8 Weeks

I had a sono today--

"You mean I was in there, too???? EEEEEWWW!"

I found this on babycenter.com--what the baby looks like right now in 3D.

Here is a short clip from the sono where you can see the little heart fluttering away. The baby is only the size of a kidney bean right now, and it's heart is already working. Amazing.

And Burbank, don't worry--I will get an 8 week belly shot posted as promised--

but not right now. I just ate an entire Freschetta pizza myself, and I only want a picture of the real baby, not the food baby.

My Next Project

Yes, it will probably be at least a couple of months before we give Brax his eviction notice, but I wanted to share a picture of what his "big boy bed" will look like! This is the stock photo from the Target website--Brax's bed is twin size (extra long, of course!!!). The bed itself was Mike's in college-it is seriously the most comfy bed EVER. I had no idea how hard it is to find XL twin sheets! I ordered the jersey knit sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond in navy (and got to use a 20% off coupon!) So his new room is in the works.... I would like to find an oversized bean bag chair to replace our glider, since that will go in the new recruit's room as well.

With Love, From Burbank

So I get this comment on my blog last nite,in response to the post showing my 6 week baby gut a couple of weeks ago (of course, it was anonymous):

"are you seriously puttin on a swimsuit to post a pic of ur "baby belly"?

come on, you're an adult. give us a break."

I did a little research on my blog traffic monitor thingy, and found that my new reader is from Burbank, California. Hmmmm, for some reason, my feelings weren't quite so hurt after finding out they were from California. This supports my theory that people are just NICER here in the midwest! Yeah, yeah I know that's not ALWAYS true--I have immediate family and a lifelong friend in Cali whom I love, of course, but I think even my dad (who moved from the mid-west to CA like 25 years ago) would generally agree with my theory.

To my #1 fan in Burbank--I have an ultrasound appointment tomorrow morning and I will be sure to post a picture, just for you! I'll even throw on my swimsuit and take a pic of the 8 week "baby belly" for your enjoyment. It must be terrible, being FORCED against your will to look at cheesey blogs about happy families. Oh... wait... you don't HAVE TO LOOK.

Now there's a thought.

Harper Update

I just had to post the GREAT news... today Baby Harper opened her eyes for the first time since she was born! She had been sedated while they waited for her pneumonia to clear up... and for the first time, her Momma got to look in her eyes. Thank you God!

Can you imagine??

Click HERE to go to Kelly's post!

I Just Want to Remember This

Got home from work a little early. Already hungry on the way home. Brax was having a rough day-getting 2 more molars in on top and another front tooth. He just wanted to snuggle on the couch-which I will gladly give up food for. Made him creamy chicken noodle soup for dinner since he didn't feel so great, but of course I had to help him get it in his mouth, so again--I had to wait to eat. After he was done, my opportunity to eat was gone because you can't eat in front of him without him attacking you like a ravenous dog. Didn't want him spilling my chips and salsa everywhere. Decided to wait until he went to bed. Gave him a bath, read books, rocked. Put him in bed like usual, but he had a death grip on me and started to cry. So we rocked some more, with my stomach growling. He seemed asleep-got up to put him in bed--death grip and screaming again. Rocked some more. We went thru this process like 4 more times (which is rare for him, so I knew he just didn't feel good and was overly sleepy from not napping well today), all the meanwhile my stomach was eating itself. Finally I just put him in bed and let him soothe himself (yes, that means I let him cry it out) and he was asleep in 10 minutes. So at 8pm, I FINALLY ate dinner (BRINNER, made by Mike!)
The point of the story---while I was rocking him, consumed by hunger, I was also thinking about what a precious time this is. He seems so "big" to me--with his freshly bathed, yummy smelling head resting on my chest, his feet reach my knees--yet he's still little enough to want Momma when he doesn't feel good. Starving as I was, I felt a little warm and fuzzy inside knowing that all he needed to feel calm and peaceful was for me to hold him. I know that before long, he will have problems that I can't fix, or that he doesn't want me to fix. I will long for him to to come to me with his hurt, whether it be physical or emotional, and I will ache to make it better. My appetite will be lost knowing that I can't. But tonite, as my mouth watered for the breakfast burritos that were waiting for me downstairs, I got another chance to make it all better. Or maybe it was the Motrin/teething tablet cocktail I gave him?

