As of today at 1:35 pm, H2 is head down! Not too excited though... This bugger has moved a lot over the last few weeks. But at least we can skip moxa tonight.
Really tired of my appointments- the more they see me, the more they find wrong. Hoping next week is the last week of this nonsense.
For some added dinner conversation- here are two hints of our names. Girl- I taught someone with this name. Boy- a current NFL player. That should narrow it down from thousands to hundreds of options : )
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
18 Months
Evie is a year and a half!
Evie is a tiny little thing as you know
Weight: 20 lbs, 2 oz
Height: 30.75 inches
IF I wanted to turn her car seat around, I finally could, but she will stay rear facing until she is at least 2... or 7. Thanks Rachel for being a model mother of car safety :)
I have really enjoyed the last year of Evie's life. I think 6 months-now has been so much fun. Her communication skills have improved so much over the last month. It's so much easier to know what she wants now that she will nod her head for "yes" and say "doh" for "no". Jason and I counted at least thirty words we recognize at this point. She is very interested in language and will repeat most words we say to her. This means we really need to watch our words!
Everyone keeps asking me if Evie knows about H2. I doubt it. She may notice there isn't as much room on my lap for her and I look similar to a hippo, but I don't think she has any clue she is about to have a baby brother or sister. She thinks my belly button is really neat. That was pretty much the only reason we got this adorable picture :)
As you can tell by her slow weight gain, feeding continues to be her weakness. Some days she will eat her normal amount (much less than average toddler I'm sure) and others she will eat nothing more than goldfish. As I learned from her KKI days listening to the kids in the feeding program- give them options when they eat. I'm getting over healthy only foods at this point and will be happy if she eats anything (no candy or juice for now). Her favorite foods are blueberries, grilled cheese, goldfish, and fruit strips.
A noticeable change this month is her ability to point to things I ask her to find. I've been asking her to point out certain animals or objects on each page in her books. She is able to identify some of her favorite things (elephant, birds, flowers, bubbles). When her G and Poppop were visiting, we asked her to find "G", "Poppop", etc. She carefully looks around the room and points to the correct person. She is also getting better at pointing to the correct family member in her photo book.
Evie also inherited her mommy's puzzle wizard skills. She is able to complete both Melissa & Doug animal puzzles (approx 8 animals) on her own. I'm sure all toddlers do this kind of stuff, but she seems to smart to me!
Her favorite toys this month were her push toys. She maneuvers them around our furniture very well and likes to chase Parker around the dining room. Good, wears both of them out and it doesn't require any fur pulling!
Standing on chairs is another new thing thanks to her mommy. She is fussy around dinner making time, so I let her stand on a chair and watch me cook. She likes to play with the knobs on the toaster oven (it's unplugged) and cook along with me. I cannot wait to give her the kitchen for Christmas!! I have created a little bit of a chair monster though... she wants to be up on all the chairs now. She is able to climb on her glider in her room and will read books for a while alone. It's the kitchen and dining room chairs that make me nervous. She is vertically challenged, though, and wants to see what we are doing!!
That's a little glimpse of Evie at this precious age. This is likely to be my last monthly milestone post on Evie until 2 years. You will definitely hear enough about Evie in other types of posts :)
Evie is a tiny little thing as you know
Weight: 20 lbs, 2 oz
Height: 30.75 inches
IF I wanted to turn her car seat around, I finally could, but she will stay rear facing until she is at least 2... or 7. Thanks Rachel for being a model mother of car safety :)
I have really enjoyed the last year of Evie's life. I think 6 months-now has been so much fun. Her communication skills have improved so much over the last month. It's so much easier to know what she wants now that she will nod her head for "yes" and say "doh" for "no". Jason and I counted at least thirty words we recognize at this point. She is very interested in language and will repeat most words we say to her. This means we really need to watch our words!
Everyone keeps asking me if Evie knows about H2. I doubt it. She may notice there isn't as much room on my lap for her and I look similar to a hippo, but I don't think she has any clue she is about to have a baby brother or sister. She thinks my belly button is really neat. That was pretty much the only reason we got this adorable picture :)
As you can tell by her slow weight gain, feeding continues to be her weakness. Some days she will eat her normal amount (much less than average toddler I'm sure) and others she will eat nothing more than goldfish. As I learned from her KKI days listening to the kids in the feeding program- give them options when they eat. I'm getting over healthy only foods at this point and will be happy if she eats anything (no candy or juice for now). Her favorite foods are blueberries, grilled cheese, goldfish, and fruit strips.
