Row Row Row Your Boat

Happy 18 Month Birthday to my little man!

I can't believe he is 18 months old. That seems like a milestone to me! I keep referring to him as "baby", and am trying my hardest to stop that as 1) he isn't a baby anymore (although he will ALWAYS be my baby) and 2) he soon won't be the "baby" anymore!

I'll just take a moment to indulge in how much I love this little child. He is amazing. I love the big hugs and kisses I get and he holds my cheeks in his little hands and smiles at me. It is the most profound and pure love I have ever seen in my life and just when I don't think I am possibly able to love him anymore, I love him more every day. I love his growing vocabulary, and am amazed at how much he can understand and well he follows directions and behaves.

This week he has added several words to his vocabulary:
Row-Row (boat - apparently me singing "row row row your boat" every time we see a boat has taken it's toll)
Doles (Myles)
Choo-Choo (train)
Socks
Mouth
Glasses
Sunglasses
Doo (Boo)
Shi-own (Cell Phone)
Stairs
Night Night
All Gone
Wow (lately he has been saying this in response to looking at my jewelry or seeing the copy machine go)
Ew (he likes his hands and mouth to be clean - he'll say "ew" if he gets messy)

He also sings "Ashes ashes we all fall down!" and his version of the alphabet song (he gets the rhythm and melody... it's the letters that are unique).


He loves to read his Transportation Book and can successfull identify all the car-cars, row-rows, and choo-choos.



Jackson has mastered brushing his teeth all by himself (I do the first minute and then he doesn't do a half bad job doing the second minute - he actually brushes instead of sucking all the nice strawberry toothpaste off the brush!).



This morning when I took him to daycare, all six of his friends were waiting for him at the door. He was so excited to see them and just smiled from ear to ear. I love seeing him interacting with other little ones. Miss Brandy says that he observes everyone a lot of the time. I can tell he is processing what is going on - even with his cousin. He LOVES Myles (calls him Doles) and wants to do what he does most of the time (as seen in this picture - they were "digging for gold" and Myles got a lot dirtier than Jackson...remember Jackson doesn't really like to get dirty...ew...this is why Myles has no shirt on...VERY muddy).



While playing outside one afternoon, we discovered a little catepillar crawling along. Jackson was fascinated!



Jackson and I also finally managed to get Colts gear and enjoyed cheering on our team to victory on Sunday evening.



We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch this week. We are going on Saturday with Holly and Myles. We'll pick out some pumpkins to carve (and toast the seeds...yum) and go on a hayride and through a corn maze. I am also looking forward to some apple cider. I love fall!


Inside baby news:
Here is my 31 week (or is it 33 week) belly shot.

Despite a large watermelon hanging off the front of me, I feel pretty good. I am not sleeping well - due to heartburn (lots and lots and lots and...), pregnancy bladder, hip pains, calf cramps, and pregnancy nose. I remember this happening with Jackson. My mom said it was God's way of preparing me for nights with a newborn. I have finally scheduled the prenatal massage my sister and her family got me for my birthday - come on November 5! I'm ready! Still craving the ice chips which I'm worried is an iron deficiency (though my last iron count blood test came back fine) so I will mention it to the doctor next week. I have also noticed that inside baby will kick kick kick roll roll roll until I go into a choir rehearsal (which I do about 10 times a week with about 6 different choirs). Then he'll get really still and as soon as it's over...kick kick kick roll roll roll. I guess the choral music soothes him! Jackson loved country music (and still does) - he used to dance in my belly. Also, Jackson got the hiccups ALL the time. This one...I've felt them maybe twice. I just love the differences with the boys already, though I hope this inside baby is as easy as Jackson was/is. We'll soon see! I'll know more about when to except this little one to enter the world at next week's ultrasound...stay tuned!


I think that's about it for this week. Enjoy life - squeeze your babies - and ponder this cute little face if life gets you down!

Autumn Leaves

What a week! Last week was Evansville's annual Fall Festival. The main attraction is the four blocks of the best fried street food in the world. And then there are rides and games, as well. They offer traditional foods such as stromboli, burgers, corn dogs, funnel cakes, etc. They also offer interesting foods like chocolate covered crickets, fried turkey testicles, brain sandwiches, deep fried twinkies, etc. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, they were all out of the crickets and testicles, but we did get to eat our share of yummy food. Jackson's favorite food by far was the corn fritters.

Followed closely by the Smores On A Stick.

He also tried a Pronto Pup (corn dog)

As well as a bit of a deep fried Snickers bar (which he liked) and Puppy Chow (which he didn't like).
Jackson was able to enjoy a couple of rides though I wasn't even allowed on the kiddie rides because apparently pregnant women can't ride ANYTHING!

After three days having fun at the fall festival, Jackson was WORN OUT.


And apparently so was I. After our final day of walking around and sampling all of the goodies (plus the unexpected hot weather), I spent three hours Saturday night having contractions. They were very painful and I did not enjoy those wee hour uterine preparation muscle tightenings. My mom sat up with me and timed them (6 minutes apart) and encouraged me to breathe. I probably should have gone to the hospital, but I didn't. I have since taken care not to overdo it physically and to drink lots of water. The contractions haven't returned.

In other pregnancy news, despite welcoming back my old friends Pregnancy Insomnia, Massive Heartburn, No Energy, Restless Leg Syndrome, and Calf Cramps, I am not feeling too bad. I am slowing down and feel stretched and large. But I can still sleep on both sides and on my back for which I am grateful. Inside baby moves a lot and my only craving is ice chips. I am looking forward to the ultrasound in two weeks.