I Need Input

As I was rocking Brax before bed tonite, I was sitting there staring at his crib. I really think I may have a harder time with the transition to a big boy bed than he will! I almost started crying thinking about the LAST time he'll sleep in it. Yes, that's months away, but remember-I hate lasts! Then I started worrying---when is the "right" time to boot him out of his crib? Is he going to be sad? How long before the new baby comes? Should I do it before or after his nap that day? Should I keep the bed oriented the same way so he's not confused when he wakes up? Should I just put the mattress on the floor for awhile in case he falls out? Do I need to completely empty his drawers in case he decided to rummage around? Then I took a deep breath.... and reminded myself that I am not the first momma to deal with this, and there are first-borns everywhere sleeping peacefully in their big-kid beds while their pilfering little brothers or sisters slumber away in what used to be THEIR crib. So take the poll over there on the top right of the page--tell me when to make the switch.

More Wkend Randoms

I forgot I had taken these today...

Brax is not shy about showing off his abs-of-steel.

"What?! I'm not even flexing."

"I don't even do crunches."

"Now THIS is flexing."

Recruiting Update

My weekly update from BabyCenter.com:

Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

(I had to get out a blueberry just to see!)

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.


Your uterus has doubled in size in the past five weeks, and eating may feel like a chore — or worse — thanks to morning sickness, which by now may be in full swing. (If you're feeling fine, don't worry — you're lucky!)You may need to pee more than usual, too, thanks to your increasing blood volume and the extra fluid being processed through your kidneys. (By now, you already have about 10 percent more blood than you did before you were pregnant. And by the end of your pregnancy, you'll have 40 to 45 percent more blood running through your veins to meet the demands of your full-term baby.) As your uterus grows, pressure on your bladder will send you to the bathroom as well.

Wkend Randoms

This arctic weather makes me feel like a really crappy mom---it seems like all we did all weekend was watch TV, which I usually try to limit to 30 minutes a day (for Brax.) I was surprised, tho, that he sat thru an entire movie on Saturday. The 3 of us watched The Incredibles, and he only occasionally got up to "stretch his legs." Anyway, here are a few shots...

We were bored. So he was eating Cheerios out of a muffin tin.

When the Cheerios were gone,

he thought it would be fun to make sock muffins.

"Yes. I am this bored."

For some reason he reminds me of E.T. in this picture??

Checking to see if the chicken parmesan was done yet.

"Come on Momma! I'm hungry!"

Going in for a kiss.

He does this face a lot... usually when we tell him to stop doing something.

Not sure what the expression is supposed to be conveying???

It's like he thinks that if he makes us laugh, then we'll forget about disciplining him and he'll get away with whatever he was doing.

Does this little table look familiar, Mom?

This was my "coloring table" for years and years when I was young!

Uuugggh. I can't wait for spring time.

It didn't get above freezing ALL WEEKEND.

It was even too cold INSIDE to do anything but snuggle under a blanket!

18 Month Stats

HEIGHT/WEIGHT/TOOTH COUNT: 34 inches, 24 1/2 lbs., 10 teeth!!!
(#'S D,E,F,G,L,N,O,P,Q,S)


PERSONALITY: Social. He really enjoys being around groups of people, even new people, and especially kids. We started going to church again and he just loves it--he loves charming the people in the row behind us during praise and worship, he loves dancing and clapping along to the music, and as long as we go to the early service, he loves "Sunday school" too. (He is particulary fond of Ms. Susan, but she's not in the toddler room during the 11:00 service--Brax was NOT having any part of it the day I tried to take him to that one!)


VOCABULARY: When he's in the mood, he'll say a few words--Momma, Dada, uh-oh, pretty (pity), shoe (sue), Laura (lala), cracker (ka-ka), barks like a dog when he sees one, he pointed to the moon and said "moon" once, says meow (mau) for cat,
nite-nite (ni-ni) for binky, quack (kak) for duck, he also signs "please" now, in addition to "more" and "all-done."


NEW TRICKS: He's getting pretty good at feeding himself--he's sloppy, but he can polish off a whole bowl of oatmeal or applesauce with a spoon without help. Puts face near/in the water in bath to "blow bubbles" (really I think he just licks the water.) Follows directions well--stomps his feet on command, puts his milk back on the shelf in the fridge and shut the door, wipes his own nose w/ a tissue, retrieves a towel and wipes up spilled water on the floor. He has also started to pretend--anytime there is a picture of food in a book he pretends to take a bite, and he will also try to feed me a bite. Pours water from one container to another pretty accurately (in the bathtub). Loves to put chapstick on himself. Learned to open the door leading out to the garage.


FAVORITE FOODS: LOVES LOVES LOVES cheese. Will go to the fridge and BEG for cheese. Would eat cheese all day long if I'd let him. Also likes Carr's whole wheat crackers, and ate some of my chili one day.


FAVORITE PEOPLE: Really likes Isaac, one of the little boys in our My Gym playgroup. Isaac is 6 months older than Brax, and he follows him around trying to do whatever he does.