A noticeable change this month is her ability to point to things I ask her to find. I've been asking her to point out certain animals or objects on each page in her books. She is able to identify some of her favorite things (elephant, birds, flowers, bubbles). When her G and Poppop were visiting, we asked her to find "G", "Poppop", etc. She carefully looks around the room and points to the correct person. She is also getting better at pointing to the correct family member in her photo book.
Evie also inherited her mommy's puzzle wizard skills. She is able to complete both Melissa & Doug animal puzzles (approx 8 animals) on her own. I'm sure all toddlers do this kind of stuff, but she seems to smart to me!
Her favorite toys this month were her push toys. She maneuvers them around our furniture very well and likes to chase Parker around the dining room. Good, wears both of them out and it doesn't require any fur pulling!
Standing on chairs is another new thing thanks to her mommy. She is fussy around dinner making time, so I let her stand on a chair and watch me cook. She likes to play with the knobs on the toaster oven (it's unplugged) and cook along with me. I cannot wait to give her the kitchen for Christmas!! I have created a little bit of a chair monster though... she wants to be up on all the chairs now. She is able to climb on her glider in her room and will read books for a while alone. It's the kitchen and dining room chairs that make me nervous. She is vertically challenged, though, and wants to see what we are doing!!
That's a little glimpse of Evie at this precious age. This is likely to be my last monthly milestone post on Evie until 2 years. You will definitely hear enough about Evie in other types of posts :)
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| 18 Months |
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Operation Flip Baby
If you google breech, you will find all kinds of crazy things women have done to get babies to flip (kind of like all those things you will all suggest to me how to start labor that I will ignore). I do not care to lay with my head on the floor, feet in the air for 15 minutes. I can barely get up from laying horizontal without feeling light headed. The one method mentioned over and over again is getting to a licensed acupuncturist to use moxibustion.
According to the literature given to me, "Moxibustion is a way of stimulatingng acupuncture points with heat, which encourage the fetus to turn. The technique employs a lighted moxa stick held near the point BL-67 on the little toe"
My acupuncturist, Jen, often uses moxa on certain points during my treatment sessions. She used the sticks this time for 15 minutes on my little toes. Since I was with her, she then put in needles at the point on my little toes. Jason has to repeat the moxa stick part twice a day, if possible, for 10-15 minutes each time. We are obviously not putting in needles.
So here we are!
Anyone that has done acupuncture knows moxa gets into your clothes and follows you around all day. It creates a lot of smoke, so we are outside in these frigid temps burning my little toes. It's quite comical! Our neighbors probably think we are smoking pot outside.
We are suppose to stop when I think the baby has moved. Riiiiiiight. H2 moves all the time. I can't tell the difference between a punch, kick, or 180 flip. By the low pain I had in church this morning, I think H2 is still breech. We will know for sure on Tuesday at my next sonogram.
Until then, we will be smokin' up on the back deck.
Oh H2, the things we do for you already...
According to the literature given to me, "Moxibustion is a way of stimulatingng acupuncture points with heat, which encourage the fetus to turn. The technique employs a lighted moxa stick held near the point BL-67 on the little toe"
My acupuncturist, Jen, often uses moxa on certain points during my treatment sessions. She used the sticks this time for 15 minutes on my little toes. Since I was with her, she then put in needles at the point on my little toes. Jason has to repeat the moxa stick part twice a day, if possible, for 10-15 minutes each time. We are obviously not putting in needles.
So here we are!
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| Not only are the moxa sticks smoking, so is Jason's crotch. LOL |
Anyone that has done acupuncture knows moxa gets into your clothes and follows you around all day. It creates a lot of smoke, so we are outside in these frigid temps burning my little toes. It's quite comical! Our neighbors probably think we are smoking pot outside.
We are suppose to stop when I think the baby has moved. Riiiiiiight. H2 moves all the time. I can't tell the difference between a punch, kick, or 180 flip. By the low pain I had in church this morning, I think H2 is still breech. We will know for sure on Tuesday at my next sonogram.
Until then, we will be smokin' up on the back deck.
Oh H2, the things we do for you already...
