Teething Survival Kit

Poor Eb is trying to get six new teeth all at once! It started two weeks ago with all four molars. Then yesterday I noticed the ones on either side of his bottom two incisors were white and swollen! Poor buddy, he's been miserable. When he is active and rested its not as bad, he just drools a lot and randomly has hands in his mouth - but when he starts getting sleepy, whew watch out! He just doesn't know what he wants and he gets very "smooshy" (snuggly and needing lots of comfort/attention). Going to Mom's during part of our day is a great distraction since Eb loves his aunts and uncles, and it provides me with a glorious break!

We have needed to use more 'drugs' this round of teething than last time, but the most he's ever broke before was two! Nap time can usually be accomplished with just a dose of teething tablets, teething gel and oral gel. Bedtime requires the big guns though, that's when we break out the Tylenol and pair it with oral gel. Early on we had to give him a second dose during the night, but we finally were able to move away from that this week. The teething necklace is just for the day time - when we remember to put it on :/ Chris discovered a new soother last night - ice cubes! It works great, at least until Eb's hands get cold and he asks us to hold it!

I don't brag on my hubby enough...

After a full day at his internship Chris came home and entertained Eb so I could make us dinner. After playing with our boy he took him to get ready for bed. As I was gathering things for nursing/bed time ritual I could hear him singing silly, made up on the spot songs to entertain Eb (my heart just melted). Then it was time to snuggle and read stories with Daddy (Eb Loves this time with his Daddy every night and has trouble getting to sleep on days when Chris works late). Did I mention he also brought me home doughnuts?

I am so thankful for a husband who values both Eb and I. Who is working hard to finish his degree so he can provide for us. Who doesn't complain about the dirty dishes and laundry I often don't get to, and instead rolls up his sleeves to help me get the house clean. Who spends his Saturday afternoons chopping wood to feed our stove. Who gets up early with Eb to give me an extra hour of sleep in the morning. Who isn't afraid of stinky diapers. Who is willing to have a little lower standard of living so that I can stay home with our children. Who remembers what kind of doughnuts his pregnant wife is craving :)

For all of these reasons, and so many more, I am eternally grateful to have Chris as my husband.

Update on Eva!

I didn't get any pictures of our little girl uploaded last time I updated!  Everything looked great in the ultrasound.  Eva is a little on the small side (40th percentile) but that's okay with me - hopefully that means she will be easier to deliver!  I finally gained a pound at this last check-up, not much but at least its something!  My apatite has also started increasing so hopefully next time I will be more on track for weight gain.  I feel her wiggles more and more every day, though she still feels differently than Eb did at that age.  She is more fluttery with jabbing movements than rolls or stretching.  So excited to how she's grown at our next appointment!

Stop and smell the flowers!

I just couldn't resist the hyacinth flowers at Kroger this week! I'm so excited for spring this year and can't wait to see our OWN bulbs bloom in our OWN yard!

Eb discovered the flowers while climbing up and down the kitchen chairs and decided they smelled too good to pass up! He was so funny wrinkling his nose and making deep sighing noises after sniffing!

It's a...

GIRL!!!

We are so surprised and pleased to announce that Evelyn Hope will be coming into the world on (hopefully) July 17, 2013!!!

Her ultrasound went wonderfully!  We got to see her tiny heart beat, her wiggles and confirm that everything looks just like it should.  She its right on target for her due date and, unlike her brother, she is a little on the small side (40th percentile) - which explains why she's been a little harder to feel, hopefully that also means she will be a successful VBAC!

I'm not sure why, but I'm so surprised we are having a girl!  I knew it was possible and was even kind of hoping for a girl this time, but I just had myself convinced this one was a boy.  I find myself telling Chris in awe over and over, "we're having a girl!".  I can't wait to see her pretty little face in a few short months!

We are so excited to start planning for our little girl!

Pregnancy update!

Our announcement!

We are 19 weeks today and I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has flown!

Shortly after Eb started solids my fertility began to return, albeit sporadically. We found out in November we were expecting again and right after Christmas we had our first ultrasound to determine the due date. We were surprised to discover that we were two weeks further along than we thought (12 weeks instead of 10). It was amazing to see first hand how much development happens in those two weeks! Eb's first ultrasound was right at ten weeks and he really resembled a gummy bear. Just two weeks further along this little one looked just like a miniature baby! Fully developed arms and legs, which were really moving around, and a distinct profile. I can't express how wonderful it was to hear that fast little heart beat!

Surprise!

It was difficult to decide where to deliver this baby. We didn't have much faith in King's Daughters, the closest hospital to us, and Clark Memorial, which has a wonderful reputation and great midwives, is an hour and a half away. To be honest, I wasn't excited about being in a hospital again anyway. I love my son and am thrilled he arrived safely, but memories of his birth still throw me into an emotional mess of fear and frustration - most of it centered on the hospital setting. Because of this we were seriously considering a home birth, especially after discovering a midwife close by who practiced home births and had experience with VBAC's. After further research on the risks associated with VBAC's though, we decided Clark would be our safest option.

12 weeks and 2 days!

It has been a lesson in maneuverability working with Samaritan Ministries instead of insurance. But the folks at both Clark and Samaritan have been super helpful and flexible. While it requires a little more financial planning, we have yet to regret our move to Samaritan.

We have our ultrasound this Friday to find out the gender of our newest little one and I can't wait!!! I'm so excited to give this little one a name and to see if we need to delve into Eb's old baby clothes or start on a girl wardrobe! Chris is still pretty convinced that it is a boy, I'm still on the fence since we didn't actually get pregnant when we thought. I'm also looking forward to finding out if we get to use our girl name (Evelyn Hope) or if we need to work on another boy name (we have lots of names we like, we just have't found 'the one' we want to use yet).

I have yet to really gain any weight with this pregnancy. This has been strange to me because I started gaining steadily with Eb early on. The midwife assures me that this is mostly a result of still nursing and chasing a toddler (Eeek! Eb is a toddler!). As long as I'm getting enough protein (60 grams instead of 40 since I'm nursing) and trying to eat a balanced diet the baby will get everything it needs. Still a strange sensation to be almost half way through, with an expanding middle, but not the associated weight.

19 weeks!

I finally started to feel a few wiggles and bumps last week! It took a few days to be sure that's what I was feeling because they were so sporadic and light (another reason I'm not sure this is a boy), but I'm sure that's what they are now. While they have remained light and rather sporadic (more like popping or bumps versus Eb's drum rolls and extended acrobatics at this stage), I do notice them at least once a day (mostly at bedtime, or after I have ice cream!).

I can't wait to update soon about whether this little Lima Bean is a boy it girl!

You might be a Momma if...

... You can crack and peel a boiled egg one handed while the other hand is occupied by keeping the teething baby on your hip.