FAVORITE BOOKS: Dr. Suess's Tooth Book, First Steps in Faith, The Monster at the End of This Book


FAVORITE TOYS: Still golf clubs and Felipe the Screwdriver (from his Handy Manny set).


FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Loves to color. When we go down to the playroom, he'll sit and color the entire time.


DAILY ROUTINE: Transitioning to one nap--Up around 7am, breakfast immediately, lunch at 11, nap at 11:30 till 1:30 ish?, snack at 2:30, dinner at 5, bath/books at
6, to bed by 7. Sometimes he'll wake up a little early so we'll do two naps-one from 9-10, then another from 2-3ish.


FAVORITE SONGS: "Sing" from Sesame Street--we bought it off Itunes!


DISLIKES: Still hates having his teeth brushed, and I have given up on taking him for haircuts-I just do it myself while he's in the tub now.


FUNNY THINGS HE DID: Sometimes when I'm laying on the floor as he's playing, he'll come over and back up to my head and sit on it. One day when his teeth were bothering him I was feeding him some cold applesauce while we sat on the couch and watched cartoons He reached over, grabbed a pillow, laid it on my lap and put his head down, then opened his mouth for more applesauce! Sometimes when he's in his highchair eating he'll take my hands in his and put them on his face, like he wants to snuggle them. The other day we were watching some weird clay-mation cartoon called "Pingo" that doesn't even have any dialogue, just weird penguin noises, and he was CRACKING UP, like he understood every word.

What I Want For My Birthday :-)

Just in case anyone needs a hint for what to get me for my birthday....

hee hee hee....

Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand PLUS, in "Galaxy" w/Parent Tray-

Model 7581

(standing platform included but not shown in image)

This color is only available at STROLLERDEPOT.COM

It matches the infant carrier that we have, which fits in this stroller as well.

Ten years ago I would have never believed that I'd be excited enough about "the perfect double stroller" to ask for it for my birthday. Which isn't until May.

Yes honey, I know that's 4 months away.

Our Insurance Premiums ARE Worth It

My merciful OB called me in a prescription for Zofran, an anti-nausea medication. It is primarily used for chemo patients and pregnant women, and is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. My pharmacist said the brand name version is $50... PER PILL. And you are supposed to take it 3x day! The generic is half the cost, but $25 a pill isn't exactly a bargain. Mike and I often complain about our $600 a month health care premiums, but situations like these make it worth it. With our prescription coverage, I paid just over 65 cents a pill. And now my face is no longer green!
WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Revenge

Maybe I'm having TWINS. HA. That would teach Mike to make fun of my quickly expanding belly (and cheeks, apparently.)
DOUBLE HA.

FILTER???????????

So not only has the filter on my dear husband's mouth quit working, but my boss ALSO commented this morning that my face is "rounding out" already!!! He said my cheeks are chubby. SERIOUSLY... if one more stupid man says I'm getting fat....
Dad, you're my last chance at some self-esteem here. You better call me and tell me how great I look.



Oh, I kid, I kid. In light of Kelly's circumstances with Harper, I am quite aware that putting on baby weight early in the game is unimportant in the big scheme of things. With that said, I still think men should remember to THINK BEFORE THEY SPEAK. Dummies. I thought I looked GOOD.

Discontinued? Are you kidding me?

3 of my all-time favorite products:

-John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette Satin Shine finishing creme

-Suave's volumizing finishing hairspray (non-aerosol), maximum hold

-Flushable Fresh'n Up wipes

(because I just don't believe that toilet paper alone does the job.)

My world has been in disarray for weeks now because I CANNOT FIND THESE PRODUCTS ANYWHERE ANYMORE!!!! How does that happen? Why do they stop making stuff that people (I) love???? I have tried other hairsprays--they are either stinky, flaky, sticky or they don't hold. And just believe me when I tell you--use Fresh'n Up wipes after one trip to the pool with the kids, and you'll never rely on TP alone again. Oh come on, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Everyone poops. Just keepin' it real folks, just keepin' it real.

As for the hair creme, well it's just fabulous. It separates layers, it tames flyaways, and adds shine. I haven't even found anything comparable.

All of these products USED to be available at Wal-Mart and Target.
If you find them anywhere, PLEASE buy every last one for me and I'll pay you back. And if you're embarrassed to put your butt wipes on the check-out counter, just tell them they're for some girl you know on the internet. Then they won't think you're weird at all.

Anti-Nausea Arsenal

Besides having a bigger belly this time around, I am also experiencing the joy of all-day nausea. I haven't actually horked yet, but the mouth sweats and hot flashes come and go in waves throughout the day. Fun times! Does this mean it's a girl???