Saturday, November 24, 2012
36 Weeks Cooked
I am one week away from being full term! We are hoping H2 can hang on for at least another week to make it to that milestone.
Good- I tested negative for Group B Strep! I tested positive last time and had a HORRIBLE time with the penicillin they administered throughout delivery. Jason was probably even more elated than me that he doesn't have to relive my screaming as my veins BURNED and I screamed in agony. I really think that was one of the worst parts of Evie's delivery. Phew!
Bad- At my sonogram on Monday, my amniotic fluid was a little high. This is the second time it measured on the high side of normal. I think it was about 20 cm. Dr. Means requested I have another sonogram on Friday to check the level again. Unfortunately, it is up to 25 cm. That officially puts me in the high fluid range, which starts at 25 cm. The medical term is polyhydramnios. I looked it up on Baby Center to get the right spelling and read about it. Bad move. The doctors are not concerned and are chalking it up to being diabetic. Diabetics can have higher fluid levels. The rest of the stuff I read was scary, so don't read it. I'm going to ignore everything else it said about it. There is nothing I can do about it and no need to induce or anything crazy like that. They will keep an eye on it.
Good- H2 scored perfectly on the NST and sonogram. H2 is practicing breathing, showing proper movement, and has a strong heartbeat with accelerations and decelerations. H2 passed the NST on Friday after 5 minutes- they give babies at least 20 minutes to show their stuff.
Bad- H2 decided from Monday to Friday that he wanted to do flips in all the extra fluid. As of Friday at 12:15 PM, H2 is breech. Yes, isn't that a breech! I am so disappointed. At 36 weeks babies usually are in final position. However, with my fluid on the higher side, there is always a chance he will return to head down.
Good- I've been seeing a licensed acupuncturist for 2 years to help me when crisis arises. I already had an appointment with Jen today, so we started Operation Flip Baby. I will post pictures in the daylight tomorrow of Jason's new task :) In the meantime... PLEASE do not send me your suggestions on how so and so got their baby to flip. I am sticking with my acupuncturist's plan and leaving the rest up to God. Maybe H2 wants to be delivered via C-Section and God is giving me some time to come to terms with that reality.
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| H2 at 32 weeks |
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| H2 at 36 weeks |
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| Evie girl at 36 weeks |
I had a mixture of good and bad news this week at my appointments:
Good- I tested negative for Group B Strep! I tested positive last time and had a HORRIBLE time with the penicillin they administered throughout delivery. Jason was probably even more elated than me that he doesn't have to relive my screaming as my veins BURNED and I screamed in agony. I really think that was one of the worst parts of Evie's delivery. Phew!
Bad- At my sonogram on Monday, my amniotic fluid was a little high. This is the second time it measured on the high side of normal. I think it was about 20 cm. Dr. Means requested I have another sonogram on Friday to check the level again. Unfortunately, it is up to 25 cm. That officially puts me in the high fluid range, which starts at 25 cm. The medical term is polyhydramnios. I looked it up on Baby Center to get the right spelling and read about it. Bad move. The doctors are not concerned and are chalking it up to being diabetic. Diabetics can have higher fluid levels. The rest of the stuff I read was scary, so don't read it. I'm going to ignore everything else it said about it. There is nothing I can do about it and no need to induce or anything crazy like that. They will keep an eye on it.
Good- H2 scored perfectly on the NST and sonogram. H2 is practicing breathing, showing proper movement, and has a strong heartbeat with accelerations and decelerations. H2 passed the NST on Friday after 5 minutes- they give babies at least 20 minutes to show their stuff.
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| The sonographer commented about the amount of hair H2 has already. H2 is looking at you with his spikey hair (far left) |
Bad- H2 decided from Monday to Friday that he wanted to do flips in all the extra fluid. As of Friday at 12:15 PM, H2 is breech. Yes, isn't that a breech! I am so disappointed. At 36 weeks babies usually are in final position. However, with my fluid on the higher side, there is always a chance he will return to head down.
Good- I've been seeing a licensed acupuncturist for 2 years to help me when crisis arises. I already had an appointment with Jen today, so we started Operation Flip Baby. I will post pictures in the daylight tomorrow of Jason's new task :) In the meantime... PLEASE do not send me your suggestions on how so and so got their baby to flip. I am sticking with my acupuncturist's plan and leaving the rest up to God. Maybe H2 wants to be delivered via C-Section and God is giving me some time to come to terms with that reality.