Back to outside baby...


Here is an updated word list:
He is talking up a storm. His new list of understandable words is quite extensive:
Mama
Dada
Nana
Ho-ee (Holly)
Dut (Duck)
Shoe
Achoo
Ocean
Hello
What's this/that
Who is it
Juice
Clock
Dog
Outside
Up
Wa-wa (water)
Snack
Horsey
Car-car
Golf-golf
Truck
Elmo
Ernie
Ball
A-shon (Jackson - he calls all babies in photos Jackson)
More
Cheese
Tree
Ouch
Ought Oh
Ice Cream
Daw-taw (Bapa)
Apple
Cookie
Banana
Eyes
Nose
Ears
Down
Ashall (Waffle)


He can pair animals with their sounds:
Neigh
Oosh (that's what a dog says...)
Moo
Oink (he snorts)
Meow
Baa
Choo Choo (train)
Ah-ah (Monkey)
Roar (Lion or Dinosaur)
Quack Quack
SSSSSSS (Snake)
*Makes a Fishy Face when you ask what does a Fishy say*

And I know he understands a lot more because he is so good at following instructions. He really does amaze me!


Jackson is finally feeling better. I ended up taking him to his pediatrician just to check to make sure it was nothing more than a cold. I was mainly concerned about the possibility of Jackson contracting whooping cough from someone at daycare. He didn't, but the pediatrician did say that if he did, he would be fine - it would go away by itself - that he was over the age to where it was dangerous - and they would just give him antibiotics so he wouldn't be contagious. Jackson was just fine - a little dehyrated (which we solved quickly with some Pedialyte), and is now his normal eating, normal playing, normal happy toddler self. I was happy that he was able to use his strong and healthy body to build up an immunity to this cold and fight it himself without any meds. I didn't even give him a fever reducer (I would have had he been uncomfortable or had a high enough fever). But he did it himself. That's the amazing part of the human body! And it strengthens my belief in breastfeeding. He got some amazing nutrients and benefits from 16 months of breastmilk.

Also this week, we spent some time at the library working puzzles,

And checking out books.


We even went miniature golfing. Jackson took delight in hitting the ball but it always went the wrong way so he just helped Bapa out with his putts.


Jackson still loves Elmo. And Elmo loves Jackson.


And I just needed to post this picture of Jackson's new baseball player pajamas. He looks like quite the player, doesn't he?


Finally, Friday is David's and my 6th wedding anniversary. Even though we will be spending this one half a world apart, I would like to wish him a Happy Anniversary! I am grateful for the time we have and do get to spend together and I will be spending the day remembering good times! This has been an interesting year, and I look forward to an exciting future with you and our boys. I love you!

This coming week brings a trip to the pumpkin patch and a hayride. Thanks for reading!

Sick As A Dog

The big news this week is that the Inside Baby could be older than we originally thought. I have felt "further along" than what I am supposed to be for a while now. I asked my doctor and he said I was measuring 2 weeks ahead. Not necessarily a concern. But he did schedule an ultrasound for Oct 27 to check out why. It could be this is just a bigger baby; it could be I didn't fully recover from my first pregnancy and my muscles just knew where to go; I could have too much amniotic fluid; my dates could be wrong... any multitude of reasons. The good news is I do not have gestational diabetes so we can rule out that complication! Otherwise the baby and I are healthy. I am feeling pretty good. Still lots of heartburn. I can still sleep on both side and my back without feeling like I am sufficating. The baby is kicking me in all locations - mainly in my right rib cage and left hip. And he had his first bout of hiccups this past week. What do you think? Here a current belly shot... 29 weeks... or is it 31?



Now for the outside baby... he spent most of the week sick. It started out as a barking kind of cough. I thought he had the croup (and I still do). He never had a fever more than 100.4F (38C). Then the cough quickly turned into a congestive chest cough with a runny nose. It culminated in a really gross vomiting episode after dinner Saturday night. Over the weekend, all he wanted to do was snuggle and sleep...and drink Grape Gatorade...


Sunday afternoon he started feeling better and Monday at daycare he was still a bit off, but better. Yesterday he was back to his normal self - appetite back and he even enjoyed corn fritters at the Fall Festival (pictures to come next blog).


On September 25 B.S. (before sickness), we walked the 5K Race For The Cure. It was a beautiful day for the walk and I was able to celebrate/remember 4 ladies whose lives have been affected by Breast Cancer. I wish I could do more.

Clearly Myles was happier before the race than afterwards.



Jackson loves to play with his blocks. He has figured out how the shapes go in, but he doesn't like to use the box to catch them... just the lid.



We've also been shooting hoops. He knows what to do...and tries hard. He's going to be good one day...just like his daddy :)



We got a new umbrella stroller for convenience. Jackson loves to push Elmo around in the new stroller.




Jackson is turning into quite the little character. He is so smart and funny. He does something new every day. He gives hugs and kisses, and is a very gentle little boy. I sincerely enjoy his company. He makes me laugh and is pretty good at communicating with his limited vocabulary (that is growing every day). I feel like the luckiest mother in the world.

Who can't resist this face?


Or this one?



In other news, I went to Babies R Us to register for Inside Baby. I didn't get to do that with Jackson. I had so much fun using the little barcode scanner. It was so hard not to shop for Jackson as well, but luckily I had my sister there to keep me on task. I officially registered for some BumGenius 4.0 Cloth Diapers. I am excited about our decision to cloth diaper.

That's all for now! Have a good week and, if you're in Evansville, Happy Fall Festival!