Prego Update

So it's been a while since I've posted a pic of the ol belly.  Life just seems to be crazy busy ALL the time and I only have one child at this point. Yikes!  Things are really going to get nuts come April.  Anyway, everything has been going well for the most part.  I seemed to kick morning (or all day) sickness at about thirteen weeks for which I feel blessed.  And I have to say overall, I can't complain too much as I had zero morning sickness with Jackson and this time around, I felt icky a lot but I never threw up.  I know so many who have thrown up often so thank you God for keeping my morning sickness manageable. 

Tomorrow marks sixteen weeks and another appointment.  I'm anxious as usual to see Stacy and hear the reassuring sound of that quick little heartbeat.  This pregnancy I seem to be more worried and uneasy about everything which I think is a result of the struggles we had getting to this point. And maybe it's because I'm already a Mom and I now know what is at stake.  I was kind of flying blind when I was prego with Jackson and even when I did have a few usual things happen, I didn't really think it was a big deal.  This time around, it is a different story.

Anyway... at some point, I want to document what it took to get here but not sure if I'm ready for it today.  I already cried just listening to a song on the radio so maybe I should wait for another day.  Right now, I'm just happy looking down at my growing belly and feeling the life inside me.  Thursday was the first day I felt vigorous movement instead of just fluttering.  I was quickly reminded of how cool it is to share my body with another human being.  Which was perfect timing since I had a rough morning that morning - I almost blacked out in the shower and was a reminder of how much I need to take care of myself and constanly eat when prego.  I've just been so tired that sometimes my bed sounds better than eating a late night snack.

I took a pic of myself at 12 weeks and then realized I was wearing the exact same outfit last week at 15 weeks so I decided to take another.  So here is the comparison... you can tell the shirt is getting a little stretched in the second pic.



Carvin It Up

One night last week, we headed out to find the perfect pumpkins.  Jackson had no problem finding his (and I was actually impressed with what he chose).  I, on the other hand, could have stood there for 1/2 hour trying to find the perfect pumpkin. So BJ finally says "Jackson help Mom pick her pumpkin" and sure enough he picked one right out.  So on we went into the store to pay $14 for two large pumpkins.  We obviously didn't shop around for the best price. 

We quickly made dinner that night so we could get to carving.  I expected Jackson to think it was cool until we had to get all the gunk out of the pumpkin (sometimes he has issues with having dirty hands).  Well, not that night.  He dug right in and grabbed the guts of the pumpkin.  And I think his favorite part was throwing the guts into the garbage can that was below the table.  We ended up with a bit of a mess but it was worth it.  BJ carved an Elmo and I carved a Grover per Jackson's request.  And believe it or not, they actually turned out pretty good.



Getting started

Cleaning out "his" pumpkin

Taking a break to pose

I'm still shocked he liked doing this as much as he did

Finished product

Dental Check-up

Yesterday, Jackson had his six month dental visit which included a follow up on his front teeth (in case you missed his little accident, click here).  He did great, well other than he didn't really care for the cleaning tool they use that makes noise.  So after cleaning about four of his teeth, the hygenist opted for cleaning with a regular toothbrush.  :)  I think Jackson bit her about 15 times but she was so patient.  Bless her heart... it was the end of the day and there is no way I would have had the patience she did.

Anyway, the x-rays for his two front teeth looked good (thank God) and the dentist was really happy with how his gums healed. Whew! 

His favorite part of the visit

 Being so brave :)

 Checking out the movie that was on the ceiling

Fire Station Open House

Every year about this time, I suddenly become a single mom.  Gotta love hunting season (enter sarcasm here).  So it's nice to find fun things to do around town to pass the time and keep my overly active three year old busy.  So I was thrilled to see the fire station was having its annual open house last weekend.  Jackson loved it last year and since he has a little obsession with the fire station, I was pretty sure this year would be about the same.  Yep, he loved it and I had to bribe him with Starbucks chocolate milk to get him from screaming as we left. :)   

Face painting... he's all business

Still not so sure about what is on the side of his face

Nice face :)  He was not so sure about me making him sit on the truck

Fall

Growing up, I lived for summer.  No school, freedom, the heat, hanging out with friends, etc.  Now that I am in the real world, I really appreciate the transition seasons.  Yep, I now love spring and fall.  There is something refreshing about the change and I love that we live in an area that has four seasons. 