We're getting close! Jason made 10 trips up and down from the attic today getting the infant car seat out and other things for H2 at the same time as putting away some of Evie's babier toys. She is a year and half after all and ready for the big girl stuff!! More about Evie turning 18 months in another post.
Friday, November 23, 2012
So Thankful
I know I said we weren't traveling until 2013, but we made an exception. I had a few hours of regret on Wednesday as I had what I thought were regular contractions for 2 hours. Luckily we got through our 48 hour visit to Lancaster without having to rush home to the hospital! We are officially home until H2 arrives!
As I get older I understand the phrase "there's no place like home for the holidays" more and more. There is really nothing better than going to my childhood home surrounded by my loving family to celebrate Thanksgiving. (And to have my mom do the cooking and cleaning...) Even though it was just "us" plus Nana, the house fills up quickly with 3 kids and a dawg running around.
I am beyond thankful for my family this year. Each one of them has helped me in their own special way whether that was helping out with Evie, crying with me over difficult news, give me insulin shots in my butt, supporting me financially, ironing our clothes, a kind hand written note at the perfect time, or picking up cookie butter from Trader Joe's.
Evie and I joined an already "dog-vacationing" Parker in Lancaster on Wednesday afternoon. Daddy arrived a few hours later. Evie had a chance to be the big cheese for a day with her grandparents and all the toys. Auntie Laura and company joined the fun on Thursday afternoon. Nana witnessed the craziness of the next generation of Stefany's.
Evie adores her G and Poppop. She calls both of them by name and reaches her arms up to be snuggled by them. She likes to be in Poppop's arms when the clocks bong or coo coo. She enjoyed watching G cook. It's so endearing to see her interact with her grandparents.
Evie loves her cousins as well. She is closer to a Cole sounding name than Hannah. She likes playing with them when she is in control. She doesn't like it when Cole (aka silent destroyer) takes the toy she wants or makes a mess of the toys. I am so proud of her good manners in saying "thank you" (sometimes accompanied with a head nod) when her cousins share a toy with her. The house on the patio and the basement full of toys were huge hits. We had many laughs watching three unique personalities play.
On my drive back I heard my first bit of holiday music. It's going to be a great season this year! I love how the holidays take on a new form with kids.
As I get older I understand the phrase "there's no place like home for the holidays" more and more. There is really nothing better than going to my childhood home surrounded by my loving family to celebrate Thanksgiving. (And to have my mom do the cooking and cleaning...) Even though it was just "us" plus Nana, the house fills up quickly with 3 kids and a dawg running around.
I am beyond thankful for my family this year. Each one of them has helped me in their own special way whether that was helping out with Evie, crying with me over difficult news, give me insulin shots in my butt, supporting me financially, ironing our clothes, a kind hand written note at the perfect time, or picking up cookie butter from Trader Joe's.
Evie and I joined an already "dog-vacationing" Parker in Lancaster on Wednesday afternoon. Daddy arrived a few hours later. Evie had a chance to be the big cheese for a day with her grandparents and all the toys. Auntie Laura and company joined the fun on Thursday afternoon. Nana witnessed the craziness of the next generation of Stefany's.
Evie adores her G and Poppop. She calls both of them by name and reaches her arms up to be snuggled by them. She likes to be in Poppop's arms when the clocks bong or coo coo. She enjoyed watching G cook. It's so endearing to see her interact with her grandparents.
Evie loves her cousins as well. She is closer to a Cole sounding name than Hannah. She likes playing with them when she is in control. She doesn't like it when Cole (aka silent destroyer) takes the toy she wants or makes a mess of the toys. I am so proud of her good manners in saying "thank you" (sometimes accompanied with a head nod) when her cousins share a toy with her. The house on the patio and the basement full of toys were huge hits. We had many laughs watching three unique personalities play.
On my drive back I heard my first bit of holiday music. It's going to be a great season this year! I love how the holidays take on a new form with kids.
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| Thanksgiving 2012 |
Saturday, November 17, 2012
35 Baby!
When I wrote this post at 24 weeks, I never thought I would still be pregnant at this point. Thank you H2 for staying comfy in my belly up to this point.
