking of eating, his tastes are changing and he's getting a bit more picky. I still think it's because he now has had more junk food so he doesn't want the better food anymore. He still eats vegetables for the most part, except broccoli, but he sometimes refuses to because of the other things on his plate. We also finally are letting him have chocolate/candy to some extent.

Closer to 22 months

Neil also got a portable basketball hoop for Christmas and has been playing with that. He likes to throw and kick balls, although he doesn't have any aim.

Sleeping wise, I think the naps are shorter. Last month I'm pretty sure at home he was still napping for 3 hours each day but it's dropped to between 1-2 hours. He seems tired but doesn't sleep longer than that even if we're quiet. One thing I probably don't mention is that when he wakes up, both from nap and in the morning, Neil doesn't cry or anything. He just lays there and waits for us. Sometimes I feel guilty because I don't know how long he's been awake. And this is one thing I'm nervous about with the transition to a toddler bed- I wonder if he's going be up and around as soon as he wakes (and who knows what time that really is).

Potty wise there hasn't been any progress but again I'm letting him call the shots on that. I think personally that it's too early. He doesn't tell us when he poops in his diaper- even if we saw him squatting and can smell it, if we ask him, he denies that he pooped. I will put him on the potty if he says he wants to go but this month he hasn't gone at all.

23 months

Stats:
Clothing: I started putting him in 2T pajamas but they are too big so we just let him wear a mix of 18 month and 2T pajamas. We're doing the same with shirts. Pants have to be 18 months and even some of those are too loose and fall down on him.
Diapers: Size 4
Shoes: Size 6 although I think 5.5 fits but we like the size 6 pairs better (and only have 1 pair of 5.5 size that I see)
Weight: 27 pounds
Height: 34 1/4 inches

Weekly Pictures 12/21 to 12/27

Watching the Steelers with Daddy

First time licking the spoon after I bake
(peanut butter rice krispie treats, not technically baking)

To let Neil burn off some energy I took him to the indoor playground at the mall and let him run around. It was Christmas Eve but the mall near us actually wasn't too bad. (And I parked in pregnant parking; prime spot.)

Outtake from my 27 week picture. He was brushing my hair

We had a great Christmas at home; here are a few pictures with a separate post here.

We can't tell yet if Tigger loves or hates this stocking stuffer

The day after Christmas we went to the Children's museum, which will also have a separate post.

Playing with his new drum set from Santa

Citrus Lane December 2014

This is the 12th month we've gotten a box from Citrus Lane. We received a box for free and then bought a six month subscription. Since then I bought another 6 month subscription for $105 total so that's $17.50 per box. My favorite box so far has been the November box. I changed my mind from last month after Neil has been playing with the stuff from the box. 

I was weighing just including this in Christmas but decided to make it separate. Neil opened it before Christmas, although this post won't be live until after Christmas based on my other scheduled posts.

Here's a breakdown of the items and how much they would cost on Amazon as of today:

Stockpot & Utensils from Green Toys

This is a Citrus Lane exclusive and perfect for Neil. He immediately walked around with the pot (although he initially thought it was a football in the packaging for some reason). He kept saying the pot was hot and that he was cooking like Mommy. A few days later when I made lasagna, he dragged these into the kitchen to cook as well. What a lifesaver. He's always trying to help and now maybe he will feel like he can.

$16.95 through Citrus Lane; this is exclusive to Citrus Lane. Shipping is $4.95. The item on Citrus Lane includes a frying pan so the $ is a little high but it's all I could find.

Alphabet Nesting Stacking Blocks from Melissa & Doug

I really liked these and so did Neil. I started to stack them, to show him how to do it and he got right into it. He has pulled these out several times already, since, and I've been pointing out the items on the sides that start with the letters on the box. It also stores really easily and the blocks fit inside each other so it doesn't take up a lot of space.

For the record, I started this and Neil added on above the penguin.

$11.99 on Amazon and eligible for Amazon Prime. 

Little Book from Chronicle

We got a book a 3rd month in a row. We did read this and it didn't hold Neil's attention. But he's also gotten a lot of new books lately and he's really into Christmas right now. I'm sure he'll love this though as time goes on. It is a cute book. We got the paperback- it's also available in a board book.

$7.95 on Citrus Lane, shipping would be included with the toys listed above. I didn't see the Paperback version on Amazon.

Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer from Juice Beauty

I received this in the February box before. I don't actually know where my other one went but this is now on my nightstand. My skin has been really dry. It's been a few months since there was something for the mom or non-toy for the kid. I think I actually prefer all toys though.

$12.00 on Amazon and eligible for Amazon Prime. (In February, it was $14.00 on Amazon so you can see the price on these things does vary as time goes by.)

There were coupon codes included for Green Toys, Chronicle Books, and Juice Beauty. 

Overall counting the "sale" prices on Amazon the value of the box was $53.84.  I think this estimate might be a little high and it does include shipping from Citrus Lane if I had ordered it separately. But still I liked this box and thought the items were good quality.

