Kiddie Park

We took Alex to an amusement park for little kids on Friday.  He loved it!  ESPECIALLY the carousel & the train.

 Riding the carousel with Deedee

Someone's having fun!

Boats with his friend, Ellie 

He's such a good driver...

I think this was an airplane?  Or a spaceship?

Getting ready to give Daddy a high five

Don't mind his expression, I think he was getting tired... 

Definitely getting tired -

He held his arms out like this the entire ride like he wanted to get out.

 And finally - the train!

When we got in line for the train, people were boarding.  The train filled up before we got to the front of the line, so we had to wait for the next trip.  Alex was not happy.  He tried to cut to the beginning of  the line & sneak on.  Michael grabbed him just before he slipped under the barrier.  He sadly said to Michael - choo choo.  He has a Thomas the Train book that I read to him & I think I've probably told him that a train goes choo choo but I don't think anyone had said choo choo that evening.  I couldn't believe he came up with it on his own.  He was very happy to finally get to ride the train, but he was not happy to leave the park.  He kept asking for the choo choo.  I guess we should have ridden it all night instead of the other rides!

My parents took him to the park the next evening, too, so he got to ride the train again.  When I saw him on Sunday, I asked if he wanted to go see Daddy.  He said - Uh uh, choo choo.  He also has brought it up randomly when we've been in the car.  I see a trip to the zoo in our future soon...  I think we've created a monster!

Bumpdate 17 Weeks

How Far Along:  17 weeks

Gender:  Looks like it's a boy!  The doctor seemed pretty confident last week.  I'll know for sure in about a month when I have my high tech ultrasound.

Movement:  I felt him last week a lot but not as much earlier this week.  Not kicks - just more of a pushing against me.  Alex used to do this a lot, too.  But the last few days I've been feeling a lot of kicks.  I haven't felt it from the outside yet (so Michael hasn't either) but I don't think it will be long.

Sleep:  I've been sleeping pretty well since we moved into the temporary apartment, which I find odd because the apartment definitely doesn't feel like home.  Maybe less stress now that the move is over?

Maternity Clothes:  I bought a BeBand at Target several weeks ago but hadn't used it until this week.  With Alex I just used a rubber band to hold my pants together until I was ready to transition to maternity pants but I decided to try the band this time.  Only used it twice but it seems to work.

Symptoms:  Happily, I've been feeling much better.  In fact, lately I've been feeling close to back to normal.  Yay!  Again, this seemed to happen right after we moved.  I didn't think I was too stressed out about packing & moving but apparently I was.  Or my hormones just happened to even out at about the same time.  Either way - I'll take it!  I still get tired here & there but it's manageable.  I was really tired on Monday night & fell asleep watching Shark Week.  Michael was concerned because he knows I love Shark Week.  He thought I might be getting sick or something but I've been feeling fine, so I think I just had one of those nights.  I've also noticed I definitely have "prego brain" at times.  Need an example?  How about wearing your bra inside out & not realizing it until the end of the day.  Wow. 

Aversions:  I normally drink green tea every morning but it doesn't sound good at all.  Same thing happened last pregnancy.

Cravings:  Mexican (but that's pretty typically for me - pregnant or not).  I've been eating Q'doba a lot for lunch.  It's really close to my office & pretty much always sounds good.  Healthy, right??  I also have been wanting Sesame Chicken for weeks now.  I've had it at a few places but it was not that good.  Why is it so hard to find crispy (not soggy) Sesame Chicken?

Best Moment This Week:  Since I didn't do a bumpdate last week, I'll roll it into this post.  Finding out the gender of the baby was really fun.  Part of me really thought it was a girl since I've been feeling worse this pregnancy but I kind of wanted another boy.  Maybe it's just because I know how much fun boys can be because it's what I'm used to but I love the thought of Alex with a brother.  Another highlight last week was selling our house.  Check that off the list!  As for this week, not much has happened but it's been a good week.  I'm so glad to be feeling better!  A lady at work asked if I was pregnant.  I think I just look like I have a gut, so it was nice to know that someone (who didn't know I was pregnant) thought it was a baby bump & not too much Q'doba.  Ha!     

One More

Alex likes to read books.  Actually, that's not accurate.  He likes to look at books.  He really doesn't care about the story.  Most of the time, he'll turn a page before I can get through all the words.  He likes touch & feel books.  He also likes it when we point to things on a page & tell him what they are or when we ask him to point to something.

We typically "read" a few books before bedtime.  He'll bring me a book & sit in my lap.  Then he'll bring me another book.  Repeat multiple times.  Lately, I started telling him "one more" to signal when reading time is almost over.  He loved the phrase for some reason & started saying it.  He gets excited & says "one more" over & over while we read the last book.  Then he jumps up, grabs another book & says "one more?"  So cute but I try to be strong & stick to my guns so he'll learn what "one more" means.

Then I pick him up & we cuddle a few minutes before bed.  I say "night night" & put him in his bed.  He usually stands & puts his arms up to signal he wants me to hold him longer.  Like the books, this could go on all night.  This week, he started saying "one more" while holding out his arms.  Who could resist that?  I pick him up one more time & cuddle.  Then I have to resist my natural urge to give him everything he wants, put him back in bed & leave the room.  Now he'll woefully say while I'm leaving - "one more??"  It about breaks my heart.  So stinking cute!