My testing has been going well. No reason for concern. I am having quite a few contractions today. It seems one day I have a lot of stomach tightening (contractions), then nothing for five days. The good news is my parents are coming down tonight if something major happens. The bad news is Jason and my dad are going to the Eagles/Redskins game tomorrow. That's when it will happen, right Jackie Hege? :)
We are traveling to Lancaster for Thanksgiving. Our trip will be short lived since I have to be back on Friday morning for testing. As much as I want to cancel and stay in Lancaster, I have a feeling H2 is coming sooner than later, so I want to stay on top of things... and be close to my doctors.
Induction will happen as early as 38 weeks. I am hoping sometime around Dec 12... my original due date. Earlier, of course, if H2 is having any issues. I'm pretty sure this time next month, we will be holding H2 with bags under our eyes. AHH! Are we really starting all over again?! Evie is busy, but so easy compared to a newborn. Lord be with us.
We will keep you posted via the blog. I have most of the same people on my text list from Evie. If you want to be on it, let me know!
My testing has been going well. No reason for concern. I am having quite a few contractions today. It seems one day I have a lot of stomach tightening (contractions), then nothing for five days. The good news is my parents are coming down tonight if something major happens. The bad news is Jason and my dad are going to the Eagles/Redskins game tomorrow. That's when it will happen, right Jackie Hege? :)
We are traveling to Lancaster for Thanksgiving. Our trip will be short lived since I have to be back on Friday morning for testing. As much as I want to cancel and stay in Lancaster, I have a feeling H2 is coming sooner than later, so I want to stay on top of things... and be close to my doctors.
Induction will happen as early as 38 weeks. I am hoping sometime around Dec 12... my original due date. Earlier, of course, if H2 is having any issues. I'm pretty sure this time next month, we will be holding H2 with bags under our eyes. AHH! Are we really starting all over again?! Evie is busy, but so easy compared to a newborn. Lord be with us.
We will keep you posted via the blog. I have most of the same people on my text list from Evie. If you want to be on it, let me know!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Fun, Free Friday
The days of Evie and Mommy outings are limited. We are probably about 1 month away from H2's arrival, which means this Mama is slowing down and will be home bound for a few weeks. I feel like I am finally finding my stride as a stay at home mom. I've met just enough mom friends with little friends for Evie to keep me fulfilled. We had some kind of playdate every day this week and Evie had two napovers. I'm so thankful God put some wonderful women in my life. I've been longing for some new pals since my Maryland girlfriends keep moving!
Since Aubrey asked, ringworm has not made an appearance yet. Poor Cole Bug has been running a high fever since Monday (gymnastics day). George and Evie seem to be ok besides running noses. What kid doesn't have a runny nose all fall and winter?
We culminated our busy week with a trip to the Maryland Science Center. My neighbor invited us along with her two girls, her sister, and her nephew. Thanks to Melanie's connection at the Science Center, we paid $0 for our outing. Kids are free under 3 (take note, Please Touch
The majority of the museum is not appropriate toddlers, but luckily there is a gated Kids Room for kiddos 0-8. AND all the school trip kids can't go in there. It was a perfect place for our little group to play.
The water table was still a tad high for our vertically challenged tot, however, Evie played there for a good chunk of time.
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| So serious all the time. I promise you she liked it |
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| C'mon short arms, you can do it! |
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| This was the smallest one there. Daddy texted she looks like Gumby |
Watching the bubbles in the fish tank was fascinating. I saw a camera in the tank, but wasn't sure where it was projecting. When we went into the submarine a few minutes later , a mom commented she saw us on the TV in there. I hope I wasn't picking my nose! I will know for next time... and here is your warning MD folks!
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| "Bubbles" is a word in her vocabulary |
The Lego's kept her attention for a few minutes.
And this thing was pretty cool
They also had a 0-24 month area with a "waterbed" area. Even though she transversed over all the mats at the gym, she was unsure of this one. This area had a big chair for feeding babies and other toys for crawlers. A good area for when H2 is with us.
After our typical 40 minutes of play, we had a snack on our way to eat our bagged lunch.
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| Overlooking the Inner Harbor while snacking |
I love getting out during the week with Evie to avoid weekend crowds. But that also means we run into field trips. The museum was filled with elementary aged kids. Luckily we found a few tables away from the lunch room to have our lunch.
Free is a great way to experience a new adventure with a toddler. Hooray for nice neighbors!
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