Christmas 2014

I haven't done this in the past but Neil really made Christmas for us this year and I don't want to forget it so I wanted to do a separate post just about Christmas. This will have a lot of detail, mostly for me, but for anyone who is actually interested (ha) this is a long post with pictures.

Neil was really into Christmas this year. Frosty the Snowman was definitely his favorite, but he loved singing Christmas songs and reading Christmas books. His other favorite songs (off the top of my head) were Jingle Bells, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Away in a Manger, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

Neil also got Santa. We put up the tree with minimal ornaments but got the tree up (late, very late). There was a Rudolph ornament that he wanted to turn the flashing lights on all the time, and the better ornaments were out of reach. He tried to hang a punching balloon (present from Santa in his stocking) as well as a Grinch gift bag for Dave, as ornaments on the tree as well.

I wrapped pajamas for Neil for Christmas Eve and put them under the tree a few days before Christmas. Neil noticed the present right away and exclaimed "Santa". He thought Santa had already been there. So I tried to explain that no, that's from Mommy and Daddy. I had him wrap presents for the rest of the family with me ("helping") and then on Christmas Eve Dave also let him "help" wrap my presents. Neil really liked picking out wrapping paper, and ran off with the tape for me. I had to go chase him down. But it seemed to help him understand.

Christmas Eve we went to a service at the Presbyterian church where Dave plays drums about once a month. We watched our friends' kid Ethan during the service and the two kids together were feeding off each other. Neil did start out singing (something) to the songs. It seemed like he was making it up. Dave took the two of them in the nursery for a few songs and brought them back in for the end, when candles were lit for Silent Night. I did light a candle but that meant I couldn't shift Neil's weight because the candle took up one hand. Next time I wouldn't do that myself.

After the service, we went to Tamarind for Indian food with our friends, Ethan's parents. It reminded me of the Christmas Story and them going for Chinese. I had been there for lunch before and it was a buffet, but that wasn't open so we ordered off the menu. Neil got chicken nuggets and didn't seem very hungry, which was unusual (foreshadowing).

We figured Neil would fall asleep on the way home but he sang Christmas carols until we were less than 10 minutes home. Go figure. He was so excited. Then he started to fall asleep so I let him watch a few songs/videos on my phone (Let It Go from Frozen and Under the Sea from Little Mermaid). That kept him awake for the end and we did the normal bedtime routine. He was very excited about Christmas and we left out cookies for Santa to eat.

Santa made an early visit figuring Neil was in his crib and couldn't get out. It was very windy and rainy and we lost power a few times for a few seconds each time. This made our carbon monoxide detector go off, and reset the camera in Neil's room, which means it "homed" - went to the range of its capability and then set into a home position. In addition, Neil was getting a drum set from Santa and Santa decided to hit the drums while putting it together. Between all that, we looked at the monitor and he was sitting straight up in bed. No crying, breathing heavily (had had a cold), but we figured he was just excited. It took awhile but eventually he fell asleep and laid on the other end of the crib.

The next morning he was awake his usual time, at 7am, even though he went to bed pretty late and then was up for quite awhile. I went to get him and he asked right away about the cookies for Santa. I leave the light off when I get him out of the crib, so it wasn't until after I changed his diaper and Dave walked in that Dave noticed Neil had thrown up pretty badly in his crib the night before. I felt terrible not getting him when he was sitting up- we had no idea.

So we changed him into fresh pajamas, and took away his sheets and everything that had some puke on it to wash. Neil seemed okay and wanted to check out the cookies that we left out for Santa, so we just let him go.

Under the tree we already had a bunch of presents, but Santa added a small pile in Santa gift wrap as well as a drum set, filled stocking, and this year's Snowmen musical thing from Hallmark. Neil made a beeline for the snowmen and we couldn't get him to look at anything else. When we got him to pay attention he had a huge smile on his face for the drums, and it was nice because he didn't tear through unwrapping presents or looking in the stocking but took his time.

After presents, I made egg sandwiches, and Neil barely ate any of it. He did drink a lot of milk, though. He seemed tired/off so he and I watched Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on television while Dave got in the shower. It was a pretty normal day (although we all now have that Hallmark Snowmen song memorized thoroughly). Neil ate a pbj sandwich pretty well for lunch and a few bites of banana, and then we put him down for his nap. He couldn't have his pacifier because it needed to be washed but he did fine without it.

After his nap, I made Crinkle Cookies (yum) and we let Neil have that for a snack but he barely ate it.

Dave put together his big boy (toddler) bed. We gave Neil a Spider Man blanket for Christmas, for the bed. Once the bed was together Neil spent a LOT of time in it.

Christmas dinner was crescent roll hot dogs with cheese, green beans, and blackberries. Neil only really ate the blackberries so he didn't get any dessert. It was all very laid back. I should mention Neil and I wore pajamas all day and the three of us stayed inside the entire day as well.

We spent the rest of the night cleaning up the house; I also tried to finish Christmas cards (late on that), and Neil went to bed at his normal time. He has a pretty bad cough at this point and did only throw up the one time, so I'm crossing my fingers he's okay!