My friend Tracy at work did some research for me and gave me a shopping list... so I stocked up today on the staples of my new "diet:"

Crackers, ginger snaps, ginger tea (I got 4 different kinds, just in case) and peppermints.

No, popcorn wasn't on the list, but it sounded really freakin' good. With salt and lots of shredded cheese on it.

6 Weeks Prego

At six weeks along, our recruit is about 9 mm long. To put this in perspective, I took a photo of a periodontal probe next to my thumbnail.
This instrument is used to measure the pocket between a patient's tooth and the surrounding gum tissue. It is marked in 3 mm increments.
9 mm is the distance between the two yellow arrows.
It's amazing what God can do with a mere 9 millimeters...

How your baby's growing: At six weeks gestation, the nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones.
(from babycenter.com)

And in keeping with Becca's Keepin' It Real theme,
here are some pics of my belly.

This is me now, at 6 weeks along, with the new recruit. Sucking it in, btw.

Here I was at 8 weeks along with Brax.
Yes, I was 2 weeks further.
I'm afraid this is gonna get ugly.

Front shot at 6 wks this time.

Front shot at 8 weeks w/ Brax.

P.S. Mike just walked by and saw this post and said, "Honey, are you SURE you want to put those pictures on there???" Please feel free to shoot him an email telling him things he SHOULD NOT say to his pregnant wife--mikehill06@gmail.com

And in my defense, I was in the best shape of my life before I got pregnant with Brax! I have not been to the gym since I was 5 months pregnant with him!

Getting Real

My friend Becca wrote a post about getting real here in blog world--
read about it HERE.

Here you go--My Top Ten Realisms:

1. I also have cellulite. Even when I was in the best shape of my life--18% body fat and able to run 26.2 miles... I had cellulite.

2. I have really-I mean REALLY-hairy arms. I trim my armhair with clippers and bleach it in the summer. Once in high school this guy said to me (Tim Stuckey, for you BS'ers), "Val, isn't it a little hot to be wearing a sweater??" I had on short sleeves. Funny, Tim. You scarred me for life.

3. I have control issues. I am a control freak. I struggle with being uptight, high strung, impatient and bossy. I have a hard time letting go and relaxing.

4. I am all or nothing. I can't do anything in moderation. Good thing I don't drink or smoke.

5. I worry about baby #2... What are the odds of having two perfectly healthy, beautiful, happy, easy, smart, funny, did I say easy babies???? Brax set the bar pretty high. Then I feel guilty for feeling that way.

***Becca, this is harder than I thought! I'm not sure I want to reveal any more embarrassing facts! They only get worse!!

6. Ok yeah, I'm just going to stop here. I don't want to humiliate my husband by revealing what a weird wife he has.

7. Oh wait--one more-- Yep, that's me. This makes me laugh every time I see it.

Snow Day

It snowed a couple of inches on Friday,
then turned out to be a decent day Saturday.
So Mike and I took Brax for a little walk, then we made a snowman midget (dwarf? little person?) out of what snow was left!

Happy Boy

Ever since Kelly had her baby yesterday (keep checking her page for updates.... and PLEASE KEEP PRAYING), I have just been thinking how blessed we are to have a happy, healthy toddler. Of course I already knew that, but my heart is just breaking for this sweet girl who has wanted a baby so badly, for so long, and now Harper is here and is fighting for her life.

I look at Brax's goofy-tooth grin, watch his silly antics, treasure the fleeting moments when he pauses to snuggle or share a kiss, and I am so thankful. I wanted to share a few pics from yesterday, nothing too eventful, but precious nonetheless.

MOLARS!

Look at those molars eruping!

At this rate he just might have all 20 teeth by the time he starts kindergarten.

Blogging Has A Purpose

The great thing about this blog world is that it unifies people who would probably have never "met" otherwise. Please go to my friend's page--Kelly's Korner--and pray for her and her baby that was born today. I have a lot of good prayer-warrior friends--you know who you are--please pray for Kelly, Scott and Harper.

Bath Time Fun

He loves this bowl!

Yes I blurred the X-rated parts out!

He Actually Misses Me When I'm Gone!!

Aunt LuLu took these pictures yesterday while I was at work...

Brax had found the shirt I slept in the nite before laying in my bedroom. He insisted on carrying it around and snuggling it! She said he would wad it up next to his face and say "awwww."

He even fell asleep with it.... How stinkin' sweet are these pics?

It makes me just a tiny bit happy to know that he actually misses me when I'm gone--

I always figure he's having so much fun with Aunt LuLu that he doesn't even notice!!!!

Don't worry Mike, I won't let him take my pink shirt with him when he leaves for college.