Before you start thinking I'm the meanest mama around, you should also know that Alex is really easy to put to bed.  He may fuss for about 30 seconds but then he lays down & goes to sleep.  I tell myself it has to do with the fact that I don't give into every request of his.  But let's be honest, it's probably just his personality & I'm just justifying to myself that it's ok not to grab & squeeze him every time he says "one more"...  Because that's what I REALLY want to do.  J

Donut, Anyone?

Alex & I went for donuts this morning.  I wasn't just craving a sweet treat - I had an ulterior motive...  I put in a order yesterday for a specific color of icing on the top.  It just happened to have something to do with some big news we got this week.

Know where I'm going with this yet??

Can't quite tell what's on the donut?  Let's try this one...

Yep - that's BLUE icing!  We're having another little boy!

I don't know if Alex quite understands what that means but he did enjoy the donut.  J

I couldn't quite make up my mind if I was hoping for a boy or a girl but lately I've been leaning more toward a boy.  Of course, I would have been happy either way but I'm excited to have two little boys so close in age.  I hope they like each other & become great friends!  A teeny part of me was sad to not have a girl but I guess there's always next time.  Ha!  (Note to the grandparents - there are no plans to have a third child, so don't get too excited).

In other celebratory news, we officially sold our house today!  This week has been MUCH better than last week.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Camera Tip

You may remember that earlier this year, I treated myself to a fancy new camera.  I've been very happy with my purchase & recently took a photography class to encourage myself to get out of automatic mode.  I have to admit, I haven't practiced much since then but I'm going to blame that on the craziness of moving, selling a house, etc.

I did learn a good tip that I'll share here.  These fancy cameras aren't cheap, especially if you invest in several lenses.  If you're like me, you want to keep that chunk of money secure in a padded camera bag somewhere in a closet away from little curious hands.  Unfortunately, this deters picture taking.  If you're going to an event or something, you may remember to grab the camera bag from the closet.  However, if your cute little munchkin does something adorable at home, there's a good chance you'll either A) forget to go get your camera or B) by the time you do get your camera, the moment has passed.

What's the solution?  To keep your camera handy at all times.  But do I really want to have my expensive camera vulnerably sitting on the counter?

Guess what?  You can check with your homeowners insurance carrier to schedule the camera & associated equipment.  You should be able to get a much lower deductible this way & it should be fairly inexpensive.  I called my agent (who just happens to be my lovely & talented father-in-law) & it only cost me $10 extra a year & there's no deductible.  Now I don't have to stress about it being damaged or stolen.  Of course, I still don't want that to happen but at least I won't be starting from scratch if it does happen.

Anyway, I thought I'd share my knowledge because this piece of advice made me happy.  That's probably also due to the fact that I'm an insurance nerd but that's a topic for another day.  Or not...  I highly doubt you want to hear about my passion for insurance.  Or maybe this could be the start of a new post series.  Who wouldn't want fun insurance tidbits each month??  Oh yeah, most normal people not in the insurance business.  Ha!

Future insurance guru?

Bumpdate 15 Weeks

I know I won't be organized enough to do a bumpdate every week, but I figure every now & then is better than never!  This picture was actually taken about a month ago.  I'll try to remember to take another one soon.  J

I copied this template from my friend Katie.

How Far Along:  15 weeks

Gender:  No clue, but hopefully we'll find out at next week's doctor appointment!  Alex wasn't cooperative at 16 weeks, so we had to wait until 20 weeks.  Fingers crossed this baby likes to show off.  J

Movement:  I felt a weird sensation a few days ago while trying to go to sleep.  It almost felt like the baby flipped around.  But it's still a little early to feel movement, so it might have been indigestion or something.  I don't think I felt much with Alex until closer to 20 weeks, but they say a lot of people feel the second one sooner.

Sleep:  Have to get up to use the bathroom at least once a night.  Sleep was a little rough the first trimester, but seems to be a little better now.  I notice I tend to wake up when the sun comes up even though our room stays pretty dark.  It's odd & annoying because it's usually 30 minutes to an hour before I usually wake up & I can't always go back to sleep. 

Maternity Clothes:  Haven't pulled them out yet.  My pants are a little tighter but not uncomfortable.

Symptoms:  I'm tired most of the time.  And still don't feel as good as I did with Alex by this time.  I feel better than I did earlier in the pregnancy, but still not great.

Aversions:  I usually eat Lean Cuisine type meals for lunch during the week.  They're easy, fairly healthy & don't require much pre-planning on my part.  Since about a week after learning I was pregnant, I haven't been able to stomach them.  I thought it was just a morning sickness thing, but they still sound gross to me now.  It's frustrating because I haven't come up with good alternatives & I end up eating out a lot.  Not so healthy. 

Cravings:  Depends on the moment.  I may see food online or on TV & can't stop thinking about it.  Example: a few weeks ago, Michael & I were watching TV after dinner.  I think it was the Big Bang Theory & they were eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes & corn.  I told Michael I was salivating for mashed potatoes & corn.  He actually went to KFC for me!  I didn't even ask him to go - he volunteered.  I think it had a little to do with the fact that whatever we had for dinner that night wasn't very filling because he ate some potatoes, too.  But I appreciated the gesture.

Best Moment This Week:  This one is a little hard because we've had a rough week.  Michael & I both got sick over the weekend & then had a pricey house expense.  We didn't get to pack up the rest of our house since we felt bad all weekend.  We're moving this Saturday - eek!  Oh well, I'm sure it will work out.  I guess the best moment of the week has been looking forward to my doctor's appointment next week? 

Here's hoping next week is better for us!