We are definitely well into fall as evidenced by temps in the high 60s yesterday during the day and dropping down to the low 40s at night.  It makes for good playground weather...

 BJ getting in on the slide :)

And drying fruit... it takes time but is definitely worth the results.  I love having dried fruit as a snack and so does my little friend.

 

Finally, I have to post a pic of these two on our front porch.  I never thought I would be into front porch decorations but sure enough, now I am. :)  They compliment our pumpkins nicely and make our house feel fall-ish.



10 on 10 October

This month's 10 on 10 was a bit of a stretch for me.  Mainly because I totally forgot until Mary reminded me at our family photo shoot yesterday.  I thought about bagging it, but as I lay awake at 2am this morning (I don't sleep well while pregnant) I decided against it.  My reservation was due to the fact that I was going to have to document a work day.  And because I spend 8+ hours behind a desk, I was not sure how I was going to do it.  But in reality, that is my life.  So as I lay awake I thought, I am a working Mom so why not document what a day in our life is like on a workday.  Ideas started flowing into my mind and eventually I had to tell myself to stop so I could get a little more rest.  I think I finally fell back asleep at 3:30. Today was a rainy, gloomy day so the lighting was a challenge but I tried to make the best of it.  Here goes...

10.10.11
first thing's first. securities. morning entertainment. gloomy day. favorite station. my home away from home. workout gear. preschool work. dad's home. and another day in the life.

Three

Last Thursday, our baby boy turned three. Tear.  I cannot believe how fast the last three years have gone and how much Jackson has enriched our lives. He is truly a blessing and I can't even begin to express how much we love him. 

On his actual birthday, we let him open a few gifts in the morning.  His favorite... a CAT that moves and makes all sorts of noises.



Then on Saturday, we celebrated his birthday with a get together at the Wenatchee Riverfront Train Station.  The kids had a blast and I was so thankful to have the train to entertain them.  It was a cloudy day, but we escaped most of the party without getting rained on.  The last train ride was a little wet but the kids didn't mind.  :)  Overall, it was a great place to have a birthday party!

BJ helping them get the train out :)

Waiting...

Train ride #1

Next up... lunch

Jacksie and his daycare buddies (there are three Jackson's in this picture!)

On to presents

Waiting for another train ride

All aboard

Jackson's cake - wish I could take credit but obviously can't - Amber from Top Tier Cakes did an amazing job

Blowing out the candles

And a movie to go with it - thanks Mom for the video (even though I know you didn't do it on purpose) :)

Yum!

Buddies

And today, BJ and I took him to his three year checkup.  He was a trooper through all the usual doctor visit stuff.  Here are his stats:

Height: 38 3/4 inches (84 percentile)

Weight: 34.8 pounds (77 percentile)

I have to admit, I was a little shocked about his weight.  I feel like sometimes I practically have to beg him to eat and here he is at the 77 percentile. What?  I never would have guessed it.

Jackson @ 3...
- still isn't potty trained but... we are working on it
- is talking a ton and says 'that's fine' and 'why' all the time
- will tell us his tummy hurts or any other excuse to try to get down from the dinner table early
- knows directions better than most - he can tell us which way to go to Deanne's, Costco, the grocery store, etc.
- loves movies and will put his own DVDs in
- still only drinks apple juice and milk when he is at home
- finally likes taking baths (thank God!)
- is best buddies with Hunter and gives her kisses when we leave in the morning
- just started preschool and is SO proud to show us his work
- has a temper and gets frustrated easily when his toys aren't doing exactly what he wants (or us for that matter)
- loves to say 'just' when only one of us is home...'no Mama it's just Dada'
- recently figured out he can get out of his big boy bed so we get frequent visits from 4am on
- is highly attached to the people he loves and has a hard time when he has to leave
- will touch my belly and say 'Mommy's baby'  :)

Love you bubba man.  Can't wait to see what the next year brings!